"Good evening, Ahriman."

A rough but modest voice came from behind him, and the son of Magnus, who was thinking about something, turned his head and smiled.

"Good evening, Hecht."

"How's it going?"

"For now, it's no different: defeating, annihilating, purging, cleaning every fortress and resource mine we can find, those priests of Reza are very good at doing these things against the alien world, and their enthusiasm is beyond imagination."

"After all, the resources belong to them, or most of them belong to them."

Hector casually scrubbed the blade with strange dark green blood and slowly came to Ahriman's side, his great shadow enveloping the entire Son of Magnus like an untouchable mountain.

Hecht seemed to want to say something, but suddenly seemed to forget.

The fighters from Prospero have recently made new friends.

Hecht, Morgan's proud son, company commander of the Twenty-third Company of the Dawnbreaker Legion, and the youngest captain rank in the entire Second Legion: he was probably the tallest and most muscular of the Astarte warriors known to the Son of Magnus, and the average Space Marine, even if he stood upright, could barely sit at chest level.

What's even more amazing is that as Aliman continues to observe, he finds that Hecht's size seems to continue to grow: although it is extremely slow, the trend is obvious.

At the moment of discovery, a fanaticism and loyalty peculiar to a scholar manifested itself vividly in the son of Magnus, and a myriad of questions filled Ahriman's head: How did he do it? What's so special about him? Will he continue to do this? Or will even Astarte's skeleton and strength one day not be able to withstand this strange redevelopment?

Yes, Ahriman was a powerful and sophisticated psyker, but that didn't mean that he, as a scholar, didn't care about anything other than psionics, and Hect's peculiar body caught his attention, and in the eyes of the son of Magnus, the Morgan's pride was like a stack of academic papers.

He soon became true friends with Hecht, and although his gaze occasionally made Morgan's son feel uncomfortable, it was all too normal compared to the warm glow in Abaddon's pupils, which often came.

"Yes, Reza, or every character who comes out of the Casting World, is very good at this kind of radical destruction and correction, and they are made for it."

Ahriman whispered to his friend's words, and at the end of his vision, a group of Mechanic terrain reconstructors brought movable rock burners, sliced a massive breach in the devastated landscape left behind by the battle, buried tens of millions of xenomorph corpses alongside their savage ruins beneath the displaced rocks and crushed peaks, and then uniformly incinerated and erased to clear enough space for their sacred forge.

In less than a Terra Standard Day, the Mechanics eradicated almost all traces of a glorious civilization, turning the alien realm conquered by the Astartes into a vast expanse of decadent artwork filled with a pungent smell of burnt, the smell of promethium, plastic steel, and flesh tangled into billowing smoke that irritated the noses of everyone present.

"This place is going to be the Foundry World?"

Ahriman covered his nose, even a month-long siege was not enough to irritate him, and he looked at the gray threads in the sky, maliciously speculating about which alien wizard it might come from.

"Almost, this will become a mineral world, and at the same time serve as one of dozens of sub-bases and supply centers for the Titan Legion of the Militants, which is essentially no different from a small world of forges."

Hecht's movements were indistinguishable from those of Ahriman, his heavy voice sounding from the deepest part of his throat, like thunder on a sultry afternoon, and one fell into a kind of irritated panic and sobriety.

"I don't know much about these things."

The Son of Magnus frowned, he was like any warrior who had come out of Prospero, and he would not have anything in his pupils but knowledge.

"I don't quite understand either."

Hector snorted, his gaze glancing over the ochre-colored robes.

"But over the years, Father Reza's Technocrats and their cathars have proven themselves to be extremely strong allies, so most of their requests will be approved by the Protogen, which is why we're seeing more and more Reza's."

"It's not just the Reza people: look at the robes of different colors, the ranks of those people are much more sparse, they hide from the triathlon of the Riza cathars, like young lion cubs picking up the scraps on the periphery of the lion pack, they clearly belong to other casting worlds."

"Yes, they are from Corinth and Tigrus, which are the two casting worlds in the galactic East, they are not large, and they only joined the Avalonian Federation not long ago, and swore an oath to the emperor and the genetic prototype."

"Casting world, what do you want so many casting worlds for?"

Ahriman was a little confused.

"Generally speaking, a larger casting world is enough to take on the day-to-day operation of an Astarte legion, right? This is the case with our Thousand Sons Legion and Zhao-Akada, we only need this one partner and trading partner in the Mechchant Sect, and we don't have to think about the Legion's equipment. ”

"After all, the basic equipment or something, the Astarte Legion itself has the ability to forge itself, and the cooperation with the Forge World is not mainly for the Titan Legion and their special treasures."

"Special treasure?"

Hecht's pupils flickered with a light that Ahriman hadn't noticed.

"Yes, Zhao-Arcada is able to produce an artifact that infinitely resembles the spirit bones of the Adalings, which is probably one of the most bizarre psionic creations known to the Human Empire, which is why Lord Magnus chose to cooperate with them."

"Other than that, they don't have anything more to care about, after all, the Foundry World is too far away, far away at the southernmost tip of the galaxy. The edge of the Storm Star Field. ”

Ahriman spoke eloquently, while Hecht nodded silently, and when he realized that the commander of the Thousand Sons Company did not realize what he was saying, Morgan's son appropriately readjusted the subject.

"This is the first step in the eastward expansion of the Avalon Federation, and with these two well-established forged worlds as a starting point, our fleet is infiltrating the Aegis sector, where a dozen or so systems have rich lands, and they produce enough food to feed the population of the ten sectors."

"Expansion to the east? Is this your next step? ”

"It should be, after pacifying Avalon and its surrounding three star regions, we actually don't have any new expansion directions, the south and southwest are the territory of Otlama, the southeast is Damocles Bay, and the northwest is the Olympia star field that the Iron Warriors laid down early, and the only direction is the Far Eastern Frontier of the galaxy that no one has explored in the east."

"Actually, you can also go west, many star regions near the maelstrom have not yet submitted to the rule of the Empire, and the recovery and strategy there will continue for at least a few decades."

"No, Ahriman."

Hector shook his head, his pupils flashing with a sly glint that the children of Magnus did not understand and did not care about, and it seemed to be some kind of wisdom.

"You know, Ahriman, the Second Legion is different from the other legions, and we can play the [Otlama Mode] on the world we have recovered on our own."

"Otrama mode?"

"Mother's invention of the word, self-governance like an ultramarine, neither taxes nor levies can be commanded by Terra, symbolizes a high level of independence and autonomy."

"That's true...... But I've never heard of the term "Otlama mode". ”

"I don't have either, but the term will be popular in the future."

"How?"

"I don't know, that's what Mother said."

“…… Well, let's talk about the previous topic: why didn't you choose to go west? ”

"Because of the [Otrama model], my friend, although this privilege of ours is granted by the Lord of Mankind, and although the establishment of the Avalon Federation is the nod of the Emperor, this high degree of independence is destined for us to be on the edge of the galaxy from the moment we open up our territory, and we must be the vanguard and thug of foreign development, and our kingdom can only stretch from the frontier of the empire to distant locations that Holy Terra has never heard of: for example, the eastern part of the galaxy led by the Salamas star region."

"Our realm can only exist in the wilderness worlds that have not been illuminated by the light of the Holy Terra, and can only be an extension of the Empire's domination over the galaxy's edges: with these prerequisites established, the Avalonian Federation can rightfully maintain the Otlama model."

"And once we change direction, and once our spearhead of expansion shifts from an unknown frontier to a known maelstrom, even if we are still recovering those lands that do not belong to the Empire, we must make a choice: either give up the [Otlama Mode] given by the Lord of Mankind himself, and obediently hand over the world to Terra as a support force and a simple expeditionary force, or we will become a second Ultramarine, or even worse."

"Because we're no longer the distant servants of the shepherd side in the eyes of Terra, we've become villains who dare to steal food in their eyes: it's just a couple so different from each other, it's such a simple truth."

"So, until we stop [Otlama mode], we're only going east."

Hecht's answer was slow and affirmative, like a young student reciting a well-known point, his eyes fixed on the wave of exhaust gas set off by the believers of Omnisiah in the distance, recalling the little things that were not important, but should also be remembered by himself.

Ahriman blinked, he pondered the topic, and quickly asked another question.

"But I remember that Otlama has also been expanding irregularly, whether it is the barren universe outside the galaxy, or those star regions near the maelstrom, the flag of the five hundred worlds has been constantly raised over the years, and even Octapius has sworn to Gilliman: it is not far from Prospero."

"yes, that's the biggest difference they have from us."

"So, it's only the Ultramarines who are ambitious, aren't they?"

Hecht's soft smile shook Ahriman's heart, and he realized that there was no point in continuing the topic.

"How do you know this ...... so well? Political topic? Hecht? ”

"Because of the original order: every high-level and grass-roots commander must submit a plan for the next move of the legion, and ordinary soldiers are also allowed to join this activity, according to the words of my mother, every company commander must be trained according to the standards of the corps commander, and every soldier should have a dream of becoming a company commander, and the overall situation is the first step."

"Does this add any strength to the Legion?"

"There's no harm in that, is it?"

Ahriman was silent, snorted softly, and did not answer, he began to listen intently to Hecht complaining about the difficulty of writing the plan, and sighed in his heart that such a man who seemed to be five big and three rough was stunned by the master of the Second Legion to be trained into a character who could chew words.

In particular, Hecht's description of the next target of the legion, [Aegis Star Zone], is vivid, and the richness and power in his mouth make the sons of Magnus raise their eyebrows, as if the Dawnbreaker is talking about Divine Terra.

"It's so rich, it looks like there's going to be a bloody battle."

The self-evident gaze looked at each other in the pupils of the two Astarte warriors, they could be regarded as old men of the Great Expedition, and naturally they knew very well the deep meaning behind some intelligence and information: it was difficult for such a rich and powerful independent human colony to immediately surrender to an ethereal human empire, and it was necessary to let the terrifying blood and fire fall on their heads before the empire had the reason and confidence to take away their resources.

"It doesn't matter if it's war or peace, the choice of those human colonies has no effect on the final outcome, and their thoughts are not worth mentioning in the face of the will of the genetic prototype."

When Hector proudly said these words, Ahriman couldn't help but blink his eyes, and the son of Magnus could clearly feel that the mental state of these dawnbreakers seemed to have changed dramatically compared to when they had not met Morgan a few years ago, and it could even be said that they were [new life].

A pride, an arrogance, a spontaneous brutality and toughness, a gesture of pride that is no longer afraid to stand in the sun, or in front of anyone, is becoming more and more determined as more and more victories are recorded, as more and more worlds and galaxies submit to the Dawn Banner of the Second Legion, and with the glory of Morgan blowing through the vast territory visible to the naked eye on the galaxy chart.

The changes brought about by the original body.

Ahriman sighed silently, he was no stranger to all this, because his own genetic father was like Hector's genetic mother, and he also saved their children, but the Dawnbreaker could already rely on the old heritage and the power of the past to write his own traces in the galaxy, and Magnus's legion was still painfully accumulating strength, ready to return to the waves of the Great Expedition.

The process was destined to be slow, and even in the most optimistic terms, it would take at least twenty Terra standard years: the thought of this made a hint of jealousy gleam in the eyes of Ahriman as he looked at his friend.

Hector didn't see what could be called a distorted light, he just casually watched the teams of the Forge Worlds rummage through the poisonous wasteland, looking for what they thought was the right recyclable, and it wasn't until his eyes swept over a group of Raza Cathars that he suddenly remembered something.

Hector remembered why he had come to Ahriman.

“…… Ahriman. ”

"What's wrong?"

"Are you busy right now?"

"Not really."

"Okay, come with me."

"What for—"

Before he could finish speaking, Hector grabbed one of Ahriman's arms with ease, like a rough brown bear grasping a small tree as thick as the mouth of a bowl, and he pulled Ahriman and quickly disappeared into the dusty horizon.

"Tell me what you're going to do? Hecht? ”

"Are you interested in making a fortune?"

"What? Rich? No! ”

"What about scientific research and the literary and artistic preservation of ancient creations?"

"Also...... Belch...... You might want to think about that. ”

"Then it'll be fine, come with me."

"I'll take you to make a fortune, Ahriman."

——————

"So ......"

"That's what you call getting rich?"

"Shhhh Don't be so loud, Ahriman. ”

Four Daybreakers and a warrior of Magnus were bending their waists, cautiously advancing through the ravine of the ruins, and not far above them, the great machinery driven by the Omnisiah cultists was crushing the last stone walls and ruins, and the technocrats were stopping their precious machinery from time to time, dragging back the strange objects exposed to the air for their next research and treasure.

"Look at those guys, Ahriman."

"By the time they go through it, we won't even be able to get a single screw."

“……”

Ahriman had nothing to say.

Magnus's son squinted at Hecht, who was trying to shrink his huge back, and then his gaze went around the tall warrior and saw the other three companions, the three members of the original Hector team, with whom he was considered acquaintances and thought he knew well......

Merely......

Salieri, a rising star think tank that was originally humble and powerful in his eyes, was now holding a captured map with a silent and excited face, constantly discerning the direction, and his mouth whispered those words that Ahriman couldn't understand too much, and he didn't look like the young man who could speak fluent spells at all.

And Ajax, who was as rough as a savage stone statue, whose movements were softer than those of the most seasoned ballet dancer, and whose eyes were more attentive than those of the most compassionate mother, the five-year-old man, pinched his fingers, counted out of the dirt little by little, and carefully placed them in his hands, like an old woman preparing a wedding dress for her married daughter.

As for the Lord Chron, who had always appeared in a steady and reliable image even in Ahriman's thoughts, and could even be called his predecessor, he was not wearing a helmet at this time, and a helpless hearty smile appeared on his somewhat blackened face, and a mouthful of white teeth as bright as new were revealed with the slightest discovery.

"What are you guys?"

"Hobbies, or habits."

It was Chiron who answered him.

“…… How long has it been. ”

"It's always been that way, but after our Mother of Genes teamed up with those oil guys, it became some kind of underground business, you know, they didn't like it."

Chiron winked at Ahriman nonchalantly, causing the son of Magnus to feel a little wrong.

What do they call themselves for?

"Do it...... Is it allowed? ”

"Not allowed."

Hector retracted into the passage after [exploring], and the team of five began to move forward at a rapid pace under the leadership of Salieri, Hector adjusted his breathing while reading the content to his friend Ahriman.

"According to the regulations, this kind of future belongs to the world of the Mechanopathy, and we are not allowed to carry out archaeological and cultural relics protection activities here, and if we are caught, we will be punished."

"How?"

"Write a review and read it in public."

"Have you been punished?"

"We've all been chastised four times."

"Hmmm......"

"One person at a time, so no one wants to write that thing anymore."

"Hmm."

"That's why we brought you."

"Hmm...... Well? ”

“…… Kidding aside, what we need is your psionic power. ”

Grabbing the son of Magnus with a retreat, Hector struggled to smile convincingly.

"Actually, in the previous operation, we found a place similar to the alien royal palace, it is a semi-underground civil building, and the group of oil guys will not be able to touch it for a while, there should be a lot of good things there, it is worth our visit."

"How do you know they didn't come?"

"Because that palace is actually the scope of our mission, but we can't stay there for too long during the battle, and besides, because it's not a military building, it's not that important, and the group of Ryza will not pay attention to it for a while, but there must be good things in it, don't you want a few exotic souvenirs?"

Ahriman blinked.

He didn't speak again.

"But, Hecht, places like this generally have enough safety precautions, haven't you thought about it, have you had a question about the danger?"

"If it was before, I would have some concerns, but this time it's different, Ahriman, there happens to be a master in this military operation, and he can be our guide to ensure the safety of this event."

“…… Guru? ”

The Son of Magnus furrowed his brow, and in his heart he didn't trust Hutt's explanations until he followed the Dawnbreakers all the way to the door of the half-buried dungeon, and in the distance he saw a few flickering glare that he knew were the reflection of the Dawnbreaker's silver armor.

Sure enough, as soon as I got closer, I saw several small teams of Daybreakers gathered in front of the door of this alien dungeon, struggling to excavate or break the door to decrypt it.

……

He also thought it was just a hobby for Hector and the others.

There was no further communication between the various groups of dawnbreakers who had gathered, and their greetings and words were all replaced by gazes in their pupils, reflecting a deep tacit understanding of fearlessness, although a few wisps of suspicion hit Ahriman's body, but under Hecht's raised eyebrows and silent answer, those eyes quickly moved away.

In this environment, Ahriman naturally remained quiet, and he couldn't help but whisper to his friends beside him while using his psionic energy to destroy the defenses of the door of the dungeon according to the instructions of the Daybreakers.

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Personally, twenty years."

"What about collectives?"

“…… One hundred and twenty years. ”

“…… OK. ”

Before Ahriman could finish his thoughts, he heard another distinct sound of footsteps behind them, and the son of Magnus quickly turned his head, only to see a figure rapidly approaching the place.

As he approached, the Dawnbreakers around him let out whispers of admiration.

Ahriman heard Chryron's words.

"You're welcome."

"We've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Sergeant Tarasin."

Tarasin?

Ahriman looked at the technical sergeant in front of him with some suspicion, hiding himself under the hood and walking quickly, this highly skilled think tank instinctively sensed a trace of something not quite right from the person in front of him, but he didn't say it.

For, in the silent anticipation of the Dawnbreakers, Sergeant Tarasin lived up to expectations, dividing five by two to completely destroy the secrecy that made everyone helpless, and he was so skillful that it was as if he had been specializing in this profession for hundreds or thousands of years.

Morgan's heirs did not continue to cheer, they turned their inner excitement into pure motivation, nervously and orderly into the underground palace in front of them, of course, the brave and fearless Sergeant Tarasin was naturally the first to rush to the front, he selflessly used his life to provide safety for future generations.

And the son of Magnus was left last, and while Ahriman was still a little hesitant, the Dawnbreakers had happily disappeared in place and began a silent treasure hunt, while the warrior of the Thousand Sons from Prospero looked left and right, and then looked at the dazzling array that was visible to the naked eye in the depths of the dungeon, and after hesitation, he still chose to walk in.

I don't know why, when he realized that he was really participating in such a not-so-compliant [Archaeology] and [Treasure Hunt], in the deepest part of Aliman's heart, a trace of rather strange emotions actually flashed.

Chiko immediately recognized that emotion.

That's excitement, with anticipation.

……

……

All right.

That's not a bad thing, is it?

(End of chapter)