A Dark Night, Perfect for Delivering a scythe
Endurance, Space Marine private quarters.
Present.
.
In the standard Space Marine room, Hades sat before the workbench, deep in thought.
After persuading Mortarion to go back to work, Hades returned to his own quarters.
He first tried once more to sense his Null Field, only to find that it could still expand no farther than the surface of his skin.
As though it had been imprisoned.
As for the Null Field, Hades planned to look for information on Blanks afterward. From what he remembered before his transmigration, Blanks did not display a Null Field like Hades's.
Setting aside his doubts about the Null Field for the moment, Hades focused on his electronic left brain.
As he concentrated, Hades discovered that his left brain was like a computer.
He could independently control the storage, retrieval, and even destruction of memories within it.
Hades touched his electronic brain again and unexpectedly found several different ports behind his left hemisphere.
They had probably been prepared for operating machinery in the future?
One port already held a data chip. Hades pulled it out and found something similar to a USB drive. He could freely choose to store memories and knowledge within it.
So convenient?!
Didn't that mean that as long as he directly plugged a hard drive full of knowledge into the port in his left brain, Hades could master that knowledge?
At the same time, Hades could dump massive amounts of calculations onto that half of his brain, allowing the left and right sides to think and calculate different things.
What surprised Hades somewhat was that functions such as the brain stem's control over basic bodily processes had instead been compensated for by his enhanced right hemisphere. The left brain possessed none of those functions.
In other words, this electronic left brain was currently just a brain-shaped computer, useful for learning, memory, calculation, and linking with and controlling machinery.
It was like the electronic brains those Mechanicus installed in themselves.
What Hades did not know was that the computing power and efficiency of his electronic brain far surpassed those of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Unable to obtain any further information about the electronic brain, Hades tried focusing his attention on his left eye instead.
As expected, this left eye came with X-ray vision.
As for night vision? The naked eyes of enhanced Space Marines could already see everything clearly in darkness.
Furthermore, anything seen through his left eye could be directly stored in his electronic left brain and retrieved whenever needed.
Unfortunately, after trying it out, Hades found that this left eye could not shoot cool lasers.
Perhaps he could modify his left eye and left brain himself in the future?
Hades thought.
Time passed quickly as Hades explored his electronic brain and Electronic Eye.
Since Hades had only just begun consciously controlling his electronic brain, the time he spent on it unknowingly increased.
It was already one in the morning. Even Space Marines had reached bedtime.
Hades rose from the workbench and went to bed to rest.
Though he still did not know the answer regarding his own constitution, that was not an urgent matter at the moment—
"Knock, knock, knock."
The doorbell interrupted Hades's thoughts.
A Servitor slowly pushed the door open and entered.
"Greetings, Lord Hades. Please immediately change into Type I3 combat dress and proceed to Reception Room Beta 508 on Deck 36."
Type I3 combat dress was not clothing specifically designed for battle. Rather than combat wear, it was more like formal attire designed for Space Marines not wearing Power Armor.
When a Space Marine was unable to wear armor for some reason—or was a recruit who had yet to receive armor—but needed to attend a formal occasion, he would wear this outfit.
Someone wanted to see me?
Hades quickly changed clothes and followed the Servitor out of the room. As they walked through the empty corridor, it was 1:36 a.m. Terra Standard Time. The Space Marines' sleep period had already begun, and the corridor lights were dimmer than before.
Upon reaching their destination, the Servitor bowed and opened the door for Hades.
Hades stepped through the door.
In an instant, an unusual sensation flooded Hades's senses!
The empty, unfurnished room contained nothing but several banners hanging on its four walls.
Yet at this moment, two squads of Silent Sisters and two Custodian Guards stood inside!
Mortarion stood with his arms folded, facing the Custodian Guards and Silent Sisters. First Company Captain Barasyn stood ramrod-straight beside Mortarion.
The unusual aura Hades had just sensed came from the Silent Sisters.
Like water and oil—both liquids, yet fundamentally different and unable to mix—Hades could feel that his Null Field did not share the same origin as the Silent Sisters' power.
Though they felt similar, their underlying nature was subtly different.
And Hades's entrance broke the room's extremely frigid standoff.
Earlier, the visiting Custodian Guards and Silent Sisters had offered Mortarion only a simple salute.
Mortarion, meanwhile, had directly ignored their salute and merely nodded.
Barasyn, who had arrived with him, was now caught between saluting and not saluting.
Thinking of how he would have to serve under Mortarion in the future, Barasyn gritted his teeth and simply stood beside Mortarion, using his perfectly erect military posture to convey his apology and respect to the Custodian Guards.
Barasyn was not one of those stubborn old veterans. As First Company Captain, he had long learned how to navigate social situations while leading the legion and dealing with all manner of people.
The legion's reunion with its primarch was only a matter of time, and he had always been preparing for it.
He just did not know how that recruit would handle this situation.
Barasyn thought.
Yet Hades was completely captivated by the Silent Sisters' abilities. Compared to their strange aura, he paid no attention at all to the room's previously awkward atmosphere.
Seeing Hades enter, the Custodian Guard in golden armor did not press the matter further. Before coming here, they had already prepared themselves for Mortarion's disrespect.
The Custodian Guard gave Hades a slight nod and stepped aside. The Silent Sisters behind him parted ranks. Finally, two Silent Sisters walked forward, holding a massive scythe horizontally in both hands.
The huge scythe was black as night from end to end. Its curved haft seemed naturally grown, while its blade was incomparably sharp, glimmering faintly beneath the lights. Fine, jagged teeth protruded from the blade like a chainsaw, so sharp that merely looking at them made one feel as if one's skin would be cut open.
Silver patterns clung to the junction between the scythe blade and its haft, seemingly produced through some special forging process. At first glance, the markings resembled lightning, yet they seemed to outline countless mountains and rivers.
It was a heavy chainblade scythe, yet not of the conventional type. Rather than the usual flat, blunt point, its scythe head ended in an extremely sharp bayonet-like tip.
The flat, blunt head of an ordinary scythe—for example, Mortarion's Annihilation—was meant to be driven firmly into an opponent's flesh before the chainblade roared at full power and sawed through the body!
But the bayonet-like head of the one held by the Silent Sisters seemed better suited for piercing directly into an enemy's body and tearing open a bloody path like lightning.
"Hades of the Death Guard."
The Custodian Guard spoke.
"Because you rendered outstanding service in the liberation of Barbarus, I have been ordered by the Emperor to bestow upon you a scythe."
The Silent Sisters looked at Hades, signaling for him to take up the massive scythe.
Hades raised his hand and took the scythe—
In that instant, the Null Field within Hades surged into the black scythe like a rushing river. As though it had sensed the Null Field, the silver patterns upon it gleamed with a subtle, brilliant light.
Seeing the scythe's reaction, the Custodian Guard showed no response. His voice remained calm and unremarkable.
"This scythe was originally kept by the Sisters of Silence, but for various reasons, it had never found a worthy master."
"Today, it is bestowed upon you. May you not disappoint my lord. Wield this scythe, fight bravely for the Imperium, and expand its dominion."
Hades tightened his grip on the massive scythe. Given Hades's current height, the enormous weapon still seemed slightly too large.
The matter apparently concluded, the Custodian Guard, unwilling to linger, once again stood at attention and raised his power halberd toward the sky. The Silent Sisters also resumed their formation.
"For the Emperor!"
At this moment, even Mortarion lowered his folded arms and murmured,
"For the Emperor."
Holding the massive scythe, Hades remained where he stood as if stunned. The Custodian Guards and Silent Sisters had long since departed.
"Keep it."
Seeing that Hades was still dazed, Mortarion broke the silence.
Perhaps the Emperor simply liked giving people weapons. Mortarion looked at Corpse Light at his waist, a pistol made with Xenos technology. When the Emperor had asked what gift he wanted, Mortarion had chosen it.
Yet Hades still stared at the scythe as though he had lost his soul.
He must be too excited, Mortarion thought.
Hades stared at the scythe as an eerie sense of familiarity suddenly crept over him.
"Obituary."
The thought came to him abruptly.
Happy reading (σ′▽‵)′▽‵)σ
Before you continue