Apex Predator

Titus feels it.

It was a shiver that penetrated deep into his bones that he had never felt before.

It's not fear, but the instinctive reaction engraved deep in the genes of prey when facing an apex predator.

His Smart Atoms was running wildly in his body, pushing his body's strength, speed, and reaction to the limit, or even beyond it.

But the dark green figure standing opposite him was still like an insurmountable mountain.

Too strong.

Swarm Prince's power is not the kind of strength that is "ten times stronger than humans", nor the kind of strength that is "able to punch through the armor of a battleship".

It's a kind of force - like facing a giant beast from the wild.

That kind of power has no upper limit and no boundaries, as if it can be doubled, tenfold, or a hundredfold at any time as long as it is willing.

Titus was shocked to the point of numbness every time he blocked.

Every time he dodges, the sword blade passes by dangerously.

Every counterattack was easily resolved by Seven-Colored Sword.

His fighting skills are also terrifying to the extreme.

It is not the swordsmanship of one person, but the collection of countless warriors, countless types of swordsmanship, and countless battle experiences.

Every time Titus changes his moves, Swarm Prince can find a way to deal with it within tenths of a second.

Every time Titus tries to seize the opportunity, Swarm Prince can intercept his offensive route at an earlier point in time.

Fighting it is not like fighting a single person, but like fighting a dense, overwhelming swarm of insects that are coming from all directions at the same time.

Its sword is the fangs of the insect swarm.

Its pace is the wave of the insect swarm.

Its will is the projection of Hive Mind.

Titus's breathing began to become rapid.

A thought flashed through his mind - calling Gene-Father.

As the darling of Guilliman, and as a warrior personally blessed by Son of War, he certainly has the ability to call his Gene-Father.

It is a call that is engraved deep in the genes, connected to the Psionic Energy network of Guilliman, and spans the endless void.

As long as he is willing, as long as his will is firm enough, Guilliman can hear his voice, and can transmit power to him across Warp, or even come in person.

His consciousness reached into the void.

He sensed nothing.

It's not that Guilliman is not there, but that the entire Warp is covered by the shadow of the insect swarm.

Shadow in the Warp.

That is not an ordinary Psionic Energy interference, not Warp Storm of Chaos, but a projection of a more original, more essential, and more irresistible existence - Hive Mind.

When the number of insect swarms reaches a certain level, and when the density of Hive Ship exceeds a certain threshold, Hive Mind will cast a "shadow" in Warp.

That shadow is not darkness, but nothingness.

It is the vacuum zone of all Psionic Energy in Warp, and it is a lifeless stagnant water in Sea of Souls.

In that shadow, Psyker's power was suppressed to a minimum.

Astropaths's voice was completely isolated.

Demons may even be expelled outright - not because of fear, but because there is no emotional sustenance in the shadow to support their existence.

The blessing of Guilliman, the blue-gold light condensed from Law of Eternity and Atomic Law, passed from Terra to Titus's body across the endless void, became intermittent in the shadow, like a candle swaying in the wind.

Although those characters are strong and still burning in Titus's body, they are no longer endless.

They will be exhausted, dimmed, and extinguished.

Titus felt the change.

The Psionic Energy power in his body, the blessing from Gene-Father, is being suppressed and weakened bit by bit.

It was as if an invisible hand was strangling his neck from the outside world and taking away his power from his body.

Swarm Prince's sword struck again.

The Seven-Colored Sword blade drew a gorgeous arc in the air, with a calmness that said "I have seen through all your trump cards."

"No more blessings."

Its voice was as calm as water, "What do you have left?

Your current physical body is very strong, but it cannot compare with me as the top creation of the insect hive.

Your strength is not as good as mine, your speed is not as good as mine, and your reactions are not as good as mine.

Your swordsmanship is very exquisite, but all the foundations of that swordsmanship are based on that blessing.

Without it, you're just a stronger Space Marines."

Titus's sword blocked the blow, but his body was shaken by the force and took three steps back.

His tiger's mouth cracked open, and blood seeped out of his gloves, leaving a dark red mark on the hilt of the sword.

His breathing became more rapid.

His arms were shaking.

It's not that he's tired, but that he knows that what Swarm Prince said is the truth.

"Yeah."

Titus's voice was very soft, as if he was talking to himself, "I really can't win you.

In its prime."

A trace of doubt flashed in Swarm Prince's eyes.

It doesn't understand why Titus repeats this sentence.

Then, it saw Titus's eyes.

In those eyes, there was no despair, no fear, only one kind - determination.

Seven-Colored Sword struck again.

This time, Titus did not hide.

There was no blocking, no dodging, no defensive posture.

He just stood there, his blue-gold eyes staring at Swarm Prince, staring at the sword that was slashing towards him.

The blade cut into his left arm.

It wasn't a scratch, it wasn't a bruise, but it was deeply embedded in his biceps, cutting through Power Armour's Ceramite, cutting through Smart Atoms's reinforced muscles, and cutting into the bone.

Dark red blood spurted out from the wound and condensed into tiny red crystals in the vacuum.

Titus gritted his teeth.

His left arm tightened suddenly, and the muscle cut by the sword blade spasmed and contracted, and the Seven-Colored Sword was clamped between his bones and muscles.

Swarm Prince's sword cannot move.

It's not because it can't be pulled out, but because Titus's body - the body that has been strengthened by Smart Atoms, blessed by Guilliman, and contains Law of Eternity and Atomic Law - is using its last strength to lock the sword.

"This way."

Titus's voice was hoarse, but every word sounded like a smile, "You will no longer be able to swing the sword.

Isn't it?"

Swarm Prince looked at his appearance, at the arm that had been cut halfway in by his own sword, but still held the blade tightly.

Look at the eyes burning with blue-gold light, look at the corner of the mouth - there is clearly a smile on the corner of the mouth.