Nareth, accompanied by his Honor Guard from various pathways, walked towards the assembly point. Arsena, Thomas, and Marlena brought only two attendants each.
Arkhan Land led twelve Skitarii and five servitors. A mechanically augmented monkey perched on his left shoulder.
"Let us proceed," Nareth said, then strode towards the Vhulian Swirl.
Viewed from afar, the Vhulian Swirl resembled a bowl, its outer rim expanding progressively higher.
Nareth knew this was due to energy dissipation.
The team advanced. When one kilometer from the vortex's edge, Nareth halted.
His black armour creaked and groaned.
The black wolf Freddy and the gyrinx John, beside him, also stopped.
Freddy gazed up at the dust vortex. His spiritual intuition sensed no mortal threat within.
But he perceived mist-like energy distorting physical space, layering and spreading, limiting his vision to five kilometers.
The Primarch keenly sensed that proceeding further would subject them to Warp energy influence.
In his Warp Insight, colored mist swirled; from the "Baron of Corruption's" perspective, threads of rules twisted and tangled.
This energy intensity wouldn't affect him significantly, but would harm the minimally augmented bodies of Arkhan and others.
Recalling the meeting, Arkhan immediately issued an order to a servitor.
"Activate the Energy Suppressor."
The servitor placed the spherical device it carried on the sandy ground, pressing a hand onto the metal apparatus's top.
After a series of green runes flashed, the sphere extended two antennae. Energy currents danced between magnetic poles, emitting sharp crackles.
Beneath it, two mechanical claw-feet extended, stepping onto the sand, moving forward.
Light and shadow flickered in Nareth's eyes. He could see invisible energy currents encircling the magnetic antennae.
Dust drifting nearby visibly settled; surging Warp energy calmed.
In Nareth's Warp Insight, the colored mist dissipated. The "Baron of Corruption" also saw threads of the physical world stretching out, returning to normal.
'Truly worthy of Arkhan.' He praised inwardly, continuing forward.
As the machine's energy field touched the Vhulian Swirl area, a waterfall of dust cascaded from the sky towards the ground.
Everyone knew psychic power couldn't be used under such conditions; it would disrupt the machine's operation.
Marlena raised a hand. Vines from the interstices of her Dominum Armor rapidly spread and grew.
The "Biologist's" spirituality extended. Vines layered overhead, covering the group.
Dust surging skyward, weighing tens of tons, slammed onto the vines like a slithering python, producing dull thuds.
The vines shuddered for several seconds, then stilled.
The team advanced. The vines, seemingly alive, moved with the "Biologist's" steps, blocking the continuous dustfall overhead.
Arkhan, leaning on his cane, wearing a respirator, trudged through the sandy sea.
The monkey on his shoulder held a data slate, large eyes behind protective goggles fixed on the screen.
The screen was divided into sections. The largest occupied from the top-left, extending right and down.
It was subdivided into five areas; only the central one was lit.
After the monkey confirmed that the activated energy interference device operated normally, it looked right.
In the top-right area, digits jumped continuously, increasing.
That was the distance traveled.
When the digits reached 13.57, it suddenly saw the number representing the influence range on the energy interference device flicker, changing to 999.4 meters.
The monkey immediately presented the data slate to Arkhan.
Arkhan halted, examining all data on the slate. Pressing his throat comm, he spoke on the team channel.
"Lord Nareth, everyone."
"Closer to the vortex center, energy density increases. My interference device is already affected; its range has shrunk by point six meters."
"My prior calculations indicated that continuing five kilometers would compress the device's range within one hundred meters, my set safety limit. Then I would activate the second device."
"According to calculations, five devices should suffice for this journey." The "Polymath," having simulated their plan, added.
"Five devices are also our operational limit." Arkhan supplemented.
"The energy interference devices emit some energy while operating."
"Different machines' energies interfere with each other. Five is the equilibrium."
"Understood," Nareth said. "Proceed."
The second device was deployed, initially positioned 950 meters from the first.
The team repositioned accordingly, reforming around the midpoint between the two machines.
As they prepared to advance, Nareth suddenly ordered over the comm-channel.
"Marlena, prepare for impact."
The "Biologist" immediately extended her spirituality. Vines grew wildly.
A giant armored transport fell from the sky, slamming onto the vines.
The vines rustled and shook, taking dozens of seconds to stabilize.
With a thought from the "Biologist," dozens of vine-tendrils extended from the canopy, grabbing the transport like ropes, flinging it aside.
The "Biologist" paled. Spiritual expenditure forced her to reduce coverage. The vines, like snakes returning to nest, contracted to a hundred-meter radius.
"More incoming." Nareth's eyes flashed. He knew the Vhulian Swirl lifted tanks and giant armored transports into the air.
Navigating by experience wasn't entirely safe; Warp energy fluctuations triggered storms.
He keenly sensed more armored transports in the air, falling towards them as dust cleared, clearly a convoy.
Flight trajectories flashed through the Primarch's mind. Two armored transports would strike the team; another would hit the energy interference device ahead.
"Open the canopy."
"Freddy."
The black wolf followed Nareth, dashing to the vine canopy. The "Biologist" opened a way for them.
The Primarch beat his wings, appearing above the energy interference device. His left arm swung; the Power Gauntlet struck the giant armored vehicle.
The vehicle crumpled into layered scrap, flying dozens of meters before crashing.
The black wolf's legs tensed, leaping into the air. He raised a paw, shoving forcefully.
Two giant armored transports were successively batted away, crashing into the sandy sea.
The black wolf looked at his master. Nareth had already turned other falling vehicles to scrap, landing them afar.
After clearing obstacles, the black wolf returned with his master to the vine canopy, strutting proudly past John.
The team advanced. After deploying the third energy interference device, the stable triangular formation allowed smooth progress for five days.
On the tenth day, all five devices were deployed, now compressed within the hundred-meter safety radius.
Arkhan's voice suddenly sounded over the comm-channel.
"Lord Nareth, everyone."
"I made an error..." Arkhan admitted bitterly for the first time in his life.
"According to the data slate, we should have completed the journey, reaching the vortex center."
Hearing this, Arsena's expression changed. He snatched the data slate, examining the data.
In the bottom-right corner, the black dot representing their position had reached the green dot at the center of the yellow circle.
The "Polymath's" mind raced. Moments later, a possibility occurred.
"The energy interference devices don't fully eliminate chaotic energy. The distance traveled, recorded by sensors, isn't the actual distance."
Light and shadow flickered in the Primarch's eyes. Peering through the vines, he surveyed the surroundings.
In the "Baron of Corruption's" vision, threads of rules were also chaotically tangled.
In his Warp Insight, faint mist swirled nearby.
After a moment's thought, Nareth spoke.
"Arkhan's machines aren't useless. We've completed most of the journey."
"But closer to the Voidclaw, the devices' effectiveness weakens."
"Moreover, the Voidclaw can distort spacetime, compounded by Warp energy interference, causing this outcome."
"This is my fault for not accounting for this variable." The proud Arkhan self-criticized.
"We haven't been traveling a straight line."
"My operational plan also had flaws," Arsena added.
"No matter. I have a solution."
Nareth didn't blame Arkhan for the failure. He hadn't detected the minute deviation either, indicating it was extremely slight.
He believed that after exiting the vortex and repeating exploration several times, Arkhan could correct the error.
But Nareth didn't want to spend more time. He glanced at the Dice of Prophecy.
'Approximately one day until full recharge.'
Without knowing the deviation's extent, only the Dice of Prophecy could find a path within the vortex.
Just as Nareth prepared to find a place to wait, a voice sounded in his mind.
"Master, I think I can find Citadel Vigilant."
Hearing this, Nareth looked at the gyrinx.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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