Inside the office, an inexplicable silence descended quietly.
Ferrus and Guilliman simultaneously turned their heads, scrutinizing Adam as he walked in. For a time, no one spoke; there was only the lingering sound of papers rustling and the faint crackle of dancing flames in the air.
Ultimately, Adam could not bear it anymore.
"What are you two looking at me for?" He spread his hands, looking utterly bewildered. His expression was as innocent as if he had just stepped out for a cup of tea next door, rather than setting a fire in a Chaos God's garden.
The two Primarchs glanced at each other, and Guilliman was the first to speak with a serious tone.
"Earlier, I took some time to receive those Astartes heroes who accompanied you, and I also spoke with the Grey Knights' Grand Master, Kaldor Draigo. According to their testimony, you just caused a massive uproar in the garden of a Chaos God before returning."
"Well, yes." Adam looked nonplussed. "I remember the phenomena from that event could be seen even from Terra, right?"
This state of relaxed indifference, as if he were an uninvolved bystander, clearly left Guilliman deeply perplexed. The Imperial Regent's fingers tapped twice on the armrest of his chair, seemingly struggling to suppress an impulse—such as grabbing the man's shoulders and asking, How on earth did you do it?
This was a Chaos God of the Warp! An entity that, for ten thousand years, had not only corrupted his brothers but had been entangled in a ten-millennium conflict with the Imperium, causing destruction and blood-debts that defied verbal quantification.
This was perhaps the first time since the Horus Heresy that the Imperium had launched such a direct counter-strike against a Chaos God. In Guilliman's eyes, the significance of this act was immense.
Can this maneuver be replicated? What is the underlying principle? What conditions are required? Countless questions churned in his mind.
Finally, after hesitating for a moment, Guilliman asked the question he wanted to ask most: "So, after slaying that Warp minor god [Note: Referring to Ku'gath] who held mastery over malignant arts, have you already ascended to godhood?"
Adam was visibly surprised; he truly had not expected the consistently rational Guilliman to ask such a thing. It seemed the shock Guilliman had received was indeed significant.
"I am certainly not a god."
Guilliman's gaze remained fixed on his father's contractor, pressing further. "So, is it because of certain reasons that you cannot admit this fact, or do you simply not want to?"
"It is simply that I am not a god. There is no other reason; that is all." Adam frowned, a hint of helplessness in his tone, but he still replied patiently: "I refuse to believe you haven't communicated with Archmagos Belisarius Cawl. He should have mentioned my perspective many times."
To be honest, in Adam's view, the question itself was quite strange. Could a Class IV Reality Bender call themselves a god? He felt only those who had never been beaten down by more dangerous worldviews would dare to claim such a title.
"But there are no shortage of rumors about you within the Imperium," Guilliman sighed, his tone heavy with exhaustion. "As far as I know, many radical Inquisitors are using methods bordering on blasphemy to verify Nurgle's current state. Once they discovered the matter could be verified, the shock to their entire worldview was indescribable."
"Furthermore, some Inquisitors from the Horussian faction have already begun private networking to discuss your existence."
"So, what I mean is, can you explain your current... supernatural powers? Does this ability have boundaries?"
"Of course," Adam explained. "Previously, with the Emperor's assistance—exploring the 'Xuanhuan Novel' category, there's always one that fits you—I channeled the faith of the entire galaxy. It was only through the element of surprise that I managed to wound Nurgle. Such a maneuver is not easy; it consumes a vast amount of energy and is even harder to replicate."
"After this incident, the other Chaos Powers will certainly be on guard. Moving forward, I will not rashly step into a Warp divine realm like I did this time. That would be irresponsible to my own life and the future of the Imperium."
Indeed. Even as a Class IV Reality Bender, he possessed far greater power than before. The current Adam could even create anomalous items through "Ontological Induction."
However, Adam knew full well that this ability must have its limits. A Class IV Reality Bender was far from being absolutely omnipotent. Otherwise, why bother wasting his breath here? He could simply manifest Foundation-style Deus Ex Machina containment weapons like the Tapered Spear, the Spear of Longinus, the Divine Twins, the Round Peg in a Square Hole, the Sword Infindal, Reality Annihilation Missiles, or the Scepter of Dreams to wipe out the Four Gods directly. [Note]
"Then, is your future path of ascension already clear?"
Ferrus, standing to the side, suddenly spoke. His voice was somewhat stiff, but he asked a question that made even Guilliman startle in shock.
That's right! How could he have forgotten! Based on his conversation with Adam right after his resurrection, the current Adam was still far from his limit; he could still ascend to a Class V Reality Bender later!
There are still higher levels? Guilliman could hardly imagine that landscape.
"Well, the conditions for ascension are currently very difficult. Besides a massive amount of souls and a larger share of authority than before, a new key element has been added." Adam's tone was flat. "My current state, if expressed in technical terms, is in the stage of evolving from 'Ontological Induction' to 'Universal Induction.' To achieve this, I now need a massive amount of Akiva Radiation—what you call the power of faith."
Seeing the eyes of the two giants instantly light up, Adam immediately doused them with cold water: "However, this faith must be directed specifically toward me. I cannot use faith directed toward the Emperor, not even by using reality bending."
"And yet you still say you are not a god?" Guilliman looked at him with a subtle expression.
"Please use more professional terminology, like 'Black-type Entity.' Also, the object directed by the power of faith isn't necessarily a divine entity; that's common sense..." Adam corrected him, then waved his hand. "Forget it, there's no need to talk too much about this topic. Moving forward, since I am already a Class IV Reality Bender, there are many things I can do. Many fantastic ideas that were previously impossible can now be put into practice."
He paused, then asked: "Do you know why I targeted Nurgle?"
"Is it not because Nurgle holds power over vitality and decay, and His influence on the Imperium of Man is the greatest among the Four Gods?" Guilliman was somewhat confused.
"That is certainly part of the reason, but there is another." As Adam spoke, he gently raised his hand. A faint, nearly transparent white sphere appeared in his palm. The sphere floated quietly, its surface flowing with an indescribable white luster that looked like solidified moonlight and reminded one of noble feathers.
Ferrus and Guilliman instantly held their breath, staring intently at the sphere. An unbelievable suspicion surfaced in their hearts.
"This is something I 'stole' on a sudden whim while I was briefly clashing powers with Nurgle," Adam's voice carried a hint of solemnity. "To put it simply, I want to resurrect an Emperor."
The office fell into a dead silence. Seeing the growing confusion in their eyes, Adam added one more sentence:
"Of course, I am referring to the Emperor of the Second Empire."
"—Sanguinius."