The Bizarre Adventure of the Warhammer Guard

In the training ground, two giants are attacking each other with specially made spears.

They were all dressed in silk robes woven with gold and red, revealing their thick arms, much like the heroes depicted in paintings.

One of the giants had a youthful face, with a hint of innocence and cunning in his eyes, while the other giant was more composed and mature.

Their attacks were swift and rapid, so fast that ordinary people couldn't even see their movements.

With a "thud," the steady giant's spear struck another giant's neck, but then the giant himself was struck in the arm by the other's spear.

"Alright, Elpis, I've hit you. You've lost." The mature giant withdrew his spear and spoke.

"Hey, La, what do you mean I lost?" Elpis replied with a laugh. "I hit you too, so it's a draw at best."

These two giants were Elpis, now grown from an infant, and La Endymion, the Emperor's royal guard. It turned out that after being given a name by the Emperor, Elpis underwent modification and training.

Regarding the transformation of Elpis, the Emperor neither customized the Imperial Guard nor utilized the Astartes' transformation techniques.

In fact, the Emperor made a hodgepodge, with the Lord of Mankind using the Imperial Guard's modification technology, the Astartes modification surgery, and forbidden technologies from the Dark Ages to fuse and modify them.

Unlike ordinary Astartes, Elpis possessed strength and abilities comparable to the Imperial Guard.

Furthermore, according to the Emperor, he implanted a special gene seed into Elpis's body. This gene seed contains the genes of the Emperor and all the gene primitives he secretly cultivated, and cannot produce other gene seeds.

During the century that the Emperor transformed Elpis's body, it grew tremendously, reaching a height of 2.7 meters, and there was a hint that it would continue to grow.

During this time, Elpis was thrown in front of Marshal Constantine Waldo of the Imperial Guard by the Emperor, who then ordered him to join the Imperial Guard and train with them.

Macardo often taught Elpis all sorts of things, from history to art, and even the techniques of using psychic powers. Occasionally, the Emperor would come to observe Elpis's training and offer his opinions.

"Elpis, be serious. The training ground is the battlefield. I already beheaded you before you could, so even if you hit me afterward, it won't make a difference." Lapa paused, then said solemnly.

"So that's the purpose of your training. In the future, you will encounter many enemies, and only by constantly honing your skills can you defeat them."

"Okay, okay, I know, I know, you've said that so many times." Elpis replied with a grin. "I'll be more careful in the future, but you don't have to always have such a long face. It's nice to smile once in a while."

La looked at the grinning Elpis, shook his head helplessly, and did not answer him.

Speaking of his comrade-in-arms, Ra felt that Elpis was more like a mortal than the Emperor's royal guard.

Although he knew that Elpis did not fully utilize the Imperial Guard's enhancement technology, the Emperor's special treatment made him unconsciously equate Elpis with members of the Imperial Guard like himself.

I remember when we first met, Elpis was very surprised when he introduced himself. Then he became very interested in me, often training and communicating with me, and he liked to ask about my experiences.

It's baffling that I've become interested in someone based on their name.

Unlike other members of the Imperial Guard, Elpis did not like to extend his name to record his achievements.

In Elpis's own words, "I don't need an extra name to prove my glory. I am who I am. If I had to add one, I would add a name: Li Yunche."

When I once inquired about the meaning of Elpis, the name of an ancient Asian civilization in ancient Terra, I only received one sentence:

"That represents my past happiness, La."

Over time, La became acquainted with this extraordinary guard.

Elpis often seemed to enjoy joking, even inappropriately. But La, who frequently dealt with Elpis, believed that Elpis harbored anxieties about the future.

Ra didn't know if her feeling was right or wrong. After all, as powerful servants of the emperor, they didn't seem to need to worry about the future.

This unconventional style was rare even in the Astartes, as if Elpis were out of place in this world.

"La, Elpis, by order of my lord." A royal guard in full golden armor, carrying a guard's spear, entered, temporarily interrupting La's thoughts.

Elpis turned his head and saw that the newcomer was Diocletian Koros. Elpis nodded in greeting: "Yes, Diocletian, what does His Majesty need us to do?"

"Slay the traitorous Thunder Warriors," Dekker said, nodding to La and Elpis.

"After you're all geared up, gather in the square. This time, Waldo will lead us," Diocletian added.

As Elpis walked toward his equipment, he replied, "This is bound to be a fierce battle. It's a real shame for these Thunder Warriors." Elpis naturally knew why the Thunder Warriors had betrayed him, but after so many years of fighting and understanding, he knew it was a necessary move.

"Silence, Elpis. Show no sympathy for these traitors," Diocletian said solemnly. "Anyone who betrays our lord, for whatever reason, is a sinner."

"Forgive my slip of the tongue, Diocletian, but I do not sympathize with these traitors, after all—" Elpiston paused and said, "Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty."

Diocletian looked at Elpis in front of him. Such eccentric remarks could only be made by the person in front of him, but he didn't care about Elpis's offensive behavior.

In fact, Diocletian often trained and discussed tactics with Ra and Elpis. They also frequently discussed philosophical issues, and Elpis often made some unconventional remarks, but these remarks were indeed somewhat enlightening.

In the blink of an eye, both La and Elpis were already dressed in their armor and weapons.

The three of them looked at each other, standing there like immortal sculptures, clad in gleaming gold armor that reflected a dazzling golden light in the dim training ground. The armor was engraved with exquisite patterns and even inlaid with mysterious gemstones of various colors. Just standing there inspired awe.

"Let's go," Elpis's voice rang out, "let's destroy these traitors."

"For the Emperor," Elpis said softly, gripping his spear tightly before striding outside, his blood-red cloak rustling in the wind behind him.

"For the Emperor." La and Dekry exchanged a glance and said softly, then headed together to the meeting point.