Adam woke from a daze, opening his eyes in confusion. He slowly looked around and found himself inside a luxurious cathedral.
Hmm...
The construction of the vaulted ceiling, the decorations of the space, the style of the pews... and at the very center of the space, the most conspicuous and incredibly familiar statue...
Adam looked up. The familiar humanoid statue met his eyes. Golden armor, a flaming straight sword, the iconic massive power claw... His mouth twitched uncontrollably, followed by a smile of relief.
Familiar. This was all too familiar.
Earlier, outside the Throneroom, when he heard Trajann's words, countless thoughts had flashed through Adam's mind. It was well known that under the impact of ten thousand years of prayer and faith from countless mortals, the Emperor's consciousness was no longer a unified whole. That vast existence burning in the Warp was more like an ocean mixed from countless personality fragments. The Emperor had long been like someone with Alzheimer's, his mind filled with various personality shards, often falling into a state where his left and right brains fought each other.
Adam wasn't sure which personality fragment the instructions received by the Custodes in their dreams came from. What would he encounter after entering?
That was why he had hesitated. After a brief pause, Adam took a deep breath and followed Guilliman across the golden gates that symbolized the supreme authority of the Imperium of Man.
The moment he entered, he braced himself, prepared for any horrific sight. For instance, the screams and wails of countless souls burning in the Astronomican array? Or perhaps some Titan-sized, incredibly complex mechanical structure—the legendary Golden Throne? Or the sacrifice of a godhood ritual—a shriveled corpse forever bound? A pale skeleton?
Or even the worst-case scenario: a cold, dead black sun reflecting the death of all humanity and the end of all things in the universe?
As it turned out, it was none of those. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived at this cathedral—a scene all too familiar from when he was "conscripted" by the "Golden One."
What was this? "Back to where the dream began"?
For the now-ascended Adam, he could feel that the reality strength composing this dream was no longer as immovable as it once was. However, adhering to the principle of "if the program runs, don't touch it," he made no sudden moves and merely turned around slowly.
Sure enough, the cathedral doors—vast enough for a land ship to pass through—slowly opened. A figure walked in. Adam's eye twitched.
What's going on?
The figure of the newcomer became clear. It was a little girl who appeared to be no more than ten years old, with healthy wheat-colored skin and silky black hair flowing down to her slender waist. She wore a golden laurel crown in her hair. She was draped in a slightly oversized pure white robe, her feet bare, her steps light and steady.
A... dark-skinned little girl.
This beautiful young girl in her white robe walked small steps toward Adam, her gaze as calm as still water. Adam was about to lose his composure.
"You certainly have quite the unique hobby, old man."
The Emperor didn't care about this appearance—one that would likely cause any Ecarchy believer's faith to collapse instantly, screaming "blasphemy" while weeping. She merely nodded calmly, her voice steady.
"Adam, you have come."
The Emperor's voice was clear and pleasant, possessing the vitality of a mountain spring and the ancient power of clashing bronze.
"We finally meet officially," the girl-Emperor continued. "To be honest, you have done ten thousand times better than I imagined. I am very satisfied with your performance. Even for a Reality Warper, the great deeds you have achieved are so immense that an unimaginable number of humans will find salvation through your actions in the future."
She paused slightly, the sleeve of her white robe sliding down as she raised her hand, revealing a slender, wheat-colored arm.
"Thank you."
"Alright, that's enough. We both know who we're dealing with here." Adam shook his head, not fooled by the Emperor's posture.
To be fair, seeing a beautiful dark-skinned little girl act so sincerely had a massive impact. If it weren't Adam standing opposite her, but someone like Horus Lupercal, he couldn't imagine what would happen. But Adam, in a sense, knew the Emperor's secrets.
"...Don't pull that. Let's get to business," Adam said directly. "I always feel like you're hiding something from me. For instance, your state is exaggeratedly good. Even if I've cleared faith interference for you countless times, your condition exceeds expectations by too much—to the point of maintaining clear thought. It's simply incredible."
He hesitated for a moment but gritted his teeth and asked. "Tell me the truth. Besides me, did you get other benefits from my original universe? You know what I'm talking about."
The cathedral seemed to freeze for a moment. The Emperor looked at him quietly, her calm gaze finally showing a micro-fluctuation. She slowly looked away, casting her gaze toward the iconic golden giant statue in the distance.
"Of course not." Her voice was still clear, showing no ripple.
Adam narrowed his eyes.
"Really, nothing," the girl-Emperor repeated, still not looking at him. "If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do."
"Besides, everyone must have secrets. I never asked you why you know so much about my universe."
"According to my initial estimates," the Emperor continued, her tone as flat as if stating a fact, "you might have needed years, or even decades, to fully understand the vast territories and desperate situation of the Imperium. During that time, you might have fallen into despair or entered a brief state of laziness. Then, I would have had to find ways to constantly spur you on before you would reluctantly start taking action."
"I didn't expect your 'subjective initiative' to be so shockingly strong, and every strike you made was terrifyingly precise."
This time, it was Adam's turn to look away. He gazed at the colorful light filtering through the cathedral's stained-glass windows and did not reply.
"Forget it, what's past is past."
"Indeed..."
The two of them moved past the topic with unspoken chemistry almost simultaneously.
"Next, I have some very important things to tell you," the Emperor's tone became serious. "You can give your views as well. We need to have a proper exchange on how to respond to the plans of the Four Chaos Gods."