Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 579 Reforging Steel
"Their downfall is rooted in my own demise. I was the one who betrayed them first..."

This heavy self-blame.

This forgiveness stems from the responsibility of the original genes and is almost a compassionate one.

It was the only bitter, rusty gift she could give to her offspring at that moment.

“I understand your ‘forgiveness,’ Felix,” Chen Xi’s voice rang out, as if directly touching her churning thoughts.

He leaned forward slightly.

Those judge's eyes, like beams of starlight piercing through the fog of the soul, precisely locked onto the eye of the storm within her heart.

“But forgiveness is not the same as pardoning sins.” His tone suddenly became as sharp as the blade of judgment.

"The red line crossed by the steel hand—committing extermination in the name of logic, and desecrating humanity and the true will of the emperor in pursuit of a false 'purity'—these crimes themselves are not worthy of forgiveness, but only of judgment!"

He traced a line on the table with his long, slender fingers.

A deep, swirling holographic star map, glowing with cold blue light, instantly appeared.

The Medusa Galaxy rotates slowly within it, like an ancient, rusty box waiting to be opened, exuding a dangerous yet alluring aura.

"The Empire has no luxury to indulge in fairy tales of redemption, Primarch." Chen Xi's voice was resolute, carrying a heavy and urgent sense of mission.

"In just over a decade, the Great Rift will tear the Milky Way apart like a greedy maw, and humanity will plunge into an unprecedented abyss of darkness."

"For survival, and to prevent the Emperor's dream from falling into eternal darkness, I need every sword I can still hold, especially the Tenth Legion's hammer, once known as the 'Imperial Anvil'!"

His fingertips pressed heavily on the holographic Medusa.

The blue light illuminated his resolute and sharply defined face.

In those deep eyes burned an unquestionable determination.

"Your offspring still have value, but they are mired in a quagmire of wrongdoing, imprisoned by steel cages they have built themselves."

"What they need right now is not your tears of repentance, but your iron fist and your foresight!"

"To pull them back from the path of self-destruction and give them a new mission—that is your true responsibility as the Primarch."

Chen Xi's plan was then put into action.

Clear and ruthless, yet containing a will to save, like a meticulously planned surgery for a dying giant.

Feralus must return to Medusa, descending directly before the Council of Steel, using the very existence of her Primarch as the most powerful shock.

Immediately following this, with overwhelming force, she purged the most extreme, most stubborn "Iron Fathers" in the council—those who had distorted her creed into cold, cult-like doctrines—those who signed extermination orders, treated human life as worthless, orchestrated clan divisions and undermined legion cohesion, and hoarded forbidden technologies for their own use.

As for those offspring who still retain a shred of rationality, whose souls have not been completely corrupted by mechanization, and whose instinct for loyalty can still be awakened, they need to be identified, reorganized, and given a chance for redemption.

He will use the original Space Marine technology he has mastered to completely and radically upgrade and expand the Legion.

This is not merely an exponential increase in strength, but a profound purification of thought—the original Forged Warriors' enhanced logical thinking and perfect affinity for machinery are the best vehicles for eradicating the poison of old extreme ideologies and reshaping the soul of the Legion.

The ultimate goal of all this is to forge this broken, frenzied, and disoriented steel hand into a "divine hammer" that can adapt to the future dark age, is truly loyal to the human empire, and is highly efficient and ruthless, before the Great Rift tears apart the veil of reality.

A sharp blade capable of cleaving through the eternal night and piercing the light.

Felus's gaze was fixed on the rotating holographic image of Medusa.

The liquid metal covering her right arm flowed, hardened, and softened unconsciously, just like the turbulent storm of thoughts churning within her.

Rebirth brings a sense of alienation to a woman's unfamiliar body.

A deep fear of the twisted, cold, inhuman appearance of their offspring, like living machines.

There was strong doubt about whether they could even steer this out-of-control, internally corroded and cracked steel behemoth...

A myriad of emotions surged and churned like molten iron in a furnace, scorching her soul.

She glanced at the shadows again, almost instinctively. Hathor's presence served as a living warning, reminding her of the price of betrayal and fall.

Finally, her gaze, as if drawn by a magnet, fell back on the figure behind the desk.

Chen Xi sat upright, like a rock that had weathered millions of years of wind and frost yet remained steadfast.

Beneath his calm exterior lies the power to move mountains and fill seas.

There was no mockery in his eyes, only a heavy responsibility for the future of the empire and unwavering trust in her abilities.

In that gaze, the steely will that once belonged to the "Chief of Gorgons," forged in the Medusa Icefield and endless war, awakened like a dormant volcano in her eyes, bursting forth with a resolute and unwavering light.

“Flesh and blood may be weak…” Her deep voice echoed in the silent office, carrying a re-formed, unshakable power, like refined gold.

"...but one's will must be as strong as steel."

The moment she finished speaking, the liquid metal in her right arm suddenly hardened, solidifying into a cold, deadly form that reflected an insane, chilling light, as if it were a manifestation of her resolve.

"I accept."

"Take me to Medusa."

Her words fell like a hammer, powerful and resounding, shattering the last vestiges of hesitation.

"It's time... for the Steel Hand to learn to feel the 'hammer' again."

Her acceptance was not only for the sake of that precarious and fragile human empire.

It was also to personally sever the evil seed sown by his own death ten thousand years ago.

To bring back her offspring who had lost their way in the darkness, become alienated by machinery, and strayed from the path she had originally set for them—even if it meant the cruelest fire and forging, even if it meant paying the price in blood.

Chen Xi's lips twitched upwards very slightly.

That wasn't a smile, but a confirmation signal that a strategic objective had finally been locked in.

It is the profound recognition a chess player feels when they see a key piece overcome all difficulties and finally land in its place.

There was no frivolous joy in his eyes.

Only the calm as an ice field and the confidence to control everything, and the deep, imperceptible solemnity about the coming storm and reshaping.

He knew all too well the hardship and bloodshed of this path.

But he had more faith in the power and determination of the Primarch before him.

"A wise choice, Primarch."

He reached out and decisively pressed the communication rune hidden under the desktop.

The voice resounded clearly and authoritatively throughout the entire ship.

"Prepare the 'Iron Will'."

"Target—Medusa."

His gaze swept over Felus again, as if examining a peerless weapon about to be cast in a furnace, his eyes filled with expectation and a silent entrustment.

"A 'backfire' that's a million years overdue is about to begin."

Death is not the end, but the beginning of rebirth.

And he, Chen Xi, will be the guide and witness of this reshaping fire.

For the empire, and for this lost legion, ignite the flames of rebirth.

(End of this chapter)