Chapter 69: The Dual-Aspect Psyker

Just as Bukayo was about to fire at the scorpion-like creature, it suddenly exploded into pieces with a thunderous bang.

He turned to see Marlena, dressed in a black gown and holding a staff, striding calmly through the chaos toward him.

He gave her a nod of acknowledgment and immediately resumed his assault.

As Marlena reached the front lines of the Third Regiment, a sudden image flashed through her mind: a creature shaped like a bat, but with six soft pink tentacles growing from its back, diving at her head.

There was no time to cast a psychic spell. But as a "Planter," Marlena didn't panic. She simply raised her fist and punched upward.

The wind howled from the blow, and the bat-like creature was launched into the air, sent crashing into the crystal ceiling. Its corpse tumbled into the mob below.

Marlena raised her staff and faced the surging tide of monsters.

Instantly, the creatures began to shudder and bloat, a biochemical reaction triggered within them.

Pop!

pop!

Pop!

Like bursting balloons, dozens of monsters on the front lines detonated, reduced to shredded remains.

While Marlena's biomancy powers tore through the horde, Nareth had already teleported all of the light sculptures back to the "Kingdom of Disordered."

Still receiving no messages, he realized Marlena and Bukayo must be in serious trouble.

He immediately sent a message to Gul'gul:

"Assemble the Eighth Regiment. You're coming to the surface with me."

Nareth boarded a dropship and flew toward the crystal mountain. Meanwhile, deep within it, Marlena and Bukayo's expressions shifted.

They both heard it: a tsunami-like sound crashing toward them.

A moment later, they saw it, an unending wave of aberrations charging forward, far more than they had faced before.

Among the horde, a lone figure appeared.

He wore a gray robe and held a crystal staff in his right hand.

Marlena noticed his left hand clutched a six-sided prism, radiating a dazzling aetheric glow.

Compared to the ambient crystals on the cavern walls, the object he held blazed like a floodlight.

She instantly recognized it, an aether crystal, a rare and powerful material recorded in Fra'al data crystals, used to craft high-grade staves and other gear.

The other surrounding crystals were merely aether-sensitive and good only for ornamentation.

But her attention quickly returned to the gray-robed figure himself.

An invisible barrier enveloped him, and monsters hurled themselves at him, only to be repelled.

Every time he waved his staff, multiple beasts burst into flames.

'He's a powerful dual discipline psyker,' Marlena thought. 'Flame-based attacks, telekinetic defense.'

She turned to Bukayo.

"I think it's that crystal he's holding; it's drawing the monsters in."

"But with that force field, it'll be hard to knock it away."

Bukayo frowned. He had also noticed that the monsters were charging with reckless abandon.

Where before they might dodge attacks, now they just rushed blindly into the flames.

"They've gone mad. Even if the psyker dies, they won't stop…"

He immediately understood what Marlena meant.

"Then we'll have to team up with him and retreat together. Let's hope he's smart enough."

At that moment, the gray-robed psyker also noticed them.

Gripping the aether crystal tightly, he summoned more energy and raised his staff high.

A whirlwind of fire exploded outward, incinerating many monsters.

Amid their shrieks, the psyker broke free of the mob and rushed toward Marlena and Bukayo.

He took the front, willingly taking the brunt of the assault.

The trio fought while retreating, but the monsters felt endless. Marlena's psychic reserves were nearly drained, and her temples throbbed painfully.

Her usage of the Fra'al's data crystals had warned her of this symptom: she was nearing the limit of safe aetheric use.

If she pushed further, she might collapse, or worse, lose herself in the tides of the Sea of Soul.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out behind them:

"Move aside."

Marlena and Bukayo instantly perked up. Nareth had arrived.

They leapt to either side, hugging the walls.

The gray-robed psyker didn't understand Vostroyan Gothic, but he heard the deep voice and turned, just as a deafening blast went off behind him.

A gust of wind slammed into his left side. His force field trembled, then shattered.

He staggered to the right, using his staff to steady himself, and stared, stunned, as a giant rampaged into the monster horde.

The giant moved like lightning. The psyker's eyes couldn't keep up, only the sight of monsters falling like dominoes told him what was happening.

Before he could fully process it, the giant had already returned.

His footsteps seemed to thunder into the psyker's soul, sweat beaded on his brow.

Nareth studied the silver-haired psyker, impressed by how those narrowed blue eyes held his gaze.

'Impressive willpower. Weaker than Marlena, but stronger than most.'

Nareth asked in the local tongue:

"What's your name?"

"Arsena Dunn, sir. And you are…?"

Instinctively, Arsena used an honorific.

"Nareth. Ruler of Vostroya."

Nareth's gaze lingered on the aether crystal.

"I assume you know what lies at the end of this passage?"

Arsena gave a respectful bow:

"Welcome, far-traveled king."

He continued:

"At the end of this path lies the blasphemous kingdom of the Heartslayer."

"The fools there worship the Heartslayer as a god. But I believe it is a dark power, nothing divine."

"They've erected a statue and built an altar, performing sacrifices every six days, six months, and six years."

"They call themselves the Heart-Eaters. Over thousands of years, they've become vastly different from other tribes."

He raised the aether crystal.

"I wanted to know if this Heartslayer is real, whether it truly seduced them into corruption."

"So I infiltrated their altar and took this crystal."

Nareth's black eyes narrowed. The purple glow on the crystal shimmered faintly.

He could sense faint pain and wailing within it.

'Looks like some Slaaneshi daemon seeped power into it during sacrifice. But the connection across the Warp is weak.'

'Even most psykers wouldn't detect it, not even someone like Arsena. It'll fade in a few days.'

"I intend to destroy that heretical nation. Will you guide me?"

Arsena hesitated.

"The Heart-Eaters number sixty thousand and keep tens of thousands of beasts, like the ones you just saw."

"No matter," Nareth replied calmly. "Just lead the way."

Arsena glanced around; their forces only numbered a few thousand.

If anyone had once claimed they could defeat the Heart-Eaters with so few, Arsena would've called them insane.

But now, having witnessed Nareth's terrifying strength, he found himself believing it could be done.

While Arsena was still processing this, Nareth began issuing orders:

"Marlena, Bukayo, return to the flagship and rest."

"The Third Regiment stays aboard the Pride of Vostroya.

"For the other three ships, leave one Regiment on each."

"All other troops, once on the ground, begin the assault from multiple directions."

As Marlena and the others departed, Nareth turned to Arsena:

"Lead the way."

"Understood."

Arsena had already made his decision. Even if the Heart-Eaters weren't wiped out, he was sure, with Nareth's power, they could break through anything.

Nareth followed closely behind him.

From the mountain peak to its heart, he clearly sensed they passed through six branch points.

At each fork, only one path was correct.

It was a test of perception.