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Chapter 66 - Chapter 65: Everyone is Pretending

Chapter 65: Everyone is Pretending

Why the need for a war of words? Omega asked himself.

"Ow! Stop hitting me! I know I was wrong..." A Macragge-style family education was currently taking place in Archmagos Veyl's office. In layman's terms: a father beating his son. "You know you were wrong now? You dare to say anything that comes to your mind?" The benefits of Veyl's massive mechanical body were on full display. He didn't even need to find a rafter to hang Omega from; he could act as the "rafter," "rope," and "whip" all at once. The atomic-level control of his bionic limbs and his genetic-level understanding of the human body allowed each strike to make the victim scream in pain without breaking the skin.

If Magos Laust had been here, he would have surely set aside his differences with Veyl, shared a drink, and said, "Well hit!"

The Archmagos was now keenly aware that his understanding of Omega was not comprehensive. The boy's ability to stir up trouble was beyond his imagination. Now, the traitor Zola was a broken man, his entire being exuding a strong self-destructive tendency.

During the time they had been surrounded by the Nurgle daemons, Omega had frequently displayed his self-taught abilities, constantly attributing them to the grace of the Omnissiah. Now, with his "freedom is the gift of the Omnissiah" and "the Omnissiah is waiting for us to grow" theories, the atmosphere in the grand hall was not one of despair, of people about to die. Instead, everyone was in high spirits, as if they were the ones besieging the daemons.

Lyra, that gossip, had also spread the story of Omega banishing three daemons with a wave of his hand. The Archmagos had tried to stop her, but she had retorted righteously, "The divinity of the son of the Omnissiah... is not something you can hide just because you want to." What could he do? Say that he himself was the Omnissiah? He had fought a war to drive out those fanatics, only to have an even more ruthless one appear by his side. The son of the Omnissiah... if he was the son, then he would beat the "son."

"I was wrong! This wasn't what I intended! I just wanted to stab him in the heart! Stop hitting me!" Omega pleaded for mercy.

"Stab him in the heart?! I think you're trying to stab my heart!" Veyl swung the whip. "Mars will surely send people to investigate! Don't you know how much trouble you've caused for yourself?!"

"Ow! I didn't admit it! They said it themselves! You're the Archmagos, you can't even control them, and you're blaming me?!" Omega retorted.

"Hah! You ungrateful brat!"

"Ah..."

After the beating, Omega decided that the Archmagos's strength was average. Magos Laust's whip had a whistle to it. Seeing that he was old and weak, he wouldn't hold a grudge this time. It was definitely not because Veyl had said at the end that he would try to suppress this matter, and that if it happened again, he would beat him to death.

Now, he had to think about how to get out. The Archmagos was currently discussing this with the other Magi. Omega didn't participate, feeling it was unnecessary. He had just come out of quarantine and had no idea of the current situation. And with the title of "Son of the Omnissiah," if he made a move that resulted in a vibrant, thriving ecosystem of chaos, it would be over.

This was the bad thing about a Forge World. When a child was bored, he couldn't even find an anthill to poke. Omega didn't dare to go to the grand hall now, so he could only wander around outside Veyl's office.

Fortunately, a group of Magi with less flesh than Omega combined were very efficient at discussing problems. They didn't make Omega wander for long. The Archmagos had a guard call him in and told him the results of their discussion and the current situation outside.

Ventris emerged from his vehicle. An Apothecary rushed over to treat his wounds. He waved the Apothecary away, telling him to help others first, and walked straight to the command post. The warriors who had returned before him were already waiting. Seeing him return safely, they all showed their respect to the Ultramarines Captain who had covered their retreat. After finding a seat, Ventris began, "The closer we get to the Great Unclean One, the faster those plants recover, the stronger the storm, and the more corrosive the rain..."

Chapter Master Isaac angrily bent a corner of the metal table and growled, "Don't tell us these things! We all know!"

The Ultramarines Captain was not angered by the outburst. An attempt was not without its price. Neither the Ultramarines nor the Covenant of Fire had suffered as many casualties as the Knights of Iron, who had led the assault. This made Isaac, as the Chapter Master, feel as if his heart was being cut by a knife. Ventris completely understood.

Seeing the atmosphere, Inquisitor Griffin took the initiative to speak. "We've just received an urgent intelligence report from the Grand Manufactorum. They have found the hidden traitor and have gotten the daemons' plan from him." At his words, all eyes turned to him. He continued without a pause, "The intelligence the Archmagos obtained mentions that the mastermind this time is the chief Great Unclean One of the Plague God. His goal from the beginning was to capture this Forge World. Most of his power is now being used to weaken the veil of reality. He wants to occupy the Grand Manufactorum to perform a ritual there, to drag this planet into the warp."

"This is consistent with the intelligence I have. From the current situation, the veracity of this intelligence is quite high."

A sense of powerlessness washed over Ventris. Just a small portion of its power had already rendered them helpless. If it were a Greater Daemon at its full strength, they would probably...

How did Cato do it?

[IMPERIAL HERO INSERT: MARNEUS CALGAR]

A legendary hero of the Ultramarines, a veteran of countless battles...

(The original text mentions "Malum Caedo," a character from the game Boltgun. I've replaced him with a more widely known Ultramarine hero for a Western audience.)

Ventris's thought: Dad, what do you think? Can you do it?

Guilliman: Son, don't look at those brutes. We are men who use our brains.

(The one being led by the nose.)

"What is the situation at the Grand Manufactorum now?" Ventris asked.

This question made Inquisitor Griffin's expression a little strange. "The daemons had planned to assassinate the Archmagos. They were afraid that he would detonate the nuclear bomb buried underground and destroy the temple in a last-ditch effort, which would have completely foiled their plan. After the Archmagos saw through the daemons' plot, he realized their attack was a feint. They didn't dare to push him too hard. Now the Archmagos and the others plan to continue pretending they don't know. The daemons attack, they defend, to stall for time."

"..." Ventris.

"..." Chaplain Colin.

"So both sides are acting?" Chapter Master Isaac asked.

"Yes," Inquisitor Griffin replied.

The Plague Prophet knew the assassination plan had failed. He had placed a mark on Zola, allowing him to sense his general condition through sorcery. Now, the only feedback he was getting from Zola was a strong self-destructive tendency. Viktor knew something must have gone wrong. To emit such a strong self-destructive emotion, Zola must have been exposed, captured, and tortured, and now only wished for death.

He knew the plan had been leaked. This was the worst-case scenario. The Archmagos now knew what they wanted, what they feared. He could only pretend he didn't know for now. He needed time to think of a countermeasure.

Veyl: I'll pretend I don't know you're pretending. I need time.

The Plague Prophet: I'll pretend I don't know you're pretending you don't know I'm pretending. I need time.

Magos Laust was also pretending. They were pretending to attack. This was an order from the Archmagos. Now, even if the daemons cleared a path, the Archmagos and the others would not come out of the grand hall. So there was no need for the soldiers to sacrifice themselves in vain. It was enough to maintain an aggressive posture, without the costly all-out assaults of before.

The reason the reinforcements had received such an order was because of Omega. When the Archmagos had told him the results of their discussion and the situation outside, and Omega had learned that Laust and the others were leading the Worker-Soldiers he had personally built in a desperate assault on the Nurgle daemons to save him, his eyes had turned red. He had refused to let them sacrifice themselves in vain, throwing a tantrum and demanding that the Archmagos order them to stop. The Archmagos and the others had tried to persuade him not to be sentimental, that they couldn't let the daemons know their plan had been exposed.

Omega had shot back, telling them not to think they had fooled the daemons. How did they know there wasn't a traitor among the many people in the hall? And so what if the daemons knew? Did they dare to attack? If they just had the men at the entrance cease fire, the daemons would have to retreat on their own.

In the end, since the Archmagos wouldn't agree, he had just kept making a scene. Finally, the Archmagos had seen his point. It didn't really matter if the daemons knew or not. As long as he was in the grand hall, pressing the nuclear button, the daemons would have to think twice before doing anything. And so, the order had been given to Laust and the others. More people had been given a chance to live. The only price was that Omega had been beaten up again.

Veyl: Is this the trouble of raising a son? Three beatings a day, each one different. I've already given him two today. Where's the third?

Now, the person under the most pressure on Teyedan was the commander-in-chief of the human allied forces—Ventris.

Rotigus the Rainfather's power was simply too great. So great that both long-range heavy firepower and close-range assaults were blocked by the Greater Daemon. The daemon had not even moved during the process.

At a loss, Captain Ventris had to go to Inquisitor Griffin. He called the Inquisitor into a private room and ordered that no one be allowed within a hundred meters.

"Inquisitor, I need you to tell me the intelligence you have on that Greater Daemon," Ventris said with extreme seriousness.

"Ventris, you..."

"I know your principles, and I know the reasons for them. I have been into the depths of the Eye of Terror, fought on the lairs of traitor Primarchs, and cooperated with the Grey Knights. I believe these experiences prove that I am worthy of this information."

"..."

Inquisitor Griffin thought for a moment, then smiled bitterly. "Since the Great Rift appeared, we have been unable to suppress information as we once did. Now, throughout the Imperium, anyone with a little bit of information knows something about daemons. But Ventris, you must understand, you are asking about a chief Greater Daemon. The risks involved, I'm sure you understand."

Ventris nodded. "I need to know his intelligence to find a way to defeat him."

Seeing his resolve, Griffin's eyes suddenly glowed with psychic light. He warned and scrutinized Ventris. "I will tell you. But I also warn you, from this moment on, you will be a target of my investigation. If I find any sign of corruption in you, death will be your only end."

"I accept."

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