Servitors, and the hum of countless machines resonated like thunder, as the massive voidship asserted its presence, informing the tiny humans within that they were inside the Explorer King, a Mechanicum Ark.
It was also like a robust Tibetan Mastiff, constantly leaping in the void, showcasing its agile body to its master.
Theoretically, its master was Belisarius Cawl, but Alexander could feel the Explorer King's exaggerated yet not-annoying reverence.
This reverence was very much in Cawl's style.
Alexander didn't know if it was simply the machine spirit resembling its master, or if Cawl had created some abominable intelligence technology forbidden by the Imperium—he had recently sent Alexander, Guilliman, and Sanguinius each a so-called 'degraded Cawl'.
Cawl claimed that these small technological constructs, mimicking his own thought processes, were merely automated answering devices, lacking true intelligence and not falling under the category of abominable intelligence.
However, all three unanimously agreed that the things were pure abominable intelligence.
Rumble! !
The Knight mechs sounded their war horns, as twenty-two colossal Knight Valiants stood beneath the Explorer King's towering mechanical dome, painted in red and metallic blue, their massive weapons raised high, displaying a mighty war stance.
As one of the largest ships in the entire galaxy, the Mechanicum Ark could house an entire Knight Household, plus countless factories, servitors, Skitarii, and Legio Cybernetica.
And Cawl's renown, along with his need to host Saint Doraemon and the Primarchs, allowed him to acquire these twenty-two Knight Valiants from the Taranis Knight Household, which was almost half of what the Taranis Household possessed.
Cawl had always been extravagant and boisterous, yet his taste was hard to fault. Alexander observed these powerful Knight mechs with great interest.
In his previous life, when he was a novice Warhammer fan, he had once debated whether to get into Tyranids, World Eaters, or Knights, mainly because World Eaters and Knights were relatively cheaper.
But Cawl's welcome, however, slightly stirred the tension in some.
"If Belisarius Cawl wished, he could activate weapons and attack us right now," Gabriel Seth, Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers, current Captain of the Doraemon Battle Group's Eighth Company, and one of the twenty-two doraemon Chosen, said in a grim tone.
Alexander had requested this Chapter Master of a Blood Angels successor Chapter from Sanguinius, making him concurrently the Captain of the Doraemon Battle Group's Eighth Company, bringing with him the surviving veterans of the Flesh Tearers from the Battle of Baal. At the same time, Seth also served as Alexander's personal guard, one of the twenty-two doraemon Chosen.
Alexander specifically requested Seth not merely for his combat prowess.
It was mainly because of Seth's mouth; Seth was very adept at making profound, often humorous, statements without realizing it.
The funniest part was that many of Seth's pronouncements were actually true.
Every time Alexander heard Seth's profound remarks, he felt his own words seemed a bit forced.
His current power armor was still the same dark red as before, only the left shoulder was painted metallic blue.
"He could kill us all, completely," Seth said, frowning, looking at the twenty-two Knights.
"..Your gene-father once took down an Emperor-class Titan during the Siege of Terra."
Standing on Alexander's other side, an Astartes wearing red power armor with a similar paint scheme to Seth, and a metallic blue left shoulder, spoke.
This Astartes wore a heavy, strange hood, his face and helmet completely hidden beneath it, making his appearance indiscernible.
He was actually Khârn the Betrayer, a Chosen of Khorne.
Not long ago, in order to find Erebus and seek revenge against him, he had secretly infiltrated Terra.
However, Nessus, the Alpha Legion member who helped him infiltrate Terra, unhesitatingly sold him out.
Now he had sworn allegiance to Alexander, as long as Alexander could help him get revenge on Erebus.
Alexander didn't trust Khârn's loyalty, after all, he was the renowned Betrayer.
But Alexander trusted Khârn's hatred, after all, Erebus had killed his chain-brother, Angron.
Now he was in disguise, also serving as one of Alexander's guards, one of the twenty-two doraemon Chosen.
Today, Khârn and Seth were on duty together.
"And Saint Doraemon, he is called original power, the source of all mechanical power; Knights are clearly mechanical," Khârn glanced at Seth and continued to remind him.
"Isn't Roboute Guilliman here too?" Seth said almost without thinking.
".." Khârn was stunned, silent, and speechless.
Alexander's expression also twitched involuntarily.
And in the distance, Guilliman's lips also drooped for a moment. Seth's voice wasn't loud; mortals and Astartes at this distance certainly couldn't hear, but Guilliman was a Primarch.
After a moment of silence, Khârn broke the awkward atmosphere in the air, though Seth himself hadn't noticed the embarrassment.
"Do you know Nasir Amit? Captain of the Blood Angels Legion's Fifth Company," Khârn asked, glancing at Seth.
Nasir Amit of the Flesh Tearers, one of the original members of the Ninth Legion, and like many early members of the Ninth Legion, he was a semi-mutant from Terra, and like other ghoul members of the Ninth Legion, he was savage, cruel, bloodthirsty, and often gnawed on flesh.
Even after Sanguinius' return, Nasir Amit remained one of the few warriors who maintained their former savage ways, living much like a World Eater with the Butcher's Nails.
In fact, during the Great Crusade, he was one of the famous champions in the World Eaters' dueling pits, and had formed friendships with Khârn, Sigismund, Angron, and Loken in the pits, even establishing a chain-brother relationship with Khârn's Apothecary, Kargos.
However, after the Heresy, Nasir Amit's attitude towards his former friends, Khârn, Kargos, and Angron, was reduced to nothing but "Eat shit, traitor."
Besides his savagery, Nasir Amit was most famous for his mouth.
He once accused Horus of deceiving Sanguinius in front of Sanguinius, even before Horus' rebellion was publicly known.
During the Siege of Terra, he had only one phrase for his former friends, the traitors Khârn and Kargos: "Eat shit, traitor."
After Guilliman split the Astartes Legions, he stated that Guilliman was no different from Horus, calling Guilliman a butcher.
What was most unsettling was that while Nasir Amit's words were annoying, they were almost always true.
Seth gave Khârn a strange look. He didn't know who this suddenly appearing fellow was, but hoped he wasn't some traitor or Betrayer.
"Nasir Amit was the first Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers, our ancestor."
Seth still replied:
"My gene-seed can be traced back to Chapter Master Nasir Amit."
"No wonder, no wonder at all," Khârn nodded, as if understanding why Seth's mouth was so outrageous.
Seth, both in his outspokenness and his blatant dislike for Guilliman, was identical to Nasir Amit.
Khârn's gaze towards Seth softened considerably for a moment, as if he saw an old friend from the past.
Although Nasir Amit was savage and his mouth was annoying,
Khârn admitted that he was an extremely excellent warrior, and fighting him was a rare pleasure. The two had once fought to mutual severe injury on a desert planet under the guise of sparring, and it was exhilarating.
Khârn even thought Nasir Amit was more suitable to be a Chosen and Champion of Khorne than himself.
Why wasn't he? Had the Blood God failed to corrupt him again?
If He had corrupted Amit, Sigismund, Loken, and even Dorn and Sanguinius during the Great Heresy, Khârn and his comrades wouldn't have had such a difficult fight.
Recently, with the help of Alexander and Raum, Khârn was able to suppress the rage brought on by the Butcher's Nails. With a rare clear head, he began to review the reasons for the failure of the Great Heresy in his leisure time.
Blood God, oh Blood God, why couldn't you try harder?
Khârn thought with a touch of annoyance.
Just then, the Knights moved with earth-shaking steps, making way for the Imperial delegation.
The caliber of this delegation was extraordinary.
Besides Alexander and his two guards,
All twelve High Lords were present, even including Trajan Valoris, Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes. They observed everything around them with confusion, still unaware of the purpose of this journey. Apart from Trajan, Morven Vahl, and Fadix, the other nine High Lords even showed some fear, as the environment of the Mechanicum Ark was indeed somewhat harsh.
In addition, the Logis Historica was also present. They would be responsible for recording everything that was about to happen; this was their first important mission.
Then there were two Primarchs, and their numerous sons, including important Chapter Masters, Captains, and Librarians from various successor Chapters and parent Legions.
This lineup was roughly equivalent to the highest echelons of the entire Imperium, so it was no wonder Seth was concerned about security—not long ago, the Steel Ring had fallen on Mars.
But Alexander was even hoping Erebus would attack. His presence here also carried the idea of luring Erebus, as the power on the Explorer King was now incomparably strong.
Cawl's accumulation of Titans, war machines, and Knights over ten millennia were all here. Two Primarchs were also present, along with the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, the Great Canoness of the Battle Sisters, and the Grand Master of the Assassinorum. The elites of various Chapters were also here.
And it was also packed with...
"Who are these armaments for?" Seth suddenly asked.
The delegation was currently passing by a large display of equipment specifically shown to them.
Fighters, tanks, ground mechs, small voidships—a vast array of war machines lay before their eyes, all brand new, many even rare new designs.
There were also power armors... thousands of sets of power armor were displayed before everyone's eyes, all models for Astartes use, and all brand new, enough to equip several Chapters.
"Who are these power armors for?" Seth's tone became a little anxious; he seemed to have acutely sensed something.
"My friends, my brothers, my sons, my nephews, and other colleagues of the Imperium."
Just then, Guilliman slowly spoke, a sacred solemnity on his face:
"The moment of revelation is about to come."
"This is what I have been hiding from you all this time. Please do not blame me for it."
"Anyway, it's not the first time you've hidden things and deceived us," Seth muttered in a very low voice.