In the fourth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder,
Nareth scrutinized the "Beast Tamer" Gahlan Surlak. His spirit was seamless, suffused with a rose-red hue, like fine wine.
'He has already digested the potion.'
With a thought, the Jokaero in the first layer of the Kingdom of Disorder immediately began concocting the Sequence 7 "Vampire" potion, using 500 ml of Fenrisian ice worm blood, 600 ml of raft spider blood, and other materials.
"My Lord." Gahlan knelt on both knees, bowing respectfully.
"Nuceria has an anesthetic potent enough to sedate Angron. I want you to find a way to obtain its formula."
Nareth knew that Gahlan and the other senior War Hounds commanders were about to meet their father, a man who had lost his slave-brothers, who hated the Emperor, seeing him as just another slaver, and his sons as a slaver's army.
Gahlan would have neither the time nor the energy to consider Nuceria.
Afterwards, Angron would task him with developing the World Eaters' version of the Butcher's Nails.
Unlike many Legions, the World Eaters did not recruit only from their homeworld.
They would recruit continuously from a wide range of conquered death worlds and feudal worlds.
Without his prompting, Gahlan would not have looked into Nuceria.
Nareth had an urgent need for the anesthetic.
As potion materials increased in level, the creatures they came from grew more powerful and harder to obtain.
Often, killing them would damage their integrity, rendering parts unusable as potion materials.
The black giants offered by the Eleventh Chapter as the main "Guardian" ingredient were a case in point. Those missing limbs could not be used as the main ingredients.
The hunting guns developed from the Jorgall's arc projection guns could capture low-sequence potion materials, but most mid-sequence creatures could resist electric shocks.
He had too few "Judges," and "Imprisonment" required wearing down the target to prevent escape, a process that inevitably damaged some material.
The Nucerian anesthetic, capable of incapacitating a Primarch, could likely capture almost all mid-sequence materials.
Except for creatures like the Slaugth, composed of necrotic fluids and maggots, completely immune to toxins.
But such creatures were extremely rare. Nareth estimated no more than ten types, most of them required for the Kingdom of Disorder's evolution.
He was reasonably confident the Nucerian anesthetic would work on most potion materials from paths other than the "Black Emperor."
At least, it would be effective on most Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 materials.
After all, Angron's body was at least on par with creatures of that level.
He also thought that since Nuceria had the Butcher's Nails, a Dark Age technology, it might have other technologies as well.
"Send teams to the surface. Under the pretext of learning about Angron's homeworld, search for technology."
Though the Emperor, had already made agreements with the slavers, such exploration would not displease him.
Especially after Angron killed the commander in a rage, it would appear all the more reasonable.
"Also, observe the Legion members. See who might join you in swearing fealty to me."
"My Lord, using the gene-seed I offered to You, which You then returned to me, I have personally supervised the cultivation of one thousand six hundred eighty-four neophytes."
"Among them are three hundred fifty-two Apothecary aspirants, sixty-one full Apothecaries, and nineteen who have awakened psychic abilities to become Librarians."
The gene-seed the Chief Apothecary of the War Hounds spoke of had been "corroded" in the sixth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder.
As Chief Apothecary and a student of Fabius Bile, Gahlan's skills were among the best of his profession. The number of those he had "corroded" for Nareth was second only to Luther.
Even higher than the brotherhood jointly controlled by Khan Agula and Apothecary Naritsun of the White Scars.
Nareth nodded with satisfaction. Gahlan had achieved much.
"I wasn't referring to the neophytes."
Gahlan paused. He had been seconded to the "Emperor's Children." He knew Astartes naturally obeyed their Primarch.
He remembered their voyage to Novshenzdak, seeing the cold-eyed Perturabo walking beside the Emperor for the first time, and the unrest among the Iron Warriors when they learned who would command them.
The Twelfth Legion, without a Primarch, grew increasingly desperate with every battle and voyage, hoping the next planet they reached would be their gene-father's world.
As Gahlan hesitated, Nareth spoke.
"Angron had the Butcher's Nails implanted by the slavers. They are a device for control and enslavement."
"He will have you and the Mechanicum research implanting the Nails in the Legion's warriors."
"In the end, you will find a way to complete the task he gives you."
Nareth remembered that the renowned Martian Magos, Vercaryda, had exhausted himself trying to find a stable version. In the end, Gahlan had succeeded.
Gahlan had succeeded on his own. Now, as a seasoned "Apothecary," soon to be a "Potion Professor," he could use alchemical agents to aid him.
Using the "corroded" Butcher's Nails from the sixth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder, combined with the corrupted gene-seed, would allow him to divide the World Eaters among Khorne, Angron, and himself.
Gahlan was stunned. The Emperor had not told the War Hounds about their gene-father's experiences.
The Black Emperor, not even in the Nuceria system, knew everything about the situation.
'Such is the power of a god.'
As Gahlan trembled, Nareth spoke again, his voice grave.
"The Butcher's Nails I want are not what Angron wants."
"But do not worry. Help will come."
He recalled that the Emperor would have Arkhan Land study whether the Nails could be removed.
Though Arkhan could not remove them, he could study them.
Arkhan, already "corroded" by him and an "Artisan," could work with Gahlan to develop a version with a hidden backdoor, meeting his requirements.
'Unfortunately, Arkhan is only Sequence 6. He cannot yet help me control Angron.'
'Angron can only be a candidate for my advancement to "Earl of the Fallen," to be killed during his ascension. Fulgrim is another option.'
'Hmm, Magnus, Mortarion, Lorgar...'
Gahlan trembled, feeling his own fate, and his gene-father's, already in the Black Emperor's hands.
"By Your will."
Nareth turned his hand. A crimson potion appeared in his palm.
With a thought, it flew to Gahlan.
His eyes lit up. "Thank You, my Lord, for Your gift."
'I am my Lord's faithful servant. I am skilled and Chief Apothecary of the War Hounds. My Lord will not abandon me.'
'Otherwise, He would not have granted me power three times.'
The moment he opened the potion, every cell in his body seemed to leap, as if reborn.
He eagerly drank. The liquid was rich and thick, like a mouthful of blood.
His heart expanded and contracted. Fluid seemed to flow within his body.
His nails lengthened. Ethereal bat wings seemed to form behind him.
He felt his stomach empty. As information flooded his mind, he knew: he craved food.
But not nutrient paste. Blood.
He looked around, but saw only endless black mist.
He let out a hungry howl. His eyes turned crimson.
"Meditate. Control your desires."
The Black Emperor's commanding voice made him instinctively obey.
Moments later, the newly promoted "Vampire" knelt.
"My Lord, I thank You for Your gift."
"I will carefully observe the War Hounds. I will find those who would leave the darkness for the light."
"You can dilute the blood of Omegon you obtained at Bar'Savor and use it as food." Nareth said.
"Angron will often provide genetic material. You can use that as well."
"Offer the genetic material you collect to me."
He knew Angron was the Primarch who most often provided genetic material to his Apothecaries.
"I will also provide you with some food."
"By Your will." Gahlan bowed.
Black mist swallowed him.
The moment the "Vampire" returned to his altar, the light made him uncomfortable, like needles.
He quickly deactivated the psychic wall, then eagerly donned his blue-white power armor, fully covering himself.
Then, he immediately took out a drop of Omegon's blood.
After diluting it a hundredfold, he drank.
Moments later, feeling light, the Chief Apothecary hurried to the Triumph Hall, built to welcome his gene-father's return.
.....
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