Chapter 334: The Loving Father: First, You Are Also Materialist

"Numerology? Numerology! Every time I hear Mortarion talk about numerology, I feel as if I've been smashed by a mold spore!"

At the mention of the five words "numerology," Khorgas was struck as if by lightning and could not help but begin to complain to the Father:

"He actually came to teach me what the Holy Numbers are! He is simply insulting me!"

"This must be three! This must be seven! Numerology must be a rigorous science! Even the Great Daemon must obey science!!"

"He is full of lies and self-deception. He thinks that a bunch of numbers can explain everything, explain the Empyrean and the exquisite art of cultivating plagues, as if by draping this layer of numerical skin over himself he could distance himself from sorcery! Truly bewitched!"

Acid dripped uncontrollably from the corners of Khorgas's mouth, and his expression grew increasingly twisted:

"Ha! Do you know what he said? He thinks he is a rigorous scientist, that he draws his power from science!"

"By the Plague God, you know perfectly well what he truly is! Long before his birth, he was a creature of the Warp! And now, if you will allow me to use this word to describe him, he is a thoroughgoing sorcerer! More of a sorcerer than his brother Ma Genusi!"

"At least Ma Genusi's sorcery comes from true knowledge! But Mortarion? It all comes from his delusions!"

Nurgle listened calmly to Khorgas's condemnation of Mortarion,

nodded gently, and then asked: "So, what is your view on numerology?"

"Pure bewitchment!"

Khorgas took a deep breath and said:

"Stupider than the lies spun by the Lord of Change, stupider than the spells of Tzeentchian sorcerers."

"Numerology? Hmph, this is simply, this is simply..."

Khorgas struggled to find the right words in his mind until, seven seconds later, he finally thought of that suitable word,

"Feudal superstition! Pure feudal superstition! Ask me to believe this? I would sooner have Typhus as my son!"

"But there is another person in the Garden who believes in the power of numerology!" Nurgle said, frowning slightly.

"Ha?" Khorgas burst out laughing: "Father, forgive me, perhaps my ears are blocked by mischievous 'earwax' or 'otitis media'!"

"You mean there is someone besides Mortarion who believes in numerology?"

Amidst his laughter, Khorgas looked at the Head Gardener Slimucus beside him,

"Slimucus, old friend, do you remember the tree Mortarion pulled out last time?"

"Since we two could not teach Mortarion a lesson, we could only beat Typhus up."

"Now we have found a better target for revenge. Let's go find that boy who believes in numerology! Beat him soundly and wake him up!"

The Head Gardener Slimucus's expression remained cold; he silently patted the snail Moss beneath his buttocks, said nothing, and quickly ran into the giant-mouth tree forest not far away, disappearing from sight.

"Khorgas, I do not quite approve of what you are saying."

Nurgle looked at Khorgas with a smile and could not help but chuckle twice:

"But you are right about one thing: the person who believes in numerology has indeed taken Typhus as his own son."

"Took Typhus as his own son—" Khorgas was just about to continue laughing when he suddenly choked as if his throat had been strangled.

He lowered his head and looked at the Father like a child who had made a mistake: "What do you mean?"

"Yes, I believe in the power of numerology." Nurgle said with a chuckle.

Khorgas shrank himself even smaller, as if he had returned to his form during the Nurgling period.

"Then... then must I also obey rigorous science?" Khorgas asked in a small voice.

Nurgle could not help but laugh heartily at the sight of Khorgas,

"Go quickly and fetch Mortarion!"

"As long as you are fast enough, I will forgive your tardiness!"

Mortarion was walking through Nurgle's Garden with a rhythm of seven steps per layer, three layers per cycle,

the Father had ordered Khorgas to summon him from Plague Planet, but Khorgas's face was twisted, and he did not explain the reason for the Father's summons to Mortarion,

Mortarion pressed him repeatedly, but Khorgas only kept saying that the fire in his home's crucible was not yet extinguished, and then slipped away.

This made the Pale King feel uneasy; unknown things always caused unease, making it difficult for him to formulate plans,

so, before rushing to Nurgle's Garden, Mortarion used numerology to make a prophecy,

of course, this was not the sorcery of Ma Genusi, not the deceptive tricks of Li Man Russ, nor the prophecy with suspicious psychic power of Sanguinius or Konrad Curze,

but a future inferred through numbers, calculation, and divination; it is a rigorous science, a materialist science that interprets the world with numbers,

to predict the future, Mortarion placed three twenty-sided dice into a turtle shell with a fourteen-sided carapace and shook them, using this as the tool to execute numerology,

fourteen symbolizes Mortarion and his Legion, the three dice symbolize the Father Nurgle, and the twenty-sided dice can better reveal all the Holy Numbers,

the three dice respectively showed the numbers thirteen, nine, and seven; after simple calculation, Mortarion arrived at the answer:

the one who protects Guilliman and Sanguinius, whose Holy Number is twenty-two, has in some way persuaded the Father, allowing Guilliman and Sanguinius to gain some benefit,

this means the Father will likely no longer help him intercept Guilliman and Sanguinius,

this is not good... if they are allowed to go to the False Emperor's side...

The Lord of the Fourteenth Legion narrowed his eyes and had already begun to consider summoning his Legion,

even if Nurgle does not intend to stop Sanguinius and Guilliman, he will not let his two brothers go,

for he is after all not Nurgle's slave, just as he was not the False Emperor's slave in the past,

however, according to what numerology revealed, Ma Genusi seems to be ready; Ahriman, whom he banished, appears to be about to resume serving him; Abaddon, influenced by a Tzeentchian Great Daemon, will also participate; and Khorne's Chosen, Kaen, seems to be taking action as well,

and the key to all of this lies in the Webway. Let us hope Guilliman and Sanguinius can survive the attack from that sorcerer Ma Genusi.

He has prepared another future for Guilliman and Sanguinius.

Mortarion took seven more steps, paused rhythmically for a brief moment, and continued walking toward the Black Demon Hall,

this was the seventh minute since he entered Nurgle's Garden,

he silently counted seven numbers in his heart and then silently took another seven steps,

the Black Demon Hall instantly magnified before his eyes; Mortarion stood before the thick black doors of the Black Demon Hall,

a gentle, faint gaze swept over Mortarion,

Mortarian glanced toward the direction the gaze had come from.

"Mortarian, poor child," a female voice filled with pity and sorrow sounded beside Mortarian's ear.

Mortarian's eyes instantly filled with anger, and he fiercely warned the woman behind the window with his gaze.

"I am never pitiable," he ground out through his teeth: "Mind your own business, goddess of the Aeldari."

The woman behind the window sighed painfully and vanished behind the window of the Black Fortress.

Mortarian snorted, pushed open the heavy doors of the Black Fortress, and walked into this Father's private residence.

The damp wind of the Black Fortress blew across Mortarian's face; the heavy stench of rot permeated the surroundings, reminding Mortarian of the pale room where his alien adoptive father had imprisoned him during his childhood.

"Little Mortarian, you have come."

The Father's voice sounded in the void, His voice thick with joy.

Mortarian stood before that thick, rotting mountain of flesh, striving not to let his gaze rest upon the body of the Triple-God.

Gazing directly at this entity always made Mortarian's eyes ache, feeling as though they were trying to become independent lifeforms and crawl out.

"You refused to stop Ji Li Man and Sanguinius."

Mortarian said through clenched teeth.

His tone carried no question; rather, it was as if he were accusing Nurgle.

Nurgle did not grow angry at Mortarian's tone; instead, He asked with interest: "You know?"

"Numerology has guided me toward the future," Mortarian replied dryly.

"Numerology, numerology is indeed a profound and fascinating discipline," the Father could not help but sigh.

"Oh?" Mortarian was completely unprepared for the Father to say such a thing.

His expression, previously stiff with anger, immediately relaxed considerably, and then

"Can you teach me this discipline?" Nurgle asked softly: "Teach me to learn numerology."

Mortarian's mouth opened slightly; first shock, then joy, appeared on his face.

Afterwards, Mortarian cast Ji Li Man and Sanguinius entirely to the back of his mind; a great sense of mission surged within his spirit.

He was about to preach numerology and materialism to a Warp God; how ashamed his sorcerer brothers would be! How ashamed those superstitious daemons would be!

"Father! You have finally understood! Even you are materialist!"

(End of this chapter)