Hello everyone!, 2 of the 3 new fanfics that are on the poll are up!!
The winner will get picked up! How will the winner will be decided?
The One With The Most Power Stones = 1 Point
The One With The Reviews = 1 Point
The One With The Most Votes On The Poll= 1 Point
The Poll will start on Sunday and it will last a week, so make sure to support your favorite ones. (I may pick more than one depending on how good they did.)
=============
[Starting from Tokyo's The King of Fighters]
[Shokugeki No Toriko!]
[Marvel: I Start By Making The SCP Foundation]
=============
Thorn-class Frigate. Archon's Bedchamber, Grand Hall.
Eden looked at the Lhamean beside him.
"Ilyss, from now on you'll be my personal adviser. I expect you to help me manage the Kabal."
He needed an assistant familiar with Commorragh and its surrounding satellite districts — and these courtesans of the Sisters of the Lhamaean were the best candidates.
They possessed unparalleled, seductive allure, could concoct and detect poisons, and had studied extensively about the Dark City's customs and politics.
They could assist him in handling countless affairs.
"M-my lord… perhaps I can do even more for you… anything at all…"
Ilyss mustered her courage, moving closer to flaunt her form, hoping to win more favor from the descendant of Asurmen.
That man's scent intoxicated her.
But Ilyss quickly stopped in her tracks; the cold indifference in his eyes doused the fire of desire in her heart.
All her fantasies shattered.
Ashamed, she lowered her head, knowing she was unworthy — even approaching him felt like sacrilege.
"I swear on my own soul to fulfill my duties as your aide," Ilyss said, regaining the elegance befitting a Lhamean, bowing with utmost respect.
Among the Drukhari, swearing upon one's soul was one of the gravest oaths imaginable. Everyone knew that once a soul fell into the hands of the Thirsting Goddess, She Who Thirsts, the fate that awaited was unspeakable.
"Your service will be rewarded accordingly."
Eden was pleased by the Lhamean's sense of boundaries — she was a clever one.
"Ah, it hurts…"
"So hungry…"
"By the Emperor, someone kill me!"
Grabbing a hose, he inhaled — foul-smelling vapors rushed into his nose, and he felt a small amount of soul-essence flow into him, bringing slight spiritual healing.
This was likely one of the Archon's most prized possessions — a reservoir of souls for consumption.
High-ranking Drukhari loved indulging in such tormented souls; it was one of their favorite "luxuries."
To Eden, it was primitive.
Whether in strength of essence, speed of effect, or entertainment value, it could not compare to his own soul elixirs.
The souls in this machine were worth no more than a Tier-4 or Tier-5 soul potion — and utterly bland.
He destroyed the blood machine as well, keeping his quarters cleaner.
"What a terrible waste…"
Ilyss watched, feeling her heart ache.
Such precious wealth, gone in an instant — something she could not hope to amass in decades of service.
But she understood.
The higher one stood among the nobility, the less tolerable low-grade products became.
Such things were beneath the descendant of Asurmen. Only top-tier soul-creations from a Master Haemonculus might catch his eye.
Ilyss led the servants to thoroughly clean the quarters, removing every soul-craft that might offend him.
Then, she respectfully took her leave.
The Lhamean had lost the status of consort, and thus had no right to remain in these chambers.
Before the great doors closed,
Ilyss received a gift — a crystal vial of pure, glistening soul elixir, engraved with ancient Aeldari runes.
"Elysium Dream… Tier Seven?"
She cradled it carefully, studying the inscription.
This was a soul product of extreme expense and luxury — one she had never seen before, let alone been worthy to consume.
Perhaps serving the descendant of Asurmen was her greatest fortune.
Returning to her quarters, she injected the pure soul elixir into her storage apparatus.
To prevent contamination, she even purged all her previous soul reserves, consuming them in one go.
Once "Elysium Dream" entered the machine, the glass chamber shimmered with a faint pink glow — utterly mesmerizing.
"What… what kind of flavor will such purity have?"
Ilyss inhaled deeply, then drew in a small measure.
Instantly —
An unparalleled wave of healing ecstasy swept through her, without the slightest delay.
She felt her soul — shriveled from the torments of the Thirsting Goddess — grow whole again, the pain of corruption melting away.
Then came the dreamlike rapture.
No other soul could give such intense restoration.
If ordinary Drukhari soul-drinking was a trickling stream, then this elixir from the Asurmen's heir was a roaring tidal wave.
Ilyss, who had served only in the satellite districts, had never known such bliss.
Even the nobles of Commorragh's High Spire likely had few chances to enjoy something so pure and exquisite.
Her body trembled — she was overwhelmed and fainted on the spot.
Then came deeper dreams.
In them, she beheld a great being — the ancient Aeldari goddess, Isha.
That figure sat in mist like a dark queen, promising more salvation and joy to her people.
When Ilyss awoke the next day, she was refreshed; years of soul-scarring pain had faded, even her wrinkles were gone.
She was more radiant than ever.
Drukhari could regain youth and power by consuming souls, especially pure ones.
Ilyss realized this gift was more precious than she had thought.
She poured even more loyalty and passion into serving the descendant of Asurmen, hoping for more such rewards — and began secretly worshipping the Goddess of Life.
With Ilyss's help, Eden quickly familiarized himself with Kabal affairs. The Thorn Kabal was soon renamed the Redemption Kabal.
Before long, the ship reached an ancient Webway gate, bound for the satellite district that housed the Redemption Kabal's stronghold.
Here's the complete translation with all names and Warhammer 40K references checked against your preferences and the lore:
...
Webway
Aboard the Thorn-class frigate, Eden's group moved under the guidance of a waystone, weaving through the tattered remains of ancient cities.
Those ruins were so vast that even capital ships could pass through them with ease.
Before long, the waystone locked onto a glittering beacon and linked it to the ship.
The next moment—
The Thorn-class frigate entered what felt like a dimensional bubble, only to slip back into realspace moments later.
It gradually decelerated, landing at the dock's entrance. Nearby, other raiding craft could be seen.
"At last…"
Eden set foot in one of Commorragh's satellite districts, a place bathed at all times in a faint crimson glow.
The light of a dead star illuminated everything.
Looking into the distance, he could just make out an enormous inverted shadow.
He couldn't see it clearly, but he knew that was Commorragh itself.
If Commorragh was a massive bubble within the Webway, then the thousands—tens of thousands—of satellite districts were smaller bubbles continually drawn into the Dark City's sphere of influence.
Each satellite district had passages leading to Commorragh, and vice versa.
From time to time, Commorragh's residents would visit certain satellite districts renowned for their pleasures, indulging in exquisite soul services.
Though separated by hundreds or even thousands of light-years, Webway technology made any distance feel like a step away.
"I wonder… what does that city truly look like?"
Eden's eyes stayed fixed on Commorragh's shadow, filled with awe.
He had read descriptions, but had yet to form a vivid picture of the city in his mind.
That was the place he intended to conquer—and the dream destination of most satellite Kabals, each hoping to claim a place within the colossal city that dwarfed any planet.
But for now, he could not go there.
Supreme Overlord Vect and the Kabal of the Black Heart maintained an iron grip on Commorragh, and with so few people at his disposal, Eden could not hope to stir any real waves.
And certainly not grow strong there.
If that cunning, experienced overlord took notice of him, he wouldn't leave so much as a scrap behind.
Eden's plan was to seize control of this satellite district, pour in resources to establish an impregnable base of operations, then mass-produce soul elixirs to draw in and recruit ever-stronger forces.
Once he had enough power, he would expand into Commorragh—able to advance or withdraw at will.
The risk, however, was considerable.
If, during the takeover, any faction connected to the Black Heart or another major Kabal tipped them off, things could turn very ugly.
Therefore, the operation to seize the district had to be swift and decisive.
"Ilyss, this place is even more barren than I imagined…" Eden remarked as they walked along streets of crumbling ruin.
"My lord, this district is large, but it's all abandoned zones, far from the main routes. No one wants to come here.
Even the Kabals are pitifully few."
Ilyss looked somewhat ashamed.
Previously, under Randal's leadership, the Thorn Kabal had been driven here after failing elsewhere.
As an unwanted Lhamean, she had been hired cheaply by Archon Randal—her only client.
Here in the satellite district, the Thorn Kabal was the bottom of the barrel.
In short, both the Thorn Kabal and Ilyss herself were paupers among paupers—until now.
Now they had been taken in by a veritable powerbroker, becoming members of the Redemption Kabal.
A thought came to her.
Her eyes lit up as she looked at Eden, full of hope. "My lord, you can make this district prosper… can't you?"
Surely, the descendant of Asurmen had come here to create his own private domain, like the great Kabals of legend.
Born here as a half-blood, Ilyss longed to see the place flourish, to become one of Commorragh's paradises.
Eden neither confirmed nor denied it. This was precisely why he had chosen a destitute Kabal in an obscure district—such places were far easier to control and develop.
In major hubs, even the slightest disturbance drew the attention of great powers.
And made it hard to operate freely.
Eden moved through a maze of streets lined with piles of bones and flesh. Several platforms were set up for the sale of slaves.
In the iron cages were humans, T'au, scrawny Orks, and other unknown xenos.
Shifty-eyed hawkers roamed about, selling so-called ancient Aeldari relics, claiming they could heal the soul.
In areas adorned with living decorations, flesh-sculptors plied their trade.
Eden paused to watch one gaunt artisan graft bright blue feathers into the body of a Drukhari woman.
Nearby, a child—perhaps his adopted daughter—had had her skin remade into mottled serpentscales.
Later, he passed dens and taverns selling soul-narcotics.
He did not bother with the more distant factories of soul and flesh engines; they were said to be staffed entirely by slaves of many species, with lethal mortality rates.
He could sense the people's awe of him—this Archon who exuded an aura of nobility and the intoxicating scent of luxury soul-essence.
None dared show the slightest disrespect. Even their breathing was hushed.
At the same time, more covert eyes watched from afar.
Spies from other Kabals.
Before long, every Kabal in the district knew Randal was dead, replaced by a far more ruthless and dangerous figure.
The Archon's noble bearing and the power he might command inspired deep caution.
Across the district, Kabals convened their strategists to discuss what to do.
—
Redemption Kabal Stronghold
A fortress of metal and skulls, topped with spires in true Aeldari style—only an Archon could reside within the spire itself.
Eden had no interest in admiring it. He immediately summoned all available armed forces.
The Redemption Kabal now had several dozen Sslyth bodyguards, hundreds of Kabalite warriors, and more Ur-Ghul, Khymerae, Clawed Fiends, and slave-soldiers for cannon fodder.
They also possessed several pain engines crafted by the Haemonculus Covens.
It wasn't enough to take on other Kabals head-on.
Fortunately, he had brought his own forces under the guise of hired mercenaries—most notably his chief bodyguard, Titus, and several dozen elite Terror Legionnaires.
By now, these Chaos warriors were a famous mercenary band across the galaxy. They could kill anything—except humans—and for the right price, even a Greater Daemon.
At first, Titus had not gotten along with them, but Eden mediated. The Primarch's gene-son agreed to cooperate, especially since this operation was aimed at killing Drukhari xenos.
Bzzz
Eden's comm unit buzzed with the latest report from his spies: the last raiding party had returned to the district.
That meant all the Archons were present.
He issued orders to his Drukhari forces:
"Seal the docks. No one goes in or out until I lift the order."
Then he looked to Titus and the Terror Legionnaires. "Bring me the heads of every Archon in this district."
Eden intended to devour every Kabal in one stroke and claim the district entirely.
Titus nodded solemnly and led the Terror Legionnaires out.
Soon, the sounds of battle and gunfire filled many quarters.
These savage warriors employed the most aggressive boarding and decapitation tactics, storming straight into the heart of enemy fortresses.
The Drukhari were slaughtered mercilessly—if they had parents, they would have been screaming for them.
In just two days—
Eden was presented with the heads of the Archons.
Thanks to the persuasive power of Tier-3 soul elixirs, the absorption of the other Kabals' forces went smoothly.
Their warriors even feared that this noble Asurmen's heir might reject their fealty.
All knew how vital it was to serve a good Archon.
"You've all done well," Eden praised the participants, especially Titus.
When the warriors departed, he returned to his office to study a document.
Its heading read: Five-Year Plan for a Commorragh-Style Satellite District — the Savior's specialty.
Eden intended to build a dreamlike pleasure-district and conquer the Drukhari in the very field they excelled at.
He frowned slightly. "Let's hope this all goes smoothly…"
...
Meanwhile—
A black fleet was racing toward the district at full speed.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]