Cooperation and Exchange with Magnus

Tizca, the Eastern Mountains, the Scholar's Tower.

The gold and silver bookshelves were crammed with heavy esoteric texts, translucent crystal chips, engraved prints, skeletons covered in inscriptions, and scrolls bound in leather cases.

The gilded hall appeared somewhat cramped due to the bookshelves crowding it out, especially with the two giants deep within.

Magnus, with his long, scarlet hair, now had a single, spirited pale blue eye, speckled with brown spots.

"Azek Ahriman told me that some members of the War Council hated the Psionic Energy powers of our two legions and slandered us as wizards who abused unclean magic."

"My father described to me more than once the future, an inspiring and progressive new human kingdom, a bright tomorrow created by scientists, philosophers, and Warrior working together."

"Sadly, some people are still blinded by the fog, questioning the precious skills and doubting the brave explorers."

He looked at Nimrod, his eyes brimming with brilliance.

"We can walk side by side in many ways, pursuing a brilliant and inspiring future."

"We can reach a consensus on many issues in dealing with narrow-minded people."

Magnus extended his right hand, looking expectantly at Nimrod.

Nimrod extended his right hand and grasped the red arm. "That's right."

We will not be alone.

He thought to himself: [There is also Sanguinius, who will return in 843, and Jaghatai Khan later.]

Magnus's return and the resurgence of the "Thousand Sons" will divert much attention, allowing Beyonder to better remain hidden within Librarian.

"Our cooperation should not be limited to responding to attacks from others."

"While you are saving your offspring, I will be venturing into the wasteland."

Magnus's eyes turned gray, and he spoke in a sorrowful tone.

"If there truly is such a thing Curse of talent, Soul-Eater Bee is the Curse of those who have mastered the Mystery of the Aether."

"Many people I know have been killed by the Soul-Eater Bee. I remember the male Soul-Eater Bee swarming at me."

"They were like a storm of sharp pincers and claws; fifty people perished in the blink of an eye. Then, the female bees' abdomens were filled with clusters of illusory eggs. Dozens of my friends knelt in terror, their brains implanted with Soul-Eater Bee eggs."

He was lost in memories. "Even today, the screams of the deceased still echo in my mind; I think that cruel memory will remain forever."

"That's exactly what I meant," Nimrod said, "The threat Soul-Eater Bee must be dealt with."

Magnus shook his head. "They are too dangerous, even for Astartes."

"Let Tizca become a land of light, leaving the wasteland to them; that is the best option."

"My offspring will not be consumed by the Soul-Eater Bee. We should collect and record the knowledge we find, bringing light to more of our fellow human beings."

"No," Nimrod continued, his amber gaze filled with confusion, "Before conquering the stars, you must first conquer your homeland, leaving a safe haven for your people."

"The Thousand Sons will encounter enormous trouble during the process of eliminating the Soul-Eater Bee due to their Psionic Energy."

"I'm willing to help you get rid of the Soul-Eater Bee."

Magnus's eyes lit up instantly. After a few seconds of contemplation, he said, "But this will come at a considerable cost; many Shadow of Order will perish."

"There will be sacrifices." Nimrod agreed with Magnus's assessment, but the sacrifices wouldn't be as great as the other party imagined.

Unlike Thousand Sons, the Beyonder are not like a light in the eyes of the Soul-Eater Bee.

This means that as long as tactics are used properly in battle, the number of Soul-Eater Bee can be kept within a reasonable range.

The Shadow of Order also possess Beyonder Ability for hunting and cleansing.

[It not only yields materials for potions but also serves as a test for Beyonder like "Hunters," honing their abilities.]

"But this sacrifice is worthwhile," Nimrod said with a smile. "My son is willing to offer assistance to the people of Prospero."

"They too will draw wisdom from this City of Light."

Nimrod anticipates another reward: the future treasure trove of Prospero's knowledge.

He recalled that after the Burning of Prospero, Magnus rebuilt the Pergamon Gallery, which contained about 60 million books reconstructed from his memory, but this was still far less than any of the many libraries in Tizca.

"On behalf of Prospero and all the people, I express my gratitude to you and to the Shadow of Order."

Magnus bowed slightly, then solemnly said:

"The Shadow of Order will be in Prospero, enjoying the same treatment as the Thousand Sons; knowledge will make them wiser."

"Now it's time for our exchange," Magnus, his eyes flashing.

A moment later, Amon entered with several Apprentice, carrying silver trays.

"These fresh fruits were cultivated using Psionic Energy arrays located deep within the mountain; their freshness and juiciness are no less than those of any other world."

After Amon and the others left, Nimrod sat down on a stone chair and picked up a mango that emitted a rich aroma.

He took a bite, and the sweet juice filled his mouth.

"It's amazing that such delicious fruit can be produced even underground where there is so little sunlight."

Magnus smiled and said, "This is the power of knowledge, a miracle that the ignorant can never comprehend."

As they ate and chatted, Magnus recounted how he embarked on a wasteland adventure after failing to gain further knowledge in Tizca.

"I traveled alone through city after city, until I finally arrived at a city that lay in ruins nestled at the foot of a cliff."

"I followed the mountain path, climbed up the cliff, and at a bend in the road, I saw a tall stone statue—a magnificent giant bird made of colorful stones."

"It is so lifelike, as if it is about to take flight; its slender neck is as graceful as a swan's; it stands on the edge of the cliff."

Nimrod's eyes flashed. The colorful giant bird made him have a certain guess, and at the same time, it awakened his memories of Magnus's journey.

"Just as I was witnessing its beautiful posture, it tipped over from its base."

"The sight of it falling filled me with a heartbreaking and inexplicable sense of loss, but then, at the spot where it hit the ground, I discovered that the fragments formed a specific pattern."

"Three larger fragments form a precise equilateral triangle, and four white fragments form a perfect square."

Magnus excitedly stated, "I then discovered that ignoring the two white stones and adding two gray fragments a meter away creates a perfect rhombus shape."

"Choose five fragments, and you can draw a pentagon the same size as a triangle, containing a smaller hexagon."

"There are also decagons, intersecting triangles, concentric circles, and triangles composed of red, gray, and white fragments."

Magnus spoke, he took a secret text from the bookshelf.

"I recorded all the discovered diagrams in the secret text."

"Just as I was writing my second secret manual, Amon found me; he had previously been my mentor."

"At first he thought they were just scattered pebbles, but after reading my secret manual, he was overwhelmed with excitement."

Magnus stroked the book and continued, "I returned to Tizca and shared the secrets with my former mentors."

"They were captivated, marveling at the beauty of the natural forms."

"As with every great moment, they thus neglected the precepts of the mind, and countless Soul-Eater Bee swarmed in."

"I can understand." After being promoted to "Baron of Corruption" and gaining the "Geometry" ability, he conducted some research in his spare time.

He also unearthed from Slau Da's mind a keen perception of the study and understanding of natural figures, and gained a certain understanding of the power of Geometry.

The image contains power.

A fervent orange-red gleam flashed in Magnus's eyes, and a shimmering light danced around his pupils.

"When the Soul-Eater Bee attacked, the dormant power within me awakened, and with a wave of my hand, hundreds of Soul-Eater Bee were reduced to ashes."

Upon seeing the red graphic, Menphia and Sethga gave the order, and Wall of Flames rose into the air.

Nimrod knew that this was the origin of the future "Pyrae Cult".

"Atep and Luxentep saw the spiral pattern formed by the white fragments, and they shot down the beast."

["The Falcon Sect"] Nimrod thought silently.

"Hasta and Ihoden saw the octagon, causing the fluid beneath the Soul-Eater Bee's exoskeleton to boil instantly."

[Yes, the "Pavoni," Hathor Mhat will be their successor.]

"Phanec and Thothmes saw the interwoven lines and arcs of quadrilaterals, circles, and triangles; they understood the insane desire of the Soul-Eater Bee to implant their eggs into our brains."

Nimrod nodded slightly, thinking to himself, "[The Pavoni Cult]"

"Amon was the first person besides me to see all these patterns; he saw images of the future environment in his mind and foresaw the dangers."

Nimrod knew that Amon was most skilled in the "Corvidae Cult" techniques, but he also mastered techniques from other schools.

"This is how the Five Cults came about."

As Nimrod spoke, he silently pondered: [It must have been Tzeentch who revealed the Mystery of symbols and Psionic Energy to Magnus; what a generous gift indeed.]

"That's right." Magnus handed over the cryptex, which Nimrod took and quickly flipped through the symbols on it.

Yes, pure knowledge will not corrupt you.

But it was a lure, stimulating Magnus and the other Thousand Sons to explore more Mystery and knowledge.

Giving first and receiving later is a common tactic used by Chaos Gods like Tzeentch; the gifts of fate already come with a price.

Nimrod knew that the gift Tzeentch gave to Magnus did not contain the power of corruption, nor could it corrupt a Primarch.

The skills learned from this will not be more prone to corruption than those of the Flao or the various Psionic Energy factions of future humanity.

Nimrod also knew that Revel Avida of the Geometry School, Geometry future Fourth Fellowship, would bring the skills of the Five Cults to the Grey Knights as their first Supreme Grand Master.

Lemuel Gaumon, Azek Ahriman's Apprentice and friend, and one of the four founders of the Inquisition, also brought what he learned from his mentor into the Inquisition.

Nimrod pulled his thoughts away from the future and returned to the graphic itself.

[The diagrams in the crypt are directly related to Psionic Energy and cannot be directly applied to Beyonder Ability —specifically, "Geometry"—but they did give me some inspiration.]

Afterwards, Nimrod exchanged techniques from the Five Cults with Magnus.

He discovered that Magnus was superior to the Flao in their Aether arts.

Nimrod silently weighed his own situation against Magnus's, combining his memories to draw a conclusion.

[In terms of pure Psionic Energy, Magnus has a more comprehensive grasp, but the two areas I focus on are no worse than his.]

In terms of Telekinesis, I have just been promoted to "Baron of Corruption," and I need time to improve the resulting physical abilities so that I can rival his falconry skills in the future.

In terms of mind control, possessing Osiris Mind-Seed abilities, I must surpass his Raptora Cult Technique.

Finally, Nimrod and Magnus discussed their Mindset.

After hearing that Nimrod had gleaned methods for utilizing mental power from Thelema's teachings, Magnus repeatedly inquired about them.

"The power of the mind contains a strength that transcends the physical body."

"Compared to my Mindset techniques, your three-layered Mindset is superior in terms of defense."

"Furthermore, even those who are not Psyker can master it through willpower training. I think this is to address the potential crisis of your offspring losing control due to their heightened senses."

Nimrod nodded slightly. Through the exchange, he had grasped the first three levels of Magnus's lower level of Mindset and understood the three levels of the middle level.

He said, "Only Psyker can grasp your Mindset and allow them to unleash their full potential."

Nimrod stayed in Prospero for a month, exchanging views with Magnus before departing.

After the Shadow of the Throne set sail, he casually placed the Spear of Dionysus on the ground and headed for the "Nation of Disorder".

He wanted to divine the future of Calth.

The future jewel of the Eastern Galaxy.