The Bizarre Adventure of the Warhammer Guard

Elpis felt as if he were lost in the subspace, in a psychedelic, vast space.

He could sense countless spheres floating within, connected by countless intricate threads, like capillaries.

Countless spheres collapsed and shattered, while countless others were born from the void, and then countless threads vanished and were reborn.

Suddenly, Elpis felt himself being pulled by an invisible force, falling continuously.

It could be a second or hundreds of years; time meant nothing here. Elpis passed through a barrier and felt several prying eyes. Then, Elpis lost consciousness.

Darkness, boundless darkness enveloped Elpis, like a child about to drown. Elpis struggled desperately to open his eyes, trying to catch his breath.

I opened my eyes, and the light arrived as promised.

Elpis was lying on a bed, wearing armor, with a candle burning on the table beside the bed, illuminating the entire narrow space.

In the candlelight, the golden carvings on the wall were clearly visible, the imperial double-headed eagle gleaming brightly. The Spear of the Moon stood upright on a weapon rack to the side.

He found himself in the underground lounge of the palace. Elpis slowly sat up and sorted out his chaotic thoughts.

His memory only goes back to the last scene—Ra sealed Draknien inside himself and then gave him a farewell look.

A deep sadness gripped Elpis's heart. During the War of the Nets, he had already lost many of his fellow members of the Imperial Guard. And Ra, his friend, teacher, and comrade, was also gone.

"What time is it now? Where are the rebels? Is the Emperor safe?"

Countless thoughts raced through Elpis's mind. Then, he stood up, picked up the Spear of the Moon, and left the room.

There was no one outside the room. Elpis walked anxiously down the silent corridor, his heart pounding, wanting to find the Emperor as soon as possible.

At this moment, he discovered that the surrounding environment was like entering a subspace, and the space itself seemed to be writhing as if it had come to life.

Oh no, the time and space here are completely messed up, Elpis thought. The Emperor has already boarded the Vengeful Spirit, so it's impossible to go directly to the Emperor. Therefore, the only option now is to head to the Golden Throne.

Elpis shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions, and resolved to go to the Golden Throne. He gazed at the writhing space and resolutely stepped into it.

In the blink of an eye, the space churned, the black mist dissipated, and Elpis arrived before the throne.

A golden throne, radiating a dazzling light, hung high above the steps. There was no one else there, no emperor, only an old man sitting on the golden throne, his face withered and nearing death.

"The one who holds the seal!" Elpis exclaimed, and he quickly climbed the steps to the side of the throne.

Elpis finally saw Macado's face clearly. His eyes were sunken, his lips were pale, his eyes were slightly open, the muscles on his face had atrophied, the outline of his head was clearly visible, and the hood on his head covered his bald head. His body was trembling slightly.

"Master Ma." Elpis knelt on one knee, trying to keep his gaze level with Macado's, and uttered the word in a trembling voice.

Macado's eyelids trembled slightly as he saw Elpis standing beside the throne. "You've come, Elpis."

"I'm late." Elpis said, head bowed, filled with self-reproach. "I've failed, always have."

"You have done very well, child." Makado's voice was weak but full of kindness. "It is because of your help that I have the strength to speak to you here."

Makado paused, then continued, "Don't give up, don't blame yourself, child. Every small change has meaning. Little by little, they add up, and their combined power will eventually break the prison of fate."

Elpis raised his head and looked at Macado, who was suffering on the throne.

"Go, you know someone is waiting for you. Go do what you must do," came Macado's voice, as if bidding farewell.

"Goodbye, Prime Minister." Elpis was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up.

Elpis descended the steps, thinking of the Soul of Vengeance, and stepped back into the distorted space.

Space churned, and the next moment, Elpis found himself aboard the Soul of Vengeance. Before him lay the heavily wounded Emperor in Dorn's arms and the already dead Horus.

Beside the Emperor were Waldo, who was constantly blaming himself; Diocletian, who was weeping bitterly, and his fellow Imperial Guards; the remains of Saint Gilles and the Blood Angels around him; other Astartes; and of course, the equally grieving Captain Gavial Loken of the Shadowmoon Wolves—the last Shadowmoon Wolves.

"My lord!" Elpis ignored everyone else, quickly went to the emperor's side, and knelt down beside him.

"You've come, Elpis," came the Emperor's weak voice. "Thank you for your efforts and...sacrifice."

"Have we won?" Elpis asked.

"We have already triumphed, haven't we? Take me back to the throne." The Emperor looked at Elpis and said his last words, "The future of humanity rests on your shoulders."

"The teleportation beacon has been established," Dirk shouted from behind. "Let's go back first."

A fluctuation of energy appeared in the air, and the beacon was about to be transmitted. Everyone gathered at the beacon, except for Loken and Elpis.

"Loken, Elpis!" Dorn called out, "Come here, we have to go!"

“Someone must watch over him, my lord,” Loken said, looking at Dorn. “Someone must stay here and guard him.”

"Loken!"

“He is Horus Lupecal,” Loken said. “He is my father, and I am the only one who can look after him.” He then gave the Emperor the Imperial Eagle salute.

Dorn looked at Elpis. "I have other things to do, Dorn."

Dorn nodded, asking no further questions. Accompanied by the white light of the teleportation beacon, the group disappeared from the deck.

"My lord, forgive me for being unable to serve you." Loken approached Horus's body. "I still need to protect my father."

"It's alright." Elpis nodded, then quickly left and disappeared into the cabin.

Elpis did not leave completely; he merely infiltrated the adjacent cabin, his power slowly flowing towards the Spear of the Moon Goddess, preparing to activate the teleportation.

Thanks to his previous experience, Elpis felt he could better control the teleportation device of the Spear of the Moon.

Soon, through a crack he found created by the battle, Elpis saw that several more Astartes, sons of Horus, had appeared in the room.

A man is speaking to Loken; it is Azeroth's Abaddon, a company commander of the Sons of Horus and the future Warmaster.

At that moment, a figure stealthily crept up behind Loken, wielding a ritual dagger, ready to deliver a fatal blow. This figure was none other than the source of all evil—Erebas, the one who had instigated this rebellion that swept across the entire galaxy.

"Eribas!" Elpis roared, activating the teleportation device.

In an instant, Elpis was beside Loken, swinging his weapon. The next moment, Eribas's arm was severed. With another swing, Elpis aimed for the head this time.

At that moment, Irebas was enveloped in black smoke, instantly dodging Elpis's attack.

"Child of the Curse!" Eribus screamed, his form becoming transparent. "You dare to destroy the great closed loop! You cannot protect him; one day the prophecy will come true. You, and that false emperor, will ultimately fail!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Irebas, who had uttered those harsh words, disappeared from the room.

"At least not now," Elpis murmured, "that's enough."