Chapter 158: The Lord of Figurines Bargain
Faraway sorrows and despair, anger and entanglement, roars and tearing—all of it was completely inaudible here.
Hades took a sip of his soda, the ice clinking against the glass as he set it down, producing a crisp, clear sound.
He looked down—ah, finished.
"Can I get a refill?"
Trazyn propped his chin with one hand and snapped the fingers of the other. In an instant, Hades' glass was full again.
Hades took a moment to marvel—Necron tech, truly awe-inspiring—then started drinking again without a care.
Who knew if he'd ever get to enjoy something so comforting again?
Seeing Hades in no rush, Trazyn wasn't in a rush either. After all, time meant nothing to him.
Hades thought for a moment, then asked,
"So, you're going to collect me in the future, huh?"
"Correct."
Trazyn casually refilled his own cup as well.
If he tried to collect Hades now, it'd likely result in one of two outcomes:
Option one: the Emperor was too busy to intervene, and Trazyn got himself a limited-edition figurine of an Outsider.
Option two: the Emperor made time and came to beat the crap out of him.
Most likely? Option two.
And neither of those outcomes were what Trazyn wanted.
At present, Hades was far from reaching his maximum collectible value.
But once Hades reached that point—Trazyn wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him.
Trazyn might be a powerful figure of the Nihilakh Dynasty, a dynasty far from lacking in resources or power…
But his status was still just "a notable Necron."
Not one of the top-tier rulers.
Trazyn idly glanced at the tea in his cup, watching the leaves rise and fall in the water.
The Emperor—still too bold, too reckless, too aggressive.
He had no idea what he was truly playing with. Maybe Hades was just one of the countless backup plans he'd prepared, but this one hand could be enough to wipe out humanity, the Aeldari, the Warp...
Everything with a soul.
If Hades ever reached the point where even the psychic powers of the Warp couldn't suppress him…
Then in the entire galaxy, the only ones left standing would be the soulless Necrons.
If other Necrons encountered a soul-less being like Hades, they'd probably be delighted.
But Trazyn knew—that wouldn't be right.
The Necrons had abandoned their souls in the lies of the C'tan. In the deep, unending river of time, they merely existed. They gave up death, and were in turn abandoned by life.
Even now, many Necron Overlords were still searching for a way to reclaim their souls.
And others... others had had their sanity worn away by the ages.
Trazyn knew: some of them could no longer be defined as who they once were.
If those lords encountered Hades…
They'd do everything in their power to widen and tear open the hole in the Warp he represented.
And with Necron technology—if they really went through with it—all soul-bearing lifeforms would have reason to tremble.
Trazyn unconsciously tapped his finger on the table.
That cannot be allowed.
The Necrons need their souls back.
Plans that destroy everything will destroy their own future too.
They already destroyed their souls and their species once.
There can't be a second time.
But the Warp is swelling. In the foreseeable future, the barrier between the Warp and realspace will continue to thin.
They need something to effectively isolate the Warp.
Necron blackstone technology could sever the Warp—but if mishandled, it could just as easily amplify it.
Yet there was one existence that could fundamentally remove the Warp's influence.
Trazyn looked toward Hades, still downing soda like a thirsty beast.
"I modified your brain so that other Necrons won't be able to recognize you."
Hades' hand froze mid-sip.
Huh?
His thoughts immediately turned to what Trazyn had just told him about his unique physiology…
Yeah, if he ever got caught by the Necrons, chances were high they'd turn him into some kind of anti-Warp weapon.
He frowned slightly, then asked,
"You don't want me to be found by those Necrons who want to destroy the Warp?"
Trazyn silently nodded.
"For my own selfish reasons."
Trazyn wanted to preserve a fully powered Hades—at that time, no one would be able to find Trazyn or his prized collection.
Whether it was humanity or the Necrons, Trazyn had full confidence in his ability to hide.
But the entities of the Warp… they'd know. They'd realize that in Trazyn's possession was a weapon capable of annihilating every one of them.
If the Warp ever crossed the line Trazyn had mentally drawn for it…
He took another slow sip of tea.
That was Trazyn's real calculation. But by that time, Hades would likely have become a major figure in the Imperium. The Emperor and his ever-watchful sidekick Malcador would be monitoring him constantly—Trazyn wouldn't get another chance.
So he came early.
As for how Trazyn had found Hades…
The Necrons didn't have a system like humans or Aeldari for detecting Outsiders. For Trazyn, finding one was pure luck.
But this Outsider had approached the Necrons on his own.
Well then—Trazyn could hardly be blamed, could he?
In truth, once he received the intel, he immediately activated a temporal weapon to anchor the event of "the Necron of Winmars must awaken."
And he waited, calm and unhurried, until the very last moment—until Hades was on the brink of death.
All to ensure that he could "collect" Hades at his prime.
Humanity and the Aeldari had already placed their bets.
Trazyn had to get in on the action.
He sighed to himself.
That Emperor really had insane luck—to have a son who could bring a powerful Outsider like this into the Imperium.
And now this Outsider... Trazyn realized it would be almost impossible to recruit him to the Necrons' cause.
It's not like he could offer Hades a deal like: "Work two days a week, two hours a day, under some slavery-lite contract."
Besides, Trazyn didn't represent the Necrons.
He knew that if the rest of the Necron Overlords found out about the Outsider...
Well, the good news was, most of those half-comatose warlords were slow to react and too busy fighting internal dynastic wars to even care about other species.
Hades blinked.
He suddenly felt like the air around Trazyn had gotten colder, the vibe shifting into full-on conspiracy-theory mode.
So far, he knew this much:
He was dangerous.
He didn't currently affect the Necrons, but Trazyn didn't want him interacting with any other Necrons.
The reason? Those Necrons would likely weaponize him.
But they were all Necrons, right?
So why was Trazyn the noble exception?
Hades thought for a moment, then said,
"You want to turn me into a weapon too."
Straight to the point.
Trazyn gave an approving nod.
"That's true… but also not quite."
"Do you know what you'll eventually face, Hades?"
"Death," Hades shrugged.
Trazyn stared at him.
"Yes. Death. And it will be a death granted to you by the Imperium itself."
"If nothing is done, one day, you'll grow so powerful… even the Emperor won't be able to suppress you."
"When you grow even further, you won't even be able to suppress your own anti-psyker field."
"Even humanity's Untouchables won't be able to approach you — their purity is too weak."
"You'll devour everything, and become a true Lord of the Underworld, Hades."
Trazyn took a sip of tea.
"Your human Emperor won't let that happen."
"He'll kill you after he's done using you."
"Either a stab in the back, or he'll send you to a battlefield you're guaranteed not to survive."
"So long as your body dies, the Warp void you generate will automatically vanish."
Hearing this, Hades didn't look particularly surprised.
He scratched his chin.
Didn't that sound kinda cool?
Honestly, it fit his image of the Emperor perfectly — He wouldn't be the future Golden Skeleton if the Emperor didn't screw him over at least once.
If he wasn't bringing any benefit to humanity, why would the Emperor bother keeping him around?
"Well, can't do much about that," Hades said casually. "If I really do become an unstoppable void someday, then yeah… probably better off not living anymore."
At that point, he'd be all alone — might as well be dead already.
Besides, chasing immortality in this nightmare of a universe?
The very thought gave him goosebumps.
He was still looking forward to an early retirement.
Maybe he should just volunteer for one of those suicide missions.
Back on Barbarus, death had been an everyday thing; in war, it was practically routine. He'd long since made peace with it.
From walking alone into a warlord's territory, to charging into enemy lines ahead of everyone else — death was always right there. Maybe it came as a bullet, maybe as a falling blade.
Death was just a natural step in life. And if dying could give life more meaning, then… why not?
Anyway, judging by how intense this war was, Hades doubted he'd even live long enough to become some all-powerful threat.
"I don't think there's any reason for me to run from death," he said.
He took another sip of cola.
"If my existence ever really becomes a danger to humanity, I'll go off somewhere quiet and die."
Then he noticed something off in the atmosphere — Trazyn was staring at him, frozen.
"…Uh."
Hades shrugged.
"Well, what else am I supposed to do at that point?"
Oh wait — maybe he could quietly sail out of the galaxy, find some hidden corner, and doodle little figurines somewhere…
Hmm. But the Machine Spirits hated him too.
Meanwhile, across the table, Trazyn — a once-mortal being turned Necron — was utterly stunned into silence.
It was their hatred of short lifespans and obsession with immortality that had brought the Necrons to this point.
They had abandoned death — and in doing so, life had abandoned them.
But now, in front of Trazyn, a creature of flesh and blood had casually spoken of choosing death.
Trazyn finally spoke, slowly.
"I thought you'd be more sensitive about betrayal… and death. But now I realize I was wrong."
"Your attitude toward life and death… truly astonishes me."
Right? Immortality — but what's the point of it?
The Necrons were the perfect example of that mistake.
Trazyn thought deeply.
Hades blinked.
"Sometimes, death might be better than staying alive, you know?"
Unpleasant memories surged — he remembered those endless 24/7 days in the Death Guard.
Trazyn stayed silent for a long while.
Then suddenly — wait a minute!
He'd come here to convince Hades, not to get convinced by him!
Trazyn gulped down another mouthful of tea and quickly got back to the topic.
"But… what if I had the technology to preserve you?" he said. "As long as you're here with me, your anti-psyker field could be suppressed."
"That way, you wouldn't have to die."
Compared to the Emperor's brute-force psychic bricklaying—literally plugging Warp rifts with raw psychic might—Trazyn had at his disposal the hyper-advanced necro-tech of the Necrons.
Hades stared at Trazyn.
"So I'd just be locked up in a stasis field. How's that any different from being dead?"
Trazyn replied smoothly,
"But your existence would deter the entities of the Warp."
Of course, Hades thought.
So I'm the nuke.
"And why shouldn't I let humanity keep me then?"
"Because the Imperium doesn't have the technology. They simply can't."
Trazyn said it without hesitation.
"And if you're the one keeping me, what happens if one day you decide to use me against humanity?"
"If you agree to come to me," Trazyn said solemnly, "then I vow not to do so."
"I swear it upon the name of the Nihilakh Dynasty."
Trazyn's voice was full of grave sincerity.
Meanwhile, Hades was deep in thought, watching the ice cubes bobbing in his drink.
After all this talk, Trazyn had finally shown his hand—this was almost certainly the real reason the Lord of Figurines had come to find him.
But still… handing himself over to an alien species?
No way. Even if it was Trazyn, that was a hard no.
But at the moment… if he didn't at least pretend to agree, there was a solid chance he was getting boxed right now.
So, the best move? Fake some haggling.
Convince Trazyn he was on board, get released, and then go back to the Emperor to talk this whole thing out.
Or, if the situation made it clear, just scrap the deal unilaterally later.
Wait… this half-brain Trazyn gave him… could it read his thoughts?
Hades tried mentally cussing out Trazyn and the Necrons, and while he was at it, sent a few choice curses toward the Chaos gods too.
He glanced at Trazyn. No reaction.
Cool. Probably safe.
"So," Hades finally said, "what are you offering me?"
Trazyn perked up a little—so there was room to negotiate.
"I can offer you fragments of Necron blackstone technology. They're incomplete, but with your knowledge, you might be able to piece them together."
Hades tilted his head. That's it?
What is this, pocket change?
"Not enough."
"I will also shield you from the other Necrons. Ensure you remain hidden."
Hades sipped his cola.
"That's your job."
"No weapons, tech, or resources?" he asked pointedly.
Trazyn glared at the greedy little meatbag across from him.
"If you use too much Necron tech," he said, "let's not even mention the Mechanicus tearing you apart with inquisitions…"
"The other Necron dynasties would notice you too. And at that point—even I won't be able to protect you."
Hades thought about it.
Damn, he had to admit—that was a good point.
But still… What could Trazyn actually offer him?
Hades straightened up, suddenly realizing he held the upper hand here—Trazyn needed something from him. The tone in his voice shifted, righteous and indignant.
"You're giving me scraps. This is daylight robbery. I denounce your behavior."
Trazyn, offended, shot right back.
"If it weren't for me, you'd be dead on Winmars. Don't forget it was me who fixed your half-blown brain!"
"I even slapped those Necrons back into their tombs for you!"
Hades blinked.
—Okay, fair.
But this wasn't the time for logic. If you're not in the right, at least be loud.
"I'm supposed to be a deterrent to the Warp and this is what you're offering me? Isn't your dynasty loaded?"
"If I hadn't stepped in, your own Emperor would've eventually offed you. I'm offering you prime real estate and you're nitpicking?!"
"Prime real estate?! You're just thirsty for my body!"
"If I had any better options, I wouldn't even be interested in you! You reek of C'tan essence—do you think the Necrons like that?!"
"That's called added value, genius! Ever heard of a bonus feature?"
"What kind of bonus feature kills morale?!"
After a glorious back-and-forth of yelling, bargaining, and mutual slander, the two finally reached a deal:
Trazyn would provide Hades with fragments of blackstone technology.
He'd also give him two Necron engines.
Hades would be allowed to salvage Necron weapons from Winmars, on the condition that he wouldn't deploy them widely unless absolutely necessary.
As a cherry on top, he could yoink one item from Trazyn's legendary vault of weapons.
In return, Trazyn extracted a promise:
If Hades ever again reached the brink of death—and if his untouchable field had grown to the level Trazyn was waiting for—then Trazyn would "collect" him.
Hades pursed his lips.
A whole dynasty, and this was the best it could offer? So stingy.
But whatever. He was planning to run anyway.
Worst case? Trazyn came calling one day, and Hades just broke the deal. What's the worst that could happen—death?
He could live with that.
He downed another sip of cola, mentally mapping out all his exit strategies.
Meanwhile, Trazyn was watching him closely.
Yeah, that little meatbag was probably plotting betrayal right now.
But that was fine.
This deal wasn't about the reward—it was just the down payment. If he got Hades in the end, then he'd shower humanity with trinkets or tech. Whatever it took.
They'd talk again when the time came.
<+>
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