Before Leman Russ found Jorin, he experienced another battle. The segment of the Wolf Lord and the Werewolf not only circulated within the communication networks of the two Legions,
but also caused huge waves in the Duranese network. Unlike the Knights and the Wolves, who deliberately avoided this image, the Duranese, who were almost at their wits' end, would not miss such an opportunity.
Just as the Wolf Lord of the 13th Great Company issued the order to destroy the surveillance equipment, the thunderous footsteps, like a stampede of beasts, echoed in everyone's ears.
Clearly, Duran's reinforcements had arrived, and they were faster and more numerous than expected. Thousands of Duranese soldiers surged from all directions, an endless tide.
All the officers were conspicuously displaying the chilling photograph. Thus, the noble fury of defending the homeland and the bitter hatred for the invaders took on the most sacred mantle,
clashing and fermenting with thousands of years of thorough indoctrination against xenos and mutants. This ultimately formed an unyielding fighting spirit capable of devouring heaven and earth.
Jorin led three small squads. This number was not enough to stop the fearless tide. The Wolf Lord rallied his warriors to gather on the central stage of the theatre, establishing a temporary defensive line using the terrain and height.
Here, they only needed to aim their guns at a few entry points and gaps to form a steel storm that would annihilate any life. Above them, the iron cage holding their former comrade creaked. Clearly, the monster inside sensed the war and was becoming increasingly mad and bloodthirsty.
Thus, the battle began. In countless gunshots and roars, the air twisted with high temperatures and deep breaths. Everyone's vision constantly trembled, as if everything was burning. Duran's armies advanced wave after wave.
The guns of the Wolves continuously shrieked. Everyone struggled in this vortex of death. The dark red armor of the Duranese soon filled half of the grand hall.
Their comrades could even calmly push down more walls and obstacles under the cover of corpses. Although every step was bleeding, they were indeed advancing.
Corresponding to this advance, one after another, the sons of Russ began to fall. The dark red tide and the dark red blood tide swept in with the angry roars of the Wolves.
And all of this was nothing compared to the next scene that filled the Wolf Lord with despair: he heard a click, a sound he was intimately familiar with,
indicating that ammunition counts were about to reach zero. Not just his own, but almost everyone's, from all directions. The Wolf Lord gritted his teeth, grinding them until his teeth ached to the bone.
"I will regret this decision sooner or later." He whispered, then raised his gun and shot down the iron cage holding the werewolf monster. The moment the cage hit the ground, the Wolf Lord flashed over, kicked it forcefully, sending it towards the Duranese forces.
In such a violent collision, naturally, when the cage containing the monster slammed to the ground, it groaned under the strain, shattering into pieces. The beast it had imprisoned was once again loose in the world.
This utterly monstrous creature did not hesitate for a second, eagerly pouncing on the Duranese army. Like a raging black hurricane sweeping through a delicate flowerbed, the Duranese armed forces were as fragile as rotten paper under its sharp fangs and claws.
For a time, blood spilled, limbs flew, and countless Duranese soldiers clutched their throats, collapsing in pools of blood, or were simply torn to shreds, no longer recognizable as human.
"Everyone!" Seizing this opportunity, Jorin raised his war axe high. He roared, leading his remaining warriors, and charged towards the wavering Duranese forces. The battle became a pure close-quarters melee. The battle cries of the Wolves and the wildness of the Werewolf transformed into an unbridled meat grinder, crushing the bravest of the Duranese.
The Wolf Lord's mind was blank. He merely raised his axe, relying on combat memories etched into his flesh, raising and lowering it repeatedly, ruthlessly reaping lives, feeling a trace of fear brewing in this grand hall, until the bravest, or perhaps the most insane,
Duranese died under the war axe and claws, leaving only those who were not firm enough. He didn't even dare to feel joy, for the wild howls echoing in his ears constantly reminded him of the consequences of such indulgence.
The bloody fighting lasted for an unknown duration until every inch of the Wolf Lord's vision was consumed by pure crimson,
until his iron boots could no longer tread on an inch of clean ground. The grand hall finally returned to their hands. But even so, countless Duranese armies still crowded outside. They seemed somewhat fearful but did not flee.
And just as he began to think about what to do, he heard two wolf howls. Two giant wolves, they suddenly appeared from behind the Duranese, emerging from the edge of the battlefield, unhesitatingly tearing at their throats.
Behind them were swarms of iron-gray figures, a large number of Space Wolves who had poured into the battlefield. They instantly surged into the Duranese lines.
When these unfortunate souls belatedly realized they were surrounded, roaring chainswords had already severed the heads of hundreds of Duranese.
And behind this invincible steel storm stood the tallest, most majestic, and most invincible figure. He gripped his chainsword, walking through the now undisputed battlefield like a god of war descended from the heavens.
From this moment on. The battle ended. The slaughter began.
——————
Leman Russ stared at this dead son of his. Or rather, this creature. At the very least, it was once his son. No one dared to disturb the Primarch. The Wolf King of Fenris stood in the "courtyard"
piled with countless Duranese and Space Wolf corpses, quietly observing the completely dead Werewolf, looking at its ferocious head, its gaping maw, its bloodshot eyes staring fixedly at the dim sky: this was how the monster looked in death.
It died in battle. Duran's desperate struggle ultimately inflicted enough damage. Its massive, deformed body, without the protection of power armor, was riddled with laser, bullet, blade, and even fist marks.
Its sharp fangs and claws, which had torn open Duranese throats and chests countless times, snapped off one by one. Even its luxuriant fur was soaked and matted with blood, clinging stickily to its skin.
But at the same time, its death was glorious. It had killed more Duranese than perhaps everyone present combined. Blood had deeply seeped under its nails and could no longer be erased. In a way, it had achieved the kind of death any Fenrisian would dream of.
Russ looked at it, silent. Finally, the Primarch slowly knelt, gently wiping the blood from his son's face, and slowly brushing his eyes closed. It was then that his Wolf Lord came forward, his iron boots stepping on the gradually cooling flesh, making sticky, sizzling sounds.
Jorin thus walked before his lord, head bowed. The Wolf Lord was not unscathed in the recent battle. He had constantly been at the forefront,
and the wounds and scars covering his body would make any Astartes shudder. But Russ did not look at him. He merely quietly examined his dead son. After a long moment, he slowly asked.
[Why didn't you tell me?] "I... I was just waiting." Only before his gene-father and lord would the Wolf Lord's voice be mingled with a stammer.
[Waiting? Waiting for what?] "An antidote, the truth, a solution... or something else..."
[There won't be one.] [Those are the sprouts of eternal winter, the sunlight of endless night, the courage of deserters. Those are things that will never appear. We need not expect miracles, nor promises.]
The Wolf King stood up. He was much taller than his most massive son. All the Space Wolves waited in formation far away, awed by the Primarch's might.
Only the Wolf Lord, standing by his side, struggled to lift his head, troubled by his confusion and bewilderment. "We once became like this, my lord... I still remember..."
[I remember too, Jorin. I remember everything. I remember the cursed names. They were once close to us, fought alongside us, but they failed. They couldn't withstand this power. Now, they can only wander in the darkness of Fenris, becoming utterly monstrous.]
[I also know, it wasn't just 'once', this is also the future. The Canis Helix gave us power. The howl of the wolf surges in our blood, allowing us to win countless wars among the stars. But when we cannot master it, it decides to bite us back. Is that so incomprehensible?]
These words made Jorin tremble a little. "You... you know everything? My lord?"
Leman Russ did not immediately answer. He merely offered a smile mixed with irony and bitterness. He looked at his Wolf Lord, at the master of the 13th Great Company, his former shield-bearer, the one he had always trusted most, even until the end of the gods, he would have chosen to stand firmly by his side.
[Every Legion has its own curse, Jorin.] [In this cursed world, no one can be carefree. The only exceptions are the fools.] [Every one of my brothers is like this, they are just like me. Our bloodline gives our sons superhuman strength, but this power isn't free.]
[Every Legion holds the possibility of a path to the darkest future. If some Legions appear so perfect and unassailable, it is only because their darkness has been carefully hidden, or perhaps, it has been shouldered by one individual. That is the most dangerous path.]
[Therefore, the Allfather needed us, needed us, his executioners. For terrible things could happen in any Legion. Thus, the blood-drinking guillotine must always be gleaming and new, utterly merciless.]
[Only I can do this. My brothers, they are too reserved, arrogant, kind, hesitant, or simply weak, so they cannot do this.] [I once believed we were special, favored by the Allfather and destiny itself. Even when the Sigillite warned me, I dismissed it.]
[Now it seems, this was merely a delusional avoidance. In this regard, you and I are no different.]
"My lord... I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have deceived you... I beg your..."
[Don't apologize to me!] Leman Russ's anger flared in an instant, only to vanish without a trace the next. He waved his hand impatiently, exhaled deeply, his voice filled with merciless accusation and questioning.
[I know what's on your mind, Jorin. You wanted to suppress this matter. You didn't want this ghost of the past to ruin the Legion, and even if it meant deceiving me,
you decided to go through with it. I can't say it was wrong, but look at the situation now. This planet certainly cannot be saved, and I still have to deal with my brothers.]
[The Throne, I hope he isn't too difficult to deal with. My previous encounters with him weren't exactly pleasant.]
The Wolf Lord's face was distorted. His complexion was paler than ever before; it was the despair and inferiority brought by deceiving his lord and gene-father.
But with Leman Russ's words, this despair transformed into utter excitement and shame. The blood in his entire body surged upwards, creating large patches of crimson marks on his pale, elongated cheeks.
He wanted to say more, but the Wolf King patted his shoulder, stopping his words. Leman Russ leaned closer to his most trusted warrior, speaking in a low voice that only two people could hear.
[Why do you think I knew all this? Jorin?] [Do you think this is only your curse?]
The Wolf Lord looked up, his gaze like torches, a flame composed of incredulity and astonishment. Russ merely smiled. He accounted for everything, meticulously, as if counting his most cherished possessions.
[In the beginning, on Fenris, a warrior destined to be integrated into the Second Great Company eventually escaped into the wilderness. I personally hunted it. No one knew. In fact, before we even left Fenris, there were three of them.]
[Then, the Second, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth Companies...] [The most recent one was four years ago, from the Eighth Company.] He patted Jorin's shoulder again, looking at his Wolf Lord's somewhat dazed expression, and couldn't help but smile.
[Most of them were like you, Jorin. They instinctively wanted to conceal it. Only two people honestly came to me and confessed the situation. But their luck was better than yours, so the situation wasn't too bad.]
The Wolf Lord's words were tinged with bitterness. He asked, extremely difficultly and sincerely. "What exactly should we do? My lord?"
[What to do?] Leman Russ shook his head, his smile bitter.
[If it were one of my arrogant brothers, he might boastfully offer a solution with unknown origins and potentially endless repercussions, a solution whose true nature no one fully understood.]
[He doesn't know one thing: some suffering is unavoidable and cannot be solved. The only way is to grit your teeth and endure it. Opportunistic solutions might work for a while, but eventually, they will face even more terrifying repercussions.]
[And I will not do that, Jorin. I lack both the ability and the foolishness. My destiny also dictates that I cannot conceive of a true solution: medicines or formulas? Perhaps one day they will truly appear, but at least for now, we cannot rely on them.]
[They are merely echoes in our hearts, Jorin. When we listen to the true voice within our hearts, we will become like this.]
[So, why not keep fighting?] [At the very least, the stench and screams will allow us to temporarily avoid facing the truth. The rest is simply fate.]
The Primarch patted his son's shoulder. He softly uttered his final command.
[Now, burn it. Forget it.] [Suffering is inevitable.] [And we still have battles to fight.] He delivered this command with what could be called gentleness, then slowly turned around, breathing deeply, listening to the sounds of a battle ending.
This serenity and melancholy of the Wolf King of Fenris lasted until the Wolf Lord of the Third Great Company connected his communication.
"My lord, we have detected traces of a teleportation at the top of the Scarlet Fortress. It's the Dark Angels!" The Wolf Lord of the Third Great Company tried his best to lower his voice, but the anger and fury still surged continuously on the other end of the communicator.
Leman Russ froze in place. His expression was rigid, bewildered, even pure. The faint melancholy from moments ago was shattered by this news. The Wolf King's features instantly settled into their most standard positions.
Only his mouth hung open in pure astonishment. It was like a child who, after months of diligent study, achieved excellent grades, but when he excitedly got into his parents' car, he found that the car wasn't going to an amusement park, but to the dentist.
This naive astonishment lasted only a second. The next moment, Leman Russ's face had turned terrifying. He bared his fangs like an angry beast.
Fury blazed in his pupils. But even so, he still tried his best to maintain his composure. He glanced at the time, then asked his Wolf Lord.
[Did you make a mistake? He promised me. That was a promise!] "We are attacking with all our might... My lord, I guarantee you with my life, I am not mistaken. Those Dark Angels have already teleported in. My rune amulet can feel the echoes of their psychic activation!"
[...] [Damn it!] [Damn it all!] [Damn you, Lyon El'Jonson!] [You utterly, you really know how to pick your moments! To cause me trouble! To make me angry! Damn you to hell!]
A raging storm of lightning ravaged the flesh grinder. All the Space Wolves lowered their heads, not daring to face the towering wrath of the gene-father. Russ brandished his chainsword, snarling like a true wolf, and roared out a series of commands:
Assemble the army, prepare the Stormbirds. Everyone was to accompany him to the Scarlet Fortress. When the piercing roar of the Stormbirds permeated the entire courtyard, the Wolf King turned his head, looking at his most trusted Wolf Lord.
[If you truly wish to atone for your deception, Jorin, then continue to fight! Attack! Let the land of Duran burn, let their lamentations rip through the sky. Kill every Duranese you see who dares to resist.]
[This is the fate of the Space Wolves.] [As for me, I have some personal grievances to settle now.]
📢 MASSIVE UPDATE FOR BINGE-READERS! 📢
Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work! ❤️
A lot of you have asked for an easier way to unlock all 400+ Advance Chapters at once without dealing with a monthly commitment.
I listened to your feedback! I have completely restructured the full-story bundles on my P a t r e o n to make them much more accessible for everyone.
If you want to unlock Lifetime Access to massive 100, 200, or 500+ chapter bundles and binge the story at your own pace, it has never been easier!
👉 Search for [ flokixy ] on P a t r e o n and look for the new Full-Story Bundles!
(As always, my standard tiers for daily chapter updates are still active too! Thank you for supporting the story!)