Nimrod's First Failed Willpower Check

868. M30.

Solar Segmentum, Piraeus, Temporary Surface Base.

Arsena Dunn, holding Data Slate, reported to Nimrod.

"My lord," the "Readers " reviewed all the reports of the Honor Guard members.

The "Deduction Cadets" analyzed the Auger Matrix scan report and related documents.

"I reviewed the records one last time and identified fifteen anomalies. After comprehensive analysis, I ruled out twelve of them, and found three that I should report to you."

As the "Knowledge Keeper" spoke, he connected the Data Slate to the Cogitator, and a green holographic image appeared in the Primarch's office.

Visibly shrouded in gray mist, there were red, heart-shaped, jewel-like tree-like creatures.

As the image zooms in, its front is smooth and delicate, radiating light, while its back is wrinkled like an old man's skin.

The entire tree was constantly and slightly contracting and expanding, as if it were breathing.

"Third squad, in area G-3, discovered this strange tree-like creature."

"The Apothecary couldn't determine whether it was an animal or a plant."

"Stepping inside will interfere with the helmet's built-in positioning system, and static will appear in the Communicator."

Nimrod immediately recognized it as the main material for the "Fool" Pathway Sequence 7 "Magician"—the Mist Tree.

The scene shifts to hundreds of leopard-like creatures of various colors, leaping, pouncing, and tearing at each other in the desert.

The next second, the fur of several of the leopard-like creatures suddenly changed color.

Yellow fur turns green, Purple turns brown...

The ever-changing colors are like a vivid magic trick of nature.

"The first squad has discovered a leopard-like creature capable of continuously changing color in area C-7."

Nimrod nodded slightly. This leopard-like creature was also the main material for the "Magician," the Chameleon Leopard.

He gently stroked John beside him, thinking to himself.

[I just arrived in Piraeus and I've already gathered all the materials for "The Magician," which is a really good omen.]

As Nimrod pondered, the scene shifted, revealing a bizarre sight.

On the lush grassland, there are rows of lifeless human figures.

Nimrod examined the scene, which included officers standing upright, arms raised, directing the advance.

There were also soldiers in a search posture, crouching warily, advancing with guns drawn.

The scene then shifts, and a member of the Honor Guard enters the frame, drawing his combat knife.

"As you can see, the figure is indeed a human corpse."

"After examination, the Apothecary found that they could not determine the time of death because the bodies were not severely decomposed, and some parts even still had body temperature, but their consciousness had long since dissipated."

"The strangest thing is that none of them showed any expression of shock or Affliction."

The "Knowledge Keeper" gleamed and stated his reasoning conclusion.

"There are only three possibilities: either they died at different times and in different places, and were subsequently moved here."

"Secondly, they died at the same time and turned into bizarre human figures."

"The last possibility is that they died at different times without their awareness, in their sleep or similar circumstances, and were then driven there by some force."

Nimrod nodded. Without a doubt, this plain was the most likely place where Tear of Silence Kalugula, was Imprisonment.

[Yes, the manner of death was quite bizarre. This is why the Silent King Szarekh forbade the use of the Tear of Silence by the Necrons.]

Can the Necrons die so mysteriously?

Nimrod knew that creatures like the Nightbringers, Void Dragons, and the Shard of the Burning One he had obtained were not forbidden from use by the Silent King.

The only C'tan he knew of whose power was forbidden was the Tear of Silence.

"Send five squads to hunt the leopard-like creatures that can change color, using Arc Projector."

Nimrod gave the orders, and then selected Beyonder with high spirituality, such as "Monsters" and "Sleepless," as well as Beyonder who could divine directions, such as "Seer," to go and collect the Mist Trees.

He then took only ten people, including Arsena, Diana Pauline, and Luther, and flew to the grassland region aboard Stormbird.

Glenn Worsotto, the Chapter Master of the First Chapter the Ultramarines, looked down through the viewing window at the endless mass of figures below.

Different human figures came into view with his superhuman vision, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Sir, the figures below seem to follow a pattern."

"All the portraits, sketching out..."

"Human form," the Knowledge Keeper " exclaimed, looking at Worsotto with admiration.

"That's right," Nimrod said, pulling back his wandering consciousness and instructing the pilot.

"Nelson, fly towards the head."

"Yes, Father." As a true "machine," Nelson also calculated and deduced the overall image of the entire portrait area.

"Lower... stop..." Nimrod commanded Nelson to hover at the top of the aircraft, a hundred meters above the ground. After a moment's assessment, he gave the order again, "Open the hatch."

Nimrod its wings and flew out of the Stormbird, slowly descending.

Thirty-six green-covered corpses were piled up in the shape of a teardrop.

The Primarch gene astutely confirmed that the crisp sound had nothing to do with green grass.

He opened his "Warp Vision," and the green rose up, merging into a whole—a teardrop.

It was a supernatural green, but unrelated to the Warp.

After a moment's thought, Nimrod decided to open the entrance in a cautious and respectful manner for the deceased.

Cremation.

Golden wings flapped behind him, and golden flames descended from the sky, landing on dozens of teardrops.

The Primarch's eyes narrowed, and its Telekinesis spread, isolating it from the surrounding area.

With a crackling sound, the human-shaped corpse quickly turned to ashes.

Nimrod's eyes narrowed as he saw an Obsidian- like passage unfold before him.

He sent a Thought Impulse to Nelson, then stepped into the passageway and scrutinized the walls.

The Primarch's eyes narrowed; he keenly sensed that the material of the building's passageway walls was not Obsidian.

Each black stone is a triangle of varying size, entirely black, yet its black core sparkles with the Star.

The entire rock resembles a night sky adorned with stars.

[Triangular Night-Veil Stone, the main material for Sequence 6 of the "Darkness" Pathway.]

Nimrod, having collected another type of magic potion, thought with great interest.

I thought it would be on Nostramo, the Homeworld of the "Night Lords".

Before even finding the fragments of the Tear of Silence, I've already acquired three potions, completing two potions in total. My luck is truly remarkable.

Um...]

Nimrod's smile was fleeting.

Perhaps this isn't just luck?

The humans who sealed the Tear of Silence discovered the peculiarities of this planet, making it suitable for sealing?

The Tear of Silence are sealed here, their power subtly influencing us over thousands of years.

Worsotto stepped into the passage, following the gaze of the Primarch.

"This couldn't possibly be naturally formed; the probability of that is only one in a billion."

Akurduana gently stroked the cave wall, "Exquisite, a masterpiece of nature."

Nimrod walked forward, with the others following behind.

The passageway became wider and wider, and after descending more than 100 meters, it was wide enough for ten people to walk side by side.

After descending more than a kilometer along the passage, Worsotto gazed ahead at the seemingly endless, sloping downward passage and exclaimed in amazement.

"Even if it were constructed manually, the computational workload would be immeasurable, even exceeding the total computational workload of the Emperor-class Battleship's Cogitator."

The passageway built of Triangular Night-Veil Stones seems to have no end.

In the dim light, only the sound of footsteps echoed.

Zahariel suddenly stopped and frowned.

"The passage of time gives us a completely different feeling than it actually is."

After being taught by Lord Nimrod and mastering the method to activate his innate Psionic Energy ability "Terror Vision," he practiced and fought countless times, developing a keen intuition for time.

"It seems..." Diana Pauline's eyes quickly turned into golden vertical pupils. After careful discernment, the "Hypnotist" spoke, "Some kind of supernatural force is affecting our minds."

"For ordinary people, the time they experience is stretched infinitely, causing them to give up or even break down during a long journey that lasts for months or even years."

Lucius sheathed his sword and clenched his fist.

"A powerful enemy."

Balsa Kuturi, the think tank commander of the 19th Army Corps, gazed into the future with deep eyes.

He sensed a will as majestic as a mountain, yet as desolate as a deathly swamp.

Balthasar trembled slightly. "Perhaps... he... doesn't need to... show himself."

Balthasar unconsciously slowed his speech; his will was being interfered with by an unseen force, and his thoughts became sluggish.

Thump!

The Librarian collapsed with a thud, and everyone looked around warily.

The dimly lit passageway resembled a deadly Abyss.

"Don't touch him." The Primarch looked at Balthasar with scrutiny, sensing that he was in some kind of supernatural state.

Touching it carelessly could cause unpredictable harm.

[If I bring the Tear of Silence to the "Nation of Disorder" as soon as possible, Balthasar should awaken on its own.]

"Diana, you stay and protect her." Nimrod left behind the most powerful "Hypnotist" in the field of mental manipulation, then looked around at everyone.

"Do what you can; if you feel something is wrong, turn back on your own."

He then ascended to the first level of Thelema's Mindset and continued on his journey.

"I want to see what it is!" Lucius's eyes lit up, and he was the first to step down.

The others didn't stop either; they couldn't let the Primarch venture into danger alone.

Diana glanced regretfully at the deep passageway and remained where she was.

Lucius strode excitedly, following closely behind Nimrod.

He walked quickly, but after about sixty steps, he unconsciously slowed down.

With a thud, Lucius became the second person to fall unconscious.

"I'll stay and take care of him." Akurduana smiled helplessly. Although he was curious about what was happening below, he felt it was his duty to look after his promising brother.

Despairing and troubled by the need to keep the secret, Ulian Bendregg fell third.

"Zahariel and I will stay," Luther, as the legion's deputy commander, said.

Worsotto stared at the cave wall, the starlight reflecting into his eyes and accumulating more and more in Superhuman Brain.

Countless triangles suddenly began to move in his mind, and with each movement, the shape could be pieced together into a whole without any abrupt changes.

[How is this possible!]

The sheer number of triangles of varying sizes, pieced together, already constitutes an astronomical amount of calculation.

How can something that is constantly shifting in position at every moment still be considered a whole?

Worsotto's mind went blank, and everything went black.

"I'll stay," Arsena volunteered, taking on the responsibility.

Only Zo Sahar remained, following closely behind Nimrod.

His gaze was resolute; he was determined to follow Lord Nimrod on his journey.

He bit his lip until it bled; having survived the prison in Terra Hive City, he was used to pain.

The two walked one after the other, climbing countless steps.

Suddenly, green mist rose, and Zo Sahar collapsed to the ground.

Nimrod looked towards the end of the passage. Now, no one was needed to guard it; the Tear of Silence lay ahead.

He ascended to the Third Mindset Thelema, his golden wings gleaming, and flew into the dense green mist.

Golden flames rose, illuminating the surroundings.

Nimrod saw the figure suspended in mid-air.

Golden light emanated from the silver Necrodermis, swirling above his head.

He looked down with an arrogant disdain, his face stern, his features more exaggerated than those of an ordinary human.

His head was long, somewhere between a human and Aeldari, and his expression was more ruthless than either of those species.

Tear of Silence' gaze lingered on the golden wings for a moment before she spoke.

"We are Kalugula, the Tear of Silence."

"We are filled with the power of our brothers and sisters whom we have devoured! We are Kalugra! We are a god!"

His voice wasn't as deafening as the Shard of the Void Dragon Nimrod encountered at the Jormungandr Star Monolith, but rather as crisp as water dripping from a rock.

The sound echoed in Nimrod's ears and seeped into his mind, striking the Mind Gate like a splash on a lake.

We are indeed the Transcendent C'tan.

It's an aggregate of at least a dozen fragments, perhaps even hundreds.

"Submit!"

Its luminous body shone with the power of an extinct star, causing the entire room to tremble.

The sarcophagus binding him swayed and vibrated in the air.

I must... take him... to the "Nation of Disorder" as soon as possible...

Um?]

The Primarch sensed that his thoughts were sluggish, and the golden flames involuntarily went out.

[Horrible!

Is this... the C'tan's version of... Silence... murmurs...?

I... failed... the... will... test... for the first time...

Since he created the third level of Thelema, he has never been unable to cope with a moment that tests his will.

[Refuge in... "the Nation of Disorder"... able to... escape...]

But this... cannot... yield... the Tear of Silence...