Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

Curran is an Isibernian. He comes from Ulster County, a miserable country full of all kinds of thugs, killers and people who have died badly, and it is from that wasteland that he stands out. The possibility of becoming an Astartes warrior.

At the same time, he is also the first candidate to be selected for reconstructive surgery: this is certainly because of his talent that is visible to the naked eye, but there is also another reason, and this reason is also very simple and realistic:

Because, if he is not pulled for surgery, other candidates will be killed by him.

——————

Curran groped around the room for a long time, but he only found a sword.

He reached out and grasped the strange metal that he had never seen before, and for a moment he marveled that such a tough creation could be thrown carelessly into the corner of the room: he, among the entire army of Ulster County, I have never seen such a good sword.

He grasped it tightly. Now, this weapon is his. It is his wealth and treasure. No one can take it away. Even if the person who comes to ask for it claims to be the original owner of the sword, he will only be punished. To Kuran's merciless attack.

Fighting and occupying, like a hungry hound: this is the lesson that his past life has taught him, he remembers it in his heart, and he never tires of it.

The mad dog from Ulster held the sharp metal tightly in the palm of his right hand, constantly weighing it and considering how to maximize its lethality. However, this process did not last long, because soon, a This primitive instinct dispelled his preparation for the next battle.

hunger.

He is hungry.

He needed something to eat, he hadn't eaten for too long: ever since the tall men who called themselves the Selectors took them away from their respective companions, they had completely lost the concept of time, only physiological functions brought The indirect warning will remind them how long it has been.

Kuran still vaguely remembered that those towering wild valleys were used as the first level of selection. All kinds of wild beasts that lived here or were specially captured were rampant in them. They would cause trouble or be a fatal threat.

He still remembered that only a small number of people had withstood the inspection of various body functions and were able to enter the valley, find a way out, or become food for wild beasts: he once heard with his own ears a voice that also belonged to Al Ste's wailing sounded not far away, but he had no idea of ​​going to rescue him, not because of his ability, but because of his attitude.

He is from Ulster, but this does not mean that he needs to deal with those Ulster people. He has seen with his own eyes those peers from the same place or even different places, establishing friendship while waiting for candidates, but he Never bothered with that kind of thing.

He walked through the jungle, waited for the beasts to eat and drink enough, then launched a clean attack, dug out large pieces of flesh and blood from their bodies, found a hidden corner, roasted them until they were half-cooked, and roasted them randomly. Stuffed it into his mouth.

This is how he spent the next few days. Those unfortunate candidates were regarded by him as natural bait. Pieces of roasted half-cooked animal meat were squirming in his stomach and intestines, helping people from all walks of life. The Mad Dog of Ulster was the first to break through the fog in the valley and reach the next level.

In the past few days, he had not seen any human skeletons, as if they had been completely devoured, or had successfully escaped: this somewhat paralyzed his remaining uneasiness. dissipate.

He was the first: he had confirmed this from the mouths of those tall silver warriors, and it was enough to make him feel more joy than any pity and mercy could bring.

In the joy, he stood at the forefront of everyone, the first to rush towards the next difficulties, and behind him were countless silver players who were only one and a half steps slower than him. They were endless. Wuji, at least tens of thousands of people, can make this selection continue.

In the next few days, ten days, or dozens of days, he marched through all kinds of unimaginable hells. His sensitivity to time had already been shattered by the storm in his memory. Every time he raised his head, At the beginning, he could only see the ever-changing hell on earth: the bone-piercing cold wind and the endless desert, the deep forest where giant beasts roamed and the poisonous mist-filled swamp, and he was trapped in a storm composed of mosquitoes half the size of a man. Trekking hard, carefully avoiding the huge castle-like camps in the mist, listening to the screams of the unfortunate fellow travelers as they desperately fight against the monsters, as well as the strange gunshots and roars that follow.

He didn't know how long these days lasted, because he never raised his head to look at the sun again. He was swimming upstream in the violent hurricane and gravel array, being urged by the successors behind him who may or may not exist. , not daring to stay for a moment, he vaguely remembered that in some levels, he was not the first: this was enough to make him so furious that he forgot the physical pain and suffering.

Finally, he passed through the last dense forest full of poisonous insects and small beasts, and came to a clearing. In front of him was a castle that was integrated with the entire mountain. It seemed to be several hundred meters high.

This is it, he's arrived.

Although there was no actual basis, a distant voice in the dark told him so and made him feel certain.

Finally, the last bit of his non-existent strength was exhausted. His calves and arms whipped the muscles at all costs, gaining the last source of strength, allowing him to sit awkwardly on the ground instead of standing straight. Fall down.

The moment he sat down, the rabid dog from Ulster fainted completely. The moment before he lost consciousness, he could only hear the heavy iron boots stepping on the gravel and slowly coming to his side. .

…

Kuran blinked.

Those memories that had completely become fragments floated through his mind, but they did not stop his limbs from constantly groping and moving in the real space. He squatted on the ground, with his two straight arms also touching the ground. There was darkness all around him. He took a step back slightly, and his back pressed against a cold wall in the darkness.

This is a medium-sized room, with no lights on, and only a few wisps of the faintest light coming from the ventilation ducts and gaps he can't see, allowing the Ulster's pupils to barely distinguish some of the things in the darkness. With the help of these dim lights, he constantly identified the direction and location of things. With the smell in the air, he slowly moved towards the corner where he had guessed that there was food and water.

He was not sure whether he was sent in by those silver warriors, but he was sure that he could live well here: although it was closed and dark, it did not lack anything needed for survival.

After slowly groping for a certain distance in the darkness, the Ulster man found the food and water. He found that they were not deliberately placed in the center of the room, but scattered randomly in the corners and around, as if silently. Tell them that if they can't stay active after waking up, they won't be able to feed themselves.

There is no doubt that that means elimination.

Kuran stretched out his hand and grabbed the food on the plates. The texture in the center of his palm was like a mixture of sand and water. Apart from being delicate, it did not have any edible elements, but he It did smell something that could be called meat.

He thought for a while, then drank some pure water in big gulps, then grabbed these things that might be food, and tentatively stuffed a little into his mouth.

"Don't worry, you can eat them, they're harmless."

Just when his teeth were about to touch the food, a faint voice came from a corner that he didn't notice. Kuran was frightened and couldn't help but jump back and hit the wall: he himself was shocked. I am very curious that at this moment, he still has such power.

The mad dog from Ulster narrowed his eyes. He temporarily forgot about his hunger and focused all his attention on the sound point on the opposite side. His pupils exuded a dark green color, like a wolf. With his full attention, he quickly saw clearly: a few meters away from him, under the corner of another wall, half-lying a fully armed man, with a few scattered around his hands. empty plates and water bottles.

The man who made the sound was fully armed, with a helmet and armor engraved with gorgeous patterns covering his whole body. In his other hand, he held an extremely sharp sword: but it was not as good as the one Kulin had on hand. Bundle.

He looked dirty, as if he had just crawled out of endless mud puddles and feces. He was covered in dirt, but on his chest, there was a medium-sized coat of arms with a painting on it. It was holding some kind of ferocious beast that Cullin didn't recognize.

But the coat of arms was clean, a treasure that had been carefully kept and wiped. It reflected some abnormal metallic light in the dark room, telling some kind of nobility and sentiment in adversity, which made Ulster's Mad Dog has a different kind of irritability.

He is a knight.

After a simple observation, Kuran made this judgment.

He was illiterate, but in the stories of druids and bards, Kuran could still remember some customs and customs in other places. He heard those people say that on the other side of the sea, in the distance. Farther away from the continents of Cadia and Albernesia, there is a continent called Majorian. The people there are accustomed to riding on horses, using spears and swords to hunt giant beasts, and using various methods to hunt giant beasts. Bind yourself with oaths and virtues and be proud of them.

What a strange bunch of people.

He thought, and then looked at the guy opposite, until he realized how dirty the knight was: only then did he realize something belatedly, that he also exuded an unbearable smell. There was a stench, and his hands were covered with dirt and filth. The food he grabbed was naturally contaminated a lot.

But he didn't care. After tentatively tasting it with his tongue, he grabbed the plate with both hands and wolfed down these things that had a bit of meaty taste but were definitely not meat. He was eating like an ignorant beast.

The knight shook his head and sighed. At his feet was a torn and soaked strip of cloth, and his hands were as clean as those plates.

Kuran heard the sigh, and he glanced at the knight casually. The dissatisfaction in his heart accumulated more and more, and he lowered his head to eat again.

The food on these plates was not meat, but it was indeed very good at fighting hunger. After a few plates, he was already full. After these soft sand-like things entered his intestines and stomach, they would merge with the food that had already entered his stomach. The water had a strange reaction, and soon his stomach was bulging.

"Where are you from, stranger?"

Seeing that he had almost eaten, the knight across the room tentatively spoke. Under his fully armed helmet, there was a voice that was already extremely weak but still full of education and politeness. Kuran only said This voice had been heard from the noble ladies who were imprisoned deep in the palace, and he had a very bad relationship with one of them.

He still remembered the so-called queen who provoked the war and brought his hometown Ulster County into the war: Maeve. He had fought against the army and warriors of the female tyrant and won every victory until Ulster County capitulated before sheer numerical disparity.

Kuran's efforts did not stop the destruction of his hometown. As a monster who could fight against an entire army at the age of fourteen and escape unscathed, after the war, he was regarded as a monster that was difficult to deal with by the authorities and was thrown away. In the campaign field of Astartes, it plays the dual role of claiming credit and eliminating evil.

Thinking of this, the flame called anger burned higher and higher in his chest, roaring constantly, always planning to engulf some unlucky guy who was not so lucky.

He raised his head and glanced at the knight, but didn't respond. He just traced the residue on the plate with his rough fingers, then put them into his mouth, licking them endlessly.

After filling his stomach, he still held the sword tightly and looked around the darkness like a wolf, only to realize that the room was larger than he thought, except for the knight sitting opposite him who made him unhappy. Besides, next to the knight, diagonally across from Kuran, a figure that was thinner than him was lying under the corner, soundless. It was unknown whether he had fainted or was dead.

And when he looked to the other side, he also saw many listless strong figures, leaning on the corners and corners, some were still fainting, and others had empty plates and water bottles placed next to them. .

He slightly cleared the number of people and wanted to count how many potential competitors there were, but when his vision passed a corner in the distance, the endless darkness finally obscured his pupils.

"Perhaps, I can introduce myself first, stranger."

"After all, it is rude to ask someone else's identity rashly. I just forgot about it. I apologize to you for my rudeness, stranger."

Opposite him, the knight was still speaking, as if he wanted to pass the unknown time in this way. His voice obviously revealed some kind of elegant cultivation and education. Although there was no trace of arrogance, it was The savage-like Ulster Mad Dog felt instinctive hostility.

Kuran just maintained his crouching position, pricking up his ears and listening to the knight's words, listening to the family and history that he couldn't understand, while looking at this nagging guy, thinking about how to be more effective in future conflicts. Okay knock it to the ground.

This state lasted for a while, maybe half an hour. With enough food and water, Kuran could clearly feel the strength returning to the muscles and tendons all over his body. He glanced around him, There was enough food and pure water for several people there, but he had no intention of giving them away, even if he couldn't take a bite now.

Just when Kuran was thinking about how to pack them, a faint voice interrupted the knight's words and the hound's thoughts. The figure lying next to the knight danced his arms in response to the voice, a little feebly. He struggled to support his body and slowly stood up.

The knight who was still introducing himself soon discovered this scene. This noble gentleman from the Majorian continent extended his helping hand without hesitation. He gently caught the knight who had just fainted. He took one arm of the stranger who had woken up and leaned him against the wall. After doing this, the knight immediately looked around, trying to find some food and water to help the stranger who had just woken up.

But unfortunately, as far as the knight could see and reach, the only remaining food and water were placed next to Kuran, behind the protection of Kuran's sword.

The knight hesitated, but he spoke anyway.

"Stranger, I see that you have consumed enough food and water just now. Maybe you can pass some of the food and water around you now to help this brother who has just woken up. He really needs them. "

Kuran laughed, like a hungry wolf taunting a cowardly domestic dog.

The ruthless Ulster man spoke his first words slowly and leisurely with a mocking look on his face.

"do you know him?"

"I do not recognize."

The knight shook his head honestly.

"But he needs help."

What he said, this ridiculous statement in Kuran's eyes, seemed like a truth that should be taken for granted.

"He is your competitor, just like you and I are competitors too. To help him is to embarrass yourself, don't you know?"

"I know, but what appears before me now is a stranger in need of help."

Kuran blinked, his rejection and his too obvious sneer exploded in the darkness. He waved his sword gently, leaned the plates filled with food back, and then It was like watching a circus performance, watching the newly awakened figure struggling with hunger and thirst.

A few more obvious rays of light came out from nowhere, as if someone was watching here. Through these lights, the knight could clearly see the cruel smile on Kuran's face. He was turning around. , clenched the sword in his hand, and the elegant words behind the helmet turned into a rather serious inquiry.

But Kuran didn't pay attention to all this. He just looked at the ray of light carefully, as if he thought of something, and a hint of beastly wisdom flashed in his savage pupils.

"You can help him, stranger. The food and water are of no use to you now, but to him, they are enough chips to save his life."

"I know...but I won't give it to him."

"Why?"

"My pleasure!"

The knight didn't reply. He was silent for a very long time. Just when he wanted to speak again, Kuran moved.

Half angry and half joking, he grabbed a plate of food and threw it at the struggling figure. With the sound of his body being hit by the plate and another painful exclamation, the knight tightened his grip on his sword and stood. He stood up: He didn't see at all, there was no joking or cruelty in Kuran's eyes, but full of cold rationality.

"Stranger, I have to warn..."

"Come on horseback!"

The mad dog from Ulster jumped up, holding the sharp sword he had just obtained, and moving his muscles nonchalantly.

The knight took a deep breath, and Kuran smiled as he looked at his body that was trying his best to support himself.

"Seriously, do you really want to be my enemy for a guy you don't know at all? You know, in fact, you are not my opponent. You will fall here. You have gone through all the hard work of selection and you will be here. Stopped abruptly.”

"Just because you're nosy."

The knight was silent for a moment, his voice a firm declaration.

"When I took over my sword and took possession of my coat of arms, I swore to every ancestor in the Hall of Glory: I will draw my sword for any injustice suffered by the weak. Fighting to quell any malicious competition in the world, I will do my best to let the light of reason and kindness return to the world."

"The moment I swore the oath, it became the creed of my life and the initial motivation to support me on every battlefield. I once participated in a great defense battle on the land of Artois, starting from sixteen cow heads. Dozens of villages and farmers were protected by monsters. I once faced bandits on my own and protected the pure girl from Montfort Castle."

"I have participated in countless battles, traveled to far distances countless times, and been involved in countless fierce battles that have nothing to do with me in your eyes, just to fulfill my promise, just to fulfill the sacred obligations I have made to all my ancestors. pledge."

"I will not break it, no matter what time it is."

Kuran smiled. He bared his teeth like a dog. He didn't speak any more. Instead, he bent down, gathered enough strength, and charged at the heavily armed opponent in front of him without hesitation. The fervor of fighting made his face change. It was extremely twisted: its big mouth stretched to the base of its ears, its erected hair was as hard as a boar's mane, and its two eyeballs were sunken and one protruding, like a twisted monster from legend.

The knight was stronger than he thought. He withstood the impact of the crazy scene in front of him, and used rigorous defense and fierce offense to leave several obvious scars on the Ulster people, but it was like the last The ferocious argali couldn't resist the bites from wild wolves. After several rounds of lightning-fast confrontation and impact, Kuran found an opportunity. He used a feint shot to attract the knight's attention, and then Another vicious elbow hit knocked him to the ground.

The hardest part of his arm hit the knight's heart without hesitation, shattering the tougher will under the armor.

He won, cleanly.

With his feet stepping on this opponent and his sword gently swiping on the already somewhat damaged armor, Kuran seemed to be thinking about where to start. But at this moment, an invisible force attacked. he.

He turned his head and saw the figure who had just woken up. This person raised a hand with all his strength. The invisible power came from his whisper.

Kuran recognized it. It was a character from the Miska continent. They had been good at this invisible magic since ancient times, which made them suffer persecution.

But now, this has become an advantage. Even those Miskars who do not have extremely strong physiques will become some kind of special candidates and join the selection of Astartes warriors.

Thinking of this, the Ulster man spat disdainfully. He looked at the unconscious knight at his feet, threw off the helmet, and saw a face that was older than him.

Those soft stubbles showed that the knight was also a teenager, and the scars and vicissitudes on his face made him look like he was in his twenties or even thirties, which also showed that his achievements were not It's bragging.

Kuran hummed softly. He did not take away the life of this opponent, but focused his savage eyes on the weak insect who dared to challenge him. The psychic power that had become exhausted due to excessive weakness was casually taken away by him. Brushing it away, clutching the tip of the knife, the Ulster man walked towards his next prey, considering whether to deliver the fatal blow starting at his neck.

Slowly, he raised the blade.

——————

"enough!"

——————

Finally, Kuran heard the voice.

Showing a satisfied smile, he quickly put away the blade, his movements as smooth as if he never intended to harvest anyone's life.

He turned his head and looked in the direction he had expected before. Sure enough, just as he thought, just as he inferred from the sudden appearance of light, in that direction, no one could even open a door. The hidden door that was discovered was pushed open in the blink of an eye.

An unprecedentedly tall Astartes warrior walked in. He was perhaps four meters tall. When he walked in front of Kuran, he first glanced at the unconscious knight and made sure that he was breathing. The admiring gaze turned into a cold gaze, and then turned to Kuran again.

For the first time, Kuran breathed heavily. Originally, he thought he would adapt to these miraculous figures, but when the unprecedentedly tall Astartes warrior walked all the way in front of him, this omnipotent The fearful barbarian could not help but admire in a low voice.

"Gods..."

He admired the perfect killing skills and the supreme ruthless body.

"Your gods have nothing to do with this place, candidate."

The Astartes warrior who came to this room stared coldly and mercilessly at the savage lunatic in front of him. For a moment, Kuran thought he was going to twist his head off, but in the end, he just asked with heavy words One sentence.

"You did it on purpose. Did you notice the clues in all this?"

"It's intuition, my lord."

The Ulster man laughed. After overcoming the initial fear, he dared to show that savage smile to the son of Morgan. His eyes were distracted and he looked at the opened door. He could vaguely feel it from inside. A few gleams of cold light.

"I once irresponsibly guessed that this would be a small interlude between the trial and the final stage, a free time for you to better observe us, but I'm sorry, I can't stand this kind of free time. So I decided to do something and let you take me away.”

"I think I passed, don't you? After all, I didn't commit any of the bans. Any non-fatal fighting during the selection process is allowed."

"……Yes."

After a long silence, the Astartes warrior reluctantly acknowledged Kuran's words.

"You don't need to stay here anymore. Come with me. You have passed all the previous tests with the best results. A priceless gene seed and a transformation surgery are waiting for you. If you can withstand them If you have the power, you will be like me."

Kuran heard the news that made him happy. He stared closely at this Astartes warrior who seemed to have some evil intentions. In a trance, he had a feeling that this silver-armored warrior was the same person he had just defeated. The knight seems to have some invisible resemblance.

"I will fight alongside you, my lord?"

The warrior paused.

"I am a soldier of the Emperor."

"Also a descendant of Morgan."

"I come from the newly born Legion of Dawnbreakers and am loyal to the great Queen of Dawn."

"My name is Hector, and I am the captain of the 23rd company of the Dawnbreaker Legion.

"Let me tell you, candidate."

"Yes, if you can withstand the transformation surgery and all subsequent training, if you are lucky and unlucky enough, you will be assigned to my men, become my warrior, and become my... battle brother."

That's enough.

Kuran laughed. He grinned, and the ugly look from the battle had not disappeared from his face. The grin from ear to ear made him look more like some kind of terrifying monster than a human being. , he looked directly at Hector and asked the most important question in his heart, the last question.

"I'm number one, right?"

"...Yes, candidate."

"If you really want to know, then let me tell you that as of now, about 10,000 people are still undergoing the final test and observation period, and you are the first among them to undergo transformation surgery. people."

"Yes, you are the first."

——————

When the Knight awoke, another Astartes warrior appeared before him.

Unlike the tall, ruthless and majestic Hector, this son of Morgan's light gray hair and kind smile make him look more like a kind teacher.

"Ah, you're awake?"

"Don't worry about your companion. He has received timely help."

"Time? It has been three Terra standard days since you fell into coma. Yes, all the transformation surgeries are being carried out in sequence, and yours has been completed."

The knight blinked and quickly glanced down at his body. But he found that he did not become as tall and burly as the Astartes warrior in front of him. A possibility flashed through his mind, making his face turn pale.

At this moment, the Astartes warrior beside him patted his shoulder patiently. His kind smile seemed to have a kind of natural magic power, allowing the knight whose heart was shattered to find some kind of support and progress. direction.

"Before starting the next conversation, please let me introduce myself to you. As you can see, I am a member of the Dawnbreaker Legion. You can call me Hawthorne."

"Here, I regret to inform you that although your physical indicators fully meet the standards of becoming an Astartes warrior, you do not match our gene seed, and forced implantation will not be successful at all. Sex, on the other hand, will cause irreparable damage to your body, so after consideration, we gave up on performing reconstructive surgery on you."

"But there is no need to despair about this. Young people, everyone has multiple routes in their future. Now you are just encountering a temporary setback. This does not mean that your life will be over."

"To be honest, three days ago, I and several other soldiers were observing every move of each of you during the period after all the trials. Your actions left a very deep impression on us."

"Young man, although you can't be a warrior, it doesn't mean that you can't contribute in other ways, for Morgan, for the world in front of you, for the oaths and everyone you care about."

"Let me tell you, at the same time as this transformation operation was going on, our great Primarch had officially signed a new law, on another world in this galaxy, as far as you can see when you look up. Among the brightest stars we have ever seen, we will build a university city that can cover the entire world, and its name will be Tadashi Academy."

"It will have countless colleges and universities, as well as the best teachers hired from all over the Galaxy. It will continuously produce real knowledge about administration, law, management, people's livelihood and other aspects. The mainstay.”

"Here, I extend an invitation to you. Although you cannot become an Astartes warrior, your physical fitness, your moral concepts and your actual actions all show that you are enough to achieve greatness. achievements."

"So, here, I hope you can become the first batch of students in this soon-to-be-established college. I will also personally write a letter of recommendation for you. In view of your past experience and your own personality, I think you are very It is suitable to become a member of the Judicial Academy under Chungji Academy."

"There you will learn how to distinguish and implement various laws, and learn how to find a suitable balance between law and humanity through the special local environment, so as to help the weak in need and calm those who are weak. Woe, let true peace come among mortals.”

"When you graduate from there, you'll be assigned to the legal department."

"This is a department that belongs directly to the Primarch. No one else has jurisdiction over it. It will be a paramilitary organization capable of operating independently between worlds to maintain the justice and enforcement of the law."

"When you complete all your studies at Zhongsi Academy and pass the graduation exam, real-life exercises and moral assessment, you will enter that department and defend your country among the countless stars conquered by the Dawnbreaker Legion in the future. Vows and desires.”

"Come on, young man, take it."

"I don't require you to report to that academy immediately. I know how serious the blow of not being able to become an Astartes is for you, but please remember this."

"Being able to become an Astartes candidate and being able to reach this point is the best proof of your strength and ability. Failure to eventually become an Astartes only means that you may not be suitable for this path, but It cannot rule you out as a loser."

"This is just a temporary defeat, young man. Join us, and you will gain true direction of strength in the future, washing it away with countless successes and careers."

"You are a mortal."

"But mortals can also be great."

"Yes, remember it, this is the school motto of Chuji Academy."