Chapter 330: Khiriman: I Have Never Found Joy in Ruling the Empire

"Nurgle, have you heard of numerology?"

Zhou Yun asked with sincere tone.

The moment those five words—numerology—left Zhou Yun's mouth, Nurgle froze in place.

He first nodded, then shook his head in confusion.

He knew the term numerology—it was a theory developed by Mortarion—but

Nurgle had never studied it in depth, only assuming Mortarion had found some way to harness his own psychic power.

"You're right, but numerology is a rigorous science developed by the Primarch Mortarion, dedicated to using numbers to connect reality and the Immaterium, to explain both dimensions through numbers, and to subsume them both under materialism."

Using the thermal chalkboard and the robot director as props, Zhou Yun deployed his acting skills and his superior logic from the Reasoning Hat to begin fabricating:

"Look, do any of these bacteria carry even a trace of Warp power? They are purely material!"

As he spoke, Zhou Yun pushed several types of bacteria onto the table before Nurgle.

These bacteria were produced by the Random Bacteria Generator, untouched by any psychic energy whatsoever.

Hearing this, the Father of Plagues could not help but widen his eyes, studying the bacteria in their petri dishes.

He was astonished to discover that these bacteria, capable of infecting gods themselves, contained not a single trace of Warp power—they were purely products of the material universe.

Nurgle could not resist leaning close, watching the tiny organisms wriggle and divide on the glass.

"They are truly products of the material universe. Purely material universe products."

He muttered to himself.

In all the Warp, his domain was the one that interfered most with the material realm; his power often manifested through viruses, bacteria, and parasites embedded in matter.

But the Father of Plagues had never attempted to cultivate purely material bacteria, nor had he ever imagined such an effect could be achieved without drawing on the power of the Immaterium.

"Nurgle, for countless eons, the material universe and the Immaterium have been like two sides of a mirror, balanced, reflecting each other."

"But then came the war we both know—the war between the Star Gods and the Old Ones, born of the material universe, a war that burned across the galaxy and the Immaterium."

Zhou Yun spoke to Nurgle in a warm, instructive, evangelistic tone:

"In that war, Warp tides flooded into the structure of reality, while Star Gods of the material realm burned through the Webway of the Immaterium; the two worlds intertwined and clashed—but we all know the outcome of that war."

"The material realm was permanently wounded; countless lives became trapped in death and disease, deceit and sorcery, war and slaughter, while the Immaterium boiled over—you infused it with so many extreme emotions that you shattered the balance between the two realms, causing the Immaterium to tilt and crush down upon the material universe."

Nurgle nodded in agreement again and again; he knew every word Zhou Yun spoke was true—he had been there, had lived through that war, had drawn strength from it to become what he was today.

Not just him—his "brothers," or colleagues, were much the same; even Slaanesh, in a sense, was born from the echoes of that War in Heaven.

Without exaggeration, the current structure of the two realms—material and Immaterium—was born from that war between the Old Ones and the Star Gods.

The stellar sea boiled, and the Immaterium boiled with it.

"Thus the Immaterium has continuously eroded reality, tearing open rifts in the material dimension, spreading corruption unchecked—this state has endured for so long that you have forgotten one fact: the material realm can invade the Immaterium too."

Hearing this, the Father of Plagues drew in a sharp breath.

Zhou Yun knew his words had taken effect; he pressed on: "You are the oldest god—you know better than anyone that this has happened before. The Old Ones once played with the Warp as they pleased; the Star Gods repeatedly breached the domains of the Immaterium."

"The Immaterium is the realm of will; in this dimension, only will is real—but will can twist the matter of the material universe."

"Similarly, the material realm is the realm of matter; in that dimension, only matter is real—but matter can give birth to will that twists the Warp."

"Think of your Daemon Princes and Chosen. Think of the viruses you've bred. Think of the Grey Knights' Caldor Diago, who once invaded Nurgle's garden."

Grand Master of the Grey Knights Caldor Diago, eternally trapped in the Warp by the curse of the Daemon Prince Reborn Muka,

this Grand Master once banished Mortarion, killed the Bloodthirster bare-handed, slaughtered six Slaaneshi Daemons, stormed and destroyed Tzeentch's domain,

even set fire to parts of Nurgle's garden.

All the Daemons of the Warp fear this Astartes from the material universe—he still roams the Warp, slaughtering Daemons without mercy.

This is not merely due to Caldor Diago's personal strength; it is because the will born within his material body is so intense that he can twist the Warp and dominate the Immaterium more fiercely than any Daemon.

After all, in this dimension, only will is real.

Zhou Yun chose this as a case study—an example of the material realm invading the Immaterium.

Nurgle nodded along with Zhou Yun's tale.

Drawing on centuries of accumulated knowledge, the Father of Plagues believed Zhou Yun was right.

The material universe is not powerless against the Warp; the Warp often suffers backlash from the material realm.

This is one reason why Nurgle and his colleagues seek Daemon Princes, Chosen, and mortal followers.

They need the power of the material universe to help them enact their will.

"Just as material-world psykers draw power from the Warp, you, as beings of the Immaterium, can also harness the power of the material universe."

"Yet over countless eons, you have largely ignored material power—only Mortarion saw the strength hidden within matter. The great prophet Mortarion revealed to you the unified theory of the material universe and the Immaterium: numerology."

Nurgle stared, eyes wide.

Had Zhou Yun not spoken, Nurgle might never have realized what Mortarion had truly discovered.

Numerology—a discipline that draws power from the material universe.

The Father of Plagues hesitated; he had always assumed Mortarion's numerology was merely his own method of channeling psychic energy.

But if Zhou Yun spoke truly, perhaps because he was a pure Immaterium deity, he had failed to perceive the power numerology drew from the material universe?

Noticing Nurgle's hesitation, Zhou Yun took a deep breath and continued:

"I cultivated these bacteria, entirely free of Warp power, and easily overcame the Plague of Tears—all through numerology."

"I simply cannot understand why some constantly attack our great numerology, why they denounce the sage Mortarion. Our numerology is a perfect, flawless discipline. Those who attack it must surely be blessed by Tzeentch."

"Come, let me cook you a broth—I'll show you the power of numerology."

Hearing Zhou Yun would cook broth, the Father of Plagues immediately grew interested, his eyes gleaming.

Zhou Yun began preparing the broth according to the method he had grasped after drinking Nurgle's thick soup.

The required ingredients burst forth from his mind as if by instinct.

"I must return to the material universe to gather the materials."

Night deepened over Macragge; half the planet sank into sleep, but Roboute Guilliman had not ceased his work.

He had just finished processing the frontline report sent by Sanguinius—his most perfect brother's forces had swept forward like a storm, reclaiming most of the five hundred worlds of former Ultramar within seven months, leaving only a few still held by the Black Legion, mutants, and Daemons.

He expected the war within Ultramar to end before the year's end, before humanity entered the 42nd millennium.

Afterward, the recovery of the entire Segmentum Ultima would inevitably be next on the agenda.

The Segmentum Ultima had been split in two by the Great Rift; fortunately, the existence of the Gateways preserved contact between the dark side, where the Blood Angels' homeworld Baal lay, and Macragge.

Roboute Guilliman had no intention of personally commanding the battles ahead.

He resolved to entrust the Macragge side of the war to Kaldor and Diggory, and the dark side to Dante of the Blood Angels.

He, Zhou Yun, and Sanguinius were now ready to journey to Terra.

Guilliman set down the final document; today's work within Ultramar was temporarily complete.

He could now spare time for something grander.

Guilliman took up pen and paper, struggling to grip the pen with fingers encased in the Armor of Fate—it was difficult, extremely difficult.

But Guilliman believed he could do it; he began to write.

"Perhaps sharp, but undeniably, humanity as a species is biologically unfit to rule the galaxy."

"The vast majority of our kind cannot endure the burden of governing even a single world—they must endure sleepless nights, mental fatigue, and prolonged exhaustion, yet this very strain weakens the minds needed to govern. This is one reason our civilization is so inefficient."

"Frankly, even I—Roboute Guilliman, son of the Emperor—feel weary handling these affairs, and I have never found ruling this Empire joyful."

"Humanity needs a new way to manage its vast civilization—a way that is efficient and swift, rational and flawless, turning every individual into a cog in a vast administrative system, so that individual fatigue, suffering, and overwork deaths cannot disrupt the system's operation."

"Below, I shall demonstrate the operation of humanity's new system."

Guilliman studied the words on the paper; he had tried his best, but the writing was still ugly.

Still, he was satisfied—he had improved greatly since he began.

Click—

The familiar sound of the door opening rang out—Guilliman saw Zhou Yun step through.

"I need some things. Wait—what are you writing?" Zhou Yun interrupted himself, his gaze falling on Guilliman's desk.

"Oh, I'm drafting a new holy text, The Imperial Codex—it will replace the Codex Astartes and will not be limited to Astartes alone, but will encompass all things, becoming the guiding principle for all human action—wait, why are you tearing it?!"

(End of Chapter)