Chapter 1452 - 616: Tamu Khan’s Ambition

Chapter 1452: Chapter 616: Tamu Khan’s Ambition

"They have already arrived on Mars." Perhaps because he had been drinking, the Emperor spoke a few more words: "If it’s your wish, then you can meet Zhuangsen very soon."

"Who wants to see him..." Magnus muttered, clearly not fond of Zhuangsen either.

"...Sometimes I miss the times when I played chess with three others in the Subspace," the Emperor added as he raised his glass of wine: "Although whenever there’s a chance, we all long to end each other’s existence immediately."

"Three people? Chess?" Magnus was baffled.

"Myself, Tzeentch, Silegau, and Endless Talaxin," the Emperor put down his wine glass: "We would play a kind of military chess game."

"Military chess? I didn’t expect you would like that," Magnus was quite curious about this.

"Using the Star Domain as the board, with Primarchs and countless warriors as pieces," the Emperor said calmly: "In this game, you don’t even qualify to be a piece, Magnus. If you want a chance to show yourself, it’s best to understand more about the essence of the Subspace, the origins of the universe. Sitting on the Golden Throne is not always purely torment; it depends on how much you can comprehend."

An inexplicable sense of excitement filled Magnus’s heart. The Primarch of the Thousand Sons suddenly felt a long-lost thrill; his father hadn’t given up on him. Having him sit on the Golden Throne was not just for atonement but to teach him something!

"I understand, father." Magnus’s voice, unconsciously, carried some excitement: "Please look forward to my performance."

"Very well." The Emperor remained icy in demeanor. The short break was over, and he resumed his work, while Magnus closed his eyes and carefully controlled the operation of the Golden Throne.

The Throne Hall returned to tranquility.

...I am the quiet water drawing a dividing line...

Old World, east of the World’s Roof Mountain Range, Dark Realm.

Tamu Khan and his army had already arrived in the Dark Realm, this infamous, corrupted land.

This Kurgan Khan was no longer the slim Champion of Slaanesh he once was—the body he once had, he had discarded. He currently resided within the body of a gigantic Ogre "Mountain Breaker".

This matter started with the long journey over the past year.

After preparing to head south, Tamu Khan became acutely aware that according to past experiences, relying solely on large numbers of troops and the bravery of fierce warriors would not be enough to defeat the Empire’s army. This was a nation guarded by steel, magic, gunpowder, and cold, sturdy castles, which had stood the test of time in an environment surrounded by powerful enemies.

In repayment for Nurgle’s gracious blessings and the supreme glory of Chaos, Tamu Khan decided to temporarily put aside pride and arrogance because the failure of the Chaos Eternal God Chosen "Anointed" Aisakuval in the second Chaos Invasion proved that attacking from Kislev was indeed a foolish idea—stationed there were the toughest Lady Kislev, the stoutest defenses, and the Empire’s finest reinforcements. At the time, Aisakuval’s fifty hundred thousand Chaos Army suffered a bitter defeat, a lesson Tamu Khan took to heart. Therefore, he planned to attack Charlemagne’s Empire from the south, from its weak point.

Tamu Khan soon came to terms with his troop predicament. With fewer than fifty thousand troops at his disposal, conquering that legendary nation seemed unlikely. Consequently, when Tamu Khan crossed the Altai Mountains, a tribe called Daoeghan immediately caught his eye. This was a Kurgan tribe, one of the largest and most powerful among the entire Kurgan race. Members of Daoeghan were known for their volatile, stubborn, and fiercely tenacious personalities and were often despised by the other isolated and conservative northern tribes.

Tamu Khan was eager to recruit these formidable warriors, particularly the Daoeghan warriors renowned for their mighty war mammoth units—these giant beasts ridden by Daoeghan people acted like living siege tanks, capable of trampling and crushing entire small enemy units if necessary.

Therefore, after a brief skirmish, Tamu Khan immediately extended an olive branch (a thick fog) towards the Daoeghan tribe. The leader of the Daoeghan tribe, the Great Wizard "Unbeliever" Sayi, who possessed Legendary Peak strength, was quite cunning. He immediately saw in Tamu Khan the opportunity to expand his own power and influence. Deliberating the pros and cons, Sayi accepted the alliance request on the condition that he and Tamu Khan must be equals; they were allies, not subordinate.

Tamu Khan readily accepted this condition, and soon his forces swelled from fewer than fifty thousand to over a hundred thousand. With the two armies combined, Tamu Khan decided immediately to cross the Sorrowful Mountain Range. He would seek in the Evil God’s prophecies a path filled with blood and glory. They would launch an attack from the south of the Empire, penetrating into the heart of the Empire like a dagger from the stomach, avoiding the hard bones and piercing the soft, vulnerable flesh.

This was destined to be a long journey, but Tamu Khan firmly believed that Nurgle would bless him and his army.

However, the reality was not as easy as Tamu Khan imagined.

The Kurgan Steppe once had many human tribes, but over the long history, as Chaos corruption intensified, most human tribes crossed the World’s Roof Mountain Range, settling in what is now the Northern Empire. Now, the inhabitants were Beastmen, Green Skins, Ogre Kingdoms, and Chaos Dwarfs.