Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 306 The Star-Melting Warrior

A war that would bring ruin to the ages ended in betrayal, becoming a tragedy for the galaxy.

The Nightbringers were shattered into pieces by the Necromancers of the cosmos, their bodies imprisoned and enslaved, never to be freed.

As the Grim Reaper's iconic scythe, it is forever lost in the warp, never to return to its master and reap the souls of organic life in the galaxy.

Doom never expected that, by sheer chance, he would encounter a Celestial weapon in the warp.

It is over a thousand meters long, with its sickle-like blade hanging in the air like a crescent moon, radiating a cold and chilling light that is captivating.

Legend has it that Azagorod, the Nightbringer in his full power, could reap the entire population of a world with a single strike wielding his scythe.

Those innocent victims only felt a cold wind pass by, and their souls were pulled out of their bodies and entered the mouth of the embodiment of death, becoming food for His gods.

Upon seeing the Grim Reaper's scythe, Doom understood the origin of the arm guard's hatred; all hatred and loathing ultimately had their reasons.

During the Star God Civil War, the Nightbringers were ruthless and reaped the lives of other Star Gods, shattering several of their own brethren.

Furthermore, the Burner, Niadrasar, is extremely cruel and hates all living beings, including his divine brothers, so his reaction was naturally strong.

Having understood the cause and effect, the problem was solved, and Doom suddenly saw the light. But there was still one thing he didn't understand.

Why is this infamous yet incredibly powerful weapon imprisoned here?
Star Gods are the embodiment of the laws of physics, representing the absolute will of the physical universe; they are difficult to destroy, and truly cannot be destroyed.

The weapons they use are products of the concept and will of the gods, possessing a certain degree of self-awareness and yearning to return to their masters.

Even if a Star God weapon is stranded in the warp, it will never stay in one place for long enough to create a gravitational field that attracts debris and piles up into ruins.

Doom lowered his shield, carrying the Judgment Sword as he walked across the circular platform, observing the chains that imprisoned the Grim Reaper's scythe from multiple angles.

That power was sacred and ancient; the pure chains were endless, rooted in the void, constantly drawing power from the warp to fight against the Star God weapon and prevent it from breaking free of its bonds.

With a look of inquiry, the gaze gradually left the scythe and chains, landing in the distance, on the opposite side of the circular platform, where there was a small house.

"Follow me, watch your surroundings." Doom sent the command through the mental link, instructing his offspring to follow him, and added at the end: "Watch your step, don't touch anything else."

This place is constructed using psionic energy and was originally designed to imprison Celestial Weapons, but it suppresses the psionic energy of the intruding Doom Soldier and Doom. Caution must be exercised to avoid causing environmental anomalies.

Since they had just entered and there was no deliberate targeting, the psionic chains dimmed considerably, and the Grim Reaper's Scythe became much more active.

The group moved lightly, yet their footsteps still echoed, rising and falling within the steel tunnel like drumbeats of varying rhythms.

Upon reaching the door of the hut, Doom reached out and handed the shield to Obelisk, the tallest of the brothers, who could use the shield to protect his brother even in the event of an accident.

He then raised his hand, made a clasp, and politely and gently knocked on the iron gate—bang~bang~bang~
After waiting for ten seconds with no response from inside, Doom knocked on the door again and waited another ten seconds.

hum!
The Judgment Sword flashed red light and disappeared in an instant, severing the seal on the iron gate. Doom supported the fallen iron gate and carefully placed it aside, trying to minimize the damage to the scene.

He beckoned for the relatively short Zul to go inside and explore, as he was too tall to enter the hut.

Zul bent over slightly as he entered the cabin, sharing everything he saw with his brother and the Father of Genetics.

The room was simple, with a bed at the far end of the wall near the door, and a cabinet opposite the bed with small compartments displaying unusual minerals of different colors.

Next to the cabinet was a furnace, with unknown fuel emitting high temperatures, and forging tools were neatly arranged on an iron felt nearby.

To the left of the blazing furnace, there is a complete set of exquisite kitchen utensils, and a cup still has half a cup of water left.

After taking in the room's furnishings at a glance, Zul slowly left, awaiting the Father of Genetics' decision on the next step.

All indications suggest that someone lived here but left before their arrival.

Doom lowered his left arm. He could tell that the homeowner had just left and had left in a hurry, probably knowing about their arrival in advance.

“We meant no harm and did not intentionally trespass here.”

Doom sheathed his Judgment Sword, signaling his offspring to lay down their weapons and reduce their aggression, thus demonstrating that he meant no harm.

Only his sincere voice echoed in the empty space. After waiting for several minutes, there was still no response.

"Step back." He spoke again, signaling the Doom Slayer to move away from the house, making another significant concession.

"We come from the real universe," Doom explained after his offspring had walked away, raising his left arm to show off his gauntlet. "Guided by this weapon, we have come here." His voice was gentle enough to soothe a frightened heart and to establish trust with enough sincerity.

Showing goodwill and stating his purpose, Doom, as an intruder, was very polite and did not overstep his bounds.

Unfortunately, it remains hidden, refusing to show itself or respond to this kindness.

The warriors who had left their Primarch stood in the distance, their eyes narrowing beneath their black armor as they stared intently at the steel-built houses.

The father of genetics was sincere, his words even carrying a hint of pleading, yet the person lurking in the shadows still hadn't shown up—it was somewhat ungrateful of him…

Doom could naturally sense the malice his offspring harbored towards the land's owner, stemming from their respect for him.

He remained calm and composed, raising his hand to reassure his children, then bowing slightly to the house before slowly retreating.

"Retreat another hundred meters, then rest on the spot."

The group moved away from the house again. Doom told his offspring to rest where they were, while he strolled along the circular platform, carefully observing the Grim Reaper's scythe and the psionic chains.

Time passed slowly, and he walked around four times, examining every detail inside the steel cavity, fully confirming his earlier conjecture.

After circling the house one last time, Doom returned to the front of the house and uttered a name he had never revealed to anyone, not even his children: "Prima the Life Forger."

As soon as the name of the ancient saint was spoken, footsteps sounded in the room, and a figure walked out of the iron house.

Doom's eyes gleamed with delight. His conclusion, drawn from his observations, was correct: this was the secluded dwelling place of an ancient sage.

Only they can cleanse the subspace of its filth and elevate that pure power.

Where did you learn this name from?

The figure was short and stout, wearing brass armor with a background of cosmic stars, a relief of stars on the chest, and auxiliary sword and weapon patterns. He held an ancient flintlock pistol in his left hand and a square short hammer in his right.

It stood cautiously at the doorway, pointing a flintlock pistol at Doom, its two large yellow eyes occasionally glancing at the Doom Slayer.

"What race do you belong to? And who are you?" Its voice rang out hollowly, its chin trembled, and a hint of excitement was hidden within it.

"Greetings, elder." Doom smiled kindly and bowed deeply to the figure with the utmost respect.

He never expected that in the unknown lands of the subspace, he would encounter a weapon of death, and that an ancient saint would be living in seclusion there!
Prima the Lifeforger was right; there are no Old Ones in the real universe, but there is one in the warp.

"Elder Prima lives in seclusion on my home planet, where he has a karmic bond with the ancestors of Norwick for millennia, and he has witnessed the rise and fall of my people."

Doom spoke calmly, careful not to disturb the ancient saint, introducing his race and himself:

"My race is called humankind, and we were enlightened by ancient sages. And I am the one who challenges the gods."

The ancient sage carefully examined the species before him, pondered the information in its words, and after several hesitations, put away his flintlock pistol.

He hung his hammer and gun on his waist, removed his helmet to reveal his toad-like face, and politely introduced himself: "Starbreaker, Fiery Hammer, Sintra".

Only then did Doom realize that the elder standing before him looked very different from Prima.

The fine scales on the Star-Melting One's body are a fiery red, and the tips of the scales shimmer with a ruby-like light.

"Doom Norwick".

Sintra nodded, then used his webbed four fingers to pull a handful of dust from his waist pocket and aimed it at the hole that Doom had punched.

"Whoosh~~~~" It puffed out its cheeks, blew out a long breath, and the dust it raised sparkled like stardust.

The dust transformed into stardust, drifting towards the void like a cloud, where ancient sacred runes appeared before vanishing without a trace.

“You’re strange,” Sintra said quietly. “You didn’t use any other means to enter here; you smashed through my barrier with your bare hands.”

“If you know the Primar, you should know our history. Whether in the warp or the real universe, we are the prey.”

“If the barrier is not repaired soon, the enslavers will sense the ancient holy energy and come to devour my soul.”

(End of this chapter)