Warhammer, I really didn't intend to form a second empire!

Vulcan only saw something suddenly fly out of the crater in the distance and then fly rapidly toward the two of them. Just when he thought it was a boulder from the volcanic eruption, the familiar cry made him freeze again.

The giant fire lizards crashed down from the sky with a series of loud thuds. Zhao Zheng casually unloaded the long-handled hammer from his waist and then smashed the skulls of the fire lizards with a few "bangs".

He then grabbed the tails of the salamanders and dragged them behind him, speaking to the dumbfounded Vulcan.

"Come on, stop looking. It's time to go back, dragging my fire lizard with me."

"oh oh."

Vulcan nodded instinctively and followed behind Zhao Zheng, dragging the two fire lizards with him.

The people on Nocturne Star kept looking into the distance, anxiously waiting for their Fire Dragon Lord to return. Meanwhile, the Emperor had already used his spiritual vision to see Zhao Zheng and Vulcan each dragging several fire lizards back, chatting and laughing all the way.

It seems that bringing Number Two here was the right decision. Makado was right. Although Number Two has a rebellious streak, his ability to unite his brothers is truly remarkable.

When the two returned to the settlement, Vulcan had already learned a lot from Zhao Zheng. Although he still found it hard to believe that this skinny little man was his father, Vulcan felt that his brother would not lie to him.

And so, to the astonishment of the people on Nocturne, Vulcan offered his loyalty to the short stranger.

The emperor stopped pretending at this moment, and his whole body shone with golden light. The golden giant, who was originally only four meters tall, was suddenly swelled up by spiritual energy, and was just a head taller than Zhao Zheng and Vulcan.

“My son, rise, I accept your allegiance.”

The Emperor helped Vulcan up, and the Emperor's alluring psychic energy, combined with the gentle smile on his lips, instantly captivated Vulcan, making him forget even the Emperor's previous demeanor.

"From now on, stay by my side and save humanity together."

Chapter Seventy-Five: The True Legendary Lover King, and His Secret Deal with Vulcan

Vulcan spent three days aboard the Imperial Dream.

The Emperor did not immediately begin to give Horus a systematic military and political education, but instead let him familiarize himself with the ship's environment and the basic framework of the empire.

As Vulcan moved through those corridors, he inevitably attracted some attention; after all, his fierce face and massive body easily inspired an instinctive fear in people.

But he had a gentle and calm demeanor. He would nod slightly to the mechanical priests who were conducting inspections when passing through the hangar, and he would step aside to make way for the Imperial Guards when they encountered them.

He entered the Emperor's lounge on the afternoon of the third day.

The emperor sat behind a low table, holding a steaming cup in his hand. When he saw him walk in, he looked up and his gaze lingered on him for a moment.

Are you getting used to it?

Vulcan sat down in the chair opposite him, placing his enormous hands flat on his knees, the thick calluses on his palms revealing varying depths of lines under the light.

"This place is very big, much bigger than I imagined, and very clean. There's no place this good on Nocturne."

"Vulcan said."

"So what do you think of this place?"

"very good."

The Emperor nodded slightly. He knew that Vulcan's words were not just polite talk. The people on Nocturne did indeed live in harsh conditions, and the children who grew up in that environment had a very different understanding of "cleanliness" and "spaciousness" from the standards of Terra Palace.

"That's good."

The emperor paused for a moment, as if considering his next words.

"You will stay here for a while until you have a good understanding of the Empire and the Great Crusade system. I will also start to have people teach you some military command skills. When you are ready to pass the test, I will let you take over your own legion."

The Emperor hoped that this overly benevolent son would become a competent Primarch and commander like Horus, leading his legions to outstanding victories in the expedition.

Vulcan listened to the Emperor's words with seriousness and focus, but he still lacked a concrete and clear concept of the Great Expedition the Emperor spoke of.

All he knew was that humanity needed to be saved, and his mission was to help humanity accomplish this.

"I remember you had a good chat with Zhao Zheng."

The emperor suddenly changed the subject, his tone becoming more casual than before.

Vulcan nodded.

"My second brother told me a lot about the empire, and also about you, Father."

"He told you about me? What did he say?"

"He said you are the emperor of mankind, the most powerful human in the galaxy, and the one who created us. He said you have been working hard to save mankind and lead them back to the light."

“Even though many people who didn’t understand initially called you a god, both you and your brother firmly denied it, because there are no gods in the world. We are all human beings, just more powerful ones.”

A hint of satisfaction flashed in the Emperor's eyes, and the smile on his lips was faint, but Vulcan noticed it. He could tell that his father quite agreed that he was not a god.

"Did he say anything about me...the less-than-good aspects?"

Vulcan's crimson eyes twitched slightly, as if recalling Zhao Zheng's words.

It's more than just that. Aside from your strength and determination to save humanity, Father, you're almost on the death row by your second brother. You'll soon be sitting at the same table as those rat-men from the stinking ditch at the bottom of the nest.

"No, my second brother said you are a respectable person."

Vulcan said against his will, but the indescribable expression on his face betrayed him. He was not a liar. How could an innocent and kind four-year-old child lie?

It was just a white lie, and the emperor didn't expose him.

"He just said that you can be a bit stubborn at times, and that you might not be the most appropriate person to handle certain things."

Vulcan's selective amnesia prevented the emperor from discerning how much he was hiding. The emperor was certain that Zhao Zheng had spoken ill of him to Vulcan.

The emperor sat in his chair, his golden pupils slightly narrowed.

“Your second brother does have some unique ideas. He is the most ‘intelligent’ and the most opinionated of all the Primarchs.”

"His achievements on the Great Expedition far surpassed those of your other brothers, and he often helped them, for example, with logistical support..."

If his treasure trove hadn't been looted, the emperor wouldn't have hesitated to praise Zhao Zheng. Unfortunately, Zhao Zheng did just that, and even beat up Old Ma!

This is the thing he can't stand the most.

Vulcan nodded seriously, clearly having complete faith in the Emperor's words.

"My second brother is indeed a very good person. He is very strong and even thought about helping me find fire lizards to improve the lives of the villagers. I am very grateful to him."

The emperor did not continue on this topic. He picked up the half-cold glass, took a sip, and then changed the subject.

“Vulcan, I will now begin to teach you about the basic workings of the Empire, as well as the strategies and tactics you need to master for the Great Crusade. This may take some time, but I will try my best to help you understand these things step by step.”

"But you must remember one thing: don't change. You may be able to be flexible, but never forget your original intention."

Vulcan looked at the Emperor with some doubt.

“Your compassion for humanity, Vulcan, remember this, and never let it change, for it is of utmost importance in the galaxy.”

The Emperor looked at Vulcan with a solemn expression and spoke in a serious tone, which made Vulcan think it was something important.

Isn't this the most basic thing? Why do we need to emphasize it so much?

Looking at Vulcan's somewhat bewildered expression, the Emperor suddenly remembered what he had said when he agreed to go out of the mountains with Makado.

"I will save humanity from the aliens, from the warp, and from the persecution of religious beliefs, and spread science and truth throughout the galaxy."

It seems I haven't been able to keep my promise either.

……

Zhao Zheng was waiting for Vulcan in the hangar of the Emperor Dream.

He leaned against the landing gear of a Stormbird, his arms crossed over his chest, relaxed. When he saw Vulcan appear at the end of the corridor, he straightened up and waved to him.

Vulcan quickened his pace and stopped in front of Zhao Zheng.

"How have you been? How have the past three days been?"

"It was pretty good. My father took me to visit many places and told me some things about the empire."

"So what do you think of him?"

"It's so great that you can't help but want to follow it."

Greatness is possible, but true greatness is absolutely impossible. Without sitting on the golden throne for ten thousand years, an emperor at that point is definitely not comparable to true greatness.

However, Zhao Zheng did not expose Vulcan's illusion. As long as he had less contact with the Emperor, the Emperor's psychic charm would not break through.

Being loyal is good, at least they'll be willing to be slaves in the Great Crusade, unlike Skadi, Angron, and Plankton who have long harbored resentment and could easily erupt into conflict.

"Vulcan, I remember you're skilled in forging, right?"

"Yes, Second Brother, I learned some skills from the blacksmiths on Nocturne Star, and I think I have some talent in this area."

Vulcan answered sincerely, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

He didn't realize that a four-year-old child being able to forge weapons capable of smashing the Dark Eldar with a mortal anvil and hammer within three years, and then being able to smash Nightwings down with stones, was far beyond the scope of "having some talent."

Zhao Zheng did not correct him, but simply continued along with him.

"Would you be interested in forging some weapons for me in the future?"

"What kind of weapon does Second Brother want?"

"I haven't decided on the specifics yet, but it's definitely going to be a good product. I'll send the design drawings and materials over together, and you can just follow your own understanding."

Vulcan nodded without asking any further questions.

Zhao Zheng believed that the Lord of Fire Dragons would not disappoint him.

In his simple understanding, it was only natural for brothers to help each other.

He had no idea how much legendary equipment his nod would add to the Qin Emperor Dragon Legion in the future.

"Then it's settled. Your second brother won't treat you badly. Don't worry, just tell me what you want. As long as Great Qin has it, I'll send it to you. Or you can come and choose it yourself."

Zhao Zheng patted him on the shoulder and then gestured towards the hangar exit.

"Come on, I'll show you my flagship. It's a bit smaller than the Emperor Dream, but I personally modified everything on it. You'll probably find it interesting."

Vulcan followed Zhao Zheng through the airtight door that had already been opened.

The interior space of the Epang Palace was more spacious than he had expected. The height and width of the corridors were specially designed according to Zhao Zheng's body shape, so that he did not need to turn sideways or bend down when passing through.

The walls on both sides of the corridor are inlaid with large dark gray alloy plates, with no extra decorations on the surface. The silver and green patterns show the unique traces of Zhao Zheng's technological creations.

Vulcan's gaze lingered on the living metal patterns for a moment. He couldn't identify the specific type of material, but he could sense an extremely faint but continuously flowing energy within those patterns.

Zhao Zheng led him through the elevator shaft to a higher deck, at the end of which was the equipment warehouse.

The blueprints for the melee weapons designed specifically for the Imperial Dragon Legion were also sent over.

Melee weapons made of living metal and adamantite are absolutely top-notch. Many people under the Qin army have even started using weapons made of adamantite, and Felus has long coveted them.

Zhao Zheng even secretly transferred a batch of fine gold over there.

Vulcan hadn't thought much of it until Zhao Zheng stuffed two large boxes full of refined gold and living metal into his hands, leaving Vulcan speechless for a moment.

In addition, Zhao Zheng also gave him some strange and unusual materials, allowing him to use his imagination to create some equipment and weapons that he wanted.

"Second brother, you have so much stuff here."

Looking at all this, Vulcan couldn't help but sigh.

Zhao Zheng turned to look at Vulcan.

"Perfect timing. I have some blueprints for weapons here. If you're interested, you can take them back and take a look. If you think they're suitable, I'll have someone send the materials over."

After he finished speaking, he clicked on a few files on the panel next to him, then turned towards Vulcan and pointed to a design drawing that had just been brought up.

It was a design for a square warhammer. The hammerhead used a multi-layered composite structure, with an outer layer of hardened living metal and an inner layer containing a resonant core of spiritual bone. An interface for an energy conduit was reserved at the handle.

Vulcan's gaze lingered on the design for a moment, his fingers lightly tracing the edge of the image, slowly moving along the lines of the living metal, as if simulating its final form in his mind.

A moment later, he looked up, his face unusually serious.

"If this thing is made well, it can be much stronger than the weapons made from the materials on Nocturne Star."

"If the grip angle of the handle is adjusted further and the center of gravity is moved forward a few notches, the power transmission during the swing can be more direct."

After listening, Zhao Zheng did not interrupt him. He knew that Vulcan's intuition in forging was beyond reason, so when Vulcan made that adjustment suggestion, he just listened quietly and waited until Vulcan finished speaking before speaking.

"Then let's change it as you said. I'll update the drawings and send them to you later. You can make it whenever you have time."

Zhao Zheng didn't mention the reward; he simply strode towards the cabin door and gestured for Vulcan to follow.

The two walked out of the equipment warehouse and continued along the corridor until they arrived at a more spacious cabin.