Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde

In the afternoon, Rhode returned to the cave he had been in before to rest, while Canoness Anna, Polar Warrior Captain Dres, and others continued to monitor the movements of Bemstar.

"Lord Rhodes! I boiled some hot water and prepared some military rations for you." The young hospitaller sister Elena handed Rhodes a can of freshly brewed tea as she spoke.

These supplies were high-end goods within the Army, only available to sergeants and above. Because of Rhodes' special status, a batch had been sent over for him. Rhodes nodded, taking the food and water from her.

The tea had a faint, delicate fragrance, but Rhodes felt it wasn't as good as the brick tea he used to buy on the street. However, the military canned food had been replaced with a better-tasting variety—it now resembled beef and wasn't as unpalatable as before.

Rhodes had never dared to ask what kind of meat was inside the military rations. As long as it was edible, that was enough; asking too many questions might make it impossible for him to eat.

"Thank you! After an exhausting day, I am indeed a bit hungry."

"I should be the one thanking you, Lord Rhodes. You are truly the Emperor's chosen one. We all saw that giant divine machine—it grew from 50 meters tall to 80 meters, and its entire body shone with a golden light.

The Space Marines said it was made of incredibly rare metal, even harder than their ceramite armor!" Elena looked at Rhodes with admiration.

She could hardly believe it—standing before her was truly one of the Emperor's chosen. No wonder he possessed superhuman physical abilities without undergoing any surgical modifications. He also had such a powerful divine machine that he could operate all on his own.

The two of them engaged in casual conversation inside the cave. Elena began speaking about her background—she was a girl from an agricultural world who joined the convent at the age of eight. By fifteen, she had demonstrated a gentle and caring nature, leading to her selection for the Hospitaller order.

After three years of training, her first experience on the battlefield was against the Tyranid swarm.

"So, you're only eighteen this year?" Rhodes glanced at Elena and asked.

Still a young girl! He hadn't noticed before, but now that he was paying attention, he realized just how young this hospitaller sister was.

"Yes! This is my first time on the battlefield. Originally, I was supposed to intern in this agricultural world for three more years, providing medical aid to the stationed Astartes Army." Elena explained.

As their conversation continued, Rhodes learned that her greatest dream was to finish her military service and, around the age of fifty, return to the medical convent to train new hospitaller sisters—then live out an ordinary life and eventually die of old age.

In the grim darkness of the Warhammer universe, living past fifty and dying naturally was already an immense blessing.

...

As night fell, Rhode lay inside the cave, covering himself with a military coat as he drifted into sleep.

In a hazy dream, Rhodes' consciousness seemed to enter a misty realm. He felt like an infant, sleeping in this strange space.

At that moment, Rhodes' body emitted an unusual glow, as if his spirit was connecting to another dimension, forming an unknown power.

Suddenly, within that foggy space, a terrifying purple monster appeared, seemingly drawn by an enticing scent. The moment it saw Rhodes, it lunged toward him with delight.

More creatures—red, black, and pink—followed, swarming toward Rhodes.

Just then, beside Rhodes, a towering figure appeared—a gigantic being clad in magnificent golden armor, radiating golden light.

The golden-armored giant emitted a dazzling burst of golden energy. Every monster that came into contact with this light was instantly burned to ashes.

The massive golden warrior stood silently beside Rhodes' spirit, annihilating all creatures that dared to approach.

At the same time, the golden light from the warrior continued to bathe Rhodes' spirit, like a great sun nourishing his soul with warmth.

This continued until dawn, when Rhodes' spirit withdrew, and the golden giant vanished.

...

A ray of sunlight fell on his face, and Rhodes stretched lazily as he opened his eyes.

He had slept incredibly well—his entire body felt warm as if overflowing with energy.

Just then, Rhodes noticed something strange—his eyes flashed with a golden glow, and a surge of Warp energy stirred within him.

Looking down at his palms, he saw faint golden lightning crackling between his fingers.

What the hell?!

Why can I suddenly generate lightning with my bare hands? And why is it golden, like some kind of Pikachu power-up?!

"Hmm?" Rhodes' movements seemed to have startled someone else. The Elena stirred awake beside him and immediately widened her eyes in disbelief.

She stared at Rhodes—his eyes gleamed with golden light, and golden lightning flickered around his hands.

"By the Emperor… T-this is impossible! Lord Rhodes, your eyes—weren't they burned? How are they still intact?" Elena rushed to his side in shock.

Rhodes blinked, the golden glow in his eyes fading back to normal, and the golden lightning on his hands vanished.

"Elena, what's wrong? Did… did something just happen to me?"

"Lord Rhodes, you—just now, you used psychic power!

And your eyes… oh, Emperor! Your eyes are like those of the Astropaths! But… but after bathing in the Emperor's light, no mortal's eyes should remain intact. No ordinary eyes can withstand the Emperor's radiance!"

Psykers were a crucial part of the Imperium. All psykers, once discovered, were taken away by the Black Ships of the Imperium.

Those who couldn't control their abilities, or were weak-willed, were deemed unworthy and sacrificed to sustain the Emperor.

Those who could control their powers were designated as sanctioned psykers, serving in the military or the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, aiding Imperial starships in navigation and communication.

The strongest among them became Librarians for the Space Marines or agents of the Inquisition. The value of a psyker was immeasurable.

"So… you're telling me I just took a nap and woke up as a psyker?" Rhodes asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Lord Rhodes! Can… can you see the Astronomican's light? You should be able to see it now, right?"