Emperor's Bane

Chapter 634 No One Cares About Malcador

【You mean: I killed Malcador? 】

"I crushed it into pieces with my own hands."

[Where was he killed?]

"In his lair, on your father's throne, before the angry gods."

【Father... the Emperor... didn't stop it? 】

"Ah, he is: unable to be in two places at once."

#Creepy Laughter#

"After all, no one knows better than you how greedy and crazy he is: when he grasps a world with one hand, he can't wait to stretch out his other hand to grasp the next world. When he really grasps that one, he will want to grab the third one with his teeth."

“He’ll never stop.”

"Besides this, he would be eager to use every finger of his to control every front in front of him, and fantasize about achieving unimaginable glory in these wars going on simultaneously: even if he doesn't know how to do this, and only has a general outline but can't answer any slightly technical details, he dares to fantasize about it and even do it."

“He wants it all.”

“He wants to destroy.”

“He wants to have no regrets.”

"He wants the crown."

"But it's a pity..."

"We all know that this is all just a fantasy: even he knows it."

"He can't do that."

“He will fail.”

"That is why he cannot even protect his most core allies. Both of his hands are stretched out, and at least half of his ten fingers have their own masters. Whenever there is a little unrest in his kingdom, he cannot even send a reinforcement to the front line to support those forces that are still loyal to him."

"He can only sit on the throne and watch everything collapse: countless fortresses far away in the sky will fall, the front line is moving closer to his position all the time, his strongest fingers are either deeply stuck in the mud or have already been broken in the blood, and the remaining ones are eager to strangle his neck."

“Especially the ones that were in deep trouble: They could have turned everything around.”

"But they are lost, and they can never return to reality."

"They died meaninglessly for the most meaningful cause."

"So, this war is destined to..."

【It happened in Terra?】

The Eldar Laughing God's long narration gave Morgan ample time to think. After getting rid of the confusion of witnessing the Webway and this nameless black library, the Primarch's superhuman computing power was back online: Morgan only blinked and realized the obvious hint in Xigochi's words.

For some reason that Morgan could not yet determine, the Eldar god was telling the Primarch a possibility, or rather, a prophecy of the God of Laughter: he told Morgan in an almost straightforward way that the Emperor had already consumed about half of his power on various fronts, and the remaining half would be gradually invested in other undertakings in the future: until he was completely overwhelmed and unable to take care of the affairs on the front line.

This was consistent with the facts Morgan had learned. She had no doubt that the Emperor would invest so much power in the Webway. She had witnessed her genetic father's obsession with these ultra-ancient wonders: investing half of the power or even sacrificing the entire empire was definitely within the engineering budget of the Lord of Mankind.

However: Are the legions of the entire Great Crusade only half of the power in the Emperor's hands?
The Primarch was slightly amazed.

As for the other warning in the words, about the evil of rebellion, the Primarch did not even blink: after all, this was not the first time such a thing had happened, and what really made her curious was that according to Xi Gaoqi's fable, the Emperor would be helpless against the rebellion on the front line? Let the flames of war burn all the way to Holy Terra?

This is definitely not his character.

and so……

Morgan frowned quietly.

How much power did the Emperor put into the Webway? How much did he lose? How much damage did the future rebellion cause to the Empire in the early stages? To the point that the human empire couldn't even find a reserve force to send to the front?
Morgan was no fool, she naturally knew that the "Emperor's Fingers" that Xi Gaoqi mentioned should at least be a large Astartes Legion that could stand on its own: there were not many such players in the Great Crusade, and if they did not bring along the mortal auxiliary troops that they relied on as their confidants, even the Dawnbreaker Legion would not be classified into these "fingers" by Morgan.

Dark Angels, Iron Hands, Luna Wolves and Ultramarines...

According to Xigochi, these powerful legions either rebelled, collapsed in the early stages of the war, or could not be relied upon for other reasons: the Emperor's true trusted forces were deeply involved in the Webway War, and even if the rebels reached Terra, they would not be able to return to the real universe to participate in the war.

【hiss……】

Morgan thought of the game of Banner of the Slayer that she had played against the Emperor countless times before: neither she nor her gene-father seemed to have ever considered that the Emperor's trusted main force would be deeply involved in a Webway War, and it seemed that the scale of this war would be no less than the great rebellion that left the Empire with almost no available troops, not to mention that it seemed that a third party force had ignited it?
Gods?
How could they threaten the Webway?

If it can be a threat: then what is the point of the webway? Isn't it just an expensive toy that can be broken at any time?
Or...is there other changes?
Morgan was undecided for a moment.

But it seems that a major rebellion led by a powerful legion and a [Webway War] that can delay or even suppress the Emperor's trusted troops, which may include the entire Legio Custodes, are inevitable: if both are detonated at the same time, it is really possible to tear apart the entire human empire, and it is reasonable to reach Terra.

If the situation continues to develop in this direction of collapse, then the best future for the entire human empire is to barely survive the aftermath of the great rebellion and then linger on until the next era.

All that is good will come to an end: all that remains is the struggle of the bestial beast.

Really...

Morgan pursed his lips. This was enough to make Guilliman and others shake their heads and sigh, or even think in disbelief, but it did not cause a ripple in the Spider Queen's mind. She quickly stared at Xigoqi with a vigilant eye: The God of Laughter was constantly writing and drawing on his crystal book at this time, all of which were words that the Primarch could not understand.

Why are you telling me this?
Morgan wanted to ask a question, but she quickly swallowed it back: she definitely wouldn't believe Xi Gaoqi's explanation anyway, and looking at the attitude of the Laughing God, He probably wouldn't answer more questions for free, so...

[Does it have to be Terra? ]

After thinking for a moment, Morgan grasped another core of the topic: Terra.

If she really wanted to make a plan around the future predicted by Xigoqi to prevent any unexpected events, then she should at least figure out where she needs to make the plan around: if Terra is not a necessary option, then there will be a lot more room for maneuver.

"But unfortunately, it can only be Terra."

Xi Gaoqi easily saw through the Primarch's thoughts and skipped the unnecessary Q&A sessions. Morgan watched as the Laughing God took out the phantom of Holy Terra from his crystal atlas: unlike the grayish-white deathland in her impression, the Terra in Xi Gaoqi's hands was so sacred, exuding a mouth-watering scent.

"It has to be Terra too."

"Only Terra is the center of everything."

"Only the one who controls Terra can sit on the throne and command the galaxy, can control the future and destiny of the two worlds, and can wrestle with the gods with his ten fingers, just like your father is doing now. So no matter what, you can't avoid the key point of Terra."

“Remember, no one wants to destroy it.”

"Even if he's crazy."

"You must see it and protect it, if there is really no other way..."

"Then go and cover it up."

This strange word made the Spider Queen's brow twitch. When Xi Gaoqi talked to her about the importance of Terra, Morgan couldn't help but think of another world. Her thoughts then diverged in a whole circle and came back to the Laughing God in front of her.

[So, this is why you sent your troupe to attack my world? ]

The Primarch was a little uncertain, but somehow she had this premonition.

Xi Gaoqi just smiled, as if he had already answered the question.

The God of Laughter opened His mouth.

"You have one last question."

"Don't you want to ask something else: Don't you think we've strayed a bit from the topic?"

The Primarch's brow twitched.

Morgan changed her sitting posture. The softness under her buttocks was rare in the world, but it always made the Primarch feel a little uneasy: when her eyes became scattered as her thoughts diverged, the Spider Queen noticed that the environment around them had changed unconsciously. The room that was originally luxurious to the point of being unbelievable has now become blurry and distant, as if it was separated by a filter that was permeated with water droplets.

The only thing that was clear was Xi Gaoqi and the crystal book in his hand. Everything else was separated from Morgan's senses in another world: not only the material existence, but also all the soul, spirit and subspace peeping were completely separated from Morgan's senses.

The Primarch even noticed the three uninvited guests in her mind. It seemed that for the first time in her life, they were completely cut off from her. It was an unimaginable feeling of lightness and freedom: but the Primarch could also be sure from the bottom of her heart that as long as she wanted, she could always get the familiar feeling back, whether it was those uninvited guests or the outer world that was separated by Xi Gaoqi with unknown means.

He couldn't hold her.

But He can mislead.

“Right idea.”

Xi Gaoqi laughed again.

"I can deceive, I can mislead, I can make my words appear true or false, thus affecting everything in the real universe: but the only thing I can't do is force change, I can't make the wrong become right, and when you make up your mind, I will disappear, and I will have to leave completely."

"I do."

"The same goes for them."

The Laughing God's fingers made sharp and piercing friction sounds on the crystal book.

"They are omnipotent."

"But if you make up your mind, there is nothing they can do."

【…】

Morgan was silent for a moment.

[Is this a fraud? Or a joke? ]

"Does this bother you?"

[You are the god of both, and you have the power to combine them into one.]

"That's wrong, quite the opposite."

Xi Gaoqi shook his head.

“Fraud is a lie, but jokes are not.”

“A joke is a truth that is difficult to accept.”

After saying this, He looked at the Primarch who was curled up in a chair, deep in thought.

"So, last question?"

"Are you really not going to care about the Chancellor who is working like a slave for your family?"

[Of course not.]

Morgan instinctively refuted.

At the same time, her brain was running at a rare high speed, constantly digesting and ruminating on Xi Gaoqi's vague laughter: the Primarch could not completely trust this Eldar, or she should not believe any of its words, but as a reference, it was always right.

So……

The Heresy, the Webway War, the Emperor's ill-fated henchmen, Terra, the Gods...

Oh, and Makhado.

A timeline destined to lead to the Era of Decline seemed to slowly unfold before her. Many of the details in it had been revealed to her by her brother Conrad decades ago, and they matched the words of the Laughing God. However, Conrad's narration was always fragmented and confusing. The Midnight Haunter would point out thousands of possible developments and details to Morgan at the same time, but they were not as coherent as the one from the Laughing God.

The Primarch chewed over all the contents of the conversation one by one for the last time. She digested it slowly on purpose in order to enjoy the rare peace and clarity in her mind. But after a few minutes, Morgan forced herself to step out of her comfort zone: thanks to the hard life over the past few decades, this was not difficult for the Primarch.

She had one last question.

Morgan narrowed his eyes.

If it's about Malcador...

【Then tell me. 】

[After Malcador's death...][Who will take over his place as the bull... ahem... in power? ]

Morgan suddenly coughed awkwardly.

She said the wrong thing.

Damn it! She was actually seduced by the Laughing God's words about being treated like a slave...

Although, the Primarch actually had no objection to this word in his heart. After all, this word was indeed quite suitable for Malcador...

Cough cough cough...

"Hahahahaha!"

The Spider Queen's embarrassment disappeared in Xi Gaoqi's sudden shrill laughter. He was so happy when he stopped laughing that he even put down his crystal book and rolled left and right on the huge chair. His already creepy face was even more unbearable to look at, which shocked the Lord of Avalon.

Is this question ridiculous?

"In a sense, yes."

After a moment, Xigao Wizard wiped away the non-existent tears from the corners of his eyes.

“But I just feel happy.”

【Happy?】

"Thanks for asking. I can finally tell you something: a real joke."

【…】

Morgan had a bad feeling.

[How about it? I still have some quick-acting heart-saving pills here. I recommend you take some.]

After saying this, the Laughing God shook the scroll that had appeared in his hand at some point, causing one end of it to roll to the ground. He held the other end in his palm, and at a glance, it was more than ten meters long.

"After all, we have to talk for a while."

"I'll enjoy chatting with you."

The Primarch blinked, and finally saw the pill in the Laughing God's hand.

How much do you think I should eat?

The god held up a finger.

【One box? 】

【One box?】

【one……】

“Keep eating.”

"For your health's sake: don't stop."

------

【Thank you so much for your suggestion. 】

An unknown amount of time had passed, but when the Spider Queen once again returned to the endless corridor of the Black Library, standing among a group of statues, castles, and third-rate works, she actually felt a sense of familiarity as if she were in another world.

Frankly speaking, Xigoqi didn't tell Morgan many stories, and most of the time he avoided the important issues and was annoying: but just the tip of the iceberg was enough to make the Primarch leave behind a few empty medicine bottles. Although she still didn't believe that what the Laughing God told her was the real future, she had to make a plan for it.

Hiss...headache...

Unfortunately, Conrad's ability to predict has become increasingly weak over the decades.

Morgan shook her head inwardly, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart. Ever since she discovered that the God of Laughter could really block out the outside world's perception of her and her perception of the outside world, although this ability seemed to have fatal shortcomings, the Primarch's vigilance was still raised to the highest level: returning to the Black Library again, Morgan would no longer be shocked by the rich collection of books here.

But she was still confused about one thing.

[You told me before that the works displayed here are all third-rate.]

Morgan looked at Xi Gaoqi.

【Are we just outside the railing? 】

"Not really."

"It's just that to me, they are all third-rate works, but to others they may be priceless treasures: everyone has only one corresponding book in the Black Library, just like this crystal book in my hand. Everything else is third-rate in my opinion."

Somehow, the trickster god now seemed somewhat honest: or was it another deception?

"Except for our meeting room, the entire Black Library actually has no inner or outer layers. Every volume here is precious. To use your human words, it is valuable enough to launch an Apocalypse-level war to fight for it. Every one of them has such value."

“Let me give you a few examples.”

After saying that, Xi Gaoqi pointed to a pile of hills that Morgan had not noticed before. The books there were sloppily written and scattered, and looked as if they were covered with dust. Even the small statues on the puddle nearby were more attractive than them.

"The one on top is called the Book of Lamentations. It tells the truth about the War in Heaven, or at least part of the truth, about the Necrontyr and their feud with the Star Gods. Some of these things are long forgotten even by the Necrontyr themselves."

"The one next to it records the most complete history of mankind, from the first time you completed an ocean voyage to the official start of the colonization of Mars. The book below it tells the early history of the colonization of Mars, that is, the establishment of the Mechanicus. It is a story before the Omnissiah faith, probably earlier than the Age of Strife."

"The closest to us is a manuscript of the demon's true name. Although it only records a part of the demons in the warp, each of them has appeared in the real universe and caused a disaster that spans the world. Their true names are cursed by this manuscript and can never be changed or avoided from being attacked."

"Ah? That one?"

"I don't know what that thing is used for. It's just a long string of binary codes. If we decipher it, we can uncover the secret of the first part of the [Myriad Machines Treasure Book]. But if we want to get the complete loot, we still need a long journey."

"The one next to it?"

"That's the STC of the Mechanical Ark."

"Of course, everything I just said is not as good as the treasure I am introducing to you now. Although it is only a fragment, it involves the secrets of the Webway: This is a map of part of the Webway described by the most capable guys under my command. It is absolutely true and reliable, and can be updated in real time. The area depicted roughly covers Comoros and its surrounding areas."

"Perhaps, you can also call it [Atlas of Hell] and grab this interesting name."

【…】

Morgan didn't say anything, but her pupils dilated involuntarily.

"Do you want to?"

The whisper of the God of Laughter at this moment sounded no different from the temptation of the devil, but to Xi Gaoqi's disappointment, the current Primarch did not waver at all: the Spider Queen's pupils were full of calculations and concerns, and the priceless treasure before her did not distract her.

[You plan to give it all to me? ]

"Like I said."

Xigaoqi giggled.

"Everyone in the Black Library has only one book that corresponds to him. Finding it is already extremely difficult, and taking it away is another challenge. Unfortunately, our trip is rushed this time, and I can't accompany you to find the book that belongs to you."

"But if it's a gift, even I can only allow you to take one copy."

"Have you thought about it?"

【This is never a multiple choice question.】

Morgan frowned. If conditions permitted, she would certainly spend a few days in this unique library to find the most valuable treasure in her eyes: but time was obviously not on her side. The deception of the God of Laughter might deceive people for a while, but it could not deceive people forever, especially when the object of his tricks was another stronger god.

Not to mention the Lord of Mankind and the Usurper, the screams of the Prince of Pleasure alone seemed to have penetrated the entire warp at this moment: the owner of the Silver Palace was roaring and running around like a wild beast outside the misty walls raised by Xigochi, eager to take the treasure he had reserved back into his arms. No matter how calm the God of Laughter maintained on the surface, Morgan could feel the passage of time.

[I thought you could hold out longer? ]

"I'm only good at stealing. Head-on confrontation has never been my strong point."

After saying that, Xi Gaoqi understood Morgan's choice: he had understood it a long time ago.

This fragment feels extremely strange to the touch: it is like human skin.

Morgan glanced at it and wasn't sure about the authenticity of the map.

[Just give it to me for free? ]

"I certainly want to be so generous."

Xi Gaoqi turned around, and the originally hazy space in front of him became distorted until the boundless door was opened. A mysterious golden light forced the original body to squint temporarily. When Morgan regained his vision, a crystal box was surprisingly held tightly in the palm of Xi Gaoqi.

"But if you can generously accept this small gift."

"I'd be grateful."

[This is... the price? ]

“I prefer to call it what it is: connection.”

Morgan could no longer see any smile on the pale patched face.

"Please accept it. It will be beneficial to both of us."

"Your father already knew about this."

【All right. 】

Morgan didn't hesitate for long.

But I have a question.

"please say."

[How can I be sure that the map you gave me is authentic? ]

"Ah, tough question."

The God of Laughter shook his head, and suddenly leaned close to the Primarch's ear and uttered the second half of the sentence like the whisper of a close friend.

"But I can tell you."

"If anyone asks, just tell him exactly what I said."

------

"He can't kill Comoros."

"But if, he really has the ability to crush the black sun over Comoro."

"Then even if he tears off a piece of flesh, a piece of flesh from Comoros."

“No one will stop him.”

"Tell him..."

"Only in the realm of the [Sun] will his dream be fulfilled."

"..."

"You mean the price?"

"Didn't we just talk about this?"