[Simulation ended. Duration: ∞ (???)]
[Retainable options acquired from this simulation.]
[Option One: Axe of Khorne (Chaos)] (Choose with caution)
Annotation: "This weapon was once a finely crafted power axe, but after being violently infused with countless blessings from Khorne, it underwent a terrifying transformation. It now possesses immense potential for growth."
Annotation: "An unknown Greater Daemon of Khorne is still gestating within this demonic weapon, though only a faint, embryonic presence can be sensed."
Annotation: "'Hehehe…' The deep laughter of Khorne echoes once more through the Brass Throne. Her interest in you has never waned—if anything, it has only grown stronger..."
Annotation: "Kharn the Betrayer, the bloodthirsty berserker reborn in gore, now harbors a fury toward you so intense that it defies physical endurance... The next time you meet him, it will undoubtedly end in bloodshed."
[Option Two: 'Iron Hand' Storm Bolter (Masterwork)]
Annotation: "This is a mastercrafted storm bolter forged with Khorne-metal as its base, sanctified by the Emperor's flame, and refined through the peak craftsmanship of a Primarch."
Annotation: "It appears to be a parting gift from an 'old friend'—someone who once stood beside you like a brother."
Annotation: "'Hisss…' A headless phantom silently extends its palm toward you, trembling faintly in farewell."
[Option Three: Primordial Blood of the Emperor (???)]
Annotation: "This is a vial of the Emperor's own primordial blood."
Annotation: "It was reportedly the final order issued by the grievously wounded Emperor to Lord Commander Constantin Valdor, just before He was bound to the Golden Throne."
Annotation: "In Her weakened state, the Emperor seemingly foresaw a future through unparalleled psychic foresight… one that reignited Her hope."
Annotation: "The Primordial Blood of the Emperor will grant you a unique physique—one with extraordinary resistance to Chaos corruption. Though your unwavering will has already proven your loyalty, She appears to want a final safeguard… Especially as the Chaos Gods' desire to corrupt you is now stronger than ever."
Annotation: "There may be other unknown effects of the Primordial Blood… but these will only be revealed through adaptation and discovery."
[Simulation exceeded 24 hours. Simulation wear and tear has been… waived.]
[Cooldown Time: Zero]
[Current Available Cooldown Time: 765 hours]
[Would you like to expend cooldown time?]
The simulation had just ended.
"Hiss—"
Zaire's teal wolf-pup eyes snapped open, and he gasped involuntarily.
His gaze quickly swept over all the reward annotations.
His sharp fangs instinctively protruded from between his lips.
And then—Zaire didn't choose any of the rewards.
Instead, he once again selected a simulation drop-in as a Space Wolf.
[Warp Storm in progress. Arrival prohibited—]
[Warp Storm in progress. Arrival prohibited—]
Zaire squinted his wolf-pup eyes slightly.
He shook his head in mild frustration.
Muttering under his breath:
"Tch... I thought I found a bug in the simulator. If there's no cooldown while in the Warp, couldn't I just keep dropping in and farming rewards?"
Unfortunately, the simulator was not so generous.
He turned his attention back to the reward options.
The Axe of Khorne was immediately ruled out.
Unless he truly wanted to become a Daemon Prince—an eternal lapdog of Chaos—there was no way he would ever choose that path.
However, the masterwork storm bolter did make his heart pound with excitement.
If the Emperor's Blood wasn't available, he would have definitely gone with that one.
"Corruption resistance..."
Zaire murmured, casting a glance at the still-unconscious Winter Soldier, Bucky, lying in the hospital bed.
He rose from the metal chair and headed toward the infirmary's bathroom.
His last experience with body enhancement was still fresh in his memory.
Better to keep this private.
Expression solemn, Zaire entered the bathroom and locked the metal door behind him.
Without hesitation, he selected the third reward:
Primordial Blood of the Emperor.
"Huh?"
The next second, blood began gushing from all seven orifices of Zaire's face.
Coughing violently, he stumbled forward and turned on the shower, quickly stripping off his clothes.
Now, blood also started pouring out of his pores—as though he were a dying man suffering from incurable wounds.
Yet strangely, he felt no pain.
Only a tingling heat building deep within his spine.
As the moments passed—
Zaire's breathing grew labored, and his thoughts turned fuzzy.
He was showing all the classic signs of extreme blood loss.
Slowly, he sat down on the metal floor.
Letting the steaming water wash over his blood-soaked, ash-gray hair and rinse the crimson from his skin.
Not long after, his vision blurred to black.
Both of his hearts seemed to falter, as if they'd stopped beating entirely.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness—
That tingling heat in his spine exploded into a burning flood of power.
It surged outward, spreading through his entire body.
BOOM—
When that searing energy reached Leman Russ's Heart—and the other heart—
Zaire's eyes snapped wide open again, his wolf-pup irises blazing, and he leapt to his feet.
"AAAHHH!"
Every cell in his body was now saturated with the Emperor's Blood.
An immense vitality surged through him, forcing even his already tall frame to evolve.
In the blink of an eye, Zaire's height shot up from 1.9 meters to over 2 meters.
Even his gray hair seemed stimulated by the transformation, growing rapidly until it trailed past his waist.
Moments later, Zaire blinked, his wolf-pup eyes now far brighter than before.
He began to get used to his new, larger form.
"Hmm…"
Truth be told, this change was far less dramatic than Zaire had imagined.
He had expected the Emperor's Blood to trigger something far more violent...
Zaire narrowed his eyes.
After a brief hesitation—
He raised a sharp clawed finger and sliced open the tough flesh of his forearm.
A strand of thick, shimmering blood began to ooze out—three parts red, seven parts golden.
Zaire's eyes widened in disbelief.
That strand of golden-red blood writhed like it was alive—then retracted back into the wound on its own.
Even with the steaming water blasting down on it, not a single drop was lost.
"...Is this even human blood anymore?"
He bared his fangs instinctively.
"Or rather… what is the true nature of the Emperor?"