"This... is the Godplague?"

Even after Eden, controlling the Dark Prince, had sprinted a long distance, he still felt a fatal sense of danger.

An indescribable threat was closing in. He couldn't help but glance back at the Black Fortress.

The warpstorm of corruption continued to rage. The Lord of Plagues was viciously stomping the massive blue bird into the ground, while the Blood God's form was covered in festering boils and doubled over in agony from the invasion of toxic pox.

Under the Father's catalysis, the Godplague had grown even stronger—strong enough to fight two Chaos Gods simultaneously.

More terrifyingly, the virulent pox on Nurgle's Father form was spreading outward along with the poisonous fog!

"No—my children!!"

Nurgle's Father howled in grief and rage, his blows against the blue bird growing even fiercer. The toxic facefuls of plague made the bird scream in agony and regret.

The "perfect plague" he had created to annihilate Primarchs and mankind was now killing his own corrupted children.

But caught in the heat of battle, he had no time—nor any way—to stop it.

The Godplague surged forth. Green and purple fog quickly spread beyond the Black Fortress.

Seeing this, Eden didn't hesitate for a second—he turned and bolted even faster, terrified the plague would catch up.

If he really got taken down by his own plague, that would be a shame he could never live down.

He could even lose that clone body—and worse, his soul would suffer massive damage.

Better safe than sorry. The farther away, the better!

The spread of the Godplague turned the surrounding regions into a boiling hellscape.

At first, the daemons paid little attention to this disaster.

It was just a side effect of the Father's attack—some rapidly spreading plague, just another form of decay.

Why would Nurgle's creations ever fear a plague? Surely it was just another "gift" from Grandfather Nurgle.

Laughing, many of them embraced the oncoming toxic fog with open arms.

Then they were immediately eaten alive by the virulent pox. Their bodies rotted into pitch-black, collapsing piles of blood-soaked flesh, full of festering boils.

Even worse, the plague was infused with soul-eating spores that devoured their very essence, converting their souls into more toxic energy to fuel further spread.

"My Father! What is this?!"

"My soul is dying!!"

"Save me—!"

Even the Great Unclean Ones were unable to resist the Godplague and began to rot away.

That day, Nurgle's daemons and corrupted lifeforms suffered the cruelest assault from the Dark Prince—an unspeakably venomous attack.

In fear and agony, they scrambled to flee, terrified of dying completely under the strange plague.

But the Godplague spread far too fast. Every infected creature died in twisted, screaming terror—locked in eternal death.

Even the witnesses were left trembling in dread.

No other lifeform was spared either. Wherever the Godplague passed, the land withered, grotesquely swollen plants burst with tumor-like boils, then dried up into husks.

In time, the Garden of Nurgle was marked by scorched-black regions. Countless daemons and acres of corrupted earth were consumed.

Among the daemonic screams, a message spread like wildfire:

The Dark Prince had unleashed the Godplague in Nurgle's Garden, obliterating vast swathes of land and life—seventy-seven Great Unclean Ones perished!

What bitter irony. Nurgle's sacred garden, laid low by plague.

And worse—the plague showed no signs of stopping.

Now, the Chaos entities feared the Godplague as much as the cursed energies of the Damned. In some ways, this plague was even more terrifying.

Nurgle's daemons began donning crude protective suits—stitched from human skin or dried grasses—and strapped on masks, afraid to breathe in the Godplague.

With groans of dread and whispered prayers, the fear of the Dark Prince and his Godplague spread throughout the Immaterium.

"Father save us! Everyone, run!"

The cowardly Great Unclean One, Balor the Glutton, clutching his beloved plaguehound and covered in clinging Nurglings, was thundering through the Garden.

Each step sent tremors through the ground.

Behind him followed a panicked tide of daemons and other Great Unclean Ones.

Thanks to an early warning from the great four-armed savior, Balor had fled with his friends just before the plague struck.

As they ran, the fetid swamp behind them was consumed by the Godplague's fog, becoming a death zone where no virus or bacteria could even survive.

Everything—everything—was swallowed.

For his keen instincts and generosity in warning others, Balor earned the gratitude of many daemons, becoming a celebrated benefactor.

But they hadn't gotten far—

A burning figure appeared in their path.

"Father in heaven… it's the Dark Prince!"

"He… he's the one who unleashed the Godplague..."

"Curse that monster!"

The daemons stopped in their tracks, faces twisted with rage—or rather, fear—as they hurled names at the one who had desecrated Nurgle's Garden.

"The Blight-Ender! The Butcher of Daemons! The Father of the Godplague!"

Eden, searching for a safe path, turned to see the commotion—only to freeze.

Behind him loomed a sea of Nurgle daemons.

Besides the familiar traitor Balor, there were at least twenty more Great Unclean Ones.

Being pursued and surrounded by this many daemonic titans was no joke.

But Eden wasn't the only one feeling pressure—the daemons were even more afraid.

Their smiles had long since vanished.

When the cruel, poisonous Dark Prince turned around to face them, the Nurglings immediately burst into tears.

Many daemons began shaking uncontrollably.

They feared he'd unleash the Godplague again—or something even worse.

Besides, most of Balor's "friends" were actually lazy freeloaders from the Garden. They weren't much for fighting.

"Father, please drive off this demon!"

"Wahh! Don't come near me!"

"RUN!!"

After a brief silence—

The swarm of Nurgle daemons scattered like startled birds.

With the plague fog behind and the terrifying Dark Prince ahead, they could only flee to the sides.

"This way is safer, my children!"

Balor, who often dipped himself in plague soup and knew the terrain well, led a group of daemons down a safer route.

Eden stood there, dumbfounded by the now-empty field.

"...Huh?!"

Thump, thump, thump!

A few Great Unclean Ones, realizing they'd missed the main group, turned back and sprinted past Eden's face, chasing after Balor's escape path.

Soon, only the Dark Prince remained in that sector.

"Am I really that scary?"

Eden stared blankly at the aftermath. The terror wrought by the Godplague far exceeded anything he'd expected.

In that moment, a new fearsome legend was born—one that would silence even the most mischievous imp.

The Dark Prince, now hailed across the Warp with a reputation equal to the Savior himself, had become the dreaded leader of the Terror Legion.

His tale would be retold forever in the Immaterium.

Eden didn't waste time. He darted down a corrupted tunnel—this region was a total loss.

But just as he moved—

THUD!

A massive blood-red axe slammed into the ground, blocking his path.

Ka'Bandha, the Supreme Bloodthirster, stood tall—unafraid, eyes burning with battlelust.

"Dark Prince," he growled, "you will pay for your vile deeds!"

Earlier, he'd been reveling in glorious carnage when the Godplague suddenly surrounded him—causing devastating losses.

He'd only escaped by reacting quickly and leading his army to break out.

Now, with eighteen other Bloodthirsters surrounding Eden, they blocked every escape. The oppressive aura made it clear—

Eden could not escape.

This was one of the most powerful warbands in the entire Immaterium—second only to the Chaos Gods themselves.

Especially Ka'Bandha, a Bloodthirster supreme among daemons—virtually unmatched.

Truthfully, even Eden wasn't sure he could beat him.

Not without using... special methods.

But he had no desire to duel Ka'Bandha. Win or lose, the cost would be immense.

Too bad Ka'Bandha had no intention of letting him go.

"Come, Dark Prince!" Ka'Bandha's runes flared, and his blood axe radiated heat. "Today I shall claim your head, and prove that I alone am the Savior's true rival!"

He… he really meant it.

Eden almost cried. He suddenly felt guilty for emotionally neglecting Ka'Bandha earlier.

Ka-bro had truly given it his all.

But Eden still shook his head and firmly refused the duel.

"I reject this meaningless challenge."

ROAR!!!

"Are you mocking me?! Mocking the strongest daemon in the Warp?!"

Ka'Bandha's rage exploded—his flaming breath nearly scorched Eden's face.

"You cannot refuse! You forget—we already have a duel in progress!"

Eden raised his brow, calm and logical: "Then what is this ambush? Are you admitting you fear losing, that you would stoop to dishonor and gang up on me to end our battle of honor?"

"Because right now—I've killed over ten times more Nurgle daemons than you."

"Perhaps you should admit defeat. Acknowledge that you are no match for me, the Dark Prince!"

Because let's face it—trash-talking is one of this universe's core skills.

And against those who care about honor and pride?

Even more effective.

Ka'Bandha froze on the spot when he heard those words.

The Godplague unleashed by the Dark Prince had indeed wiped out vast swaths of Nurgle's daemons and devastated entire regions of the Garden.

"I lost... I lost to the Dark Prince..."

In that instant, the Supreme Bloodthirster tasted the shame of defeat. He simply couldn't match those results before their duel ended.

His body trembled. "Damn it, that was foul sorcery—not honorable combat!"

But the truth stood before him, undeniable.

Warriors of Khorne weren't like the trickster's ever-shifting minions, breaking oaths and slithering away from wagers. Especially when it came to battles of honor.

Ka'Bandha drew a deep breath, shut his eyes in pain, and was about to admit his loss: "You're right. This contest of honor—"

But Eden interrupted him, voice hoarse yet unwavering:

"Supreme Bloodthirster, I recognize you as a worthy opponent—one of the strongest daemons in the entire Warp.

"So I will not count the use of treacherous sorcery toward my victory. Instead, we'll settle this with true, head-to-head battle.

"Though you currently hold the advantage, I will never give up.

"My army and I are still fighting, still earning glory, still striving for the final victory.

"Have you already chosen to slacken your efforts?"

"Yes, you are among the Savior's greatest rivals—but I'm no weakling either."

"I will never yield to the Blood God's favored pet or the changer's provocateur!"

That barrage of words, honor-laced and direct, left the battle-scarred Supreme Bloodthirster stunned.

In the face of his rival's recognition and praise, Ka'Bandha found himself shaken.

"Dark Prince... your honesty is unexpected."

Though his voice still burned with fury, the edge of Ka'Bandha's brutal lips curled ever so slightly.

"I admit you are no liar or coward... but no matter what you say, you will still be defeated."

His massive form flared with killing intent and overwhelming daemonic might.

"Just wait and see. I'll take more heads—win this wager—and eventually, your skull will rest atop my pile!"

Eden's flames burned no less brightly. "Is that so? I look forward to our duel."

Both sides exploded with energy in a mutual display of dominance—essentially barking at each other: "You lookin' at me? Yeah, I'm lookin' at you!"

After this standoff, Ka'Bandha led his army away, heading for new territories to sack and conquer, slaughtering Nurgle's daemons for skulls.

Aside from his wager with Eden, this also aligned with the Blood God's command: to destroy the Garden of Nurgle and weaken the Plague Lord's strength.

Only after Ka'Bandha left did Eden finally let out a long sigh of relief.

That's the kind of guy he liked—Ka-bro was honest and dependable.

If it had been the Big Blue Bird's army that intercepted him, he'd probably be mobbed, stabbed in the back, and given no chance to explain.

The Dark Prince then scanned the terrain and quickly located a path leading toward the Garden of the Goddess of Life.

He had to check that region, see if the Godplague had reached it—and also clean up any lingering defenders.

Not far away, a Nurgle Great Unclean One who had been playing dead finally dared to exhale... and unconsciously lifted his butt higher off the ground.

In his heart, he howled:

"Why did both the Dark Prince and the Supreme Bloodthirster leave?! Why didn't they fight to the death?!"

He simply couldn't understand.

What did a duel between two titanic beings have to do with Nurgle's daemons? Why did they come here and start chopping up his kin?!

He felt... deeply wronged.

Unfortunately, the next moment brought only terror—a massive blood axe fell from the sky and nailed him to the earth.

Ka'Bandha's kill count +1.

…

On the edge of Nurgle's Garden.

"By the Emperor... this is the realm of a Chaos God?"

Grand Master Koven of the Grey Knights, leading the Seventh Brotherhood, had followed the Savior into the Garden of Nurgle.

What he saw left him stunned.

They had spent a lifetime fighting daemons—yet this was the first time they'd penetrated the very heart of a daemon realm. An unprecedented feat.

Koven turned toward the paladin assigned as the record-keeper. "This is the most precious knowledge. We must record all of it and show it to the other Brotherhoods!"

The paladin nodded and activated a sacred device, transcribing both image and word onto blessed parchment:

"In the name of the Emperor, I shall document all we witness. This will become a treasured legacy of the Grey Knights!"

As he recorded, he also made sure to capture the Grand Master and the Seventh Brotherhood's heroic presence—zooming in for a glorious close-up of their badge.

Imperial warriors never miss a chance for honor.

These images would later be anointed, consecrated, framed in sacred oils, and hung in the central hall of their fortress as banners of glory.

So that all brothers might behold them.

"Damn... they're even clocking in," Eden muttered.

Draped in his dark gold armor, Eden marched forward with the Thunder Guard Champions at his side. A dedicated team of Custodes filmed their movements—the original Primarch of Hope and the Lord Regent of the Imperium in all their grandeur.

This was the first time the Imperium had breached a Chaos God's domain. It was a moment for the ages.

A perfect morale booster for a battered, war-weary Imperium.

Proof that Chaos was not invincible.

Of course, the raw footage was incredibly corruptive—it could only be shown to Space Marines with reinforced psychic defenses.

Even then, it had to be heavily encoded, purified by the Holy Tower, and blessed repeatedly before wider release.

"The Chaos realms really are... different," Guilliman murmured, staring at the grotesque garden. His tone was surprised but contemplative—stripping away much of the mystique once surrounding daemons.

This place—an actual physical domain of the Warp—wasn't quite as terrifying as legend made it seem.

"This is only the beginning."

Eden smiled faintly. "In the future, Imperial forces will tread these realms more often—and strike down abominations with thunderous wrath."

Once the necessary tech and strength matured—

The Imperium could use networked channels to enter the realms of Chaos more easily, striking daemons with holy weapons and blackstone technology.

Let Chaos know what it's like to be invaded.

Behind them came a mechanical roar. Blessed machines hauled a ten-meter-long super-sized holy cremation shell—the Tsar.

This ultimate weapon had been charging for over half a century. Now, it was ready.

Behind it, another sacred engine dragged a blackstone-core holy tower, forged using the Imperium's most advanced technology.

To build it, the Savior's domain had spent nearly all its blackstone reserves and consecrated materials.

It could ignite even within Chaos domains.

Its only flaw: it was single-use. Once placed, it couldn't be retrieved.

But with dual protection—and Guilliman himself (a son who could serve as a vessel for the Emperor)—Eden could stride boldly into the Garden of Nurgle.

And so, the Savior and Lord Regent followed the scorched path left earlier by the Emperor himself.

Their final destination: the Garden of the Goddess of Life.

Eden had not forgotten his promise—he would rescue her. She would serve humanity and contribute to their cause.

He could even use her to negotiate with the Aeldari.

After all, due to Guilliman's relationship with the Death Prophet Yvraine, relations between mankind and the Aeldari had improved significantly—resulting in many cooperative ventures.

Eden might even be able to trade soulstone materials for some excellent loot.

And if conflict ever arose again?

He could always threaten them:

"Surrender... or I'll do unspeakable things to your goddess of life."

Now, with the Plague Lord, the Blood God, and the Changer locked in an all-out war, this was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity to rescue her.

Miss it, and that chance might never come again.

Eden was taking none of it for granted.

He led his forces quickly along a path scouted and cleared by his various personas and agents.

"My Lord... this Chaos realm isn't actually that dangerous…" Grand Master Koven said uncertainly. So far, they'd walked unimpeded—not even a single daemon in sight.

No room to even use his exorcism skills.

To outsiders, it looked more like a hiking trip.

Guilliman, too, was puzzled and looked over at Eden.

"Likely because Khorne's and Tzeentch's armies have already passed through—destroying the local daemons," Eden explained calmly.

But that wasn't the full story.

Right now, the Garden of Nurgle was crawling with his people: the Terror Legion, the Ork hordes, the Tyranid buffet brigade, and more.

Even Bara the Glutton was helping herd Nurgle's daemons elsewhere. (TL: My bad, I always forgot which demon spy is which. Bara is Nurgle, Baal is Khorne and Balur or Balor is Tzeench)

Not to mention—he'd planted agents inside the Tzeentchian army, too.

Balur, the violent Tzeentchian weaver, was now one of the invasion's key generals. He controlled at least a third of the Changer's army.

In short, the Garden's attackers included:

Three Chaos God warhosts, the Terror Legion, and Imperial forces—

All directly or indirectly aligned with Eden.

Slaanesh hadn't joined the war yet, so his spies in that faction were merely observing their movements.

Which meant—

Everyone here was his.

The Dark Prince and his infiltrators had already swept the area clean.

Even now, they moved stealthily nearby, intercepting and eliminating any remaining threats.

Under these conditions, of course there were no enemies in sight.

"This whole thing's basically a company retreat. Snap some photos, pick up the Life Goddess, and we're done. With all our people here, how could we possibly lose?"

Eden thought confidently.

But the next moment—

His heart skipped a beat.

He realized he'd just raised a flag.

And it was already too late.

With the reek of corruption hanging thick in the air...

A terrible daemonic pressure descended—

(End of Chapter)

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