Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 536 Progress Advancement
Although Chen Xi really wanted to resolve the issue between Hathor and Feralas, it was clear that this was no easy task, involving a deep past and complex emotional entanglements.

Many people say that Horus was the first loyal Primarch to die, but this statement is not accurate.

While Horus was indeed bewitched by Erebas after being severely injured, the final decision to join Chaos was made by the Warmaster himself.

This is not surprising, because he had long harbored resentment towards the empire's political system and the emperor's various practices, especially the complete annihilation of the Second and Eleventh Legions, which was like an eternal thorn stuck in his heart, one that could never be removed.

It must be said that Macardo and the Emperor's handling of this matter was somewhat too simplistic and crude.

Although some say that a significant portion of these actions originated from Dorne's suggestions, it is well known that Rogue Dorne is a stubborn and unyielding rock, and expecting him to be worldly-wise is less likely than expecting the Emperor to be a loving and kind father.

While the four Chaos Gods certainly played a role in pushing Horus toward his downfall, the core idea that the Emperor had betrayed him and the ideals they had worked so hard to build was indeed something that arose in Horus's heart.

All the four Chaos Gods did was magnify and distort this seed of doubt until it devoured everything.

They showed Horus a vision of the future: the Astartes and Primarchs would be discarded like the Thunder Warriors of the past; the Emperor would destroy everything in his quest for godhood; and even in creating the Primarchs, the Emperor had used the forbidden power of the Warp…

All of this illusion may be mixed with exaggeration and deception, but there is no denying that the Emperor did have similar plans or used those powers.

Ultimately, choosing to believe all of this was also Zhan Shuai's own decision.

Therefore, the moment he made that choice in his heart, his downfall had already begun.

Although a trace of kindness remained deep within his soul in the end, it was ultimately destroyed by his servant Malrogaster at the cost of his own life. However, contrary to popular belief, the Warmaster did not "die" when he was corrupted by the Chaos Ritual on Davenstar.

In fact, Horus was always himself until the Emperor himself ended him—only his will was firmly controlled by the four Chaos Gods, like a puppet on strings.

In this respect, his "good son" Abaddon was not much different from him. Both believed that they were just using the power of Chaos to fight against the Empire, unaware that their souls had already been deeply permeated and corrupted by the power of Chaos.

The book "The Vengeful Spirit" describes how Horus visited the Stargate in Moro before preparing to rebel—the legendary place where emperors obtained their power.

By the standards of the material world, Horus was only inside for a few seconds.

But in the warped dimensions of the warp, he fought for what seemed like an eternity against endless demon princes, billions of twisted monsters, and all sorts of indescribable beings, until the seas dried up and the rocks crumbled.

Ultimately, he obtained the same power that the Emperor had used to create the Primarchs, but in a more "legitimate" way—he passed the brutal test set by the Warp Powers through sheer willpower, rather than "stealing" it like his father had.

Horus was convinced that he had refused to become a slave to the power of destruction (perhaps this was the illusion the Chaos Gods wanted him to have), and then left the warp.

This journey through the warp was so long that even Horus, the adult Primarch who should have been immortal and eternally youthful, showed obvious signs of aging.

Afterwards, he used his newly acquired powerful psychic energy to regain his youthful appearance—clearly, the Emperor had played the same trick back then.

In the book "Death and the End," Horus is depicted in his final confrontation with the Emperor.

At that moment, the four Chaos Gods continued to pour terrifying power into his body, and Horus on the Soul of Vengeance was almost completely broken down, losing his personality and independent will. However, just as the Emperor was about to deliver the final blow, Horus's soul miraculously regained consciousness for a moment, and he painfully confessed his sins to the Emperor.

Finally, the Emperor told Horus that he would forgive him and wait for him forever before finally ending his life.

Because of this dying confession and the emperor's words, some speculate that Horus's soul was not completely shattered and destroyed, but that a part of it was collected by the emperor and placed in the mysterious city of dust.

Therefore, from beginning to end, Horus is Horus.

Unlike Forgrim, he was not completely replaced by the Slaanesh.

Everything he did, no matter how terrible, was a choice made by his own will, even if it was mixed with the bewitchment and deception of chaos.

Similarly, because all of this stemmed from his own will, he cannot be exonerated, and his guilt is undeniable.

As for Hathor... while she is indeed a key piece that Chen Xi has put into this universe, as a counterpart of Horus, inheriting Horus's power and deeply buried memories, it is also her inescapable fate to bear the deep-seated hatred of other Primarchs towards Horus.

Chen Xi wouldn't use such weak and unconvincing arguments as "she's just a clone and has nothing to do with Horus himself" to defend herself.

This failed to convince neither her wounded Primarch brothers nor Hathor herself—she felt the weight of blood and memory more deeply than anyone else.

"Sigh, I'm also suffering from bad luck. I have to clean up the mess left by the Emperor's unruly child and deal with his psychological problems..." Chen Xi couldn't help but sigh.

However, amidst his sighs, a sudden thought struck him: he seemed to know a very skilled psychologist who might be able to help him figure out a way to resolve the mess between Hathor and Feralus.

However, this issue is not urgent for now.

Compared to the current thorny Primarch feud, Chen Xi was more concerned about the specific progress of the "Psionic Knights" project on Feralas' side.

He needs to understand the actual progress of the research.

Thinking of this, Chen Xi immediately dialed the encrypted communication channel to contact his friend 32. The communication was connected almost instantly.

"32, I'm Chen Xi." Chen Xi got straight to the point. "How's the progress of the Psionic Knight project? Has he finished evaluating the technical data provided by the Eldar?"

"Yes, just finished." 32's voice sounded calm, with the clarity of someone working. "Ferus checked it. The Eldar provided the most basic spirit bone technology, which is just an introductory manual."

"How basic is it? Is it usable?" Chen Xi pressed for the key questions.

“It works.” 32 answered affirmatively.

(End of this chapter)