Chapter 349: Ahriman: Have you caught Numerology?

"The wisdom of the Primarchs and the Lord of Death cannot be underestimated. There is a trap in this!"

"We must change the plan immediately!"

Ahriman made a judgment quickly.

How could the wisdom of Primarchs and gods come up with such a clumsy plan? Could it be that they used some means to deceive Ahriman's precognitive ability?

He gripped the staff in his hand and tried to find some clues through the seven crystals, peeking at the whereabouts of the two Primarchs and the Lord of Death.

But no matter how he observed, the result shown was that they would leave through the part of the Webway guarded by Belisarius Cawl, Gabriel Seth, and Jainas.

Logically speaking, Ahriman only needed to start the ritual now, and the moment the two Primarchs and the Lord of Death entered the Webway, he could transfer them along with that section of the Webway directly into the Psychedelic Hell. But how could it be so simple?

"But, my lord." The sorcerer lord of the Prodigal Warband, Astroth, said softly: "Could this be an Empty City Strategy, deliberately causing our suspicion and making us overthink?"

Indeed, there was such a possibility. Ahriman nodded in agreement.

The Thousand Sons Legion was once the most knowledgeable about human and the entire galaxy's history. After the Dragon Kingdoms disappeared in that strange self-immolation fire, it was also the Thousand Sons Legion that walked on that ancient land to recover its relics. The Thousand Sons Legion knew that there was an Empty City Strategy in the history of the Dragon Kingdoms.

Perhaps this was the trick of the Primarchs and the Lord of Death, deliberately setting up a formation to attract Ahriman's attention.

When they leave through the section of the Webway guarded by Gabriel Seth, Belisarius Cawl, and Jainas.

Ahriman certainly wouldn't fall for such a trick.

"Push those Dark Aeldari out. Use them as supplementary sacrifices to expand the scope of the entire ritual."

Ahriman turned his head to look at the nine great sorcerers including Astroth and said:

"Include all seven teams and seven doors. As soon as the Primarchs and that Lord of Death appear, transfer them all into the Psychedelic Hell."

To prevent possible accidents, Ahriman specially prepared extra sacrifices.

Eighty-one Dark Aeldari with strong psychic power cursed Ahriman and were stuffed into the ranks of sacrifices.

Ahriman's disciple Astroth was still somewhat worried.

The ritual of directly transferring a section of the Webway was already very consuming, which is why it required a full 9,999 mutant sorcerers and 81 Dark Aeldari as sacrifices, and nine stars to displace the massive Warp energy.

Now the Imperial troops were very scattered in the Webway. If they were all to be transferred into the Psychedelic Hell, it had almost reached the limit of the ritual.

More importantly...

"Seven troops, three commanders, two hundred and twenty-two people per troop."

Astroth said with some worry:

"This involves the sacred numbers of the Plague God and that human-Aeldari Lord of Death. Will it block our ritual?"

There was dead silence in the air. Ahriman and the other eight sorcerers all looked at Astroth in unison.

Before Ahriman could speak, the other eight sorcerers couldn't help but burst into laughter, as if Astroth had told a very funny joke.

"Have you caught Numerology?" Ahriman said with a suddenly raised tone.

The three crystal eyes on Ahriman's mask flickered with light as he looked at Astroth, as if looking at an Ork who suddenly claimed to believe in peace.

The laughter of the other eight sorcerers grew even louder.

If there was anything that the Thousand Sons sorcerers would absolutely mock, it was Mortarion and Numerology.

There were three names written on the Thousand Sons' Book of Hatred: Horus, Leman Russ, and Mortarion.

Horus instigated the destruction of Prospero, Leman Russ was the executor, and Mortarion was the instigator who fanned the flames.

It was Mortarion's near-ignorant hatred of psychic powers that prompted the Council of Nikaea and the Burning of Prospero.

Now Horus was dead, Leman Russ was missing, but he and his offspring were still hated by the Thousand Sons, and Mortarion...

Ever since Mortarion ascended to Daemon Prince during the Heresy era and figured out the funny thing called Numerology, the Thousand Sons looked at Mortarion as if looking at a chaste woman who had fallen into a prostitute but still talked about chastity, just like looking at a moralist who had fallen into a drunkard but still talked about temperance.

In their eyes, Mortarion was a clown, and Numerology was the funniest joke he had ever told.

"Astroth." Ahriman said with some amusement and condemnation in his voice: "Tell me according to your knowledge, have the Imperial troops performed any rituals that can invoke the power of the Warp? Does their action conform to any witchcraft that can reach the torrent of the Empyrean? Can they be protected just by a few numbers?"

This was also one of the reasons why the Thousand Sons absolutely refused to believe in Numerology.

In order to use the power of the Warp, the Thousand Sons spent countless time digging for knowledge from the dust of human history. Long before the rebellion, they secretly obtained knowledge from xenos and those profane existences, not hesitating to violate the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's ban to pursue wisdom in the Warp, eventually even leading to their home planet being destroyed by the Hua Hua Hua Di Huang's executioners.

And he, Mortarion, could mobilize the power of the Empyrean just by relying on the arrangement and combination of a few numbers. Then is there still Chaos Law? Are there still Chaos Gods?

Sacred numbers were not ineffective, but they had to be used through specific rituals, witchcraft, and sacrifices to work.

Most importantly, if Numerology was really effective, then Mortarion wouldn't be a clown, wouldn't the clowns become them, the Thousand Sons?

"Alright, Astroth, timing is everything when telling jokes."

Ahriman waved the staff in his hand to interrupt the laughter of the other eight great sorcerers, signaling them to return to their proper positions and prepare to start the ritual to transfer all seven Imperial troops into the Psychedelic Hell. Astroth bowed slightly and retreated to his position.

Perhaps others could offer opinions on tactics, but in terms of witchcraft and the Warp, no one could question Ahriman's knowledge except for the Primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion.

Ahriman rode on the Tzeentchian disc, gazing at the nine burning stars in front of him.

These nine stars were captured from the material universe by Ahriman and his sorcerers and dragged into this Webway occupied by them.

Countless profane runes and strange witchcraft polluted these nine stars that had once shone on the cold deep space, turning their flames into some kind of disgusting, gorgeous colors. Just looking at them made one feel dizzy.

The prominences they constantly spat out wove into ever-changing vicious symbols. These symbols connected with each other and, combined with the gravity between the stars, formed a massive ritual.

Such a magnificent ritual was just right for confronting two Primarchs and one god.

9,999 mutant psykers and 81 Dark Aeldari who were cursing Ahriman were pushed into the raging burning stars.

A total of 10,080 sacrifices burned in the flames of the stars. Their material bodies were destroyed in the blink of an eye, but their souls, their powerful psychic potential, were trapped in the stars, emitting sharp wails.

This was the true use of sacred numbers, used in rituals to please the gods, rather than just relying on boring number arrangements and mathematical games.

Intense psychic fluctuations stirred the hot sea on the surface of the stars, rolling up a burst of gorgeous light spots. These light spots reflected on Ahriman's face, making his mask look colorful, like fly wings trembling under the bright sun.

The torrent of the Warp began to stir, and the great power of the Empyrean gathered in the Webway, projecting toward Macragge in the distant distance.

Ahriman's mouth showed a smile, because his ritual could not fail——————

"Grandfather, Numerology is not a simple discipline."

!

In Nurgle's Garden, Mortarion, like a patient teacher, pointed to the green and constantly rotting scroll in front of Grandfather.

The rotting marks on the scroll formed numbers, constantly jumping and changing, showing Grandfather the wisdom of Numerology.

"Some clumsy people have a half-understanding of sacred numbers and often make things worse."

"For example, the sacred number nine, this is the sacred number of the Changer of Ways. Those foolish, superstitious sorcerers will use it, but they often make some mistakes."

Mortarion's mouth showed a mocking expression. He looked down on those sorcerers from the bottom of his heart. Their understanding of sacred numbers was superficial.

Nurgle nodded as if he understood, and suddenly he raised his head as if he had vaguely sensed something.

"Just like 9,999 and 81, two numbers should not be used together."

Mortarion was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously, his eyes showing approval.

"That's right! That's right!"

"You see, when 9,999 and 81 are added together, two sacred numbers of the Changer of Ways actually give birth to different meanings."

"10,080, which is a multiple of seven and three. In the numbers that originally pointed entirely to change, it gave birth to the stagnation and corruption belonging to your domain."

"This might instead cause the sorcerers' ritual to stagnate, rot, and even fail."

"If the objects they cast those superstitious spells on happen to also use numbers pointing to you to protect themselves, then the sorcerers' ritual might even backfire on themselves!"

Nurgle listened to Mortarion's words and couldn't help but nod in agreement. He seemed to gradually understand the wisdom in Numerology.

Witchcraft that used both 9,999 and 81 would usher in the stagnation and corruption belonging to his domain.

Ahriman looked at the figures of Zhou Yun, Guilliman, and Sanguinius reflected in the crystal with a bewildered face.

They appeared from the part of the Webway guarded by Gabriel Seth, Jainas, and Belisarius Cawl.

Then they quickly opened and closed that red-and-pink wooden door, and then quickly headed to the next relay point.

Ahriman couldn't help but scratch the horns on his mask, looking at his ritual in confusion.

Hey, why does this ritual look a bit green?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 350 =====