A message came on the wind.
The wolf king raised his head and sniffed hard. The short summer in Fenris was filled with a stench of decay, the smell of corpses rotting under the frozen soil.
[… Winter is coming. ]
Russ said, frowning and staring at the wolf moon. Its cold edge told the wolf king that a new storm was about to come.
[unlucky,]
The wolf king muttered to himself in a low voice,
[Why is this summer so short... Eight hours? No, nine hours.]
At the end of his sight, at the edge of the slowly drifting earth, Leman Russ saw the rising snow. The blizzard would hinder his journey, so he no longer hesitated and immediately set off with his wolf howlers.
The wind and snow were surging.
————
[Is this the place? ]
The Wolf King was silent. They had arrived at their destination. The Gate of Celtyr was there. It looked like an ordinary volcanic fissure. A simple altar made of skulls stood beside the narrow gap.
His rune priests walked over in silence. Some of them were very old, so old that they were more familiar with this mysterious land than Beerus. The Wolf King did not understand the stories about psychic power, so he let his descendants begin to chant.
In a dance of wands and spells, rifts opened.
The strong sulphurous smell near the crater hit the wolf king's nose directly. Russ remained calm. He stared at the crack and touched his waist.
He took out the remaining half bottle of mead and drank it all in one gulp.
[Hickey,] Rus said, [Okay, my priests, can I go down now?]
In his hazy vision, the priest wearing the mask of ignorance walked towards him.
"My Lord, Lord of Winter and War,"
He said that the sun of Fenris rose to its highest point behind him, staring at him like a giant eye. In a trance, Leman Russ saw a dark shadow flashing by on the edge of the eternal sun.
"It is the summer solstice now. This year's summer is particularly short - so you don't have much time left. You need to finish your journey in the underworld as soon as possible. You can drink their wine and talk to them, but you cannot eat the fruits and meat they offer. Try to avoid answering their questions. Even the most lawful spirits like to play tricks on others."
"According to the law of winter, you will get what you want, but you will also have to pay for it."
As the priest spoke, he slowly made way for the wolf king. He stepped into the land of fire and winter, hearing the priest's last words.
"You don't have much time. Please return to the human world before summer sets."
————
Magnus took a deep, loud breath and staggered to his feet, his head fuzzy.
[So, what should I do?]
Magnus trembled and subconsciously touched his neck. The heavy sensation there reminded him of the fact all the time.
[No…]
Magnus said softly, [What else can I do. ]
If the shackles were removed, Magnus was sure that he could recover half of his psychic power in a short period of time. However, without a ritual or sacrifice, it would be difficult for him to change the current situation.
Magnus pondered that the current Lord of Change wanted to lure "him" into the Webway, and Magnus needed to stop this.
He had glimpsed the depths of the Emperor's knowledge, and the moment he saw the Webway he knew Humanity, and the Emperor could not lose it.
But... how can he stop this
[Fenris, can you destroy the Webway? ]
The planet remained silent, denying Magnus' question.
+… You still don’t understand Him. +
The cold wind whimpers,
+It was not the webway that attracted Him here—it was fate that was unwilling to give up the bet He had made, Magnus. +
Blind Magnus opened his mouth.
[I?]
He said in disbelief, even more horrifying thoughts slowly flowing into his brain.
Magnus remembered the prophecy he had seen at the Council of Nicaea. If he had been controlled and monitored at the time, then—
Magnus' voice was out of tune;
[He knows that I know His thoughts and that I will try to stop Him?! ]
ah?!
Magnus recalled the scene in the prophecy of that day, the howling cold wind, the blizzard, the kind-hearted Warp existence that resonated with him, he stood in the blizzard, he shouted those spells, and finally, Leman Russ pounced on him angrily.
It was clear to him now that the benevolent Warp being was Fenris.
[—I was right! There are friendly beings in the subspace! ]
Magnus shouted, he opened his arms, trying to prove to those who had once argued against him, but what could this prove
And now, what should Magnus, the untrusted prisoner, do
He doesn't even have enough psychic power to reverse this!
Magnus subconsciously clenched his teeth, realizing that the Lord of Change had calculated all of this.
Magnus, he questioned himself deep in his heart, trying to find a breakthrough point.
First of all, he was being monitored by the Lord of Change.
He is being monitored by the Lord of Change.
He is the one who is monitored and controlled by the master of all changes.
Secondly, Magnus knows part of the future, and he will join forces with Fenris to cast a spell to try to stop the Lord of Change.
He could probably deduce the direction of the future. He joined forces with Fenris to stop the Lord of Change—and then was interrupted by the Wolf King who was unaware of the truth. The ritual would either fail or succeed.
Even if Magnus explained to Leman Russ, the Wolf King would not believe him.
As for Fenris...
[Spirit of Fenris, will you tell Leman Russ that I am right?]
+My child, I'm sorry, even the cold winter can't bend a living heart. +
Fenris denied the possibility that it could change Leman Russ's mind.
That is, Magnus thought, the final change and the rope of fate would be tied between him and Leman Russ.
This is a dynamic, changing, and uncertain outcome.
The final outcome can only be between him and Leman Russ.
Magnus told himself.
He thought, at the same time, Magnus stared at the scar on his soul - the warning from the Jailer.
Magnus reached out his hand and touched the white cloth tied on his eyes. There was nothing inside. One of his eyeballs was traded with the Lord of Change, and the other was given to the Emperor - but now, that eye was in Leman Russ.
Soul of Fenris,
Magnus paused.
[Can you ensure that your descendant, Leman Russ, will never fall? ]
+As long as my beloved eldest son never leaves his homeland, my blessing will never leave. +
Magnus smiled in his heart. Even Leman Russ! He smiled in his heart that the Emperor's favorite child could still be corrupted!
But at least Leman Russ won't fall now, that's enough.
Magnus thought that until he entered the End Game, Leman Russ must remain pure.
So... the last question is,
[Can you protect my soul?]
Magnus asked, and he got a negative answer, no doubt.
+… One end of your lifeline has sunk into His realm. There is nothing I can do, child. +
[Then you dare to entrust your trust to me?]
Fenris was silent for a long time, and then the planet answered Magnus again.
+The other end of your lifeline is still in your own hands. You are the one chosen by the cold winter. +
[What if I seek refuge from "that being"?]
+Magnus, one end of your lifeline is no longer in your hands... Although [The Dead] can indeed disrupt our judgment of the future, this is the key to our winning the future... He who is teasing [The Dead] is not as omniscient as you think. +
As if to comfort Magnus, the soul of Fenris did not remain silent.
+His fifteenth son, your soul is as sincere as your appearance. You don't need to be afraid of the end of your lifeline that is immersed in the strange light. Hold on to the other end tightly, and you are still sincere. +
… that’s enough.
Magnus thought... He didn't know where Fenris saw... but whether its vision was short-sighted or long-sighted enough, it was enough.
He! Magnus - will decide his own fate!
Decide—what kind of person he will become!
Magnus' thoughts touched the Jailer for the last time, and he trembled imperceptibly.
…
Inside the cell, the Scarlet Sinner leaning against the wall moved.
Fenris told him that the will of the planet would go to thwart the battle on the other side, and at the same time, a series of accidents would occur in the following time to assist the Scarlet Sinner's escape.
Magnus rubbed his stiff shoulders, and sure enough, he felt the collar with a corner bitten off by the beast.
The little beast slid down beside him, and Magnus heard the footsteps of his Space Wolf captors leaving.
alright,
Magnus thought complacently that it was time for him, Magnus, to take it all back and let those who looked down on him see the real Magnus!
Magnus took a deep breath, suppressing the nausea and vomiting that was rising up in him. He looked into his soul and saw that corner—
Magnus thought to himself,
[The Great Lord of Change!]
He cried out,
[I, Magnus, the Great Lord of Change, wish to sacrifice Leman Russ and all of Fenris in exchange for power, knowledge, and freedom.]
[I will faithfully fulfill the prophecy—but I hope to gain enough power to defeat Leman Russ in advance.]
[At the last moment of the future that I see, when Fenris entrusts all its power to me, I will offer it to you along with the heart of Leman Russ. At the moment I offer my tribute, I hope to receive what I desire.]
Without a doubt, Magnus heard a scream of surprise, he felt a light feather brushing against him, and the spiritual energy in his body immediately began to become abundant.
The power granted by the Lord of Change was restrained, which ensured that he would not be discovered by Fenris. What's more, Magnus thought that his fate had already entered a period of strange changes!
An already dirty book - if it gets a little dirtier, not many people will notice it!
He took a deep breath, surprised and excited to feel the strength coming back, Magnus stood up and slowly, with relief, took off his shackles.
Damn it, Leman Russ.
Magnus chuckled as he remembered the Wolf King's rude and disrespectful behavior towards him.
Under his bare feet, the bloodstained shackles fell to the ground with a thud.
The Scarlet Sinner stepped out of his cell.
Yay!
(End of this chapter)