Soshyan was not even interested in responding to the nonsense about the grimoire.
He waded through a sea of unholy things, even breaking his own kill record in the process - at least a thousand demons were killed at his hands.
But the daemons kept charging at him, being cut down and pouring out of the rifts in the warp.
Soshyan knew there would be no victory until the source of filth was sealed, and he already knew how this battle would end.
But now he was starting to feel tired.
"I never have to be a burden, let me be your favor."
Soshyan would not answer anything. Nothing was gained by talking to the creature of chaos, but everything was lost.
The demon will attack him with every word, every reaction, even every pause, learning more and more about who he is as it tries to break through his defenses.
The breach is very close.
Every step forward was harder now, as he felt the weight of time and the whistling of claws with every breath he took.
He will hold on to his duties until death, but death is not allowed because no one can fulfill his duties.
So now he's on his own, just like he's now alone in the Webway Labyrinth.
In the midst of the songs of the demons, three demons fortuitously joined forces in choir-like harmony and rushed towards Soshiyan, their voices united in ecstasy as they attacked, their claws splayed left and right, they crawled It lowers its body normally and approaches the target, raising its stinging tail high above its head.
Soshyan pierced one of them with his sword, then raised his left hand, pointing the storm bolter on his wrist in front of him.
The next second, three consecutive blasts shattered the forms of these demons. Their corpses exploded, and raindrops of joints, chunks of flesh, severed limbs and spinning stingers fell to the ground.
The demons' singing began to become intermittent, and they even started to cry loudly. .
When the singing stopped, a subtle sound of expectation sounded. Soshiyang was only a few steps away from the breach, and there was no obstruction in front of him.
The demons struggled toward the door, moving on either side of Soshyan, and there were more demons behind him, but none attacked, and no demon tried to block his path.
The minions of Slaanesh chanted and swayed, waiting for a terrible end, or an even worse beginning.
The breach was right in front of him. Through the half-human-high crack, he could see a gorgeous and strange world. At the same time, an inexplicable suction force came from his waist, seeming to draw the grimoire into the breach.
Of course he wouldn't allow this to happen.
Although he didn't know what to do, Soshyan followed his inner instinct and pressed his palm on the door.
At that moment, Soshiyang could feel the gray marrow in his body suddenly flowing at a high speed, and all the green runes on the door also bloomed with intense light at the same time. The demons began to cry, scream, and spontaneously combust one after another. stand up.
Everything happened so fast. When Soshiyang came to his senses, the hole in the door had disappeared, and the original position turned into a smooth black rock mass, with the runes glowing faintly.
He turned his head, and the demons disappeared, including their bodies and their blood.
The entire hall was empty, as if everything that had just happened was just an illusion.
But Soshyan knew that it was no illusion.
Finally, he was able to take a good look at the standing figure.
A Terminator holds a long, snow-white knife with the tip down in his right hand. This knife is as tall as an adult. The blade is like ice frozen for thousands of years on the top of a mountain. The handle is black and shiny. The handle connecting the two is a strange flower carved from metal. If Soshyan remembers correctly, this flower comes from ancient Terra and is called a lotus.
As for this Terminator, apart from the unrecognizable model, there is nothing too special about it. There are only some decorations and medals that Soshyan cannot recognize.
Of course, he didn't expect the people inside to be alive, otherwise the devil wouldn't just attack him.
But now a terrible problem arises.
If this person is Brother Said and died here, then who is the one in Fearless?
Thinking of this, Soshyan was a little confused and subconsciously stretched his hand to the Terminator's head.
But the moment his fingertips touched each other, his consciousness was drawn into an invisible vortex——
"this--"
When Soshyan woke up, he found himself in a strange space and his helmet was missing.
There seems to be a closed room with no door, and the only furniture is a round table surrounded by two high-backed chairs facing each other. On the table is an octagonal granite and white marble slab, next to a light-colored wooden box, and twenty chess pieces are placed on this geometric space.
Sitting on one of the chairs was a rickety figure wrapped in a brown robe, with his head lowered, as if looking at the chess pieces.
"Who are you?"
Soshyan asked warily, touching his waist, only to find that his sword was missing.
The man's figure didn't answer him, so Soshyan had to step forward cautiously to see if it was a person.
At the same time, the chess pieces on the table also attracted Soshyan's attention. They all looked plain and simple, with spindle-like shapes and a lifeless gray color.
"Hello?"
Soshyan came to the man and asked tentatively.
Then, the man's shoulders shook.
"sit down."
A low hoarse voice came from the robe, and Soshyan immediately judged that it was an old man.
For some reason, he actually sat down as the other party said.
"Come next game with me, an old man."
Soshyan blinked. This was a game of regicide. Although he was not a master, the Astartes transformation gave him high-speed thinking ability, but it was impossible for a mortal to beat him.
But why does he want to play chess?
"I'm not here to play chess, who are you?"
"One round."
As he spoke, the man raised his hand slightly, and the chess pieces on the table immediately returned to their places.
Although he was full of doubts, Soshyan still patiently started playing chess with the opponent.
But a minute later, he was beyond surprised. The opponent's chess skills were beyond his imagination. Even though he had thinking speed and thinking ability that surpassed ordinary people, he was always one step behind the opponent.
So Soshyan immediately became serious and leaned forward, as if he was about to lie down on the chessboard.
five minutes later--
"I lost."
With an expression of frustration, Soshyan leaned back.
It's not that he has never played chess with Sol. Although he lost more than he won, he had never lost so humiliatingly - he felt like a child in front of the opponent, being played with.
"So who's the winner?"
The old man put the chess piece back again.
"Of course...it's you."
"No, I lost too."
The moment the old man raised his head, the cloak hood fell on his shoulders, and Soshyan finally saw it.
The first thing that attracted Soshiyang was his eyes, which were calm but not cold, and seemed ordinary, just like the muddy eyes of most old people.
His hair is gray, and his short hair is combed back. In the flicker of firelight, his skin is like an old paper roll, which has become withered and haggard due to the long and ruthless years. You can tell it at a glance. People are weathered.
Looking at the octogenarian old man in front of him, a thought suddenly flashed through Soshiyang's mind.
This thought frightened him, but it was so natural, so he swallowed his throat and whispered:
"Is it you, Sealbearer, Regent of Terra...Hero Malcador."
