Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [202]

At this moment, Elena was not much shorter than Abaddon.

Elena kept her physique at about 3.6 meters, truly the size of a Primarch.

"Support the Warmaster!"

Only about a minute had passed since the two had started fighting, and some Chaos Space Marines at the foot of the mountain had already charged up.

They were all clad in Terminator power armor—veterans of ten thousand battles and members of Abaddon's personal guard.

As soon as these ancient warriors charged up, they immediately launched an attack to rescue their Warmaster.

"High-Speed Ice Leopard Fist!" Elena struck a pose and then unleashed a pink freezing punch.

The dozen or so veterans at the very front were instantly turned into ice sculptures, and under the control of the Cosmic Phantom Beast, Elena's body surged forward like a tiger among sheep.

Her pink leopard claws swept out incessantly, instantly reaping the lives of the Chaos veterans.

In the blink of an eye, several Terminator-armored Chaos Marines lay dead at Elena's feet.

Abaddon glanced around and spotted a Chaos Sorcerer hiding in a corner.

The Warmaster of Chaos, without any concern for his image, scrambled frantically toward the Sorcerer.

"We've failed the mission! Quick, teleport us back to the Vengeful Spirit now, we must leave at once—my grand plan isn't complete yet!" Abaddon said anxiously.

It was unrealistic to call for his landing craft now; their only escape was psychic teleportation.

He still needed to go to the Imperium's dark side, needed to defeat the False Emperor! He couldn't die here, not yet.

"Yes, Warmaster! But I need about a minute to cast the spell. Please hold her off for me." The Chaos Sorcerer nodded nervously and began chanting strange Warp incantations, clutching his staff.

He reached out to his great master, Tzeentch, god of sorcery and wisdom, preparing to teleport the Warmaster back to his flagship, the Vengeful Spirit.

Abaddon spat out blood, gritted his teeth, and stood up, wielding his daemon sword and Horus' talon to shield the Sorcerer as he cast.

He had no intention of supporting his bodyguard—these so-called veterans of ten thousand battles were not truly the warriors of old, not the brothers of the Luna Wolves.

Where would so many true ten-thousand-battle veterans even come from? After the Heresy, only a few veterans had escaped with him into the Eye of Terror.

Later, after Sigismund's crusade, even more of the old veterans died, and some left to form their warbands.

After ten thousand years, even with more and more recruits, the true veterans were nearly all dead.

Over 90% of the Black Legion were recruits Abaddon had gathered over the millennia—many not even sons of Horus.

Anyone who managed to seize a gene-seed was recruited and transformed, no matter their origin.

So where did these so-called ancient veterans come from? Simple: they were new recruits implanted with the memories of old warriors.

With help from the Dark Mechanicum, Abaddon extracted memories from dead veterans and implanted them into these new soldiers' minds.

They believed themselves to be the true veterans, the ones who followed Horus and Abaddon all those years ago.

As for Terminator armor, other Chaos warbands might lack it, but Abaddon had plenty, thanks to the Dark Mechanicum—

—and behind the Dark Mechanicum was a powerful Warp demigod, Vashtorr, lord of machines.

Abaddon had made a deal with this Warp entity and received his support.

Whether it was Daemon Engines, Hellbrutes, Terminator armor, or even Chaos Titans, he had access to it all.

A few minutes later, over a hundred Terminator-armored veterans lay dead in pools of blood, while Elena stood unscathed at the center.

The Cosmic Phantom Beast's combat skills were beyond her imagination—was this truly her power?

"Do not underestimate yourself, Lady Elena. If you train earnestly, this power can be yours as well," the Cosmic Frost Leopard reassured her.

Then, turning toward Abaddon, she thought, "This brute is more entertaining to fight, but it's a shame he can't grow larger—I can't cut loose."

"How boring! You guys all fight the same way!

Whether it's swinging swords, axes, claws, or thunder hammers, the moves are all identical. I just need to watch for a bit to see all your flaws.

Plus, I've noticed something strange: these guys have inherited other people's memories. Their experience seems rich, but they're just recruits, aren't they?" The Cosmic Frost Leopard asked, looking at Abaddon.

The attack patterns of these Chaos Marines were almost identical. Just a few glances and she could see through them.

They're no real challenge—not martial artists but well-trained soldiers.

But soldiers are no match for beings of cosmic scale—some cosmic monsters could wipe out entire armies.

Not to mention the Cosmic Phantom Beasts, who are even rarer and stronger than cosmic monsters.

"Ah!" Abaddon did not answer, instead raising his daemon sword and attacking again.

"Trying to hit me? You're too slow! That black sword is powerful, but you can't touch me.

My claws are pretty amazing too—they have a strange disintegration field, but they can't harm me," the Cosmic Frost Leopard said.

While fighting, she could project Cosmic Phantom Beast energy around her, creating a force field.

It could block explosive rounds and the force fields on power claws alike.

"I see it now. You're just like Leman Russ, aren't you?

The False Emperor added canine genes to him, so he acts like a wolf.

But you—your movements are like a cheetah. At first, I thought you were just a big cat,

but I realized your habits are more feline, especially cheetah-like," Abaddon said as he attacked.

"That's not entirely wrong! But I can't be bothered to explain so much to a defeated opponent," the Cosmic Frost Leopard snorted, spinning and kicking Abaddon down again.

"I lost to you only because you're a Primarch. If we were fighting at equal power, you'd never beat me."

"Is that your last words?

You're saying I didn't fight fair?

My form right now is the same as yours—in size and strength. As for speed, I'm just that fast—why should I slow down?

If I became even bigger, you couldn't even take a single hit. I'm already holding back by staying this size," the Cosmic Frost Leopard said, folding her arms arrogantly.

Abaddon didn't reply; he was just stalling for time. Fairness meant nothing to him—as long as he won, any method was justified.

In just a few dozen seconds, both of Abaddon's ribs were broken again, his Terminator armor was shattered and his face was battered and bruised. The only things left to him were a power claw from his father and his daemon sword.

Abaddon glanced at the Chaos Sorcerer nearby—hurry up, you bastard! I can't hold out much longer.

"Are you purposely stalling for time? Do you think that guy can save you?" the Cosmic Frost Leopard asked.

You fool, did you think I wouldn't notice the old man casting spells nearby?

Such intense energy waves—if I, a Cosmic Phantom Beast, can't sense that, I'd be a disgrace.

"You, you—!" Abaddon glared at the terrifying woman before him. He swore she was the most frightening woman he'd ever met.

Abaddon glanced at the sorcerer.

Didn't he say one minute was enough? I've stalled for three already!

"Sorry, Warmaster. I don't know why, but I can't draw on the Warp's power," the Chaos Sorcerer said helplessly.

He had tried his best to manipulate the energies, but something strange nearby was disrupting his spell and blocking the Warp.

"What? How can that be?" Abaddon was terrified.

Was his last trump card gone?

Could it be—was it the woman in front of him?

Abaddon glared fiercely at Elena.

"It was me. What can you do about it?" the Cosmic Frost Leopard laughed.

When she realized the sorcerer was casting a special spell, she immediately used her Cosmic Phantom Beast energy to disrupt the space around him.

Whatever tricks you have, all I need to do is interfere with your casting. Never underestimate me.

Elena quickly moved behind Abaddon and kicked him flying.

At that moment, as the great Chaos Warmaster Abaddon faced a life-or-death crisis,

Elsewhere, Rhodes and Saint Celestine arrived at a snowy plain where a group of Eldar were gathered.

Leading them was a white-haired woman in skirted armor.

"Long time no see, Lord Loki! I've been waiting for you," Yvraine smiled at Rhodes.

So this is your true form, Lord Loki— or should I say, Lord Rhodes.