The golden mist of the Webway Gate intertwined and twisted, and Sylandri Shadowseer's clear chanting echoed in the void.
The sensation of reality and the Warp interweaving and distorting swept through Alexander's body, causing him a slight dizziness.
What followed was the weight of reality reapplying itself to his shoulders, a sense of groundedness, utterly different from the Webway, surging from all directions.
Then came cold, silence, and deathly stillness—
Deep space, deep space uncovered by any sky, was laid bare before Alexander's eyes. Glare flickered on his crystalline lens, and stars and dazzling cosmic rays sparkled in the dark universe.
Alexander took a small step forward, and a cloud of dust, like mist and clouds, immediately billowed up from the gray-white ground.
He looked around and found himself standing at the bottom of a huge crater, beside the Webway Gate inscribed with numerous runes. The dim stars above barely illuminated the surroundings.
This was clearly Luna, the Moon, Terra's satellite, humanity's first home world outside its territory.
Unlike the Moon from the third millennium in Alexander's memory, the current Moon had undergone considerable development.
Beneath the surface of the cold planet were numerous underground hive cities, where billions lived, producing various industrial goods for Terra. The surface was also dotted with many strategic bases, fortresses, and spaceports.
Furthermore, the Moon's surface gravity was no longer just one-sixth of Earth's, but exactly the same as Earth's.
This was thanks to the terraforming engine deep within the lunar core—an ancient Golden Age technology, originally intended to transform the Moon into a beautiful world, much like Earth of old.
And it did, in fact, achieve this. For the long years before Old Night, the Moon had been a beautiful world with gravity and atmosphere indistinguishable from Earth's.
However, as time passed and humanity declined, the terraforming engine's operation gradually developed problems. While the gravity system still functioned normally, the atmosphere generation system was damaged, leaving only an extremely thin atmosphere on the Moon's surface, with only a few areas still retaining breathable air.
The crater where Alexander was located was clearly not among them. Thanks to the effects of the adaptation lamp, he was able to move normally in the thin, cold air.
Just then, a faint mechanical sound carried through the thin air, and a massive body, like a metallic giant worm, twisted into appearance within the dark crater.
Belisarius Cawl, cloaked in scarlet robes, bowed slightly to Alexander with a hint of deference.
However, his body was so massive that even when he bent, he was still much taller than Alexander.
While Alexander, Guilliman, and Sanguinius' group battled Magnus, Ahriman, Kairos, and Abaddon, the Archmagos, Saint Celestine, Grand Master Voldus of the Grey Knights, and Inquisitor Greyfax's group were also heading to Terra via different routes.
Alexander noticed bloodstains on Cawl, indicating that the Archmagos had also experienced combat, though the intensity of the battle was far less than what Alexander's group had endured.
As the dizziness from entering reality from the Webway gradually dissipated and his eyes slowly adjusted to the surrounding darkness, Alexander gradually became aware of others besides the Archmagos.
Grand Master Voldus' Grey Knights contingent seemed to have sustained some damage, but it was not extensive.
The Archmagos' Skitarii were arrayed on the cold lunar soil, their few remaining flesh parts slightly blackened.
Ms. Greyfax and Saint Celestine's Astra Militarum forces had also suffered minor injuries, but they included the Cadia 184th Regiment, which was equipped with items from Alexander, so their losses were also not significant.
Saint Celestine's wings vibrated slightly, cutting through the dark sky, and she descended before Alexander like a small golden sun.
"My Lord."
Celestine bowed gently, a hint of urgency in her eyes.
Alexander had passed through the Webway Gate alone, and she was clearly somewhat concerned about the Primarchs and the others.
After all, while splitting forces greatly reduced the pressure on other units, it also meant Alexander's group was simultaneously facing a daemon Primarch, a Tzeentch Chosen, and a Chief Greater Daemon.
Moreover, these three were all top-tier in their respective domains, their strength ranking among the upper echelons of Primarchs, Chosen, and Chief Greater daemons.
Hearing this, Alexander couldn't help but glance into his four-dimensional pocket.
[Item Name: Roboute Guilliman]
[Origin: Sol System—Terra—Himalayan Mountains—Imperial Palace Underground Laboratory]
[Description: One of the twenty-one superhuman offspring forged by the Emperor using gene-alchemy technology, a product of the strong Warp echo combined with the Emperor's powerful genetic sequence. Roboute Guilliman is the thirteenth among them, and the essence injected beneath his fleshly body is the echo of the order of Ultramar's Five Hundred Worlds in the Warp.
Anyone who approaches him will be unconsciously affected by his Warp nature, drawn into his planned order, often manifesting as people near Guilliman inexplicably having more work, falling into long-term overtime, instinctively accepting Guilliman's designated norms, etc., truly an innate overtime saint.]
[Production Date: 792. M30]
[Status: Exhausted]
[Value: 1313131313131313]
The long string of numbers representing Guilliman's price made Alexander dizzy; for a moment, he couldn't count how many zeros there were.
This number even made Alexander, who had spent a lot of Ultramar gold coins, feel a little tempted.
After all, according to the four-dimensional pocket's judgment, Guilliman's Warp essence came from the order of the entire Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar.
Ultramar prospered and existed because of his order, and this order also shaped Guilliman himself.
Guilliman is Ultramar, and Ultramar is Guilliman. It seemed that in the four-dimensional pocket's judgment, Guilliman was also equal to the sum of the value of the entire Ultramar. This was quite a test for a cadre.
Just then, Guilliman himself emerged from the four-dimensional pocket.
"I'm fine."
Guilliman said, somewhat wearily.
Kairos' spell had, after all, caused him some damage, though the form of the damage was not quite what he had expected.
That spell had intensely stimulated Guilliman's negative emotions after his resurrection, especially the fatigue he had accumulated from constant overtime.
He was now extremely mentally exhausted.
"Sanguinius needs a little time to recover."
Sanguinius' injuries mainly stemmed from the wounds left by Horus in the past, which harbored the power of the Four Gods. The Lord of Change used this to weaken Sanguinius, but he should recover soon.
Suddenly, Guilliman noticed Alexander's gaze—
"Can you go back into the four-dimensional pocket?" Alexander shook the pocket on his belly, unable to help but say.
The cadre still wanted to undergo more tests.
"Hmm?" Guilliman looked at Alexander with some vigilance.
Joking aside, Alexander couldn't possibly actually sell Guilliman.
After all, current humanity, the Imperium, and Alexander himself all needed Guilliman's exceptional operational capabilities.
As long as Guilliman didn't spend all his time thinking about writing some Imperial Codex and tricking Alexander into working overtime, Alexander would definitely not sell him.
With the Take-copter, Alexander and the others quickly left the bottom of the crater.
Within minutes, Alexander, Guilliman, and the vanguard ascended to the top of the crater.
Alexander was able to see the dim yellow planet hanging in the dark sky.
That was Terra, Earth, the homeland of Alexander and all humanity, the center of the entire Imperium.
However, this star no longer possessed the deep blue he remembered; at a glance, Alexander could only make out an ugly, parched, dim yellow.
Radiation-filled clouds covered and encircled its outer layer, and no oceans were visible on its surface, only a few dried scars that barely hinted at the shape of past oceans.
Beyond that, Alexander could only see the dense, haphazardly growing hive city lights scattered across its surface, like a multitude of glowing parasites clinging to Terra's surface.
"Damn it."
Alexander couldn't help but exclaim:
"If I weren't standing on the Moon, I'd think that was Mars."
"..I personally believe Mars' atmosphere is more pleasant to breathe."
Belisarius Cawl, standing beside Alexander, suddenly spoke:
"You know, Mars even had several small oceans in humanity's thirty-fifth millennium."
"While Terra's last ocean was drained by a water thief at the beginning of the thirtieth millennium."
".." Alexander's only comment on this was 'unbearable'.
Although he was mentally prepared, seeing Terra in such a state, Alexander couldn't help but feel an urge to scold his unworthy descendants.
Because of the antics of those tech-barbarians, the current Terra could no longer grow the size, flavor, juiciness, and magical properties of the Kelin apples that could make Neoth, that magical girl, dream of spring.
Alexander couldn't help but sigh inwardly—
Then he heard a commotion from within the crater.
The loudest sound belonged to Sylandri Shadowseer, who was closing the Webway Gate.
"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!"
"By Saint Doraemon's dorayaki and Cegorach's aquiline nose!"
Sylandri Shadowseer roared incoherently, as if greatly shocked.
Alexander's curiosity was piqued, and he turned his head to look at the bottom of the crater.
Then Alexander saw a massive scarlet figure flash past his eyes.
Alexander turned back in astonishment, wanting to clearly see what that agile scarlet figure was.
Then Alexander saw a scene he would never forget.
Alexander felt that many years later, facing the Four Gods, he would surely recall that moment on the Moon when he watched a shirtless Magnus, in a running pose, streak past Terra on the dark sky. This was too abstract.
"Spin! My Muscle Power!"
Magnus' roar pierced the thin air, echoing across the entire Moon:
"Run! Run!"
"Father! Father! I'm coming!!!"
Magnus was bare-chested, revealing strong, crimson muscles, like a statue of a lithe runner carved from red sandstone.
Each time his broad feet landed, the entire satellite seemed to tremble, and each lifted leg kicked up thick layers of dust, whipping up hurricanes behind him, like a sharp blade constantly moving forward, cutting through the entire moon.
And Magnus' target was... Terra, which seemed to be hanging on the moon's horizon?!
"What happened to Magnus?" Guilliman asked Alexander, looking at Magnus, who was running further and further away, with some surprise, "What did you do?"
"Me?!"
Alexander also pointed at himself, a little bewildered.
It was true that he had sprinkled bacteria into Magnus' book, causing Magnus to lose his knowledge.
But Alexander had no idea how Magnus had turned into this, or why he was shouting things like "Father, I'm coming."
Would knowledge loss also lead to such symptoms? This... this looks like...
Damn, Alexander felt that the current Magnus, for some reason, had a certain Reyna-like aura about him.
And judging by Magnus' appearance, he seemed to have run all the way... that was several light-years.
He looked like he still wanted to run all the way to Terra?
"No matter what, stop him first!" Guilliman quickly made a judgment, and Alexander immediately pulled out his anywhere door.
"Father!!! Father!!!"
"Muscle Power, respond to me!!"
Magnus roared, he could feel a certain power flowing through his body.
This power was constantly pushing his body, making him stronger and run faster.
He stared intently at Terra in mid-air, seemingly feeling Terra approaching him little by little, growing larger little by little.
But just then, a pinkish-red door suddenly appeared in front of him, the door flung open, and a giant metal-covered fist swung towards Magnus.
A roaring bolter round shot out from the blue Power Fist, landing heavily on Magnus' face.
"Roar!!!!"
Magnus took the bolter round directly with his face, and also the heavy punch that followed.
"Magnus, what do you want to do?!"
An angry voice sounded, carried through the thin air.
Magnus twisted his cyclopean eye to look at the tall figure in blue Power Armor with golden hair.
The man was almost as powerful as him, but his eyelids were slightly drooped, and his eyes seemed to carry a deep weariness, as if he was engaged in some bitter work.
He was Roboute Guilliman?
Magnus searched his empty mind for the identity of the person in front of him, and then...
Roboute Guilliman, ambitious!
"Get lost! Guilliman!"
"I won't say a word until I see Father!"
Magnus knew the gravity of his responsibility.
That message absolutely could not be spoken until he ran into the Terra Imperial Palace and told Father himself.
Who knew if Guilliman in front of him was a traitor?!
"You want to see Father?" Guilliman let out an almost terrifying growl, and the Emperor's Sword in his hand drew a dazzling golden flash of fire, heavily chopping towards Magnus.
Magnus took a deep breath, feeling the power moving within his body.
What was this power called? Psyker power?
No! That's not right!
This power formed his body, surging through his sturdy physique, this... this...
This was clearly Muscle Power!!!
"Quack! Roar! Muscle Power!"
A heavy punch imbued with Muscle Power slammed towards Roboute Guilliman.
Sword and fist collided in the thin air, evenly matched for a moment.
But!
Magnus suddenly stretched out his well-trained leg and kicked Guilliman's knee hard.
Guilliman had not expected Magnus to make such a move and stumbled for a moment.
"Hahaha! Muscle Power responded to me!"
"Run! Muscle! Cheers!"
Magnus laughed three times, and taking advantage of this brief gap, he sprinted away, leaving Guilliman looking disheveled in the thin air.
Guilliman had originally prepared to deal with Magnus' various Weird sorceries, but he didn't expect Magnus to inexplicably kick him in the knee.
Why did this tactic have a hint of Leman Russ to it?!
And Magnus' power just now... Guilliman felt it for a moment, and it was actually similar to Angron in his impression?!
But Guilliman didn't have time to think much, and directly chased after Magnus.
Magnus absolutely could not be allowed to break into the Terra Imperial Palace and go before the Emperor, who knew what he would do?!
Alexander was also silent.
Alexander held a pair of glasses with a handle, looking at Magnus, who was constantly running away, through the lenses.
The name of this item was the Mind-Peering Mirror, allowing Alexander to see Magnus' thoughts and feelings at that moment through the lenses.
Alexander therefore understood what had happened.
Magnus had gone mad, he had forgotten too much knowledge, and his entire worldview had problems.
He mistakenly believed that it was still the Great Crusade era, and that he had to rush to the Emperor to inform him of Horus' rebellion.
Moreover, Magnus' understanding of Psyker power was also skewed, he now thought that his Psyker power was actually some kind of Muscle Power.
And the Warp was an idealistic world, he thought Psyker power was Muscle Power, and his immense Psyker power really did all amplify his body.
After all, what was erased from Magnus was knowledge, not his unparalleled Psyker power.
So he was now... all his intelligence had been converted into physique?
Alexander was a little conflicted.
Theoretically, the current Magnus had no ill intentions.
But he also had no ill intentions when he shattered the Webway with a single Psyker phone call during the Great Crusade.
What's more, the current Magnus was still a daemon Primarch of Tzeentch... although he didn't look like it much anymore.
But Tzeentch's power still flowed within him, if he really ran to the Golden Throne, who knew what Tzeentch would try to achieve through this?
Or he might clear his head later and remember that it was now the 40th Millennium of mankind, who knew what his reaction would be?
Alexander hesitated for a while, and just then, Sanguinius' hand weakly reached out from the four-dimensional pocket.
He was holding a handful of emperor tarot cards, shaking them at Alexander a few times, clearly signaling Alexander to draw one.
Oh right.
Why not just ask the Emperor himself what he thought?
Thinking of this, Alexander reached out and drew a card from the emperor tarot...
"Abaddon?"
Looking at the shining topknot on the emperor tarot card, Alexander's expression was a little strange.
"The Despoiler card can represent both unavoidable bloodshed and impending loss, and also someone who stands in the way of the tide of Chaos."
"His stance is difficult to determine."
Sanguinius' weak voice sounded, he said softly:
"It seems the Emperor himself is a bit at a loss, this is after all a situation you caused, your fate is too complex and chaotic, so presumably the Emperor cannot see clearly either."
In other words, the Emperor was also a bit overwhelmed by this situation, and he couldn't quite judge what Magnus wanted to do...
Alexander rubbed his temples.
No matter what, Magnus couldn't be allowed to go to the Terra Imperial Palace like this.
If Tzeentch reacted and used Magnus to do something, that would be bad.
First, capture him, or at the very least, banish him back into the Warp.
Just as Alexander was about to act, the roar of engines suddenly sounded from the dark sky.
He saw three Valkyrie gunships cut through the void, each gunship bearing three different markings.
A fleur-de-lis, the letter I and a lightning eagle head, and... the letter I and a masked woman's face.