Warhammer [574-576] (Patreon)

Chapter 574: The Raven Lord's Rebirth, Evolving Chaotic Evil Power

The beast Night Fang is quite special, boasting extremely powerful ranged attacks. It can fire fireballs from the mouth on its forehead, and even rapid-fire them. This can be enhanced up to three times, increasing both the burst duration and the fireball's power.

It also has a move called Nightmare Sonic Wave, a shockwave emitted from a hidden eye in its head. It once even blasted Taiga Ultraman away, and can force opponents to relive painful memories—an ability uncannily similar to the Raven Lord's.

In addition, it has another technique called Nightmare. It absorbs the energy released by the eye in its head, causing living beings to fall asleep and experience nightmares; those nightmares are then devoured and converted into its own energy.

All these abilities can be strengthened. This monster possesses exceptionally powerful shadow force.

Once enhanced, Night Fang can, with its nightmare power, hypnotize all intelligent life on an entire planet, plunging them into nightmares and extracting their nightmare energy.

Rhodes relayed all of Night Fang's attributes to Guilliman, as well as to Khan and Magnus. It also goes by another name: the Nightmare Monster.

"If you hadn't said anything, I would've thought this was a clone of Corax! The similarities are uncanny—every ability is almost the same as Corax's," Guilliman said.

The other two Primarchs nodded in agreement. The raptor monster previously prepared for Jaghatai Khan could only be called compatible; this one, however, is the perfect match for Corax.

"Of course. This beast is absolutely reliable. Once we purge the Chaos corruption from Corax, we'll fuse this cosmic beast with him," Rhodes said.

Beyond its special abilities, Night Fang's close-quarters combat is also solid. Its initial mass exceeds 60,000 tons; with enhancements it can approach 80,000 tons, and its height exceeds 70 meters.

With that size and weight, its melee prowess can't help but be formidable.

Moreover, Night Fang can extend many tentacle-like appendages from its body to bind enemies—a true connoisseur of binding tactics!

"Rhodes! Since you're out, there's no time to waste. Let's go save Corax. The Chaos corruption has become extremely severe. I've kept him beneath the Imperial Palace all this time," Guilliman said.

"Yeah. Let's go solve Corax's problem first," Rhodes nodded.

Led by Guilliman, they quickly reached the lower levels of the Holy Terra Palace, where a massive Gellar Field had been erected.

Dozens of Custodians stood guard, and an Emperor Avatar continuously radiated psychic power to prevent the spread of the warp's chaotic miasma.

Corax had spent ten thousand years in the warp, was later captured by Fulgrim, and was corrupted with Slaanesh power. He has now been completely transformed into a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh.

His face no longer resembled anything human. A long tongue lolled, razor talons extended, and a pair of wings unfurled from his back.

The warp taint was thick here. Without the barrier released by the Emperor Avatar, mere exposure to this atmosphere would be enough to corrupt an Astartes into a Chaos Space Marine.

Rhodes and Magnus fared slightly better, but Jaghatai Khan stared at the creature before him in shock. This… this monster was his brother? The Raven Lord? Corax?

How could that be? This was clearly a warp abomination—an utterly evil demon!

"Guilliman, is… is that you? Please! Don't look at me. Even I feel ashamed of how I look now," Corax turned away, shrinking into a corner, trembling.

At this moment, his disgusting form made even himself retch, let alone his brothers.

Had his father and Guilliman not given him confidence—assuring him he could return to a human form—he might have already taken his own life.

"Don't say that, Corax. You are my brother. I will save you," Guilliman said.

On the way here, he had already given Jaghatai some forewarning, but seeing Corax in person still shocked the White Scars Primarch.

"I sense others. Who… who did you bring?" Corax asked.

He could sense several presences besides Guilliman's. That was why he hid in the corner: he didn't want anyone—especially his former brothers or this new brother—to see his hideous appearance.

"It's me, Corax. I'm Jaghatai. I came to see you," Jaghatai Khan finally accepted that this monster was indeed his brother. Although he had become like this, his heart still belonged to the Emperor!

"You're back too, Jaghatai? That's good. I can tell your aura is normal. You're not like me. I… I am a Chaos monster now," Corax said.

"And me as well, Corax. Do you recognize my voice?" Magnus asked.

"Of course I do. Your mother came to chat with me once and told me about you and Horus. I'm glad you both returned to Father's side and to the Imperium," Corax said.

To be honest, after returning to Holy Terra, the most shocking news he heard was the return of those two.

"Don't worry, my brother. We will be fighting side by side again soon," Guilliman said.

"Hello, Corax—or should I call you Raven Lord? I am Rhodes, a Primarch of the new era. My wife is the only female Primarch in the Imperium now, and my two sons have already grown and formed their own Astartes Legions," Rhodes said, offering a brief introduction.

"Hello, new brother. Guilliman has told me about you. You've done better than any of us. You saved the entire Human Imperium," Corax said.

"Enough small talk. I'm here to completely purify all the Chaos power in you and restore your humanity," Rhodes said.

"I've waited too long for this day. I desperately want to cast off this disgusting form. Tell me what to do," Corax asked.

It was the best news he'd heard in days—he could finally be rid of this Daemon Prince body.

"Relax. It's simple. Leave it to me," Rhodes said, and summoned the strongest First Emperor Avatar, plus twelve new Emperor Avatars. Counting the one already here, there were fourteen in total.

The fourteen Emperor Avatars appeared and unleashed terrifying golden psychic power, illuminating the entire underground space. Chaotic creatures imprisoned by the Custodians screamed; even Corax in the chamber howled in agony.

"Corax, are you alright? Rhodes's power won't hurt him, will it?" Seeing Corax cry out, Guilliman grew anxious.

Magnus and Jaghatai looked worried too.

"Don't worry. He'll be fine, though it'll be painful. It's necessary," Rhodes said.

Corax's body had been completely corrupted by Chaos and transformed into a Daemon Prince. They now had to thoroughly purify his soul and destroy his demonic flesh.

Rhodes had already sent his two most capable subordinates—Yapool and Balt—to construct a super-beast shell.

Once the Daemon Prince's flesh was completely purged, Corax's soul would, aided by the cosmic beast aura, revert to a normal state and be reborn in the new body.

"Do it, Brother Rhodes. I can take it. I must purge the Chaos within me. I must become human again—a true Primarch," Corax said, gritting his teeth as he sat at the center of the cell under the blazing gold light.

Rhodes nodded, redeemed Night Fang from his system space, spent hundreds of thousands of coins to max its enhancements, then another million to evolve it into a cosmic beast.

After purging Corax's Chaos power, he would fuse him with the cosmic beast to help him return to Order.

"I'm starting, Corax," Rhodes drew a deep breath. The psychic flames of the fourteen Emperor Avatars surged.

Dazzling golden light congealed into chains, binding Corax's twisted form. The Daemon Prince of Slaanesh screamed. Violet scales peeled away in holy fire, revealing writhing flesh beneath.

"Aaaargh!" Corax shrieked, feeling his body torn apart and even his soul wracked with pain.

"Hold on, Corax, my brother!" Magnus dropped to one knee, pouring a tide of psychic power into the ritual to assist.

Jaghatai Khan and Guilliman cheered their brother on from the side.

Feeling his brothers' aid and encouragement, Corax clenched his teeth and endured.

Behind Rhodes, Night Fang's phantasmal image appeared. Its nightmare eyes fired ghost-blue beams. Night Fang manipulates nightmares, but past memories can also become a host's strength—a pillar of spirit.

As the light pierced Corax's chest, countless memory shards burst forth—Nostramo's shadowy alleys, the Night Lords executing traitors, the Emperor's warm hand on his shoulder at Ullanor. He recalled battles of the Great Crusade and the days fighting alongside the Emperor.

"Now!" Rhodes pressed his palms together.

Fourteen golden rays twisted into a drill, tearing open the crown of Corax's demonic skull.

Prismatic chaotic essence gushed out like magma, but was instantly ensnared by Night Fang's tendrils.

Those nightmare-devouring organs writhed madly, converting Slaanesh benedictions into crystalline shadow. The Chaos power was being cleansed.

The contemporary Chaos God Slaanesh's godshard was unmoored and had no strength to intervene in the Daemon Prince's transformation. If this were a fully intact Chaos God, what they were doing would be suicide—the Daemon Prince would be slain by their master without question.

But although Corax bore Slaanesh's power, he was effectively unclaimed now, making the conversion easier.

The Daemon Prince's body began burning in holy psychic fire. Warp power was being corroded away—the power of the Emperor.

Above the Terra Palace, the Emperor, in the midst of stripping the Chaos godshard, grit his teeth and sent some divine power below to aid his son.

"Soul transfer!"

Veins throbbed on Rhodes's forehead.

His subordinates delivered the completed super-beast body—crafted as a 1:1 recreation of Corax's form, even fused with some Emperor Avatar flesh and the Primarch's prior genecrafted flesh.

Night Fang's seventy-meter body exploded, becoming a river of starlike energy that poured into the prepared super-beast shell, while Corax's soul entered as well.

With the cosmic beast's aid, Corax's soul, corrupted by Chaos, was purified, supported by the Emperor's psychic power.

The cosmic beast's strength, the Emperor's power, and the Raven Lord Corax's own will made the cleansing a complete success.

When the purifying light faded, standing in the ruins was no longer a Daemon Prince. Night Fang's rhomboid head-crest had merged perfectly with Corax's facial armor. The wings on his back were no longer Slaanesh bat-wings but an umbral mantle woven from countless nightmare tendrils. As he raised a hand and lightly clenched, every shadow under the palace seemed to come alive.

"Welcome back, brother," Jaghatai laughed, pointing to Corax's feet—there, a patch of shadow twisted and formed into a bizarre creature like a raven crossed with an octopus.

"Looks like your shadow pet leveled up!"

The cosmic beast's power had fused with the Raven Lord's previous abilities, forming a special summon.

Wiping sweat, Rhodes glanced at his datapad. "Interesting—the devouring trait of Night Fang resonates with your original shadow-stealth."

At this moment, the Primarch of the Raven Guard, Corax, had returned.

Chapter 575: The Wolves' Request—Searching for Leman Russ

"I'm back! I'll make the enemies of the Imperium pay! I will revitalize my Raven Guard once more and make those Chaos scum suffer," Corax said, eyes gleaming with shadowed light.

Fulgrim was already dead, so he couldn't take revenge on him—he'd shift that hatred onto Chaos as a whole instead.

He had heard much from Guilliman lately; Chaos forces were ravenously devouring the Imperium Nihilus. It was the perfect chance to show his mettle.

"With you, this war becomes much easier. Corax, welcome back to the Imperium. I'll announce your return immediately—prepare to rejoin your Legion," Guilliman smiled.

Among loyalist brothers, only the missing Wolf King, Leman Russ, had yet to return—besides the already-exploded Ferrus Manus.

"Hahaha! And me—the master of the White Scars. Together we'll make the Imperium's enemies taste pain," Jaghatai clapped his brother's shoulder.

With his ferocious raptor cosmic beast, he couldn't wait to test how strong he'd become.

Few traitor Primarchs remained. They had to crush at least one soon.

"Agreed, brothers. I'll command from Holy Terra and provide logistics. Press the attack with confidence," Guilliman smiled.

Both Primarchs nodded. Guilliman was the best at governance and development.

Having him oversee the Imperium's logistics from Terra was most fitting—especially with the former Imperial Chancellor assisting, and Terra's institutions at his back.

"Rhodes, will you join this war?" Corax asked, turning to him.

The Raven Lord wished to fight alongside the new Primarch who had saved him.

"I can supply special King Joes, Knight armors, and some capsule monsters, but I can't join this campaign. I must remain on Holy Terra," Rhodes said.

He had to stay and, at the moment of Chaos godshard extraction, send it into a pocket dimension.

They could not allow Terra to slip into the warp and permit a Chaos God's true form to descend. The Emperor could not stand against that.

The capsule monster technology had been fully cracked. Rhodes spent vast system coins to summon more low-tier monsters from the basic shop.

These mooks hadn't been enhanced—just sealed into capsules, ready for use—fitting support for the Imperium Nihilus front.

Though dangerous on the surface, Chaos would not gain the upper hand against the Imperium's current power.

The daemons' only advantage was numbers; they could tear open warp rifts to spew endless hordes.

"Rhodes must remain on Terra for critical work. This war is in your hands," Guilliman said.

…

After some additional cordialities, the two newly returned Primarchs used the Aeldari webway and reached their Legion homeworlds within days. Rhodes gifted each of them a Queen of Glory–class battleship with FTL drives, plus other FTL-equipped Imperial battleships.

Their return stirred the Imperium again, raising morale.

The White Scars and Raven Guard were ecstatic. With a Primarch, a Legion is transformed—even just sitting among them, a gene-father makes them fight like lions.

And now, the new-era Primarchs had gigantism and terrifying power—battle strength at unimaginable levels.

All other Legions sent congratulations—Rogal Dorn, Sanguinius, Lion El'Jonson, Horus out campaigning, and Lorgar serving as Pontiff all sent their regards.

Only the Space Wolves felt sour.

Why had all the other Primarchs returned, but not their Wolf Father?

The Space Wolves were dejected. Some proposed to Chapter Master Logan to send a large fleet into the Eye of Terror to search for Leman Russ.

But Logan and Bjorn vetoed it. If the Great Wolf were truly in the Eye, he'd have known about recent events and returned decades or even centuries ago.

"Then, Lord Bjorn, Lord Logan, how can we win our father back?" a Wolf Lord asked.

"The Wolf Time has not yet come; hence Father has not returned. That is normal," Bjorn said.

He too was anxious, but after ten thousand years, what's a little more?

Freed from a Dreadnought and given a super-beast body, his lifespan was now tens of thousands of years—he could wait.

But just because Bjorn could wait didn't mean the pack could.

"Lord Bjorn, Lord Logan, we all know every Primarch's return was tied to Lord Rhodes.

Could we petition Lord Rhodes to help find our Wolf Father?" a Wolf Lord suggested.

Rhodes had brought the greatest changes to the Imperium, and most Primarch returns were linked to him.

So many Wolf Lords believed that if Leman Russ were to return, it would be through Rhodes's aid.

Logan, the Great Wolf, nodded. With the Primarchs returning, every Legion had welcomed back its gene-father—except the Space Wolves. It stung. He wanted to step down to Wolf Guard and fight under his father once more.

"Lord Bjorn, among us, only you have a good relationship with Lord Rhodes. He brought you to Terra and taught you how to undergo super-beast transformation. Could you ask him?" Logan said.

Bjorn was silent a moment, then nodded to the pack. Since the Great Wolf had asked, he could not refuse.

"Whelps of Fenris! I hear you.

I too long for our gene-father's return. I will seek an audience with Lord Rhodes and ask him to help find Lord Russ. If the Wolf King returns, it will be good for the Imperium," Bjorn agreed.

…

Once they decided to seek their father, the Space Wolves acted immediately. Using the newest Aeldari webway routes, Bjorn arrived on Terra in just over ten days and met Rhodes and Guilliman in person.

"Great Warmaster, great Imperial Regent—this is the request of the Space Wolves. We hope our gene-father can return," Bjorn said, kneeling and recounting the situation.

Guilliman smiled, offered a few words of encouragement, then gestured for Bjorn to sit, turning to Rhodes with an inquiring look.

All the Primarchs had been found by Rhodes directly or indirectly, with one key person involved: the Aeldari Laughing God.

Without him, Vulkan and Jaghatai might not have returned.

So to find Russ, the best approach was to seek the Laughing God's aid.

"Bjorn, I understand your petition. You may go for now. I promise you: within ten years at most, I will bring your father back," Rhodes said.

"With your assurance, I am relieved! Great Warmaster and Regent, I take my leave," Bjorn said excitedly and withdrew.

"Rhodes, do you know where Russ is? You sounded confident," Guilliman asked after Bjorn left.

Rhodes sighed helplessly. Among the Primarchs, the hardest to find was that particular 'husky.' The others had some clues—or even precise coordinates.

"I can ask the Aeldari to look around. We might also ask the Emperor. His intel isn't the same as the Imperium's. The Emperor's psychic sense covers most of the galaxy. Anywhere the Astronomican shines, he can see," Rhodes said.

"Understood. Then stall for time," Guilliman nodded.

Finding the last missing loyalist Primarch, the Wolf King, would not be easy.

Gather intel first. Perhaps Aisha would know something.

"I'll ask the Laughing God first and see if he knows anything," Rhodes said, then left the hall.

He used a special harlequin token to contact the Aeldari Laughing God.

…

"Dear Warmaster Rhodes, what does the jester owe the pleasure?" the Laughing God, Cegorach, said ingratiatingly.

"Long time no see, Laughing God. I need your help," Rhodes said.

"Name it. If I can help, I will," the Laughing God replied.

"Our Imperium's only remaining missing loyalist Primarch is the Wolf King, Leman Russ. We wish for his return. Do you know where he is, or who might have trapped him?" Rhodes asked.

The Laughing God fell silent for a moment.

"Honestly, if I knew where the Wolf King was, I would tell you. Unfortunately, after he entered the Eye ten thousand years ago, he vanished. We don't know much more than your species. But I can order my Harlequin troupes and Aeldari factions to search for his trail."

He truly didn't know, so all he could offer was to have Harlequins and Aeldari corsairs keep watch.

"Thank you. I'm not asking for a definite answer—any help is appreciated," Rhodes nodded and ended the call.

He then went to the lower levels of Terra's palace, found the Emperor on the Golden Throne, and explained everything.

"I don't know either. The new Beacon's range has grown, but I still can't probe the Eye's old boundaries," the Emperor said.

He wanted to find his most ferocious son—Leman Russ—but he didn't know where he was.

"It's said he went to find you a Tree of Life—a peculiar cosmic thing that could save you," Rhodes asked.

"There is such a rumor, but honestly, I don't even know what that 'Tree of Life' is," the Emperor said.

Before Rhodes appeared, if anyone could have saved him, it would have been the Eldar Lord and the Goddess of Life.

The Tree of Life was supposedly a relic found by the Aeldari gods, but that was just a legend—no one had seen it.

Words spoken lightly were heard keenly. Isha, aiding the Chaos godshard extraction, suddenly turned and sent Rhodes a psychic message.

"Dear, ask Aisha. Aisha knows."

Rhodes's eyes lit up. He nodded to the Emperor and took his leave.

Once away from the Throne, he used his system to contact Aisha, who was resting on the Cosmic Beast Planet.

He asked if she knew where Leman Russ was.

"You mean that wild wolf? You've come to the right person. In this whole universe, probably only I know where he is," Aisha said with a smile.

Chapter 576: The Tree of Life—A Time-Distorted Planet

Leman Russ disappeared after entering the Eye of Terror, which was born from Aisha's own birth.

Thus she shared a special link with the Eye and had witnessed Russ enter it.

What a stroke of fortune—his wife knew where Leman Russ was.

"So you know where that wild wolf is now?" Rhodes asked quickly.

"I do. In a sense, he really did find the Tree of Life," Aisha said.

"Is the Tree of Life truly so miraculous? Could it restore the Emperor and let him rise from the Throne?" Rhodes asked.

"The Tree of Life contains immense life energy—a rare treasure. In ancient Fenris legends, it's also called the World Tree. If it fully matures, its fruit could indeed restore the Emperor's body, but he still couldn't leave the Throne. The Dark King is an obstacle that cannot be bypassed," Aisha said.

If the Emperor left the Throne, he could no longer suppress the Dark King. Should the Dark King emerge, humanity—not to mention the Chaos Gods—would suffer.

"Never mind that. Can you give me his exact location? I'll bring the wild wolf back and restore him to the Imperium. Then all loyalist Primarchs, except the headless one, will be home," Rhodes said.

Dealing with the Dark King would be hard—something to attempt once he could summon legendary-tier monsters, at least of Ultraman King caliber.

"He is on a special planet at the source of fear. Time there flows differently. I can give you the coordinates, but you must hurry and extract him. Time there moves very fast. One day on that world equals decades outside. Russ has been there less than a hundred years subjectively, but ten thousand have passed outside," Aisha said.

"If you knew where he was—even when you were a Chaos Goddess—why didn't you capture and corrupt him into your Daemon Prince?" Rhodes asked curiously.

"Good question. Entering that space isn't easy. You can be lost in that planet's temporal snare without realizing it. And it's Aeldari territory, protected by a special ward set by the Aeldari gods. The Eye may be in the warp, but the Four don't have true bodies. We have no concept of physical form," Aisha said.

Besides, he was just a Primarch. The Chaos Gods only grabbed one each out of curiosity back then. Don't think they're priceless—if they were, none of the traitor Primarchs would have gone unclaimed by the chaos god.

"Understood. I'll bring him out as fast as possible," Rhodes said.

Most missing Primarchs were in places with warped time. Ten millennia could pass outside while they remained unaware. If they had known of the Imperium's peril between M41 and M42—Chaos, Orks, Tyranids, monsters everywhere—they would have returned immediately. Only isolation or imprisonment kept them away.

"Go. Don't delay. A single minute there can mean days outside," Aisha said.

That planet was one of the strangest in the Eye, in the interstice between the warp and realspace, but not part of the webway.

After a few more words, Rhodes ended the call, found Guilliman, and explained everything.

"So fast? I thought it would take you years," Guilliman said in surprise.

They had parted for less than a day, and Rhodes already had solid intel on Russ. Given a bit more time, he might bring the man back.

"You know I have good relations with the Aeldari. The Goddess of Love and Beauty had detailed intel. I've basically confirmed Russ's position. I just need to retrieve him," Rhodes said.

"No problem. Go," Guilliman nodded.

"Every minute I linger means days outside. I need you to write a letter and record a video. Otherwise I may have to use force to bring him," Rhodes said.

He wanted Guilliman to provide proof; Russ didn't know him. If Terra completed the godshard extraction while he was away, it could be disastrous. He set himself a ten-minute window; ten minutes there meant one or two months outside. No time for long explanations. A video proof would help, otherwise the hot-blooded Wolf King might refuse to come.

"Russ is impulsive but reasonable. Still, we can't waste time. Why not just knock him out and bring him back? Same result. I'll talk him down on Terra," Guilliman suggested.

Every minute was dangerous. Even watching a video would take minutes, meaning twenty-plus days outside. The Emperor's situation could change any moment. The safest approach was to render Russ unconscious and extract him; persuasion could come later.

"Simple and crude—I like it. I'll just one-shot him," Rhodes laughed, clapping Guilliman's shoulder.

Guilliman was right—forget videos or messages. That would waste time. A clean knockout would be best.

"In extraordinary times we act extraordinarily. Father and Terra could face danger at any moment. Minimize risk. Go now, Rhodes. Try to return within three days. Finish the fight within a minute; take two minutes to leave. With your current power, Russ shouldn't beat you," Guilliman said.

Rhodes waved goodbye, summoned Tartarus to open a portal into the Eye, and the two entered a special region.

Following Aisha's guidance, after hours they arrived at an emerald planet bearing a gigantic tree.

The tree radiated a strange field isolating nearby warp energies; the planet was untouched by Chaos.

"Master, this planet is like a black hole. Look—everyone on the surface seems frozen. Their time flows, yet to us they're nearly motionless, or move only after long intervals," Tartarus reported.

As an ultimate lifeform from the Ultra universe, he had keen senses. This world was bizarre, like the threshold of a black hole.

"So I must extract Russ quickly. Stay in orbit—don't land. Be ready to pull us out the instant I signal," Rhodes said.

Tartarus would be the outside failsafe, lest Rhodes be trapped by the planet's time snare.

After setting contingencies, Rhodes plunged toward the planet. As soon as he entered, a unique field gripped him; time and space around him distorted.

From orbit, he seemed to descend at a glacial pace, like a helium balloon drifting down, though he himself felt he was falling at supersonic speed.

It felt like Interstellar. This time-world was among the most dangerous places in the cosmos—one day could equal years outside.

…

Under the Tree of Life, Space Wolves noticed Rhodes's descent. They had spent decades here and had never seen an outsider. They reported the stranger to Leman Russ immediately.

The Wolf King wasted no time. With his Wolf Guard, he went out to meet the intruder.

Rhodes landed steadily on the strange world.

He immediately sensed the difference: the Tree of Life suffused the world with verdant vitality, a surging life force encircling the planet.

Here, lifespans stretched. An Astartes who'd live a thousand years might live several thousand here.

And with time dilation, the Space Wolves remained as young as when they first followed Russ ten millennia ago.

Leman Russ eyed the newcomer curiously. The armor bore clear Imperial heraldry.

That was why he hadn't ordered his guard to open fire. The man's height suggested a normal Astartes.

Had the Imperium sent someone to find him? But the Tree had not yet matured. He needed a few more centuries before he could bring its fruit back to save his father.

"Who are you? Did the Imperium send you to find us?" Russ asked.

"I don't have time to explain. I'm a new Primarch. Name's Rhodes.

You must leave this planet with me now. The Imperium needs you. The Emperor needs you," Rhodes said.

"No. I must remain a few more centuries until the fruit matures. And as far as I know, there shouldn't be any new Primarch program. Are you some contraption cooked up by Guilliman?" Russ said.

Rhodes shook his head. Golden-red energy flared around him. He launched a colossal Bull-Breaking Fist at the Wolf King.

Guilliman had been right—persuasion could take minutes, days, or months. The fastest way was to knock the wolf out and extract him.

Caught off guard, Russ and his guard were shocked. Several Wolves were blown away by the shockwave and knocked unconscious before they could react.

Russ drew his power sword and barely blocked once—only to be blasted skyward, spinning 360 degrees before pile-driving headfirst into the ground.

Pain wracked his body. He reached for his Frost Chainblade, but couldn't move.

What monster was this? A Primarch, downed in a single move!

Rhodes had controlled the Bull-Breaking Fist precisely—enough to subdue the Primarch and his men without harming them.

Without a word, Rhodes grabbed Russ and wrapped several Space Wolves in telekinesis, then lifted them into the sky.

Russ tried to struggle, but another punch sent him into darkness.

From landing to defeating and extracting Russ, Rhodes took three minutes. Those three minutes felt endless.

Only after they broke free into orbit, away from temporal distortion, did Rhodes exhale in relief.

"Tartarus, how long was I gone?" Rhodes asked.