Chapter 366: Run! Muscle! Cheer!

"Father! Father! I'm here!!!"

Magnus bare-chested, his crimson, muscular physique like a statue carved from red sandstone, a sprinter in perfect form.

Each heavy footfall shook the entire moon; each stride kicked up thick dust clouds, whipping hurricane winds behind him like a blade carving through the lunar surface.

And the target Magnus was sprinting toward—was it Terra, hanging over the moon's horizon?

"How did Magnus end up like this?" Guilliman stared at Magnus receding into the distance and asked Zhou Yun: "What did you do?"

"Me?"

Zhou Yun blinked, pointing at himself in confusion.

It was true—he'd seeded bacteria into The Book of Magnus, causing Magnus's knowledge to decay.

But why had Magnus become like this? Why was he screaming "Father, I'm coming!"? Zhou Yun had no idea.

Could knowledge loss cause these symptoms? This looks...

Hssss—Zhou Yun suddenly felt a strange resemblance to Leina in Magnus's current aura.

And judging by Magnus's condition, he'd been running all the way here... that's a distance of several light-years.

He looks like he intends to keep running all the way to Terra?

"Either way, stop him first!" Guilliman swiftly decided, and Zhou Yun pulled out the Anydoor.

"Father!!! Father!!!"

"Muscle power, answer me!!"

Magnus roared—he could feel a force surging through his body.

That force pushed him relentlessly, strengthening his frame, making him run faster and faster.

He locked his gaze on Terra floating in midair, feeling it slowly drawing nearer, growing larger.

But then, a door of pink-tinged red suddenly appeared before him—it burst open, and a massive metal-clad fist swung toward Magnus.

A barrage of explosive rounds erupted from the blue-powered gauntlet, slamming into Magnus's face.

"Grrrrr!!!!"

Magnus took the explosive rounds and the follow-up punch straight to the face.

"Magnus, what are you doing?!"

A furious voice rang out, carried through the thin air.

Magnus turned his single eye toward the towering figure clad in blue power armor, golden hair flowing—

The man was nearly as powerful as Magnus himself, but his eyelids drooped slightly, eyes heavy with exhaustion, as if burdened by some bitter duty.

Was this Robert Guilliman?

Magnus searched his hollowed mind for the identity of this man—and then—

Robert Guilliman, the ambitious one!

"Get out of my way, Guilliman!"

"I won't speak a word until I see Father!"

Magnus knew his duty was grave.

That message must not be spoken until he reached the Imperial Palace and told Father in person.

Who knew if this Guilliman was a traitor?!

"You want to see Father?" Guilliman let out a terrifying growl, his Emperor's Sword slashing a brilliant golden flame toward Magnus.

Magnus drew a deep breath, feeling the force surging within him.

What was this force called again? Psychic energy?

No! Not that!

This force formed his body, rippling through his powerful frame—this... this...

This was clearly Muscle Power!!!

"Gah! Roar, Muscle Power!"

His fist, infused with Muscle Power, slammed toward Robert Guilliman.

Sword and fist clashed in the thin air, evenly matched.

But!

Magnus suddenly lashed out his hardened leg, kicking Guilliman's knee with full force.

Guilliman had no time to react—he staggered backward.

"Hahahaha! Muscle Power answered me!"

"Run! Muscle! Cheer!"

Magnus laughed three times, then sprinted away through the brief opening, leaving Guilliman bewildered in the thin air.

Guilliman had prepared for Magnus's arcane sorceries—but never expected him to kick his knee out of nowhere.

This tactic reeked of Russ!

And Magnus's power just now—Guilliman sensed it faintly—it was nearly identical to Angron's!

But Guilliman had no time to ponder—he sprinted after Magnus.

He couldn't let Magnus reach the Imperial Palace and stand before the Emperor—what if he did something terrible?

Zhou Yun remained silent too.

Zhou Yun held a pair of binoculars with a handle, peering through the lenses at the fleeing Magnus.

This device was called the Mirror of the Heart—it let Zhou Yun see Magnus's thoughts at this very moment.

Thus, Zhou Yun understood what had happened.

Magnus had gone mad. His lost knowledge had shattered his worldview.

He believed he was still in the Great Crusade, and he must reach the Emperor to warn him of Horus's rebellion.

Moreover, Magnus's understanding of psychic energy had warped—he now believed his psychic power was actually Muscle Power.

And the Warp was a realm of pure mind—he reasoned that since his psychic power was Muscle Power, his immense psychic energy had all been channeled into his physical form.

After all, what was erased was his knowledge, not his peerless psychic power.

So now he's... traded all his intellect for strength?

Zhou Yun hesitated.

Theoretically, the current Magnus had no ill intent.

But during the Great Crusade, when he used a psychic call to shatter the Webway, he had no ill intent either.

And besides, this Magnus is still a Chaos Primarch of Tzeentch—even if he doesn't look like it.

Tzeentch's power still flows within him—if he reaches the Golden Throne, who knows what Tzeentch might seize?

Or worse—what if he suddenly regains his wits and remembers he's in the 41st Millennium? What might he do then?

Zhou Yun hesitated—then, weakly, Saint Guilliman's hand reached out from his fourth-dimensional pocket.

In his hand, he held a set of Emperor Tarot cards, shaking them slightly toward Zhou Yun—clearly urging him to draw one.

Of course.

Why not just ask the Emperor what he thinks?

Thinking this, Zhou Yun reached out and drew a card from the Emperor Tarot.

"Abaddon?"

Looking at the card's gleaming, towering topknot, Zhou Yun's expression twisted.

"The Card of the Great Devourer—can signify inevitable bloodshed and impending loss, or a man standing against the tide of Chaos."

"His allegiance is uncertain."

Saint Guilliman's weak voice echoed softly:

"It seems even the Emperor is uncertain—this is your doing, your fate too tangled and chaotic for even him to see clearly."

In other words, the Emperor himself was struggling to judge what Magnus intended...

Zhou Yun rubbed his temples.

Either way, Magnus couldn't be allowed to reach the Imperial Palace.

If Tzeentch realized this and exploited it, disaster would follow.

He had to capture Magnus—or at the very least, banish him back to the Warp.

Just as Zhou Yun prepared to act, the black sky above erupted with the roar of engines.

He saw three Valkyrie gunships slicing through the void, each emblazoned with a distinct emblem:

A fleur-de-lis, the letter I and a thunderbolt eagle head, and... the letter I and a masked woman's face.

(End of Chapter)