After Adam and his companions detached from the Chaldean group, he stopped by a forest and opened his Inventory to swap their gear.
"Are we going to be dealing with Daemons, Milord?" Alina wonders as she was handed a Flamer of special pattern used by the Grey Knights which utilize 'blessed' Promethium that is especially effective against Demonic type enemies.
"I am not sure yet. However, we will be storming a fortress with Demonic Ritual done underneath and now filled with hordes of unknown creatures resembling certain extinct Eldritch Xenos." Adam explained and equipped a custom shoulder mounted Incinerator Flamer turret.
Alina's expression immediately turned grave when the particular Xenos were mentioned because she was also there when the battle happened, on the orbit, providing orders on the fleet. She knew how devastating the battle was because the Xenos have a particular unique and devastating Warp Sorcery to turn even the Grey Knights who are known for immense mental fortitude, insane with fear.
"I see, that's why Milord wishes to deal with it ahead of the Chaldean. However, as Milord's Companion, I must implore that it is unwise to take on such a threat alone even if Milord's mind is impervious to their sorcery." Alina worriedly talked to Adam knowing it would fall on deaf ears.
"I appreciate your worry, Alina. It was almost nine thousand years ago. The old me is not the same as the current me. My mind could hardly be shaken anymore even if I would face the Great Old One." Adam gently placed his hand on her head and lightly ruffled her black hair to create a rare display of affection between the two.
Alina savored the moment of intimacy like the rarest and finest wine, slowly yet eagerly. Even if his gauntleted arm felt cold on touch, Psykers have a psychic field that can express their emotions since that is their literal expression of their soul. Even the cold arm felt warm by Alina.
After Adam retracted his hand, Alina looked unwilling but that expression vanished instantly as her cold mask of professionalism returned.
"Let's go." Adam said once they changed their gear.
They rode on Sif as fast as the wind. They traveled across the forest for hours until they arrived at a castle enveloped with dark energy and Wyverns filled the sky half a day later.
Adam spread his psychic sense to scout the place. He sensed Dark Jeanne inside but also the presence of Servants. Some are newer ones too.
Adam turned to Sif and told her to hide nearby. He cannot bring Sif in knowing she does not have mental fortitude like Alina to deal with those Xenos creatures. Of course, Sif whined about not being able to tag along.
"I'm sorry, girl. But please stay here and wait for us. I promise to give you another belly rub after this, alright?" He pet and scratches Sif by her neck.
Reluctantly, Sif agrees and gives him a lick on his helmet, telling him to get back quickly.
"Of course, I'll finish it as fast as possible." Adam said before he tore open a Warp Rift to infiltrate the castle's underground.
———
In the castle, Adam and Alina emerged in the secluded corner through a Warp Rift and immediately investigated their surroundings.
The location they ended up with turned out to be a dungeon with prison cells. Smells of blood, filth and rust hang thickly on the air. Nothing they both aren't used to. It was better than the toxic fumed filled air of hive worlds at least.
Aside from the air, they also saw plenty of decaying corpses filled with maggots. Some already dried and some were skeletons, piled up in the cells.
Adam glanced at Alina. She immediately got the cue as they marched towards the door which was locked from the outside.
He simply digs his hands through the soft stone wall and as discreetly as possible, rips the hinges out before revealing the hallway outside that is stained with blood, both dry and fresh ones on the wall and floor.
Using the mental map of the underground he mapped when scouting out the place with his psychic sense and decided to take the right path which led to the ritual room.
Carefully, the two warily move through the hallway while watching out for any threats.
As they marched deeper, they found more and more corpses. There are also living prisoners but they look more dead than the corpses or already driven insane. They didn't stop for them because they are already beyond saving.
On the next fork, Adam signaling Alina to stop as he sensed something approaching. He immediately used Warp Sorcery to eliminate their presence to become invisible as they waited and saw the creature that Adam saw from Martha's memories. Slug-like creature with pinkish flesh that is soft and slimy.
The creature was dragging a few fresh corpses along.
Now that Adam and Alina are face to face with the creature, it indeed felt like the Eldritch Xenos race. However, it was very weak. Alina didn't feel much more than a tickle on her mental shield when looking at the creature unlike the Xenos she saw a long time ago that even mere foot soldiers can make her wince in pain like a severe migraine.
After the creature passed, Adam and Alina followed behind it as it headed to the ritual room.
In the ritual room, they saw a big pool of corpses and blood on the ground where the corpse was dumped and feasted by the smaller creatures. There is no sign of Caster in sight and the pool seems to be the breeding ground of these monstrosities.
Adam immediately set the pool alight with Warp Fire that burned even on blood. The creatures immediately screeched and writhed in pain. That sounded the alarm, basically as Adam sensed the other creatures spreaded in the underground of the castle swarming into this breeding pit.
"What happened!"
Someone immediately appeared while panicking as he immediately tried to kill the flame but to no avail because it was no normal fire.
"Did they enter my Workshop? But my Bounded Fields did not sense any intruders!" Caster said as he opened the tome made of human skin to try to cast something.
It was then, Adam jumped out of his invisibility and slashed his Warp Lightning clad Titansword at Caster who noticed him the instant he shed his invisibility and scowled uglily.
"You! You are the one that tried to interrupt my great work!" Caster screamed like a madman as the pages of his dark tome flip with arcane power and several tendrils suddenly shoot out from under Caster's robe at Adam.
Adam easily cut down all those tentacles that look quite familiar to him.
"As expected, it is indeed those Eldritch Xenos." Adam said after glancing at the tentacles he cut down and then looked back at Caster who was preparing another attack.
"No one will stop me and my righteous vengeance against those who had betrayed my Jeanne!" Caster yelled out his lunacy as the pages on the tome flipped again as Caster's robe bloated and then tore apart to reveal the monstrosity hiding underneath, fused with him partially.
The squid-like monstrosity locks its eyes at Adam before it screeches and lands another more ferocious attack while Caster is laughing like a madman.
Adam cut down more of the tentacles lashed at him but the monster regenerated near instantly which led to a stalemate. But Adam delivered a Warp Lightning smite at the Caster which seems to affect it as it becomes stunned for a split second and that much is enough as Adam dashed forward like a blur and cleaved them in half, separated Caster from the Eldritch monster.
Then without a pause, Adam conjure a potent Warp Fire to burn the monster which screeches it's death wail and tried to attack Adam with its last dying might but the shoulder mounted Incinerator Flamer blast out a high pressure gout of blessed Promethean fire that caused it to screech louder as Adam dice it into smaller chunks.
After confirming the psychic presence of the monster had been terminated, Adam turned his attention to Caster who was now without his lower half and bleeding out a pool of blood yet still rambling about revenge. Adam points his left arm at Caster with intention to rip his soul out and exterminate it. Adam felt a sudden stab from behind that embedded deep into his gut and twisted purposely followed by a jolt of powerful lighting that attempted to sear him from inside out but he is fortunately immune to Warp based power.
"Now. Now, Mister Knight. I cannot have you kill my friend yet. At least not until he fulfilled his purpose." A playful and cute voice spoke to him as Adam attempted to turn around to look at the source of the voice.
"It's perplexing to me that you seem to be immune to the Illusion. However, not your lover though, Mister Adam." The voice spoked again before Alina pulled her blade free and attempted to attack him again with a dull expression which shows she was controlled somehow.
"Hmn, it's difficult to watch through that many memories. But I figured out why you are immune to the Illusion and also your immortality." The voice sighed and said, "You are definitely a pain to deal with if that is the case."
Adam finally turned around and saw a white haired girl with black and white striped top and a white dress with a cloak and an umbrella. The playful and carefree face she has tells that she sees the world as nothing more than a game for her like how most Chaos Gods see the material world. Nothing but a playground for them because of their power.
With a deep breath, Adam holds on to Alina, suppressing his rage that is threatening to burst out from his mind. He calmly restrained Alina first and knocked her out before he looked at the intruder.
"Ah, you are wondering who I am? I forgot to introduce myself, but I am Francesca Prelati. Nice to meet you." She offered her hand for a handshake.
Adam simply stared at her coldly which made her sighed like a child that was told playtime is over.
"You are no fun." She complained before her smile returned as she folded her umbrella and tapped it on the ground.
The supposedly knocked out Alina suddenly was awake and with a dull expression, attacked him with her Nemesis Force Falchions.
"Mhm! It definitely is much more fun to see what you will do in this situation. Will you kill your precious lover or will you try and save her again knowing it is useless?" She said and then laughed.
Suddenly a powerful force exploded from Adam like shockwaves that shook the castle like an earthquake. Francesca is no longer laughing as her expression turns to shock at what she just witnessed and realized.
"I said this once and once only. Release her or you will regret ever meeting me." Adam said as his psychic energy infused voice caused the air to tremble like a powerful shockwave.
Francesca look worried for a moment before she recover her previous smile as she asked,
"What are you joking about? Do you not understand the situation right now?" She then tapped her umbrella again as the reality rewrote again before Alina suddenly stood up with her blade at her own throat.
Francesca naturally fears nothing because she is immortal while her other self is manipulating reality using Grand Illusion which shapes reality to whatever she wishes with the exception of Adam.
But that changed in the next instant.
The powerful Psychic power inside Adam gushes out like a shattered dam. Light bathed his body and bright light exploded from his eyes.
They want to play with manipulating reality? They can only do it with illusion which is basically exploiting loopholes while Adam mobilizes his own soul and willpower to enforce reality and shape it to his wish.
His psychic power pulled the Warp and its force to smash open the Grand Illusion, shattering it much to Francesca's shock and before she could flee after realizing she had kicked a steel plate, a powerful psychic force seized her soul.
It isn't the first time Adam deals with those so called 'Immortals'. Immortal or not once their soul is annihilated, are they still alive when in their reborned body is nothing, not even the husk of their soul that he exterminated will remain.
"No! Wait! Let's not be hasty shall we? I am useful and I can do many things for you! Please do— AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
She howled with twisted expressions as Adam's Psychic force tore her soul apart from inside out and then burned it with Warp Fire to leave nothing behind. Not even a speck of ash.
Adam then quickly reached for the unconscious Alina and carried her as he left quickly. Now that the illusion that kept Dark Jeanne under warp about the thing happening underground had been destroyed, she had definitely sensed him. He didn't know why Francesca would try to hide from Dark Jeanne as if they are not on the same team but he didn't have the luxury to ponder.
When he climbed out from the underground, Adam whistled before seconds later Sif arrived with her back lowered. Adam jumped on her and then they immediately bolted into the forest with their objective completed although with some bumps. A success nonetheless but this will be another reminder that there is more to be seen in this universe to be able to put him in such an illusion without him even realizing until it was too late.
—————