"Clack-hiss-"
The Stormbird's hatch slowly opened with a teeth-grating scrape.
Horus drew a deep breath and glanced down. Baby Fulgrim had apparently been drained of every last bit of energy by all the commotion. He was still sleeping like the dead in the "baby carrier" Horus had carefully fashioned from canvas, smacking his little lips twice as though enjoying something delicious in his dreams.
Sleep, sleep. When you wake up, you'll have another old bastard to deal with, Horus muttered inwardly, carefully adjusting his posture so Fulgrim's head could rest comfortably against his chest.
Then, carrying the most distinguished "accessory" in the entire Milky Way Galaxy, he stepped through the hatch.
On the landing pad, a lavish welcoming party had been waiting for some time.
At its head was, naturally, the master of this warship-Trazyn the Infinite.
He wore sumptuous Necron Overlord regalia studded with countless gemstones and rare metals, and held a staff that emitted a gentle glow.
Behind him stood two perfectly aligned ranks of "Royal Guard." These Necron Warriors were larger than ordinary warriors, and their Gauss Rifles were studded with intricate energy nodes. They were clearly Trazyn's elite guards.
Horus's gaze, however, passed over them and settled farther back.
There hovered an enormous... display case made of transparent crystal.
Holy shit, this old bastard even had the fucking display case ready for me? Liu Zhipeng was instantly stunned by this absurd display of "professional dedication."
"Welcome! Welcome, my dear... 'exhibits'!" Trazyn spread his arms and offered an enthusiastic greeting in his theatrical, operatic voice. "Oh, please forgive my discourtesy. To describe masterpieces such as yourselves as 'exhibits' is far too vulgar."
He approached with elegant strides, his eerie green electronic eyes greedily scanning every inch of Horus's perfect physique, so full of primal strength.
"Those muscular