40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 178 3. Malcador

Outside the building, the world is extremely cold. The temperature has passed and nothing remains.

Nature has always been so cruel. Poets or writers often praise all aspects of nature in their works, but few people mention the truly cruel side of nature - it is cruel because humans are looking at it with sensibility.

If people were more rational, they would discover the real reasons why nature behaves cruelly.

- It doesn't care.

It has no emotions, it doesn't care what every link in this huge ecological chain thinks, it just relies on some naturally formed rules to act, that's all.

Khalil slowly lowered his head to look down at the entire Nostramo. This place has become unfamiliar, and the violence and darkness he was accustomed to in the past seem to have completely disappeared.

He squatted on the top of the building, his sleeves rustling in the cold wind. He was waiting, waiting for a signal from the other side of the galaxy, a hint, or a voice that could be heard.

Two minutes later, he heard a rhythmic sound, like a scepter falling to the ground, mixed with almost imperceptible footsteps.

Khalil closed his eyes and let his awareness spread through the air. The cold wind howled, and every corner of the world was so cold, but his consciousness formed a dense and continuous network in the wind. Then it began to rise, rising into the starry sky.

The footsteps finally became clear at this moment, and with them came an old man wearing a dark green robe who looked like a civil servant.

He is very old, and the face under the hood is so old that it can almost be said to be a bit scary. His skin is like a rough parchment roll, revealing an almost air-dried texture, weather-beaten, and extremely withered. He held the two-headed eagle scepter tightly with both hands, its top was burning with flames, and his eyes were also burning with fire - psychic fire.

"Terra has nothing to do today." Malcador said in a low voice. "So I finally took some time. I'm sorry that I left suddenly last time. Terra is busy with affairs, and all aspects of the new empire need one person to take care of. And he is not in Terra."

"You sound like you're complaining," Khalil said noncommittally.

"I'm just complaining," Makado said. "I have so many things to complain about, and he usually doesn't listen to my complaints."

"Is it because he doesn't listen, or do you just want to complain, but don't want to really complain to him?"

Malcador did not answer the question.

He raised the scepter, and a vague shock swept across it. The originally dark starry sky took on a new look at this moment, becoming a small room with simple decoration. There were books and long scrolls in all directions, piled up in a mess, and it was obvious that their owners did not want to clean them up.

The center of the room was covered with a woolen rug, and there were two chairs and a table. They looked rough but were obviously used a lot.

Malcador walked over and put his scepter down against the table. The floor creaked, and the air was filled with an old and unique smell.

Khalil also walked over, and his figure began to get smaller and smaller, until he became the tall and thin appearance before.

He sat down and Malcador handed him a book.

"Some other spells." The palmer spoke in a low voice with his unique hoarse voice. "Maybe it will help you with what you want to do next."

Khalil reached out and took the book, which felt strange to the touch. He rubbed it with the index finger of his right hand and quickly determined the source material of the book.

"Human skin?" He shook his head. "Again, why do they always use human skin to write this knowledge?"

"A cruel and absurd coincidence." Malcador leaned back, as if he was lying on a chair.

He was still thinking, and the look in his eyes showed it.

"I have been trying to find out for a while why this coincidence came about and whether it was because they were behind it."

"So, have you got the answer?" Khalil asked softly, while opening the first page of the book.

The crooked and twisted characters reveal the writer's cultural level, and the excited and trembling brushstrokes reveal his or her excitement at the time.

Khalil narrowed his eyes and smelled the strong smell of blood. He ignored it and continued to flip through it very quickly, not as if he was reading a book, but more like a librarian checking whether there were any missing pages in the returned books.

"No." Malcador said. "And he wouldn't tell me."

"You won't even tell me?"

"He said he was afraid that I would lose confidence in humans." Malcador snorted coldly. "As if I have great faith in humanity - tell me, Khalil Lohars, you know very well how stupid our species is in most cases, right?"

"It depends on how you look at it."

"I used to look at it with hope, but now I'm afraid I have become a complete pessimist. I almost don't have hope for anyone, even his so-called sons."

Malcador shook his head.

"Hope is unreliable at all, Khalil Lohars, just like man himself. The most ridiculous point is here. I can't completely deny human beings, because there will always be some shining people among us, Some heroes."

The old man's expression looked very intriguing, and the expression on Khalil's smile at this moment was also very intriguing.

"You act like a cynical old man." He closed the book and handed it back to Malcador. Although the latter reached out to take it, his expression became very disapproving.

"Did I said wrong thing?"

"First, I am an old man by nature. Second, I am also very cynical by nature." Makado said. "So, can you stop thinking of me as an idealist like him?"

Khalil smiled and said nothing.

The Seal Holder sighed - he stretched out his hand and grasped the heavy scepter again.

The world changed again. The quaint rooms and stacks of books disappeared, replaced by a broken glacier.

The sky was a gloomy and ominous light blue, very light and very thin. The glacier shattered, and the sea water sank to the extreme, rolling in darkness. They sat on the glacier and let the cold wind howl.

"You don't have much humanity left." The person holding the seal warned in a serious tone. "Watch your anchors and be more aware of your strength, Khalil Lohars."

He turned his head, his eyes sparkling under his hood: "I wish I could always call you by this name."

"I'll find a way," Khalil said. "But I can't do what you said, 'watch over' them. They have sworn an oath and will devote themselves to an almost impossible task. I will not interfere with their free will."

"Pedantry." Malcador said coldly. "For the future of the entire human race, it is necessary to make sacrifices, and you have sacrificed enough. Why not replace it with others? No sacrifice is unacceptable."

"You sound like you already have a list of expendable people."

"I do."

"Is he up there?"

"He is the first." Malcador withdrew his gaze and looked up at the gloomy sky with a calm expression. "The one who sacrificed the most - back to the point, Khalil Lohars, enough of the small talk."

The bearer stretched out his hand, and the scepter jumped from the edge of the table and into his hand. The double-headed eagle began to shine brightly, and a rough face appeared in the light. He had a gloomy expression, and although he was young and handsome, his brows and eyes were filled with a strange sense of anger.

"Perturabo, son of Olympia." The person holding the seal turned back. "A irritable, stubborn child who longs for recognition but wants to trample it under his feet. Not only does this child possess great power, he even commands an army."

Khalil sighed.

"Please tell me you're not trying to start another conversation about 'the Primarchs all have character flaws', Malcador, I don't want to talk to you about that anymore - yes, I admit they're probably You may have some minor problems, but you won’t be so resentful.”

In the face of his words, the palm holder behaved very calmly, so calmly that he even vaguely gloated: "You haven't realized the seriousness of the problem, Khalil Lohars. You haven't seen them get together. The scene was a disaster.”

"A group of children with so much power stared at each other with such indignation that the tables and chairs would tremble under their emotions, let alone mortals. And their father was completely indifferent to this and even wanted them to solve the problem themselves. This is It’s like hoping that a blind person can regain his sight on his own, which is simply a fantasy.”

"If you have experienced these things like me, you will no longer behave so peacefully as you do now. Moreover, the ones you saw last time are already the ones with more normal personalities. At least they will listen. say something."

"Okay, okay, okay." Khalil pursed his lips and nodded. "I know, I know - please tell me what you have to say, Malcador. What do you want me to do when you specifically mention this Perturabo?"

"Support him." The person holding the seal said seriously. "Support this idiot who is stupid enough to pursue maximum casualties to gain his father's approval."

"Your comments are really harsh."

The palm bearer smiled sarcastically: "I am only sarcastic with words, but I'm afraid you will do it yourself, Khalil Lohars."

Shocking waves swept over again, and the world blurred. Kalil calmly opened his eyes and saw Nostramo again. Malcador ended the meeting, but still left him a message - or, a reminder.

+Relevant orders have been carried out by a fleet, be ready, Khalil Lohars.+

"Prepare?"

Khalil sighed and shook his head.

There are still two chapters left, and one more chapter will be added today on Chinese Valentine’s Day.