After a round of questioning, Zeke finally understood the chain of events.
"Kid, you'd better explain fast—what is this thing?"
Bloodhowl had been studying the Nether Portal for a good while, sensing something deeply unnatural about it.
Zeke rattled off a long-winded explanation—that it was a teleportation gate connecting to another dimension, and that it was perfectly safe.
Bloodhowl looked at Dante, who had just emerged from it. "You call this safe?"
"At least he's alive."
"Wolf Lord, we can proceed inside for preliminary reconnaissance," a soldier of the Mechanicus Skitarii interjected.
They volunteered eagerly to explore.
However, seeing their excitement, Zeke suspected they had ulterior motives—likely technical curiosity bordering on heresy.
Bloodhowl studied the volunteers, pondered for a moment, and eventually agreed.
"I'll tag along too," Zeke added. "The Nether can be a bit dicey; having me there adds a layer of insurance."
Soon, the recon squad was assembled. With Zeke acting as their guide, they vanished into the Nether Portal together.
Bloodhowl watched them disappear into the purple swirl and lowered his vox-caster, which had lost connection the moment they crossed the threshold.
A mere moment later, Bloodhowl saw the portal's surface ripple, and the Skitarii and Zeke emerged.
Everyone, except for Zeke, wore expressions of excitement.
"Incredible," the Skitarii chattered among themselves, discussing the sights and data they had gathered inside.
"Hold on." Bloodhowl raised a hand to cut off the report.
"From the time you went in to the time you came out, barely two seconds passed. You did all that in two seconds?"
"Two seconds?" Zeke clearly remembered that they had spent at least eighty minutes inside, surveying the surrounding environment.
Zeke and Bloodhowl exchanged glances, both realizing the implication at the same time.
Time dilation!
Zeke ran a few more back-and-forth tests with the squad, finally confirming that time inside the Nether Portal was almost frozen relative to the real world.
"Looks like Captain Bloodhowl can stick around on this planet a bit longer. No need to rush off to the Blackstone Fortress," Zeke quipped.
Bloodhowl glared at him but didn't refute it.
Beside them, Dante was looking on with desperate hope.
"His coworkers are trapped in a Chaos-infested ore processing plant," Zeke told Bloodhowl. "According to him, there are plenty of goodies inside that facility."
Dante nodded frantically. "Refinery Number Three. A lot of the equipment is destroyed, but the underground silos still hold a massive amount of un-transported raw ore. Since the Chaos scum took over, they seem to be trying to restart some of the furnaces."
Seeing Bloodhowl still hesitating, Zeke raised the stakes. "Worst case scenario, I'll build a Nether Portal later and send you directly to the Blackstone Fortress."
This was an offer Bloodhowl couldn't refuse.
"Kid, are you sure this door can accurately target the vicinity of the Blackstone Fortress?"
Zeke pointed confidently at the portal. "As long as we have a general directional coordinate, we can try a few times. We'll hit the mark eventually."
Bloodhowl was thoroughly tempted. Charging the Firemane's Fang through Abaddon's fleet to ram the Blackstone Fortress was indeed a high-risk gamble.
If he could silently project an elite squad near the Fortress using this method—whether for reconnaissance or sabotage—the value was immeasurable.
He even entertained a wilder notion: Could this thing open a door directly to Terra to call for reinforcements?
"Kid, this gate is too small. Can you build it bigger?"
"I can build it as big as you want, it's just a pain in the..." Zeke paused mid-sentence, following Bloodhowl's gesture toward the Firemane's Fang.
The Firemane's Fang was massive, larger than standard vessels by an order of magnitude.
Zeke estimated he'd need a portal hundreds of blocks wide and high to fit it through.
That meant mining Obsidian until the end of time. Still, Zeke gritted his teeth and nodded.
"Let's do it!" Bloodhowl made his decision.
Zeke let out a sigh of relief, blooming with joy inside.
Perfect. I just scored a team of top-tier heavies for free.
This was no weak squad: Bloodhowl himself, a pack of Space Wolves, elite Cadian Stormtroopers, and the Mechanicus Skitarii.
Not having to do the dirty work himself was the ideal outcome.
"Dante, give us the exact location of the refinery. We're taking the shortcut to strike directly at their rear."
Zeke addressed Bloodhowl and the others. By "shortcut," he naturally meant the Nether Portal.
Zeke stepped into the portal, returning to the Nether.
Based on the direction and distance Dante described, he chose a bearing and moved quickly.
The rugged Nether terrain and occasional monsters posed little threat to him.
Zeke even had time to farm some Endermen in a Warped Forest, collecting quite a few Ender Pearls.
Every so often, Zeke would stop, construct a new Nether Portal, activate it, and step through to verify his position in the Overworld. (TL/N: The Overworld is the primary place players spawn, explore, and build)
The first four portals opened into unfamiliar wastelands or ruins.
But when he built and activated the fifth portal and stepped back into the Overworld, the sight before him made him instantly crouch low.
He was there.
Less than a kilometer ahead, a massive ore processing plant sprawled along the edge of a giant mining pit.
Towering smokestacks pierced the sky, and clinging to the outer walls of these stacks were several Heldrakes.
Inside the facility, red dots marked the presence of numerous Chaos forces.
Zeke returned to the Nether and relayed the coordinates to Bloodhowl and the assault team waiting there.
Then he walked forward another few dozen blocks and opened his sixth portal. Zeke was certain this one would open right in the center of the ore processing plant.
Zeke pulled out a Potion of Fire Resistance and a Potion of Strength II, downing them both.
"Get ready... let's go!"
At Zeke's command, Bloodhowl let out a low growl, shouldered his Storm Axe, and was the first to step through. The others followed in single file.