Warhammer 40,000: Mortal Gods

"If I understand your attitude correctly, yes, this is a journey prepared for you."

When Magnus shook his head helplessly at Perturabo's sudden anger, Horus knew that he had miscalculated. Perturabo's untimely sensitivity was really surprising.

Seeing Horus admit it so frankly, Perturabo felt as if he had been punched in cotton.

He resented the test because he believed he had done nothing wrong and should not be suspected.

He also knew very well that the test like this trip was not Horus's idea at all, because Horus simply couldn't do it. This was obviously the Emperor's intention.

Is it possible that he can still yell at the emperor?

"..."

In this way, Perturabo went from being suddenly irritable to being taciturn. In the eyes of others, it was as if words like calm and perseverance were written on his body.

However, Perturabo's heart was not as calm and calm as he appeared on the surface.

In his mind, he was yelling abuse at Horus.

"I can understand that my father and you all doubt me. After all, my body rebelled. Although my damn body rebelled with your Horus body, everyone habitually targets me alone."

"But why do you want to humiliate me? Why do you want to humiliate me like this?!"

In Perturabo's mind, Horus even gave him a response.

"My father humiliated you?" the imaginary Horus asked.

"He arranged this trip. He could have sent me directly to the most dangerous place, and then see if I would be merciless in the face of my damn heirs, but he chose to use the worst way! "

Perturabo roared in his mind.

"He arranged for us to meet a group of skinless mutants who believe in him. How could these damn mutants be his believers?!"

"He just wanted to humiliate me and let me see a defective product made by the corrupted Iron Legion using the most vicious technology. He intended to make me think that a group of mutants could be loyal to him, but my name is the same. Perturabo's damned self rebelled when it said rebellion!"

"As for me, as a clone of that damn original body, there is actually no difference between the two bastards!"

"And that bastard named Locke. If the mutant appears just to make me feel ashamed, then he appears just to insult me ​​in the purest way."

After roaring in his heart, Perturabo crossed his arms on his chest and looked directly at Horus.

Then he continued speaking in his mind.

"If you ask me whether the rebels should die, then I think all traitors should die!"

"But damn traitors don't grow out of the ground either."

"The Iron Warriors fight the most brutal and difficult battle, but the glory and glory will never belong to the Iron Warriors."

"We damn big bastards are all tools made by him. The difference is that some tools are particularly popular with him, and some tools are just like toilets, they are dirty when used."

"..."

Horus suddenly stepped forward and interrupted Perturabo's thoughts, saying gently: "I can explain."

"You don't need to say anything." Perturabo shook his head slowly, "I understand."

Horus is out of options.

Some of the other clone masters could understand Perturabo's mentality, but they didn't know how to treat him.

Locke, who went to find the skinless people to inquire about information, didn't know anything. He could only see the group of "Thunder Warriors" gesticulating and had no idea what they were talking about in the encrypted communication channel.

"I'm not trying to humiliate you, no way."

"I did arrange your trip, and I also intend to test your loyalty, but more importantly, I want to explain something to you."

Perturabo suddenly heard a burst of words. He turned to look at Magnus and found that the psychic brother's eyes were releasing golden light.

Everything around him was still.

More than once, Perturabo saw the eyes of people possessed by the Emperor's humanity light up, and he had also heard about the Emperor persuading Curze's true form, so he immediately realized what was happening now.

"Father." Perturabo buried everything deep in his heart, lowered his head and called softly.

The sound continued to echo in Perturabo's ears.

"There are some skinless people who do believe in me. Even in Medlengard, where your body became a slave to darkness, there are skinless people who believe in me. This is a fact."

"I don't want them to humiliate you, but I hope their presence will make you realize something."

"That is, depravity and rebellion are not rooted in genes. You are not necessarily born to be rebellious, but it depends on how you make choices."

"Locke was also given a psychological suggestion by me, so he would appear on your only path, but he also did not do it to humiliate you, but to prove to you that you and your heirs are not necessarily born rebellious. Just like the loyalists represented by Dantioch, they existed, but they were all slaughtered.”

Magnus' eyes released golden light and walked towards Perturabo.

Perturabo did not raise his head, but had a feeling that he seemed to have seen the elegant emperor in a magnificent palace ten thousand years ago.

"The clones of the original body are relatively loyal. I know this, but this does not mean that I cannot test you." The Emperor continued to borrow Magnus's body and said bluntly to Perturabo, "As long as you experience If you pass the test, even if your true form stands before me and begs for my forgiveness, I will grant him forgiveness, just as I forgave the true form of your other brother.”

The Emperor, who was controlling Magnus, could clearly feel the change in Perturabo's thinking.

Perturabo also asked the emperor after silence: "I feel that the sins committed by my original body are just like the sins committed by my clone. I have always had a sense of guilt."

"This is normal. After all, you are not a product of pure cloning technology. You have no other connection except the same biological characteristics as the original body. You are Perturabo who has not become a slave of darkness." Emperor. The emperor replied.

Hearing this, Perturabo felt that the Emperor was not quite right.

He did not think that he was a good Perturabo who did not need to bear the blame, just as he did not think that the human will of the Emperor in front of him could be separated from the original experience of the Emperor and become a completely different existence.

In short, Perturabo thought about a lot of things in just a few seconds. In the end, he neither expressed agreement nor questioned, but fell silent.

But hearing this from the Emperor's mouth has moved Perturabo. He now has only one question he wants to ask, and only one answer he wants to get from the Emperor.

"Are you speaking this to me of your own free will? Do I have the honor of hearing your candid words and explanations?"

Hearing this question, Magnus' golden pupils turned towards the empty side.

"yes……"