My Life as A Death Guard (Warhammer 30K Male MC)

The Endurance, Dueling Cage.

Now

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On the stage under the lights, Calas Typhon turned around and set down his scythe. With a humble yet slightly proud expression, he smiled at the Barbarus crowd below.

Instantly, the audience erupted into cheers and applause, with some even whistling.

Surprisingly, the Primarch Mortarion did not stop the noisy outburst.

Just now, only two people noticed Typhon's subtle movement.

One of them was Mortarion—

Mortarion still sat in his seat, his towering figure now as still as a corpse.

So this is what you wanted me to see, Typhon?

Mortarion's gaze, from beneath his hood, fell upon the cheering Barbarus crowd—his sons, his people. When had they ever experienced such joy after leaving their homeland?

Is this what you're trying to tell me?

Using psychic powers to achieve victory, and then—through this emotion—you want me to relax the restrictions on psychic abilities, allowing you to use them?

Are you still so persistent, Calas? Or is it that I've done something wrong?

Mortarion remained silent.

On stage, Calas Typhon subtly glanced at Mortarion.

He, of course, knew what Mortarion was thinking.

Previously, Typhon had tried to test Mortarion's attitude towards psykers indirectly.

It was clear that based on his understanding of sorcery on Barbarus, Mortarion had completely rejected the existence of psykers.

But Typhon knew that sorcery—or rather, psychic powers—was merely a tool, neither inherently good nor evil.

The former psykers of the Death Guard were the best proof of this.

Typhon knew he needed an opportunity to prove to Mortarion that psychic powers could bring him glory.

And Mortarion was far less unwavering in his standards than he thought.

Typhon smirked. 

In their past interactions, Mortarion had proven to be someone easily influenced by the crowd.

He cared about his sons, his people, far more than he was willing to admit.

And besides, Typhon knew that Mortarion trusted him and Hades.

As long as Hades didn't oppose psychic abilities, after this victory, Typhon would gain the support of the Barbarus people. Mortarion wouldn't lose face by reprimanding Typhon for using psychic powers.

Then, as long as Typhon seized the moment to make his request, Mortarion would hesitate.

As long as Mortarion loosened his stance on the use of psychic powers, Typhon would achieve his goal.

He had indeed prepared quite a bit for this day.

However, unexpectedly, the second person who noticed Typhon's subtle movement emerged from the crowd—

"I challenge you to a duel!"

A Librarian of the Death Guard, Ugo, shouted at Typhon from the stage.

Hearing the familiar voice, Typhon's body stiffened. 

How could Ugo be here?! And Typhon hadn't noticed him at all!

Normally, Death Guard psykers would spend their free time reading in the archives or meditating to manage their connection to the Warp. No psyker would come to a noisy duel cage.

It was precisely because the other psykers wouldn't be present that Typhon had chosen this location.

In their agreement, Ugo had recognized that their meetings and training weren't entirely legitimate and hoped that Typhon would privately communicate with Mortarion. Ugo's only request was that the psykers wouldn't be cut off from recruitment in the future.

But clearly, Typhon had broken that agreement.

Typhon had planned to act first and explain later. After this incident, he could compensate for his breach of agreement by convincing Mortarion to ease restrictions on the psykers.

If Mortarion agreed to loosen those restrictions, Typhon would take credit for the accomplishment and officially apply to join the psyker ranks.

If Mortarion refused, Typhon could sever ties with the psykers and sell them out, focusing on building his own reputation among the Barbarus people.

As long as he could defeat the old veteran with psychic powers, without being noticed by anyone except Mortarion, Typhon wouldn't lose no matter how things developed.

However, unexpectedly, Ugo stepped out from the crowd, his eyes burning with fury!

The psyker slowly walked from the crowd to the stage, and with each step, frost formed on the ground, the sound of ice cracking harsh in the air.

So this was your plan, Typhon? Using the techniques I taught you to defeat the veteran and gain fame among the Barbarus people? You deliberately revealed your use of psychic powers?

Ugo knew that the old Terra veteran who had just fought Typhon would certainly have sensed that Typhon's psychic techniques weren't self-taught; they resembled the methods typically used by psykers.

At this moment, Typhon's actions, if spread by the Terra veteran, would further diminish the already low standing of the psykers in Mortarion's eyes, causing them to lose the support of the Terran contingent.

It was only now that Ugo realized all his efforts to maintain the psykers' position had been in vain!

Neither his teacher nor his students understood his actions—one even harbored betrayal—

So what reason did he have to hold back? Since he was destined to be marginalized, why not put on a grand display of psychic power in front of the Primarch here, on this dueling stage?

Let Mortarion see that they, the psykers, were among the most powerful warriors in the Legion, and yet the Primarch still wanted to abolish them!

Ugo slowly stepped onto the stage, the emotions of betrayal by Typhon making his Warp presence increasingly obvious. His eyes began to glow faintly.

Casually, Ugo grabbed a single-handed sword from the weapons rack and swung it a few times. Subtle waves of psychic energy rippled along the blade, distorting the reflection on its metallic surface.

He stood on the stage, his face calm as still water, but his eyes were ablaze with anger.

The Terran veterans stirred slightly. They rarely interacted with the psykers, let alone witnessing one on the dueling stage!

With the aid of psychic power, a psyker's combat abilities far surpassed those of an ordinary Space Marine, meaning that when a psyker stood in the duel cage, only another psyker could truly face him.

Meanwhile, the Barbarus crowd, unaware of the situation, continued cheering, eagerly awaiting the duel between Calas Typhon and Ugo.

Typhon swallowed hard.

Damn.

Seeing that things had escalated to this point, he had no choice but to turn around and pick up his scythe again.

Using the act of retrieving his weapon as cover, Typhon glanced at Mortarion, hoping that the Primarch would call off this duel that had clearly gone too far.

But the Primarch remained utterly still, as if dead.

Yet beneath that stillness, Mortarion, who had been deep in thought, suddenly became intrigued.

He looked at Ugo, who was clearly furious with Typhon.

Calas, what are you hiding from me?

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P.S. Mortarion had noticed Typhon's use of psychic powers earlier but didn't realize they were psyker techniques. Since he had "banished" the psykers, he had stopped paying attention to their details.

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