Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 695 The Great Forest of Caliban, Part Two

Leon Aldoussen stood in a vast, boundless forest.

Just moments before, he was meditating in the simple, quiet room of the "Rock" fortress, filled with the smell of metal and machine oil.

He tried to sort out his complicated thoughts and further adapt to the body that had awakened after slumbering for ten thousand years.

However, at a certain moment when he was most relaxed and his consciousness was deep in introspection, the reality around him seemed to be suddenly twisted and torn apart by an invisible giant hand.

There was no warning, no transition.

In the next instant, the cold, hard deck was replaced by soft, damp humus.

The low hum of the air circulation system was drowned out by the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the faint chirping of birds in the distance.

He recognized the place immediately.

This green is so rich and intense it's almost overwhelming.

The air was filled with a familiar yet distant scent of damp earth, decaying leaves, and some unique vegetation.

This is the gnarled root system of a towering ancient tree that requires several people to encircle.

Everything was exactly the same as the Great Forest of Caliban, which was deep in his memory.

He grew up in this forest, receiving knightly training and learning hunting and tracking skills.

This is his homeland, which has long since vanished into the dust of history along with his mother planet.

But reason told him that this was not true.

Caliban was reduced to a belt of debris orbiting the star in a tragedy that occurred ten thousand years ago.

The scene before him could only be the product of some powerful force acting on his consciousness.

Is it an illusion? Is it witchcraft? Or is it a deeper warp scheme?

The Lion King instantly went into a state of high alert.

His senses, enhanced to Primarch level, were fully activated, scanning everything around him.

His right hand instinctively reached for his waist, only to find nothing—he hadn't entered meditation with any weapon.

He took steady breaths, forcing himself to calm down and analyze the situation.

This forest is too "real." The texture of every leaf, the angle of every ray of light, and even the subtle tactile sensation of the soil beneath your feet are all so clear that it is unsettling.

However, the unique, vibrant yet primal danger of his hometown from ten thousand years ago enveloped him so vividly.

Just as he was on high alert, trying to find a flaw in this unusual space, a slight fluctuation appeared in the space not far in front of him again.

Amidst the distorted light and shadow, two figures gradually solidified as if emerging from a curtain of water.

One of them was Leona, a young girl who wore specially made dark green power armor and whose face was strikingly similar to his but looked even younger.

The other one is Judge Chen Xi.

Leona's appearance did not surprise the Lion King too much, as he had already sensed that she shared the same origin as him.

But Chen Xi's appearance caused the Lion King to frown slightly.

This judge is shrouded in too many mysteries, and his arrival is often accompanied by unpredictable changes.

Chen Xi didn't seem too surprised by the drastic changes in his surroundings.

He first looked around, his gaze calmly sweeping over the dense canopy, the thick tree trunks, and the thick moss on the ground.

His eyes seemed to be admiring a long-lost painting.

Then, he turned his gaze to the Lion King and spoke in a calm tone, breaking the silence of the forest.

He said, “Don’t be alarmed, Primarch. This is neither a dream nor a spell cast by the enemy.”

The lion king's gray eyes were fixed on Chen Xi, waiting for his explanation.

He needed to know what power could so easily transfer a Primarch from the heavily guarded core of the fortress into this illusion.

Chen Xi continued, "This forest is part of the power bestowed upon you by the Emperor, and it is the embodiment of your own subspace essence."

He further explained: "Each Primarch possesses a unique subspace essence derived from the Emperor's power."

He added, "It's just that during the Great Crusade, none of the Primarchs, including you, truly understood and mastered this inner power."

He paused briefly, allowing the Lion King to process this information.

He then gave an example. He said, "As far as I know, during the Siege of Terra, in the face of the unprecedented power displayed by the corrupted Deathguard Primarch Mortarion, the White Scars Primarch Chagatai Khan awakened and harnessed a part of his own warp nature at a crucial moment."

He continued with an example: "And in the long years that followed, the Raven King, Corax of the Raven Guard, also seemed to gradually touch upon and comprehend his own essence during his long journey of hunting down traitors."

He looked at the Lion King and concluded, "Now, it's your turn, Lord Leon Eljonsson. The appearance of this forest signifies that your dormant power is awakening, or... being awakened."

Lion King Leon did not immediately accept Chen Xi's explanation in its entirety.

But I did have some realization in my heart.

He could feel an indescribable, close connection between himself and the forest.

It was as if every tree and every inch of land here was responding to his presence.

However, his experiences over the past ten thousand years, especially the trauma of the Horus Rebellion, have made him instinctively wary of anything involving the Warp.

Even the power originating from the emperor made him suspicious.

He was silent for a moment.

He then asked the most practical question.

He said, "So, what's next? How do we move forward, or... get out of here?"

Chen Xi shook her head.

His gaze was fixed on the depths of the forest, as if he could see through the layers of trees and find some kind of invisible guidance.

He replied, “I cannot give you the exact path, Primarch. This forest possesses incredible power, and its operating logic transcends common sense.”

But then he changed the subject: “But I can sense that it is not chaotic. There is a grander, more ancient will—perhaps the Emperor himself—guiding everything here in the unseen realm.”

He advised: "You should try to follow your heart and listen to the intuition that comes from deep within your blood. Here, your will itself may be the key."

The Lion King scrutinized Chen Xi, trying to find any trace of hypocrisy or concealment on the other's face.

But Chen Xi's expression remained as calm and serious as ever.

Ultimately, Leon Aljonsen decided to temporarily adopt this suggestion.

He nodded, gesturing for Chen Xi and Leona to follow.

So the three of them set off together along a barely visible path that seemed to have been trodden by wild animals, heading deeper into the forest.

The light inside the forest was very dim.

The tall tree canopy almost completely blocked out the sky.

Only a few persistent rays of light could penetrate the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled, shimmering spots of light on the ground covered with moss and ferns.

The air was very humid and cool.

You can feel the coolness in your lungs with each breath.

The surroundings were unusually quiet.

Apart from their footsteps and the sound of the wind rustling through the treetops, there was almost no other noise.

This silence, however, only intensified the oppressive feeling of the environment.

The Lion King walked at the very front.

His every step was steady and firm.

The power armor made a dull thud as it stepped on the soft soil and dead branches.

His sharp eyes scanned his surroundings constantly, alert to any potential danger.

At the same time, he was also trying to perceive the "inner guidance" that Chen Xi had mentioned.

Leona silently followed beside Chen Xi.

Her presence was very weak.

But those emerald green eyes, which shared the same origin as the original body, were also observing everything around them.

Chen Xi, on the other hand, appeared more composed.

He seemed to have no fear of the forest.

It's more of an attitude of observation and research.

(End of this chapter)