In the palace underground, the palace dungeon.
At this moment, Sanguinius arrived here with Little Kitten. A dozen Shadow Prison Guards responsible for overseeing the dungeon immediately knelt upon seeing Sanguinius.
"My Lord."
Sanguinius looked at the dungeon before her... How did it feel a bit like a containment facility? "I've come to check the situation here. Since you're a Shadow Prison Guard, give me a tour."
Hearing Sanguinius's words, the Shadow Prison Guards hesitated slightly, then said:
"My Lord, the things imprisoned inside are a bit too dangerous... We are worried..."
Sanguinius found it amusing: "In the current physical universe, if I say I'm second, no one dares to say they're first. Hurry up and lead the way."
Helpless, the guards could only nod: "Yes, My Lord."
As the massive gate slowly opened, the heavy alloy door emitted a low creaking sound. The containment facility was illuminated by dazzling white light, yet a chilling aura permeated the air.
Sanguinius stepped inside, while Little Kitten beside her vigilantly gripped his power sword, seemingly sensing a dangerous presence.
"This dungeon is quite elaborately built."
Sanguinius surveyed her surroundings. Ancient runes were embedded in the concrete walls, each emitting a faint glow, seemingly suppressing some power.
"However, it seems the things imprisoned here are indeed not simple."
The leading Shadow Prison Guard walked cautiously ahead, occasionally looking back to ensure Sanguinius was following. His hand was on his power sword at his waist, his body taut like a string, clearly maintaining a high level of vigilance regarding everything here.
"My Lord, every single entity confined here is a powerful individual who once threatened the stability of the universe and the Imperium. Many even exceed the scope of our comprehension."
The voice of the leading guard was low and tense.
"That's truly interesting."
A smile played on Sanguinius's lips, her voice holding a hint of nonchalance, "I'd like to see what could make you so apprehensive about even giving me a tour."
Continuing deeper, they arrived before an even heavier gate. This gate was distinctly different from the previous ones; not only was it made of a special alloy, but it was also inscribed with complex sealing symbols, each emitting a faint golden light.
"What's inside here?" Sanguinius stopped, looking up at the gate, her brow slightly raised.
The leading guard hesitated, then finally whispered: "Living technology that can repair the Phalanx... an existence that cannot be completely killed. It parasitizes, devours, and even assimilates anyone or anything it comes into contact with. Even the Emperor's power cannot fully suppress it, so we rarely open this place."
"Living technology?" Sanguinius's eyes flashed with interest upon hearing the name. "Sounds like something quite intriguing. Open the door; I want to see how dangerous it is."
"My Lord, this..." The leading guard showed a troubled expression.
"Nonsense." Sanguinius waved her hand, leaving no room for doubt. "You're worried about it, but I'm truly curious if it dares to touch me. Open the door."
The guards, left with no choice, could only obey. They unlocked the special keychains on their bodies, step by step disengaging the complex mechanisms and seals on the gate.
As the final lock was released, the gate slowly opened, and a suffocating dark aura surged out from within, as if welcoming uninvited guests.
Little Kitten instantly raised his power sword to shield Sanguinius. The danger of what was inside made Little Kitten's hair stand on end.
However, Sanguinius merely patted him lightly, then stepped inside, a subtle smile playing on her lips... because what was inside was not "living technology." She had already figured it out; what was actually inside was... "nanomachines."
The gray goo storm generated by the nanomachines immediately rushed towards Sanguinius, but stopped the moment they approached her... "Gene sequence detected, human... Roberts Industrial Household Robot is pleased to serve you. Please give commands if needed. Now re-entering hibernation mode..."
"Enter hibernation mode, disable home defense mode."
"Command received. Disabling home defense mode, entering hibernation mode."
Then the gray goo dispersed again, scattering on the ground like dust, quietly drifting around. This piqued Sanguinius's interest; it seemed the so-called "Iron Men Rebellion" had other hidden reasons... Sanguinius walked out of the cell, and the gate closed once more. Little Kitten then asked: "My Lord, what was that...?"
"Ordinary household robots, used for cleaning and repairing furniture."
The Shadow Prison Guards and Little Kitten: "Huh? No..."
Walking further inside, Sanguinius noticed a cell door marked with 'XI', which meant eleven. But this door was made of glass. Sanguinius looked inside and found only a box.
"What's in here?"
The Shadow Prison Guard glanced at Little Kitten, who discreetly retreated several steps and activated his helmet's soundproofing. Then the Shadow Prison Guard said:
"The skull of the Eleventh Primarch."
"Tsk tsk tsk..." Sanguinius clicked her tongue, unable to help but marvel at how ruthless Old Man Huang truly was.
Soon, Sanguinius discovered another cell, marked with the Roman numeral 'VIII'.
"That wouldn't be Konrad Curze's head inside, would it?"
The Shadow Prison Guard shook his head: "No, inside is the Eighth Primarch himself."
(This adopts the open ending of the official novel, as the novel only states that the Emperor's assassin entered Konrad Curze's room, with no further details. My inclination here is that Konrad Curze was not killed, but captured by Old Man Huang.)
Hearing the Shadow Prison Guard's words, Sanguinius nodded, then pointed at the door and said: "Open it for me. I want to go inside and see."
The Shadow Prison Guard obediently opened the door. After all, inside was the Emperor's child. Although there was no relationship between the Empress and the Eighth Primarch, a parent disciplining their child was always effective.
As the door opened, it was pitch black inside, as if nothing could be seen... "Why is it so dark in here?"
The Shadow Prison Guard said helplessly: "Because Old Man Eight kept destroying our light fixtures. Over time, we stopped coming in to fix them."
Sanguinius walked in. The room was now completely dark, with rustling sounds occasionally emanating from the darkness. Sanguinius could feel something moving around her... Suddenly, something lunged at Sanguinius. Little Kitten and the Shadow Prison Guard shouted: "My Lord, be careful!"
But Sanguinius simply raised her hand and snapped her fingers... "Click."
Instantly, a miniature sun appeared between Sanguinius's fingers, illuminating the entire cell in blinding white light. Even Little Kitten and the Shadow Prison Guard at the doorway, despite wearing helmets, instinctively covered their eyes.
And the black smoke that had lunged from the darkness immediately covered its eyes and screamed... (Imagine someone suddenly turning on all the lights in your room while you're sleeping at night.)
Sanguinius slowly adjusted the brightness of the light orb in her hand. At this moment, a pale man with hair reaching the floor lay on the ground, covering his eyes. He tried to escape back into the darkness, but under the light of the miniature sun, there was no dark spot anywhere in the cell.
"This is... Konrad Curze, the Primarch of the Eighth Legion, the Night Lords."
Konrad Curze was now sprawled on the ground, listening to the woman's voice behind him, covering his eyes, not daring to look directly at the woman behind him or the light orb in her hand. But he also wanted to see the woman clearly. He could only make out her long red hair and golden, swirling eyes.
Konrad Curze immediately roared in a hoarse voice:
"Who are you! You are not Father! But the scent on you tells me! You are Father! And the prophecy... the prophecy said Father would come to find me today!"
Sanguinius squatted down, her 'makima' vest gradually receding, revealing her original appearance... "Listen carefully, 'Bruce Wayne'. I am Sanguinius. Biologically speaking, I am either your father or your mother. Today is our first meeting."
"Where is my father? Where is the Emperor of Mankind!"
"He's still sitting on the Golden Throne, doing well. Very well. I don't care what you've been through, but now, go take a bath, cut your hair short, and put on some clothes... I'll take you to see him and your two brothers..."
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