Rhodes felt a little guilty. He had been very careful, yet in less than a month since his arrival, he had already caught the attention of one of the four Chaos deities of the Warp!
"So, Mr. Clown, could you tell me who exactly has set their sights on me? At least give me some mental preparation."
Rhodes figured there were two likely culprits. One was Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways since the monsters he summoned had brought unimaginable changes to this world.
The other was Khorne, considering the brutal battle waged by Red King and the terrifying devouring abilities of Bemstar.
On top of that, he had single-handedly led his mechanical monsters to annihilate a Tyranid hive fleet. Such a savage achievement would surely attract the attention of the Chaos God of War.
"Oh! Hahahaha! You little cutie! You're hilarious!" The Laughing God burst into laughter, patting Rhodes on the shoulder.
This guy was a natural at making friends, and the Laughing God liked that kind of personality.
"So, Mr. Clown, which Chaos god has set their sights on me—mmph!" Rhodes was about to say something when the Laughing God covered his mouth.
"Listen carefully. I am giving you an important piece of advice: never say their names out loud, anywhere.
"You've been very cautious, but you accidentally mentioned the name of one of them, and that's why you've been noticed.
"And now that I'm here, if you say their name again, both of us will be targeted. Understand?
"You must always be extremely careful—it's essential for surviving in this world," the Laughing God warned.
No way was he taking any risks. He was about to embark on an incredibly dangerous mission. If even the slightest hint reached those four bastards, he'd be as good as dead.
Rhodes nodded in understanding.
He had to be wary of that four. At least until he was strong enough to take them head-on, caution was his best option.
"That's right! From now on, you can call them 'the four bastards,' 'idiots,' or use any other metaphor, but never say their real names.
"As for the one who's after you, I've already given you a hint. Think—what's the name you've said the most recently?" the Laughing God asked.
Rhodes began to think. The only Chaos God's name he had mentioned recently was during a conversation with Lelith about the Eldar's soul-draining condition.
He had Slaanesh—multiple times.
"So, you've figured it out. Yes, the one watching you is that androgynous freak.
"You've been associating with too many of those Dark Eldar lately. And that one? They're always watching the Dark Eldar, constantly feeding on their souls.
"You were bound to get noticed.
"Not to mention, your soul wasn't particularly strong before, but a few days ago, it suddenly doubled in power.
"In the Warp, you're now shining like a beacon.
"The golden one noticed this first and used his power to shield your soul's glow,
"But despite that, your recent actions still caught the attention of that androgynous freak," the Laughing God explained.
It was because of that sudden surge in soul power—combined with the fact that Rhodes was living in Commorragh—that the Laughing God himself had taken notice of him.
Rhodes nodded. The sudden increase in soul power must have happened when he underwent the Bemstar monster enhancement.
That meant monster enhancements didn't just strengthen the body—they enhanced everything, including the soul.
When he first arrived, before undergoing any monster enhancements, he hadn't attracted any attention.
The first time he caught the Emperor's eye was after enhancing Red King's power.
Now, it was certain: monster enhancements not only boosted physical strength but also fortified the soul.
However, since Red King and Bemstar weren't specialists in soul power, the effects weren't immediately obvious.
Still, the enhancements had allowed Rhodes to wield psychic power. His psychic abilities hadn't come from the Emperor—the Emperor had merely granted him a blessing.
After undergoing Bemstar's enhancement, Rhodes felt his psychic strength increase.
"So, it's that androgynous freak who's after me, huh?" Rhodes confirmed.
Seriously? Just saying their name got him noticed?
But come on! Wasn't that freak only into perversion, suffering, and pleasure?
Why the hell were they interested in him?!
"Don't worry too much. As long as you stay in the Webway or realspace, they can only send minions after you; they can't come for you.
"And those minions? They're easy to deal with.
"As long as you're careful, you'll be fine. You're naturally cautious, and that's a good thing—keep it up," the Laughing God reassured him.
"But I still don't get it. Why would that one notice me? My giant monsters shouldn't be of any interest to them," Rhodes wondered aloud.
"You're wrong about that! That bastard is all about joy, happiness, and extreme pleasure. Every fun and joyful thing in the universe is interesting to them.
Those giant monsters you have? They're super lifeforms that they've never seen before. When you brought the monster species into this universe, it was like sprinkling a handful of honey into a bowl of plain milk.
The first one to notice that honey sweetness would be that perverted person," the God of Laughter said.
"I understand. I'll be careful. Whether it's the demon princes under their command or their great daemons, I'll deal with them cautiously," Rhodes nodded solemnly.
He knew he'd need to be extra cautious around those great demons in the future, and also with one of Lust's chosen vessels—like Lucius or that fallen Primarch, the Third Sister, Fulgrim.
Reviving Guilliman is a must! Get Builliman back up and let him distract the Third Sister!
Then I can develop stealthily, and eventually wipe out all your chosen ones, chaos demons, and demon princes.
"Work hard to grow stronger. When you're strong enough, you won't need to be afraid," the Laughter God said.
"Got it!" Rhodes nodded. Besides the scientist, he'd need a monster that could provide mental protection.
"This time, I'm only here through possession. I've taken over the body of a small underling from my circus.
From now on, he'll stay by your side. When you need to access the Webway, just talk to him. Other than my main base, the library, all my locations are open to you," the God of Laughter said.
This time, he hadn't come in person but had borrowed the body of a believer. This harlequin would remain by Rhodes' side in the future to deliver messages, guide him through the Webway, and, if necessary, contact other members of the harlequin troupe to help fight.
"Thank you, Mr. Clown."
"Remember, that golden guy and I backing you—while we're decent, we can't compare to those four bastards. We're all counting on you, so you've got to do your best. Alright! That's enough chatting for now. I'm leaving."
After saying this, the harlequin waved at Rhodes, then collapsed unconscious.
A few minutes later, the harlequin on the ground woke up again, but the divine aura in his eyes was gone—the God of Laughter had left.
"Lord Loki! By the order of the great God of Laughter, I will stay by your side and serve you," the awakened harlequin bowed to Rhodes and performed a funny gesture as he spoke.
"Alright. Tell me your name, harlequin," Rhodes asked.
According to the God of Laughter, aside from him, no other Eldar would know his true identity. That special card was the perfect ID—it was the best disguise to carry around.
"My lord, my name is Seth. I'm a performer from the Harlequin troupe. We're familiar with all the Webway routes. The God of Laughter has already told me that you can travel to any Webway location," Seth said.
"Understood, Seth. From now on, hide yourself well around me. If I need your help, I'll call for you," Rhodes said.
Seth nodded, then gradually backed out of the room, disappearing from Rhodes's sight.
After Seth left, Rhodes sat on the sofa and let out a long sigh. He needed to figure out how to get stronger!
He also had to start his giant monster combat plan quickly and harvest some of those Dark Eldar.
After a while, there was a light knock on the door.
Lelith walked in with a smile.
"Lord Loki, why did you send that little girl away? She seemed pretty disappointed when she left," Lelith said.
Seriously! You asked me to help trick that little girl over here, and after only chatting with her for a bit, you sent her away. What's your game plan here?
You know, I had to go to great lengths to get Lady Malys to agree, even giving her some monster serums for free!
"I'll talk to her later when I have time. How's the giant monster combat plan coming along? This time, I'm planning for two monsters to fight."
"It's ready. Ten days from now, there'll be a giant monster combat event.
Lord Loki, the scene needs to be bloody and violent for it to work!"
"Don't worry, it will be. I guarantee that at least five or six thousand, maybe even ten thousand, spectators will die that day. Those Dark Eldar should get super excited!"
PS: Ops, you failed the bonus chapter goals. Only one chapter today.