40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 187 12. Never Forgotten, and the Meeting Gift

"This is where you will stay in the future, Reserve Sevita."

Sevita nodded silently, he took a deep breath, the filtered air was unusually cold, and there was a bit of incomprehensible bitterness: "Instructor."

"Hmm?" The four-meter-tall giant lowered his head and looked down at him. "What's the matter?"

"The twentieth operation." Sevita carefully sorted out his words. "I saw something at the end."

"The twentieth operation does not exist, Reserve Sevita." Khalil said softly.

The corridor was silent, and the metal plates that made up the wall showed a strange gray. The cold mist dissipated under their feet, high enough to cover Sevita's calves, making him feel cold. The scene at the door of the recruit dormitory has nothing to do with the place that may represent "home" in the future. It looks really terrible.

"But."

"It doesn't exist." Khalil smiled. "Remember this, Sevita. We don't mention it, and we don't talk about anything related to it."

"So, this is a secret that needs to be kept together?"

"Yes."

"But, instructor, all secrets will be cracked." Sevita gave a fake smile. "And I don't know if I can keep this secret."

"It doesn't matter." Khalil was still smiling, his eyes were dark, without any light in them, like two black holes that swallowed everything.

"It doesn't matter whether it's kept secret or not." He said softly. "But we don't mention it."

Fourteen minutes after the twentieth operation, Yago Sevitarion felt the strange chill again.

This time, it didn't spread from his dream, but appeared from the eyes of his instructor Khalil Rohals. It was very real, and it might even be a little too real. Just simply looking at each other made Sevita's teeth tremble.

He couldn't help but look away and walked into the recruit dormitory, his limbs stiff.

Inside the door was a wide space, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, candles burning silently, and dim light.

On the far left of the room were fifteen huge bookshelves, filled with books. Five long tables were arranged in sequence, and eight flags stared quietly on the walls around the long tables.

Behind the long table was another huge door, which had a round arch beam and looked like stone. The emblem that Sevita had seen before appeared on this door again, with a sharp blade pointing downward in the center of the emblem, and blood on the tail, as if it had just pierced someone's heart.

"Public lounge." His instructor's voice came from behind him. "There are many books here. You can pick one to read during any break. You can take it back to your room or read it here. Just remember to return it."

"Most of the books are written in Nostramo, and a few are written in High Gothic. They may cause some trouble for you to read, but it doesn't matter. When you wake up at five o'clock tomorrow morning, you will start learning High Gothic."

"Do I need to learn another language?"

"Of course." Khalil walked to his side. "The galaxy is very large, and Nostramo is not an official language. Think about it, Sevata, if you keep saying the word "Emperor" in Nostramo..."

He didn't say more, and he didn't need to say more. This half sentence was enough to make Sevata laugh, although he quickly realized that laughing at this moment was not a good thing and quickly closed his mouth. However, he had laughed before, and there is no doubt about it.

Khalil raised the corners of his mouth and poked his forehead with his finger. The force was very light, but it was enough to stun the boy.

"Jairzinho said your forehead is interesting to poke, I want to find out why he said that." Khalil lowered his head and looked at the boy and said so, his tone was very sincere. "As far as it seems now-"

He stretched out his hand and poked again.

"-I didn't find any evidence to prove this."

Sevita suddenly raised his hands, covered his forehead and took two steps back: "Don't listen to that medical officer, he is sick!"

"It's not a good thing to talk about the superior behind his back without authorization, reserve Sevita." Khalil retracted his right hand, put his hands behind his back and shook his head. "You need to adapt to your new identity quickly, kid."

Then why do you still call me kid? Sevita secretly complained. He lowered his head and rubbed his forehead. Although he didn't feel any pain, the feeling of being poked was completely different from being knocked.

"In short, the bed and the bathhouse or shower room with all-weather hot water supply are behind that door." Khalil spoke again. "You still have eleven hours of free time today, make sure you get eight hours of sleep, Reserve Sevata."

"Are you leaving?" Sevata immediately raised his head.

"Yes." Khalil nodded gently at him. "I still have my own things to do."

"Then - what about my dinner?"

"No dinner." Khalil answered almost ruthlessly. "You ate three servings of Grox steaks not long ago, and they haven't been digested yet. Look at your own stomach, Reserve."

After saying that, he turned and left.

——

Conrad Coze couldn't remember the last time he was so excited - was it when he got a gift from Khalil?

He lowered his head thoughtfully, waved his right hand slightly, and the blade emerged from the air again, undulating like a shadow. He studied it for a moment, then put it back before it turned room temperature into a temperature that could freeze the cables and pipes in the wall.

The Lord of Midnight took a deep breath. The air in the room was so cold that even his tongue briefly felt numb.

He lowered his head and began communicating with Jairzinho Guzman on the data pad. The Chief Medical Officer will probably stay up all night again tonight. Although the Astartes do not need much sleep, rest is another matter.

His work lasted for a while. After he and the chief medical officer finalized a complete set of subsequent reconstruction surgeries and supporting training plans for reserve Savitta, he put down the data pad and looked up without surprise to see Khalil. Lohars.

".Now I'm starting to wonder if you are addicted to this thing, Khalil." Konrad Coates pursed his lips.

"What's the matter?" his uninvited visitor asked softly.

"He ran into my office without saying a word to watch me work."

"I'm not saying a word, Legion Commander," Khalil said. "In fact, I didn't even cover the sound of my breathing."

Conrad Coates spent more than ten seconds recalling this matter. In the end, he nodded reluctantly: "Where is reserve Sevita?"

"Probably walking around in the dormitory." Khalil smiled slightly. "He will soon put these two emotions behind him of novelty and desire to explore. After all, he is the only one in the recruit dormitory now."

Conrad Coates narrowed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"And this is going to last a long time," he deadpanned. "The entire operation will be carried out carefully and safely under the supervision of Jairzinho. After all, this is the first time we have transformed someone who has passed the twentieth operation."

"Based on the past time, he will spend three years in surgery and training. And during these three years, he must be alone. Only after confirming that he has completely passed every operation, I will consider the situation. Nostramo begins recruiting troops."

"Don't you think that's a little too cruel for him?"

Curze glanced at Khalil, and for a few seconds, there was a very obvious "I don't want to talk" hint on his face. However, after a while, he sighed.

"You have the nerve to say that?" Conrad Coates complained hissingly. "I didn't complain about the nights you had to leave, or your skeleton, that you were cruel."

"You complained." Khalil nodded and said firmly. "You didn't say it outright, but you did complain about it, Conrad."

"."

"Conrad?"

"Nothing." Coze's pale lips curved slightly, revealing the teeth at the back. "It's nothing, Khalil."

Khalil finally laughed happily, but quickly wiped the emotion away with his own hands. He returned to his expressionless expression and spoke of another matter.

"So, do you have any words or gifts for your brother Perturabo?"

"Haven't the relevant orders not arrived yet?" Conrad Coates frowned. "Maybe that fleet is still looking for the location of Nostramo on the vague map of the Ghoul Sector. Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Oh" Khalil raised his eyebrows and glanced at the ceiling. "This is it"

"I see—psionic power?"

"Not bad at all."

"Psychic communication?"

"bingo."

"who?"

"Macador the Seal Bearer." Khalil smiled slightly. "Real-time communication, real-time communication. I have to say, although I don't like using psionics too much, it is indeed useful enough."

"Yeah." Coze responded with a sneer. "For example, you were leaning on a chair facing the rain to treat your broken leg."

"I never said it didn't work, Conrad."

"You just said that it is dangerous and will attract something, and you have a countdown that sounds scary. You will die when the time is up."

Curze crossed his arms and smiled sharply, his overly sharp canine teeth gleaming.

"Oh my gosh, I used to be fooled by these words, and now it's really confusing to think about it."

"I did not lie to you."

"I know, because you think this is the truth - what else can I say?" Cozz laughed, and he blinked at Khalil, and some unspoken words were particularly obvious in his eyes.

‘Yes, I brought it up again on purpose. Who told you to bring up this topic that I don’t want to talk about now? ’

Khalil almost smiled.

almost.

"Conrad" he spoke in a low voice, but these few words brought an aria-like emotion and atmosphere. Conrad Coates' eyes twitched, and his back straightened involuntarily.

"I don't know if this is the case for you, but sometimes, I do miss the past. Some people say that I miss the past because my life is not good now. I don't agree with this. I miss that time, but I don't I don’t want to go back. I remember every detail of that time. Your gargoyle, how you liked to squat on the roof of the shelter waiting for me to come back, and the first mission you failed because you forgot to close the window.”

"I guess those are the things I miss. They're precious."

He stopped narrating and saw that Conrad Curze's face had rarely turned red because of some emotion, and was even trembling slightly. After a few seconds, he spoke again, with a slightly joking tone.

"Yes--" Khalil said with a smile. "--I have never forgotten it."

"."

Conrad Curze raised his hand silently, hesitating to speak. He seemed to want to say something, but he couldn't say anything. In the end, he actually chose a topic that made him feel ashamed.

"Let's talk about my brother Perturabo, whom I have never met." He covered his face expressionlessly, his voice low.

"But you are not."

"Let's talk about him."

"Okay." Khalil shrugged. "So, what gift do you think is more appropriate?"

Conrad Curze took a deep breath.

"I think--"

--

"--It is estimated that it will take another ten minutes before we board the ship, instructor." Van Cleef said emotionlessly. "And you're still wearing your regular uniform."

"Do you have to make me wear that ceremonial armor?" Khalil pulled himself out of his memories and sighed deliberately to the captain. "Honestly, Van Cleef. I'm not the Primarch."

"Yes."

Van Cleef kept his expressionless face and nodded to Khalil between the rumbling decks.

"You're not the Primarch, but you are the Legion Instructor. According to the 16th Edition of the Legion Code, you are equivalent to the Primarch in person on important occasions when the Primarch is not present, which means you must wear that gorgeous armor."

"It uses too much gold."

"Yes, I know, instructor."

"And the relief is too exaggerated."

"Yes, instructor."

"So--" Khalil sighed sincerely, and something began to emerge in the shadows under his feet, and climbed up along his ankles, completing the dress in an instant. The hideous and silent skeleton with a hood stood in place and replaced it.

He spoke in a distorted voice: "-Is this okay, Van Cleef?"

"I think it's okay, instructor."

"Then, let's confirm the mission one last time." Khalil said calmly. "The mission is to board the Iron Blood Glorious Queen-class battleship. You don't need to react or take any action, just wait until I am alone with Perturabo."

"Are you sure you really want to do this?"

"Yes." The skeleton said emotionlessly. "Sergeant Eltros died without dignity and honor. Who do you think is responsible for this?"

Amid the rumble on the deck, Van Cleef did not answer.

One update today, and go out for dinner tonight. The explosive update mode will start tomorrow, and the number of words updated this month is planned to reach 230,000 by the end of the month.