Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor

Nareth stepped into the transformation chamber and stood before the cold surgical table. His tall figure blocked the others' view from outside the chamber.

He gazed at Roslov's corpse, a trace of sorrow flickering in his eyes, but he didn't allow himself to be consumed by grief.

'Perhaps in this cruel world, death is an early release.'

Sending a psychic pulse to Marlena.

'Pay attention to his body.'

Marlena, puzzled, turned her eyes toward Roslov's corpse.

The information Nareth had obtained from the Kingdom of Disorder told him that in this world, Beyonder Traits never truly vanish after death. They still follow the Indestructibility Law of Beyonder Characteristics

Beyonder traits cannot be destroyed or reduced; they persist and will eventually find a new host or vessel.

This meant that when a Beyonder being dies, their trait seeps out of the corpse. It is essentially equivalent to the potion of the same sequence, just lacking auxiliary ingredients.

Notably, the Kingdom of Disorder never mentioned any "Law of Conservation" for Beyonder traits.

Nareth also knew that this world had no true Creator.

The origins of these traits and why potions held spirituality remained mysteries, ones Nareth suspected would unravel as he ascended the "Black Emperor" pathway.

Marlena stared closely at Roslov's corpse, then her pupils suddenly contracted.

She saw that the calloused palm of his right hand, toughened from years of gripping weapons, began to glow deep crimson.

A thumb-sized crimson blood orb emerged from the center.

Nareth had no prepared container, so he snapped a steel panel from the surgical bed and kneaded it like clay, shaping it into a box.

He picked up the "Pugilist" trait and placed it inside.

Then, sending another pulse to the still-confused Marlena, he explained:

'The power I give you does not vanish in death.'

'It emerges from the corpse, just as you saw.'

'When this happens, you must retrieve it; I will grant it to another.'

He paused briefly, then added, wanting to motivate her to recover such traits:

'This will be one of the factors by which I evaluate you.'

'Along with your loyalty and your abilities.'

Marlena nodded slightly, thoughtful. Nareth followed with a serious warning:

'The powers I bestow belong to different domains.'

'If you consume a condensed trait from another domain, the best outcome is madness.'

'Follow my instructions. When the time is right, I'll give you further power.'

The "Doctor" nodded solemnly. She dared not gamble with her life.

And she believed that Nareth had no reason to deceive her.

Clutching the steel box, Nareth mentally recorded the scene. He planned to use telepathy to teach other Beyonder beings he was nurturing.

He also gently held Roslov's still-warm hand in a moment of silent farewell.

Then, he rose and walked out of the chamber.

Looking at the guilt-ridden team, their sorrow triggered by his own, he comforted them:

"It wasn't your fault. This was his choice, and his fate."

"You have no need to blame yourselves. Continue your work."

Just then, the communicator of the chief apothecary lit up.

Mikael turned to Nareth and said:

"Father, another candidate is in trouble. Please allow me to investigate. I'll report back afterward."

"We'll go together."

Nareth had already locked onto Chamber 30 with his enhanced senses and stepped forward.

At the chamber door, Mikael pressed his palm to the green screen. After recognizing authority, the door opened.

Inside, the Apothecaries and attendants bowed as Nareth entered. Mikael moved to the surgical bed.

The Apothecary, holding a data slate, glanced at the screen and reported:

"The candidate is undergoing muscle enhancement organ implantation and is experiencing a severe rejection reaction."

"Estimated surgery failure rate: 99.44%. Survival rate: 84.54%."

Nareth recognized the patient, Joseph, Captain of the 4th Company, 4th Regiment.

Originally, the transformation process was supposed to begin with the 1st squad of each company.

But Szczesny, after negotiations with other commanders, had secured early surgeries for older captains. Nareth, upon receiving the report, approved the "line-jumping."

Now undergoing his third surgical stage, Joseph's chest was open, his body spasming violently, blood gushing from the wound.

Nareth knew: unlike children, who undergo transformation over years or even decades, adults must endure rapid procedures.

He recalled that one of Jaghatai Khan's warrior of Chogoris completed their surgeries in under a year and successfully advanced.

With sharp perception, Nareth noticed Mikael's furrowed brow and unease; he didn't want the Nareth to suffer two losses in a single day.

Nareth asked directly:

"You're not confident he'll survive?"

The chief apothecary, just about to start emergency procedures, did not hide the truth:

"His chances of survival are nearly zero."

"Marlena, give it a try."

Everyone in the chamber froze for a second, then turned to see Marlena step out from behind the towering Primarch.

Mikael eyed the female "Doctor." Though he doubted she could change the doomed outcome, he still explained:

"He's passed the first two surgeries. What's killing him now is the muscle enhancement organ."

"Its primary role is hormone regulation, similar to the bone-strengthening module. The tissue stimulates muscle development."

"His body is already rejecting it. It's too late to remove it."

Marlena walked up to the surgical bed. In her spirit vision, the rest of Joseph's body looked fine, but the muscle implant area, which should be brown, had turned black and was rapidly spreading.

She pressed her left hand onto Joseph's body, channeling her psychic energy to sustain his fading life.

Mikael quickly noticed the drop in temperature, a clear sign of psychic power.

But he also knew that even psychic abilities couldn't normally reverse organ rejection.

He stared intently, wondering what made his Gene-Father so confident in this woman.

Marlena picked up a scalpel used by the assistants. Though it was her first time holding one, it felt like an extension of her own body.

She raised her left hand, withdrew her psychic energy, and began to utilize her "Disease Treatment" ability.

This was her first surgery, yet the knowledge in her mind and her supernatural skills made her movements fluid and precise.

Her fair hands danced steadily within Joseph's open chest.

To the amazement of the chief apothecary and others, Joseph stopped convulsing, and his vital signs stabilized, then began to improve.

Mikael frowned. Marlena's surgical technique was undeniably precise, but that alone shouldn't have reversed Joseph's fate.

'Was it the psychic power?' he wondered.

Moments later, Marlena took out a small spherical organ with tweezers and placed it on a tray.

Mikael grabbed the medical spray, but Marlena stopped him with a raised hand. Chemical agents might trigger another rejection.

"Suture thread."

An admiring Apothecary handed her polypropylene surgical thread.

She summoned the last of her energy to cast "Trauma Treatment," her hands swiftly working over Joseph's chest.

Moments later, his chest was stitched shut, leaving only a faint thread mark.

Exhausted, her face pale, Marlena pressed her hand to the wound.

With a final pulse of biomancy energy, the thread mark disappeared.

Joseph's bronze-toned body looked as though his chest had never been opened.

Nareth saw that Joseph remained unconscious, but was alive.

He gave Marlena a grateful look:

"Thank you for saving my warrior."

Then, with concern for her, he said:

"You're tired. Go rest."

"Yes."

Marlena, touched by Nareth's care, didn't protest and left alone.

Mikael, full of questions, followed Nareth out of the chamber, pulling out his data slate to check the status of the others.

......

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

[email protected]/DaoistJinzu