Alexander turned his head blankly, looking in the direction from which the motorcycle sound roared.
Several speeding motorcycles appeared at the end of this strange tubular world.
But what was peculiar was that these motorcycles were not riding on the ground, but hovering in the air, advancing at a thunderous speed.
The lead motorcycle was so fast that even Alexander's enhanced reaction time struggled to keep up.
A thunderous motorcycle sound rang in his ears, and the motorcycle convoy swept past him like a gust of wind.
The convoy consisted of Space Marines in white power armor, swift as wind and fierce as thunder.
The leading warrior was taller, larger, stronger, and faster.
He wore Eastern-style power armor, with a scimitar-style power sword at his waist. The silver-white scales and dark gold carapace gleamed dazzlingly, and a crimson, thick cloak fluttered in the wind, like a raging wildfire.
The leading warrior turned his head for a brief instant, and Alexander's gaze followed, their eyes meeting.
It was an Eastern face, with a beard and long hair, and a scarlet lightning bolt painted on his forehead with dark red pigment.
The leading warrior's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. He saw Alexander follow his gaze and showed a slight hint of surprise.
Then he glanced at the anywhere door behind Alexander, seemingly seeing Ashford behind the door, seeing the Imperium behind the door.
"Holy shit!" the leading warrior cursed in low gothic, clearly mixed with english.
Then he stomped on the accelerator, and in the blink of an eye, he and his Astartes vanished from the spot.
"Huh?" Sanguinius first let out a bewildered exclamation: "What… what's going on?"
Alexander's mouth twitched sharply.
He looked at the bizarre, pipe-like world before him and couldn't help but rub his brow.
This is the Webway. A path built in the Warp by the Old Ones, a method of FTL travel that isolates Warp corruption, and a technology the Emperor had long coveted.
The anywhere door can open a door to any destination within a ten-light-year radius.
But if a map is not entered beforehand, and the correct destination is not specified, then the anywhere door might randomly open a door to anywhere.
For example, the one that just opened was a door to the Webway.
This section of the Webway might be in the Netherworld Star System and the corresponding Warp within ten light-years, which the anywhere door also identified as being within ten light-years.
But this wasn't the reason for Sanguinius' and Alexander's bewilderment.
The existence of the Webway near the Netherworld Star System is very normal.
Long ago, the Netherworld Star System was frequently attacked by the Aeldari, which indicates that a Webway gate might exist near the Netherworld Star System.
What truly bewildered Alexander and Sanguinius was that the leading warrior who had just sped past on a motorcycle was...
"Jaghatai Khan," Alexander said, clicking his tongue.
Jaghatai Khan, Primarch of the Fifth Legion White Scars, the Warhawk of Chogoris, the Space Mongol, a 40K ghost rider enthusiast, the most clear-headed Primarch, and one of the few Primarchs who could be called truly free.
It is said that at some point in the past, this Khan disappeared into the Webway, perhaps to hunt the Dark Eldar, or perhaps to seek something else.
In any case, this most unique Primarch mysteriously vanished from the sight of everyone in the Imperium.
But the moment Alexander opened the anywhere door, he brushed past him.
His fingers quickly manipulated the anywhere door, remembering this coordinate.
"Let the Khan go," said Sanguinius.
"Hm?" Alexander raised an eyebrow, looking at Sanguinius with an amused expression.
"Are you worried the Khan will steal your spot as the first to return?" Alexander couldn't help but ask.
".." Sanguinius took a deep breath, seemingly trying hard not to curse aloud: "The Imperium needs a Primarch to return, but not just any Primarch can be the first. Even without considering the future the Emperor once saw, and without considering the fate I now see..."
"From a purely rational perspective, among my brothers who currently have hope of returning to the Imperium, which one do you think is most suitable to be the first?"
"Horus," Alexander said almost without hesitation.
"That is not an option!"
Sanguinius said through gritted teeth:
"Me, Guilliman, Leman Russ, the Khan, Leman Russ, Vulkan, Dorn, Corax... which one do you choose?"
Alexander blinked, listening to the words of Sanguinius.
If he were to choose, he would first choose Leman Russ and Leman Russ to return together.
Or choose Guilliman, Leman Russ, and Sanguinius to return together.
That would certainly be fun. But if considering it from the perspective of the Imperium...
If Leman Russ and Leman Russ were the first to return, the Imperium might not adapt, and the same applies to the Khan, who has long maintained an outsider status.
Corax's situation is even more complex; if he were the first to return, it would be hard to say how the Imperium should face him.
The remaining options are simply Sanguinius, Guilliman, Vulkan, and Dorn.
After much consideration, Alexander also had to admit,
The Primarch who should return first is best still Guilliman, followed by Sanguinius.
"There's another point... the first Primarch to return will also inevitably undertake a mission."
"To go to Terra, to confirm the Emperor's condition, to see clearly if the person on the throne is still our father, and if we should continue to pledge allegiance to Him."
Sanguinius said:
"If the result obtained is negative, then he will face five enemies, so the first to return must have the ability to gather at least enough power to protect himself."
"The Khan's White Scars no longer possess such power, Leman Russ and Leman Russ' choices are unknown, Dorn is too rigid, and finally, a fellow who has been suspected of being a traitor for ten thousand years is the best choice."
"Honestly, I always feel that if something truly went wrong with the Emperor, Guilliman might be the most decisive one to act."
Listening to Sanguinius' analysis, Alexander's mouth twitched slightly.
So, you think Guilliman is suitable to return first because... you think he's disloyal?
"Moreover, I know the Khan. His reaction speed is much faster than mine. If he wanted to leave, he wouldn't have brushed past you."
"He most likely doesn't want to return to the Imperium yet," Sanguinius explained.
"You mean?" Alexander raised an eyebrow.
Indeed, after the Khan saw Alexander, he instead stomped on the accelerator.
"I trust Jaghatai Khan," said Sanguinius.
"On the day of the Siege of Terra, Dorn wanted us to hold our ground."
"But the Khan found me, and he asked me: 'In your prophecy, if I sally forth, how many lives can I save?'"
"Countless," Sanguinius said: "That was my answer to the Khan at the time."
"Then, I shall sally forth." He repeated the Khan's words from back then.
"I don't know the Khan's plan, nor do I know what he is doing."
"But I know that the eagle sees further than the hunter on the ground, and knows the direction of the prey better."
"He has not returned to the Imperium for a reason, I presume... He can't possibly be truly lost, can he?"
Alexander nodded lightly, seemingly agreeing with the words of Sanguinius.
Then, "But I never said I wanted to drag the Khan back to the Imperium, that cesspit."
"Huh?" Sanguinius froze for a moment.
"I wanted to catch up and shout: 'Khan, take me with you! Khan, I want to learn how to ride a motorcycle.'"
"Compared to painstakingly resurrecting you in the Imperium, it would obviously be more fun to race through the Webway with the Khan."
Alexander chuckled as he returned to Ashford from the anywhere door, but he still recorded the coordinates of this place.
Knowing the location of a Webway would always come in handy in the future.
The spire carrying the governor's Palace had already begun to collapse, and he had to leave immediately.
Thinking this, Alexander input the map data obtained from General Drost into the anywhere door.
Then he took out an antique gourd from his four-dimensional pocket, pushed open the anywhere door, and vanished from the spot.
"Khan, was that just...?" A White Scars rider, following Jaghatai Khan, rode his motorcycle beside him and asked.
"How would I know? Death? A blue cat? The omnissiah? Or another competitor for the Malicious Art?"
Jaghatai Khan said with a look of circumspection:
"I only know that our exploration is not yet over."
"The final war, the Wolf Time that Leman Russ spoke of, another Great Crusade, all have yet to arrive; not even the winds and clouds have converged in the physical universe."
"The day of return has not yet come, my child. Both the falcon and the hunter must be patient."
"Those skilled in warfare in ancient times first made themselves invincible, awaiting the enemy's vulnerability."
Jaghatai Khan's gaze, like a hawk's, looked into the depths of the Webway:
"Moreover, we have a hunt that is not yet finished."
"Tell me, child. Where are our prey, the Bloodthirsters in the Path of Heaven, the Xenos called Aeldari, and their leaping Harlequins, heading now?"
"Baal," said the White Scars warrior accompanying the Khan.
"Baal, my brother's crimson wasteland."
The Khan chuckled softly:
"I received his help on Terra once; now is the time to undertake a hunt for him."
A glimmer flashed in his eyes, seemingly reflecting Alexander's figure from moments ago.
In his eyes, a winged figure of Sanguinius seemed to hover behind Alexander, enveloped in white light.
That figure was tainted and dissolved by the blue light emanating from Alexander.
"I hope you know what you are doing... 'Sanguinius'."
The Khan couldn't help but burst into laughter. If things truly unfolded as he expected, that would be too interesting!
He decided to go to Baal to see what that divinity, born from the faith in his brother, truly intended to do.
"If it can draw out my other brother, that would be even better."