This is the bonus chapter for reaching 400 Powerstones.
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On the seventh day of celebrations.
The initiation ceremony for the Brotherhood of the Phoenix was held in the central hall of the platform.
The Brotherhood of the Phoenix.
The most prestigious, most glorious organization within the Emperor's Children Legion.
Only the warriors closest to absolute perfection were deemed worthy of joining its ranks.
At this moment, a single Emperor's Children Astartes stood in the center of the hall.
Saul Tarvitz, Captain of the Tenth Company.
During the Atoll assault, he had led the Tenth Company to capture three Laer fortifications with minimal casualties, personally racking up over two thousand alien kills.
His tactical acumen, his calm judgment, and his fearless valor had been witnessed by every single one of his brothers.
Right now, he knelt on one knee before Fulgrim, slamming his right fist against his breastplate, his voice steady and resolute.
"For perfection."
Fulgrim smiled warmly and pinned a golden emblem onto Tarvitz's chest.
"Tarvitz."
His voice was gentle, carrying the proud recognition of a father to his son.
"You have made me very satisfied."
Tarvitz looked up, meeting that flawless face.
He could clearly see that faint pink-purple light flickering deep within those violet eyes.
But he said nothing. He simply lowered his head once more.
"Thank you for your recognition, Father."
"I will defend the glory of the Emperor's Children until the very day I lay down my life."
--
Two days later.
A group of figures was huddled together in a quiet corner.
"We did it! We fucking did it!"
[I Just Like Sleeping In] was absolutely spamming the [Wings of Freedom Regional Chat]:
"Lucius just joined the Brotherhood of the Phoenix!"
"They made an exception for him! A total exception, bros!"
[Blue Pigeon Knows Nothing]: "Keep it down, keep it down. Our guys are still standing right behind him."
Standing right behind Lucius were over ten soldiers clad in Imperial Auxilia uniforms.
They all wore different faces, but the IDs floating above their heads were uniformly black.
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan], [Let the Galaxy Burn], [Slaanesh I Must Operate You Hard], [The Death Guard Never Betrayed]...
Three days ago, when a thoroughly depressed Lucius was sulking over the fact that Tarvitz had been inducted into the Brotherhood while he—sporting his blindingly shiny bald head—had been passed over, these players had swooped in.
"Lord Lucius! How could you allow yourself to be so humiliated by Gabriel?!"
"Lord Lucius! We will help you regain the Primarch's favor!"
"Lord Lucius! Look at this authentic painting dedicated to Lord Fulgrim by the nobles of Chemos..."
"Lord Lucius! Look at this Phoenix statue carved from a single, flawless block of amethyst..."
The Chaos players completely played to Lucius's ego and tastes.
This was all information they had dug up from real-world lore.
Fulgrim loved art, specifically classical Chemosian art.
And Lucius, who had literally grown up in the elite noble circles of Chemos, knew exactly how to flatter his Father better than anyone else.
And so, armed with the artistic masterpieces provided by the Chaos players, Lucius launched an absolute barrage of sycophancy.
On the first day, he stood before Fulgrim and recited classical Chemosian poetry for three straight hours.
On the second day, under the meticulous guidance of the Chaos players, he presented his Father with a sculpture bought straight from the System Shop, claiming it was an authentic, lost masterpiece by a legendary Chemosian artist.
On the third day, Fulgrim publicly announced...
That an exception would be made to induct Lucius into the Brotherhood of the Phoenix.
This was the Brotherhood of the Phoenix.
The absolute most elite organization within the Emperor's Children Legion. Only the most perfect, most valiant, and most trusted warriors of the Primarch were allowed to join.
Saul Tarvitz, the Tenth Company Captain who had performed flawlessly on the battlefield, had only just been officially inducted three days prior.
And Lucius—the guy who had been publicly beaten bald by the First Captain of the Iron Hands—was actually inducted into the Brotherhood right after him?
When the news broke, the entire Legion was in an uproar.
The Captains and Lord Commanders exchanged bewildered glances, sheer disbelief written across their faces.
But no one voiced a single objection.
Because this was the order of their Father.
Right now, Lucius stood proudly within the ranks of the Brotherhood of the Phoenix. His once-flawless face was currently plastered with arrogance and smug satisfaction.
He tilted his chin up slightly, his shiny bald head reflecting a blinding glare under the hall's lighting.
He swept his gaze over the Emperor's Children standing around him, a mocking smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
That smirk seemed to say:
What are you looking at?
I, Lucius, am back on top.
Standing a short distance behind him, [Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan] quietly dropped a message in the Wings of Freedom channel:
"Just looking at how smug he is makes me want to blow him up with a rocket launcher again."
[I Just Like Sleeping In]: "Hold it in, hold it in. We're part of his entourage now, we gotta keep a low profile."
[Number One Handsome of the Soul Hall]: "Heh heh heh... Lucius really is the type to shine the second you give him a drop of sunlight."
[Number One Handsome of the Soul Hall]: "Next up should be Fabius's side of things."
[Blue Pigeon Knows Nothing]: "Right. How's the old geezer's experiment progress going?"
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan]: "[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe] swapped his face again and is currently grinding reputation with him."
"Apparently, Fabius has gone completely crazy over his research. Feels like it won't be long before he actually starts performing bodily augmentations on the Emperor's Children."
[I Just Like Sleeping In]: "Speed it up. Now that we have the cover of being the lackeys of a Brotherhood member, it's way easier to move around."
Once the new Brotherhood initiation ceremony concluded, Lucius swaggered out of the hall with his twelve new aides in tow.
The surrounding Emperor's Children watched him leave, their expressions a mixed bag.
Some were full of contempt.
Some were utterly dismissive.
Some were furious.
And some... were envious.
But regardless, Lucius had pulled it off.
He had used his own unique methods to win back his Father's approval.
And those twelve Chaos players had successfully infiltrated the absolute inner circle of the Emperor's Children Legion.
--
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