Not many things scared Albert.
Besides the Chapter Master, his only real fear was that one day, after a high-intensity physical brawl with heretics, he'd be half-dead and entombed in a Dreadnought by the Apothecary, Chapter Master, and Andrea—those three bastards.
Even though he had repeatedly stated his wish not to be interred in a Dreadnought after his death, he felt there was little hope given the Chapter Master's personality.
Moreover, the Chapter still had an empty Dreadnought!
Albert couldn't help but feel that the empty Dreadnought was reserved for him.
Every 'Dreadnought' is a living monument, recording the glorious history of the Chapter, housing Astartes who, due to severe injuries in war, could no longer serve the Emperor!
Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?
But in reality, Dreadnoughts are also jokingly called 'freezers'!
A Dreadnought houses a Space Marine, whose body is so broken that he cannot continue fighting, as its pilot.
The two are intimately connected through a neural link, allowing the pilot to control this massive War Machine as if it were his own body, returning to the battlefield!
And he cannot leave it again until death!
After being interred in a Dreadnought, they lose all unnecessary emotions; their souls will endlessly repeat cycles of sleep, awakening, and combat, until their souls are completely worn away over the long years, and they can no longer be awakened. Only then will they be fully interred beneath the monastery, embracing true death and grace.
And when they don't need to be awakened, only the Astartes interred in a Dreadnought truly know… what kind of torment that endless void truly is!
Of course, not everyone is qualified to be interred in a 'Dreadnought'; only Astartes with outstanding military achievements have the chance to be interred when they are half-dead.
In Warhammer, death is a blessing.
Especially for those Astartes with glory and merits, like Albert, who fought for the Emperor in the Milky Way Galaxy, enduring bloody battles, their only hope is peaceful slumber after death.
But alas… that wish is hard to achieve.
Inter me in a Dreadnought — Excerpt from 'Do Not Inter Me in a Dreadnought'.
It's not impossible that some genuinely volunteer to be interred in a Dreadnought, but most Astartes have already given their all for the Emperor during their lives. Few are willing to be restless after death, interred in this 'cold coffin' to continue fighting in the hellish Milky Way Galaxy for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years!
Therefore, any 'Dreadnought' that is awakened will have a bit of a temper.
"Here he comes."
The roar tearing through the sky pulled Albert's thoughts back; he looked up at the sky with a complex expression.
Accompanied by the vibration of the teleportation beacon, the entire Ecclesiarchy temple suddenly shook like a terrifying earthquake, unleashing visible Impact waves that carried swirling dust and rubble!
Within a terrifying giant shadow, the awe-inspiring 'Dreadnought' descended!
His massive three-meter-plus size gave an intangible pressure to Chaos.
Even though these Thousand Sons Chaos Terminators had long since perished over the years, the memories remaining in their souls still instilled a trace of… deep-seated fear at the sight of that enormous War Machine, cast with sacred prayers, adorned with banners, and countless emblems and decorations!
That was a Holy Dreadnought!
His extremely exaggerated, seemingly bulky appearance, like a heavy tank or a fortress, and the wolf head emblem on his shoulder, made every Astartes feel genuine respect!
Simply because witnessing his deployment was a great honor!
"Albert, where is the enemy?!"
A slightly irritable voice came from the loudspeaker of the 'Holy Dreadnought'.
"Butzweg, do you have the courage to venture into the Warp with me?" Albert grinned, carrying his power hammer, and looked up at the Holy Dreadnought: "This time, it's no joke, there's a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch!"
"Greater Daemon? Where?!"
Butzweg, interred in the Holy Dreadnought, was clearly excited and couldn't help but take a few steps forward, inadvertently crushing several newly revived Thousand Sons Terminators.
"Hmm? Thousand Sons?"
At this moment, he finally noticed the Chaos Terminators crushed underfoot, and then… he turned and saw the Thousand Sons.
The Thousand Sons Legion?
The familiar Power Armor colors immediately stirred the lingering memories within this long-inherited Holy Dreadnought, instantly infuriating Butzweg!
To explain this, one would have to start from the Great Crusade.
But in short, the feud between the Space Wolves and the Thousand Sons, the two great legions, has a long history!
"Thousand Sons!!!"
The Holy Dreadnought, wielding his massive axe, unleashed the power to split mountains and sweep away armies, directly cleaving a dozen Thousand Sons in half!
He lifted his foot, swung his fist, and swept with his axe!
Just a few simple movements wiped out most of the Thousand Sons Legion's Chaos Terminators in one go!
As a Chapter monument, a Dreadnought naturally cannot venture into the Warp alone; there must always be other Astartes present.
At least, this ensures that in extreme circumstances, should the Astartes piloting the Dreadnought die, the remaining individuals can recover this Chapter monument!
It should be known that every Dreadnought, even a Castraferrum-class, is a rare and precious 'artifact' of the Chapter; these things are irreplaceable.
Hoping the Adeptus Mechanicus will replenish them for you?
Don't dream about it; models like the Holy Dreadnought cannot even be replicated by the Adeptus Mechanicus. If it were truly lost, the Chapter Master would shoot Albert dead!
The subsequently air-dropped Astartes quickly assembled.
In fact, to prevent any accidents, Albert even called in two Terminators before leading all forces into the Warp rift!
"Next… I will maintain the passage for you."
The Chapter's Librarian smiled slightly, taking over the Terminator's duty, maintaining the rift with his psychic powers.
Within the Warp rift, psychic storms raged!
The beautiful, multicolored currents surged like a torrent, and Albert, with great difficulty, discerned a path!
It was strange, to say the least!
In the Warp, they actually saw a faint golden flame, as if guiding their direction.
Albert, who had not held much hope, saw the direction indicated by the golden flame, and a glimmer of joy appeared in his eyes: "Russ above, Allfather protect!"
Who else could open a path in such a chaotic Warp besides the omnipotent Allfather?
They followed the trail of the golden flame and suddenly heard intense crashing sounds, indicating that someone was fighting ahead!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The reverberating psychic aftershocks raged, spreading like ripples!
In the already chaotic Warp rift, the power of the psychic fluctuations was even more terrifying than in the physical universe!
Even though the Astartes had Power Armor, they were still thrown back by the psychic ripples, and their hard ceramite armor was covered in cracks!
"Butzweg!"
Albert noticed this, his expression subtly changing, and he decisively ordered the Dreadnought to lead the way.
Butzweg strode with heavy steps, like a massive fortress, using the round shield on his left arm to block the turbulent psychic fluctuations for his brothers behind him!
Soon, with the Dreadnought acting as the vanguard, blocking most of the Impact, Albert led several squads in a rapid advance, reaching the battlefield!
But upon seeing the target, he showed an astonished expression!
That was… a woman?!
One side of the combat zone was none other than a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, two Aquila heads glaring at its opponent, wielding a crystal staff, stirring up one psychic storm after another, attempting to repel the intruder!
However, the woman entwining the Greater Daemon, wielding a sword burning with golden flames, repeatedly interrupted the Greater Daemon of Tzeentch with exquisite swordsmanship, firmly pinning him in place!
"Die! Die! Die for me!!!"
The Greater Daemon of Tzeentch was furious; the opponent was like sticky candy, clinging to him relentlessly!
If it weren't for this woman who suddenly appeared, he would have taken Alvyn back by now. How could he have been stalled until now?!
"The Greater Daemon is yours, Butzweg!"
After a brief few seconds of stunned silence, Albert quickly distinguished friend from foe.
Of course, the woman's sword was wreathed in golden flames, and she had wings on her back; no matter how you looked at it… she was the rumored 'Living Saint'!
Not helping a Living Saint, but helping a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch instead?
"I will aid you—!!!"
Butzweg was extremely excited; he had finally found an enemy that would let him stretch his limbs. Those useless world Eaters were simply not tough enough!
Holy Dreadnought, to battle!!!
Ever since he was interred in the Dreadnought, Butzweiler's greatest wish was to die fighting for the Emperor's glory!
In fact, as a sacred Dreadnought with thousands of years of history, it wouldn't have been his turn to pilot it if the ancient warrior previously interred in the sarcophagus hadn't died.
However, the advantage was that this sacred Dreadnought mech granted him even richer experience.
The moment he saw that 'Tzeentch Greater Daemon,' the machine spirit deep within this 'sacred Dreadnought' mech seemed to tell Butzweiler how to deal with such enemies.
"For Russ and the Allfather!!!"
At this moment, the sacred Dreadnought, like a giant tank, let out a thunderous battle roar through its loudspeaker.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
When a Dreadnought enters the fray, it is bound to shake the heavens and earth!
Every step he took was like a charge horn filled with honor and courage, giving the surrounding Astartes immense bravery!
The electromagnetic muscle coils, connected to the pilot's nerves, erupted with terrifying power that made mortals, and even Greater Daemons, gasp in awe. The ice-blue great axe, engraved with runes by a Fenrisian Rune Priest, carried a terrifying The Message as it cleaved down towards the Chaos Greater Daemon's head!
Tzeentch Greater Daemon had to admit, a sacred Dreadnought mech still had some deterrent power.
Let alone him, even if the most stubborn Khorne Greater Daemon from next door came, he still wouldn't dare to stick his head out and let the sacred Dreadnought chop him with an axe.
As the crystal scepter swayed, magic psionic sparks burst forth!
Boom!
The Warp's psionic energy was like a torrent, and under the control of the crystal scepter, it temporarily blocked the sacred Dreadnought's attack.
Twirling the crystal scepter, dazzling magic flames directly bombarded this ancient monument, and the violent explosion caused the sacred Dreadnought's massive body to shake a few times.
However, the magic flames that were enough to annihilate ordinary Astartes could not destroy a Dreadnought mech!
Before the opponent could use psionic energy again, Butzweiler controlled the sacred Dreadnought to move with incredibly agile steps, completely defying common sense, and circled to the side and rear of the Tzeentch Greater Daemon.
Although the sacred Dreadnought looked massive and seemingly clumsy, in reality, this thing could perform many actions that even mortals couldn't!
Seizing the Tzeentch Greater Daemon's momentary opening, Butzweiler, with his left arm's round shield forward, executed a charged ram.
Bang!
It was like a tank at full throttle had directly crashed into it; the Tzeentch Greater Daemon was actually knocked back a few steps.
Winnie, on the side, seized the opportunity, raising her sacred blade burning with golden flames, aiming at the Tzeentch Greater Daemon, specifically the arm holding Merlin, and delivered a charged downward slash.
Rip!
The blade, imbued with the 'Emperor's' great power, easily tore through his defenses.
The entire arm, as if cut by a hot butter knife, instantly melted away, and a searing pain that penetrated to the bone and even the soul directly made the Tzeentch Greater Daemon let out a shriek!
It hurt!
It hurt too much!
The Human Lord who had sat on the Golden Throne for ten thousand years, his psionic power was simply the natural bane of Warp Daemons!
Normally, Warp Daemons would not die; they would only be banished by humans or temporarily lose their physical form, waiting to be resurrected by the gods they worshipped.
But... there was one exception, and that was not to encounter an 'E Greater Daemon.'
The power of the Human Lord 'Emperor' could fundamentally eradicate Daemons directly!
Even the worshipped gods could not resurrect Daemons killed by the 'Emperor,' and this was what the beings of the Warp feared most.
Coincidentally, there was an Angel here with the power of the 'Emperor'!
The severed arm of the Tzeentch Greater Daemon showed a hot, fiery, melting cross-section, and the intense pain in his soul instantly sobered him up considerably, but looking at 'Merlin' so close, he decided to try a little harder; after all, opportunities to 'ascend' were rare, so how could he not seize it?
"Yellow fire!"
Clusters of orange-yellow flames ignited, surrounding the Tzeentch Greater Daemon and Merlin like a city wall.
Those were flames of burning psionic energy, capable of resisting and blocking enemy attacks!
"While I have this time, quickly shake off these two troublesome guys!" The Tzeentch Greater Daemon grabbed Merlin again, activating the crystal scepter with psionic energy, attempting to summon a Warp portal.
However, Butzweiler let out a mocking laugh through the loudspeaker.
Had this Chaos Greater Daemon's brain been eaten by an Ogre? Surely no one would actually think that his Space Wolf sacred Dreadnought could only engage in melee combat, right?
The two cannons mounted on top of the sacred Dreadnought directly locked onto the Tzeentch Greater Daemon.
Boom! Boom!
Two cannon shots hit him in the face, and even the Tzeentch Greater Daemon was blasted into a bloody mess.
The summoning ritual was interrupted, and his mind, which had been somewhat ran by that damned woman, instantly cleared. Before him was a 'sacred Dreadnought'!
"You think you can run in front of me?!"
Butzweiler was already seething with fire, awakened for no reason, only to encounter those pathetic world Eaters.
Before he even had a chance to get serious, they were all repelled. It was hard enough to wake up once; the resentment from his last interment in the sarcophagus hadn't even been fully vented!
At this moment, Butzweiler forcibly charged into the psionic flames set by the Tzeentch Greater Daemon.
He directly discarded his great axe and smashed his bare fist at the Tzeentch Greater Daemon!
Bang!
It was a powerful, heavy blow, and even the Tzeentch Greater Daemon couldn't withstand it!
"Mind fire!" The Tzeentch Greater Daemon, staggering from the blow, his anger and humiliation intertwined, gathered red flames into a spear in his hand. Just as he was about to throw it, the sacred Dreadnought directly grabbed it with one hand, and its powerful grip crushed his bones!
Crack!
Originally, the spear formed by the Mind fire could cause mental ran in the target.
But alas... Butzweiler, piloting the sacred Dreadnought, had already known the Greater Daemon's methods through his nerve-linked memory, anticipating his counterattack.
After crushing the Tzeentch Greater Daemon's arm, Butzweiler wielded the adamantium round shield and slammed it into the Tzeentch Greater Daemon's face.
Don't let the round shield's appearance deceive you; its hard, curved edge, when slammed into a face, increased the pain by several orders of magnitude.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With each downward smash, Butzweiler went full throttle, wishing he could embed the shield in the Greater Daemon's mouth!
While riding on the Tzeentch Greater Daemon and smashing him to death with the round shield, he couldn't help but shout through the loudspeaker: "You interred me in a sarcophagus! No one listens to what I say, do they? You treat my words like farts, do you? Die!!!"
The other Astartes subconsciously looked at the Captain.
Albert swallowed, looking at the seemingly mad Butzweiler, and suddenly felt a faint ache in his groin.
The Tzeentch Greater Daemon, bludgeoned into a bloody mess by the round shield, no longer fantasized about bringing Merlin back, only praying that this thing would quickly kill him so he could return to the water to await resurrection.
Fortunately, the sacred Dreadnought, after venting, finally let out that breath.
Then Butzweiler stepped on the Greater Daemon, grabbed his two Aquila heads with both hands, and as the electromagnetic muscle coils operated, the entire Dreadnought emitted a shocking mechanical roar!
Under the gaze of the various Space Wolf 'cans,' Butzweiler forcibly pulled off the Tzeentch Greater Daemon's head!
Albert was startled, baring his teeth and gasping for cold air.
It's best not to provoke a 'sacred Dreadnought,' especially one that has just been awakened.
The Tzeentch Great daemon finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, he didn't die at the hands of the 'E Great daemon'; the worst outcome would simply be a few years' delay in his resurrection.
It's far better than being utterly destroyed by a 'Living Saint'!
Before his death, the Tzeentch Great daemon glanced at the unconscious Emrys and a thought suddenly sparked in his mind.
Although he was dying, it seemed he could still cause some trouble for the Lord of Man; in short, it was all about being disgusting!
As he pondered, before completely vanishing, psychic flames erupted from the Tzeentch Great daemon's pupils, like a crimson spear, directly piercing Emrys' heart!
By the time Winnie noticed, it was already too late to stop it!
Her light blue eyes immediately filled with rage, and she gnashed her teeth, glaring furiously at the dissipating Tzeentch Great daemon: "You... deserve to die!"
"Hahahahaha..."
Just before dissipating, the Tzeentch Great daemon let out a piercing laugh of mockery, scrutinizing the Imperium's side with a meaningful gaze, and said profoundly: "No one... can escape the woven fate!"
"Your nonsense... is too much!"
Having the target ambushed right before him made Butzweg feel greatly shamed. He picked up his discarded great axe and directly shattered the bird's head.
However, Emrys being struck by the Tzeentch Great daemon's dying psychic magic was an undeniable fact!
Butzweg gripped his great axe and turned to look at Emrys, he was hesitating... whether to eliminate the threat!
But Winnie, holding her sword, stood in front of the Sacred Dreadnought and said with an indifferent expression: "No need to worry, the Emperor will watch over him, Tzeentch's schemes will surely not succeed!"
With the 'Living Saint's' affirmation, Butzweg's worries were considerably eased. He looked at the unconscious human youth: "Is this child... very important?"
"Yes, very important."
Winnie lowered her head, a rare hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes, and softly said: "His future is closely related to the Imperium of Man. After leaving here, you are not to tell anyone about me or him. This is the 'Emperor's' will!"
To be so highly regarded by a 'Living Saint,' Butzweg nodded silently. The surrounding burning psychic flames also gradually dissipated after the Tzeentch Great daemon's death.
Not many people witnessed what just happened, and it seemed the 'Living Saint' had used some means to prevent others from hearing their conversation, which slightly eased Butzweg's mind.
Some young Astartes of the Wolf Guard had never seen such a brutal scene before and were speechless with shock, staring wide-eyed at the Sacred Dreadnought, which stood like a monument.
As for Albert... to be honest, he was a little flustered right now. If he hadn't misheard just now, had Butzweg shouted something about killing him and the Chapter Master?
Then, upon further thought, Butzweg had repeatedly emphasized not to let his brothers suffer.
If that day ever came, he should be given a quick death and not be interred in a sarcophagus... yet, he had agreed to entomb Butzweg in a Sacred Dreadnought under the Chapter Master and Apothecary's persuasion.
Fortunately, Butzweg, having vented his anger, no longer bothered with the matter. He glanced at Albert, who seemed to be trembling, and snorted unhappily: "Aren't you going to hurry over?!"
Albert feared neither heaven nor earth; even facing a Hive Tyrant, he would dare to draw his blade and fight, but when it came to Butzweg... he truly felt a bit intimidated.
After all, if ranked by seniority, Butzweg was the Company Captain of the First Company before he was interred in the sarcophagus!
"Coming, coming~"
Albert scurried over, a forced, ugly smile plastered on his face, which was full of rough flesh and scars.
Looking at Albert, Butzweg sighed. This kid... still had a bit of conscience, at least he didn't put him in a 'Redemptor.' Since his anger had subsided considerably, there was no need to make things difficult for him. So, in as gentle a tone as possible, he pointed at the unconscious youth beside them: "Take the target back, and don't make any mistakes, understand?"
"Understood!"
Albert personally carried Emrys on his back, then hesitated, looking at the 'Living Saint' who was still standing there: "Are you... not leaving with us?"
Winnie silently shook her head. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the Warp's strange temporal currents, looking towards a certain future, and she softly said: "No, I still have my duty... Your duty is to protect him."
To encounter a 'Living Saint' in the Warp's turbulent currents was, to some extent, an manifestation of the 'Allfather.'
Albert clenched his right fist and struck it heavily against his heart, his expression filled with respect: "It is our honor to fight alongside you, may I know... your name?"
Winnie was silent for a few seconds, then slowly said: "He knows my name, let him tell you... and there's no need to widely publicize my existence, I am special."
Special?
Albert and Butzweg were both a bit bewildered.
They didn't quite understand the meaning of 'special' in the 'Living Saint's' words.
But Winnie had no intention of explaining. She gripped the blade burning with golden flames, turned, and stepped into the fierce Warp storm, until her entire figure disappeared.
She was going to the near future.
On that world, she would once again... save Merlin Emrys!
The fates of the two had been closely linked by the Emperor from that moment on; she was his personal... 'Living Saint'!
"Go back..."
Butzweg lowered his head, looking at the unconscious Emrys. Combining this with the Tzeentch Great daemon's actions, he seemed to have guessed something, and spoke vaguely, reminding Albert: "Kid, in the future... remember to keep in touch with him, there might be a surprise."
Albert scratched his head. Although he didn't quite understand Butzweg's sudden intention, he knew his former Company Captain would definitely not harm them, so he nodded: "Okay, I understand."
...Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, Slaanesh!
In Emrys' dream, he seemed to be targeted by the Four Chaos Loki of the Empyrean; no matter how he ran, he could never escape.
From Khorne's bloody fortress, to Tzeentch's crystal labyrinth, then to Nurgle's plague garden, and finally he was thrown into... Slaanesh's Palace of Pleasure!
He traversed a forest of flesh and a pool of wine, passed through places of debauchery, lust, and depravity, and then ascended to the pinnacle of power, experiencing the supreme authority of ruling over countless beings!
But in the end... there was only endless emptiness.
In the emptiness, as if hollowed out, Emrys wandered aimlessly like a walking corpse, until he arrived at a snow-covered mountain peak, where he saw the radiant Golden Throne and the terrifying figure like rotting flesh and withered bones.
The Great Lord of Man seemed to be watching him.
The next moment, Emrys suddenly awoke from his dream. The instant he opened his eyes, he saw an old man with a face full of weathered wrinkles and white hair, staring intently at him.
"You are..."
Emrys instinctively asked.
Arthur looked at him eagerly, as if he were a precious treasure, a fanatical expression on his face: "Child, I am your... Grandpa!"