Chapter 1078: Temporarily Keeping Others in the Dark

Mortarion fell silent.

Looking at Typhon, looking at those loyal Dusk Raiders warriors nearby.

Tell them?

No. Cannot.

At least not now.

This news is too significant, too dangerous.

Once leaked, it would trigger unimaginable ideological chaos within the Star Alliance.

A Primarch is the extension of the Emperor's will, the father of the Legion, and the core of their Faith.

What would happen if the warriors knew that, in some possibilities, their gene-father might betray everything?

Even more terrifying, the corrupted Jaghatai mentioned "other brothers." Horus? Lion? And other Primarchs?

Mortarion dared not think further.

"A... powerful Alien. The hidden trump card of the Feng Qi Xing. It attempted to use Ley Line Energy to strengthen itself, but failed. I destroyed it."

This was a lie. But sometimes, lies are necessary.

Typhon clearly did not believe it; could an Alien powerhouse possess Primarch-class psychic power?

"I understand. Then, that existence has already..."

"Left," Mortarion said, "for now."

Mortarion tried to stand up, but his legs went weak, and he nearly fell.

Typhon and another warrior immediately supported him.

"Father, you need treatment."

Typhon insisted.

"Your psychic power is severely overdrawn, your body has multiple injuries, and there is that corrosive energy..."

Mortarion looked at the wound on his chest plate that was still burning.

The pale flames had dimmed, but were still slowly eroding it.

"Return to the ship. But do not make a scene. Only notify the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Apothecary. Others... continue to execute the occupation Task. The planet must be completely controlled."

"As you command."

Escorted by the warriors, Mortarion was taken away from the pit.

Mortarion closed his eyes.

He had to tell someone. Only one person was qualified to know this truth and had the power to deal with this threat.

His father.

Three hours later, Mortarion lay in the regeneration fluid tank of the medical bay.

There were only three people in the medical bay: Mortarion, Apothecary Fabius Bayer, and Typhon, who was guarding outside.

Bayer had just finished the second round of examinations; no expression could be seen on his electronic face, but his voice carried a rare solemnity:

"My Primarch, I must confess: thirty-seven percent of the injuries you sustained are of a type I cannot understand.

It is not physical damage, not energy burns, nor any known toxin or radiation.

It is resisting all conventional treatment methods."

Mortarion lay in the fluid tank, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"Can it be controlled?"

"Temporarily, yes. I have used seventeen different psychic seals and biological inhibitors to confine it to the chest plate area.

But it is still slowly spreading, just at an extremely slow speed.

At the current rate, it will take about... six to eight months before it threatens major organs."

"Enough time."

Mortarion said.

"Enough time for what? To find a cure? I need to know the nature of the contamination before I can..."

"Not a cure."

Mortarion interrupted him.

"It is to do what I must do."

Mortarion looked at Bayer.

"Now, leave the medical bay. Without my permission, no one is allowed to enter, including you."

"... As you command, my lord."

Bayer left the medical bay, and the heavy blast door closed behind him.

Mortarion sat up from the regeneration fluid tank.

The liquid slid off his body, revealing a scarred but rapidly healing physique.

Mortarion walked to the Control Console of the medical bay and entered a complex string of passwords.

A communication request was sent.

The waiting time was long.

Mortarion used this time to organize his thoughts.

How should he report? How much should he say? Should he mention the "other brothers" the corrupted Jaghatai spoke of? What about the threat regarding "all worlds shall submit"?

More importantly... how should he describe his own wavering at that moment?

When the corrupted Jaghatai displayed those illusions, when those whispers tried to erode his will, Mortarion did indeed, for a split second... doubt.

Not doubting the Emperor, but doubting whether he truly understood the full extent of his father's plan.

It was only for an instant, but it was enough to make Mortarion feel fear—not fear of the enemy, but fear of the weaknesses within his own heart.

The chime of a communication link being established interrupted Mortarion's thoughts.

A holographic projection array rose from the center of the medical pod.

"Mortarion, you are injured. Severely injured. What happened?"

Yingzhou felt curious; what kind of existence could possibly injure a Primarch of Mortarion's level?

"Father. Forgive me for appearing before you in such a state."

"Tell me what happened. Typhon's preliminary report only stated that you encountered an 'abnormally powerful Alien Psionic.' But I know that whatever could injure you to this extent would not be an ordinary enemy."

Mortarion stood up and began to recount the events.

From the battle in the Ley Line control room, to the appearance of the spatial rift, to the arrival of the corrupted Jaghatai, to the conversation between the two, and finally to the battle and the other's departure.

Mortarion did not conceal any details, including the corrupted Jaghatai's blasphemy against the Emperor...

The recounting lasted for nearly twenty minutes.

When Mortarion spoke of the corrupted Jaghatai finally riding away on a Jetbike, Mortarion paused.

"He said, 'May you have the courage to face the truth when the day of its arrival comes.' Father... what is that 'truth'? And what is the 'true face of the False Emperor' that he saw?"

Yingzhou remained in Silence for a long time.

He also very much wanted to know what had happened; Jaghatai? Wasn't Jaghatai in the Sixth Star Sector? How could he have fought with Mortarion? Moreover, listening to Mortarion's description, this Jaghatai did not seem like the loyalist Primarch he knew from his past life.

"Mortarion, you have asked a question I cannot fully answer. Because the 'truth' has many layers, and some layers... are not suitable for you to know, even now."

Mortarion's heart sank. This was not the answer he had expected.

He had expected his father to flatly deny it and say it was all lies.

"But what I can tell you is that what that corrupted Khan Jaghatai saw was not the truth, but a reflection of the truth after it had been twisted. It is like looking at the world through a broken mirror; all the images exist, but they are all distorted, one-sided, and full of deception."

"You did the right thing, Mortarion. You did not listen to his lies, nor were you tempted by the 'power' he displayed. You held fast to your faith, protected that world, and protected your own soul."

"But I almost failed, Father."

Mortarion said in a low voice.

"Those whispers... those illusions... they were powerful. And no one can be certain whether that corrupted brother Jaghatai will appear again."

"Listen, Mortarion. You must keep what happened today strictly confidential. Aside from you and me, do not inform anyone else for the time being."