Horus Descends Upon Disc World

"I suggest we eliminate this Great Turtle immediately," Abaddon said. "Something like this is obviously a creation of Chaos."

"Being too eager for slaughter is not a good habit. It bears us no hostility. The great Raven and the Emperor also told us to be tolerant toward creatures from the Other Universe."

Loken spoke in opposition.

Though he was not a member of the Council of Four Kings,

his outstanding achievements

had led many to regard him as the equal of the Council of Four Kings.

Even the Gene Engine implanted within him was inferior only to Horus’s, placing him on the same level as the Council of Four Kings.

His words still carried considerable weight.

"I think Loken makes a lot of sense. We should indeed go take a look. We have campaigned across the universe for so long, yet we have never seen a world structured like this."

Toqadon agreed with Loken.

"Abaddon, you really should rein in that temper of yours. How long have you even been on Terra? You are already itching to start a massacre?"

Horus did not support Abaddon’s proposal either.

"Let’s go down and take a look. With our strength, this disc-shaped world would never be able to resist us," Loken suggested.

"Then let’s take a look," Horus said with a nod.

The fleet remained in the void.

The Vengeful Spirit slowly approached the Great Turtle.

The Great Turtle showed no reaction to the newcomers.

It slowly swam through the abyss between the stars. Meteors scraped across its immense, ancient shell, leaving it pitted and scarred.

Its eyes alone spanned vast expanses, so enormous that the Vengeful Spirit seemed insignificant beside it.

"By the Emperor and Raven!!"

Everyone aboard the Vengeful Spirit cried out in amazement.

The Gloriana-class warship was like a speck of dust before that Great Turtle.

"If we had stayed on Terra, we might never have seen a sight like this even by the day we died," Toqadon said emotionally.

"Forget Terra. I can already imagine Old Thirteen gritting his teeth in hatred whenever he mentions me." Horus felt somewhat guilty. "For a long time to come, my father definitely will not be able to gather all twenty of his children."

He would wait a few centuries before seeing Guilliman again.

At least he should wait until the other man was less angry before apologizing.

If he went now, Old Thirteen would probably gather the Ultramarines and give the Lunar Wolves a thorough beating.

The Vengeful Spirit flew upward along the turtle’s back and saw four Great Elephants.

Starlight enveloped their bodies, their massive backs bearing the Disc World.

This world was incomparably vast. Endless waterfalls surrounded it, while above stretched a blue heavenly dome.

One Great Turtle noticed the Vengeful Spirit, confusion appearing in its eyes.

The accompanying Astropaths tried to establish contact with the Great Elephants.

However, the thoughts of the Great Elephants were connected to those of the Great Turtle.

They were the consciousness of the world, akin to gods. They possessed only rudimentary personalities and could not communicate smoothly.

The Astropaths received only fragmented replies to the voices they sent out.

Yet they still obtained quite a bit of information.

For instance, the Great Turtle was called Atuin, while the Great Elephants were named Rilya, Tubul, Great Tuft, and Gerakin. They bore the Disc World upon their backs.

Atuin would wander endlessly until he died, only then coming to a halt.

And there were many such worlds in the universe.

There were not only Great Turtles, but all kinds of terrifying colossal beasts.

Rumor had it that deep within the starry sky lived a giant wolf named Fenris, which specialized in devouring all kinds of worlds.

There were also Great Serpents large enough to encircle worlds, and White Elephants that carried worlds on their backs.

There were all manner of strange and bizarre things.

The Vengeful Spirit lingered for some time. Only after confirming that it could gain no more information did it fly toward the Disc World.

At the edge of the Disc World’s waterfalls, those aboard the Vengeful Spirit saw a crudely designed Bronze Ship.

Several observers were inside the Bronze Ship.

When they saw the Vengeful Spirit, expressions of shock appeared on their faces.

"Who are you?"

Horus spoke to them with his mind.

"We are scholars of the Kingdom of Krull. Who are you?"

"We are envoys of the Human Empire, spreaders of civilization, guardians of order, and embodiments of hope and the future."

"Where do you come from? The other side of the continent?"

"No, we come from another universe."

"We do not understand. A world carried by another Great Turtle?"

"…"

The two sides exchanged a few simple words.

But these observers did not know much.

They could not provide the Vengeful Spirit with any more information.

However, they mentioned that somewhere in the Disc World stood a Magic Academy that recorded all knowledge and could communicate with gods.

If they wished to understand this world, that was undoubtedly the best place to go.

After considering it, Horus decided to search for the Magic Academy.

But he also sent some people to the Kingdom of Krull to help them develop technology and enable them to enter the stars.

The Vengeful Spirit crossed the edge of the Disc World and passed through the blue dome.

"Is that a god?"

"What a magnificent giant ship!"

Countless people knelt and worshipped, believing it to be a divine miracle.

"This world needs the Empire’s wisdom to guide it." Horus stood on the bridge, looking helplessly at the kneeling masses.

"They are developing too slowly. Perhaps it has something to do with their magic?" Toqadon said. "After all, once people have magic, who would still want to painstakingly develop technology?"

"That makes sense. Hardly any worlds on the supernatural side ever develop well." Loken shrugged.

"Commander, abnormal psychic fluctuations have been detected. They are in the city ahead," the chief diviner reported.

"Let us go take a look," Horus said.

When the Vengeful Spirit descended upon the twin city of Ankh-Morpork, it was already burning fiercely.

Flames raced along the commercial streets, igniting the shops lining them.

Even the ships in the docks, laden with grain, cotton, and timber, had been set ablaze.

The entire sky had been illuminated and dyed red.

The blazing flames sent up towering plumes of smoke, like a black pillar twisted together by violent winds.

The people were maddened with fury, cursing the gods.

Then the Vengeful Spirit appeared before them.

Before their stunned eyes, the raging flames were extinguished by an unnamed force.

Then those people clad in steel armor appeared amid the light.

Many were frightened by them and fell to their knees.

"Are you gods?" A filthy boy looked up at Horus and his group.

"No, we are envoys of the Empire," Horus said kindly. "We came here in search of the legendary Magic Academy. It is said to be invisible, and only a mage can lead us to it."

"There are no mages here." A man said ingratiatingly, "We have heard of them, but they never interact with us. They hide away alone in the ocean or the wilderness."

Horus did not explain. He looked around once and found the person he was seeking.

He pulled a man in a shabby robe from the crowd.

"You possess a unique magical power within you," Horus said. "Tell me, what is your name?"

The man was terrified, but he still gave his name.

"I am Ling Sifeng. Please, do not kill me."

"I will not kill you. I only want to know where the Magic Academy is," Horus asked.

"How is a question like that any different from killing me? If those masters learn that I sold out the Academy’s location, I fear I will suffer something even more terrifying than death," Ling Sifeng shouted in terror.