The chanting of the spells echoed through the air. Each note was filled with an evil charm that made people want to listen and immerse themselves in that world.
The Warp creation in Kor Phaeron's hand emitted an increasingly intense blasphemous light.
The surrounding temperature dropped sharply. The flower petals scattered on the ground during the grand ceremony were covered in white frost.
The breath of the surrounding people turned into visible white mist.
The disciples who had committed suicide collapsed one after another, their bodies twisted at strange angles.
Blood gushed from their wounds, flowing down to the low ground and gathering in the same direction as if alive.
The blood snaked across the ground, forming deep crimson streaks, then boiled under the influence of the distortion.
Suddenly a crack appeared, and strange mist erupted.
When the mist covered the area, a massive humanoid figure slowly rose. The surrounding crowd screamed in terror.
The daemon's body rose from the boiling blood. It reached a height of ten meters and was covered in dark red scales.
Its head resembled that of an ancient reptile. It had no eyes — only two slits that emitted a scarlet light like burning embers.
Its mouth was packed with curved fangs as thick as an adult's arm.
Foul-smelling saliva dripped from between its teeth, corroding the ground and creating smoldering holes.
A pair of massive fleshy wings grew from the daemon's back. The wing membranes were covered in pulsing blood vessels.
With just one flap of the wings, an unpleasant fishy wind blew out, causing the surrounding people to slip.
It gripped a massive chainaxe in its hand. The blade burned with undying chaotic flames that licked the air as if thirsting for blood.
The moment the daemon arrived in the material world, it roared in fury.
The terrifying sound shook the earth. Nearby people grimaced in pain and covered their ears.
Some were so weak they fainted.
Even worse, some bled from all seven orifices and let out screams of despair.
The people in the square were driven by terror and fled in panic.
The voices that had just been cheering "Long live the nameless ones!" turned into screams of fear.
Kor Phaeron stood behind the daemon with a smug expression.
He pointed at Datch and ordered the daemon.
"Kill him."
The moment the daemon turned its head to look at its target, the strength left its legs.
Intense anger clogged its throat. It could not react at all.
The Warp is different from the material universe.
For beings that dwell in the highest heavens, past and future are one.
In the future, the nameless one had defeated the Chaos Gods. His reputation already resounded throughout the entire Warp.
He was known as the Lord of Absurdity — an existence even more terrifying than the Cursed Ones.
On battlefields where the Lord of Absurdity appeared, even Khorne's blood-crazed madmen were allowed to flee.
That opponent was someone even Tzeentch, the God of Change, hesitated to scheme against, fearing he would be the one deceived instead.
You're sending me to confront the Lord of Absurdity?
An outrageous thought floated through the daemon's mind.
Is this Warp Day, or the Festival of Fools in the underworld?
Or do I just look like an idiot?
It seems I was deceived by Tzeentch.
Damn it, didn't I refuse those blue-haired bastards last time? I refused to get involved in any underhanded deals.
They plotted a scheme to trap me themselves. How despicable! They deserve the death penalty!
Without a moment's hesitation, the daemon turned with agility unimaginable for its massive body and charged toward the still partially closed Warp rift.
It moved like a shooting star, as fast as a deep red lightning bolt.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, it dove headfirst into the narrowing crack.
Its massive body was crushed and deformed against the edges of the crack. Scales peeled off. Flesh was torn.
But the daemon paid no attention. It simply continued trying to force its way inside.
In the final moment before the crack closed, it successfully escaped back to the highest heavens.
At that moment, it felt this was an incredibly decisive and wise judgment. Let whoever wants this job take it. It had no intention of doing it itself.
...
The square fell deathly silent.
The people who had been fleeing stopped and looked at each other with confused expressions.
A terrifying monster capable of destroying a city had actually run away in fear?!
What… just happened??
Kor Phaeron's face changed from smugness to terror. The color drained from his eyes and he turned deathly pale.
He had initially been very satisfied that he could summon an angel.
It was not only the nameless ones who possessed mysterious power.
I, Kor Phaeron, am the human most favored by the God of Destruction. I, too, can command that mysterious power and those creatures.
But when he looked at the summoned "angel," it screamed in terror and fled.
At that moment, he realized something was wrong.
That nameless one was even more terrifying than he had imagined. Even daemons did not have the courage to oppose him and turned on their heels in fear.
Kor Phaeron swallowed hard, his throat bobbing, and forced a creepy smile toward Datch and the others.
"What if I said that what I just said was only a joke?"
"Can you believe it?"
Kor Phaeron was neither a fearless person nor someone blindly loyal to his beliefs.
His faith was never pure, nor was it sufficiently firm.
If he could survive, even if it meant losing his dignity and faith, he would unhesitatingly choose to live.
Datch looked at him, a slight smile on his lips and mockery in his eyes.
To be honest, he still preferred the arrogant and smug expressions of NPCs.
Lorgar stood to the side, looking at the man he had once respected and relied upon — Kor Phaeron. Disappointment filled his eyes.
In truth, he had long known about the problems Kor Phaeron carried.
Greed, selfishness, schemes, despicable acts, and cruelty toward the weak.
But he had tried not to think deeply about it and had told himself that the other party was his father.
He had chosen to believe that the man who had saved him from the desert had truly been kind to him.
He needed that false emotion the way humans need air to live, the way fish need water to live.
But now he could no longer deceive himself.
Kor Phaeron had gone astray, secretly worshipped the Chaos, formed factions, and even tried to summon evil creatures to attack the nameless ones.
This was neither a misunderstanding, nor a mistaken interpretation, nor a momentary error in judgment.
This was betrayal, corruption, and an unforgivable sin.
"Drag him away," Lorgar said coldly.
Several men rushed forward, their faces filled with unconcealable joy.
They approached Kor Phaeron and seized both of his arms from either side.
These people were the First Apostles who had served Lorgar.
They had long suspected that Kor Phaeron had some kind of problem.
From the moment he murdered those who had saved Lorgar in the desert, he had been using Lorgar, treating the Primarch as a tool to achieve his own ambitions.
Lorgar was strong and far-sighted, but he was trapped by the false emotions given to him by the other party and refused to acknowledge that fact.
The appearance of the nameless one had exposed this hypocrite's true face. It was truly satisfying.
Kor Phaeron was dragged to the edge of the square. He shouted loudly, but his mouth was quickly covered and he could only make hoarse sounds.
"How should we deal with this person, Lord Nameless One?"
A man named Nile approached Datch and asked respectfully.
"Drag him down and mince him finely so that not a single lump of meat remains."
"This is the result of trying to enslave humanity in the name of the gods."
Datch made the final decision. Lorgar remained silent. This was taken as tacit approval.
Ferrus stood on one side of the square, watching Kor Phaeron being dragged away, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Yes, that is how those despicable traitors should be dealt with.
At that moment, Erebus blended into the crowd and quietly withdrew so as not to draw the attention of the Nameless One.
This Erebus, like Kor Phaeron, worshipped the power of destruction. He wore the same coarse cloth robe as the other believers and looked like a completely ordinary person.
He watched Kor Phaeron being dragged away with a contemptuous gaze. A faint look of scorn floated in his eyes.
What an idiot, wasting such a fine status and position.
How can someone like that claim to share the same beliefs as me?
Let the will of destructive power — or rather… me, Erebus — inherit it.
In fact, the name Erebus had been stolen.
The real Erebus had been a devout believer — diligent, faithful to his duties, loyal to the doctrines, and eager to reform the corrupted Covenant Church.
He prayed every morning, studied the scriptures late into the night, and donated all of his savings to the church.
The guy who stole the name had been nothing more than a lazy, listless street child.
He wandered the streets all day, longing to become rich overnight, wanting large numbers of servants, wives, and concubines, and wishing to play scorpion games with living people.
He murdered the real Erebus in order to use the church for his own ambitions.
He stole the other party's documents and identification and impersonated him to enter the seminary.
Through his intelligence, Erebus quickly saw through the true nature of the cult and became a Chaos believer.
Of course, this man was not truly loyal to the Chaos Gods either.
He simply wanted to use Chaos to unleash the evil lurking within himself and turn the galaxy into a terrifying hell.
When Lorgar led his army to suppress the Old Covenant Church, he immediately defected and became one of Lorgar's supporters.
Now, when he shouted the slogan "For the nameless ones," his voice was louder and more enthusiastic than anyone else's.
If one did not know his background, one would definitely think he was a true believer.
Erebus was confident that based on his abilities, he would definitely be able to obtain a high position in the New Covenant Church.
Someday, he would overturn the beliefs of the nameless ones and turn them into nourishment for Chaos.
Just as Erebus was basking in his smug mood, Datch's gaze fell upon him, sharp observation directed his way.
"Yet another traitor who worships the gods and tries to corrupt the New Covenant Church has appeared."
The nameless man's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
Before Erebus could react, someone pushed through the crowd and seized him.
"Heretic! Heretic!"
Erebus struggled desperately, kicking the ground violently and writhing like a captured snake.
"I have shed blood for the New Covenant Church and performed meritorious service for the New Covenant Church!"
His disguise remained perfect as always. The frightened expression, the sorrowful sobs, and the indignation at being wrongly accused —
Every detail was perfect. Not a single abnormal sign could be seen.
"Don't do this! Don't do this!"
Lorgar looked at Erebus, who had been dragged out and thrown onto the sand, a trace of pity appearing in his eyes.
"Isn't there some misunderstanding? He's just an ordinary believer."
Datch looked at Lorgar, but there was not a trace of condemnation in his eyes.
Lorgar was not a hypocrite. He simply believed that those who followed him were sincere.
This perception clouded his vision and prevented him from seeing the truths hidden in the shadows.
"Perhaps it is time for you to know the truth of the world as well."
While speaking, Datch opened the input field of the World Editor and found an item.
[Item: See Through Everything — see through the truths hidden behind all things.]
Datch used points to add this attribute to Lorgar.
The moment the decision was made, Lorgar felt a mysterious warm current flow into his body, pass through his limbs and chest, reach his head, and concentrate at the position of his eyes.
The next moment, golden lines appeared in his eyes.
The lines were delicate and complex, extending from the corners of his eyes to both sides like the tail feathers of a phoenix or the rising sun.
Erebus's figure was reflected in his pupils, and he saw the truth.
Within Erebus's body lurked a terrifying shadow. Obsidian-like claws tore at flesh and blood.
Swollen maggots wriggled through his blood vessels, greedily devouring fresh nutrients.
What the world called a soul was now sunk in blood and ash, emitting an eerie crimson light.
"This…"
Lorgar was shocked by this sight. Was this corruption?
The nameless one had given him the ability to see the truth.
"We must eradicate them. We must prevent them from corrupting our ideals. Only by doing so can we ensure the purity of our comrades' ideals."
Datch's voice rang in Lorgar's ears.
"If we allow such people to commit destructive acts out of goodwill, no matter how well-intentioned their original intentions may have been, they will gradually become corrupted over time and ultimately produce bitter fruit that poisons everyone."
"Drag this one down as well and mince him into meat. Use this as a warning to those who try to corrupt the human world with the power of the Chaos Gods."
Lorgar no longer raised any objections and silently nodded.
Erebus was dragged out. His screams during the torture echoed through the square filled with pain.
After eliminating the two major threats — Kor Phaeron and Erebus —
a large-scale purge followed.
The vested interests of the Old Covenant Church, the priests who had profited from faith, and the temple priests who had ruled believers through fear.
There were also human traitors who outwardly believed in the New Covenant Church but secretly worshipped the Chaos Gods.
Cultists who secretly performed blasphemous rituals.
Ambitious individuals who tried to overthrow the new order using destructive power.
All of these people were identified by Lorgar, who possessed the ability to "See Through Everything."
After trials, these men were executed to ensure the purity of the New Covenant Church.
City after city was purified. The powerful figures who had held absolute influence during the Old Covenant era were dragged to the execution grounds like stray dogs.
The property of these great men was confiscated and distributed to the suffering people. Their names were nailed to pillars of shame.
Once the cleanup was complete, Colchis entered a stage of rapid development.
Under Datch's encouragement and guidance, the stone materials prepared for temple construction were used to build schools and workshops.
Animals that had been offered as sacrifices were also used for cultivation and transportation.
Believers who had spent their days praying began learning useful subjects such as mathematics, engineering, medicine, and astronomy.
Believers gathered to research ancient technology and rediscover forgotten knowledge.
Driven by strong conviction, people built factories, laid roads, dug canals, and manufactured powered machinery.
In places where only the smoke of incense had once drifted, factory chimneys now towered.
In valleys where only the sound of prayer bells had once echoed, the roar of machinery now resounded.
Colchis was full of vitality and overflowing with curiosity about the unknown. People eagerly wanted to discover the truths of the universe and make use of them.
With improvements in productivity and technology, the believers who looked up at the sky soon created machines capable of flight.
When the first spaceship took off, the entire planet of Colchis erupted in cheers.
Ferrus watched them and smiled.
The change in Lorgar's fate also foreshadowed the loss of the Chaos Gods' greatest practical influence.
He was interested in what plans the gods would use if they did not give up.
But those were problems to consider later.
Now it was time to leave Colchis.
Well then, among the traitors there are still Curze, Fulgrim, Alpharius, Magnus, and Mortarion.
Who should we visit next?
As Ferrus expected, Datch found him again after another grand ceremony.
Before he could open his mouth, Ferrus asked in a humble tone.
"Nameless one, where is our next destination?"
Datch stared at the tall Ferrus, a faint look of approval floating in his eyes.
Come to think of it, the NPCs that appear in Warhammer games are incredibly smart.
Well, everyone can probably guess what he is going to do next.
To be honest, this game is really cheap. Even without advancing the story, it is quite well-made as a simulation game.
"The next destination is Nostramo."
Images related to Nostramo instantly floated through Ferrus's mind.
That was the home of the Night Haunter — Curze. A hive-city world swallowed by darkness and sin.
"We're going to help Curze and hang all those damned rich people and criminals from the streetlights."
Datch was excited. When the topic of streetlights came up, he couldn't help but raise his fist.
Trade on Nostramo was strictly controlled by the upper class, so the majority of the population lived in extreme poverty and had to resort to any means to survive.
Even horrific acts such as murder, cannibalism, and exchanging children as food had become everyday occurrences.
On Nostramo, conscience had long since disappeared.
Because growing up in such a specific social environment naturally leads people to believe that human nature is essentially evil.
They believe that in order to bring order to the world, the most brutal means must be used to intimidate such people.
To change Curze, it is necessary to show him another possibility of salvation.
Datch naturally had his own opinions on this matter.
To truly destroy this evil city, large-scale social labor reform must be implemented and an equal and fair distribution system established.
Let Curze understand that planting fear in the hearts of sinners is not the only way to solve the problem.
Those damned capitalists and power elites should prepare themselves for the streetlights to be removed.
Datch was planning to install pendant lights on every streetlight in Nostramo.