A Gift Between Friends

Karyl withdrew his power, the Emperor followed suit. The frost and golden flames vanished, replaced once more by silent gray. It had always been this way, and it would always be.

The room had no windows, yet the Master of Mankind abruptly began staring at the wall in silence. His actions were completely unexpected, but Karyl was already used to it. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall for a brief rest.

Five minutes later, the Master of Mankind finally withdrew his gaze.

He spoke in a vague, ethereal tone.

"I can see less and less."

He paused for a moment, lowered his head, and thought carefully for a while, deliberating over every word he uttered.

"Now, all I can see is the storm. An endless storm."

"That doesn't sound like a good thing," Karyl replied quietly.

"It's too early to say." The Master of Mankind shook his head.

The laurel wreath still gleamed, but the face beneath it had revealed its true nature. The once unapproachable divinity and solemnity had faded, leaving only weariness and a sliver of hope that dared not be certain of itself.

Karyl caught it, but didn't say so. He knew why the Emperor was unwilling to acknowledge this hope.

He couldn't help but laugh, "Even you deceive yourself in some ways."

The Emperor glanced at him, said nothing, and a faint smile flashed across his eyes.

He closed his eyes. Psychic energy spread through the air, and the gray landscape began to change. The next second, Karyl's back gave way, and the wall supporting him vanished—in fact, even the room itself disappeared.

The biting wind howled past, not generated by psychic energy, but originating from the natural environment. Harsh, yet possessing a real and harshness that surpasses all others. Snow fell from the sky, swept up by the wind, becoming sharp blades that cut into faces.

Karyl looked down and saw a thick layer of snow that reached above his calves. He looked up and saw a cliff in front of him, and beyond that, a cracked canyon and a snow-covered forest.

Karyl didn't ask where he was; a faint sense of nostalgia was evident on his face.

"When was the last time you saw snow?" The Emperor asked him.

"I don't remember," Karyl answered honestly. "I know very little about the past, and even if I did, it wouldn't really make much sense."

"Perhaps, but memory is still very important, my friend," The Emperor said solemnly. The wind and snow blew past, and he gazed worriedly into the distance, silent as a stone.

Karyl made no attempt to inquire, and for a moment, the place fell silent except for the howling wind. The cliffs were jagged and irregular, as if they had been cruelly gnawed by something.

He couldn't help but imagine a gigantic creature in his mind, feeding on mountains. He let his thoughts wander, letting them drift aimlessly, transforming them into spiders crawling on unfamiliar webs.

Then, he finally heard the voice of the Master of Mankind.

"Hope remains," he said in a soft but firm voice. "Hope will be sculpted by our own hands, forged in fire, hammered in the furnace, and tempered by endless storms."

Karyl didn't speak, only glanced at him. With immense courage, the Emperor confirmed the existence of that glimmer of hope, and he would strive towards it.

However, as a pessimist...

"I can't mold hope like you do," Karyl said softly. "I'm only good at other things, and those are the opposite of building."

"Didn't you educate Konrad Curze Curze very well?" The Emperor retorted.

He has matured enough to know that some questions don't actually need answers. Countless wise men throughout human history have craved answers to questions, ultimately going mad and becoming slaves to their thirst for knowledge, but he has already grasped the essential connection between action and questions.

Karyl shook his head.

"At best, I only laid a foundation for him. In essence, he still grew up on his own. His own will was the key, and I was just an add-on."

"Too modest." The Emperor looked at him. "Is it your stubborn, fundamental moral compass at play, or is it your unwillingness to acknowledge your importance to him?"

Karyl didn't answer; he fell into a silence. He looked back, saw countless fleeting moments, and then he smiled.

"Perhaps both, perhaps neither—" He sighed deliberately, looking at the Emperor. "—Why are you asking so clearly?"

"This is my small revenge for your previous mockery," The Emperor replied sternly.

Karyl burst into laughter. The snowstorm seemed to pause in that instant, and the world was reshaped in a flash. The room reappeared, the previous snowstorm completely gone, leaving only a glimmer of light.

It was raised and held in the palm of the Master of Mankind, revealing its dazzling light.

"Now, even my memories have power," Neos said softly. "They can't be added to, but they can be taken away and used for other purposes."

He opened his palm, and a white Radiance burst forth in the gray room in the next instant.

A suit of armor emerged from the light. It existed quietly on the surface, with pitch black and the deathly white of "winter". Compared to most Power Armour, it was not thick enough. Karyl could not even see the backpack used as the main power core.

The skull-shaped helmet stared silently from beneath the black hood, and the cloak, which moved without wind, closed over the streamlined, broad shoulder armor, its edges perpendicular to the ground, now undulating like Shadow.

"What is this?" Karyl raised an eyebrow.

"A personal gift from me," Neos smiled slightly at him. "Armor shaped from my memories of 'winter' and 'coldness.'"

"And it doesn't look like a Power Armour."

Karyl examined it closely and couldn't help but smile—he wouldn't deny that he really liked the armor.

"I don't see a servo system, nor do I see any cables connecting the armor. Can this even be considered a Power Armour?"

"I never said it was Power Armour," Neos replied. "But it can still amplify your combat abilities."

So, it needs another form of power?

"Yes," Neos said. "And I believe you've already guessed what it is."

Karyl nodded noncommittally, a chilling blue light flashing in his eyes—the cloak of his armor began to flutter, and cold light shone through the gaps in the metal. In the next second, it turned into a Shadow and vanished from the spot, and then Karyl's vision was enveloped by a coldness.

A metallic yet skeletal sensation lingered quietly on his face. He raised his arm, and the armor activated by his psionic energy began to return in reverse, enhancing his own power.

The five fingers of the gauntlet were sharp, while the Imperium Aquila hovered steadily on the back of the hand. He laughed, his voice transformed by psychic energy into a cruel chill, utterly terrifying, but Neos laughed along with him.

A craftsman always loves to see his work appreciated; a joyful laugh is worth more than a million compliments.

"But," Karyl asked softly, his voice now utterly terrifying, "How am I supposed to explain this armor to people?"

"My gift is nothing more than this," The Emperor said calmly. "No one can fathom its secrets or its origin; let them guess. It is my way of thanking you."

"What have I done to deserve your gratitude?"

The skeleton turned its head to the side, gazing at its friend— the Master of Mankind, who lowered his head, smiled slightly, and did not answer the question.

"Although one shouldn't accept something for nothing, you don't seem to be able to make me refuse," Karyl said. "Then I'll accept it. Does it have a name?"

"When I was an artisan, I usually didn't name my pieces, especially when it was specifically meant to be sent out."

Karyl lowered his head thoughtfully, and after a moment, he slowly nodded.

"The Blade," the armored giant replied. "That's what I will call it."

The Emperor was taken aback, but he quickly understood Karyl's meaning. After a brief silence, he burst into uncontrollable laughter. Karyl glanced at him for a few seconds before joining in. The laughter contained nothing but pure joy.

This chapter is 2.5k words long; I owe 1.5k words, which I will repay tomorrow.

After careful consideration, I will be updating a side story tomorrow. Just a slight spoiler, it's about Curze's story in the HH route.

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