Warhammer Divine Throne

Laine was exhausted, his face pale as he leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.

”A terrifying device, the planet Angerong was on is a technologically advanced world, but they take pleasure in watching gladiators fight.” At this point, even the Emperor had a hint of anger in his eyes: ”They found the critically injured infant Angerong and performed a series of surgeries on him, turning him into a gladiator.”

”A large portion of his brain tissue was removed, replaced with crude electronic components. These components were embedded deep within his cerebral cortex, nervous tissue, and spine. Even I and my finest doctors cannot remove the Butcher’s Nail without killing Angerong.”

”That is truly... beyond redemption!!!” Laine said through gritted teeth.

”Not only that, the Butcher’s Nail completely destroyed his ability to regulate emotions, making every emotion feel intensely painful to him. Only anger could trigger a small secretion of chemicals in his brain cortex that make him feel comfortable and slightly happy during anger and rage,” the Emperor said coldly. ”So after knowing these facts, I knew that Angerong’s fall was just a matter of time. However, at the time I thought there was still hope of saving him, so I didn’t plan to kill him. I’m unsure if my choice was right. Sometimes it happens that way, I always thought the primarchs were my finest creations; Angerong was, and so was Horus. I could never decide to take action, which led to a series of subsequent disasters.”

”Is Horus that powerful after gathering the blessings of the Four Gods?” Laine asked, panting.

”No, Horus isn’t as strong as you imagine. I could have defeated him,” the Emperor said as he walked to Laine’s side, putting his hand on his shoulder to help him recover while both looked at Angerong lying on the stone slab. ”But due to foolish Magnus, I had to spend most of my power sitting on the Golden Throne to keep the Net Dao closed, which left me weak when facing Horus. Plus, I... I once believed Horus could still be saved until Saint Gile and that brother of the Imperial Guard, who had followed me for countless years, were brutally killed by his hand. It was then I truly realized Horus was beyond salvation, but by then it was too late.”

”So, it’s all Magnus’ fault!” the Emperor said in a tone filled with frustrated disappointment. ”Stupid, arrogant, conceited.”

”Magnus also acted with good intentions...” Laine tried to explain, but the Emperor firmly said, ”No, it’s all because of his stupidity that caused the consequences, and he must take full responsibility.”

Laine looked at his father’s angry demeanor and suddenly felt worried about the fate of his brother. Now that his father had resurrected and had become far stronger than ever, what tragic fate awaited the already-turned Magnus?

He dared not think further.

As father and son chatted casually, on the stone slab, that tall and strong figure opened its eyes.

”After all these years, Father, you still refuse to let me go?”

”What more do you want from me? I have nothing left; everything I’ve had has been destroyed by you. And now you’ve brought me back to life? But what’s the point?”

”You saved the gladiator Angerong and left behind Oathbreaker Angerong, Traitor Angerong. Countless times in my dreams, I recall my dead brothers and sisters; it’s all your fault! Father!!!”

It was the Genetic Primarch of the Twelfth Legion, Angerong, and he had awakened.

The Emperor looked at Angerong’s nude body and signaled for the Imperial Guard to cover him with clothes before calmly saying, ”Think back, Angerong, when I found you, I warned you that the number of enemies was greater than you imagined. You didn’t listen. I offered to send my army to assist you, and you still refused. You insisted on returning to die with those gladiators. Out of a father’s duty, I teleported you onto my ship. I wasn’t going to let my son die in a pointless and inevitably failing battle.”

”So what! Father! At the time, if you had sent just a small portion of those shimmering Imperial Guards, my brothers and sisters wouldn’t have ended up like that!” The Primarch of the World-Devourers struggled to get up, and he roared at the Emperor in anger: ”You knew we were no match for the slave masters, how could you do that?”

”But you refused! Angerong!” The Emperor’s face showed some impatience: ”I don’t have time to play guessing games with you, and I won’t let you go to your death, that’s it!”

”Hmph!” The Genetic Primarch of the World-Devourers realized he was at fault, snorted, and said nothing more.

Laine understood what had really happened.

Simply put, when his brother was found by the Emperor, he was leading the gladiators in a rebellion against the slave masters. The Emperor warned him that the number of the slave master’s troops was astonishing and that Angerong would surely lose, but his brother turned a deaf ear and insisted on launching the revolt.

Then the Emperor proposed sending his own army to help him, but Angerong once again flatly refused, so to prevent his son from dying at the hands of the slave masters, he could only use spiritual energy to teleport Angerong onto his ship.

Thus, leaderless gladiators were slaughtered, and Angerong’s honor was tainted.