Chapter 49: Chapter 49: A Peaceful Day...Right?
Onboard the *Endurance*.
Day four of training.
*Clang!*
In the vast Canteen No. 4, the crisp sound of metal colliding echoed prominently.
An empty bowl slammed onto the metal table.
Hades, slightly embarrassed, gave a sheepish smile to Vox across the table. He then expertly took another bowl of white porridge from the servitor beside him.
Calling it a bowl would be an understatement; it was more like a pot.
The thick, slime-like consistency of the high-protein white porridge was evident, and on its surface, large black chunks slowly sank, as if they were in a swamp.
Hades took a spoon and casually stirred the porridge, mixing the black chunks—rich in calcium and other metals—with the white porridge.
Then, he began to eat!
On the first day, after being beaten up, Hades had eagerly rushed from the medbay to the canteen, only to find this porridge as the sole dish.
He scooped a bit of the thick porridge, which even formed a stringy consistency as it dripped from the spoon.
White, viscous, high in protein.
Well, this was the only option! The Deathwatch, not particularly concerned with culinary culture, indeed chose this most standard and simple recipe.
Hades thought to himself, "It won't kill me. Besides, feeding an entire legion must be a logistical challenge."
He then bravely tasted the porridge.
Delicious!
Though it was just simple porridge, a flavor reminiscent of wheat combined with boiled milk burst on his tongue, sweet with a hint of grainy freshness.
Hades's eyes narrowed, and he quickly scooped up a black metal chunk to taste.
His pupils dilated in shock.
It tasted like fruit?!
The seemingly hard metal chunk, under the powerful bite of a space marine and the corrosive saliva, became as soft as a strawberry, slowly deforming as he chewed.
The sour and astringent taste combined with the sweet porridge, creating a flavor akin to fresh fruit.
Damn! Hades felt like he could rip his clothes off in public out of sheer joy.
Without any further ado, the famished Hades began his delightful meal.
To be fair, after the modifications, a space marine's taste buds would generally become dull.
But this porridge, which would normally be too sweet and even nauseating for most, was perfect for him. The metal chunks were actually quite bitter.
However, the food on Barbarus naturally had a bitter taste, so Hades simply filtered out this bitterness.
Vox sat opposite Hades, somewhat speechless, watching him devour the porridge.
Was this... his ninth bowl?
Even the massive Deathwatch marines usually only had five bowls.
Vox glanced at Hades's towering figure, which was already approaching the current maximum height for the Deathwatch. He had a feeling Hades could grow even taller.
When Hades finished his thirteenth bowl, he finally put down his slightly deformed spoon.
"Want to check out the dueling cage?" Vox asked the now-satiated Hades.
They had met three days ago. From Hades, Vox learned that they were both training with combat servitors.
And Hades's training was even more intense.
Hades would even voluntarily extend his training time!
After the Deathwatch's half-hour dinner time, there was an hour and a half of free time.
Knowing that both these time slots were for personal use, Hades chose to combine the half-hour dinner time, the one-hour free time, and the afternoon training session.
Vox, who had always followed the regular schedule, was dragged along by Hades to extend the training time.
But today, for some reason, Hades, who had always been engrossed in training, suddenly suggested eating early.
Vox, who was dizzy from training, gladly agreed.
So now, they had forty minutes of free time left.
Generally, the legion's warriors would either go to the training cage or the dueling cage for combat practice during their free time. The former was for personal practice, while the latter was for inter-soldier duels.
Some space marines who preferred quiet would choose to clean and maintain their weapons and armor during this time or visit the archives to read and learn.
Hades hadn't been to the dueling cage yet, had he?
Previously, apart from visiting the archives to learn Gothic, Vox spent his time at the dueling cage.
"Sure," Hades replied. "I haven't been there yet. It might be worth a look."
In the spacious hall, occasional shouts of intense combat and the excited cheers of the audience echoed. Bright white lights shone from the raised platforms, illuminating the dueling figures, their afterimages flickering.
Three identical platforms were placed side by side in the hall, resembling large wrestling rings. Below them were rows of spectator seats.
Many warriors gathered around the dueling cages, either standing or sitting, intently watching every move of the duelists. When a particularly impressive move was executed, they would clap and cheer in unison.
However, the hall was clearly divided. One side was filled with the coarse language of Barbarus, while the other side echoed with shouts in Low Gothic.
The central platform seemed to serve as a dividing line between the two sides.
Hades raised an eyebrow. This division was expected, wasn't it?
Seeing Vox naturally heading towards the Barbarus side, Hades decided to head towards the Terran veterans' dueling cage.
"Hades?" Vox whispered.
Hades turned back, smiling, indicating he wanted to check out the other side.
Vox was clearly surprised but quickly regained his composure. Without saying much, they parted ways.
As Hades approached the Terran veterans' dueling cage, the old soldiers seemed to ignore him, focusing solely on the duel.
That's good, Hades thought, silently taking a seat to analyze the duel.
He knew he had reached a stalemate in his training.
For the first three days, he was constantly on the defensive, getting used to his newly augmented body.
However, after that, even though he felt he had adjusted well, he couldn't perform at his best.
The reason was that his previous fighting style didn't suit the potential and abilities of his new body.
His strikes were too conservative, his movements too cautious. His slashing motions were still about leveraging force, and his defensive posture was overly cautious.
But now, Hades wasn't the fragile being who could be taken down with a single powerful strike.
His robust body could withstand fierce attacks, and his fortified vital areas allowed him to take risks in exchange for finding an opponent's weak spot.
So now, Hades desperately needed to see how others—those with similar physical capabilities and years of combat experience—fought.
He assumed that the Barbarus side would still employ their old tactics, perhaps with a few new ones integrated. But the Terran side, for Hades, was a high-quality duel.
Every match, every move, every action was worth analyzing and studying!
Ignored by everyone, Hades sat in a dim corner, the red light in his left eye flickering.
Meanwhile, in a secluded meeting room on the *Endurance*...
Captain Barasin of the First Company looked at Fernando with a complex expression.
Fernando—now the Chief Librarian
of the Deathwatch.
"If you have objections, I can help you request a meeting with the Chapter Master," Barasin offered.
The Chief Librarian's deep eyes met Barasin's, "Thank you for your kindness, Barasin."
"But I know that Primarch Mortarion's decision is correct."
Barasin was somewhat incredulous.
Since Primarch Mortarion's return, the original Twilight Marauders' Librarians had been sidelined.
Mortarion had made it clear that the Deathwatch didn't need those "dabbling in sorcery."
The current Librarians wouldn't be allowed to expand further and wouldn't play a significant role in future battles.
Once the last Librarian died, the Deathwatch would disband this unique warrior class.
Although Barasin hoped that the Primarch's takeover would be as smooth as possible, he knew the importance of Librarians to a legion. After unsuccessfully trying to persuade Mortarion, he sought the current Chief Librarian, Fernando.
Both to seek help and to ensure that the old Librarian didn't harbor resentment towards the Primarch.
However, Fernando's reaction was beyond Barasin's expectations.
"Why?" Barasin asked, puzzled. "Why, as the Chief Librarian, are you not only unopposed but supportive of the Primarch's actions?"
Fernando closed his eyes, "The Primarch's determination is correct, and all Librarians unanimously agree."
Before he could finish, the meeting room door burst open. A power-armored figure, adorned with runes, glared angrily at Fernando.
"Why have you betrayed us?! Betrayed all Librarians?!"
"Stand down!" Barasin, previously weary, shouted. The intruder, Ugo, immediately fell silent.
Fernando opened his eyes, his calm voice breaking the silence, "You have no right to question me, Ugo."
"Go see Torres for your punishment."
Ugo, his face filled with anger and resentment, felt the psychic pressure emanating from the Chief Librarian. Reluctantly, he left, but not before muttering a curse in Low Gothic.
"My apologies," Barasin turned back to Fernando, his face once again showing fatigue and regret.
"I expected this reaction," Fernando replied with a smile. "But I didn't expect yours."
Fernando chuckled, looking weary, "Yes, why indeed."
He remembered that day on the derelict spaceship, the twisted and floating flesh and blood.
The chapter ended with a note from the author, promoting another Warhammer-themed story titled "Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana." The author praised its intricate plot and daily updates, expressing admiration for the writer's dedication.
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