Chapter 84: The Silver Ghost

Looking at the withered body of Ma Lei on the ground, Zhou Yun sighed.

Ma Lei’s plan, in a certain sense, could indeed save all of Axi.

If his plan succeeded, all of Axi would plunge into the Warp and become part of it.

Then even the Tyranid Hive Fleets would be powerless against Axi.

But how many could truly endure the Father’s love?

The Father sought to save not just the humans of Axi, but every blade of grass, every tree, every bacterium and virus upon it.

“The Emperor loves all humanity, but even that love is heavy beyond bearing—how much heavier is the Father’s love for all life?”

Zhou Yun shook his head and turned to Leina.

The brilliant golden light on Leina’s body had vanished sometime ago.

Her hair had turned dry again, the tips charred, her eyes once more the hazy, fawn-like gaze, her skin marked with faint burns, her steps unsteady, her face filled with exhaustion.

Zhou Yun stepped forward and supported Leina, guiding her to sit beneath the metal pillar.

Leina gently rested her head against Zhou Yun’s thigh.

Zhou Yun observed the injuries on her body.

Most were minor burns, risky for infection but not immediately life-threatening.

“His power did not pour too deeply into the girl’s body; no irreversible damage was done.”

The winged figure within the white light spoke softly:

“She will be fine, given a long period of rest.”

Hearing the winged figure’s words, Zhou Yun nodded gently.

“I’m fine,” Leina murmured, snuggling deeper into Zhou Yun’s arms, her face—freckled and burned—exhausted.

Zhou Yun gently stroked Leina’s charred, curled hair.

Leina, like a kitten, pressed closer into his arms.

“I… I want to sleep for a while. My money’s in the Junk Mountain—where we first met.”

Leina’s voice grew fainter.

“And… remember the two secret phrases. They’re His compensation for your losses.”

“Death.”

“Only sacrifice death.”

“Only worship the Death God.”

Leina whispered these words, resting in Zhou Yun’s arms.

These two phrases made Zhou Yun’s brow furrow slightly.

They were the prayers he had heard in his vision when granted the blessing of the gloomy death-essence.

Prayers addressed to a Death God.

Now it was clear: the true face of the Death God was the Emperor himself.

The human Death God was the Emperor.

“Don’t you think He’s… off?” Zhou Yun frowned, looking at the winged figure in the white light.

The winged figure in the white light fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly:

“Is my father really my father?”

“Am I really my father’s son?”

“. Huh?” Zhou Yun was left bewildered by the winged figure’s words.

Your father isn’t your father? You aren’t your father’s son? Could your father be your son?

“. No, what I mean is—how much of Him is still truly my father?”

The winged figure’s voice trembled slightly.

“I’ve always been troubled by His condition, but it seems ten thousand years of worship have deeply altered my father.”

“. I have a question: in your era, did people have many beliefs?”

“Many—but in my homeland, most were unbelievers or worshipped only as needed; other nations worshipped a god nailed to a cross.”

Zhou Yun thought for a moment and said:

“That god on the cross might be one of the Emperor’s disguises—but I doubt it.”

“Why?” the winged figure in the white light asked, puzzled.

“The Emperor had twenty-one sons; more than half betrayed Him.” Zhou Yun said seriously:

“But that god on the cross had twelve disciples—and only one betrayed Him!”

“You always manage to tell such blasphemous jokes.”

The winged figure in the white light shook his head:

“Regardless, you must understand: faith is human instinct. Humans will always worship something.”

“Some worship the sky, some worship fire, some worship light, and some worship… death.”

“These worships must have echoed in the Warp—and in the fortieth millennium, most of them converged upon my father.”

“. My father ended all human gods, and ultimately became them all.”

Zhou Yun frowned.

The winged figure’s words were too obscure; he couldn’t grasp them at once.

“Explain more?” Zhou Yun asked, rubbing the head of Leina, who had already fallen asleep in his arms.

“. No time.”

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The winged figure in the white light shook his head:

“Quickly take this girl and leave. This place is not safe.”

Zhou Yun nodded slightly.

The gene-thieves gathered here were clearly not all of them.

The gene-thief chief’s right claw was the Gene-Thief Bishop, responsible for spreading the cult and its influence—the chief psychic of the entire Gene-Thief sect.

The gene-thief chief’s left claw was the Gene-Thief Commander, responsible for leading the guerrilla warfare of the rogues—the highest military commander of the entire Gene-Thief sect.

Zhou Yun had killed the Bishop, but the Chief had escaped, and the Commander was missing.

Who knew when they might regroup and return to Sector One?

Zhou Yun picked up Leina, seized the fallen sword—Dian Guang Wan—and turned to leave the underground chamber.

A dozen minutes after Zhou Yun left the chamber,

A network of fluorescent green lines, like circuit boards, suddenly appeared in the air.

These lines intertwined and converged, crackling and hissing, opening a hyperdimensional portal.

The lines of the portal twisted and writhed, slowly forming a human shape.

A tall, gaunt figure, entirely silver, glowing with faint blue light, clad in pale gold scale armor, stepped slowly from within.

The silver figure resembled a skeleton; its eyes, glowing blue, brimmed with hollow death.

It took one step forward, entering the chamber, and the hyperdimensional portal behind it vanished.

“False god of the High Heaven.”

It raised its head, gazing at the former location of the Warp rift.

Then it looked down at Ma Lei, lying lifeless where he had fallen:

“Sorrowful monkey, gene-altered.”

The silver figure advanced further, seeing the now-drying biomass pool and the remnants of Tyranid remains within.

“Predator from beyond the galaxy.”

It raised its staff, shaped like a guandao; a searing beam shot forth, exploding violently and utterly obliterating the entire biomass pool.

“And…”

It scanned the surroundings, its blue eyes sweeping the area:

“Psyker? Witchcraft? Monkey king?”

Within its blue gaze, faint images of the chamber’s recent events flickered—

Yet one figure remained blurred, triple-folded, as if leaving traces across different moments in time.

“Unknown Shikongluxing?”

“The urgency grows. I must awaken the dynasty within this star system soon.”

As the words ended, a hyperdimensional portal reappeared behind the silver figure.

It stepped into it and vanished.

A silver figure.jpg

Who am I? (Pokémon voice)

(End of Chapter)