Third month of 894.
On the second planet of the Serpent's Cradle, Nareth removed his black armor, revealing his marble-like, lustrous body.
He slowly lay down in the Fountain of Youth. Simultaneously, with a thought, John, standing at the ritual site's center, raised a paw.
Following the activation method received through the psychic link, the gyrinx pressed a paw to the ground. Spiritual energy surged.
The brilliant light reflected in its obsidian eyes, identical to Nareth's.
The Primarch's eyes clearly reflected the runes of the Aeldari goddess of life, Isha.
He clearly felt his body being cleansed by the clear life-water, while his spirit was also refined, growing purer.
He let out a comfortable sigh.
As the water rippled, thick black mist suddenly rose around him.
'Hmm?' Nareth was startled. He hadn't actively controlled the Kingdom of Disorder. He didn't know why the black mist had appeared.
Before he could understand what was happening, the Fountain of Youth began to boil.
He keenly perceived that the water was being consumed much faster than during the conversions of his subordinates.
'Because I'm a Primarch?'
He watched the black mist fill his vision, thinking.
'It seems not only that. It's related to the Kingdom of Disorder.'
As he thought, light and shadow flickered in the Primarch's eyes. Telekinesis expanded, reaching a Fountain of Youth ten kilometers away.
The second planet had three Fountains of Youth. Two had been consumed in previous conversions. This was the last.
The telekinesis formed a tube-like shape, touching the sweet water.
The water was lifted, flowing along the curved 'tube,' filling the pit, replenishing the Fountain.
As he maintained and replenished the Fountain, he also observed the changes in the Kingdom of Disorder.
From a superhuman perspective, he overlooked the misty realm.
He saw, deeper than the "Backroom Deal" box formed by grey threads of law, black mist churning.
Threads of law within the black mist appeared chaotically.
The unbalanced scene sent his thoughts into chaos and distortion.
Amidst the jumble of thoughts, his contemplation of the current situation reflected around him like shards of a broken mirror.
The mystical runic changes triggered by Isha's life runes.
The changes in the Kingdom of Disorder triggered by the high-level Fountain of Youth.
The augmenting effect of combining the "Black Emperor's" resurrection ability with Perpetual conversion.
...
Just as Nareth was about to ascend to the third level of the Thelema mindstate to gather his tangled thoughts, the black mist suddenly churned, then subsided.
His thoughts coalesced. His mind cleared.
He overlooked the threads of law. Layer upon layer, they rapidly formed a majestic structure.
Its front was a slanted gate. The structure was overall spire-like, radiating brilliant light.
As the black mist around him faded, the function of the eleventh layer became clear in his mind.
The strange structure was a mausoleum, corresponding to the "Black Emperor's" resurrection ability.
He had expected the sefirot to unlock the resurrection ability early, but thought it would happen upon his advancement to Sequence 4. He hadn't expected it to unlock with the eleventh layer.
As he sighed inwardly, he noticed the mausoleum differed from what he knew.
The "Black Emperor" advancement ritual required the construction of nine pyramid-shaped mausoleums.
The structure in the eleventh layer, however, was overall an elegant spire, its door slanted.
'It seems combined with the life force of the Aeldari goddess of life, Isha.'
From the information presented to his mind by the Kingdom of Disorder, he noted that unlocking this layer also differed from the "Black Emperor's" resurrection process.
The "Black Emperor's" resurrection had three stages:
First, the uniqueness left its owner, becoming conceptualized and abstract.
Second, the "Black Emperor's" subjects again heard the commanding voice of their god.
Finally, the "Black Emperor," re-merged with the uniqueness, reappeared, and the three Sequence 1 characteristics automatically returned to His hand.
Compared to other resurrection methods, the "Black Emperor's" was the most powerful because it was an irreversible, unblockable order.
His current resurrection would not reclaim anything, but the sefirot ensured the process could not be interfered with.
His resurrection point was not where he died, as with most Perpetuals, but in the mausoleum in the eleventh layer.
His resurrection ability also differed from the "Black Emperor's" in his memory.
The "Black Emperor" could not truly die as long as His nine secret mausoleums were not all destroyed.
Even if they were, as long as some of the order He had established remained, He could still exploit the loophole of death to resurrect.
Though his resurrection was not linked to mausoleums or order, as the chosen one of the Kingdom of Disorder, as long as he still bore the responsibility of evolution, he could resurrect in the eleventh layer's mausoleum.
He considered the differences, his eyes brightening.
'In a way, the Kingdom of Disorder's resurrection is stronger. At least until the sefirot abandons me.'
'Of course, I can't be reckless. If I'm killed, I'll lose my equipment.'
'When going to truly life-threatening places, I can't bring items like the Order's Hand. That would significantly weaken me.'
Thinking of the Kingdom of Disorder's evolution requirements, and the obviously more difficult potion materials and rituals compared to other sequences, he naturally concluded:
The requirements for my advancement to "Black Emperor" will be higher, and the resurrection ability might also be stronger.
Satisfied with his new resurrection ability, he now had a certain degree of 'recklessness' capability.
As he thought, with the black mist receding, the Fountain's consumption rate returned to normal.
He withdrew his telekinesis, noting the Fountain was dry.
He didn't regret it. Exhausting one Fountain to prematurely gain the Kingdom of Disorder's resurrection ability was far more valuable.
The Fountain rapidly dissipated in the brilliant light, finally flaring and vanishing.
As he rose, he clearly felt the life he had lost facing the Hrud King rapidly restored.
'Time now has no meaning for me.'
'After I obtain Perturabo's improved stasis device, I can return to Sak'trada Deeps.'
'Find the possible fragment of Be'lakor's relic and take the remote, resource-rich Deep as my domain.'
His eyes flickered. Telekinesis spread. The armor Vulkan had forged for him flew over, enveloping his increasingly lustrous marble body.
The next day, in the Primarch's Office, Nareth listened to reports.
After Arsena gave an overview of the planets, Chief Librarian Thomas spoke.
"My Lord, the Librarians have discovered psychic crystal deposits on each planet. They were likely created by the Aeldari using special methods."
"The organic structures on each planet are also built with this crystal."
He gestured to the Ethan behind him. Nareth saw an open box, gleaming with psychic light.
"On some islands of the third planet, we also found various moon-shaped metals. The cultists used them to craft weapons."
Nareth nodded. The metals and gems representing different lunar phases, and the blood of supernatural creatures needed for the "Potion Professor's" advancement to Sequence 5, were all gathered.
As long as he performed the ritual in a system with a moon, under its full light, Mikael could advance to "Scarlet Scholar."
"Mine the psychic crystals and the moon-shaped metals."
The next day, Nareth went to the third layer of the Kingdom of Disorder and picked up the recharged Dice of Prophecy.
.....
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