When Lorgar heard Fulgrim's invitation and saw the sword hilt held out before him, shimmering with an uncanny sheen, his first instinct was to refuse.
Touching a known object of evil deeply connected to Chaos, especially under the gaze of someone so "eager to share," was anything but wise.
Any unnecessary contact could bring unpredictable contamination or trigger some hidden mechanism.
Yet that thought lasted only an instant before a stronger, almost resolute notion replaced it.
Wasn't this the perfect moment to examine it and deal with it?
The sword was right before him, offered by Fulgrim's own hand.
This was a unique opportunity to investigate the truth within it at close range, without interference, under the guise of "trying it out."
If a Slaaneshi Daemons truly dwelled inside, the psychic energy and purifying power he had prepared beforehand might let him severely wound or even banish that evil being.
Even if he could not destroy it on the spot, he could at least confirm the nature and strength of the threat, setting the course for his next move.
There were risks, but the potential rewards were enormous. His hesitation lasted only a heartbeat.
"Since you insist, brother, I'll try this xenos 'miracle.'" Lorgar offered a carefully measured smile, tinged with curiosity and appraisal, as though he were merely indulging his brother's wish to show off his collection.
He reached out with a steady movement, betraying neither eagerness nor hesitation.
But on a level invisible to the naked eye, beneath the bronze skin of his palm and deeper still within the essence of his psychic power, his unseen preparations were already complete.
Pure, concentrated golden psychic energy, like the most resilient living quicksilver, silently coated every inch of skin and every pore across his entire hand, forming an extraordinarily dense