Reborn as Humanity’s Emperor Across the Multiverse

The ferryman's appearance was humble—long hair, a scruffy beard, and milky-white eyes devoid of pupils. He seemed unconscious, mechanically steering the boat closer to Garan and his men.

ROAR!

HOWL!

Suddenly, the growls and howls of beasts echoed from behind. Turning, the squad saw three massive creatures emerging from the Black Forest: a wolf, a lion, and a leopard, each radiating an eerie green glow from their eyes.

Even without Selene's analysis, Garan, Aldemo, and the Dark Angels knew these beasts represented the following:

The wolf, a symbol of greed. The lion, a symbol of ambition. The leopard, a symbol of pleasure.

The smallest of the three—the wolf—measured 15 meters long and stood 8 meters tall.

As the creatures advanced, they emitted a sinister aura, attempting to corrupt and erode the willpower of Garan and his team.

The response from the Dark Angels, however, was simple:

Bang-bang-bang!

Whoosh—BOOM!

High-explosive bolts and plasma discharges lit up the dark surroundings.

ROAR!

The beasts howled in fury as they were bombarded.

The lion, the largest and most imposing, charged forward, tanking the assault as it barreled toward Garan and his squad at the riverbank.

"These creatures are Hell's native life forms," Selene calmly observed, standing protected by the Dark Angels' shields. "Like demons in the Warp, they are highly resistant to conventional weaponry. You'll need to increase your plasma output or—"

"—kill them with our own hands," Garan interjected.

With a quick flick of his wrist, the claws of his lightning-wreathed power talon extended from his gauntlet.

Crack—ZAP!

The glowing Mithril claws pulsed with blue energy as Garan charged directly at the lion.

"Protect Selene."

"Focus on the wolf and the leopard."

"I'll take care of the leopard," Aldemo, the company champion, declared in his measured metallic voice.

The forty-man guard unit formed a defensive line around Selene. Holding plasma rifles with 60mm barrels in one hand and massive shields in the other, they took aim at the wolf.

Whirring sounds filled the air as the plasma weapons charged.

Whoosh—ZAP!

Bright plasma rounds streaked through the suffocating darkness, slamming into the wolf and igniting it in blinding flames.

BOOM!

Before it could even cry out, the wolf disintegrated under the high-temperature plasma fire.

Meanwhile, Aldemo was already engaging the leopard, an 18-meter-long creature. He launched himself into the air with a burst of power, narrowly avoiding its claws.

With precision and strength, he landed above the beast, driving his plasma-infused power sword into its neck.

Squelch!

The blade pierced through the leopard's tough hide.

ROAR!

The creature let out an ear-splitting scream of agony, but Aldemo wasn't done. Using his immense weight and strength, he widened the wound.

Reaching for his belt, he pulled out an Astartes-grade metallic hydrogen grenade, pulled the pin, and shoved it deep into the leopard's neck.

With a swift kick, Aldemo launched himself off the beast, landing in a graceful backflip just as the grenade detonated.

BOOM!

The explosion briefly turned the battlefield into daylight, vaporizing the leopard in an instant.

Aldemo, standing amidst the fading light, casually etched another mark onto his shoulder plate—an already crowded tally of victories.

Garan, meanwhile, confronted the lion.

Crack—ZAP!

The massive beast charged him head-on, only to be met with the searing slash of Garan's power talon. With precision honed through decades of combat, Garan severed the lion's limbs, dismembering it piece by piece until it lay in lifeless chunks on the ground.

Among the Dark Angels, none could match Garan's individual combat prowess. Though his position as captain required him to manage logistics and strategy, battles like this reminded everyone why Lion El'Jonson had personally chosen him for the role.

The beasts, accustomed to terrorizing pilgrims and knights who fled at the sound of their roars, were utterly unprepared for the sheer ferocity of these warriors.

As Selene approached the remains of the lion to collect samples, Garan stood silently, waiting for her to finish her work.

Selene also planted another Pure Blossom near the beast's remains, initiating a slow but inevitable purification of the corrupted forest.

Even as Hell's creatures revived over time, the Pure Blossom would continue to spread, neutralizing their influence.

Satisfied, Garan turned his attention to the ferryman's boat.

"Prepare for resistance," he warned his team through the comms. "This ferryman may be Charon from the myths, and we lack coins or golden boughs to pay him. Be ready to force our way across."

According to myth, Charon only ferried the dead who could pay him a coin, or the living if they presented a golden bough from Persephone's garden. Without these, the living were denied passage.

As Garan and the squad approached the wooden boat, Charon bent down, extending a hand as if asking for payment.

The nearest Dark Angel stepped onto the boat, ignoring the gesture.

"Foolish mortal," Charon bellowed, his voice echoing with supernatural power. "You dare defy—"

THUD!

The ferryman's tirade ended abruptly as the Astartes soldier drove a ton-force punch into his gut, forcing him to double over in pain.

Grabbing Charon by the back of the neck, the soldier growled, "Listen, ferryman, we're here to kill Hell's Lords and Archdemons. You will ferry us across."

Charon sputtered, "But—"

"We don't have money," the soldier interrupted, his voice cold and metallic. "Start rowing."

Reluctantly, Charon complied.

At the opposite shore of the River Acheron, Garan and his team disembarked from the ferry, stepping onto the muddy bank.

Without a word, Charon quickly turned the boat around, disappearing into the thick mist that clung to the river.

Selene, observing this scene, shook her head in exasperation. She had hoped to negotiate with Charon, as Virgil had in The Divine Comedy, but the Dark Angels had opted for a far simpler method: brute force.

"Typical," she muttered, before following Garan into the First Circle of Hell—Limbo.

Limbo was eerily serene, with blue skies, white clouds, and rolling green meadows. Scattered across the landscape were medieval-style villages and castles, filled with countless souls.

Some wandered aimlessly, their faces vacant and their movements listless. Others were locked in endless battles, driven by a futile thirst for purpose.

From the edge of the plain, Garan and Selene could see the land descending in concentric layers. At the center of Limbo was a glowing red abyss, pulsating with an ominous light.

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