Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 698 Out of the Forest
Chen Xi was the first to notice the sword. He raised his hand, signaling the group to stop.

His gaze swept carefully over the boulder and the sword, making a quick observation and analysis of everything from the texture of the rock and the growth of the moss to the style of the sword and the angle at which it was inserted.

Then he turned to the Lion King and said in a calm tone, “My lord, look at the sword on that stone. It seems... to be waiting for something.”

His words carried a hint, as if he recognized the origin of the sword, or at least sensed its extraordinary nature.

Lion King Leon looked in the direction Chen Xi indicated.

His gaze was immediately drawn to the power sword.

He was very familiar with the shape and decorative style of the sword. It was a typical feature of the Dark Angels Legion, with exquisite carvings and a solemn structure that were consistent with the Legion's standard weapons in his memory, but seemed to be even more ancient and refined.

An indescribable sense of familiarity and fondness welled up in his heart.

This sword seemed to be an extension of some vague memory from his past, or perhaps an unactivated component of his power system.

He walked steadily to the boulder, extended his power-armored hand, and grasped the sword hilt.

It felt cool and firm to the touch, and fit his palm perfectly.

Without much hesitation, he exerted force with his arm, and with a slight cracking sound, the sword was easily pulled out of the boulder. The whole process was smoother than he could have imagined, as if the sword had always belonged to him and was just temporarily stored there.

The Lion King held a long sword and swung it a few times in the air, the blade cutting through the air with a distinctive hum.

He felt the weight distribution and balance of the sword. Its length, weight, and grip were all perfectly suited to him, as if the sword had been tailor-made for him.

The energy field of the sword is stable and powerful when activated, demonstrating superb craftsmanship and a powerful power core.

At this moment, he remembered the power sword that Chen Xi had lent him before. That sword had been severely damaged in the previous battle with Typhons and was no longer usable.

He turned to face Chen Xi and said solemnly, "Judge, the sword you lent me was destroyed in the battle. I assure you, after we leave this place, I will give you a finely crafted power sword as a return gift."

This is a solemn promise, a promise from the Primarch that carries great weight.

Chen Xi simply shook her head slightly, her face expressionless, seemingly unconcerned about the so-called return gift.

His attention was more focused on the newly unearthed sword, and he gestured to the Lion King, saying, "If a weapon suits your taste, then it is fate. My lord, you should give it a name."

His suggestion carried a certain traditional or ceremonial tone, as if naming such a weapon was a necessary step.

The Lion King lowered his head, examining once more the exquisite and powerful weapon in his hand. After a moment's thought, he raised his head and said in a clear and firm voice, "This sword will accompany me to slay evil and uphold loyalty. Its name is 'Dedication'."

The name directly reflects his current state of mind and his expectations for the future—to put loyalty into action and eliminate all enemies of the empire.

Upon hearing the name, Chen Xi's eyes flickered slightly, but she made no comment, simply nodding to indicate that she knew.

Leona watched the whole process quietly from the side, her gaze shifting back and forth between the Lion King and the sword called "Loyalty," a hint of curiosity on her face, but she remained silent.

After securely hanging "Loyalty Offering" on the magnetic lock at his waist, the Lion King felt a sense of security from his new weapon and signaled the team to continue moving forward.

The environment in the forest began to change. A mist, seemingly from nowhere, gradually spread out. At first, it was just a thin layer, lingering among the tree roots and low bushes, but it quickly became thick, like a milky white veil covering the surroundings.

The outlines of the trees became blurred and distorted in the fog, resembling lurking giants. Visibility dropped rapidly, and objects just a few steps away were difficult to discern.

As they traveled through the thick fog, all three felt somewhat disoriented, their sense of direction and time becoming confused.

The path beneath my feet appeared and disappeared intermittently, and the surrounding scenery was repetitive and monotonous, with almost no other colors visible except for the pervasive gray and white.

They instinctively followed the faint path beneath their feet, staying close together to avoid getting separated.

The dense fog not only obscured visibility but also seemed to interfere with other senses; even the data from the power armor's sensors became unstable and cluttered.

Unbeknownst to them, they seemed to have crossed an invisible boundary, and the surrounding scenery suddenly changed. The feeling was like passing through a thin film of water, or like being suddenly awakened from a long dream.

When they came to their senses, they found that the thick fog around them had dissipated, not gradually fading, but abruptly disappearing completely.

They were still in a forest, but the scenery here was completely different from the Kaliban Forest they had seen before.

Although the trees here are also tall, they vary greatly in species and shape. The light in the forest is noticeably brighter, and you can even see the light source in the sky through the relatively sparse canopy.

That wasn't the hazy sky of Caliban, but a star radiating a steady, warm, and real light.

The dampness and oppressive feeling in the air disappeared, replaced by a relatively fresh and dry atmosphere, carrying the natural scent of earth and plants.

The sense of gravity and the composition of the atmosphere seemed to have returned to the standards of the normal human world that the Lion King was familiar with.

They looked around and confirmed that they had left the strange space they had been in and arrived in a seemingly normal but completely unfamiliar forest environment.

The path behind them disappeared, replaced by ordinary woodland, as if they had naturally emerged from this forest.

The eternal whispers of Caliban, the sobs of the river, the calls of the castle—all those unusual sensations vanished, replaced by a normal world that seemed to conform to the laws of physics.

The three of them walked out of the forest and entered another world.

They continued down the gentle slope through the forest, and after walking for several kilometers, the view suddenly opened up.

At the edge of the forest, at the end of a cleared and reinforced area, stands a majestic fortress.

Built against the mountain, this fortress is large in scale and has a solid structure. Its appearance is a typical combination of Gothic and functionalist styles. The towering spires, thick walls, dense gun emplacements and fortifications all indicate its military purpose.

Its architectural style and scale resembled a chapter monastery of a Space Marine chapter, and the unique solemnity, majesty, and religious grandeur were all too familiar to Lion King and Chen Xi.

The fortress walls are made of massive rocks and metal, and the surface shows the marks of war and subsequent repairs.

The entire fortress was like a lurking beast, silent yet full of power.

They stood at the edge of the forest, observing the fortress, trying to discern the insignia of their chapter or any symbol that could identify them.

Currently, there are no particularly eye-catching flags or badges hanging outside the fortress, but its architectural style undoubtedly belongs to the Astartes.

They need to decide on their next course of action: whether to try to make contact or continue to observe.

(End of this chapter)