The instant the Lion's boots stepped into the pitch-black lake, the entire psychic world twisted and boiled like a mirror struck by a stone!
The "mirror" reflecting his bewildered, aged appearance shattered with a thunderous crash, revealing a horrifying truth that froze the soul—
What peaceful lake was this? It was a dark sea floating with countless wrecks, churned by foul, viscous blood! Murky pus glowing with sickly green light mixed with scarlet blood, giving off a blasphemous stench.
The "small boat" carrying the old fisherman was covered in cracks and already on the verge of breaking apart!
What lay beneath the water was even more terrifying.
Five incomprehensibly immense shadows, like deep-sea krakens entangling a shipwreck, had wrapped themselves tightly around the fragile little boat!
They writhed and tore at it, spreading more and more cracks across its hull!
And on that boat, the seated old man appeared so small, so frail.
The hem of his rough linen robe had been soaked in tainted blood. The hand gripping the fishing rod was pale and withered. Most chilling of all—thick blood glimmering faintly with golden light was streaming down the arm he had lowered into the sea of blood, pouring into that endless darkness!
"Father..." The Lion's roar caught in his throat. He had seen the source of the blood, and the familiar, vast will contained within it made him instantly understand the old man's identity! It was a projection of the Emperor's will! He was using himself as an anchor to endure the deepest malice of the Warp!
"No—!"
The moment his cry of grief rang out, a sudden change erupted!
The five enormous shadows wrapped around the boat abruptly split off part of their power, transforming it into countless foul tentacles condensed from pure emotion. They shot out