The Bizarre Adventure of the Warhammer Guard

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Loken and Abaddon were watching in horror as Eribus fled and the Imperial Guards suddenly appeared.

"Azekael Abaddon." Elpis slowly turned around, his gaze passing over Loken and looking at Abaddon.

Abaddon, whose name was called, tensed his muscles, gripped his sword tightly, and assumed a defensive stance, ready to strike. The two Gastrin Terminators beside Abaddon also slowly moved their feet, forming a triangular encirclement.

Although the armor of the Imperial Guards in front of them was covered with many scratches and had a huge sword wound in the chest, the three of them had been fighting hard all along.

They might not be able to escape unscathed from this Imperial Guard, especially since Loken, who had just been rescued by the Imperial Guard, was also present.

"My lord, I beg you," Loken said, sensing that the guards beside him did not show any killing intent. "There is no need for bloodshed today. They were only bewitched by the dark forces before."

"The enemy's leader has now been killed." Loken took one last sorrowful look at his father's body, then picked up his blade and stood beside Elpis. "If you insist on doing this, I will stand with you and fight for the Emperor."

Faced with this situation, Abaddon and his two companions were on high alert. They surrounded the two men, their weapons were charging, and their communication devices were broadcasting to call for other friendly forces on the Vengeance Soul.

Elpis, wielding the Spear of the Moon, slammed the spearhead heavily onto the deck of the cabin. The immense force caused the entire cabin to shake, and silvery-white energy flowed continuously along the spear.

"Loken, you have to come with me. As for you," Elpis glanced at Loken beside him, then looked at Abaddon, "you may escape death, but you won't escape punishment."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Elpis moved, as swift as lightning. No one present could see what was happening and could only hurriedly assume a defensive stance.

A white flash streaked across the sky as Elpis's attack cleaved through Abaddon's signature tuft of hair, severing it completely.

At this time, Abaddon had no hair around his head except for a tuft of black hair in the middle where his original high ponytail used to be.

"You—!" Abaddon was furious.

"Let's go, Loken." Elpis picked up Loken, activated the teleportation device of the Spear of the Moon, and returned to the palace.

Seeing the two figures disappear before them, and Abaddon with his "true" pointed head, the remaining two sons of Horus looked at each other in bewilderment. Of course, there was also the furious Abaddon.

-

The scene changes, and Elpis and Loken have arrived at the entrance to the throne room.

"My lord, where is this..." Loken shook his head, trying to ease the discomfort from the teleportation, and looked at everything around him that was both familiar and strange.

The place was in ruins, the air thick with the scent of the war's end. Dried bloodstains stained the steps. There was only one door, a massive golden door with intricate carvings.

"Terra, the Golden Throne," came Elpis's deep voice. Then, Elpis opened the door and went inside.

The aged figure that Elpis had seen when he first arrived was no longer on the golden throne hanging high on the steps. The Marker Macardo was no more; only "Hero Macardo" remained.

The Emperor has succeeded the hero Macardo and sat on the Golden Throne. The throne is like a greedy machine, frantically draining the Emperor's spiritual power. The entire throne room is filled with a dazzling golden light, both cold and scorching.

Everyone knelt on the ground, filled with sorrow. The Emperor's immense spiritual power overflowed, echoing throughout the throne room.

"The future is in your hands, my children," the Emperor spoke, his voice barely audible. "You are hope, the hope for humanity's future."

"Elpis, make good use of your talent. That weapon merely draws out your abilities, abilities you were born with."

The Emperor's psychic power gradually subsided, the light from the golden throne was no longer dazzling, and the Emperor's face grew even thinner. He no longer had the strength to speak; the golden throne was like a prison, tormenting the body and soul of the human ruler.

After an unknown amount of time, everyone gradually left the throne room and gathered at the entrance.

"The palace needs repairs," Waldo broke the silence first. "We failed to protect him, that was our dereliction of duty, but it won't happen again, I swear."

"We will continue to wipe out the rebels on Terra," Dorn began. "We will send people to help you rebuild the palace, and then we will hunt down the rebels who have fled Terra."

At that moment, Dorn's communication device rang, and the battle cry of the five hundred worlds of Alteramar sounded from the other end of the device. Robert Guilliman rushed back to the solar system, and the Limit Lord finally crossed the warp to come to the rescue.

"I have other things to attend to." After saying this, Dorn and the other Astartes hurriedly left.

Now only the Imperial Guard and Locke remain.

"I have other plans for Loken," Elpis said to Waldo, then turned to Loken. "You were once part of fate, Loken, but I have broken that bond. But those things won't stop there; you need to stay in the palace now."

"Yes. His Majesty told me to do what I believe is right," Waldo agreed, "but he needs to be looked after."

"Yes, sir." Loken agreed to the requests, "but I would like to participate in the reconstruction of the palace."

After hearing Loken's request, Waldo and Elpis both nodded.

-

After that, news of Guilliman's return spread throughout Terra, greatly encouraging the loyalists, who slowly began to purge the rebels.

Later, Waldor and the Primarch held a meeting, which was said to be very tense. Guilliman and Dorne were at odds again, but Dorne eventually compromised, and the Astartes Codex was promulgated afterward.

The sacred texts stipulated that the Astartes Legion be divided into battle groups of about a thousand men each, in order to prevent the recurrence of large-scale Astartes rebellions.

At the same time, the mortal auxiliary forces were not under the direct command of Astartes; they were divided into the separate Astral Army and the Imperial Navy, which commanded ground troops and sailors on ships, respectively.

After decades of development and handling of all matters, large and small, in the solar system, the palace was basically repaired, and loyal imperial guards protected it.

Elpis was in a secret underground chamber of the palace, fully armed, holding the Spear of the Moon, constantly channeling the power within his body to communicate with the Spear of the Moon.

As energy flowed, suddenly, at a certain critical point, Elpis's mind opened up, and he found himself standing on a sphere, surrounded by countless spheres of different sizes, connected by countless threads.

This peculiar scene was just like the one that occurred when Drachner stabbed him and he was unconscious.

Elpis discovered a thread resonating with him; it was a thread connecting to another sphere. He sensed from afar that it was not as large as the sphere beneath his feet, and was even less than one-tenth the size of the latter.

"This is it!" Elpis thought to himself, and then his consciousness traveled through the threads to the smaller sphere.

In that instant, a portal opened in front of Elpis, who was underground in the palace, sucked him in, and then disappeared.

The room was silent except for the rising dust.