The figure of "Ezekiel Abaddon" before Loken's eyes constantly shifted,
alternating between the noble Luna Wolves warrior in Terminator power armor and an alien monster covered in thick chitinous plating.
After a few minutes, everything returned to normal, and the scene before Loken stabilized.
He looked at Ezekiel Abaddon's face and gently shook his head, indicating that he was fine.
Loken didn't know if it was an issue with his gene-seed, but he always experienced inexplicable hallucinations, even mistaking the noble First Captain Abaddon for some kind of alien monster.
Loken was indeed a Captain, but Abaddon's name was unparalleled among the Luna Wolves; he was not only the glorious Captain of the First Company but also a member of the Warmaster's advisory Four Kings Council, trusted by the Warmaster just like the fallen Scyarnus.
"Perhaps you should go see the Apothecary for another check-up."
Abaddon patted Loken's shoulder, his figure accompanied by a faint, elusive chirping sound:
"No, the Apothecary never seems to find anything wrong with you. Have you considered seeing Erebus? He knows many ancient things."
The name Erebus made Loken's body tremble slightly.
That Astartes warrior from the Word Bearers Legion always made Loken uneasy.
In Loken's hallucinations, Erebus appeared as a monster with an abnormally swollen brain, constantly muttering strange words.
"I worry that one day you'll truly be consumed by the hallucinations and turn into a madman," Abaddon suddenly said in a low voice.
Loken shivered, the chirping in Abaddon's voice seemed to grow louder.
Noticing Loken's expression, Abaddon couldn't help but laugh: "I'm just teasing you, Loken."
"Let's make a competition out of it. Whoever reaches the False Emperor's throne first, he belongs to them."
For a moment, a smile unconsciously appeared on Loken's face; being able to converse with Abaddon like this made him feel somewhat flattered.
But that was just how the Luna Wolves were; brothers were truly family, connected by blood, coexisting in harmony, all sons of the Warmaster.
There were no small groups like warrior lodges; warriors were equal, with only differences in honor.
Loken gripped his power sword and turned, ready to launch a second assault on the "Emperor's" palace.
They had previously given the "Emperor" a chance, warning him to quickly cease resistance and surrender.
However, the Luna Wolves received only a series of unclear roars and insults, which was clearly a provocation.
Now, Loken's Tenth Company would launch a—
Hmm?
The scene before Loken's eyes wavered slightly.
The "Emperor's" magnificent marble palace vanished, replaced by a series of alien spires forged from black iron.
These spires hung upside down into the ground, grotesque and twisted, connected by crude metal suspension bridges.
Loken was currently standing on one such suspension bridge.
He vaguely saw, on another suspension bridge not far away, there was...
No, on another marble road of the "Emperor's" palace, there was an Astartes with an unfamiliar livery, leading an Ogryn in battle.
That Astartes wore no helmet, but instead a strange brown baseball cap with an inexplicable triangular protrusion, and a pipe in his mouth.
Alexander had originally intended to talk his way in, but for some reason, as soon as he approached the middle and lower levels of Sheath Wing Fortress, he was attacked by genestealers.
These genestealers seemed to have integrated some of lictor's genetic sequences; their scales possessed light-and-shadow stealth capabilities similar to a lictor's.
But this was not an issue for Alexander, nor for Mephiston.
Mephiston could, with his powerful Psyker abilities, directly force these alien monsters out of the light and shadow gaps.
Meanwhile, Alexander, with his pipe in his mouth, occasionally exhaled a puff of smoke.
These smoke bubbles dispersed, hovering over the heads of the nearby invisible genestealers, marking their positions.
[Item Name: Sherlock Holmes' Detective Pipe]
[Origin: 22nd Century Earth — Future Department Store]
[Production Time: 261.M3]
[Function: Mimics Sherlock Holmes' detective pipe, sold in a bundle with the Clue Magnifying Glass, Radar Cane, and Deduction Hat. The smoke bubbles exhaled from the detective pipe will hover over the heads of the culprits of an incident, marking them.]
Alexander held up his meltagun with one hand, heat roaring in its barrel; each whistle shattered the body of an invisible genestealers.
Because he was wearing the Deduction Hat, Alexander was temporarily unable to wear the Superpower Hat.
This was also one of the Superpower Hat's drawbacks: Alexander could not use other head-worn items while using the Superpower Hat.
But...
An invisible genestealer circled behind Alexander, attempting to attack from his blind spot.
However, the triangular protrusion on Alexander's hat suddenly erupted in a pale green light, vaguely revealing a small pyramid made of light.
As the triangle flashed, Alexander's ears glowed slightly; his hearing seemed enhanced, and he almost immediately detected the sound of the genestealers circling behind him.
But he didn't turn his head; instead, his brain glowed slightly.
In an instant, that genestealer seemed to be struck by some invisible force, flying backward and crashing into a bloody pulp.
[Item Name: Portable Pyramid]
[Origin: 22nd Century Earth — Future Department Store]
[Production Time: 261.M3]
[Function: A small Portable Pyramid made of light. When worn on the head, it can, as needed, stimulate specific potentials in the human body, granting a certain degree of superpower.]
[Price: 4,500,000]
An item worth over 4.5 million, yet it could comprehensively enhance Alexander's abilities; whether it was hearing, sight, smell, reaction time, etc., it could elevate Alexander to a near-superhuman level.
Although the telekinesis gained from enhancing the brain couldn't rival the telekinesis continuously trained by the Superpower Hat, and the speed gained from enhancing the legs couldn't reach instantaneous movement,
This item excelled in portability and comprehensiveness.
At least, when facing enemies like Khârn who could break through the Phantom Thief DX Suit, Alexander could use this Portable Pyramid to increase his skin's hardness, preventing him from being cut through with one strike.
Indeed, he should stack more defense.
Alexander sighed inwardly, swinging his other fist, which wore the Superman Gloves, smashing the heads of the nearest genestealers.
As he continued killing, Alexander suddenly noticed that this group of genestealers seemed to be fighting among themselves.
Or rather, two factions of genestealers were clashing.
One side was the invisible genestealers, while the other had thicker chitinous plating.
Did he just happen to arrive when two patriarch candidates were fighting? Is that why he was attacked upon entering this area?
Alexander slightly adjusted the baseball cap on his head, his gaze sweeping around; his enhanced brainpower allowed him to instantly distinguish the two factions.
The invisible genestealers were guarding the middle and lower levels, guarding the tall spire Alexander wanted to reach; they should be on the False Emperor's side.
The other genestealers, with thicker chitinous plating, were invading the middle and lower levels of Sheath Wing Fortress, hostile to the False Emperor.
Alexander thought for a moment, deliberately targeting only the genestealers on the False Emperor's side, letting the other genestealers clear a path for him.
"Loken, do you see that Astartes? With an unfamiliar livery?? Is he one of ours?"
Abaddon's somewhat bewildered voice echoed in Loken's ear. Loken pressed the comms device by his ear, feeling a faint stickiness on his fingertip.
"I see him, he's right in front of me. Which Legion is he from? He's clearly not a warrior of our Luna Wolves."
Loken stared blankly at the Astartes warrior with the unknown livery, leading an Ogryn in a rampage among the invisible warriors.
Especially that Ogryn, who was actually using Psyker powers???
An Ogryn using Psyker powers??
Loken watched, utterly bewildered, as the Ogryn raised both hands, chanting a series of complex incantations.
Then, sharp Psyker lightning bolts roared forth, incinerating all the surrounding genestealers into ash.
Loken had fought alongside Ogryn before; in his memory, Ogryn struggled to even count to ten.
What kind of person could teach an Ogryn to use such complex Psyker powers??
Even the Emperor couldn't do that, could he? If you could teach an Ogryn to use Psyker powers... then what would you need the Thousand Sons for??
Loken hesitated for a moment. His Tenth Company, following this unknown Astartes warrior, felt much less pressure.
But this was, after all, someone of unknown origin... Yet, upon closer thought, only the Imperium in the entire galaxy had the ability to create Astartes.
And the other party had indeed not attacked the Luna Wolves.
Out of rationality, Loken decided to observe the situation first.
He wielded his power sword, swiftly cleaving through the body of an invisible warrior.
"Warriors of the Tenth Company! Support that unknown Astartes and his Ogryn!"
Loken gave the order, but the Tenth Company warriors beside him hesitated.
They watched as the Ogryn gently waved an arm, and a wave of distorted Psyker energy was released, turning groups of invisible warriors into scattered body parts on the ground.
"Do we really need to support them?"
A Tenth Company warrior couldn't help but ask:
"Is that an Ogryn? If you told me that was Ahriman, the Chief Librarian of the Thousand Sons, using Psyker powers to transform into an Ogryn, I'd believe you!"
Loken was silent for a moment.
Aside from that Psyker Ogryn, the Astartes warrior with the unknown livery was also rampaging, his meltagun hitting every shot, and his reaction speed was extremely high.
Furthermore, the smoke he exhaled seemed to possess some unique power, coiling around the heads of the invisible warriors, making it easier for Loken and his men to locate those enemies.
"..Follow behind them!" Loken sighed, giving the order.