Alright, the great Lord of the First Legion, Father of the Dark Angels, Son of the Emperor, Lion El'Jonson, was sent flying by a rocket launcher.
Looking at the Lion King, who was firmly embedded in the wall, Emrys and Zabriel's reactions were swift; they immediately split up.
Emrys pulled out a melta gun and, aiming at the Chaos spawn that had just emerged from the Warp vortex, responded with a point-blank shot!
Boom!
The scorching, fiery light, like a surging giant wave, was inexplicably blocked by an invisible wall of Qi as it approached the opponent!
Clearly, the opponent was also a psyker!
Or rather, a psychic librarian.
And the opponent was very alert; after using psychic powers to block the melta shot, he immediately dispersed and formed a tactical formation, each covering the other.
Damn it!
Emrys realized the danger at once.
He no longer cared about his image, performing a clumsy roll and hiding behind cover, followed by a barrage of bolter rounds that almost chased his backside, embedding themselves in the concrete floor.
Bang, bang, bang, bang—
The ground was riddled with fist-sized craters from the bolter rounds, and heavy footsteps echoed through the room. Just from the sound,
Emrys guessed they were completely surrounded!
Meanwhile, on the other side, Zabriel's figure was concealed in the darkness. His old bolter gun occasionally declared the God of Death's presence from the shadows, aimed at these Chaos spawns!
Although the opponent had gained the upper hand by ambushing the Lion King, the latter was, after all, a Primarch. Even if his armor was 'battered and old,'
It was still a 'divine artifact'!
The Lion King, sent flying by the rocket, was briefly stunned for less than zero point a second.
Then came an unprecedented fury.
Boom!
The several-inch-thick concrete wall was shattered, and the Lion King, freed and seething with rage, swore to make these damned Chaos spawns pay for their ignorance!
"Kill him!"
The psychic librarian calmly commanded.
The dozen or so Chaos Space Marines he brought, relying on their advantageous position, unleashed a crossfire of overwhelming firepower upon the Lion King. Undeniably, the close cooperation between the Space Marines, even against someone as strong as the Lion King, a Primarch, could only force him to cower and scurry.
These were not ordinary bolter rounds; there were also plasma, melta, and other lethal weapons!
If the Lion King dared to be stubborn, the opponent wouldn't mind letting him experience the destructive power of a melta blast to the face!
The Commander on the other side, that psychic librarian, was also extraordinary. He immediately recognized the Lion King's oddity, deemed him the primary threat, and ordered his subordinates to fully suppress this four-meter-tall Space Marine.
This put the Lion King in a tough spot.
He tried to close in several times but was always forced back by a plasma shot that grazed his body.
Even in the end, that Chaos psychic librarian used wicked Chaos sorcery to distort the entire room's terrain, creating numerous obstacles to prevent the Lion King from suddenly approaching him.
The battle reached a stalemate for a time.
Although the Chaos side held a distinct advantage, their suppressing fire prevented the Lion King, Emrys, and Zabriel from approaching, but they also couldn't kill them.
In contrast, the Lion King possessed a strength advantage, but he was specifically targeted and couldn't get close at all.
Primarchs are very strong.
But this wasn't a fantasy novel, and the Lion King wasn't an Alpha psyker who could instantly kill a dozen Space Marines with a single thought.
Nor could he withstand the suppression of heavy bolters, meltas, plasma, and other highly destructive weapons, and charge through with just power armor to crush their heads.
The power of a Primarch, besides their excellent individual prowess, lay more in their minds: commanding armies, logistical construction, political maneuvering, and so on.
Watching the four-meter-tall Lion King, moving at an incredibly fast speed, almost beyond the naked eye's capture, scurrying around in the not-so-large room under suppression, the scene was indeed quite amusing.
old man, you have your day too?
Amusing as it was, Emrys was also pondering how to break the current deadlock.
He wasn't too nervous; after all, these people, at best, were just a bunch of Chaos armored units. As long as those four troublemakers didn't interfere,
It was only a matter of time before the Lion King single-handedly wiped them out.
Thinking this, Emrys shouted to Zabriel, "Buy me some time!"
Although Zabriel didn't understand what he intended to do, out of trust, he bravely emerged from the shadows, exposing himself to the muzzles of many Chaos spawns with just an old bolter gun.
What?
You ask Zabriel why he didn't use his chainsword?
The answer is simple: his chainsword was crushed during his battle with the Lion King. As for other weapons—as a Fallen Angel, Zabriel having a bolter gun left was a result of his meticulous maintenance; otherwise, even his armor would have rotted!
Instantly, several bolter rounds struck Zabriel's shoulder plate, immediately sparking!
But Zabriel's face beneath his helmet remained calm. His bird-like augments operated precisely and quickly, marking the trajectory of every incoming bullet before him!
With Zabriel's addition, a significant portion of the suppressing fire was diverted from the Lion King, allowing him to catch his breath.
"Kid, if you have a plan, hurry up and use it!" The Lion King, seizing a moment, glared at Emrys, who was trying to suppress a laugh, and said irritably, "Wait, almost ready!"
Emrys closed his eyes, gathered his psychic energy, and then, following the methods he remembered from Kamar-Taj, drew a massive magic circle.
Then, he slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Dimensional Mirror!"
In an instant, the entire room's floor, including the ceiling and walls, began to astonishingly flip, like a kaleidoscope!
And the continuously extending space, spreading out from under Emrys' feet in all directions, instantly swallowed everyone, including the Chaos faction!
"This—what is this place?!"
The Chaos psychic librarian was stunned.
The surroundings still looked like Red Moon Fortress, but the scenery had subtle differences; left, right, up, down, front, and back were all inverted!
More importantly, the dozen or so Chaos Space Marines he brought were all separated to various places by this bizarre space!
Suddenly, the psychic librarian felt a chill down his spine, a needle-like killing intent making him shiver as he looked back.
A towering figure stood there, exuding a heart-palpitating pressure. A cape, like a massive banner, billowed behind him, revealing the double wings and sword on his chest. His armor, worn by time, still couldn't conceal its past glory and honor.
Then, that figure moved.
Just taking one step, the psychic librarian felt as if a mountain range was about to crush him, and the bones in his entire body seemed to groan under the unbearable pressure!
"Who, exactly, are you?"
Amidst his terror, the psychic librarian became extremely curious about his identity.
"I am the Lord of the First Legion, Father of the Dark Angels, Lion El'Jonson!"
That majestic voice, like a king reborn, echoed through the Mirror world, even penetrating the Warp and attracting a few mysterious gazes.
Lion King? Primarch?
The first thought that flashed through the Chaos psyker's mind was that the other party was lying.
"No, that's impossible!" He seemed to be trying to cover up his panic, or perhaps deep down, he already believed the other party's words, and screamed hysterically.
"The era of the Primarchs is over! You are all figures buried in myths! How can you still be to live?!"
"You're right, but I'm back!"
The Lion King strode forward, the cloak woven from Caliban's lion fur behind him fluttering in the strong wind, each step like a death knell striking the heart of the Chaos rabble.
"Go back and tell your Sir, tell that bunch of rabble, I—Lion—am back!"
The psyker's pupils constricted sharply.
His consciousness seemed to be dragged into a forest.
In this mysterious forest, the huge figure of Lion El'Jonson seemed to transform into a male lion, it was entrenched deep in the forest, its fangs shining with a chilling cold light.
"No, don't come any closer!!!"
The psyker let out a terrified shriek.
A huge repulsive force, carrying the psyker's shriek, stirred up a visible Impact in the Mirror world, slamming into the Lion King.
The armor was unscathed, the cloak flapped loudly.
The Lion King lowered his eyelids, said nothing, and continued to walk towards the terrified psyker.
The psyker had originally thought that this blow, even if it couldn't make the Lion King feel pain, would at least repel him, buying him time to chant.
However, the result was extremely cruel.
The psychic shriek and Impact, with enough power to overturn a Leman Russ tank, only caused the Lion King's steps to delay by zero point several seconds.
What followed was an iron fist.
Under the influence of fear, the psyker tried his best to dodge, but the violent punch still caused his helmet to rub with a harsh sound.
The psyker, who had dodged one punch, hadn't even had time to catch his breath before the Lion King kneed him hard in the chest, instantly as if he had been crushed by a millstone, a spray of blood splattering on his faceplate.
Then, another punch, heavy and powerful, slammed into his helmet.
Crack!
The hard ceramite helmet, under the Lion King's fist, was as fragile as a piece of paper, easily shattered!
The psyker knelt back, dizzy.
Seven or eight tenths of his mind already believed that the other party's identity was the missing father of the Dark Angel, the Primarch, Lion El'Jonson!
After all, not many people other than a Primarch could beat a Chaos psychic librarian like a grandson with only physical strength!
"Quick, quick, save me—!"
The psyker shouted for others to help.
The Chaos Space Marines, dispersed by the Mirror world, seeing that he was about to be overwhelmed, rushed towards the Lion King from all directions.
However, Merlin once again clasped his hands together, and the entire Mirror space vibrated violently, the ground curling up like a Swiss roll, turning upside down.
And the position where the Lion King and the psyker were located was also enclosed and surrounded by the curling walls and streets.
Now, it was a 1v1 situation between him and the Lion King again.
The psyker's face was extremely ugly, wishing he could kill Merlin, and looking at the Lion King walking step by step, he could only pray that his subordinates could quickly kill that human psyker and break this strange space.
"Sorry, your enemy is me."
At this moment, the dispersed Chaos Space Marines discovered that the human was standing alone in front of them.
"Kill him!"
These Chaos Space Marines with spikes growing on their armor naturally knew how to deal with psykers.
In an instant, four people rushed from all directions, and the remaining few provided long-range support, trying to suppress Merlin with superior firepower.
But unfortunately, they miscalculated.
Merlin merely waved his hand, and psychic energy in mid-air drew a huge and complex magic circle, like a shield, blocking bolter fire and melta blasts!
Shield of Seraphim!
It was enough to block fatal attacks, and even the bombardment of a Leman Russ tank couldn't destroy it!
Merlin, freed up, clasped his hands with fingers intertwined, then pulled them apart again, dense currents of electricity flashed in the middle, then transformed into chains and flew out!
Crimson Bands of Cyttorak!
The chains, like treacherous venomous snakes, immediately bound two Chaos Space Marines.
"Fly for me!!!" Merlin yanked the chains, and using centrifugal force, slammed the bound Chaos Marines hard against the nearby wall.
Just then, the remaining two Chaos Space Marines had already come within attack range, they drew their roaring chainswords, and with a roar, slashed at Merlin's head!
Swish!!!
The chainsword sliced through Merlin's body, but passed directly through him, as if it had cut into a mirror image.
Merlin's body scattered like butterflies.
Then, he reformed again somewhere else, looked at these Chaos Marines, and crooked his finger.
"Come on, keep going."
"Don't be afraid!" One of the Chaos Space Marines gritted his teeth and said sharply.
"He's squandering psychic power like this, he won't last long, as long as we increase the intensity of our attacks, he will eventually be swallowed by the side effects!"
"Price?"
A meaningful smile appeared on Merlin's face, a crimson current flashed on his fingertips, making a crackling sound.
"Sorry, there isn't one."
The next second, the crimson current entwined around his fingertips instantly transformed into scorching lightning, as thick as a bucket, like a surging torrent, roaring violently, rushing towards these Chaos Marines.
"Bolts of Balthakk!!!"
The violent crimson lightning, like a torrent, roared and engulfed these Chaos Marines.
"Hmm, the experiment was very successful."
Looking at the results he had caused, Merlin nodded with satisfaction.
In fact, in the final analysis.
Whether it's white magic or black magic, the magic system of the Marvel universe can be simply summarized in one sentence: 'loan form'.
Taking the Sorcerer Supreme lineage as an example.
After practicing the magic of Kamar-Taj, it is equivalent to signing a contract with the Trinity 'Vishanti', whenever a Kamar-Taj mage needs to use a certain magic, he needs to pay a part of the 'Price' to 'Vishanti' in exchange for the corresponding ability.
This process is also the spellcasting.
Even as the Sorcerer Supreme, every time she uses magic, she needs to bear a huge Price, Ancient One is still fine, but Doctor Strange, as her successor, is really a bit miserable.
To put it simply, the more powerful the magic of the Sorcerer Supreme lineage, the greater the Price that comes with it.
However, Merlin is different.
Psychic power, in essence, is the power 'borrowed' by the psyker communicating with the Warp, which has a similar effect to the white magic of Kamar-Taj.
So, Merlin tried to transfer the Price of using white magic to the Warp by paying 'psychic power'.
Then, he succeeded.
The result was this: Merlin 'loaned' a sum of psychic power from the 'Warp' to pay as 'Price' to Vishanti, and then transferred the 'Price' required by Vishanti back to the Warp.
In this way, he himself was like a middleman, or one could say a guest, utilizing the Warp and 'Vishanti' to obtain the greatest benefit.
This benefit is magic!
And a correspondingly more important point, and also the area where Merlin benefited the most during his research, was that by doing this, he was neither a 'psyker' in the conventional sense, nor a Marvel magician, but a wondrous existence in between the two, a balanced individual.
He got rid of the psyker's biggest troubles, namely the intrusion of the Warp and the side effects of psychic power, as well as the magician's Price problem.
As for what Vishanti, as the 'lender', and the Warp thought, that had nothing to do with Merlin himself.
What?
You're saying this is a phone scam?
Then Merlin can only say, sorry, he's just trying his best to live, if you have any questions, you can go find the Warp and Vishanti!
Soon, in less than half a minute, that Chaos psyker, who was trapped in the same place as the Lion, had his armor ripped to shreds by the enraged Lion. Then, with a clean and swift motion, the Lion tore out his head along with his entire spinal column!
When the Lion carried that head, still connected to the spine, and stood before the remaining Chaos Space Marines, the brains of these Chaos Astartes felt as if they had been bombarded by bolter fire, falling into a state of shock.
Thud!
The Lion casually tossed the head at the feet of these Chaos Astartes.
Then, the Lion looked down at them from a commanding height and calmly asked, "Your sorcerer is dead. Now tell me, how can I break the curse of weakness he placed on me?"
Weakness... curse?!
These Chaos Space Marines were even more bewildered.
Single-handedly, relying only on his physical strength, he had slaughtered almost two of their tactical squads, and even annihilated a Chaos Lord and a psyker Librarian. And he called this "weakness"?!
They exchanged glances, immediately perceiving this as an insult, and let out roars of "Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne!" Waving their chainswords and bolters, they sought to kill this powerful "Monster."
Emrys watched from the side in silence, without the slightest intention of intervening.
Chainswords and bolters might be a threat to Space Marines, but they were certainly not to a Primarch.
The Lion's dynamic vision could easily track the movement of every inch of their muscles, and he could predict the trajectory of a bullet even before the trigger was pulled.
A few bullets, by chance, struck the front of the Lion's power armor, but they merely ricocheted off, leaving not even a scratch.
And the chainsword that swung at him was shattered into pieces by a casual strike from the Lion.
The Lion seized the opponent's wrist, his five fingers suddenly exerting force, crushing the wrist armor and bones. Flesh mixed with steel fragments fell away. Before the opponent could even scream, a punch, like a cannonball, smashed into him!
Crack!
The head of this Chaos wretch immediately burst open like a watermelon, red and white viscous matter flowing out.
The second Chaos wretch, with a powerful swing of his sword, was blocked by the Lion's left arm armor. Then, grabbing his head, the Lion spun him 720 degrees, finally slamming his head into the ground, embedding it deep like a planted onion.
Following that were the third and fourth—
It wasn't until the entire Chaos squad was single-handedly annihilated by the Lion that the enraged Primarch felt a slight alleviation of the fury deep within him.
As expected of the Lion!
Among the Primarchs, he was one of the foremost in dueling ability. Although aged and old, the strength he displayed was still as formidable as it once was.
However, after dealing with the Chaos wretches, the Lion showed no joy on his face. He lowered his head, staring at his own hands as if they were utterly unfamiliar.
A moment later, the Lion turned to look at Emrys.
"You are a psyker; you should be able to break the curse of weakness they placed on me, right?"
Emrys blinked.
Weakness?
The moment you woke up, you nearly killed him and Zabriel. Now, you've single-handedly massacred two Chaos tactical squads, along with their lord. Where do you look weak?
If this counts as weakness, then wouldn't he be crippled?!
"Is that not possible?"
There was a hint of confusion in the Lion's voice. "—I don't quite understand what you mean, lord."
Honestly, Emrys truly didn't believe that the Lion's current appearance showed any sign of being cursed.
"I've been cursed."
The Lion patiently explained, "I can feel that my strength, speed, and all aspects are much weaker than before. What else could this be if not a curse?"
Hearing this, Zabriel and Emrys instinctively exchanged glances, seeing a shadow of helplessness in each other's eyes, and fell into an eerie silence.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing their strange expressions, the Lion's already irritable temper flared up, and his voice involuntarily grew louder.
Finally, under Zabriel's pleading gaze, Emrys could only sigh and say to the Lion, "Lord, no curse has been placed upon you at all."
"That's impossible."
The Lion immediately retorted, inadvertently showing a hint of anger, "I can clearly feel that I've grown much weaker!"
"This is neither sorcery nor a curse."
As he spoke, Emrys conjured a mirror, directing it towards the Lion's face, showing the Lion's appearance when he first encountered them.
"You have merely aged—lord."
This was the first time the Lion had truly and clearly seen his own face since awakening.
Old, aged, time had etched the marks of years on his once handsome and formidable face, with wrinkles like ravines crisscrossing it, and his once lion's mane-like golden hair had turned gray.
The person reflected in the mirror was no longer the young, mighty, and handsome Lion, but an old man.
Zabriel saw the complex emotions flowing in the Lion's eyes and also spoke softly from the side, "Lord, you have been missing for ten thousand years. No one can escape aging, not even you, the Emperor's divine son."
Aging.
This was the first time the Lion had confronted this cruel reality. He had thought his 'weakness' was due to an evil curse.
But he hadn't expected it to be something even crueler: time!
Zabriel watched the Lion with trepidation, fearing that this somewhat unstable 'father' would explode in rage over this matter and use him as a punching bag!
But in fact, after the Lion learned, or rather, witnessed with his own eyes, his aged appearance, he merely remained silent for a long time. Then, with a calm, almost unnaturally even tone, he said to Emrys, "The enemies here are dealt with. It's time for us to go back."
Unexpectedly, the Lion did not get angry, nor did he show any signs of difficulty accepting it. He quickly accepted the fact that he had aged.
Emrys dispelled the dimensional mirror.
They returned to Red Moon Fortress. The Lion ordered Zabriel to clear away the traces of Chaos here, then he walked out alone.
Emrys followed him.
All the way, the Lion remained silent until he reached outside Red Moon Fortress, where he took off his helmet and gazed up at the starry sky.
"If you're here to comfort me, there's no need." The Lion naturally noticed Emrys following him. Although his mood was still low, his tone was somewhat haughty.
"I am the Lord of the Dark Angels, the Primarch, Lion El'Jonson. This minor difficulty cannot break a true Caliban Knight."
Emrys scratched his head, agreeing.
"Of course I know you won't be defeated by such a small difficulty."
The Lion's lips curved slightly, seemingly pleased with his answer, then his gaze dropped.
"This battle was a personal test for you, and the result—barely a pass."
"A test?!"
Emrys' mouth twitched.
This counts as a test?
You single-handedly crushed the enemy, and throughout the entire process, he and Zabriel were purely bystanders. Was there any need for a test?
"Do you think, with me present, this test was unnecessary?" the Lion said indifferently.
"Uh—"
Emrys was a bit confused for a moment, not understanding the Lion's meaning.
"Based on my assessment, you relied too heavily on your psychic abilities during the battle." The Lion evaluated mercilessly.
"Your awareness, footwork, combat, firearms—all are failing grades. As the Grand Sir of the Sons of the Forest, my First Watch Knight, I am very disappointed in your performance!"
Emrys was speechless. Could he be blamed for this?
He was a psyker to begin with. If he didn't rely on psychic abilities, was he supposed to draw a knife and engage in melee combat?
Moreover, his close-combat skills, firearms, and awareness were only trained for a few days by Jackal initially; after that, he had to figure everything out on his own.
"Don't be nervous, I'm not finished yet."
The Lion eyed him, sneering, "Since I appointed you as the First Watch Knight, Grand Sir of the Sons of the Forest, you must be able to bear this honor and responsibility. Otherwise—how will you earn their trust?!"
"You mean—"
A familiar feeling arose spontaneously. Emrys looked into the Lion's eyes, inexplicably having a bad premonition.
"It's simple."
The Lion raised an eyebrow and grinned.
"From now on, I will 'personally' teach you how to become a qualified Caliban Knight. Be mentally prepared; I won't go easy on you!"
Deep within the mysterious forest, Emrys, like a wild man, lurked in a swamp, with only the upper half of his face exposed, breathing the foul, murky air. His entire face was covered in mud, as if he had completely merged with his surroundings.
Not even the beast dwelling by the swamp noticed that a human was lurking not far from it.
Although the stench in the swamp was overwhelming, it served to mask his human scent, preventing the terrifying giant beast from discovering him.
He had been here like this for three whole days, all for this very moment!
The Behemoth beast!
This was the target of his Hunt; only by slaying this giant beast and bringing back its head would he fulfill the Lion King's requirement. The Behemoth beast is an amphibious giant beast, with adult specimens reaching an astonishing five meters in size. They resemble silverback gorillas but are covered in thick mud armor. This is because they prefer to stay near swamps, and over time, the mud adheres to their skin, forming a natural layer of armor.
Furthermore, these giant beasts possess extremely high intelligence and immense strength in their arms, making it difficult even for Space Marines to contend with them head-on. If injured, their hormones surge, and they enter a state called 'Enraged,' where their strength and speed multiply!
The Behemoth beast was an ancient monster that inhabited the world Caliban.
But later, these giant beasts were almost completely slaughtered under the Caliban Knightly Order led by the Lion King, and by rights, they should have been an extinct species that would no longer appear.
However, in this mysterious forest, Behemoth beasts still resided.
Based on his observations over the past three days, he had gained some understanding of the Behemoth beast's habits.
To explain why things turned out this way, one must go back to the Lion King's words half a month ago.
When the Lion King meaningfully told him that he would personally train him, Emrys showed strong resistance and tried to reason with the Lion King.
But unfortunately, if the Lion King could be easily persuaded, he wouldn't be the Lion King.
His protest was ruthlessly rejected by the Lion King.
In the following days, Emrys fully experienced what it felt like to be personally 'cared for' by the Lion King. It was no exaggeration to say it was worse than death!
Lion El'Jonson's swordsmanship was a pinnacle art that combined the traditional techniques of Caliban's knights throughout history with his personal philosophy.
It was highly practical!
This Caliban swordsmanship emphasized striking to kill, avoiding superfluous movements, minimizing one's weaknesses, and combining both strength and speed.
It could be said that the Lion King's own swordsmanship ranked among the best, even top-tier, in the Imperium.
But this was pure torment for Emrys.
It wasn't that he hadn't learned swordsmanship before, but the Professor who taught him back then was simply full of flaws compared to the Lion King!
The most direct result was that Emrys had dozens of sword wounds on him almost every day, and this was even with the Lion King deliberately controlling his strength.
As the Lion King put it, he wouldn't use such a gentle teaching method; a lion must endure brutal combat to be worthy of survival!
This training method was very 'Lion King.'
"Too slow!"
The Lion King casually intercepted Emrys with a single sword stroke.
Then, with a seemingly simple chop, he bypassed Emrys' defense, leaving a shallow sword wound on him.
"Your movements are too many, too complex!" the Lion King, holding a very ordinary iron sword, reprimanded loudly, "In a real fight, you must learn to reduce your movements as much as possible, making every single one of your actions precise and concise!"
As he spoke, the Lion King swung his sword again, still a seemingly simple thrust. Emrys retreated, raising his sword to try and block.
But the same situation happened again!
The Lion King's sword tip dropped, stabbing towards Emrys' leg. The latter hastily turned his sword to block, but unexpectedly, he neglected his upper defense, and his head immediately took a punch.
"Ignoring the top for the bottom, how did your previous teacher train you?!" the Lion King roared, bringing his sword down, "Swordsmanship isn't just about how to use a sword; you also need to consider your footwork! Where are your legs? What is your other hand for?!"
Clang!!!
A sword struck Emrys' blade, the violent tremor almost causing his tiger's mouth to split and his sword to fly out of his hand.
"Hold your weapon tight!" the Lion King said, "In the chaotic battlefield of the future, losing your weapon means losing your life!"
Looking at the panting Emrys, the Lion King uncharacteristically showed a hint of tenderness.
"Can you still endure it?"
"Yes!"
Despite being tormented to death, Emrys gritted his teeth and persisted.
"Again!"
"Very good."
A faint smile appeared on the Lion King's face, then vanished, replaced by sternness.
"To be merciful to you here would be to harm you—even though you are a psyker, you must also learn this swordsmanship!"
"Yes!"
Emrys trembled, gripping his blade, took a deep breath, and said, "Come on, Lion King!"
Just when he had finally learned Caliban swordsmanship through the Lion King's brutal training, the second trial immediately followed.
The Lion King took all of Emrys' equipment, including his shattered Thunderhawk Power Armour, Sir-crafted bolter, power sword, and plasma gun.
All that was left for him was a single dagger.
Looking at the irregular, jagged edge of the dagger, it was clear that this dagger had 'seen many battles.'
Then, the Lion King took Emrys and Zabriel directly to a mysterious space.
"This is—Caliban?!"
Zabriel was stunned; the familiar forest before his eyes made him feel as if he had returned to Caliban.
But his knowledge told him that this was definitely not the Caliban forest, because Caliban had long been destroyed, and now only the Rock Fortress remained!
The Lion King did not explain to them what this place was. He simply pointed to the depths of the forest and said to Emrys, "This is your final trial. Enter this forest, find a giant beast named 'Behemoth,' hunt it down, cut off its head, and then return here."
This was Emrys' trial!
It was also to verify the results of the special training the Lion King had personally given him over the past half-month!
"It's been three days—."
Zabriel looked at the mysterious forest, his voice tinged with worry.
"Is this really okay? He's not a Space Marine, nor does he have any equipment, yet he's going to hunt a Behemoth beast."
"Are you questioning lord's decision?"
The Lion King sat by the lake, expressionless.
"No, lord, I dare not question your decision, it's just—" Zabriel shook his head.
"According to the records of Caliban, Behemoth beasts can use psychic powers, can't they?"
"Yes."
The Lion King's tone remained cold.
"Lord, he is just a mortal, even if he is a psyker, to hunt a Behemoth beast alone—" Zabriel felt a pang of pity.
"If I remember correctly, in the Blood Trials of Caliban, the only person recorded to have hunted a Behemoth beast alone was you—right?"
"What are you trying to say?"
The Lion King slowly turned his head to look at Zabriel.
Looking at the Lion King's cold eyes, Zabriel took a deep breath and, mustering his courage, said, "I believe that the subject of the trial you set is unreasonable. A Behemoth beast is definitely not something he can hunt."
"Are you trying to say that I deliberately sent him to his death?"
The Lion King's eyes were calm as he slowly spoke.
"No, no—"
Zabriel lowered his head, feeling the air around him suddenly become extremely oppressive.
"He is not an ordinary person."
However, the Lion King suddenly uttered such a sentence, seemingly full of profound meaning.
"Don't worry, this is a step he must take, and I am merely speeding up the process a little."
Not an ordinary person?
Zabriel was stunned by these words. For some reason, the scene of him finding Emrys suddenly flashed in his mind.
Under the giant tree, Emrys was enveloped in a golden light, like a fledgling bird waiting to hatch in an eggshell!