Chapter 235: Haha, Does It Look Familiar?

Endless sands stretched in all directions; thanks to Mephiston's constant use of psychic teleportation, Zhou Yun returned to the vicinity of Angel's Keep without spending much time.

The entire Angel's Keep had been repaired; the shattered walls had been restored to about seven or eight tenths of their former state.

It seemed that at least the transportation between the three Barren Stars had been restored, allowing building materials from the two moons to be transported to Barren's main planet, enabling both mortals and Blood Angels to begin repairing the damaged defenses.

But no one knew how well Barren's void energies had recovered—had it regained its ability for warp travel?

The desert outside the walls still scattered with vast quantities of Thirsting Water, the most troublesome of these eerie liquids.

Merely touching a drop would drain all moisture from the body, making collection extremely difficult.

Many mortals were carefully using various tools to recover the Thirsting Water.

When they saw Zhou Yun and Mephiston approaching, they all paused their work and bowed respectfully to the two.

Mephiston, the pale wizard surrounded by terrifying legends, was already feared by many mortals; and now Zhou Yun stood beside him.

The news that Zhou Yun had returned with Saint Guilliman had spread to every mortal and Astartes; their gazes toward Zhou Yun were nearly identical to those they gave Saint Guilliman—filled with near-frenzied faith and worship.

Yet Zhou Yun studied the Thirsting Water pooled on the ground.

These liquids were in fact extremely tiny nanomachine weapons; Zhou Yun could sense the machine-spirits within them, clearly perceiving the mechanical operation of each individual nanomachine.

He could control these Thirsting Waters—these ancient nanomachines.

As Zhou Yun pondered this, he suddenly heard a voice blaring from the loudspeakers hanging on the walls, as if playing on a loop.

"What is that?" Mephiston, walking beside Zhou Yun, also paused in surprise.

A crude projection device hung on the wall, casting a sequence of images into the air, swaying gently in Barren's sandstorms.

From the loudspeakers beside it, a stirring voice rang out.

"'Dante in person.'"

The projection showed Barren's main planet in space, its two moons drifting silently through the void as starlight swept across its surface.

"'Barren!'"

"'Our home!'"

"'Prosperity, Loyalty, Five Virtues!'"

The scene sank downward, landing on the surface of Barren's main planet—inside Angel's Keep.

There, Dante walked along the streets of Angel's Keep, dressed in ordinary attire.

Around him, mortals tended crops in greenhouses, while Blood Angels in crimson power armor patrolled.

Dante smiled and waved to the passing Blood Angel patrol.

Then he turned toward a mortal father and son standing nearby.

They were the water-seller Yugi and his son; here, they seemed to be portraying Dante's father and brother.

Their expressions were blank, as if they did not understand what they were doing, merely obeying instructions.

"'Our way of life.'"

Dante slowly opened his arms, as if embracing his father and brother.

"'But purity comes at a cost—'"

Suddenly, a knife-worm emerged from nowhere and charged toward Yugi and his son, who were portraying Dante's father and brother.

"'No!!!'"

Dante dramatically knelt on the ground, letting out an exaggerated, theatrical wail:

"'No!!! By the blood of Saint Guilliman!!! No!!!'"

The scene froze. A line of bold yellow letters appeared in local Barren Low Gothic: "INVASION."

"'Hahaha, does it look familiar?'"

Suddenly, Dante stepped out from before the frozen image, his grotesque screaming face as the backdrop, smiling directly at the camera.

"'Such scenes are playing out across the galaxy right now.'"

"'Next, it might be you!'"

"'Unless—you make the most important choice of your life!'"

Dante snapped his fingers. The scene shifted instantly. He stood beneath fluttering eagle banners, clad in golden power armor, one arm holding his helmet.

A stirring, heroic melody swelled up.

"'Prove to all that you possess the purity and courage to be a child of Saint Guilliman!'"

"'Join the ranks of the Ninth Legion!'"

"'Witness the evil of alien lifeforms!'"

"'Let the Archangel's light shine across the galaxy!'"

"'Become a hero!'"

"'Become a legend!'"

"'Become a Blood Angel!'"

Then a subtitle scrolled across.

"Starring: Dante"

"Writer and Producer: Zhou Yun"

"How to enroll: Contact High Priest Rodell."

"This film approved for screening by Saint Guilliman."

Mephiston stared, dumbfounded, especially upon noticing the subtitle naming Zhou Yun as writer and producer.

His gaze flickered slightly toward Zhou Yun beside him.

The film was indeed stirring; at first glance, nothing seemed wrong.

But viewed as a whole, it felt strangely odd—imbued with an eerie, absurd humor.

Zhou Yun's lips twitched slightly.

"Why did they actually film this?"

"It's not my fault—Saint Guilliman told me to write it."

"He said the Blood Angels needed new recruits, but the high mortality rate of the Angelic Trials scared mortals away."

"He told me to use my free time to write a propaganda piece that would inspire mortals to join while showing the Blood Angels' approachable side. I just scribbled something casually."

Zhou Yun had intended it as a joke, a mere formality.

He never expected Dante, acting as Saint Guilliman's proxy, would actually approve it—and even star in it???

"... aybe because filming is easier than handling paperwork."

Mephiston's eye twitched slightly as he muttered reluctantly:

"Dante must be trying to give himself a break."

"... aybe. Perhaps." Zhou Yun nodded slightly.

He felt Dante's mental state was not good.

Could it be that, because Zhou Yun had promised to let him retire after the Battle of Barren, Saint Guilliman had pulled this stunt and triggered some psychological breakdown?

He'd heard Saint Guilliman had dumped all responsibilities across the three Barren Stars back onto Dante and gone to other planets to salvage usable resources.

As Zhou Yun pondered, a Blood Guard warrior noticed him and Mephiston.

He leapt down from the wall, using his jump pack to cover the distance in a few strides until he stood before Zhou Yun and Mephiston.

"Lord Zhou Yun, Saint Guilliman has returned."

"He is currently handling affairs in the Crimson Grand Hall and requests you join him upon your return."

"He said it concerns Robert Guilliman."

Zhou Yun nodded slightly.

Before leaving Angel's Keep, Saint Guilliman had promised Zhou Yun a plan involving Guilliman—but had given no details.

"I'll handle a few matters and head over."

As he spoke, Zhou Yun extended his arm slightly, extending his spirit toward the Thirsting Water scattered across the desert.

Ten thousand million nanomachine machine-spirits connected together, expressing reverence and joy to Zhou Yun.

"Self/Repair/Program/Initiate"

"Authentication/Genetic/Homo sapiens/Unknown genetic sequence/Failed/Passed!"

"Authentication/Soul/Passed!"

"Authentication/Identity/Passed! Passed! Passed!"

"Access Level: Golden Man Class"

"Barren Wasteland Arms Co. Ltd.: Thirsting Water Mk. I Autonomous Replicating Nanomachine Device—serving you with utmost dedication!"

Before the stunned gazes of mortals and Blood Angels alike, the Thirsting Water surged violently, boiling into streams of silver-gray vapor that coalesced like mist around Zhou Yun, obediently flowing into the pale pouch on his abdomen.

The mortals who had been collecting the Thirsting Water froze, then knelt in reverence, bowing and praying to Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun sighed helplessly, activated his portable pyramid to enhance his legs, and hurried into Angel's Keep.

With his speed amplified by the portable pyramid, Zhou Yun moved swiftly and soon reached the entrance of the Crimson Grand Hall, rebuilt after Dante had torn it down.

Before the closed doors of the Crimson Grand Hall stood a Blood Guard member clad in golden power armor, wearing a mask.

He saw Zhou Yun and gave a slight bow, then activated the mechanism to open the doors slightly.

Zhou Yun nodded slightly to him and stepped forward to enter.

But at the very last moment before entering, Zhou Yun suddenly halted.

He regarded the Blood Guard member with a strange gaze.

For some reason, he felt this Blood Guard member looked familiar—as if—

Uncertain, take another look.

The more he stared at Zhou Yun, the stranger his gaze became; he couldn't help but venture tentatively,

"Dante?"

The Sacred Blood Guard member shuddered slightly, then slowly raised his hand and removed his mask, revealing Dante's aged face.

"You've figured it out already, Lord Zhou Yun," Dante said with a smile.

Zhou Yun froze slightly, puzzled why Dante was here doing guard duty at the gate.

Shouldn't the old man be sitting behind mountains of paperwork, enduring endless overtime?

And yet Dante's expression felt unsettling—nothing like the one he usually wore.

Dante's expression was excellent: relaxed and cheerful, as if bathed in warm light, truly radiant.

Even his face, aged by a thousand years of service, seemed to have grown much younger.

Zhou Yun watched Dante's smile and couldn't help but twitch his eyelid.

Did he really drive Dante insane???

(End of Chapter)