40k: Midnight Blade.

Chapter 396 125. Interlude: A Wise Man’s Thoughts (End, 5k)

"What -" Ahriman stepped forward, his lips pursed. "——What do you mean that person is not you, the original body?"

His hands were shaking violently, and his expression was like a wooden pile buried by a blizzard. The exposed dead wood branches contained no life at all and were trembling in the cold wind.

"Do you really think I can convey any code words to you under the gaze of the Seal Bearer, Ahriman?" Magnus asked with his back to the burning Tizca.

"Do you really think the Bearer is so stupid? He is Malcador, Ahriman, Malcador. He has been by my father's side since the founding of the empire. I have always been under his control, and I Even a blind man, do you think a blind man can play tricks in front of him?"

The original body's voice was so soft, yet so sharp. It pierced Ahriman's heart straight, causing him to recoil as if he had been hit by a heavy hammer.

Magnus naturally saw this scene. The corners of his mouth curved, as if he wanted to smile, but he failed. Only an extremely shallow smile was born on his face.

Can this expression really be called a 'laughter'?

Ahriman did not think about it. He fell into an abyss at this moment, and nothing could temporarily escape him from the biting cold.

"But, but."

Ahriman humbly raised his hands and whispered the next words as if in prayer.

"If you weren't sending me the secret message, guiding me to go deep into the vast ocean to find help, who would it be?"

Magnus didn't answer.

He finally broke out and laughed harshly, his city and people burning behind him, his legions calling his name loudly from the depths of the cave, and he just laughed loudly.

Ahriman's face began to look paler and more worrying.

He suddenly bent down, opened his mouth, and made a vomiting sound from his throat, but nothing came out at all. Only then did he remember that he had not eaten for many days.

He spent sleepless nights studying Magnus' code words in the depths of the cave, shocked and ecstatic by his primarch's wisdom. The Crimson King hid everything in every word he said. Following his guidance, Ahriman completed this spell.

He traveled throughout the caves, as well as the Pyramid of Fortepu and Magnus' chambers, and even read the Book of Magnus.

And now it seems.

If what his primarch said was indeed true, then what was the thing that conveyed the code word to him?

The proud Ahriman fell to his knees and vomited as if he wanted to spit out his own entrails.

He was ashamed, shocked, and desperate - he didn't understand why he was deceived. Logically speaking, this kind of thing should never happen. But he also thought of another possibility, another possibility that was unlikely but one that he would rather believe.

This possibility had just appeared, but it had taken root deeply in the heart of Azek Ahriman. He tried to ask the question, but Magnus beat him to it.

The Crimson King stopped laughing and came to him. His shadow fell over Ahriman, forcing the Thousand Sons to look up.

He saw two eyes that passively emitted spiritual light. From the light, Ahriman saw no trace of humanity, only an extreme joy and ruthless calculation.

Instinctively, Ahriman began to delve deeper, and then, as if naturally, he was pulled into another brand new world.

He did not see the Lord Prospero again, he only saw a bird-like humanoid creature with brilliant feathers, standing on bird's claws, with deep eyes.

"What did you trade, Ahriman?" asked the monster.

"Shut up, monster!" Ahriman stood up suddenly and scolded sharply. "Don't even think about deceiving me!"

Magnus frowned and glanced at him, but still maintained the most basic patience. In this situation, even if he puts aside his reason and is controlled by rage, what can he do?

He wanted to ask again and comfort Ahriman who was severely shocked. He could understand his feelings. After all, his reaction when he discovered the truth was not much different from Ahriman's.

Not many people can stay sane after realizing they have been living a lie.

Ahriman, however, clearly had a different opinion.

The eyes of the Thousand Sons also lit up with spiritual light, and then, a ray of light suddenly bloomed from his bent right hand, trapping Magnus firmly in it.

Footsteps began to sound in the cave behind him. One after another, the Thousand Sons who were originally bound by the blue crystal stone walked out with difficulty. Their bodies had just begun to move before they began to melt again.

"What are you doing, Ahriman?" Magnus asked with suppressed anger.

"You have no right to speak to me with his voice!" Azek Ahriman roared in reply. "I was actually deceived by you for a while, you damn fake. Have you never heard of my name, our name in the vast ocean?!"

Magnus looked at him with great disappointment, and then moved his eyes behind him. He looked at his heirs, and they stared back, but not many of them had their faces intact.

Some people's limbs were no longer complete, and flesh and blood poured out from somewhere in the armor, turning the mighty power armor into an extremely ridiculous, yet extremely terrifying appearance.

Magnus looked down at the dark blue restraint barrier, and an instinct began to roar in his body.

How ridiculous were the arts used by Ahriman to him? It can be easily cracked with just a little effort if he uses those psychic powers.

While thinking, he heard the chuckle again.

"Like I said, Magnus, you don't have to resist at all," He said gently. "You just need to accept it, teach the heir who disobeys you, and let him know who you are. These powers belong to you, so nod, how about it?"

"Never." The Crimson King replied in a low voice through gritted teeth.

The laughter immediately died away, and Ahriman's rebuke followed, so violently. The Thousand Sons around him barely maintained their attention, listening to his words in the midst of extreme torture.

And Magnus didn't even choose to explain - there was no need for that. He saw Ahriman's eyes, filled with blue light, and he clearly saw a piece of falling blue feathers.

He has settled everything even the radical character of Ahriman.

Magnus closed his eyes. It was clear that he was in a desperate situation, but he still instinctively began to think about countermeasures. The first thing he thought of was psychic power - his own psychic power, but he didn't dare to gamble. Tzeentch was still not far away, and using psychic powers would definitely be risky.

Silent, the Crimson King clenched his fists.

"I will send you back to the vast ocean," Ahriman said grimly. "Then I will come again, do you hear me? I will save my Primarch and my Legion, and no one can stop me!"

He said as he moved closer to Magnus.

He took out a glowing dark blue crystal from his pocket with his right hand. Its brilliance was so brilliant that before Magnus could see clearly what it was, he suddenly heard an inarticulate call.

A Thousand Sons suddenly rushed out and limped onto Ahriman, his eyes filled with longing.

"Now is not the time, idiot!" Ahriman pushed him away and cursed angrily.

Qianzi stumbled to the ground and could not get up again for a long time. A kind of turbid liquid dripped down his cheek. Blood and flesh began to boil on his face like boiling water, and a stream of rotten fruit The smell started to spread in the air.

Magnus's expression immediately became complicated. He could tell something from the reaction of the Thousand Sons. He raised his head and looked around, and the looks in other people's eyes confirmed his suspicion.

Without exception, everyone has that desire in their eyes

"What exactly did you trade, Ahriman?" Magnus asked sadly. "What is that thing in your hand?"

"It's none of your business!"

Ahriman responded with a snarl, then jeered.

"You are so stupid, aren't you, monster? If my father was really here, this confinement spell would be nothing more than something he could break with just a look, but you were firmly bound inside. This is already the case, and you still want to talk to me in front of his face?"

As he spoke, the blue light in his eyes began to gradually change.

From Magnus's perspective, the object in Azek Ahriman's eyes was no longer light, but feathers. With every step he took, several blue feathers slowly fell down, leaving dark blue burn marks on the ground.

He walked resolutely towards Magnus, the Red King sadly getting ready.

Ahriman walked until he was a few steps away from him before he stopped and half-knelt down. As soon as the light flashed in his hand, the crystal began to turn into powder. Holding the second half of the crystal, Ahriman began to carve a magic circle on the ground.

He had just started writing, and Magnus saw what he wanted to do - this was a dispersal formation, which could almost be regarded as a required course within the Thousand Sons. If you want to go further, you can Must master it. Traveling across the vast ocean is a fascinating adventure, and no one knows what they will bring with them when they return. Occasionally, something does follow them back.

Therefore, this dispersal formation can come in handy. It can return anything that leaves the vast ocean to where it belongs.

Magnus raised his fist.

His body is now full of power from Tzeentch. If the dispersal formation really works, he doesn't have to think about what will happen - he absolutely cannot let this happen.

Thus, the red Magnus waved his fist in a real sense for the first time since he completely mastered psychic powers.

He didn't use psychic powers, nor did he use any spells. He has fallen into a desperate situation and the only one he can rely on is himself. Compared with the power he once had, this could only be said to be a complete regression, but he no longer cared.

He smashed the barrier with a punch, and the fragments flew. Ahriman raised his head in surprise. Before he could say anything, he was knocked away by a heavy punch and fell into a coma.

Magnus stood before his legion, bare-handed, even more majestic than before.

"I am Magnus," he said. "The Crimson King, no one can replace, no one can imitate. If you want to follow that stupid Ahriman and follow his words and think that I am a fake, then come. But if you can distinguish right from wrong and know who I am Who is it, I ask you—"

Before he could finish his words, a gunshot completely interrupted the passionate words he was about to say, leaving only raw and pure shock.

He saw a bomb, but it wasn't coming towards him, it was his spawn. Its speed was so fast that even if Magnus wanted to stop it, there was nothing he could do. He could only watch helplessly as a head exploded, and the melted flesh and blood immediately fell from the armor.

Magnus turned sharply and saw Leman Russ and his wolves.

"You stupid savage—!"

Ruth looked at him seriously, said nothing, just raised his hand and fired again. The other Thousand Sons continued to die, but the others seemed to be stagnant and made no movement at all, not even the consciousness to resist.

"Stop, stop!" Magnus shouted. "Your Majesty, what are you going to do?! I know you can't stand me, Russ, but if this is your revenge on me, then you have gone too far!"

"I'm just doing something you should have done a long time ago."

The Fenrisian answered calmly, his expression still extremely serious. Magnus expected to see a face full of enjoyment, like the grin he had seen before, but he didn't.

On the contrary, he even saw sadness in Leman Russ's eyes. The Fenrisian looked back at him and shook his head slowly.

"I see your eyes are back, Magnus, and I want to congratulate you, but you still seem to be blind. Can't you see what your heirs are going through right now?"

Magnus froze at his words - yes eyes my eyes

He raised his hand and touched his eyelids tremblingly. They were full and substantial, not empty. The chuckle sounded in his ears again, fleeting, but more piercing than thunder.

Magnus turned around little by little.

He did not see his legion, his legion did not exist. No Thousand Sons about to melt, no. There are only a group of flesh-and-blood deformed monsters mixed with red metal fragments.

There was no so-called intelligence in their eyes, and what Magnus could see was only instinct and stupidity that could be seen at a glance.

How ironic is this? The Thousand Sons Legion, known throughout the galaxy for their rich knowledge and superhuman intelligence, are now just a group of terrifying monsters that rely on instinct to act. Faced with death, he didn't even know how to avoid it. His squirming posture was so terrifying and so frustrating to him.

distressed.

Magnus covered his eyes in pain, he could barely breathe.

And the gunfire continued.

"Do you know what will happen next?" Tzeentch's voice sounded in his ears again. "This loyal dog will kill your offspring and then you, Magnus."

"As soon as he understands what state you are in, you will never escape death. Prospero has begun to burn. Time is ticking and passing by. There is not much time left for you. Hurry up. Make your decision."

He smiled with satisfaction.

Listening to His laughter, Magnus felt a sense of nothingness.

All of this, all of this, was planned from beginning to end. Being taken away from Terra, back to Prospero, learning of Ahriman's folly, witnessing the horrors of his legion and his homeland - his jailor left him again and again, but never left at all.

He threw the key outside the iron gate that represents freedom. However, as long as Magnus dared to reach out to pick it up, his arm would be violently grabbed by the jailer hiding in the darkness.

I'm afraid even my current thoughts are controlled by you, right? Magnus closed his eyes and thought to himself.

"Who knows?" Tzeentch responded lightly. "All I desire is change, Magnus. If it weren't for me, you would be facing a worse, more terrifying darkness."

"Believe me, if you knew the truth, you would even thank me. You would be surprised how many times I let you go. Yes, I could let us win, but there's not just one way to win. I don't like it That darkness, that would be so boring.”

"How sad would it be to have a universe where only revenge and destruction are left? I don't like this. I would like to see the world filled with chaos, destruction, rebirth, and people's joys and sorrows."

"Countless people rushed to hit the rocks and were crushed for an impossible goal. How many people were killed by your father's ambition. This is why I like him so much."

"He's causing a change in the world, a huge change that will last for tens of thousands of years. And I'm going to be excited about it, so let me give you a hint."

He laughed.

"Do you remember your psychic powers?" He asked with a smile. "Your psionic power, your own psionic power - remember it, Magnus. And let me tell you something."

Magnus listened tremblingly. He didn't want to do this, but he couldn't escape because Tzeentch had taken control of everything.

"Your father did not give up on you, even when the flash that brought you here tore apart parts of his crude engineering, overwhelmed him with demons, and exposed him to his only natural enemy. He still did not give up on you. "

"He sent a god to seek you."

"This god has not yet become a god, but it is enough. And he has found me now. I have left too many traces, and it is difficult not to be found. I will probably bleed a lot, and you will do this Do you feel better? Remember to let me know then."

Tzeentch laughed, his laughter nearly cutting through everything.

"But, Magnus, remember, you still have psychic powers. You must help your father, do you know why?"

"I"

Magnus gritted his teeth. He wanted to say that he didn't want to know, but in the end he couldn't compete with the worry for his father's life.

"Because of Drachnion."

He answered softly, as if he already knew Magnus's answer.

"It will destroy him completely, for Khalil Loharth is seeking me, and he has left Terra. Your father is all-powerful, but powerless against it. That is why, Magnus, your father is dying. ."

The words fell, disappeared, and ended, and a terrifying black flame flashed away.

Magnus' eyes shot open.

At this moment, there was a strong wind in Prospero's sky, the gray clouds were replaced by complete darkness, and all the light was swallowed up, as if the end of the world was coming. A seemingly non-existent face suddenly appeared in the sky, and countless innocent souls formed his face.

Then came the torrential rain, so cold that not even the Primarch could withstand it, and the rain was as salty as tears.

Leman Russ stood beside him, expressionless.

"The gods have arrived," he whispered. "Do you know why I'm here, Magnus?"

The Crimson King did not answer, and the rain streaked across his face, as if he was crying.

　The update is complete, this chapter is 5k, write more, and go to sleep.

　　I'll beat up the blue-haired bird tomorrow.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)