Chapter 179: Lictor: Where did this bring me?

The neuro-Lictor's carapace allowed it to hide within the gaps of light and shadow, and its massive brain allowed it to conceal itself beneath the veil of reality, barely interacting with anything in the material universe.

It left no traces as it ran across the sand; it stirred no breeze as it grasped the air; its internal essence did not permeate into the atmosphere.

Even its footsteps became blurred, and its path of movement was impossible to track.

Although it still existed within the material universe, under the effect of heavy psychic powers, it was almost equivalent to having truly vanished.

This was the reason the Hive Mind had dispatched it into Baal.

The Hive Mind had always been wary of the psychic entity known as Mephiston. His vast psychic power was something even the Hive Mind marveled at; the Hive Mind understood the extent of his power even better than he did himself.

It was precisely to evade his gaze that the Hive Mind had bred it—a neuro-Lictor specialized in psychic stealth.

It could not only evade almost all psychic prophecies, but even Mephiston should have been unable to see it.

And to make it stronger—strong enough to turn the tide of the future—the Hive Mind had even designed a complex ritual to amplify its psychic power, allowing the Hive Mind to enter the Lictor's body more deeply.

This ritual was to be performed with the cooperation of Genestealers, but the plan encountered an accident.

Mephiston had somehow predicted its infiltration and had infiltrated the Genestealer team himself.

Yet he had not expected the neuro-Lictor to possess enough psychic power to see through his cognitive distortion. The sacrifice of the Genestealers bought the neuro-Lictor enough time to slip into the gaps of light and shadow, beneath the veil of reality.

Thus, even Mephiston found it difficult to track it.

It crawled at high speed across the desert, relying on its psychic senses to confirm that Mephiston had not followed.

At the same time, the pulsed electromagnetic waves released by its brain allowed it to confirm safety in the material universe.

It had successfully escaped. That powerful psychic entity named Mephiston had lost due to his own arrogance regarding his abilities.

But a Lictor would not. This was the advantage of the Hive Mind: it would never be proud or overconfident, it was not limited by honor or emotion, and it could use rationality to predict every possible situation——————

Crack!

The sound of a wooden door opening rang out beside the neuro-Lictor. A pinkish-red wooden door instantly appeared at the Lictor's side.

Zhou Yun stepped out from it, holding a slender cane in his hand, the cane tilted slightly to point in the direction of the Lictor.

It's him!!!

An emotion akin to fear instinctively surged through the Lictor's nerves. It recognized that the creature, which looked like prey, was actually another competitor of the Hive Mind, another hunter.

Zhou Yun's speed was faster than the Lictor's reaction. He swung the cane in his hand violently, the Phantom DX suit beneath his fake skin exerting force, swinging toward the neuro-Lictor's position.

The Lictor could not fathom how Zhou Yun had discovered its location. It hurriedly mobilized its remaining psychic power to form a shield in front of the cane.

In an instant, a ripple of psychic energy surged across the desert, and the Lictor's figure appeared amidst the shifting light and shadow.

The shield propped up by its meager remaining psychic power was simply insufficient to resist the cane Zhou Yun swung. A crisp sound rang out, and the psychic shield shattered.

The neuro-Lictor hurriedly released a psychic pulse capable of striking fear into a Space Marine.

But when that pulse touched Zhou Yun, it didn't even stir a ripple.

It was as if Zhou Yun's consciousness was so vast that a mere psychic pulse was not enough to shake it.

Instead, a smile curled at the corners of Zhou Yun's mouth. Every muscle on his face moved with perfect precision, becoming exceptionally fierce, and his eyes glowed with a blood-red light, revealing a bone-chilling killing intent.

"Stay where you are, or you will die, and so will the Hive Mind." Zhou Yun's voice drifted out lightly.

Hearing this voice and looking at Zhou Yun's expression, for some reason, all of the neuro-Lictor's senses warned it that what Zhou Yun said was true. A cold feeling of death welled up from its consciousness, as if moving even an inch further would result in both it and the Hive Mind dying in the next moment.

The neuro-Lictor's body instinctively froze in place for half a second.

Only then did the Lictor realize that Zhou Yun had used some means to deceive its senses. It hurriedly manipulated its psychic power and carapace, wanting to hide its form again and escape.

However, Zhou Yun did not give it the chance. Zhou Yun's hand shot out, grabbing the neuro-Lictor's arm.

The neuro-Lictor did not hesitate, raising its scythe-like arm to sever the arm that had been grabbed.

Yet Zhou Yun took the opportunity to exert force, pushing the Lictor diagonally backward.

Likate's figure flickered suddenly; his invisibility was interrupted by Zhou Yun.

At the same time, the Lictor noticed that behind it was that pinkish-red wooden door. The neuro-Lictor's body fell uncontrollably into the door.

"Angel's Fortress, Red Grand Council." Zhou Yun said to the Anywhere Door.

"Everyone, please begin the vote."

Dante sat at the head of the table, gazing at these five hundred Astartes warriors.

He had to gain the support of the vast majority of them to truly command this army of angels.

"If you support me as commander and are willing to entrust your lives and honor to me, then please stand up."

"If you are unwilling to accept my command, then please remain seated. Even if you leave Baal afterward, I will not stop you."

Voting was the simplest and most primitive way to grant power to a person.

According to what Dante knew, as early as the tribal era of humanity, humans had used voting to decide the fate of entire tribes.

It was just that the primitive people of that time probably would not have imagined that even though human civilization had spread across the stars, the method of voting remained simple and effective.

These five hundred Astartes all had the right to make their own choices freely, and each represented the Chapter behind them.

Dante was not worried about them making the wrong decision.

He knew his own prestige, and he had already used appropriate political means, speeches, and guidance to ensure that the vast majority of warriors would vote for him.

They had the right to choose freely, just as a train had the right to speed freely along its tracks.

Hundreds of Astartes in power armor stood up from their chairs. The roar of mechanical parts operating resounded throughout the space, mingling with the low, mournful music played by the blood slaves in the distance, turning into a sacred and solemn mechanical rumble.

A Cherub, shaped like an infant, was released from the ceiling. It spread its decorative metal wings, its mechanical eyes glowing red. It scanned the voters, silently counting the Astartes monks who were voting.

Looking at the Cherub in mid-air, Dante felt a faint sense of disgust.

He had never been able to understand this kind of infant-shaped servitor.

It was said that these things were born in the gene-cultivation vats of the Adeptus Mechanicus. After being produced, they were fitted with cybernetics to make them resemble the child angels of ancient human legends, and finally, they were anointed with holy oil by the Ecclesiarchy.

The Adeptus Mechanicus claimed that these Cherubs were not actually true human infants, could not even be called human, and did not possess true intelligence, having at most the intelligence of a monkey.

Even so, Dante still felt a sense of disgust every time he saw them. It was just that in terms of performance, these Cherubs were indeed superior to ordinary servitors; each one was a unique artifact specially customized by the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Only a very small number of Astartes warriors remained seated in their places.

The prestige Dante had accumulated over a thousand years was enough for most people to forget the Codex and their pride, choosing to follow him. Most of those who remained seated were either extremely devoted to the Astartes Codex, believing that no Astartes, no matter how great, had the right to command more than a thousand warriors,

or they were those who had conflicts with the Blood Angels and had only come to protect Baal.

There was also Yoll of the Blood Knights, who observed Dante from behind his helmet, seemingly still judging whether accepting Dante's command would be beneficial to his Chapter brothers.

Dante felt it necessary to speak with Yoll privately.

Of course, there was also Seth, Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers, who was unwilling to attend.

"Four hundred and seventy-six in support of Commander Dante's rule."

"Twenty-four opposed."

The result of the vote was out; this was an absolute majority.

The four hundred and seventy-six warriors who supported Dante's rule erupted in excited cheers and applause.

Dante stood up and waved his hand calmly, interrupting the commotion.

"You have chosen me and placed the power of a commander upon my head."

"Then I shall command you, viewing you as part of my Chapter."

"I will trust you as I trust my own blood brothers, rather than cousins."

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"I will respect you, bestowing upon you the honor and respect I give my own warriors."

"I will also command you; anyone who goes against my will shall receive the same punishment as my own warriors."

Subsequently, Dante cast his gaze upon the twenty-four warriors who remained seated.

Each of them either did not support Dante's rule or felt hesitant about it.

"Anyone who does not agree may leave. This is your last chance. Even if you leave, I will still view you as cousins. When you are in need and it is within my power, I will still use all my strength to help you."

"But if you stay, you must accept my command and become my warriors and blood kin."

As his voice fell, the remaining twenty-four warriors still did not leave.

"This does not conform to the Codex," said the Chapter Master of the Crimson Blades, "but we accept it, only because we share the same blood, Dante."

"So be it," said Yoll, Chapter Master of the Blood Knights. He looked at Dante: "My brothers and I are not welcome, but since you are willing to view us as blood kin... Dante, we hope to die for you."

"Give me the most dangerous place, the place where survival is least likely." Yoll looked at Dante from behind his helmet.

"As you wish, Yoll," Dante nodded slightly. "May you wash away your shame."

Yoll let out a low laugh upon hearing this.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the air became active.

Everyone understood that the glory of the Blood Angels from the days of the Legion was reviving.

Ten thousand years, and never had so many Blood Angels been placed under the rule of a single person.

"Dante!" The shout rang out in the Grand Council Chamber: "Dante! Dante! Lord of Angels!!"

Five hundred warriors beat their chests, praising the name of their commander.

Dante, however, felt his scalp tingle and stood up, wanting to interrupt the shouting.

"Hmm?" Dante let out a strange hum.

A pinkish-red wooden door suddenly appeared in the center of the Red Grand Council Chamber, appearing in the gap between the marble round tables.

The Grand Council Chamber suddenly fell into silence. All the Astartes warriors and blood slaves stared fixedly at this pinkish-red wooden door that had appeared out of nowhere.

Most Astartes did not recognize this wooden door, but the corners of Dante's mouth beneath his mask twitched slightly, seemingly realizing something.

Crack——————

The wooden door suddenly opened.

A Tyranid with a slender body, two small scythe-like claws glowing with purple light, and a massive brain tissue sandwiched between its head crest, radiating psychic light, stumbled out from the door.

Its entire body glowed with a hazy light, its form flickering in and out of existence. It raised its head in confusion, looking at the five hundred Astartes warriors before it.

Crack!!!

The sound of nearly five hundred bolters being cocked rang out.

This chapter is 3,500 words, plus the 8,000 from the previous chapter. I'll make up 2,000 words first, and slowly make up the rest.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 180 =====