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Chapter 167: Game & Game
Raven easily created a complex and precise gear mechanism before Kairos, the Master of Change.
Countless gears interlocked in perfect harmony. They pulsed like a living heart, contracting and expanding, extending into dimensions that normal minds couldn't understand.
Kairos found himself staring.
The gears Raven displayed showed the basic laws and principles that governed the universe itself. Should one obtain such a mechanism, they would grasp the ultimate mysteries of existence and glimpse the truth behind all cosmic operations.
"For merely a small price," Raven offered, "you can acquire this knowledge and perceive the universe's deepest truths."
Kairos shook his head with visible effort.
He struggled to tear his gaze from the mesmerizing rotation of the gears. Knowledge remained a fatal temptation for his kind. Resisting such lure demanded tremendous willpower.
Kairos fixed his bird eyes upon Raven intently.
"Perhaps you should join our faction. You possess a remarkable talent for tricking others. I was nearly swayed by your words."
Such techniques of temptation had always been their domain, wielded against lesser beings. Today, Raven was turning their own arts against them.
"According to your own terminology," Raven replied with a mysterious smile, "this is not mere trickery, it is enlightenment. I offer to help you acquire knowledge, and you pay a small price in return. This represents a fair exchange of equal value."
"Our meeting concludes here. It was... interesting to encounter you, Mr. Raven. We shall certainly meet again in the future."
Kairos's expression betrayed his unease as he regarded Raven.
He had spent considerable effort piecing together fragments of intelligence from various sources. Eventually he uncovered the truth and learned of Raven's existence.
The Cursed One was regarded by the gods as an unprecedented threat, inspiring countless schemes against him. However, these plans failed with Raven's arrival.
The Cursed One's power grew at an alarming rate. No opponent remained in the material universe capable of matching him.
The unification of the galaxy, perhaps even the entire universe, seemed destined to fall under his rule.
The catalyst for these dramatic changes stood before Kairos now.
Only then had Kairos invested the effort to arrange this meeting, driven by curiosity to witness this divine being firsthand.
Upon their encounter, Kairos immediately understood the reason behind the Cursed One's meteoric rise. His eloquence alone nearly swayed even a Greater Daemon of Tzeentch.
"Why such haste to depart?" Raven called out.
The surrounding space transformed accordingly.
A point of brilliant light emerged. Then countless crystalline structures appeared in dense formations, outlining a complex multidimensional labyrinth.
The maze shifted constantly, extending and expanding into directions that should not exist.
"This is My Lord's Crystal Labyrinth!" Kairos exclaimed. Momentary shock flickered across his features as he recognized the familiar realm.
"Indeed," Raven nodded. "We now stand at a specific point in the future."
"What do you intend?" Kairos demanded.
"Naturally, I wish to show you the truth," Raven smiled. "Don't your kind prize such revelations above all else?"
Kairos's twin heads fixed their gaze upon Raven. "What truth?"
Before Raven could respond, a deep rumbling echoed through the crystalline expanse.
Cracking sounds came from the Crystal Labyrinth's structure.
Kairos witnessed alarming fissures appearing across the smooth crystal surfaces.
Soon after, the cracks sealed themselves as new crystals grew to restore the original form.
Yet before long, another thunderous crack resounded.
Fresh fissures appeared, more severe than before. The repair process took noticeably longer.
Should this pattern continue, the Crystal Labyrinth would inevitably collapse entirely.
Confusion clouded Kairos's expression.
What was happening?
Raven observed his bewilderment and began his explanation.
"The cracking occurs because the labyrinth's foundation itself is falling apart."
Kairos's bird eyes widened in disbelief.
The Crystal Labyrinth's foundation was the Master of Change himself.
Could it be...?
Kairos shook both heads vigorously, banishing the heretical thought that had surfaced in his mind.
The Master of Change was eternal and immortal. He existed simultaneously across past, present, and future.
Such a being could not face dissolution!
"Come," Raven commanded. "Let us visit your master."
As his words concluded, their surroundings shifted once more.
Raven and Kairos appeared instantly at the Crystal Labyrinth's core. The seat of the Chaos God, the Master of Change.
The once-mighty deity, with his twin heads and eye-covered form, had vanished.
Only a writhing mass of black, tar-like substance remained.
It was dark as the abyss itself, inspiring reluctance to approach for fear of being consumed.
Kairos, being the chief Greater Daemon under the Master of Change, naturally possessed extraordinary wisdom.
He easily identified the nature of that black mass.
"My Lord, how have you become... this?"
Kairos turned to face Raven. "All of this is illusion, a deception you employ to mislead."
"This is the future," Raven stated with unshakeable calm. "To employ your own words, deceiving with falsehoods is an artless endeavor."
"Not merely your master, but all the Chaos Gods share this fate. They coveted power that did not belong to this universe, and this is their consequence."
"Kairos, what you witness now is merely the beginning. The future holds terrors beyond your current imagination."
"Offer Tzeentch to the Human Lord, and you can exchange him for boundless knowledge, or even ascend to become the new Master of Change."
"Humanity holds no interest in the Warp, nor does the Human Lord. Cooperate, and the Warp shall be yours to command."
"Enough!" Kairos roared. "I shall never believe such lies!"
The surrounding space shattered, returning them to the game's reality.
Kairos vanished as the dark mist faded.
Raven shrugged. "Was he truly that easily provoked?"
Though Kairos had fled, the seed of doubt had been planted.
One day in the future, it would surely blossom and bear fruit.
"No matter. I shouldn't dwell on such things. Let's continue creating my character."
Raven returned his attention to the Oraculum game.
He intended to design a character to his liking.
"Since ancient times, fair skin, long legs, and silver hair have been the hallmarks of elite players. Add a flowing cloak for style, and then awesome heterochromia."
"Wait, my character is male. Making him this handsome would be criminal."
"Bah, I'm an idiot! How could I consider playing a male character? I'm practically betraying the otaku code! When gaming, I should definitely create an adorable waifu!"
Raven muttered to himself throughout the character creation process.
After completion, he entered the game.
Within the virtual world, 9527 maintained his mechanical modifications and prosthetic enhancements. This made it immediately apparent that he was a devoted follower of the 'flesh is weak, mechanical ascension' philosophy.
"9527," Raven called out.
9527 turned to see a silver-haired beauty with pale skin, elegant features, long legs, a flowing cloak, and striking heterochromatic eyes.
His polished metal face froze instantly.
In that moment, 9527 genuinely felt his world collapsing.
After this gaming session, am I going to be dragged back to the Mars Forge for merciful termination?
By the Omnissiah!
The supreme ruler of the Human Empire had actually created such a female avatar!
Should word of this leak, it wouldn't take an hour for all relevant personnel to vanish completely from the physical realm.
"Esteemed Lord Raven," 9527's voice trembled with barely contained terror.
His core logic modules were already composing final data-prayers.
Dear Omnissiah, this unit designated 9527 faces certain termination. Grant that this humble servant may enter your Hall of Eternal Calculations upon deactivation.
"How do we proceed with gameplay?" Raven inquired.
"The mechanics are straightforward. As chosen Oraculums, we must develop and construct our domains. Once sufficiently powerful, we challenge the tyrannical despot."
"Oraculums select blessings from one of four ancient gods: the God of Magic and Wisdom, the God of War and Courage, the God of Life and Death, and the God of Beauty and Love. They receive corresponding rewards."
"Different character classes follow distinct advancement paths. For instance, as a mechanical profession, I gain experience and levels through repairing mechs and tanks."
"In essence, this is an entertainment program focused on leveling and combat encounters. But because its engine employs extremely sophisticated physics simulation, with ninety-eight percent accuracy to real-world laws, it has garnered widespread acclaim and popularity among the citizenry."
"What a collection of damned human traitors," Raven muttered.
He finally understood the source of the Human Lord's cunning nature.
Those four entities were also failing to maintain proper conduct.
Without sufficient cunning, one wouldn't even qualify as a worthy opponent.
How long had the instant communication network been operational, and already they were attempting to smuggle in their propaganda?
Raven decided that after completing this gaming session, he would lodge a severe complaint and file a formal report.
He would have the development team apprehended and dispatch personnel to assume control.
The narrative would be revised to feature Human Empire heroes, guided by the magnificent Divine Human Lord, defeating invading evil deities.
For a considerable period, Raven immersed himself in the game.
Meanwhile, the Human Lord attended to His duties. He promoted the Human Empire's development and guided the second primarch along the proper path.
The Human Empire's expeditionary advance never ceased.
It continued its relentless progress.
The Rangdan race's territorial holdings suffered constant losses.
Perturabo, Mortarion, Lorgar, and Jaghatai Khan, each bearing the Gene Engine's modifications, along with the recently arrived Vulkan, Fulgrim, and Ferrus Manus, led their respective Legions of Astartes as the vanguard in the systematic annihilation of the Rangdan threat.
[End of Chapter]