Chapter 911 - 910: I’ll Poach One-Ninth of the Thousand Sons, but I’ll Also Have to Solve Their Flesh-Change

004.M31.

Segmentum Ultima, Prospero, the City of Light, Tizca.

The giant pyramids of the Thousand Sons' five great cults stood upon the white hills of Tizca, their magnificent forms blending perfectly with their surroundings.

Only the pyramid of the Pyrae Cult was an exception. Its blazing spire and the psychic machinery controlled before its entrance stood in stark contrast to everything around it.

The Pyramid of the Pavoni Cult was the most splendid of all, the Chief Librarian's power reflected in every detail.

Every marble block, every shimmering crystal and jewel, was perfectly cut, carved, and fitted together.

Within the Pavoni Pyramid, Hathor Maat, Chief Librarian of the Thousand Sons, lay on a large bed of red maplewood.

A psychic wyrmling fluttered, chasing the Tutelary, Paeoc, who shone like a million stars.

Hathor, with a self-induced suggestion, quickly fell asleep.

In the hazy atmosphere, the "Dreamwalker," Hathor Maat, became lucid.

He found himself in the amphitheater. A figure on the dais blazed with golden light.

"I command all Legions to disband their Librarius departments. All Librarians are to return to their line companies and are forbidden from ever using psychic power again."

Hathor's lips curled. Neither the Black Emperor nor their gene-father cared much for the False Emperor's edict.

He raised his arms. His white skin grew smooth.

Crackle...

Lightning struck the dais.

Rumble!

The golden light was torn. The dais shattered.

He walked to the edge of his dreamscape, stepping into the deep grey mist.

The "Dreamwalker" raised his arm.

The mist churned, revealing a staircase descending.

He walked down and entered the collective subconscious sea of Prospero. Countless points of light appeared around him.

Two enormous figures suddenly manifested: one was a gigantic crimson being, the other was a colossal figure clad in black armor with golden wings.

Hathor knelt before the Black Emperor. "My Lord!"

He rose, appraising the two figures formed by subconscious veneration.

"Our gene-father is twice the size of the Black Emperor. The Thousand Sons still revere their father more!"

"Hmm. That also has something to do with the fact that most members of the Second Fellowship and the cult members whom I hypnotized have already been dispatched to Axandria IV."

The "Dreamwalker" extended his spirituality, probing the Black Emperor's majestic phantom.

Within the apparition were phantoms of various colors, the most numerous being a hundred and ten golden scarabs.

Through his efforts, the Chief Librarian had expanded the number from eighty-one to one hundred and ten.

They were all masters of psychic power among the Thousand Sons, each having attained at least the Eighth Level of the Enumeration.

The "Dreamwalker," Hathor, passed over the phantoms of magnificent feathers, searing flames, and black crows, finally settling on a water serpent.

The serpent's body was covered in mystic symbols and celestial bodies, its form flowing with data streams.

The dream of Ignis, Master of the Order of Ruin.

The "Dreamwalker" raised his arm. Spirituality flowed from his palm, striking the water serpent's skin.

The mystic symbols and celestial bodies shimmered, revealing the serpent's interior.

The "Dreamwalker's" hand reached inside. Data streams rushed past his arm.

Outside the five cult pyramids, the pyramid of the Order of Ruin, only one-hundredth their size, coiled like a water serpent.

The pyramid's construction was based on the order's emblem, a water serpent poised to strike.

Its surface was covered in countless mystic symbols and abstract celestial bodies.

The Order of Ruin was a mystical order, exploring divination and the mysteries of the cosmos. Each cult member was a logistician, a logician, an analyst, and a skilled organizer.

Within the Thousand Sons Legion, they were responsible for logistics, battle planning, and maintaining and managing the Legion's warships.

A point of golden light seeped from Ignis's dream, entering the star-spirit body, the mind.

The state of mind was the domain of the Thousand Sons' masters, and the Master of Ruin could simultaneously extend his state of mind from the First to the Ninth Level, achieving terrifying computational power.

He would normally have immediately detected the intruder, but Hathor had, over a century, been subtly influencing him through "Psychological Cue."

But the "Dreamwalker" still needed to reinforce the suggestion through "Dream Alteration," because Ignis's state of mind was extremely high. If he were away for too long, he might shake off the suggestion.

"Dream Alteration," being rooted in dream manipulation, was gentler, more subtle, and less detectable than "Psychological Cue" making it suitable for those with strong willpower.

A point of golden light seeped inward along the star-spirit body, merging into the golden orb that enveloped the spirit-body, the soul.

The last gap in the golden orb was sealed.

The "Dreamwalker," feeling he had fully infused Ignis's spirit-body, became bolder.

He channeled more spirituality. A ring of golden light flared from the orb, expanding rapidly, passing through the star-spirit body, reaching the mental-body, the brain.

The "Dreamwalker" moved his mind. "My loyalty to Hathor Maat is unshakable, surpassing even my loyalty to my gene-father Magnus."

"Lord Nareth is more worthy of following than Father."

The "Dreamwalker" repeated those thoughts again and again, continuously embedding them into Ignis's subconscious.

After using "Dream Guidance" to reinforce Ignis's loyalty and devotion to the Black Emperor, Hathor withdrew his spirituality and his arm.

He climbed the steps, returning from the collective subconscious to his own dream.

He opened his eyes and rose from the maplewood bed. He took his force sword from the weapon rack and walked to the meditation chamber.

The "Dreamwalker" infused the sword with spirituality, striking the geometric patterns on the floor.

"Ah!"

As the "Euclidean Runes" were completed, the light of Paeoc suddenly died.

The biomancer felt his connection to the aetheric tides severed. He lowered his sword and knelt in devotion.

With Paeoc present, Hathor had not built an altar to the Black Emperor within the Pavoni Pyramid. But he was one of the Black Emperor's blessed. The Black Emperor would answer his prayers.

On the third recitation, black mist rose, swallowing him.

He knelt in the mist, looking with awe at the throne, and reported.

"My Lord, following Your command, I have convinced our father to allow a force to be sent to Axandria IV, to defend our most brilliant achievement since leaving Prospero."

"A total of twelve thousand five hundred Thousand Sons will depart tomorrow. Of those, nine thousand four hundred warriors will come from my Third Fellowship."

"Another eighteen hundred members of the Raptora Cult from Phosis T'kar's Second Fellowship will also join the construction of the defensive network."

Nareth nodded slightly. Because he had launched the Ark Reach Cluster's campaign early, the Thousand Sons had not suffered heavy casualties against the Aeldari. Their current strength, nearly ninety thousand, was slightly higher than the original eighty-five thousand.

'The Order of Ruin is largely in my control. Of these twelve thousand, most are Hathor's brainwashed confidants, far from Magnus and the Planet of the Sorcerers. Most will fall into my hands after the Heresy.'

'Add to that the Scarab Occult and other forces around Hathor, and even by conservative estimate it will be at least ten thousand, one-ninth of the Thousand Sons.'

"You have done well!" Nareth said, his voice full of praise. He returned Hathor to reality, then leaned back on his throne.

"I will poach one-ninth of the Thousand Sons, but I must also find a way to solve their Flesh-Change."

....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

[email protected]/DaoistJinzu