Fu Qinghai once again arrived at Ogedai's personal armory.
But this time, he came with Ogedai.
Ogedai, in his wheelchair, reached out to stroke the set of bone-white Power Armor, his eyes filled with many complex emotions.
The Power Armor possessed the cold, simple, and robust style characteristic of technological military equipment, yet its edges, chest, and pauldrons featured many ornate Gothic religious metal decorations, organically fusing these two contradictory styles—this was the unique Gothic Punk aesthetic style of Warhammer 40,000.
The same style was seen on the warships, Titans, and architecture of the Warhammer 40,000 Imperium of Man.
Ogedai turned to Fu Qinghai beside him and said, "The Brotherhood's only set of Mark IV Extremis Pattern Power Armor, are you ready?"
Fu Qinghai nodded forcefully: "I am ready!"
"No need for me to describe its functions, right?"
"I have long known them by heart."
It wasn't bragging; although he had never worn Power Armor before, Fu Qinghai, having been taught and trained by Master Kunto according to the requirements of a more senior Tech-Sergeant like Forge Master （, had thoroughly researched the Power Armor—the iconic equipment of the Space Marine—despite his short period of advanced study.
"Very good," Ogedai said, "come with me to the Training Cage."
Inside the Training Cage, several Servitors surrounded the tall Fu Qinghai.
Before donning it, Fu Qinghai had already meticulously polished and maintained the Power Armor, and on the right pauldron, he painted the red symbol of the Martian Mechanicus—a skull surrounded by a gear—to indicate his status as a Tech-Sergeant.
In fact, this symbol was not the true marker of a Tech-Sergeant; the real marker should be the massive servo-arms extending from both sides of the Power Pack; the mechanical arms brandishing aggressively behind him were the true sign identifying a Tech-Sergeant.
But unfortunately, the Dagger-class Frigate did not have Power Armor specifically for a Tech-Sergeant.
So Fu Qinghai had to make do.
After all, Ogedai had given him the newest set of Power Armor on the Dagger-class.
And on the left pauldron of the Power Armor was the lightning symbol of the White Scars Legion; the specific description was a red lightning bolt penetrating a horizontal gold bar bordered in red.
Fu Qinghai felt this symbol bore some resemblance to the symbol of Shazam from the DC Universe.
He wondered if shouting "Shazam—" skyward with one arm raised after putting on the armor would summon a lightning bolt to transform him into a muscular hunk wearing red tights and a white cape.
Fu Qinghai took off the robe he was wearing, revealing his strong physique clad only in shorts.
On his chest, abdomen, and back skin, two iron-gray circular metal interfaces were embedded, adding a touch of grimness to his strong body.
These metal interfaces were connections generated by the Black Carapace beneath the skin, used for linking with the Power Armor.
With the assistance of the Servitors and mechanical arms, Fu Qinghai donned the complete set of Power Armor.
Fu Qinghai held the helmet with both hands, slowly putting it on, turning it gently until the helmet sealed tightly with the gorget.
The scene viewed through the ocular lens suddenly changed.
Small green arrows appeared above the heads of Ogedai and the Servitors in front of him.
This was the IFF System at work.
With a thought from Fu Qinghai, the scene changed again; the clear image became blurry, and Ogedai and the Servitors turned into deep red, yellow-bordered outlines.
This was the thermal imaging view.
Besides this, there were also shooting assistance systems, vehicle fire control systems, and so on.
Fu Qinghai moved his arms, feeling this "second skin of the Space Marine," and nodded with satisfaction.
It was worthy of being equipment tailor-made for Space Marines; as soon as Fu Qinghai put it on, it felt like an extension of his own limbs, just as the legends claimed, requiring almost no break-in time.
…………
For the next few days, Fu Qinghai used the excuse of sparring with his comrades to familiarize himself and foster camaraderie, challenging every other Space Marine in the Company one by one.
Fu Qinghai, who studied under Albus Lang, the foremost master of melee weapon combat in the Falcon Brotherhood, occasionally lost at first due to unfamiliarity with the opponents' techniques and routines, but afterwards, he achieved complete domination, becoming unbeatable aboard the Dagger-class.
The Dagger-class Frigate was not large, and there was no racetrack inside for the White Scar Warriors to speed on. However, when the frigate occasionally slowed down while traversing an asteroid belt, Fu Qinghai could wear his Power Armor, ride a jetbike, and go for a spin, enjoying the thrill of space racing, leaning into turns on asteroids—a truly three-dimensional racing experience.
Soon, the ship's broadcast announced that everyone should return to their respective cabins and work stations to prepare for entering the Warp.
Fu Qinghai returned to his rest cabin. After washing up, he sat by the bed.
He could not see anything outside the frigate.
Suddenly, he felt a tremor run through the floor, ceiling, and fixed facilities around him.
Ogedai had told him this was the manifestation of the warship's core reactor outputting energy at full capacity.
This usually happened when the warship needed to unleash a full broadside or maintain maximum speed.
The tremor came quickly and left quickly; the rest cabin soon returned to calm.
Nothing happened.
Fu Qinghai shrugged and lay down to sleep.
…………
Fu Qinghai slowly awoke from a deep sleep.
He frowned, mumbled, and rubbed his face groggily.
Since his Ascension to Astartes, he had almost never felt this way before.
This feeling of poor sleep quality.
His head felt heavy, with a dull ache.
Fu Qinghai shook his head, got up, and walked to the washroom.
He cupped his hands, took some ice-cold water, and splashed it on his face.
Fu Qinghai looked up at his reflection in the mirror: his eyes were bloodshot, he had dark eye bags, short stubble, and a weary expression.
What was going on?
Fu Qinghai was about to examine the skin on his face closely when he noticed something.
Huh?
The corner of his eye twitched.
In his peripheral vision just now, he thought he saw a flicker in the corner of the mirror.
Fu Qinghai reached out and pressed the corner of the mirror; the surface clearly reflected his thumb.
No problem.
He turned to look behind him.
Nothing there either.
Strange... Fu Qinghai muttered to himself. He had the impression that something had flashed in the corner of the mirror just now, but it was unclear, like a AAA game running on an old graphics card with an antique monitor—a kind of indescribable, mosaic-like blur.
Fu Qinghai returned to the bedroom. Just as he reached the bedside, he suddenly heard a low call coming from outside the cabin door.
Fu Qinghai frowned, walked to the door, and listened closely.
"Qinghai... hiss... Qing~hai…………"
In that instant, the indistinct sound flooded his eardrums, seeming both far away and very close, as if someone were breathing directly into his ear.
Fu Qinghai instantly sprang away from the door.
For some reason, one question did not enter his mind—
His name was Locke in the Lower Hive and Qesratan, and Qing Shan after his promotion; no one here knew his True Name was Fu Qinghai.
Fu Qinghai felt his mind was somewhat muddled, but the conditioned reflexes honed by long-term training still made him immediately open a box on his bedside table and take out a Bolter.
He quickly racked the bolt to chamber a round and aimed it at the cabin door.
Holding the weapon with one hand, he pressed the door-opening button with the other.
The door slowly opened, revealing a white corridor outside, empty.
A slight breeze blew in from outside the door, causing goosebumps to rise on Fu Qinghai's calf.
Cold.
Even though Fu Qinghai was currently wearing only a pair of tight athletic shorts.
Yet this sensation surprised him.
Since being promoted to Space Marine, he hadn't felt cold in a long time.
It felt like... a chill emanating from the depths of his soul.
Fu Qinghai stepped out of the cabin, his muzzle following his gaze as he scanned the corridor.
To the left, a person wearing the white, red-trimmed crew uniform of the Legion was walking slowly away from him, their back turned.
The close-fitting uniform outlined an elegant figure, with short black hair falling behind the ears.
Fu Qinghai narrowed his eyes. There were few female Mortal Crew members on the Dagger-class Frigate, and he didn't recall one with such a slender and tall figure.
He aimed his weapon at the back and spoke:
"Halt, Soldier."
The figure stopped.
"Turn around," Fu Qinghai continued.
The figure in uniform remained motionless.
"I am Space Marine Qing Shan, I order you, turn around, Soldier!" Fu Qinghai emphasized his tone.
The crew member slowly turned, revealing a face that seemed to be smiling faintly.
Upon seeing that face, Fu Qinghai's eyes widened instantly.
It was the delicate, oval face of an Asian person, with a slender nose and long eyelashes... but there were no pupils in the eyes.
It was his ex-girlfriend from Earth in his previous life.
The woman grinned, and as she did, her face began to distort, twisting as if pulled by various lasso tools in Photoshop.
"Outsider..." A deep, hoarse, inhuman voice emerged from the woman's mouth, which was stretched almost to her ears.
"Who are you?" Fu Qinghai gripped the gun stock, forcing himself to steady his mind.
"Outsider..." The monster before him ignored Fu Qinghai's question and continued speaking to itself:
"I chew your memory, your soul does not belong here..."
Hearing this, Fu Qinghai stopped thinking and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Bang!"
Fu Qinghai jolted awake in bed.
He was covered in sweat, breathing heavily.
Fu Qinghai looked around at the familiar bed and walls.
It was a dream... Before Fu Qinghai could gather his thoughts, a loud knocking sound came.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The sound was as loud as a pile driver hitting the door.
Before Fu Qinghai could get up, the cabin door opened directly.
Ogedai and Taral entered, leading a young man with yellow hair and a white cloth wrapped around his forehead.
The three looked at Fu Qinghai, who was drenched in sweat on the bed. Ogedai spoke, asking:
"Vanriel told me he sensed a huge Psionic Fluctuation coming from your cabin. What happened, Qing Shan?"
Fu Qinghai looked bewildered: "I just had a dream..."
"A dream? What kind of dream?" Taral followed up.
"I dreamt of a woman, a woman in a White Scars crew uniform with a strange appearance. She said to me... said..." Fu Qinghai paused as he spoke; he really didn't know how to explain the rest.
Unlike the muddled state in the dream, upon waking, he immediately regained his ability to think. Phrases like "soul does not belong here" and "Outsider" clearly indicated that the monster in the dream knew he was from Earth by accessing his memory.
There were two other clear pieces of evidence: the monster called him "Qinghai," and the face the monster conjured was that of an ex-girlfriend from his past life on Earth.
"...I forgot."
"Forgot?" Taral and Ogedai asked in unison.
"Yes, my head hurts so much right now, I can't remember anything." Fu Qinghai feigned distress, rubbing his head with both hands.
The two Space Marines didn't know what to do and looked towards the silent Vanriel.
Vanriel stared at Fu Qinghai for a while and said:
"Qing Shan's body is fine; I don't sense any Psionic Fluctuation on him, nor is there any trace of Aether here anymore. Everything has vanished."
Ogedai and Taral exchanged a look, unsure how to react.
Finally, Ogedai could only say to Fu Qinghai: "Rest for a while, then go see Master Kunto to have your physical condition checked."
And then they left.
After the three left, Fu Qinghai got up from the bed and came "again" before the mirror in the washroom.
The reflection showed no eye bags, no bloodshot eyes, no stubble—clean and healthy, save for the sweat marks on his face.
Fu Qinghai braced his hands on the vanity and began to think.
Currently, the frigate was traveling through the Warp under the protection of the Gellar Field. As an Outsider from Beyond the Universe who had read the official Warhammer 40,000 novels, he understood the inner workings of the Warp better than Ogedai or Taral.
The essence of the Warp was the Projection of the emotions and consciousness of all intelligent life in the Universe.
This place contained not only endless Berserker energy but also consciousness, organisms, and even... Gods.
The Eldar had their Eldar Gods, and the Ork had their Ork Gods.
Humans... perhaps they did too.
Until the Horus Heresy tore open the Warp's hideous veil, the Imperium of Man's understanding and utilization of the Warp remained at a relatively superficial level.
It was limited to Astropathic Communication and Warp Jump.
However, other races—the Eldar, the Old Ones, the Ork, and even the humans of the Golden Age （ (officially called the Dark Age by the Imperium ）) and certain lost human colonies—possessed a deeper cognition of the Warp.
Fu Qinghai's interpretation of the dream was this: Some powerful Warp entity had noticed him and forcibly pierced the Gellar Field's shielding to communicate with him.
That entity probably hadn't reached the level of the Chaos Four Gods; that would be overestimating himself. Those four generally only paid attention to humanity's outstanding heroes or those extremely wicked.
But it couldn't be an ordinary Warp Creature either, like a Ghost or a Psykana Bee; these mindless, low-level Warp Creatures could barely penetrate a Gellar Field.
It must have been some kind of Lord-level Warp big shot.
With no leads, Fu Qinghai decided to stop thinking about it; the frigate would be exiting the Warp soon anyway.
…………
In the warship's corridor, the three walked side by side.
Ogedai asked the question again: "Vanriel, are you certain Qing Shan has no Psykic Talent?"
Vanriel nodded: "I am very certain he does not."
"Then how do you explain what just happened?" Ogedai immediately followed up.
Vanriel fell silent.
This tall, thin young man with yellow hair and blindfolded eyes seemed unsure how to explain to Ogedai, or perhaps he was organizing his words.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Do you believe in magic and sorcery, Captain Ogedai?"
Ogedai replied bluntly: "You don't need to be like that, Vanriel. The White Scars have plenty of Librarians. The great Storm Seer Yesugei is considered a mere sorcerer by ignorant Mortals. We Chogoris people are not like some blind fools on Terra; we clearly know of the Path to Heaven and revere it."
Vanriel nodded and slowly said, "That is good. Then, Captain Ogedai, do you believe there are creatures existing within the Warp?"
"This..." Ogedai was momentarily speechless.
If it were the Ogedai who first joined the Great Crusade, he would have scoffed at the notion of Daemon Gods and ghosts existing in the Warp.
But after experiencing the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, the sights Qin Xia and others witnessed on the surface of Prospero, and the snippets of Astropathic Messages received from the Battle of Cygnus, many rumors had slowly fermented within the Legion.
Vanriel didn't wait for Ogedai to formulate a reply and said directly:
"When I was young, I saw vague records about Warp Daemons in ancient texts preserved in my Riel family's library. I don't know if those records were true... but if you ask me for an answer, I think that is the answer."
After speaking, Vanriel turned and returned to his cabin.
Ogedai and Taral were left standing there, pondering the meaning of those words.
…………