Infinite Metaverse

Chapter 10: Are You Loyal?

What unfolded before Fu Qinghai was a scene of brutal devastation. Collapsed ruins, twisted steel walkways, and shattered corpses littered the ground. A small giant clad in dirty white power armour sat slumped against the ruins, his lower body crushed beneath a massive metal pipe. His legs were visibly twisted and mangled, the shattered armour mixing with flesh and bone. Yet, he seemed unfazed by the pain. The man, with a rugged, Eastern face and a hairstyle reminiscent of Ronaldo's iconic "Afro", looked at Fu Qinghai with a mix of confusion and disdain, as if watching an ant brandishing a toothpick.

"So... after all that preparation, you plan to use "that" thing against me?" the man finally spoke, his voice rough and grating.

"Self-defense, sir," Fu Qinghai replied calmly, not stepping closer but instead beginning to observe his surroundings.

Despite the scorch marks from lasers and the deep gashes covering his power armour, the Legion insignia was still faintly visible. From the bone-white base color, the blood-red trim accented with gold, and the decorative rope on his shoulder pauldrons, Fu Qinghai recognized him: 'White Scars', the Fifth Legion.

"Are you from Chogoris?" the burly man frowned, scrutinizing Fu Qinghai's distinctly Eastern features.

"No, I'm from the hive city of Levant," Fu Qinghai replied, his eyes scanning the area around the Space Marine's hands. They were empty—no bolter, no power sword.

"I'm from the same place as them," Fu Qinghai added, gesturing toward the mangled corpses on the ground. He had already recognized them as the remains of Hiddrick and his gang.

The Space Marine followed Fu Qinghai's gaze and laughed. "Hahaha! So, like them, you thought you could get something from a trapped, unarmed warrior?"

"No, I just wanted to talk."

Fu Qinghai wasn't foolish. An unarmed Space Marine was still a Space Marine. Even bare-handed, they could tear a hive ganger like Hiddrick in half—literally. Fu Qinghai also deduced that this Space Marine was cunning. Despite being trapped and immobile, he had lured Hiddrick and his gang close enough to slaughter them. This explained why Lazlo had managed to escape back to the base before succumbing to his injuries.

"You're a warrior of the White Scars," Fu Qinghai said, his eyes lingering on the Space Marine's crushed legs. A normal human would have died from blood loss long ago, but the Space Marine's enhanced physiology and the power armour's life-support systems had kept him alive.

Fu Qinghai could see the coagulated hemostatic gel around the shattered leg armour, though it hadn't stopped all the blood and tissue fluid from pooling on the floor.

"You know quite a bit," the Space Marine said, his interest piqued.

"How should I address you?" Fu Qinghai asked, lowering the tip of his shock lance slightly and taking a cautious step forward.

"Ogotai. Ogotai Mangnut. If you were a soldier of our Legion, you could call me Ogotai 'Noyan-Khan'," the burly man replied, his expression relaxed, even amused.

'Ah, an officer—a company commander.'

The Space Marine Legions had standardized combat formations, but each Legion had its own unique structure and titles based on their Primarch's tactical preferences and cultural heritage.

For the White Scars, their companies were called 'Brotherhoods', and their commanders were known as 'Noyan-Khans', a title derived from the culture of their homeworld, Chogoris.

Though Fu Qinghai knew the White Scars had remained loyal to the Emperor during the Horus Heresy, he remained cautious. He also knew that early in the Heresy, nearly half the White Scars had secretly sided with Horus. Though the coup had failed, it revealed that the White Scars were not entirely united. Who was to say this warrior wasn't one of the traitors?

Fu Qinghai took another step forward. "Respected Noyan-Khan, as I said earlier, I am a law-abiding citizen of the Imperium, from the colonial outpost on Planet Cheslatan. I mean no harm. I noticed your predicament and wish to help you."

"But," Fu Qinghai continued before Ogotai could respond, "before that, I have one last question."

Fu Qinghai took a deep breath, his gaze locking onto Ogotai's eyes as he asked in a solemn tone.

"Are you loyal?"

At these words, the White Scar's expression shifted dramatically. His brows furrowed, and his sharp eyes bore into Fu Qinghai's as he growled through clenched teeth.

"Boy, I've fought for the Emperor and the Khan for two hundred years. I won't have some pitiful mortal questioning my loyalty!"

By the end, he was nearly roaring. The question had clearly struck a nerve.

"We fought from Ullanor to Prospero, chasing traitors across every ship and every world. The bodies of my brothers still float in the void above you!" Ogotai bellowed. "You—a pathetic mortal with a glorified lighter—dare to judge me?"

Enraged, Ogotai grabbed a severed arm from the ground and prepared to hurl it at Fu Qinghai.

Before he could, Fu Qinghai thrust the shock lance into the semi-dried pool of blood at Ogotai's feet.

"Zap!" The powerful voltage from the starship's power supply surged through the blood, connecting directly to Ogotai's blood-soaked, gel-covered lower body.

"AAAAAHHHH!" The Space Marine screamed, his voice trembling with pain.

He had seen the shock lance but dismissed it as a mere civilian tool, incapable of harming a Space Marine. He had underestimated it.

The handle emitted a puff of white smoke, its circuits fried after a single use. Ogotai stopped trembling, sitting dazed and disoriented.

The severed arm in his hand fell to the ground with a 'thud'.

"Whew..." Fu Qinghai exhaled in relief. From Ogotai's tone, he had deduced that the Space Marine was likely loyal. But he couldn't risk taking a blow from an enraged Astartes, so he had to calm him down first.

A few seconds later, Ogotai blinked, regaining his senses. He glared at Fu Qinghai. "You little..."

"Wait, wait! Calm down, Khan! I just wanted to calm you!" Fu Qinghai raised his hands, dropping the shock lance to show he was unarmed. "I'm a loyal citizen of the Imperium. I'm on your side. I hate Horus as much as you do. I revere the Emperor!"

"Please, calm down. You're in bad shape. To prove my sincerity, I'll find a way to get you out of here," Fu Qinghai said, backing away.

"You..." Ogotai was momentarily stunned as Fu Qinghai turned and dashed out the door.

Soon, the roar of a engine echoed through the ruins.

Fu Qinghai returned, dragging a long chain. He crouched beside the metal pipe, securing the chain to it. Ogotai understood what he was planning.

A young girl's head peeked around the doorframe. She took one look at the carnage and retched before quickly retreating.

Once the chain was secure, Fu Qinghai tugged on it to ensure it was firmly attached. He then approached Ogotai and said, "Brace yourself."

"Hmph," Ogotai scoffed. "I'm an Astartes. Pain means nothing to me."

'You sure screamed loud enough earlier,' Fu Qinghai thought but kept it to himself. He stepped outside, and the engine roared again.

The chain went taut, pulling the metal pipe away from Ogotai's legs. The heavy pipe ground against his mangled limbs as it moved.

"Gah..." Despite the necrotic tissue, the pain was excruciating, and Ogotai couldn't help but hiss through clenched teeth.

Finally, the pipe was moved aside.

Ogotai's forehead was drenched in sweat. The painkillers and stimulants in his power armour's systems had long since run out, and he was enduring the agony through sheer willpower.

"Ha..." Ogotai exhaled sharply, looking at his ruined legs. "I might end up in a Dreadnought after this..."

Fu Qinghai re-entered the room.

{You have saved the life of White Scar Space Marine Ogotai Mangnut, achieving a milestone event!}

The familiar cold voice echoed in Fu Qinghai's mind.

{Calculating assimilation points... 209 points.}

'Nice!' Fu Qinghai inwardly cheered at the influx of points.

Ogotai looked up at Fu Qinghai. "I can't stand or walk."

"No problem. I'll make a sled to drag you," Fu Qinghai said, explaining his plan.

Ogotai considered this, then said, "Fine. But first, help me with something. Behind that wall, there should be a few bodies of the Sons of Horus. Bring one over. And if you find any power weapons, bring those too."

Fu Qinghai complied, finding two bodies in gray-green armour behind the wall. One was partially buried in debris. Fu Qinghai felt reassured—enemies of the Sons of Horus were likely allies.

He found a power sword lying beside one of the bodies. It was a broad-bladed weapon with a simple crossguard and a long hilt, designed for one-handed use by a Space Marine. The hilt and guard bore minimal decorative patterns, with Low Gothic inscriptions indicating its forge world of origin. It wasn't a master-crafted weapon, suggesting its owner hadn't been an officer.

Fu Qinghai hefted the sword with some difficulty—it was far too heavy for a normal human to wield effectively. He pressed a button on the hilt.

"Zzz..." A faint hum filled the air as the blade was enveloped in a shimmering blue energy field, arcs of white electricity dancing along its edge. The glow illuminated the dim chamber.

The sword's disruption field generator was still functional.

"Careful, boy. Don't touch the blue light unless you want to lose your hand," Ogotai warned from behind.

Fu Qinghai wasn't foolish enough to test the field's destructive power. Disruption fields, the core of power weapons, could break molecular bonds, disintegrating almost any solid material. Power weapons were standard issue for Space Marines and a rare luxury for high-ranking human officers. They weren't common technology, even among many xenos races, and by the 41st millennium, many human forge worlds had lost the ability to produce them.

This standard power sword would fetch a high price in Fu Qinghai's home hive city of Levant.

Fu Qinghai deactivated the disruption field and returned the sword to Ogotai. He then dragged one of the Sons of Horus bodies over.

Ogotai took the sword, testing its weight with a few practiced swings. "Check the power pack on the body's back. Look for the life-support system's storage compartment. It should be on the side..."

"Is this it?" Fu Qinghai interrupted, pulling out a module filled with various fluids from the side of the power pack.

"Huh? You... have you worked with power armour before?" Ogotai asked, eyeing Fu Qinghai with newfound curiosity.

"First time. Call it talent," Fu Qinghai replied casually.

Fu Qinghai inserted the module into Ogotai's power pack. The pack shuddered, and the spherical vents on the shoulders released a burst of steam as the internal systems came online.

Ogotai sighed, his expression relaxing as painkillers, stimulants, and other chemicals flooded his system.

From the MKII Crusade armour onward, Space Marine power packs had integrated micro-plasma reactors, life-support systems, air filtration, and fluid recycling systems.

"You could apply to be an Apothecary," Ogotai joked, his mood lightening slightly.

Of course, it was just a joke. Becoming an Apothecary required extensive medical training, not to mention being a Space Marine.

"Now, it's your turn," Ogotai said, activating the power sword's disruption field and looking down at his ruined legs.

'Wait, you're not going to...' Fu Qinghai's eyes widened in alarm.

Ogotai positioned the sword above his legs and brought it down in one swift motion.

The blue energy field sliced through flesh and bone as easily as a hot knife through butter.

Ogotai grunted as blood spurted from the stumps, but the armour's life-support systems quickly sealed the wounds with hemostatic gel. The blood coagulated rapidly, thanks to the Larraman cells in his bloodstream.

'Cutting off your own legs... Are all Space Marines this hardcore?' Fu Qinghai thought.

Then, something caught his eye. On one of Hiddrick's gang members' arms, there were strange marks. Fu Qinghai crouched to examine them.

They were bite marks.

Fu Qinghai's eyes widened, and he took a cautious step back. "You... ate them?" he asked, his voice low.

Ogotai looked up, meeting Fu Qinghai's gaze without flinching. "The life-support system's nutrient supply lasted only three days. My stomach can digest many organic materials for energy, including the bodies of my enemies."

'The bodies of my enemies...' Ogotai's matter-of-fact tone left Fu Qinghai at a loss for words. The moral landscape of the Warhammer 40K universe was vastly different from that of Earth. Fu Qinghai had struggled to accept practices like lobotomizing humans to create servitors, but here, such things were commonplace.

"Alright," Fu Qinghai said simply. After all, a seasoned Space Marine wouldn't let himself starve to death—that would be too pathetic.

Over the next few hours, Fu Qinghai scavenged materials from the wreckage to build a makeshift sled for Ogotai. The Space Marine, despite losing his legs, was still far too large to ride the bike. The sled was a curved metal plate designed to be dragged behind the bike.

As he worked, Fu Qinghai couldn't help but appreciate the power sword's utility. Even if it wasn't used for combat, it made an excellent cutting tool.

Once the sled was ready and they had gathered supplies, the trio prepared to return to the colonial outpost.

Ogotai hoisted himself onto the sled, gripping the edges tightly. He looked at Fu Qinghai with a mix of skepticism and resignation.

"Don't worry, I'll have Fei drive slowly," Fu Qinghai assured him.

The engine roared to life.

As the sled began to move, Ogotai, now legless, felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It reminded him of his first shipboard assault, his first orbital drop.

***

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