Chapter Twenty-Five: Awakening Guilliman

Everything within the sanctum proceeded exactly as the narrative had foretold.

Cawl was stealthily positioning the device containing the "Armor of Fate" beneath Guilliman’s slumbering stasis throne. The internal mechanisms of the machine gradually unfolded around Guilliman, encasing him within.

Beside Cawl, the Aeldari Harlequin known as Yvraine had already raised her "Sword of the Crone," a blade infused with the power of the Eldar god of death.

"Tigurius! Stop her!" Calgar, engaged in battle, caught sight of the scene and shouted at Chief Librarian Tigurius, hoping he would prevent the xenos sorceress from acting.

But Tigurius, standing next to Yvraine, did not heed Calgar’s command. He merely glanced at Calgar and shook his head.

"Begin at once," Tigurius urged Yvraine, prompting her to act without delay.

Seeing Tigurius make no move to stop the alien sorceress, Calgar immediately turned his bolt pistol, mounted on his power fist, toward Yvraine atop the dais, determined to prevent her from slaying his gene-father.

Yet he was a moment too late. Yvraine swiftly severed the cables powering the stasis field with the Sword of the Crone. As the cables were cut, a dazzling flash burst from the machine enveloping Guilliman.

A sorrowful sigh echoed from within the device. In that sigh was not merely grief, but a sense of helpless resignation.

On the machine’s display, countless lines of red binary code flickered and danced—the device had come alive.

Calgar gazed upon the scene, his entire being flooded with rage and sorrow. His gene-father had been slain.

In fury, Calgar charged into the ranks of the Chaos horde, his power fists crackling with blue energy as he struck down the traitors, shattering their armor like glass and killing the heretics within.

Now, Calgar needed the violence of battle to numb the anguish and despair of losing his gene-father. He could not bear to imagine Guilliman’s death.

"At last," Wang Ming murmured, watching the machine enclosing Guilliman atop the dais. His movements quickened at last.

The Primarch’s actions erupted with explosive force, moving at a speed that even Space Marines could not perceive, slaughtering the agents of Chaos.

Suddenly, a bolt of psychic lightning from a Chaos sorcerer hurtled toward Wang Ming, piercing the power armor on his left arm and leaving a terrible wound.

Without hesitation, Wang Ming seized his golden power sword and cut down the sorcerer.

During the previous battles, Wang Ming had realized one thing: his resistance to psychic attacks was far too low—any psychic assault could injure him. Though the wounds were not severe, it was a problem.

If he were to face an Alpha-level psyker, wouldn’t his opponent be able to kill him instantly?

"I really should have a talk with Old Jericho," Wang Ming thought as he continued to cut down the traitors around him.

"Wait, did I just forget something?"

He instinctively glanced toward the spot where Calgar had just charged.

"Damn! I completely forgot about that!"

Following Wang Ming’s gaze, one could see that several Chaos Terminators had surrounded Calgar where he had previously been wreaking havoc, viciously beating him in the enclosed circle.