Warhammer 40k: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 164: The Farseer's Soul Stone

After Damon removed his Praetor suit, he was left wearing only a pair of tight-fitting combat trousers. Once just an ordinary human from StarCraft, he, as Lucan's first follower in this world, now possessed a body that could be called perfect. The presence of Medics ensured that the injuries he had suffered in the past left not a single scar on his body.

His opponent, Lucien, looked at Damon's body and found no trace of modification or mechanical implants. He was not the only one; others shared the same thought. They couldn't help but feel a bit of contempt for Damon. Although the Imperium pursued the ideal of human purity, ordinary humans were still too weak compared to the countless xenos in the galaxy, and their upper limits were very low.

Lucien, having removed his combat suit, revealed a body covered in the unique black carapace and neural ports of a Space Marine. The modified organs within his body were constantly providing this frame with terrifying power. His body was also covered in countless scars.

In comparison, Damon looked as if he had never experienced battle, a flower raised in a greenhouse, while Lucien was a superhuman warrior seasoned by a hundred battles. Most of the onlookers had already made a judgment in their hearts; no one thought Damon could win.

Governor Hax had even begun to arrange for apothecaries to be on standby. Even if Damon lost, Hax didn't want him to be beaten to death. These Astra Militarum from the Expanse did not seem like a friendly bunch, and he had heard of the Space Wolves' savage reputation. If Damon died and this group became enraged, sending the situation spiraling out of control, it was not something he wanted to see.

"For the Emperor!"

"For the Rogue Trader!"

The moment both sides were ready, the battle began.

The two giants fought in the most primitive way. The speed they both displayed was far beyond what a mortal could compare to.

Gabriel frowned. What kind of gene-enhancement technology could strengthen a mortal to such a state without leaving a single trace? The scene he had imagined of his sergeant suppressing the opponent did not appear. The strength and speed Damon displayed seemed to even exceed Lucien's. He could see that Lucien was relying on his combat experience and skill to fight Damon.

And Damon's fighting style had a distinct Space Wolf flavor to it. The life-and-death battles he had experienced had also given him his own understanding of combat. It seemed savage, but every attack was carefully considered. It was a brutal art.

Lucien had not been using his full strength at first. But when his opponent easily dodged his fist and then punched him in the abdomen, he dared not hold back any longer. He could feel that his ribcage, which had been fused by the Ossmodula implant into a shape like interlocking plates, had actually cracked after taking that one punch.

Damon, having slaughtered a large number of daemons, surpassed his opponent in muscle density, strength, and bone durability. Lucien's fists hitting Damon's body only caused superficial pain and could not inflict further damage. There were no elaborate tactics, only the most direct, flesh-on-flesh close-quarters brawl.

"Well done, Damon! Just as I taught you, fight like the most ferocious wolf! Your fists are your claws, tear your enemy apart! Your body is your weapon! If you were on Fenris, you could definitely join the pack and become an excellent Wolf!"

Harald had no doubt that Damon could easily pass the Trial of Morkai, a necessity for selection into the Space Wolves on Fenris.

Seeing Harald's reaction, Gabriel confirmed his suspicion. The connection between these Space Wolves and this Astra Militarum regiment was deeper than he had imagined. They had even personally taught these men how to fight.

Without weapons, neither could inflict a fatal wound on the other for the time being. Gabriel looked at the current situation. Perhaps Lucien would only have a chance of winning if he put on his power armor and took out the various relics from the Chapter's armory. Or he could deploy the Chapter's Librarians, but to use a Librarian to suppress someone without psychic powers... he couldn't afford to lose that much face. Even if he won, it would be the same as losing.

Damon's combat prowess had exceeded everyone's expectations. And there were dozens of other warriors of his size, wearing the same armor. Gabriel could see that there was no need to continue the fight. A Space Marine was being suppressed in a fight against a mortal—though Gabriel highly doubted his opponent was truly a mortal. Perhaps the technology that had enhanced Damon's strength was even more valuable than the combat suits they held.

This time, they had tried to steal from the wrong people.

"Enough, Lucien! Stop!"

"Chapter Master! I haven't lost yet!"

"Sergeant! That is an order!"

At Gabriel's words, both men stopped. Damon spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm and stretched his sore muscles. He knew that many of his opponent's bones were already fractured. The exhilarating fight and the victory made him unable to help but smile. He had once again won glory for Lucan.

Hax also took a sharp breath. In all his time as Governor of Scintilla, he had never seen such a thing. The status of the Agathos Raiders rose again in his eyes. He was even considering how to poach these soldiers for himself.

Lucien walked over to Gabriel.

"I'm sorry, Chapter Master... I lost."

"Don't worry about it. These people's bodies are not normal. It must be a gene-enhancement technology we don't know about."

Although Lucien's injuries looked severe, with a Space Marine's own regenerative abilities, he would recover quickly.

"The duel has been decided. This conflict ends here!" Hax announced, stepping into the middle.

The members of the Blood Ravens reluctantly returned the combat suits to the Raiders. And Gabriel took the soul stone from his Librarian's belt and tossed it to Damon.

Damon caught it steadily. Looking at the soul stone in his hand, he knew the Lord's mission was complete! Nothing was more important than this.

Lucan, who had been watching the entire process through the system, was also exceptionally excited. "Unlocking is now hopeful!"

"We need more soul stones!" Damon said to Gabriel.

"I will have them sent over!"

The loss of the duel cast a heavy mood over the Blood Ravens. They could see that their Chapter Master was very angry. The onlookers also tactfully made way. The Mongorte Dynasty could afford to provoke the Astartes, but that didn't mean they could.

Gabriel led all the members of the Blood Ravens back to the Chapter's flagship, the Battle Barge Omnissiah's Secret. Predator tanks, Land Speeders, Thunderhawk gunships, and other unique Space Marine vehicles were parked neatly in the hangar. The Blood Ravens, who spent years excavating ruins and exploring the unknown, had a good relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus. From time to time, they would share the technological items they dug up with the Mechanicus, which in turn earned them their support. This made their equipment far more abundant than that of an ordinary Chapter, and their vast reserves of knowledge and technology also gave their Techmarines sufficient maintenance and even manufacturing capabilities.

Returning to the warship, Gabriel went to the Chapter's reliquary. When the vault doors opened, countless relics from other Chapters were displayed within, preserved by special technology. When needed, the relics here would be used to arm the members of the Chapter for battle. Not just relics from other loyalist Chapters, but from the Astra Militarum, the Adepta Sororitas, the Ecclesiarchy, the Inquisition, and even items once used by loyalist Primarchs. Not just from the loyalists, either; there were even relics from the traitor Legions displayed here.

Heaven knew how much stuff the Blood Ravens had hidden away. Regardless of whether it was blasphemous or not, everything was part of their collection. The Blood Ravens' reliquary was enough to drive many people insane. If the Blood Ravens were declared a successor Chapter of the Salamanders, perhaps the Salamanders would have already found all the relics needed to bring Vulkan back.

A Techmarine took out the soul stones stored here. These were all spoils of war that the Blood Ravens had acquired over the years in their battles with the Eldar, many of which were formed from the deaths of powerful Eldar warriors.

"Chapter Master, the soul stones are all here!"

"Take these soul stones. I need to go and talk to that Astra Militarum commander named Damon!"

Gabriel still needed to acquire the Raiders' technology, and the source of Damon and the others' incredible strength made him even more curious.

☆☆☆

-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE

-> FOR EVERY 400 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER

☆☆☆

-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!

-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper

(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)

If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you