Chapter 495: War Hammer: What Do You Mean You Conquered the Bug Race

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

It wasn't a matter of lighting or angle; no matter what, his gaze could not focus on that face.

He could see the curve of her lips, the high bridge of her nose, and a clear jawline, but every detail was flowing, like a watercolor painting soaked in water.

"You say, if humans and Tyranids fell in love, what would happen?"

The man's voice was very light, carrying a faint smile.

Lin En chuckled softly: "How is that possible? The Tyranids are a galaxy-devouring machine unifiedly controlled by the Hive Mind; they don't even have emotions, how could they fall in love with humans?"

"Oh, is that so?" The man tilted his head.

"I happen to know such a story: a Warrior Bug that gave birth to independent consciousness, mutually redeeming and relying on a human, finally facing the world's strongest enemy together."

He paused.

"Do you want to hear it?"

The moment his voice fell, something in Lin En's mind blasted open.

It was not a recovery of memories, but more like a gate that had been blocked for a long time suddenly blasted open, with a flood carrying countless fragments surging forth.

Those fragments quickly pieced together in his consciousness, forming images, forming sounds, forming temperature.

The underground pipes of Necromunda, purple carapaces, system popups, the non-commissioned officers of the Son of Medusa.

The Forbidden Wall, the Ice Plains, the Frost Dragon descending in the wind and snow, the Green Skin tide......

And......

A voice, a clear and cold yet gentle voice.

"Lin En."

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"Hmm, I love you too, Lena."

Lin En abruptly raised his head, but the man had already disappeared.

He looked around; there was only him in the exhibition area.

The sound of rain came through the skylight, fine and distant, like an echo from another world.

He lowered his head and looked at his hand.

In the center of his palm, a transparent model had appeared at some point.

It was a Warrior Bug.

Unlike those on the display stand, the form of this Warrior Bug was extremely familiar to him.

Purple carapace, blue patterns, four reverse-jointed lower limbs, a pair of huge scythe-like bone blades, a relatively small head.

It was Lena's original appearance, Lin En was certain.

He held the model, a slight coolness coming from his palm.

That coolness passed through his skin, through his bones, all the way penetrating into the depths of his soul.

His memories surged back like a tide, wave after wave, each wave carrying the intertwined love and hate between him and Lena.

He remembered.

He remembered who he was, remembered where he should be, remembered what he should do.

"Lin En?"

A gentle voice came from behind him.

Lin En turned his head; Lei Na stood there holding a cup of coffee, a gentle smile on her face.

Her gaze fell on Lin En's hand, but she seemed unable to see that model.

She just asked: "What are you looking at?"

Lin En gripped the model tightly.

He looked at Lei Na, looked at this girl who had eyes of the same color as Lena, looked at that look on her face that was as always, loving him unswervingly in both worlds.

He smiled.

"Nothing."

He paused, and finally asked a question.

"Lei Na, you say, between an illusory beautiful dream and a painful reality, how would you choose?"

Lei Na was stunned for a moment, but she did not feel the question was strange.

She lowered her head to look at the coffee in her hand, was silent for a moment, then answered seriously:

"I think, I would rather be awake and suffering than be falsely happy."

She raised her head and looked into Lin En's eyes.

"After all, that is the true self."

She smiled faintly; in that smile there was relief, there was reluctance, and a little pride.

"And, I think when you asked this question, you already had the answer in your heart. But no matter what, I support you, just like before."

When she finished speaking, there were already tears in the corners of her eyes.

She seemed to know what would happen next, but she did not stop it.

Lin En looked at her, his heart filled with sorrow.

Even if she might be nothing but an illusion, a cage woven by Yi Su to trap him, Lena still loved him selflessly.

"I understand," Lin En said.

His voice was very soft, soft as a sigh.

"Thank you, Lena, I love you."

He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.

Her body was warm, carrying the scent of coffee and the fresh fragrance of snow lotus.

He lowered his head and kissed her.

That kiss was long, long enough to send away all their reluctance in that single kiss.

After a long while, he stepped back, his left hand holding Lena's hand, his right hand raising the transparent Warrior Bug model high.

Purple light descended from the sky.

That light burst from within the model, carrying a temperature that did not belong to this world.

It wrapped around Lin En's body and slowly lifted him into the air.

His vision began to blur, the walls and ceiling of the exhibition area melting in the purple light into a surging Void.

But at the center of that Void, there was a rift.

On the other side of the rift was a world he knew all too well.

At the edge of that rift, he saw many things.

He saw Brevis.

More than half of it had already been devoured by the blue mist of the Extinction Ritual; the spires of the Nest Capital collapsed in the mist, the Ice Plains melted, and the Earth cracked.

But he also saw Yaduoduo.

That fart sprite had already swollen to more than ten times its size, standing on the shattered Earth, radiating purple light from head to toe, head tilted back as if waiting for something.

He saw Lena, waiting for him.

In the Warp Layer, the Dominion Avatar composed of purple light bodies still hovered, huge and dignified.

He saw a blue bird-headed figure circling in the Void, myriad eyes flashing with mocking radiance.

He saw a possible future.

A future filled with pain, danger, and uncertainty.

But that future was real.

"Sigh."

Lin En sighed.

He let go of Lena's hand.

He could not turn back, because the real Lena was still waiting for him.

Lin En followed the purple light, flying toward where the two worlds connected.

At the very last moment before disappearing, he looked back once.

Lena stood in place, tears sliding down her cheeks.

But she was smiling, that smile gentle, carrying a strange sense of sudden understanding.

As if someone, after a long and painful wait, had finally seen a long-awaited ending.

"Goodbye, Lin En," her voice reached him, very soft, very soft.

"Take care..."

Purple light swallowed everything, the rain of Nottingham, disappeared.