Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [205]

Abaddon knew what a gene-Primarch was, but what's a Chaos Primarch? What is this cryptic warp demigod planning?

He knew Vashtorr was incredibly powerful, second only to the Four Chaos Gods, and possibly as strong as an Eldar god. He was even a candidate for the fifth Chaos God, and the strongest at that. He controlled flesh, machines, and life, and had a core forge that could transform daemons into half-flesh, half-machine, allowing them to exist in realspace for long periods.

"Oh, that's a term I just invented. I plan to make a Primarch for Chaos, and you're my first test subject. What do you think? Want to try?" Vashtorr smiled.

Abaddon fell silent, unable to grasp Vashtorr's real intentions.

"I know about Primarchs—my father was one. Their key is not just the body, but their warp nature. They're all lesser warp gods, once worshipped by humanity. The False Emperor drew these gods from the warp and created the Primarchs," Abaddon said.

"Hahaha! You've figured out part of it, but not all. The Emperor did create Primarchs from lesser warp gods, but do you think it's as simple as putting a god into a human baby? When the Emperor made the Primarchs, I was watching the whole time. I witnessed humanity's brightest and darkest days," Vashtorr replied.

As the god of mechanical creation, Vashtorr was largely a product of humanity's worship, but other races contributed too. All Dark Mechanicum worshipped him; he was the god of life, flesh, and machines. He was a lesser god himself, and the Emperor had even tried to capture him as a Primarch candidate. But even lesser gods had strengths and weaknesses—Vashtorr was the strongest of all, regarding the Eldar gods as nothing, and in the warp, his power was second only to the big four. Soon, he'd be their equal.

"So what's your point? What is a Chaos Primarch? If you want to make me a daemon Primarch, at least tell me how," Abaddon demanded.

"Fabius Bile's cloning gave me some Primarch data. From you, I got Horus's remains. Plus, I watched the Emperor make the Primarchs. So I can use my methods to give you a perfect superhuman body and use lesser god soul fragments I've collected to elevate your soul, turning you into a Chaos daemon Primarch. In theory, you'd be even stronger than the original Primarchs, and could use your gene-seed to create a new legion," Vashtorr explained.

"The physical part isn't hard, but what about the warp essence? Even after the Chaos Gods enhanced my soul, I'm still far from being a lesser god," Abaddon asked.

"That's the key question. You know the Primarchs are lesser gods, but did you know they're not complete?"

"What do you mean? Are you saying the Primarchs aren't whole lesser gods?" Abaddon asked.

"Yes and no! Why would a warp god, even a lesser one, willingly be put in a human body, and become someone's son, someone's tool? It's simple—the Emperor and the Four Chaos Gods killed these lesser gods, then fused their soul fragments to create new life: 20 blank lesser gods, erased of all memory and identity, ready for new bodies. At first, the five of them planned to divide the Primarchs, but we all know how that ended. Even so, each Chaos God got one Primarch," Vashtorr revealed.

The Primarchs' warp souls were blank, made from the soul fragments of killed lesser gods, erased of all memory.

"My method is simple: I'll use my life technology to craft you a perfect body, and then use the soul fragments I've collected to elevate your soul, making you a Chaos daemon Primarch," Vashtorr said.

"You mean my soul can undergo this process? No! Then I wouldn't be me anymore," Abaddon refused.

Even fragments of lesser gods would completely erase his self. The Emperor was strong, but in the end, even he was a warp-born being created by shamans. Abaddon was just a mortal.

"Don't underestimate your soul's strength. Yours is perfect among mortals—blessed by all four Chaos Gods, worshipped by the Black Legion, and Chaos mortals, feared by the Imperium. Your soul is stronger than you think. And these soul fragments are completely blank—no memory, no will. It's like eating food: you just absorb them," Vashtorr tempted him.

"Easy for you to say. Why not use these fragments to make a brand new Primarch? Why give them to me?" Abaddon asked.

He wasn't stupid—Vashtorr was no philanthropist. Every deal had a price.

"I just need a test subject! Once I'm done with you, I'll make my daemon Primarchs. You know I never cheat my business partners—every deal is clear. My reputation for honesty is the best in the warp, otherwise, why do so many daemons come to me for upgrades? But I believe in equivalent exchange: you get what you pay for, sometimes more," Vashtorr said.

"If you refuse, fine. I'll just give you Chaos energy to make you an undivided Daemon Prince. But will that erase your failure? The Black Legion will see your defeat—the Primarch era is over, just a joke. Look at you now, your head cut off. But if you return as a daemon Primarch, it'll be a new era. You'll just have upgraded yourself," Vashtorr continued.

"I… Can you guarantee I'll remain myself?" Abaddon asked after a pause.

"I guarantee it. Don't you want revenge on that female Primarch? Will you accept this humiliation?" Vashtorr pressed.

Finally, Vashtorr's words broke Abaddon's last mental resistance.

"Do it, Vashtorr! I want revenge! I want to surpass the Primarchs—I want to become more than they ever were!" Abaddon roared.

"Hahaha! Wise choice. As a Chaos daemon Primarch, you'll be bound to the warp—even weapons that kill daemon princes can't destroy you. Even if your body is destroyed, your soul returns to the warp to be reborn."

"And the price, Vashtorr?" Abaddon asked.

"You opened the Great Rift, letting me interfere in realspace more easily. That's half the payment. The other half is being my test subject." Vashtorr smiled, bringing out a pile of lesser god soul fragments.

Abaddon would never have accepted this before, but now he had no choice. To get revenge, to lead the Black Legion again, he had to accept.

The Chaos Primarch project was finally ready to begin. Among all the Chaos forces, Abaddon's soul was the most suitable.