Chapter 298: The Dawn Broke Over the Warp

Zhou Yun tightened the acceleration spring and twisted it hard against Saint Guilliman's back, then scanned his body with the adaptation lamp, clipped the portable pyramid into his golden hair, shoved the rebound cloak into his hands, and swallowed a high-efficiency pill in one gulp.

Zhou Yun gripped the Wild Clock in one hand and clutched the mechanizer in the other, staring fixedly at the "Unicorn" flung away by Saint Guilliman's spear.

The Unicorn's chest and abdomen had been directly pierced by the Spear of Completion; thick viscous fluid continuously oozed from the wound, sealing it shut in an instant.

But radiating from the wound, cracks were slowly spreading across her entire body.

The Unicorn's flesh had, over countless ages, been corrupted and blessed by Slaanesh, and had already begun to accommodate a fraction of Slaanesh's power.

But Slaanesh, seeking to subdue Roboute Guilliman, had poured excessive power into this mortal vessel—even forcing part of his own will into it—until the body teetered on the brink of collapse, and would vanish within mere minutes.

Yet before that, the "Unicorn" was Slaanesh incarnate upon the mortal plane.

She extended her forked tongue, lightly licking her lips as she gazed at Saint Guilliman with heavy desire.

"I envy you so much, two Primarchs—and especially the most beautiful, the most excellent one."

"Won't you at least consider being my lover? My bed is vast enough to hold you, me, Fulgrim, Saint Guilliman, and Guilliman."

Zhou Yun's eyelid twitched; he quickly shook his head. "My sexuality is narrow—limited to human females."

Hearing this, the "Unicorn" paused slightly, her gaze toward Zhou Yun turning mournful.

"That will cut out so many pleasures. Your kinks are strange."

"But I respect your preferences. I can turn myself and them all into females—even yourself."

The "Unicorn" let out a lewd laugh, already imagining future pleasures.

Zhou Yun's expression twitched slightly; Saint Guilliman also struggled to maintain composure.

The "Unicorn" ceased her laughter and shrugged helplessly.

"Fine. Seems you're not very enthusiastic."

Her figure instantly dissolved into a pale purple shadow, slicing through the air in a zigzag path to bypass Saint Guilliman and strike Zhou Yun.

But Saint Guilliman was no slower.

The acceleration spring enhanced his speed; the high-efficiency pill boosted the efficiency of all his actions; the portable pyramid directly unlocked his body's latent potential.

His pure white wings, blazing with furious flames, fully unfurled—magnificent and terrifying—while a faint green light flashed across them; the portable pyramid had activated the latent potential of Saint Guilliman's wings.

The resulting shockwave created a concave hemispherical space centered on Saint Guilliman, instantly disrupting the "Unicorn's" attack.

His face bore a terrifying, soul-shaking rage; to combat this "Unicorn," equivalent to Slaanesh incarnate, Saint Guilliman chose to unleash every ounce of his fury.

The Spear of Completion shot forth like a meteor of celestial fire from deep space, its speed nearly exceeding the limits of physical law.

Saint Guilliman leapt into the air; his pure silver feathers crackled in the flames as the Tear Lance descended from above, pressing down upon the "Unicorn."

The "Unicorn" marveled at this magnificent form; in her hand, two Fool's Blades had appeared out of nowhere, and her elongated tongue now coiled around a third.

She planted one foot, spun her body, and in an instant, the three blades became a seductive sword-dance—like the most skilled dancer from an ancient desert city.

But this dance was lethally precise.

If murder was Khorne's domain, then Slaanesh was the undisputed master of pure swordplay.

The two Fool's Blades blocked Saint Guilliman's spear.

The third blade, coiled by her tongue, seized its opening and stabbed toward Saint Guilliman's throat.

The blade shimmered with purple luminescence; as it flowed, it seemed to carry the moans of six hundred thousand souls.

Though the body's physical capacity had limits, Slaanesh could still infuse part of his power into weapons to corrupt and erode Saint Guilliman.

But Saint Guilliman's speed utterly exceeded the "Unicorn's" expectations; his body shifted slightly, and the crimson cloak in his hand swept across the blade coiled on her tongue.

The blade veered off course, slashing sideways; purple luminescence roared from its edge, sweeping vertically across the entire cargo ship.

A metallic wail echoed as electric sparks hissed from the slit; air inside the hold violently rushed out through the gap.

A piercing screech reverberated as the slash widened rapidly to over half a meter; the entire cargo ship was cleanly severed in two, air continuously gushing from the split.

All substances sustaining life were pouring out; cold, dark vacuum was rushing in.

But Zhou Yun and Saint Guilliman had both been exposed to the adaptation lamp; the vacuum posed no threat to either.

"He enhanced you," the "Unicorn" licked her lips. "You're faster than before."

"But I can still sense the wounds left by Horus a ten-thousand-year-old wound—there's my power within it."

Saint Guilliman let out a low grunt; the wound Horus had left on his chest erupted with Slaanesh's purple-gold radiance.

It flashed for only an instant before Saint Guilliman suppressed it—but that brief pause gave the "Unicorn" her opening.

Her body became a blur; her bare, slender foot lashed out toward Saint Guilliman's chest—but at the final moment, it transformed into a sharp crab claw, ready to crush his golden armor.

But suddenly, her movement slowed.

Not just her—the entire ship's time flow seemed to decelerate.

Saint Guilliman, the "Unicorn," Guilliman struggling against Slaanesh's toxin, the exalted avatar tumbling endlessly, the air surging through the fissures, the spurting sparks—all slowed to a crawl.

【Item Name: Wild Clock】

【Origin: 22nd Century Earth—Future Department Store】

【Manufactured: 261. 3】

【Function: A pocket watch capable of adjusting local time flow. Setting the dial to S accelerates time up to 600x; setting it to C decelerates time up to 60, 00x. Only the holder remains unaffected. Higher multipliers consume more battery.】

【Value: 330, 00, 00】

Zhou Yun pressed the Wild Clock in his hand; everything around him, except himself, slowed to an extreme crawl.

The Wild Clock had slowed local time by 60, 00x; even sound moved only millimeters per second.

The "Unicorn" and Saint Guilliman had moved faster than any human or Aeldari could comprehend—but under 60, 00x time dilation, both now moved sluggishly, covering mere centimeters per second.

Zhou Yun seized the opportunity, winding the acceleration spring onto himself; still uneasy, he quickly pulled a vial of crimson liquid from his pocket and doused himself.

Thank the gods for Macragge's wealth—otherwise, all these items would have stripped Zhou Yun bare after leaving Baal.

With speed granted by the acceleration spring, Zhou Yun appeared beside the "Unicorn" in an instant, reaching out to grab her.

The blade sliced through air; blood gushed from Zhou Yun's neck.

The "Unicorn's" suspended body snapped her head around, smiling gently; the blade in her hand, unaffected by the Wild Clock, slashed toward Zhou Yun's throat.

Simultaneously, the cracks across her body multiplied rapidly—she was on the verge of collapse.

"Slowing time? Is this some artifact from humanity's Golden Age?"

The "Unicorn," her face riddled with fissures, smiled at Zhou Yun.

"Too bad—I can deliver pleasure beyond the limits of time and matter."

Slaanesh clearly poured in more power, pushing the vessel to its absolute breaking point, forcibly overriding the Wild Clock's time dilation.

Zhou Yun's severed vocal cords could only produce a faint squeak; overwhelming pleasure surged through his nerves.

"Accept me, and I shall heal your flesh—"

Before she finished speaking, the Tear Lance pierced the air again, impaling the "Unicorn's" suspended body from behind.

Blue specks of hollow death mingled with golden flames, pouring relentlessly into the "Unicorn's" body.

The "Unicorn" shrieked in agony—pure, unadulterated pain burned through her consciousness, devoid of any pleasure.

Zhou Yun's left hand, the Wild Clock, silently brushed against Saint Guilliman's body; the wound on his throat instantly healed, the overwhelming pleasure fading.

If one looked closely, Zhou Yun's skin faintly glowed red—as if bathed in blood.

【Item Name: Siegfried's Elixir】

【Origin: 22nd Century Earth—Future Department Store】

【Manufactured: 271. 3】

【Function: Inspired by the legend of the hero Siegfried, who bathed in dragon's blood and became immortal. After bathing in this blood-like elixir, one gains immortality for thirty minutes—with only a small leaf-shaped weak spot on the back.】

【Value: 89, 00, 00】

As an entity of the Warp, Slaanesh could partially transcend time's influence—this was no surprise to Zhou Yun.

So he had cautiously doused himself with Siegfried's Elixir, granting thirty minutes of immortality.

As long as the leaf-shaped weak spot on his back remained untouched, Zhou Yun was absolutely immortal.

The "Unicorn's" body was pierced through by Saint Guilliman's Spear of Completion; golden and blue flames erupted from within her.

She let out a roar of pain and fury, glaring at Zhou Yun.

Not just her—in the Warp, Slaanesh himself let out a furious, frustrated growl.

So close. Just a little more. Just a little more power poured into this vessel—

He writhed, trying to force himself into the body already at its absolute limit.

But then, Slaanesh suddenly sensed a blinding, searing sunlight behind him.

That sunlight illuminated nearly the entire Warp around Macragge; countless daemons screamed in terror.

"Slaanesh." A majestic voice rose, as if the combined cries of billions of human souls.

At that moment, the dawn broke over the Warp.

(End of Chapter)