The Bizarre Adventures of the Oil Man, but Starting with Warhammer 32K

"The Primarch of the Second Legion...?"

"That is a secret that should not be mentioned."

Dorn's tone suddenly grew serious. After a moment, he added, "It's something I don't understand either."

It seems that there is no doubt that the records and memories of the Second and Eleventh Primarchs were deliberately erased.

Dorn walked to the dissection table and used his robotic arm to spread out the anatomical specimens of the insects.

"You may not believe it, but this is the first time I've seen these creatures. Most of them are so precisely constructed that they're as impenetrable as the defenses I've built. I believe these creatures were deliberately designed, and they must be related to the Primarch of the Second Legion."

Judging from the Soul Drinkers' behavior, it would be strange if they weren't involved. Leon wanted to know something more: "Are there no deeper theories?"

"No, I don't even know if the Second Primarch is dead or alive."

If any other Primarch said this, Leon might have doubted it, but coming from Dorn's mouth, it was quite credible.

As the Primarch, Dorn knew no more than Leon himself about how much these things were involved with the Second Primarch.

It seems that no more information can be squeezed out of this Licat. The next thing we can do is consider its use in unlocking technology.

This is not something that can be rushed, so Leon's gaze returned to Dorn the Dreadnought.

Now it's a problem between Dorn and the Imperial Fists.

"Lord Dorn, do you intend to continue operating as a Dreadnought, or will you lead the Last Wall again as Primarch?"

Ultimately, the Wall itself was Dorn's backup plan. In an era when Guilliman was already a sleeping beauty on Macragge, it was only natural for him to step forward and lead the Legion again.

Even though Dorn did not trust him as much as Kurland did, he was a Primarch who would take the initiative to stand up and support the veterans of the Second Legion.

If I can hold on to this thigh, will I be able to drink soup later?

But Dorn rejected Leon's idea: "It was an accident that my identity was exposed. I didn't want to show up in this way, especially at a time like this."

"Even at this moment when the empire is in turmoil and facing crisis?"

Li Ang asked.

"What you see is not my choice, but my reality. The Empire needs the power of the Primarch, not his identity. If I show up now without being able to prove my identity, it will only make the situation worse."

"Why can't you prove it? You just need to find the Imperial Guards..."

"That's never the problem, Father. What the Empire needs is never my identity, but my power. I am now just an empty symbol to the Empire. What they need is not a Primarch, but a leader who can lead them to victory."

Leon realized that Dorn might really be trapped in the cold sarcophagus.

The transcendental body that the Emperor had once genetically engineered was gone, and the essence of the Warp hadn't been revealed. Rogal Dorn before him seemed to have been stripped of the glory that belonged to him as a Primarch.

This could explain why Leon was able to cooperate with the Expunged War Gang and deal with a Primarch in the previous battle - all the performances of this nominal Primarch were now limited by the machine he controlled.

If this is true, then Rogal Dorn's existence will only bring dangerous variables.

Power struggles, differences in beliefs, internal and external troubles... The crisis facing the empire now may not be as urgent as during the Great Rebellion, but the situation is several times more complicated.

A Primarch without strength, even if he shows up, will only become a pawn in the fight between various forces, or even be eliminated directly by others.

This wasn't just a casual remark. Even if the Emperor stood up from the toilet, there would still be people plotting to push him back down and force him to sit. A Primarch without any real power could hardly stir up any trouble in an Empire ruled by fists.

Seeing a Primarch clearly didn't help the situation at all. Leon knocked his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. But Dorn spoke before him.

"Sage Leon, you are a wise man, perhaps more perceptive than most priests. But intelligence does not imply trust. I do not fully trust you, at least not yet."

Leon was not surprised that Dorn said this. After all, he had been caught red-handed and was still fighting with his opponent in someone else's gene pool. It was thanks to the Soul Drinker that they could chat here calmly.

"But I have witnessed your abilities, and your assistance to the loyalists of the Second Legion and the Imperial Fists also indirectly confirms your attitude. I will not delve into your mysteries, because the Imperial Fists need your assistance right now."

This was beyond Leon's expectation. He looked at Dorn and said, "Isn't this trust in me?"

"No, I simply trust my descendants' faith in you. Furthermore, the corrupt situation has surpassed my suspicions of you."

The Primarch of the Seventh Legion was indeed very straightforward in his speech.

After all the mess he'd experienced since arriving on the Phalanx, Leon realized he'd finally returned to where he'd started. Aside from the Soul Drinkers being missing, the main storyline remained his mission to help Highwall defeat the orcs on the Battle Moon.

But the Soul Drinkers are not completely absent.

Li Ang also stated his request directly: "Of course I will continue to provide assistance to the Final Wall, but I also need compensation."

"Aren't the friendships and influence you've made within the final walls your reward?"

"Those are certainly part of it... but I need those captured Soul Drinkers. Their participation will be of great help in the upcoming situation."

Although they had to wait for Kurland to return and convene a high-level meeting of the legion to decide the fate of these soul drinkers, Leon knew what the fate of those soul drinkers would be.

Those who participated in a rebellion would most likely be imprisoned until the end of the Beast War, and the best outcome after that would be a crusade of atonement.

If that's the case, why not use the 400 surrendered Soul Drinkers for your own benefit?

This wasn't a complicated request. All Dorn needed to do was express his opinion as a fearless lord when judging the Soul Drinkers, and most people would respect his choice.

Leon thought he would agree directly, but unexpectedly Dorn shook his head.

"I can admit you. But those Soul Drinkers, they are dangerous."

"Danger?"

"You should be aware of the special nature of the Second Legion. Back then, the Second Legion, when it was merged into my command, had their special organs genetically pruned. The next generation born from their gene-seed should have lost the ability to absorb genes. But now, those mutated Soul Drinkers have shown that they have restored their special organs—they definitely didn't recover naturally."

Leon pretended not to understand: "I don't think this affects the desire of these warriors who were simply deceived by their chapter leader to atone for their sins."

Dorn was silent for a moment. "You should know that the Second Legion should never continue to exist."

"Yes, but most of them will not survive this brutal war."

PS1: Although it is impossible for the Astartes to defeat the Primarch, and it is emphasized that "even Lorgar cannot"

But let me tell you an interesting thing. In the 30K tabletop rules, if Sigismund holding a black sword fights Lorca 1V1, there is a chance that Lorca will be killed.

The probability is actually very low, but compared to other Primarchs who will definitely not lose, it is already embarrassing enough.

Chapter 165: The Imperial Commander's "Game"

Compared to those veterans who already despise the Legion, the bewitched Soul Drinkers are indeed unstable.

Dorne obviously didn't want to see them continue to grow stronger and repeat the mistakes of the Second Legion. But Leon's words made him think for a long time.

Perhaps because he felt Leon's words made sense, or perhaps because the current battle situation truly required the assistance of these four hundred Space Marines, Dorn finally nodded and agreed to Leon's request.

"I hope you and the loyal soldiers of the Second Legion can give them the right guidance, Father Leon."

"Of course I will."

The reconciliation between the two sides and the fate of the Soul Drinkers were sealed during this conversation. Dorn sighed deeply, the Primarch, renowned for his resilience, now revealing a weariness unimaginable to ordinary men. "Go, Father, aid my rock-hard descendants. Even without me, you will still be able to hold your ground and resist the enemy. I will remain aboard the Phalanx, awaiting news from you."

"Just stay on the Phalanx?"

Leon looked at the Contemptor Fearless, who was the carrier of Dorne. After solving the main problem, his mind became active and he came up with a bold idea.

"Since my current strength is limited by my body... Lord Dorn, have you ever considered changing your carrier?"

-

While Leon was working on his career on the Phalanx, Kurland was still on Terra, playing his political games with the bigwigs on Terra.

The Battle Moon hung high over Terra, but no attack was launched. After the initial panic, the Orks' refusal to attack allowed the High Lords to regain their composure. While they had desperately needed reinforcements at first, now they felt they had the confidence to bargain for them.

Chief among them was the imperial commander Udo.

Imperial Commander Udo valued Kurland very much, but this respect was not out of respect for his return to Terra, but out of fear of the Final Wall. When he realized that the orcs who had brought him back to power would not be so eager to launch an attack, he had the time to wear down Kurland's patience through conversation after conversation.

Kurland no longer wanted to count how many times they had spoken. Looking at Udo, who had once again invited him to the conference room, he felt nothing but sadness.

"Welcome, Second Captain of the Imperial Fists. This is our sixth meeting in three days."

Udo remembered it clearly.

"It's the Chapter Master."

Kurland emphasized. He was not particular about this identity, but in front of these ambitious high lords, he had to emphasize his status.

"You do perform some of the Chapter Master's duties, but that doesn't mean you are the Chapter Master."

Udo spread his hands. "According to Imperial Fists custom, a potential successor to an Imperial Fists Chapter Master must be unanimously agreed upon by the Chapter's Chaplains and Company Captains, with the nominee being voted on. In your case, neither of these criteria has been met."

"I was the last Imperial Fist of the time."

Kurland looked at Udo with disgust: "The internal affairs of the Astartes should be decided by the Astartes themselves."

"Of course, of course. But you know that the Imperial Fists' Chapter Masters are different from those of other Chapters. Their Chapter Masters have a seat on the floating bench of the High Lords' Council, so your internal affairs do not fall entirely within the jurisdiction of the Adeptus Astartes, do they?"

Udo argued his ideas eloquently, but Kurland had already realized from the previous five encounters that he could not win an argument with the imperial commander.

But compared to the previous five times when the lion opened his mouth to directly dismantle the final high wall, Kurland felt from his different words this time that the other party wanted to speed up the progress.

So he looked at Udo without any reply, waiting for the other party's next words.

Feeling oppressed by the gaze of an Astartes, Udo coughed lightly. "According to common sense, the Imperial Fists should first reorganize the Chapter, select the Chapter's senior officers, and then have the Chapter's senior officers elect a Chapter Master recognized by Terra. However, the situation is urgent now. If it turns out that such a choice is in the best interests of the Imperium, then the High Lords Council can, with my help, allow your emergency election."

His address to Kurland changed: "But you must understand, Chapter Master, that you are the largest assembled Space Marines since the Heresy. Since that Heresy, no more than five Chapters have been able to unite under one banner."

"Your arrival has caused the entire High Lords' Council to panic. Under such circumstances, even I would find it difficult to convince them to agree to your succession."

Kurland understood what Udo meant. Instead of directly asking him to disband the Last Wall, this time he made sense of it and planned to exchange it for the position of chapter leader.

"I will not betray my brothers for the gimmick of being recognized by Terra. I am the recognized Chapter Master of the Imperial Fists by the Sons of Dorne. Whether Terra agrees or not, I will have the power to call upon the Final Wall."

"You see, it's words like this that inspire fear in us."

Udo sighed pretentiously: "Your Final Wall is neither needed nor authorized. It operates under the existing system of the Human Empire, but is incompatible with any of the current empire's regulations. Your capricious summoning of the Final Wall is unacceptable to the current empire."

Kurland was irritated by Udo's posturing.

He stood up and pointed straight at the second moon in the sky through the window.

"Can't you see that its power is necessary? We returned to Terra because of your incompetence, to save this throne world. And you see it as a challenge to your authority? Without the selfless dedication of my brothers, how do you plan to save Terra from the shadow of the Battle Moon? With your political maneuvers?!"

His rage did not faze Udo. Facing an enraged Space Marine unable to resort to violence, the Imperial Commander felt certain of victory.

"This is the rule of the Empire, Kurland. We must first clarify your attitude. Your Primarch Dorn is no longer here. Now that no one can control a legion, to whom do you pledge allegiance?"

"The Emperor, of course."

"Then you should pledge allegiance to the High Lords Council."

"We serve the Emperor, not bureaucrats!"

"But as the Emperor himself acknowledged - the High Lords, born from the Council of Terra, are the spokesmen of His greater will."

Kurland fell silent, realizing he couldn't win a debate against Udo under the current system. His only weapons were his stubbornness and the need for the Final Wall: "I will not dismantle the Final Wall."

"Of course—until the crisis on Terra is resolved, even I will admit its necessity."

"?"

Looking at the surprised Kurland, Udo understood that after the necessary stalemate in the previous few days, it was now a critical moment to give a few sweet treats after a beating.

"This is just an informal meeting, Chapter Master Kurland. All issues must be discussed at the High Lords' Council after the crisis is officially resolved. You can certainly lead your Final Wall to attack the Orcs' Battle Moon. The High Lords' Council can neither confirm nor deny your current situation, so you are free to do what you want."

Kurland suddenly thought of the previous expedition that had annihilated the entire Imperial Fists. That expedition, initiated by the Council of High Lords, was also a solitary expedition of only Space Marines.

The Orks were by no means an enemy that the Space Marines alone could handle. However, to gain the cooperation of other parts of the Empire, the High Lords' permission was unavoidable.

"We cannot defeat the orcs alone."

"So you need my help, Chapter Master Kurland."

The Imperial Commander finally bared his fangs: "I am the Imperial Commander. Only I can mobilize part of Terra's forces without the permission of the High Lords Council."

"How many can there be?"

"There are currently five million Astra Militarum troops on Terra. I can transfer an Astra Militarum regiment directly to you, approximately half a million men."

The Astra Militarum on Terra was an absolutely elite force, descended from the Solar Auxiliary Corps, but a mere five hundred thousand men was a drop in the bucket compared to an entire Battle Moon. Kurland was about to say something, but Udo interrupted him.

"Of course, these powers are not all, but you need to fight for the rest yourself."

"Strive for it? Why?"

"Because they're not in Terra yet."

Udo invited Kurland back to the conference table, where a holographic projection device projected an important planet adjacent to Terra.

Of course, Kurland recognized this orange-red world: "Mars?"

"That's right. Forge General Kubik concentrated the power of most of the Forge Worlds in the Solar Segmentum on what is now Mars and refused to attend any High Lords meetings."