Eden gazed at the goddess before himāone who embodied life and compassion.
Her elegant figure, like that of a noble elven queen, her vulnerable yet endearing expression, and that hint of bashfulnessā¦
It was captivatingāenough to make anyone want to bully her senseless.
"Damnā¦"
He took a deep breath to suppress the desire swelling within. It was a real struggle.
"What... what are you trying to do?"
Isha, the Goddess of Life, noticed the look in his eyes and grew even more anxious, her hands fidgeting with nowhere to go.
For some reasonā¦
Her heart was pounding louder and faster. A surge of craving bubbled up from her core, one she couldn't contain.
She understood exactly what the Savior wantedāand deep down, she didn't resist.
As if accepting her fate, she gently closed her eyes.
The already faint veil she wore slipped off, revealing a holy radiance that seemed almost forbidden.
"Actually, I need your help with somethingāthis artifactā¦"
Eden had just pulled out Nurgle's artifactāthe plague cauldronāwhen he looked up and saw the R-18 divine light radiating from her.
He was stunned.
That escalated quickly?!
Sure, he had the desire. He did want her.
But he had planned to build a relationship slowly. Get to know her, warm things up.
Though... if he wanted to, he could just take her.
Right now, Isha was basically under his protection, with nowhere to run.
He wouldn't allow a goddess of her caliber to leaveānot after the value she held.
Compared to Nurgle's Garden, this was freedom. At least she wouldn't be tortured.
Still, it would be ideal to form a deep bond with the Goddess of Life.
But he hadn't expected her to be soā¦ proactive. That was a speedrun.
Apparently, she also had desires for him.
A mutual pursuit.
Isha heard the Savior's surprised voice and snapped her eyes open with a startled gasp.
"IāI'm sorryā¦ I didn't mean toā¦"
Realizing her misunderstanding, she turned even redder. Vines and flowers bloomed around her, covering the radiance once more.
Unbeknownst to herā¦
That only made it more alluringālike a special costume.
After all, everyone knows that tease is far more powerful than raw exposure.
"It's fine. I like it."
Eden swallowed hard. He was already losing control.
Screw itā¦ he was already hereā¦
He shoved the cauldron aside and stepped into the floral bed, gently embracing Isha.
Just then, the plague cauldron stirred.
Within the Black Fortressā¦
The Plague Lord winced in pain, tossing and turning in agony.
He hadn't left his pitch-black bedchamber for quite some time now.
In light of his debilitated state, he had appointed Barag the Gluttonāwho had saved countless Nurgle daemons during the catastropheāas his First Favorite.
Barag would now be responsible for overseeing the operations of the Garden of Nurgle.
The Plague Lord had no ideaā¦
That this lazy, crafty, backstabbing fool would soon completely corrupt the culture of the entire garden.
"Cursed Oneā¦ Saviorā¦ Changer of Waysā¦ the Plague shall not fadeā¦ you will all payā¦"
He groaned with fury, bitter hatred filling his heart. Losing the Goddess of Life was a wound deeper than any.
"ā¦Hm? My artifact reappears?"
Suddenly, the Plague Lord sensed the plague cauldron once more.
Through the connection with the original artifact, he attempted to peer through time and space, seeking both the cauldron and the Savior.
But the moment his consciousness extendedā
He saw the scene in the Life Garden. The Savior. The Goddess of Life.
He froze, thunderstruck.
"NO!!!"
His deep green face flushed crimson. The mask of pain twisted into something that resembled a clown's.
This was the final blow.
Already gravely wounded, he couldn't bear another moment.
He severed the link to the artifact, unwilling to be associated with that torment.
Then, darkness consumed him. He fainted.
At lastā¦ he obtained the sleep he had so long yearned for.
But it was far from peaceful.
He slumbered with a clown mask on his faceāno telling when or if he would wake.
Back in the Garden of Decayā¦
As Nurgle's sorrow and anguish overflowed, filth-ridden rain poured from the heavens.
The cold drops soaked every melancholy daemon.
"This can't go onā¦"
Barag the Glutton, now First Favorite, lay in the sludge like a rotting fish.
He hated this mood.
Suddenly, the lazy rat came up with a brilliant idea.
He would use his genius to renovate the garden.
ā¦
Meanwhile, in the Garden of Lifeā¦
"Waitā¦"
Isha whimpered, arms shielding her body. A touch of fear tinged her voice.
"Slow downā¦ I think something is watching usā¦"
Just now, she had sensed a vile presenceāone that wasn't the Savior's.
She was perfectly happy being watched by him.
"Watching?"
Eden frowned and examined the shielding runes again. Nothing unusual.
Which meantā¦ it wasn't coming from the outside.
His gaze shifted to the artifactāthe plague cauldron.
If not from beyond the wards, the only possible source was inside.
Could it be that the Plague Lord was spying through his beloved artifact?
Was he watching like some tragic cuckold?
"Nope. Nothing."
Eden scanned the cauldron carefully. No trace of the Plague Lord's presence.
Not even the faintest connection.
"Maybe it was just my imaginationā¦"
Isha felt a little embarrassed by her own overreaction. Her pale skin blushed a deeper red.
But beneath it allā¦ a subtle influence was blooming.
The one hiding in the shadows had grown impatient.
Eden saw nothing out of place. He pulled Isha into his embrace again, savoring her warmth.
Completely unaware that he stood on the edge of corruption.
Their actions grew fierce. The grass and flowers around them were crushed.
Deep in the domain of Slaaneshā¦
The Prince of Pleasure twisted in rapture. Legs entwined, she let out a satisfied breath.
"Saviorā¦ as expectedā¦"
Her beautiful, seductive smile curled with a hint of cruelty.
"No matter how cautious you areā¦ you still fell into my trap."
"Not even the Cursed One can save you now."
She had always known the Saviorāher chosen discipleāwould give in to his desire for the Goddess of Life.
Now, her hidden design activated.
In an instant, a fragment of Slaanesh's essence drew Eden's soul into a sealed mental dimension.
A domain so secretive, none could reach it.
He had been riding his "horse."
When the world suddenly shifted. Purple mist curled around him.
Even worse, Isha was goneāreplaced by something far more sinister.
Graceful demonic horns. A seductive and wicked body.
Those chilling, alluring eyes.
A demon queenāthe Prince of Pleasure herself.
"That'sā¦ Slaanesh!"
Panic set in. Eden realized he'd walked into her trap.
Even worseāthis mindspace allowed no external contact.
No call for help.
He was alone.
He tried to tear himself awayābut soft, cold hands held him down.
The Slaaneshi avatar, a mere fragment of her soul essence, pinned him beneath her, dominating him.
Venomous thorn-beds rose around them, slicing into his flesh.
Each thorn seeped with poison capable of inducing the most unimaginable pain in the galaxy.
Eden collapsed, twitching in agony.
He couldn't even scream.
The pain was too muchāeven for a Primarch-tier entity.
His mind raced:
"ShitāI'm about to get p*gged!"
Slaanesh tore away a chunk of his flesh, her voice dripping with ecstasy:
"Struggle. I love watching prey squirm in despairā¦"
Her goal was simple: drown him in endless pain and pleasure, break his mind, and make him her new pet.
Her plaything.
But thenā¦
She noticed something wrong.
The fear she had anticipated quickly faded.
Insteadā¦ Eden's eyes turned pitch black.
He had fully unleashed his dark side.
His voice twisted and harsh:
"Alright thenā¦ you like to play games?"
"Let's play."
BOOMā
With a roar, the power of Diablo the Destroyer ignited hellfire, consuming the cursed thorn bed.
The Savior's body instantly transformedādemonic runes and binding chains coursed over his form. Massive, gnarled horns spiraled outward from his skull.
The human guise of a hellborn demonāthe King of Terrorātook shape.
"Impossibleā¦"
The Prince of Pleasure's expression faltered. Control had slipped from her grasp, disbelief flickering in her seductive eyes.
"Youā¦ You're Diablo?!"
She had heard whispers of this enigmatic Chaos godāespecially of his terrifying disciples, the Terror Legion, whose ferocity rivaled even Khorne's bloodthirsty hordes. Some said they were worse.
To corrupt the Savior, she had poured a power far surpassing even that of the Primarchs into this avatar.
But she had underestimated him.
The Savior had reached a whole new level.
He might not yet match the Chaos Godsābut he was edging toward the threshold of godhood.
"Prince of Pleasureā¦ keep this little secret for me, won't you?"
Eden exhaled flames through his nostrils, scorching a few strands of purple hair.
The tide had turned. The hunter became the hunted.
His dark essence far outmatched the power of Slaanesh's fragment.
And this was his realm now. Her corruptive influence was laughable hereāif anything, he could corrupt her.
In her stunned silence, Eden seized her avatar and slammed her down.
And resumed his 'charge'.
That fragment couldn't resist his divine might. It could only submit.
After nearly a century of frustration, the Savior had finally fulfilled his vow:
He wrecked a Chaos God.
Even if it was just part of her soul.
...
Back in the Palace of Ecstasyā¦
As Slaanesh felt every moment through her soul fragment, her chamber trembled violently. Thick, violet mist billowed outward, destabilizing the realm.
"Thisā¦ this can't be realā¦"
The Fallen Phoenix, Fulgrim, gawked from afar and collapsed in utter defeat.
He had to admit itāthis Savior, this Devourer of Gods, was a real man.
And thenā
Silence.
The vibrations ceased.
In the mental realm, Eden abruptly stoppedācutting off all pleasure feedback.
On her dark purple throne, the Prince of Pleasure lay reclinedā¦ unsatisfied. A hint of yearning lingered in her eyes.
Now she wanted the Savior even more.
Down the stepsā¦
"My Lordā¦ perhaps you need meā¦"
Fulgrim saw an opportunity. He fixed his makeup and humbly approached the throne.
He wanted to serve her.
CRACK!
"Begone!"
A venomous whip lashed across his face.
Another strike split his body in half, launching him from the throne room with a sickening thud.
The daemons outside scattered in panic.
None wanted to be collateral damage in Slaanesh's fury.
Fulgrim lay broken on the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks.
He finally understood.
He could never surpass that man.
ā¦
Inside the sealed mental domain, the purple mist began to fade.
Eden had paused intentionallyāhe didn't want to mess up at the finish line.
Using a technique known as the Paper's Edge, he cut off the feedback loop before Slaanesh could exploit it.
Just as her avatar lunged againā
FOOM!
Hellfire erupted.
Eden's Chaos-demon body expanded again, grabbed the false goddessā
And refined her on the spot.
He devoured her tainted essence, leaving behind only her pure authority and conscious imprintāharmless and inert.
Technically, he could've destroyed even that.
But insteadā¦ he kept it.
He had plans.
With the task done, Eden's infernal form dissipated, and he exited the illusion Slaanesh had constructedā
...
Returning to the Garden of Life.
"You're back! Are you alright?!"
Isha's voice trembled with concern.
Just moments ago, he had been drawn into a trance.
Now he stood once more at her sideāan ominous dark-purple orb floating beside him.
When she sensed the essence within the orb, her body shivered involuntarily.
That was the Chaos God who destroyed her peopleāwho tortured her for so longā
The Prince of Pleasure, Slaanesh.
"Don't worry," Eden comforted her, "This thing can't hurt anyone anymore. It's completely powerless."
"I'll even help your followers recover."
He gently pressed her favor again.
Before long, Isha melted into his arms in joy.
In those moments, Eden bathed in her divine warmth.
Gods were on another level.
He had only one thought left:
Retreat while you're ahead.
Nearby, the dark orb floated, utterly restrained.
Slaanesh tried to peer through itāonly to be met with a high-intensity propaganda video from Eden's territory.
A PSA montage promoting discipline, chastity, and loyalty.
Slaanesh had been sentenced to spiritual rehab.
"CURSE YOUāthis sterile wasteland!"
She writhed in disgust but couldn't look awayāunless she chose to abandon this fragment entirely.
Time passedā¦
"Aahhh, that was refreshing!"
Eden stretched as he rose from the flowerbed, feeling utterly revitalized.
At the same time, the last traces of Slaanesh's influence faded from Isha's soul. Blushing furiously, she dove into the bushes, re-emerging with a pale green gown.
"This is a shard of Slaanesh's power," Eden explained, handing over the orb.
"When you have time, study it."
Slaanesh's dominion included emotions and love. Not entirely incompatible with Isha's domain.
If she learned to master those conceptsā¦ she might be able to absorb the fragment.
And become stronger.
Eden could already imagine Slaanesh foaming in rage.
Robbed. Viol*ted. And now forced to watch 'vanilla' action 24/7.
Absolutely brutal.
Soon after, Eden rejected Isha's invitation to stay, pulled up his pants, and departed.
He left behind the Plague Cauldron, now mostly purified by divine flame.
Though some toxins remained.
He hoped Isha could fully cleanse it and fill it with waters of life.
From now on, this would be known as the Well of Life.
In time, Eden's researchers would study her sacred tears and essenceāto see how effectively they soothed the pain of the Aeldari soul.
After all, the Aeldari had long suffered from Slaanesh's torment.
Once the data was inā¦
He'd start selling Isha's "bathwater" to the Aeldari.
Just effective enough to ease the pain, but not cure it.
High repeat purchases guaranteed.
The Aeldari, once rulers of the galaxy, still had deep pockets.
As he left the garden, Eden pondered a political moveā
Should he allow Yvraine, the Aeldari's Death Prophet, to visit?
The Aeldari were now nurturing a new godlingāthe nascent Ynnead, god of the dead.
Once born, Ynnead would be Slaanesh's natural enemy.
A powerful Aeldari god could threaten humanity's dominance.
But now, Eden had Isha.
If he could help Isha gain more Aeldari faith, he might stall or prevent Ynnead's birth entirely.
Especially since Ynnead's emergence would require countless Aeldari sacrifices.
Isha, by contrast, already existedāand could ease their suffering.
Winning faith should be easy.
As he vanished into the distance, Isha watched him go, eyes full of emotion.
Then she returned to her sacred groveā
To wash the cauldron.
...
Five Years Later
Sol Segmentum, Holy Terra
The Dreamweaver and Glory of Macragge cruised side by side into the Lion's Gate dockyard.
The arrival of two Primarchs sent the Sol System into jubilant chaos.
The Imperium prepared to celebrate its greatest victory in 10,000 yearsāhonoring the Indomitus Crusade and the triumph over Nurgle's forces.
For the first time in historyā¦
The Imperium had struck Chaos on its home turf.
A victory unlike any before.
Aboard the Dreamweaver, Savior's Sanctuaryā
"Sighā¦ I should cut back on visits to Isha's realmā¦"
Eden rubbed his sore back and dropped into a sofa, skimming the latest reports.
Over the past five years, the Savior and the Lord Regent had reclaimed nearly all of Ultramar. Reconstruction was ongoing.
As for the Scourge Starsāthey now belonged to the Terror Legion.
Even the Ultramarines knew better than to provoke those lunatics. That region was now a no-go zone.
Some more daring Chapters had even begun hiring the Terror Legion.
They charged next to nothingājust hand over coordinates, and they'd go berserk.
People were beginning to realize:
These warriors didn't want pay.
They just wanted more Chaos to kill.
The Indomitus Crusade had made tremendous gains, recapturing key strongholds.
Roboute Guilliman had even returned to Terra to handle core administration.
As Eden reviewed the data, he sighed:
"The Imperium's still a messā¦"
A millennia of rot and corruption couldn't be reversed overnight.
At best, Roboute had pulled the Imperium out of the ICU.
Restoring its former strength? That would take time.
And that's why Eden had come to Terra.
To rebuild.
To design a framework that could grow.
Even if it meant breaking some skulls.
He and Roboute had made a pact:
Anyone who stood in the way would be destroyed.
"...An attack?"
Eden's brow furrowed as he read new intelligence reports on disturbances in the Savior's Webway network.
(End of Chapter)
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