What King Nowick heard was the hoarse cry of a crow, like a cough with phlegm stuck in its throat. That sound carried a disdain that overlooked everything, yet also conveyed the most sincere invitation.
"It wasn't me who actively sought out so-called 'deities'; I have no interest in you or your kind. Your reach extended too far, touching my son."
The true master had appeared!
Nowick raised an eyebrow. He truly hadn't expected his deduction to indeed touch upon a deep secret, revealing the existence of a "god."
But he didn't believe the other party was a god, merely a special existence, or perhaps a powerful psychic beyond human comprehension.
"Your son?" The voice made a "kwa kwa" coughing sound, like a severely consumptive patient, gasping and mocking Nowick: "He is a Divine Scion. How dare a Mortal like you overstep?"
"Oh?" Nowick was intrigued. The "god" opposite him didn't seem to mind revealing information, which provided him with many sources: "Then where is his 'Divine' father?"
As for everything revealed by the owner behind the book, Nowick didn't believe a single word.
Blazkowicz was definitely not a Divine Scion. He confirmed this information internally; the "god" before him was the most powerful proof.
If there truly were gods, and they were omnipresent, any thought that touched them would make them aware, and they would appear before the observer. Then Blazkowicz's father should have come knocking.
"Hmm! How interesting." The talking book flew a circle around Nowick, making an approving sound: "Your mind is very sharp, good at distinguishing truth from falsehood."
"I like clever people, and I even give clever people some rewards, such as answering a few questions."
The book spun, flying higher and higher, looking down at Nowick from above with the arrogance of a superior being.
"But I'm not interested in asking questions." Nowick smiled faintly, calmly rejecting its proposal without a moment's hesitation.
"You don't wish to uncover the truth?" The book asked, puzzled. King Nowick's answer was unexpected.
"I'm already close to the truth; I don't need guidance from an unknown entity like you."
"But that's not all." The voice, like a severe consumptive, continued to tempt, constantly luring Nowick's curiosity.
"I don't need to know that much." Nowick was nonchalant. What truth to a question? What answer to everything?
He wanted to know who his son's enemy was, and he had already gotten the answer.
The more you know, the easier it is to be misled. What many people believe to be the truth might just be what an entity in the shadows wants you to see.
Knowing when to stop can actually help maintain a clear mind.
"I am just a father who misses his son, nothing more. I have no desire to understand your chaotic gods."
The pages suddenly 'rustled' open, making a sneering sound: "A father protecting his child? You're too good at flattering yourself!"
"You raised him, instilled your thoughts in him, but it was nothing more than wanting to use him to fulfill your clan's long-cherished wish!"
Nowick burst into laughter: "Ha! Now I believe you're a god—a comical God of Farce!"
Saying this, he cast a contemptuous glance at the book, openly admitting his intentions: "You're absolutely right, I do have such thoughts."
"God?" He suddenly called out to the book flapping in the air, with a hint of disdain: "Where do you think Blazkowicz's achievements lie?"
"On this planet? Or in the vast, boundless sea of stars?"
"He is a whale stranded in a harbor. When the tide of destiny rises, he is destined to return to his ocean. We are insignificant presences beside him, hitchhikers on his back as the whale swims to the sea."
"Isn't he my son?"
Nowick retorted to the contempt with an undeniable challenge: "He learns my thoughts and will, embraces the expectations I give him, absorbs everything I teach, walks the path I planned, inherits from me and surpasses me."
"Blazkowicz. Isn't he my son?"
"Of course not!" The voice suddenly tightened. The book floated to the desk, and a giant eye with nine pupils appeared on its cover, constantly scrutinizing him.
"There is no blood tie between you; you are merely an unexpected passerby in his life!"
"So-called gods, are they truly so shallow?"
Nowick shook his head in disappointment, his contemptuous gaze meeting the single eye: "Bloodlines will fade with time, but the legacy etched deep in the soul will never diminish."
"I know!" Nowick slapped his forehead, a look of belated realization on his face.
He suddenly looked seriously at the floating book, his pitying gaze making It feel inexplicably flustered: "You have no children, so you can't experience the anticipation in one's heart, of course you wouldn't know these things."
… … … …
The air fell into a deathly silence. The book flying in the air even dropped for a moment, then stabilized its form again.
In the Warp, Tzeentch's constantly shifting form had an imperceptibly slight pause, and the light reflected in the Crystal Labyrinth briefly stopped.
The Lord of Change, the Master of Schemes, the God of Wisdom, was mocked by a Mortal, told that He didn't understand the bond between father and son.
The single eye on the cover suddenly opened wide in fury: "Mortal! Put away the filth in your eyes!"
The book shrieked, raising its distorted tone: "I am the Lord of Change! I am the God of Wisdom! I perceive all destinies, I know all secrets."
At this moment, Tzeentch's divine body changed violently. His mood was very bad, and His voice came through the book:
"I am the Omniscient God, the Lord who knows all."
"Yes! Exactly!" King Nowick sneered, not backing down in the slightest, and said to the owner behind the book: "Precisely because you are omniscient, you cannot experience that deep expectation a father has for his son's future!"
Nowick shook his head sharply, the pity in his eyes not dispersing, but rather deepening: "Omniscience is a curse; it makes you know everything, and it also makes you infinitely empty."
"An existence that calls itself 'God'? Since you are omniscient, do you know what you want?"
"I certainly know!" The distorted book vibrated wildly, twitching in mid-air, emitting a frantic, piercing shriek.
"No, you don't know!" King Nowick stood up abruptly, looking up.
Although the book floated high, his gaze carried a condescending pressure, and the compassion in his eyes almost materialized: "A pathetic existence that calls itself 'God,' for you, everything is predetermined, everything is as it should be."
"Bang!"
Suddenly, the one-eyed book burst into blue flames, burning without a sound.
This time the "god" did not answer him.
The ashes that drifted down formed a string of characters on the desktop: "King Nowick! We will meet again."
In the Warp, the Lords of Change dared not make a sound, fearing their master would tear them apart.
Just now, Tzeentch had inexplicably flown into a rage, smashing a crystal inscribed with lost magic into fragments.
Nowick was absolutely right. Over infinitely long years, the omniscient Tzeentch was indeed empty. His infinitely changing body was a direct reflection of His not knowing what He wanted as a result.
Being called out by an incredibly humble Mortal was more uncomfortable for Tzeentch than being bitten by Nurgle.
"Nowick!" A phantom appeared in Tzeentch's hand, a real projection of Nowick. All the eyes on His body were filled with fury: "Only one thing you said was wrong."
"When Blazkowicz comes to the Warp, his unpredictable destiny is not decided by the gods, and I am very much looking forward to how far he can go."
With another wave of His hand, Blazkowicz, who was making mushroom soup, appeared in His hand. Tzeentch's infinitely profound eyes showed immense fondness: "I am immensely looking forward to how far you can go."
Waving His hand to extinguish the phantom, Tzeentch chuckled sinisterly.
"I need to talk to the other three; this man's wisdom is our biggest stumbling block!"
Nowick knew nothing of what was happening in the Warp, nor did he want to know.
He continued his work, connecting Isaac and the "god." The so-called god gave Isaac hints, allowing him to foresee Blazkowicz's arrival.
Then he drew another line, connecting the god to the Warp. Because besides the Warp, the god had nowhere to go, and only by being in the Warp could it use Warp energy.
Blazkowicz and the Creator were connected because they were the primary relationship; everything began with them.
Why would the Warp god hint to Isaac to precisely deliver Blazkowicz's amniotic sac? Naturally, they had snatched Blazkowicz from the Creator and wanted to make him their own.
So a thin line was added between the god and the Creator, with "Hostile" written on it.
Having completed all his deductions, Nowick's face was grim. He felt no joy or satisfaction from uncovering the truth.
He was fighting alone now, with no one to help him.
And his son was surrounded by enemies. A pack of hungry wolves wanted to tear him apart and feast.