The Emperor’s Angel of Death

"Veronica, don't worry about me."

After sending the last message, Sochoyan received no further psychic communications from orbit, only the howling wind tearing at his cloak.

From a physics perspective, Sochoyan found it hard to believe that life could exist on such an extreme planet. Generally, gas giants don't have a clear planetary surface, but scans revealed 'continents'—massive floating ice sheets, or, in more scientific terms, ice giants.

In the Imperial classification, such planets are considered worthless. Due to extreme pressure, extreme temperatures (either very low or very high), terrifying zonal winds, and large-scale circulation, even if they possess abundant resources, the extraction costs are prohibitively high.

However, psychic scans from the Eldar ships revealed something extraordinary.

All the continents on this world revolved around a massive vortex located near the planet's equator, containing a powerful and stable psychic signal.

Coming to this world also meant being welcomed by its masters.

The Barasoonilash, mysterious ancient servants of the Old Ones, had long been the subject of the Royal Court's attempts at contact, but without response. As Orod had stipulated in his will not to disturb them presumptuously, as it would be dangerous, such contact had never truly materialized.

Until the Royal Court's power expanded, and certain items were found from various Craftworlds and lost ruins, especially ancient texts sent from Commorragh, Sochoyan felt confident enough to send envoys to knock on the door of this mysterious race for the first time.

Upon receiving those gifts, the Royal Court received its first response from the Barasoonilash:

An invitation for the Phoenix Reborn and the descendants of Orod to visit their home, a world called the City of Gods.

But only he could come.

Stepping on the smooth ice surface, Sochoyan's gaze moved along the ridgeline, landing on a small dot in the distance. As he blinked, ice crystals continuously fell from beside him.

Not to mention mortals, even Astartes could not survive for even a second on this planet with no air, pressure sufficient to crush a tank, temperatures of minus two hundred degrees Celsius, and wind speeds of over two thousand kilometers per hour.

And Sochoyan now stood in the Phoenix King's armor in this place where no life was allowed to exist.

As he walked, he gazed unblinkingly into the distance, his vision filled only with a white curtain woven from snowflakes. His position was probably high on a vast ice crystal mountain range, but for some reason, he always felt that the mountain range's shape resembled a broken skull carved from rock, the valleys were cracks running through the crown and gaps between a row of teeth, glaciers gathered in the upturned eye sockets, and the snowfield supported the craggy jaw.

Sochoyan even secretly wondered if this skull-like ice crystal mountain range was the remains of some past life?

Or a symbol created by some psychic power?

Although an invitation had been issued, the Barasoonilash had not provided any additional information, as if wanting Sochoyan to explore this world himself.

Therefore, he could only follow his senses and walk along the ridge. Occasionally, his foot would sink into a weak layer of ice, making a creaking sound. Under the violent ice wind that could strip flesh from bones, his face only felt a slight tingling. Sometimes Sochoyan couldn't tell if he was a man or a god anymore, as if there really was no power in this galaxy that could kill him now.

Or even if he was thrown into a star, nothing would happen?

After all, the Star Gods feed on stellar energy.

Sochoyan steadily walked on this harsh and frozen mountain range, but suddenly he felt the air was filled with the aura of psychic energy, rich, bitter, and venomous.

"Hmm?"

His senses repeatedly issued warning signals, and the situation worsened as he climbed towards the mountain pass on the other side.

Suddenly, an even more violent storm quickly obscured the liquid-like sky, and the mountains seemed to move on their own, as if mocking his efforts.

The next moment, he heard the chaotic wind crying out to him in mid-air, and he heard dying gasps and screams in his ears...

Who is wailing?

And whose despair is this?

Sochoyan stopped because a gray stone tablet appeared in front of him. No, upon closer inspection, he confirmed that it was not a stone tablet, but wraithbone, but it contained more abundant power than any wraithbone he had seen in the Eldar. Just standing in front of it, he could feel ancient and dull echoes, a faint glow emanating from a forgotten power.

After standing for a moment, Sochoyan reached out his hand, and the moment he touched the wraithbone stele, a magnificent scene unfolded before him.

The blind ice crystals and flowing sky seemed to disappear, and he stood in a snowfield reddened by the light. The vast night sky was filled with strange light. He knew what he was looking at, as if it should be so. He knew where he was, as if it had all happened before his eyes.

Red light from the distant void covered the snow and ice. Sochoyan realized that it was not a star, but a member of the gods of the material universe, a Star God—and the dazzling light was emitted by an Eldar warship devoured by its immense power.

Under the gaze of the Star God, the planet's satellites trembled and collapsed into countless pieces of staggering size, submerging the warring Eldar and Necrons.

Its hunger, madness, and power distorted the structure of reality, and then it roared again, its blood-colored scythe reaping all life, souls.

"The Flayer."

Sochoyan stared at it, feeling fear and hatred impacting his will. Suddenly, countless angular war engines roared past overhead, their flat sides emitting light, like stars in the galaxy, stars forged by the Necrons and governed by them.

Their target seemed to be a huge stepped pyramid suspended in the void, glowing as if about to disappear into some space, but the Flayer's scythe hooked it.

A mixture of pride and anger surged through Sochoyan's mind, and then he seemed to hear a painful cry in the wind. At this moment, a huge, white-gold flame-burning phoenix roared out, crashing into the Flayer, forcing it to release the pyramid, followed by a galaxy-shaking roar.

Sochoyan blinked, and he returned to the real world.

Then he chose to follow the guidance of the stele, rather than trying to find an easier path. Fortunately, it was not too difficult to walk along the way. Although there were occasional deep ditches dozens of meters wide, he could jump over them with a light leap.