Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 817 I'm really too loyal; I didn't exaggerate the casualties, but instead didn't report them at all.
989.M30.

Leaving the Shadow of Reign from the Ark Edge Cluster, the Primarch's office.

Arsène Dunn, holding a data board, began to report.

"My lord, I have tallied the Legion's casualties during the conquest of the Ark Edge Cluster, totaling 10,470.

Ninglu pondered silently. Although he did not know the exact casualty figures for the "Thousand Sons," "Space Wolves," and "Word Bearers," he estimated that the two legions had not gained any advantage before Russ asked Magnus for help, and based on the Shrike Knights' combat strength, the total casualties of the three legions should be higher than 10,000.

As he pondered, the Primarch's attendant continued to report.

"Among them, the Sixth Regiment suffered the most casualties. While fighting for air superiority and covering the landing, they were attacked by flying creatures such as shrikes, and a total of 1,592 aircraft were destroyed."

……

"The Eleventh Battle Group suffered the fewest casualties; they lost only 380 men in the process of conquering five star systems."

After listening to Alsena's report, Ninglu issued instructions.

"Failed to report the losses to the War Council and concealed the existence of the Ark Edge Cluster."

The Ark Edge Cluster has developed over thousands of years into a relatively complete system, consisting of a series of resource-rich territories.

“I understand.” The Primarch’s servant noted down the Black Emperor’s instructions.

[I've not only not exaggerated the casualties, but I haven't reported any at all. I'm so loyal.] Ninglu thought to himself.

[However, it was worth it.]
Among the territories not reported to the War Council, the Ark Edge Cluster is only smaller than the Sak-Tradia Abyss, and even larger than the eleven-planet Gadinar system, the nine planets of the Terra system, and the Orius and Oramik Silent Federation.

As Ninglu pondered, the snow-white-haired Alsena put away his data panel.

“My Lord, I have followed Your command and trained the fiftieth ‘scholar’ polymath.”

“Very good.” Ninglu thought to himself, and in the first layer of the “Land of Chaos”, the space ape immediately began to prepare the Sequence 5 “Arcane Mentor” potion using a copy of the notes of the senior “wizard” Thomas and other potion ingredients.

He said to Alsena, "It is time to grant you new power."

"But to take the potion, you need to gather the fifty people you are teaching and drink the potion in front of them."

"Thank you for your gift." Alsena's narrow eyes sparkled with joy. He immediately obeyed the Black Emperor's command, pressed the communication bead to issue an order, and summoned everyone to the lecture hall.

After releasing the communication bead, the Primarch's attendant reminded him.

"My lord, the Emperor will convene the War Council at 10:00 tomorrow morning."

"I understand." Ning Lu nodded slightly, and a bottle of dark red potion appeared out of thin air in his palm as he flipped his hand.

He gently placed the potion on the table and said to Arsena with a smile, "Go, enjoy the new power I have bestowed upon you."

Arsena, with the data tablet tucked under his right arm, respectfully picked up the medicine with both hands.

His blue eyes were fixed on the brass-colored scales that bobbed and sank in the dark red liquid. He then bowed deeply and turned to leave the Primarch's office.

Alsena's office was inside the Primarch Palace, and he built his lecture hall right next to it.

Although he built it within the Primarch's palace, no one would criticize him, since everyone knew of Lord Nimrod's trust in the Primarch's servants, but Artena still did not overstep his bounds.

Two attendants dressed in black robes, carrying data tablets, bowed to their mentor.

Alcéna nodded slightly, stepped through the cold mist as the hatch slid open, and entered the room.

The interior was quite different from most of the Shadow of the Throne, especially the nearby Primarch Palace; it had a regular rectangular structure that unfolded like pages of a book.

The "scholars," dressed in black robes and holding data tablets, stood in neat rows.

They all bowed in unison, paying their respects to their mentor. Amidst the reverent gazes of the crowd, Alsena ascended the obsidian podium.

It was the most irregular thing in the entire lecture hall, a converging cylinder with an almost tilted fan-shaped right side facing downwards and a smooth arc on the left.

Arsena surveyed the fifty polymaths he was teaching, then tilted his head back and drank the potion from his right hand.

The polymaths watched their mentor's movements; they all knew what it meant.

Lord Nimrod bestowed upon the mentor the power.

They had all received similar gifts, and it was the magical power they gained that set them apart.

The medicine slid into the esophagus, where it tumbled and transformed into a translucent, curved "blood sausage".

As the "blood sausage" churned, streams of information exploded in Alsena's brain.

Arsena clenched his teeth, the flood of information rushing into his brain threatening to burst it.

His narrow blue eyes were filled with dense text and images, making the faces of the fifty apprentices below the stage somewhat blurry.

Alcena vaguely saw some people looking up, their eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge, while others gripped their styluses tightly, seemingly not wanting to miss a single word he was saying…

The overlapping figures, somewhat blurry, swayed in my vision.

The seasoned "detective" suddenly had a flash of inspiration; he remembered that the Black Emperor had instructed him to gather the polymaths he was teaching.

[Teaching may help me master the power given to me by my Lord.]
"Today, let's review what we've learned: what is a secret technique?"

Arsène's mind was in disarray, and he was unable to teach anything new, so he decided to complete his teaching in this way.

"Secret arts are magic spells that are secret, special, and unique."

He recalled reading the notes of Thomas, the director of a think tank, and after a moment's thought, added new content to this review.

“Unlike the spells created by ‘wizards’, arcane arts can often omit casting materials, incantations, and most casting steps, making them faster and more secretive.”

"Of course, not all secret techniques can omit those, but secret techniques with prerequisites either have very special effects or are very powerful."

"..."

As Alsena recounted his story, he gradually regained his composure. The knowledge that flooded his mind rolled in an orderly fashion, flowing into different memory areas of his mind like a precisely scheduled traffic flow.

He realized he had found a way to control the new power bestowed by the Black Emperor, and so he continued his story.

“Arcane magic is different from psionic magic that relies on the manipulation of warp power. Our power depends on our own spirituality, which drives us to leverage the power of the physical world.”

“The casting of secret arts relies on knowledge; it is your ‘analysis’ and ‘imitation’ of spells.”

This is the domain of the "polymath".

"Of course, once you have accumulated enough knowledge, you will be able to create your own secret techniques."

As a fire and telekinetic psychic, Arsena succinctly explained the difference between psychic magic and arcane arts.

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt all the chaotic knowledge in his mind come together and settle into a coherent whole.

After a moment's thought, Alsena thought with delight.

When I became a "Mystic Master", I acquired eleven mystic arts.

Praise the Black Emperor!
(End of this chapter)