Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [90]

The identity of the Gene Father was thus confirmed, and the new monster gene serum began mass production.

Early the next morning, Rhodes left the still exhausted Elena sleeping on the bed, carrying a thousand freshly produced bottles of Gene Serum, and disembarked from the spaceship.

"Lord Loki! Is there anything about the guest room that you're dissatisfied with? If so, please don't hesitate to let me know," Lelith said with a smile as she stood at Rhodes' door.

It seemed he still didn't fully trust her!

Last night, instead of staying in the guest room, he had returned to his spaceship.

"Don't misunderstand. I was simply retrieving goods for you last night. This time, I've brought over a thousand bottles of monster enhancement serum, all from frozen monsters," Rhodes said as he gestured toward several large silver crates beside him.

"Ah, I see. It seems I misunderstood you. Please forgive my rudeness, Lord Loki," Lelith immediately bowed deeply toward Rhodes.

Well, it seemed he had misjudged her. She was indeed reliable. Building a good relationship with her would be crucial!

"Lelith, how are the preparations at the arena? Have the Chaos Space Marines I requested arrived?" Rhodes inquired.

"No problem at all. I spent all of yesterday getting it done, and the audience's enthusiasm for today's match has been unexpectedly high.

Although this match was a last-minute addition, the duel between the Frost Warriors and the Chaos Space Marines is sure to be a spectacle," Lelith replied.

For better marketing, these enhanced warriors weren't called Monster Warriors publicly; instead, they were branded as Frost Warriors. A catchy name was important for attracting attention.

"I'm ready anytime. By the way, Lelith, there's something else I'd like your help with.

I still have many experimental projects related to my monster gene enhancements. Recently, I've been interested in researching human populations, so I need your assistance in acquiring some high-quality humans," Rhodes said.

"That shouldn't be a problem, Lord Loki. What kind of humans are you looking for?"

"I've heard that the strongest among human warriors are the Space Marines, so they are the top priority. Next would be the ordinary Battle Sisters.

Let's start with these two types. Can you help me acquire some?" Rhodes asked.

"That won't be an issue. If the price is right, I can purchase some for you," Lelith nodded.

As expected of a descendant of the noble families of the Eldar Empire!

He was bold enough to directly want to research the Empire's Space Marines and the Battle Sisters with their mysterious powers. But for her, this wasn't a big deal.

Just by leveraging her reputation as the Arena Queen, plenty of people would willingly send over their captured Space Marines. Battle Sisters and Space Marines had become somewhat boring matches for the audiences of Commorragh. She could easily buy them or trade for them using a failed red dragon monster.

"Then I'll leave it to you. Let's go! To the arena," Rhodes nodded.

"By the way, Lord Loki, can you provide me with more of those ancient dragon monster genes?" Lelith asked.

Although the gene mutation experiments often failed, the mutated miniature dragon still had considerable combat power!

They were even stronger than some Tyranid units and could use long-range attack skills.

This miniature dragon could be showcased in her arena's gladiatorial matches or sold to other arenas in exchange for items she needed.

"I understand. I'll bring some over next time," Rhodes agreed with a nod.

...

Soon, the two arrived at a massive arena. The arena's walls were approximately 150 meters high, and the central field was enormous, spanning several kilometers.

The surrounding seating could accommodate over a million spectators, and the stands were already packed with a variety of audience members. Since this match was organized by the Arena Queen herself and featured a new type of warrior, tickets sold out almost immediately, despite being put on sale only recently.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Lady Lelith's Cruel Arena! Up next, you will witness a one-of-a-kind gladiatorial event!

A duel between a new breed of enhanced warriors and the Chaos Space Marines!" the announcer declared passionately from a high platform, vividly describing the combatants to the audience.

This time, Lelith had no intention of appearing in the arena herself but instead sat in a private box beside Rhodes.

"Lord Loki, look at how excited the audience is."

"Hmm, it seems the audience isn't just from Commorragh's local Eldar members," Rhodes remarked.

"That's right, Lord Loki! Besides us, the residents of Commorrag City, there are also Aeldari here from the Craftworlds, as well as some members of the Exodites.

There are even some wandering human merchants and even some groups of human nobles.

Honestly, sometimes I find it quite amusing. These high-ranking human nobles are no different from the ancient nobles during the era of the Eldar Empire—some even share the same preferences and hobbies," Lelith remarked with some emotion.

She herself was born during the era of the Ancient Eldar Empire, although it was at the time when the empire was on the verge of collapse.

More than ten thousand years have passed, and the Eldar is no longer the master of this universe. Yet, the new rulers of the galaxy seem to be walking the same path as the Eldar Empire.

The common people live lives worse than death, while the nobles indulge in hedonism. When it comes to the treatment of their people, humans are even more cruel and horrifying than the Eldar ever were.

Many human slaves weren't captured by the Dark Eldar raiding parties but were instead sold by these human nobles.

These human nobles have many desires: life-extending technologies, bloody and thrilling competitions, and even beautiful women from the Eldar—all of which they crave.

"Indeed, it's utterly decadent," Rhodes nodded in agreement.

Ten thousand years ago, the Emperor had led a group of genetic prototypes, aiming to create a different kind of human empire.

But when Robert Guilliman awakened, he was filled with absolute hatred for the current state of the human empire.

The empire he and his father had painstakingly built had become exactly what they had least wanted to see.

As the two conversed, the combatants on the arena floor had already entered.

First to enter were the Chaos Space Marines. These Chaos Space Marines exuded demonic energy from the Warp, though their bodies seemed relatively normal. Judging by their appearance, they were not directly affiliated with the Four Great Chaos Gods.

Chaos Marines vary greatly. Those who followed the Black Legion under the Dark Warmaster Abaddon and entered the Eye of Terror were relatively less corrupted compared to those who directly pledged allegiance to the Four Chaos Gods.

At least their weapons and power armor were still replaceable, and they could still be considered human, albeit fallen humans.

On the other hand, Chaos Marines who served Nurgle were often covered in rotting flesh, with exposed intestines and pustules all over their bodies.

Those who served Slaanesh grew unnaturally long tongues, had blood-red eyes, and sharp teeth, and were utterly depraved.

Those who followed Khorne were embodiments of rage—madmen who lived only for battle.

Meanwhile, the Thousand Sons under Tzeentch no longer had physical bodies; their souls had fused with their armor, transforming them into energy-based beings.

Compared to these, Chaos Marines who pledged loyalty to Abaddon or had fallen on their own were relatively normal.

However, these Chaos Space Marines were also among the weakest, with combat capabilities roughly on par with standard Space Marines, as they lacked the powerful Chaos blessings.

After the Chaos Space Marines entered, the Frost Warriors followed.

To the spectators, however, they seemed like nothing more than a group of ordinary, black Eldar warriors.

"Are these the new modified warriors? They look almost like regular humans," some spectators commented in confusion.

"They don't seem to have undergone any enhancements at all. Isn't this supposed to be the new breed of warriors, called Frost Warriors? Why don't they look the part?"

As the host gave the command, the battle erupted immediately.

The Chaos Space Marines opened fire first, but the Dark Eldar deftly rolled and dodged the bolter rounds with agile movements.

"Come on, you trash! Taste my wrath!" roared one Chaos Space Marine.

"Chaos scum, you're about to witness a new kind of power," sneered one of the Dark Eldar.

Suddenly, blue-white light emanated from the hands of the Frost Warriors, and the surrounding temperature plummeted. Acting in unison, the Forst Warriors froze the ground beneath the Chaos Marines, slowing their movements.

"This… this isn't psychic power! But they can control frost?"

"So these are the Frost Warriors? But this frost ability only seems to hinder the Chaos Marines' movements," remarked another spectator.

"Still, their physical capabilities seem significantly stronger than most warriors.

The Dark Eldar normally can't match Space Marines in direct combat, especially ones wearing power armor. But these warriors seem able to hold their own, even trading blows occasionally," one spectator observed.

Indeed, the scene below unfolded just as the spectator described. In close combat, the Dark Eldar warriors were not completely outmatched. Occasionally, they even managed to counterattack effectively.

Suddenly, one of the Dark Eldar warriors let out a loud howl, and his body began to undergo a dramatic transformation.

His entire body swelled with muscle, and in the blink of an eye, he grew from a 1.9-meter-tall Dark Eldar warrior into a 3.5-meter-tall white-furred giant ape.

The other Dark Eldar followed suit, transforming one by one. In moments, the fifty or so Dark Eldar warriors had all turned into massive, white-haired gorillas.

"ROAR!"

The entire arena's temperature dropped sharply.