Kingdom of Disorder, Third Layer of True Space.
The Black Wolf tilted its head, eyeing the silver tower before it with suspicion.
'Where did the Black-armored Giant go?'
The Black Wolf shook its head violently, forcing the terrifying image of the Black-armored Giant from its mind.
It had only submitted temporarily out of necessity, waiting for the giant to lower its guard before making an escape.
The disappearance of the Black-armored Giant was the best news possible, no matter the reason.
The weakened Black Wolf gazed greedily at the silver spiral tower. It remembered the nightmare of that noble girl, so pure, so delicious.
Its eyes flashed, and it instantly dragged the noble girl into a dream.
Chase, play…
After savoring this five times in a row, the Black Wolf decided to devour her nightmare entirely.
Just as it was about to feast, it sensed a terrifying aura approaching.
The Black Wolf turned and fled, but it didn't run into that Black-armored Warrior who could cast fire again.
Nareth had simplified the loop's structure to highlight himself, ensuring a deep impression in the Black Wolf's mind.
Moments later, the Black Wolf was knocked flying once again, landing heavily on the ground.
Lying resentfully at the feet of the Black-armored Giant, it became more determined than ever to find a chance to escape. Still, like a pet dog seeking favor, it said:
"I am willing… to be your… pet."
In the next instant, the scene shuddered and shifted, the Black Wolf found itself back beside the silver tower.
Looking around in confusion, it muttered, "What's going on?"
It glanced longingly up at the tower before turning to run again.
After more than ten such loops, it lay on the ground like a salted fish, physically and mentally exhausted.
"If you're going to kill me, just do it. Stop tormenting me."
The Black Wolf lay comfortably for a while, then realized it was still alive. Opening its eyes, it saw the silver tower still beside it.
It leapt up, black eyes flashing with ferocity. If it couldn't escape, then it might as well eat its fill.
It dragged the noble girl into a dream again, body trembling as that terrifying aura approached. It fought to suppress the instinct to flee.
Quickly shaping a nightmare, it lunged toward its "meal."
In the next moment, the nightmare it swallowed burst like a bubble.
Nothing remained, it was as if it had been dreaming itself.
As it was knocked away again, the Black Wolf thought bitterly:
'This really is a nightmare I can't wake from!'
'I create nightmares every night, and now I'm trapped in one myself!'
It suddenly understood many of the words it had heard but never grasped in dreams before:
Irony, hoist with one's own petard, reaping what you sow, a fate worse than death…
While the Black Wolf repeated its cycles, Nareth, having met with the twenty-three families on Terra, received a report that Mikael had arrived.
Nareth returned to the Throne of Shadow's Sovereignity and through questioning and reading his aura colors, confirmed that Mikael had digested the "Apothecary" potion.
Nareth returned to the Kingdom of Disorder and, using the largest Fenrisian mammoth as the main ingredient, brewed the Sequence 8 "Beast Tamer" potion.
In the Primarch's palace office, Mikael, gathering in his scattered power, said softly: "Beast Tamer."
Beside him, the orange-furred gyrinx sprang up and leapt aside.
Nightmarish memories of being tormented with various potions by the Black-armored Giant flooded the cat's mind.
Only the familiar and soothing presence through the psychic link calmed it.
The gyrinx beside Nareth bristled.
Through the link, Nareth could sense its thoughts.
Instinct told the gyrinx that Mikael was dangerous, its natural enemy.
Nareth restrained the gyrinx from casting psychic spells, but it did not lie down again, staring at the "Beast Tamer" with wary, black eyes.
Nareth's lips curved. The cats' reactions amused him, and he said with a smile:
"That's right. I have a task for you. Once you complete it, you will master the power I've granted you."
"Father, please tell me."
"Go to the Seventh Chapter. Tame those Thunderwolves and breed their cubs."
After Mikael accepted the order, Nareth asked:
"How many apothecaries and apprentices does the legion currently have?"
"Fifty-two full apothecaries, one hundred thirty-four apprentices."
"And how many attendants can perform modification surgery?"
"One thousand three hundred eighty-four."
Nareth nodded in satisfaction, then added:
"When sending apprentices to study at the Selenar Gene Cult on Luna, in addition to modification knowledge, focus on learning communication signals and language."
The Chief Apothecary recalled that during his training on Luna, he had noticed the Cult's communication signals were quite different from the Imperial standard.
They used an organic genetic binary code, a rotational cipher language based on the sender's unique genetic sequence.
Mikael left deep in thought, silently guessing at the deeper meaning behind the Primarch's orders.
The Eleventh Legion's three chapters gathered in the Sol System as ordered.
In Vostroya's Paradigm City, dressed in black robes and about to enter the Hall of Arbitration, Per Koschelny's memories flashed rapidly through his mind.
There were blurry fragments, but also vivid experiences.
After passing the recruitment selection, he and the other candidates boarded a voidship.
All subsequent modifications were done on the medical deck, the cold surgery rooms, the hard beds, the metal cages of the training deck, forming a dull and hazy set of memories.
His experiences in training facilities across different worlds were clearer and more vivid.
The city training base in Vostroya, the endurance and adaptation facilities of the Symphony of the Sea, the high-gravity training base of the Ape-man System…
Per Koschelny had always excelled, earning an A+ from every instructor.
Today was his final trial, unique to the Eleventh Legion.
Per would serve as an barister, defending his client.
Having undergone full augmentation, he needed no data slate; the case files were crystal clear in his mind.
He knew that every recruit's final trial defendant had, strictly speaking, violated Vostroyan law.
Not the Primarch's Iron Laws of the Monarch, but the still-limited-use Omnissiah's Guidebook.
When the Primarch unified Vostroya, he did not abolish the entire Guidebook, retaining its essence to keep factory efficiency high.
Per, trained in reasoning, understood this as the Primarch's principle of using the rules.
The Guidebook's industrial provisions were effective, and thus worth using.
Striding into the Hall of Arbitration, he looked at the presiding judge, knowing today's opponent was a candidate from the First Legion.
Only the First and Eleventh Chapters recruited exclusively from Vostroya.
This was by the Primarch's decree, neither took recruits from Terra, the Symphony of the Sea, or elsewhere.
The old arbitration system from before the Primarch's descent was preserved. In the final trial, First and Eleventh Chapters candidates would face off as judge and barister, tradition continued.
As the Eleventh chapter's top-ranked candidate, his opponent was the First chapter's top-ranked peer. Second faced second, and so on.
Usually, only one would pass, unless both impressed the jury enough to earn unanimous approval.
Those who passed would receive black power armor and become true Shadows of Order.
Those eliminated would undergo special legion retraining and await the next final trial.
...
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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