Chapter 156: Master of Ten Thousand Changes: Gah!!

Scene after scene unfolded before Mephiston's eyes,

the information within these scenes so complex, filled with incomprehensible meanings; some scenes, even after Mephiston saw them, he would forget moments later,

until finally Mephiston saw only the burning black stone flames falling upon the earth, whereupon the stars crumbled, all things shattered and tore apart, the sky woven with red, purple, blue, and green swallowed the stars, and everything turned dark.

Only a blue figure shimmering with metallic sheen gradually rose, causing the tides of the High Heaven to surge and churn.

Mephiston roared in pain; he could feel all things sinking into the surging ocean of the Warp, and he himself was plunging into it.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lord of Death."

A silver mask suddenly appeared before Mephiston; it was a slender, elongated figure, and a voice like music came from within the mask,

"I bring you the enlightenment of Inyade, Lord of the Reaper and Souls."

The will of this Eldar witch was pouring into Mephiston's brain; those scenes were seen by Mephiston within the surging waves of the High Heaven under her guidance.

Inyade, Lord of the Reaper and Souls—Mephiston knew this title; that was the Eldar Reaper,

a new existence born within the infinite soul circuit of the Eldar from the power of the former God-King Asuryan and the pure soul of the Eldar; he is the God of Death.

The Eldar seers believe that only when nearly all the Eldar have died will Inyade truly be born, and utterly destroy Slaanesh, the Eldar's enemy.

This Eldar witch is His apostle.

"XENOS!!!" Mephiston let out an angry roar, cursing the blasphemous xenos that had infiltrated her consciousness.

Yet before Mephiston could speak, he heard the sound of hooves suddenly ringing out within the Warp.

The Eldar witch's body trembled with fear; she cried out in panic: "No, I did not come for blood——————"

A sharp cavalry saber cleaved through the dream,

eagles cried, steeds neighed, and the hunter laughed heartily,

and the Eldar witch's head flew into the sky, blood gushing forth.

"God-damned xenos, chattering away, knowing only how to speak your riddles." The mocking voice came from before Mephiston,

the language being Low Gothic mixed with unique vocabulary; Mephiston knew this language was a remnant of the culture of Terra's Eastern Dragon Kingdom.

A steppe rider had appeared at some unknown moment, sitting atop a steed and looking down upon Mephiston,

the rider having eyes like an eagle, looking down upon Mephiston from above.

Mephiston felt that everything within him was seen through by those eyes; his entire person exposed beneath the hunter's eagle gaze.

"Lord of Death?" The rider laughed as if mocking: "There are far too many contenders for that name, son of Sanguinius."

"You possess some power, yet you remain the weakest among them."

Mephiston's pupils trembled slightly; he realized who the steppe rider standing before him was.

"Could you possibly be..."

"Boy, you are the Chief Librarian of the Blood Angels!" The steppe rider sneered: "If you cannot recognize me, then I should suggest Sanguinius find an Ogryn to replace you!"

"I bring you enlightenment from the Path of Heaven."

The steppe rider mockingly imitated the Eldar's tone, saying:

"The Tyranid spies will infiltrate Baal; you must beware of it."

"Khaban is attempting to enter the material universe; you have gathered too much; it salivates with desire."

"Abaddon is completing his Thirteenth Black Crusade; the Blackstone will fall, the rifts will open."

"My brothers will return one by one; Guilliman and your father—guess who will be the first unlucky one?"

"The Reaper, the Machine God, and one other candidate of unknown nature have already arrived at the Baal system; you must make a choice: support him or oppose him?"

"Oh, my father's power is also gradually becoming strong, but whether this is good or bad remains unknown."

Direct and clear information was conveyed through the steppe rider's mouth; Mephiston stood dumbfounded.

He often received enlightenment and prophecies from the Warp, but most were mixed within illusions and riddles, difficult to discern.

Direct and without pretense, like the steppe rider, was something Mephiston had heard for the first time.

Is this still the Warp?? So clear and orderly??

Yet even so, Mephiston found it somewhat unbearable at that moment.

The Tyranid spies will infiltrate Baal?

Khaban is about to descend?

Cadia will likely fall?

The Primarchs are about to return; Sanguinius and Guilliman could both be the first?

The Reaper, the Machine God, and an unnamed candidate have already arrived at the Baal system, and the Blood Angels must make a choice?

Hua Di Huang's power is strengthening, but it may not be a good thing?

Mephiston felt somewhat unbearable for a moment.

Among the things this steppe rider spoke of, the Tyranids were actually the least important.

Even Khaban was the second least important.

The other matters were truly too shocking to Mephiston's cognition.

"My lord!"

Mephiston could not help but ask, even though he knew that making such inquiries within the Warp was extremely dangerous.

But if it could bring the Gene-Father back, if it could allow the Blood Angels to make the correct choice in the coming times, he must take the risk:

"How exactly can my father return? Who is that candidate? Is he human? Why is Hua Di Huang's strength not necessarily a good thing?"

The steppe rider's eagle eyes gazed upon Mephiston; those eyes seemed capable of seeing through the essence of most things in the world.

But what the rider spoke was...

"How would I know? How could I know so much?"

The steppe rider snorted; he lightly patted the steed beneath him.

The steed reared high, and before Mephiston could react, its hoof slammed hard into his face. "My lord!!!" Mephiston cried out in shock: "Great Khan!!"

He surged to his feet, crimson psychic power surging toward the stone coffin lid,

shattering the ivory coffin lid into two pieces. It crashed against a distant wall, then slanted into the coffin of a deceased Chief Librarian.

Pneumatic closure mechanisms sprang wildly; the hibernation monitor embedded in the black carapace was ripped away, and blood gushed from the tube.

"By the Blood of Sanguinius!!!"

Mephiston could not help but cry out, his whole body panting heavily. Recalling the vision he had just seen in his dream, he hesitated briefly before speaking in a low voice:

"The Eagle of Khorgos is likewise above."

He knew that a legendary existence had offered aid to the Blood Angels.

A rumbling commotion rose from outside the Tomb of Malephes,

clearly the disturbance Mephiston had caused had been heard by the other Librarians and guardians of the Blood Angels.

The sound of their descent down the stairs entered Mephiston's ears; the noise was frantic yet showed no hesitation.

Clearly, they were prepared.

Whether to aid Mephiston or to control a rampaging monster,

the great doors of the Tomb of Malephes were pushed open.

!. Read

Messenger Gaius Lascellus—the Second among the Librarians—led fully armed warriors to the Tomb of Malephes.

They were clearly prepared for the worst; their taut bodies betrayed their fear, tension, and resolve.

What devastation would an out-of-control Mephiston cause? Even Mephiston himself felt fear at the thought.

"Mephiston!" Gaius Lascellus aimed his bolter at Mephiston's head. He knew full well it would be of little use: "Is my friend Mephiston standing there, or a monster consumed by a curse?"

Gaius Lascellus was one of the few Blood Angels who shared a friendship with Mephiston; the others felt mostly fear and wariness toward him.

"It is I." Mephiston did his best to keep his voice calm: "I have not yet been lost."

"By the Blood of Sanguinius." Gaius Lascellus breathed a sigh of relief: "I thank Hua Di Huang and Sanguinius. I had nearly prepared myself for death."

"What has happened? What is this?" Mephiston's friend could not help but ask.

Gaius Lascellus's gaze fell upon the ivory slab slanted into the coffin of some former Chief Librarian as he asked.

"I have received a revelation." Mephiston chose his words carefully: "I must see Commander Dante."

In the back room of the Blood Scorpion Tavern in Angel's Landing Town, Zhou Yun looked at the Truth-or-Falsity Divination Machine before him and spoke again:

"If I wish to obtain a map usable with the Any-Door to travel to the main world of Baal, I should head east of Angel's Landing Town."

A blue X flew up from the table, indicating that what Zhou Yun said was false.

I should not go east... Zhou Yun did not hesitate and continued:

"If I wish to obtain a map usable with the Any-Door to travel to the main world of Baal, I should head west of Angel's Landing Town."

The blue X flew up again.

"If I wish to obtain a map usable with the Any-Door to travel to the main world of Baal, I should head north of Angel's Landing Town."

Still an X, yet a smile appeared on Zhou Yun's lips:

"If I go south of Angel's Landing Town today, I will obtain a map usable with the Any-Door to travel to the main world of Baal."

This time, what flew up was indeed a red circle, signifying that what Zhou Yun said was correct.

To obtain a map to the main world of Baal, Zhou Yun should head south of Angel's Landing Town; there, he would find an opportunity.

Though he did not know the reason, nor what he would encounter there,

since the Truth-or-Falsity Divination Machine had judged it true, if Zhou Yun simply went south of Angel's Landing Town, he would obtain a map to the main world of Baal.

Zhou Yun glanced at the remaining chances on the Truth-or-Falsity Divination Machine, rubbed his chin, and continued:

"Before obtaining the map to the main world of Baal, I will not suffer any form of serious injury."

A red ring leapt from the table; a smile appeared on Zhou Yun's lips.

Thus it was done.

He rose, left the tavern, and headed south of Angel's Landing Town.

Zhou Yun did not notice at all that, at that very moment, a wave filled with anger rippled through the Warp.

"Gah!!!!" The Lord of Change let out a piercing shriek.

Book recommendation, book recommendation, book recommendation: "In the Sandbox, Good at Hugging Thighs." An old author; this book has done well. It is a rare sandbox story. His writing style is slightly off-putting, but the plot and pacing control are excellent. After getting past the beginning, the rest is quite good.

(End of this chapter)