All Supreme Beings Are Greedy
What is he thinking about?
He was considering two options.
The first option is to lead the entire race to kill those damned Tyranids.
Those all-consuming monsters are rampaging through the Milky Way, devouring everything—living and not living.
Once they are all wiped out, we will unify their former universe.
The second option is to first confront the Imperium of Man.
That young race is rising at an astonishing pace.
Their potential even shocked the Silent King.
He saw the shadow of the Old Ones in those humans.
The same creativity, the same adaptability, the same --
Infinite possibilities.
And those so-called Primarch—
Their power has transcended the realm of ordinary living beings.
Immortal and indestructible.
It symbolizes some kind of cosmic law.
It possesses power similar to that of C'tan.
The Silent King's eyes flickered slightly.
That was the reaction generated by his emotional simulation system—surprise, appreciation, and a hint of—
fear.
"Truly a divine creation."
He muttered to himself.
The sound echoed in the dark green space, lingering for a long time.
"Let me out."
A voice came from beneath the throne.
The voice was weak, yet it contained an indescribable vastness.
It comes from the deepest part of the four-dimensional labyrinth, from that existence sealed away for countless years—
Fragments of the Burning One.
One of the most powerful C'tan in the past.
Now, it is trapped beneath the throne by the Silent King, used to power the throne and the Craftworld.
After all, the power of the C'tan is almost limitless.
"Let me out."
The voice rang out again, this time weak yet alluring:
"We can cooperate."
The Silent King did not answer.
He just sat there quietly, as if he hadn't heard anything.
The voice continued:
"If you don't want me to increase the charging efficiency, then shut up now."
The Silent King finally spoke.
The voice was calm, without the slightest ripple.
He no longer showed much anger towards the being that had once destroyed his race.
Sixty-five million years is enough to dilute all emotions.
Now, in his eyes, the sealed C'tan Shard is nothing more than a piece of...
Large battery.
"Then go ahead and draw it."
The voice of the C'tan Shard rang out, a strange laugh lurking within it:
"The Burning One will never disappear."
Even in this state, even sealed within this four-dimensional labyrinth by you—"
He paused:
"I am still the C'tan."
The Silent King remained silent.
You should have sensed it.
The C'tan Shard continued, the allure in that voice growing ever stronger:
"New rules."
The new C'tan.
"A terrifying and vast C'tan with the support of an entire race."
The Silent King's pupils contracted slightly.
That was a fluctuation generated by his emotional simulation system—he noticed it.
"Think about it—"
The voice of the C'tan Shard was like the Whisper of a serpent:
"If he devoured that race, devoured the souls of all living beings, how high would he reach?"
"Can the Necron Empire, in its current state, contend with such an existence?"
The Silent King did not answer.
But he knew the answer.
cannot.
Definitely not.
The Necron Empire, though still powerful, still possessing countless terrifying weapons, and still the perfect war machine meticulously crafted over sixty-five million years—
But what if a C'tan who has devoured the souls of all humanity stood on the other side—
There is no chance of winning.
"Let me out."
The sound of the C'tan Shard grew louder and louder:
"Let me go and fight him."
Let me devour him.
Let me--
His voice burned with a greedy flame:
"To become an even more powerful being!"
The Silent King remained silent for a long time.
Then, he raised his staff and tapped it lightly.
The sound of the C'tan Shard vanished instantly.
The four-dimensional maze has been closed.
He temporarily stopped drawing upon the power of the C'tan.
Silence fell once again in the eerie green space.
The Silent King sat on his throne, gazing at the endless void.
A thought popped into his mind.
That thought was so ancient, so foreign, so—
Unbelievable.
Should I negotiate with him?
He muttered to himself.
He didn't know where the idea came from.
Perhaps it's because I've been bored for too long.
Perhaps it was because he had watched his people suffer endless death for too long.
Perhaps--
He was so lonely.
It has been 65 million years.
There was no living being who could speak to him.
No true soul can understand his feelings.
Not one--
similar.
He recalled a long, long time ago, when the Necrontyr were still alive.
Back then, they were flesh and blood; they could cry and laugh, love and hate.
At that time, they looked up at the starry sky and prayed to the Old Ones to grant them a longer life.
At that time, they were--
Alive.
What does he want to pray for now?
They prayed to that being somewhat akin to Old Ones, asking if they could revert to their former state of Necrontyr.
if you can--
The entire race of the Necrontyr can abandon everything they have now.
To relinquish this eternal life, to relinquish this invincible power, to relinquish this cold, metallic body—
To bring back that warm blood, to bring back that beating heart, to bring back that—
The feeling of being alive.
But the Silent King soon abandoned that idea.
Because they are Necrontyr.
Because they were once the rulers of the universe.
Because of them--
They have their own pride.
The Silent King sat on his throne, lost in thought.
Behind him lies 65 million years of history.
Before him lay the future of two races.
The thought that had just surfaced in his mind was still on his mind.
a long time.
He slowly stood up.
The metallic body gleamed with a cold luster in the eerie green light.
His gaze pierced through the endless void and landed at the center of the distant Milky Way.
It landed on that blue planet.
It landed on the figure sitting on the Golden Throne.
"Go and negotiate."
He said.
The voice was calm, yet it contained a certain—
decision.
"The current Imperium of Man is barely comparable to the Necron Empire."
This is his assessment as the supreme ruler.
An objective, calm, and emotionless assessment.
The two sides are indeed evenly matched.
Humanity has Primarch, Space Marines, and Emperor.
The Necrons possess C'tan Shard, an endless army, and countless destructive weapons.
If war breaks out--
The outcome is unpredictable.
But if diplomatic relations are established--
Perhaps there will be a different future.
The Silent King raised his staff.
A beam of eerie green light shot out from the tip of the staff, piercing through the endless void and heading towards the distant center of the Milky Way.
That was a diplomatic signal.
That was a request for peace.
That is--
An ancient race extends its hand to a newly born race.
He didn't know how the other person would respond.
He didn't know what this would mean.
All he knew was --
He should give it a try.
Because he was too lonely.
Because his race was too lonely.
because--
He wanted to find a sliver of meaning in life amidst endless death.
In the eerie green space, the light gradually faded away.
The Silent King returned to his throne.
His gaze remained fixed on the endless distance.
But deep down, there was a glimmer of hope—
expect.
For the first time in 65 million years.
He closed his eyes, letting the emotional simulation system run its course.
Make him look like a real--
The living.
But that was ultimately just a simulation.
He opened his eyes.
Those eyes still held an eternal tranquility.
Forget the past.
He said softly.
The sound echoed in the dark green space, lingering for a long time.
Everything from the past--
Betrayal, war, death, loneliness--
It should all be forgotten.
A new era is about to begin.
His gaze pierced through the endless void and landed on that distant blue planet.
It landed there--
The future direction.
In the four-dimensional maze, the sealed C'tan Shard slowly opened their eyes.
In those eyes burned an eternal flame.
He sensed it.
I sensed that eerie green light, and I sensed the decision made by that ancient king.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
It was a cold laugh.
"Negotiation?"
He muttered to himself, and the sound echoed in four-dimensional space:
"Madness."
A strange light flashed in his eyes:
"Do you think that the Dark King would coexist peacefully with you?"
"Do you think that Imperium of Man, which has devoured countless civilizations, would share the Milky Way with you?"
"You think--"
He paused, and his smile became even more sinister.
"Can you escape my prophecy?"
His fingers traced lightly across the air.
Wherever that finger passed, four-dimensional space distorted, trembled, and—
Answer his call.
Go ahead.
He said softly:
"Go negotiate, go establish diplomatic relations, you'll only be disappointed."
"Because that guy is a supreme being, just like us."
He smiled, a smile full of anticipation:
"Even the most powerful are greedy."
His voice disappeared into the depths of the four-dimensional labyrinth.
Only those eyes still burned in the darkness.
Burning--
Endless greed.