[past]
[Temporary Museum outside the Talasin River]
Trazyn swung his legs from the table and stared straight ahead—it was pitch black, pure darkness, with tiny flashes of lightning breaking through the mist.
…
Hmm… Trazyn put his finger on his head. Was it crossing the line? Even though it had promised Hades and the Empire, it also teased a Primarch by the way—
But feeding Hades so much was too much for even the wealthy Trazyn to afford.
Aside from the three fragments fed to Hades, Trazyn now has five Star God fragments - it can't feed any more. If the Emperor comes and asks it for support, it will be doomed if it can't produce the Star God fragments.
Um…
Trazyn thought about it and began to search for new details in the thought engine in his mind. Perhaps it should start to capture the fragments of the star god again... Maybe Hades needs to eat a few more pieces.
Trazyn's mind was in a trance for a moment, and it thought that its behavior was not right, but watching those Star God fragments completely disappear in the darkness... Completely disappear... The Endless had to admit that it had a little idea behind throwing the Deceiver fragments.
It really hates the deceiver fragments.
Even if the fragment had allowed it to see—
Trazyn jerked himself up, acutely aware that the museum's gravity had shifted slightly, and time seemed to vibrate.
—Orekan
The Endless One immediately stood up, stretched out his hand and brandished his weapon. He looked cautiously between the display cases, detecting any signs of movement.
"Orekan?!"
—————
[Now]
[The bottom of the Himalayas]
"Time is strict and complete—but you are playing with time."
Orikan said, golden light shone on it from above, and the dark gray shell of the Necrons was coated with a layer of shining gold.
+This is not something we initiated. +
Orekan closed his eyes, then slowly opened his huge single eye, which seemed to reflect the long river of time.
“But you keep your appointment,” it said, “and hope to win.”
"greedy."
The astrologer commented, "Absurd, incomprehensible—arrogant."
+You can understand it this way. +
The figure said, "So, alien star master, are you willing to keep the appointment?"
Orikan frowned. He had said it wrong. It was not "control" but "divination" - but it knew what He was talking about - the promise was already included in the question.
Orikan pretended not to understand.
"What are you willing to give?"
Orikan asked.
The Lord of Mankind paused briefly.
+All I can promise you for now is the Tuchucha Engine. +
A gleam flashed in Orikan's eyes, and the Necrons' engines began to work furiously. Tuchucha engines? That was the technology of the Old Ones, completely beyond the understanding of all living things today, above physics and the subspace, a true time traveler.
The Tuchucha Engine, Ouroboros, and Plague Heart will be even larger... These apes will not understand their true purpose, they only know that it can dig webways.
No… it’s more than that at all.
Orikan felt his engine begin to hum, and he believed that he was indeed moved. The Tuchucha engine alone was tempting enough.
The Tuchucha Engine is one of the few technologies that remains intact and has a massively modified past.
If it had a Tuchucha engine... Orikan knew, "Stargazer"? No, no, it would be "Stargazer".
But why did the Lord of Mankind only promise the Tuchucha Engine
It was silent for a moment, but it also knew the notoriety of the Lord of Mankind.
The Emperor is not a man of integrity, and his credibility is as untraceable as Trazyn's morality.
"How can you guarantee that?"
Ourikan raised his eyebrows, and his voice became malicious. "Your Excellency, we have all heard some bad rumors..."
+My friend throughout time,+ The Emperor lowered his eyes, shielding the golden light in them. The Space Marines that He had already instructed were shuttling back and forth between the underground palaces.
+When you come here, I believe you have made your choice. +
+… +
The Emperor knew that Orikan had his own abilities, and the astrologers suggested this time for the meeting. At this moment, the stars over Terra were hazy and dim, temporarily avoiding the gaze of the Warp.
+What's more,+The Lord of Mankind slowly raised his eyes and looked into the distance thoughtfully, his gaze penetrating the stars, as if he saw the farce on the other side.
+The stars are vast, and we have more choices than just you, astrologer. +
Orrickan's eyes suddenly widened, almost intuitively, the astrologer's mind popped up that damn bastard -
Ta-Tarazin? !!!
—————
[Now]
[Chanshan]
"I'll take eight and you'll take two."
Trazyn tried to move his upper body closer to Hades, and the Necromancer grinned and made the number two with his hand.
"The troops that come out, I'll take eight and you'll take two."
Opposite him was Hades with a frown on his face and a crooked mouth. Trazyn's face was reflected in Hades' black pupils.
"You're a little too greedy,"
Hades said, "How about this, I'll take six and you take four."
Trazyn stepped back suddenly and waved his hands, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The Necrons shouted, "Hades! Hades! Just think about how I fed you with a star god and a star, and took you to hide from place to place - this is how you repay your benefactor?! The first thing you do when you have free time is to knock the dirt off my head?!"
The Infinite One let out a very anthropomorphic howl, and Hades suspected that it was a skill that he had learned from the Oil Man, being able to perform a crying scene without any emotion or vocal cords.
"Half and half!"
Hades shouted, "It can't be any less! We'll pay for the bulk of it - the loss of personnel and materials, all you have to do is talk."
"You are a technician!" Trazyn shouted, "Don't you know how much your words are worth?! Without me, you wouldn't be able to come to this tomb. All I have paid is intellectual labor, all hard work pays!"
"Half and half!"
Hades also shouted, "It can't be any less. I have to report to the people below - Trazyn - please have mercy on me!"
Beside them, Mortarion silently pushed the small Death Guard that came out to check the situation back into the white fog.
Of course, Trazyn knew what Hades was thinking - split it in half, which meant that Hades would not allow the Infinite Ones' strength to threaten them, but this was impossible!
On the one hand, Trazyn hopes to obtain more and more troops to use as capital against the Silent King - on the other hand - it, it - still can't let go!
As a necrophile, Trazyn is unwilling to let the last relics of his people be played with and easily used in wars. He is a collector and cherishes all gifts from the past. This is Trazyn's selfishness. He is unwilling to see his people being wasted easily.
Even its king, the Silent King, did just that, treating beings below him as nothing...
Trazyn was silent. He felt unwilling. He wanted to catch more and keep more.
Hades stared at Trazyn. He knew that he should be more tolerant because of Trazyn's help in the past - but this matter was not just about Hades, he couldn't give up so easily.
Hades would rather owe Trazyn a favor and find a way to make up for it later. He can actively help Trazyn find a way to retrieve the souls of the Necron, but not in this matter.
Trazyn's green light shone on Hades' face, and the Endless One stood up.
"I'll give you eight and you'll give me two—but in exchange, I can provide you with Necrontyr technology."
Trazyn said so.
——————
[past]
[Temporary Museum outside the Talasin River]
"traitor!!!"
Atop the greenskin wreckage and the collapsed dinosaur skeletons, Orikan held Trazyn down and shouted angrily,
"Look at what you've done?!"
The Astrologer tilted his head. They had already fought from Hall 7 on the Alpha side to Hall 53 on the Delta side, but the Astrologer's direction was clear. That was Hades' display case.
"how?!"
Trazyn shouted, wrestling with Orekhan, its energy reserves flashing alarms.
"You want to control my collection?!"
"Time! Time has changed!"
The astrologer cried out, "It's chaos, everything is messed up!"
"And you—" the Scryer yelled, "a traitor—a true traitor! Who are you serving??!!"
“It’s called investing!”
Trazyn roared, "Are we still going to count on the Silent King?! Orikan! You and I both know that there is no one reliable among the Necrons! Except for the mentally deficient, they are insane!!!"
"And you—"
Trazyn yelled, "You're a lunatic—"
Orikan also shouted,
"traitor!"
—————
[Now]
[The bottom of the Himalayas]
Orikan's single eye opened wide, and it looked in disbelief at the team that slowly walked in beside the Lord of Mankind's Golden Throne - at this moment, Orikan realized that the Lord of Mankind was really, really trying to win it over.
+I showed my sincerity. +
The Emperor lowered his eyes, the black armor of the Dark Angels of the First Legion flashing before his eyes. The leader, Luther, turned towards him solemnly and saluted the Lord of Mankind.
+My warrior,+the Emperor said calmly,+thank you for your hard work.+
"For Ryan."
Luther lowered his head and surrendered to loyalty. The old man's voice sounded like an old ranger in the forest. They have been guarding this dense forest alone for thousands of years.
And he was willing.
They did it willingly.
Then, Luther stood up, turned around and looked at the alien.
The metal shell, the eerie Egyptian style, the emerald green flash, Luther felt a disgust from the bottom of his heart, but the old knight restrained it well - this was a necessary sacrifice.
"Luther, the Dark Angel of the First Legion," the Dark Angel said solemnly but politely, "the first Fallen Angel. You can call me the Chief of the Fallen Angels."
Without waiting for Orrickan to respond, Luther saluted and gave way to the team led by the Fallen Angel behind him.
The fluorescence reflected on the armor behind them, mysterious and ancient.
Luther looked up and the Lord of Mankind nodded. Everything was self-explanatory. Luther looked at Orikan again.
"Next, I will be in charge of your affairs with the Empire. Are you willing?"
Luther saw the alien's huge one-eyed creature stuck to the being behind him, and he smiled hugely in his heart. It was a necessary sacrifice, and perhaps the Lion was not happy to see this - but he knew that the Primarch would unconditionally obey the Lord of Mankind.
Ourikan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly laughed twice.
“Unbelievable… Unbelievable…”
It seemed to be mumbling to itself, and then laughed vaguely.
"It seems that Trazyn's intelligence is sometimes wrong," Orrickan laughed, but looked at Luther with awe. "Great, great."
"I begin to understand why Trazyn likes to be with humans," Orikan smiled, opening his hands and bowing to the position of the Lord of Humanity.
"With such sincerity, the astrologer is willing to embark on a short journey with humans."
Let it think about it... Orikan thought, and he felt his logic zone trembling. This time he would no longer modify time, but would become the operator of the time thread.
————
[past]
[Temporary Museum outside the Talasin River]
"traitor!"
————
[Now]
[Shovel Mountain]
"Yes! Absolutely!"
Hades agreed immediately, as if he was afraid that Trazyn would change his mind, "Don't say 2 to 8! 1 to 9 is fine!"
"So one to nine?"
“Ah this… ahhahahaha…”
Trazyn smiled and decisively ignored Hades's joke. He felt relieved, but also felt that greater responsibilities would fall on him.
"Two to eight," the Infinite said, "I will give you the technology you desire."
In fact, even without the Infinite, after breaking into the tomb of the Necrons, Hades, who possessed most of the knowledge of the Star Gods, could develop it himself - but the process would be extremely long.
One person made a blueprint of a spaceship? Even Hades couldn't do it easily. It required a lot of energy and time - and this empire obviously didn't give him time.
Hades is aware of this. Moreover, Malcador will never allow Hades to develop sufficiently extensive technology. He will use war and official documents to hold Hades back.
Hades could feel that when he really started trying to promote big technology, the resistance from all over was... too targeted.
But if a factory was built in the Tempest Sector... and its employees were all Necrons...
Hades looked at Trazyn seriously.
"real?"
Trazyn was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Really."
"But it's exchanged by number," Trazyn said. "Different numbers of Necrons for one item."
"Yes," said Hades, who had stopped making jokes now. Hades looked at Trazyn with some concern.
"I mean... did I just irritate you, Trazyn?"
Trazyn shook his head calmly.
"No."
"Then why—"
Trazyn clenched his fists and then slowly unclenched them.
"The Silent King will be back soon," it said, "I need to prepare in advance."
It saw Hades' eyes widen slightly.
"you want-"
"rebel."
Trazyn said it felt free, liberated—as it should have said hundreds of thousands of years ago.
"Not only the Silent King, but my Hierophant also controls my life and death - I don't want to be inferior to the king anymore, Hades."
The Silent King is not even its direct master, the Hierophant is, and has direct control over Trazyn.
Trazyn paused. It was a pity that it couldn't "really" taste the wine, otherwise it would have given itself some.
How long had it been since it last drank? Was it Orrikan when it was still the Necrontyr? It should have been, Orrikan's wife was there, and its daughter.
…Oerlikon’s wife and daughter completely lost themselves in the biological transformation ritual.
It's pointless now, Trazyn thought, you work with aliens in the hope of overthrowing the tyrant above you, but in reality, even if you overthrow it, your race will already be dead.
But—but—Tarasim thought, why couldn't it just swallow this
Would it continue to exist as if nothing had happened, waiting anxiously for the Silent King to return? Then the emperor of its dynasty would be awakened, and would it drag its heavy feet and continue to obey the Silent King's orders
Trazyn thought back to the afternoon when he was dragged to the execution ground.
Hades smiled.
"You can certainly pursue your freedom."
Pluto said.
He knew why Trazyn was so eager to work with him.
(End of this chapter)