Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 697 The Sword in the Stone

King Leon fell into a brief silence. He gazed at the distant castle, his heart filled with conflict and struggle.

On the one hand, his pride as a Primarch and his instinct to explore the unknown strongly drove him to challenge the trials in that mysterious castle; on the other hand, Chen Xi's warning and his own clear understanding of the current situation forced him to act cautiously.

He could feel a strange attraction to the castle, as if it were connected to his bloodline, constantly calling him to go there. This call was both familiar and strange, both alluring and fraught with danger.

This attraction is not purely a mental disturbance, but more like a resonance from the depths of our genes, a natural yearning for a shared source of power.

He tried to analyze the source of this feeling, whether it was a psionic effect or some kind of call from a more fundamental material level.

However, due to insufficient information, a definitive conclusion cannot be drawn.

Ultimately, a sense of responsibility to the empire and a desire for greater power temporarily outweighed caution.

He knew that given the many threats facing the Milky Way, any opportunity to enhance their own strength was crucial, even if it came with risks.

He took a deep breath, made up his mind, and began to move upstream, trying to find a path to the other side and get closer to the castle.

He knew he couldn't wait any longer; the crisis facing the empire wouldn't allow him to hesitate here for long.

His steps were firm, and his power armor made a dull, rhythmic sound as it trod the soft forest floor.

However, he had only taken a few steps when, in the shadow of a huge ancient tree beside him, the air rippled slightly like water.

A short figure dressed in a heavy, dark robe appeared without warning—it was a Dark Watcher.

The mysterious guardian blocked the Lion King's path, raising an arm completely covered by his sleeve and making a clear gesture of obstruction.

Although the hood completely obscured his face, the Lion King could clearly sense the unwavering determination contained in that "gaze".

The Dark Watcher's appearance remains bizarre, as if it were formed from the shadows themselves, and its very existence carries an aura that is detached from common sense.

The Lion King stopped, and his power armor servo system emitted a slight hum.

He first looked at the suddenly appearing Dark Watcher, then turned to look at Chen Xi standing to the side, a complicated expression on his face.

He asked the same questions he had previously posed to Chen Xi to the ancient guardian, his voice filled with obvious confusion and inquiry: "Where exactly is this place? Who is the old king on that ship? Why isn't he answering me? What are the monsters in the water? And what is that castle?"

His question was direct and urgent; he hoped to get a clearer answer from this being who was closer to the core secrets of this place.

The Dark Watchers were silent for a moment, as if scrutinizing the Lion King through his heavy robes, or as if trying to understand these issues in their own unique way.

Then, a deep, hoarse voice, as if it hadn't spoken in a long time, echoed directly in the Lion King's mind, rather than traveling through the air:

“This is ‘home’.” This was the answer to the first question, concise yet profound, without further explanation, but the weight carried by the word itself made the Lion King’s heart tremble.

"The old king is ignoring you because you asked the wrong question." This statement corroborates Chen Xi's previous explanation, suggesting that communicating with that being requires a specific method or understanding.

"The monsters in the water will tear you apart." The warning was direct and fraught with danger, its tone devoid of exaggeration, simply stating a straightforward and brutal fact. "Going to the castle... is too early." This final judgment was almost identical to Chen Xi's conclusion, completely sealing off any possibility of him moving forward at this moment.

Faced with this situation—a situation reinforced by the Inquisitor's knowledge-based explanation and the Dark Watcher's warnings stemming from ancient traditions—Lion Eljonsson the Lion King understood that he had to temporarily suppress his inner impulses.

He does possess great strength, but he is not a reckless fool.

Both Chen Xi's analysis and the Dark Watcher's intuition led to the same conclusion: he was not yet ready to face the trials that might exist within that castle.

Forcing a breakthrough will likely result not in gaining power, but in meaningless destruction.

He slowly withdrew his gaze from the castle, burying that intense longing deep within his heart, which transformed into an even more resolute determination.

He glanced at Chen Xi and Leona, who were standing quietly to the side, then nodded slightly to the Dark Watcher, indicating that he accepted his advice.

“I understand.” The Lion King’s voice regained its usual composure. “Then, let’s continue exploring this ‘home’.”

His tone carried a hint of helplessness, but more so a calm acceptance of reality.

The Dark Watcher said nothing more, simply vanishing as if it had never existed, disappearing into the shadows.

But the Lion King could sense that he had not truly left, but was still following them in the shadows, like a silent guardian.

Thus, the peculiar trio of Lion King Leon Aljonsen, Judge Chen Xi, and the young Lion King Leona once again embarked on their journey along the seemingly endless path of the Caliban Great Forest.

The forest remained deep and mysterious, the castle in the distance stood silently, and the old king in the river continued his fishing in silence, the flowing blood suppressing the darkness beneath.

For the Lion King, this unexpected journey was not only a revisit to the phantom of his homeland, but also the beginning of a deeper understanding of his own nature and a confrontation with the power left behind by the Emperor.

His awakening signifies far more than a physical return. They walk in the cracks of time, on the boundary between memory and reality.

The three of them walked along the path in the forest for quite a distance.

The shape of the surrounding trees gradually changed, from the oppressive, ancient giants to a relatively sparse woodland with slightly different tree species.

The humidity in the air seemed to have lessened somewhat, and the light was slightly brighter, although the sky itself was still shrouded in an eternal twilight or some kind of energy barrier, making it difficult to discern its exact source.

Finally, they found a huge, unusually prominent rock in an open area beside the path.

This boulder is about twice the height of a normal person. It is dark black all over, with a rough surface covered with mottled moss and traces of erosion over the years.

However, the most striking feature is that a power sword is deeply embedded in the top of the boulder.

About a third of the sword was embedded in the rock, and the exposed part gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the dim light. The hilt was simple and practical in design, without too many ornate decorations, yet it exuded a sense of majesty.

(End of this chapter)