The Creators: From Night City

Page 490

There is no room for retreat for those below the Four Gods; failing to complete the mission will surely instill fear in even the most fearless Slaanesh.

No matter how powerful the enemy, Sha'rashi the Demon is confident of victory. After all, it is a great demon that Slaanesh has poured a lot of effort into, manifesting from his ever-changing desires.

The spearhead, coated with the poison of the six desires, pierced the armor formed from golden flames, but only managed to ignite a series of sparks.

As the price for this attack, the Demon Catastrophe could only use the round shield on his left arm, blessed by Slaanesh, to solidly block the opponent's deliberate punch.

The young demon didn't realize that some things couldn't be taken lightly.

A sound wave powerful enough to shatter eardrums suddenly spread from the point of battle.

The shield shattered, the demon flew away, tendons and bones snapped—all of this happened in a single exchange.

The demonic group was violently pushed back by the great demon, which plowed a path of flesh and blood through it. The net wall was violently impacted, causing it to rumble loudly.

Lehman Ruth had participated in several apocalyptic-level wars and had personally fought against multiple major demons, but he had never heard of such an explosive scene.

The enormous Slaanesh was weightless, as light as a dragonfly in flight, and opened its abyssal maw with spiraling teeth, attempting to devour Jiang Bing.

But it clearly hasn't figured out the situation yet.

The level of power in this battle has reached a point where only a Great Demon can intervene.

Jiang Bing took his third step, and his dazzling figure had grown to four meters tall, adorned with countless proverbs, and his knowledge had even been forged into physical armor.

Without wasting a single moment, with a single step, the divine body brutally smashed the deformed worm, crushed over multiple Heart Chasers and Sorcerer Pioneers, and arrived before Sharashi the Calamity, carrying endless blood and flesh.

At this moment, the other party's handsome figure had been shattered, and his slender left arm had been broken off inch by inch.

But the pain did not affect the other party's state; on the contrary, it seemed to provide the great demon with immense pleasure.

The intense pleasure caused the other person's skin to flush, and their movements became even faster.

Slaanesh's retinue are mostly masochists; in most cases, suffering actually provides them with strength.

The raging psionic energy, like boiling water, accompanied the leaping of the ram's hooves. Suddenly, a thick pink mist erupted from the area surrounding the demonic calamity, and the malevolent sorcery instantly obscured the view in all dimensions.

Like the most agile assassin, Demon Calamity silently swept across Jiang Bing's head in a posture unimaginable to ordinary people, attempting to launch an attack from behind the enemy with his remaining three arms.

Chapter 994 Shalishi

It still couldn't figure out the enemy's size.

Of course, it's not its fault.

After all, most people can't imagine that a true dragon can lurk in shallow waters, a true god can dwell in a humble abode, and an ancient sage-level figure can be hidden in the internet.

The chains of imprisonment, formed from countless proverbs, rapidly took shape, but were evaded by the terrified demon who shrank back in self-harm the moment they were sealed.

In order to complete this escape, it almost forcibly broke its own spine.

But even if it came to this, the demonic calamity would rather not touch those damned golden chains.

Without hesitation, it immediately sought help from the Dark Prince. The feeling it had from the chains reminded it of the power of a cursed being.

But Jiang Bing didn't give it that chance.

The illusory yet real creation runes faintly appeared, and Jiang Bing directly and 'overarchingly' temporarily modified some of the underlying rules of this space.

'Psionic communication is prohibited here'

The call for help from the demonic calamity ultimately failed to get through.

As a price, it was smashed into a pile of mud by Jiang Bing's two punches, but the blessing from Slaanesh still allowed this great demon to maintain unparalleled vitality.

Until the flames ignite.

The 'Etheric Flame,' powerful enough to annihilate everything, completely devoured a great demon, and the moment Sharashi the Calamity perished, its master learned of the news.

A violent wave surged within the subspace, and an energy ocean composed of the emotions of countless living beings was violently disturbed.

He was enraged, and then overwhelmed with curiosity.

For the first time, Slaanesh's beloved toy was completely killed, utterly and completely annihilated, along with His blessing. This attack even injured His own body, and the long-lost 'pain' even made Him slightly excited.

He will find the murderer, possess him, torment him, reward him, and ultimately punish him.

Slaanesh's wrath caused turmoil throughout the entire Desire Palace, and even spread to a small part of the Warp.

A gaze filled with depravity was cast from the depths of the warp into the area around the network. Although the great works of the Old Ones were able to isolate the warp, a broken node of the network was clearly unable to completely stop the invasion of a Chaos God.

This node teetered on the brink of collapse amidst the raging energy tide, countless spirit bones scattered and flying everywhere, and cracks began to appear in the purple net wall, causing it to crumble rapidly.

A decadent, lustful aura permeated the web, and the enraged god used immeasurable spiritual energy to tear it apart, projecting his own power into it.

An image of a great being began to solidify.

He has a seductive figure, sharp horns on his head, and a handsome face that seems to embody all the beauty in the world. His long limbs are full of decadent elegance, and his genderless, androgynous charm is unforgettable.

It embodies all the beauty of the world, and at the same time flows all the depravity of the world.

Greed, gluttony, lust, fame and power, vanity, laziness, and countless desires filled His body, and His wanton desires transformed into a tangible robe, draped over His perfect body.

He is the youngest evil god in the Warp, the Dark Prince, the King of Pleasure, Slaanesh – Shallish.

He lazily parted his crimson lips, and the unconscious moans escaping from his sensual mouth carried an allure that could corrupt even a saint.

This great evil god used his power to completely envelop this net-like path, sealing it into a gift box, intending to turn the beings within into his own 'gift'.

He greedily extended his power into the web, like a curious child constantly groping deeper into a drawer, hoping to find that novel toy.

But this approach ultimately only resulted in a piercing scream that echoed throughout the entire subspace.

Slaanesh, like a child who has accidentally touched a thumbtack and been pricked, howled and pulled his 'arm' back.

Then, the enraged Slaanesh unleashed a near-powerful attack, the surging warp currents utterly destroying the network here, turning it into dust-like chaos that scattered throughout the warp.

No one knows what happened here. After venting his anger, the Lord of Pleasure immediately returned to His Realm of Desire, retreating back into the Palace of Pleasure, which was surrounded by the six rings of desire. He locked the palace doors and remained silent.

But He was clearly injured. For a supreme god of chaos to utter such a wail, He must have suffered some serious injury.

Khorne watched coldly from the sidelines, Nurgle sent a concerned greeting, while Tzeentch lay in wait beside the Well of Change, beginning his new plan.

An incredibly tall tower sits atop slender, twisted stone pillars, while several other towers coil like living serpents, forming an indescribable nest.

This is the throne of the Prince of Pleasure, the palace of Slaanesh.

Endless acts of depravity continue without end in the palace hall, where succubi, lust demons, or corrupted heroes copulate. Countless acts of depravity and perversion occur here, and this twisted and perverse revelry, unimaginable to mortals, has continued for countless millennia.

All beings here go to great lengths and exhaust all means to attract the favor of the Lord of Pleasure.

But this young evil god had no desire for pleasure. He ruthlessly broke free from the entanglements and invitations of the beautiful spirits of desire and entered the deeper 'Twisted Mirror Temple' alone.

This is Slaanesh's meditation place, where every surface is covered with mirrors that constantly reflect each other until these effects approach infinity.

Amidst the bizarre and fantastical world, this mermaid-like evil god finally stretched out his hand and began to lick his wounds alone.

A golden scar is deeply embedded in His divine body, and it shows no sign of healing.

Countless mysterious symbols intertwined at the wound, resisting the erosion of His divine power. If Slaanesh could decipher these creation runes, he would understand their meanings such as 'constancy, permanence, continuity, tearing, and erosion'.

This is Jiang Bing's gift to this evil god.

………………

Netway.

The 'Jack Raven' sped along the wide net channel. Leman Ruth and Jiang Bing stood together on the lookout platform of the bridge, hesitant to speak.

After drinking half a barrel of mead, he still didn't ask his question.

The Wolf King felt he didn't have the face to inquire about the background of an existence capable of rivaling the Chaos God.

But after taking a few sips of mead, he still asked another question.

"Lord Sabur, what exactly is the deal you made with the Lord of Humanity?"

“It’s ridiculous,” Jiang Bing said, withdrawing his gaze from the void. “Your father hasn’t even discussed the scope of the work and the compensation with me yet, but he’s already starting to drive me around. His ‘shrewdness’ is even more impressive than Tzeentch’s.”

“A true sage would not act in this way, after all, it is easier to make enemies than friends.” The wolf king’s words were insightful.

“You’re absolutely right,” Jiang Bing glanced at the solemn and silent ‘Emperor’s Eye’ beside him and raised his voice, “So if the reward isn’t worth my effort, the Lord of Humanity should consider building his palace somewhere else.”

Chapter 995 The Solar System of 41K

The solar system, the Kuiper Belt.

In this disk-shaped region composed of countless icy celestial bodies outside Neptune's orbit, a uniquely shaped warship suddenly emerged.

To Jiang Bing's disappointment, yet also feeling it was only natural, the 'Crow' did not fly out from under the Emperor's ditch.

In fact, it didn't even penetrate the inner defense perimeter of the solar system.

Although the Wolf King may seem unreliable, he is absolutely meticulous and thorough when it comes to work.

Even if he were incredibly foolish, he couldn't just throw a powerful being who could rival Slaanesh into the Holy Terra.

The Wolf King did not return to the mortal world with the 'Jack Raven'. Rather than returning to the Emperor's command and continuing to be a dishonorable 'executioner', he preferred to serve the human empire in his own way.

It has to be said, this guy has truly figured out how to live life.

When the 'Jack Raven' appeared at the outer edge of the solar system through the network exit from the jump point, it was immediately detected by the Imperial Navy's outer monitoring stations and patrol fleets.

A large number of weapons were immediately aimed at the unidentified vessel that was not on the registration list.

Fortunately, the former Imperial Guard on board had already sent out the corresponding "Application for Entry Intent" and "Identification Code" in advance according to the prescribed frequency band, thus avoiding an inexplicable conflict.

Under the watchful eye of the Imperial Navy's Solar System Fleet, the 'Jack Raven' was forced to dock at the designated space station.

'Mandeville'—a giant space station located at the outermost edge of the solar system.

And this place is at least 45 billion kilometers away from the sacred Terra.

Fortunately, this distance is not considered far on an astronomical scale.

In the context of the interstellar age, the capital of a human empire is no longer limited to a single city or planet; in fact, the entire solar system can be regarded as the 'capital' of a human empire.

For security reasons, entering the capital inevitably involves a series of strict security checks and political vetting. Entering the inner ring or the more central political center requires complicated procedures, which, given the empire's bloated administrative efficiency, could take up to ten years.

Of course, this standard only applies to ordinary "outsiders". With Valerius, the old man of Terra, around, the relevant procedures will definitely be carried out very quickly.

Important documents that are legally indispensable, such as the so-called "Navigation Log and Subspace Track Record", "Crew and Passenger List and Genetic Samples", "Cargo List and Certificate of Origin", "Official Summoning Order" or "Pilgrimage Permit", were directly exempted by this former Imperial Guard using his privileges, not to mention the massive amount of other trivial documents.

Under the envious gazes of numerous pilgrimage ships, merchant ships, tax ships, and even Astartes warships, this strange-looking warship passed inspection in just 50 standard hours and successfully departed port.

However, before officially entering the outer solar system, the spaceship was still intercepted by the Imperial Navy at Jupiter Starport.

According to regulations, in order to proceed further, all ships need to undergo another in-depth review and purification, especially those with a clear history of sailing outside of reality.

At this checkpoint, technicians from the Cult of Aschastity and the Inquisition will conduct boarding inspections.

They use various instruments to scan ships for subspace contamination or other heretical behavior. The process is extremely rigorous, even to the point of preferring to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free. Any suspicious activity could lead to the ship being detained and decontaminated.

All crew members and passengers will be subject to repeated questioning by the Ministry of Justice arbitrators and faith tests by the state church priests (such as reciting specific chapters of the "Words of the Emperor"). Similarly, anyone who answers incorrectly, behaves suspiciously, has a mismatch in genetic testing, or fails the skull purity test will be arrested and executed.

The closer we get to Holy Terra, the more stringent the review process will become.

Even Valerius couldn't avoid the current standard procedures. Firstly, despite carrying the Emperor's secret decree, getting the green light required communication with the relevant administrative agencies in Holy Terra; there was no possibility of passing through simply by scanning one's face, even if he was an active member of the Imperial Guard. Secondly, he personally believed that the relevant tests were necessary, since the 'Jack Raven' had just emerged from the Web and had previously clashed with demons several times, making it difficult to avoid the risk of corruption and depravity on the 'Jack Raven' and its crew.

Of course, Jiang Bing reasonably suspected that this was authorized by the emperor, who probably wanted to use it to continue testing Jiang Bing's 'bottom line'.

Whether Jiang Bing was judging others by his own petty standards or he accurately predicted the truth, the reality is that the 'Crow's' journey to the capital has stalled once again.

Standing by the window with his hands behind his back, Jiang Bing gazed at the boundless starry sky. His 'good' eyesight allowed him to see a large portion of the solar system.

In the solar system during the 41K era, every corner had been occupied by the human empire, and all the planets had become the cornerstone of the empire's 'prosperity'.

As a vast empire with territory spanning the Milky Way, it is impossible for every department of this enormous power machine to be housed on a tiny, broken sphere with a diameter of about 6300 kilometers.

Leaving aside the infighting between departments, the bureaucracy resulting from the empire's bloated administrative inefficiency dictates that separate offices are inevitable; otherwise, there simply wouldn't be enough space.

Under the familiar starry sky, everything that seemed so familiar now felt so strange.

Venus became a manufacturing world perpetually shrouded in thick industrial smog and intense heat, providing productivity support for all the war machines on Terra and Mars.

Titan, a moon of Saturn, is home to Deathwatch's headquarters in the Milky Way—the Fortress of Eternal Night.

The entire Saturnian system became the 'office' of the Inquisition and the Devil's Inquisition, where countless secrets were buried.

Jupiter and its satellite system served as the main anchorage and shipbuilding base for the Imperial Navy's Solar System Fleet, with its massive orbital dock almost completely enveloping the planet.

Titan, one of Jupiter's moons, is the home of the Imperial Titan Legion, the first Titan legion established by the Empire, and the fortress monastery of the Titan Society, a branch of the Mechanicus, was also located here.

Mars, needless to say, has become the stronghold of the Mechanicus, completely independent of the Empire's political system.