"Huh?"
Yvraine's expression was somewhat dazed.
At this moment, this Chosen One personally selected by the Whispering God Ynnead fell into a rare state of mental blankness.
She had not yet fully recovered from the cool and serene afterglow of death, her eyes fixed blankly on the spatial rift that had appeared out of thin air before her.
The edges of the portal shimmered with unique luminous patterns, and the air was filled with a gentle breeze of unknown origin.
The layer of frost on the ground rustled under the breath of this breeze.
Yvraine harbored numerous doubts in her mind.
This place should clearly have been a secluded sanctuary carefully chosen by the Ynnari cult.
Even within the intricate and countless branches of the Webway network, this node was an extremely difficult location to find.
Yvraine could even confirm that after the Ynnari selected this location as the core site for the ritual, they had already severed all possible ways of tracking it.
As for the records of this section of the Webway—even the Black Library, which claimed to hold a complete map of the Webway, might not possess precise coordinate records of this place.
Then how on earth was this door opened right here?
However, she was, after all, the Daughter of Shades, the undefeated champion of the Commorragh arenas.
Yvraine forced her eyes shut tightly, forcibly suppressing the numbness of death still lingering deep within her soul, then opened them again to rapidly scan her surroundings.
Every surface within sight was covered in crackling fractures, as if a giant, invisible hand had grabbed and violently twisted it.
The ancient architectural components originating from the Old Ones, which had originally hung above the Webway dome, were completely shattered, their wreckage scattered everywhere. Some portions even appeared to have been forcibly fused together by some nameless force, pieced into bizarre and twisted shapes.
From within the dense network of fragment gaps, Warp psychic energy continued to seep out, as if slowly bleeding.
Wherever that psychic energy passed, the air temperature plummeted rapidly, forming a thin layer of frost across the surrounding walls and ground.
This was ironclad proof that the Webway had suffered a violent impact from Warp psychic energy.
Seeing this sight, Yvraine finally remembered what had happened.
She had performed the resurrection ritual of the Whispering God.
Then, she had felt a serene death.
And now, she was standing right here once again.
What had happened?
Why was the ritual interrupted?
Before she had time to ponder the subsequent changes further, Yvraine saw those two figures taking steps forward.
She recognized one of them—Usluan[1], the Farseer of Craftworld Iyanden, that old fellow who had disappeared without a trace after handing the fifth Crone Sword over to her a while ago.
At this moment, this old farseer—who in Yvraine's impression was arrogant, somewhat unorthodox, yet stubborn—was respectfully standing to the side with an extended arm, guiding another stranger out of the portal in the manner of an escort.
Yvraine's pupils constricted slightly.
She recognized that gesture.
It was the highest audience etiquette from the ancient Aeldari Empire era—an ancient ritual specifically used for receiving avatars of gods.
During the glorious years of the Aeldari mythic era before the fall of the Pantheon, Farseers would only perform this grand courtesy when facing true deities like Khaine the Bloody-Handed or Isha the Goddess of Life.
She immediately noticed something amiss.
Whatever this entity was, he was definitely no ordinary mortal!
Just within the brief moment Yvraine fell into contemplation, a shadow silently glided out from behind her.
The Visarch.
This top shadow assassin from Commorragh was the only entity present who had never lost his combat instincts from start to finish.
He instantly drew his dual blades, his figure shifting elusively to guard in front of Yvraine.
Crouching slightly, his toes pooled with spring-like force, and icy hostility radiated like materialized blades.
However, he quickly dissipated his hostility.
Not because of anything Adam standing before him did, but because Yvraine immediately reached out and pressed down on his shoulder.
"It seems the Whispering God Ynnead's reaction isn't slow either; he seems to have realized something."
Adam stepped out of the portal and spoke.
His gaze lingered on Yvraine's face for a moment, and he smiled slightly.
That's right, Adam had clearly hit the nail on the head.
Yvraine fell into a brief silence.
At this moment, an oracle from the Whispering God, who had not yet fully descended, echoed within her consciousness.
With the keen perception of an exceptional Aeldari farseer, Yvraine quickly understood the meaning the Whispering God wished to convey.
Do not attack.
The other party harbors no ill intent.
Clearly, at this very moment, that previous unsuccessful ascension ritual had made Ynnead realize some terrifying facts.
He had calmed down during the process of falling, analyzing one by one the clues exposed to psychic perception alongside the ascension ritual.
The trap set by Tzeentch—the Crone Sword jointly corrupted by the power of the Four Gods; the traces of its primal corruption were clearly exposed to the Whispering God's perception.
A thoroughly corrupted vision, a death noose leading straight to an irredeemable abyss.
When Yvraine saw those images through the lingering aura of the Whispering God, a cold sweat of lingering fear nearly soaked her spine.
If that plan had succeeded, Ynnead would likely not just have fallen from the divine throne at this moment—he would have directly crashed into some cold, pitch-black sun, and amidst the energy shockwave released by their mutual annihilation, dragged the entire galaxy down into the abyss together.
If the Whispering God had cheeks at this moment, the expression on his face would likely be uglier than having eaten shit.
"Yes, Lord Adam holds goodwill toward the Aeldari, and that is precisely why we have come."
Usluan withdrew his staff, the psychic glow around him gradually fading.
He spoke with a solemn expression, his aged face as stern as a carved stone statue.
Next, using concise, refined language that he himself could hardly imagine, alongside psychic energies capable of suggestion, Usluan briefly recounted everything that had happened before to all the Ynnari Aeldari present.
Half a minute later.
The Visarch furrowed his brow tightly, his fingers gripping the hilt of his blade tightening by another fraction.
"What did you say?"
His tone was somewhat strained: "You just said yourself that it was you who interrupted the Lord Whispering God's ascension ritual. And yet here you stand, acting so calm?"
As soon as those words fell, the expressions of all the Aeldari changed slightly, and the air abruptly tightened.
Yet Yvraine appeared utterly calm, even taking the initiative to step forward. As the Chosen One of the Whispering God, she alone was most acutely aware of what had just transpired.
The entity before her should be the very god previously chanted of by the Aeldari.
That deity who had closed the Eye of Terror and accomplished such a monumental feat.
Thinking of this, Yvraine hesitated no longer, respectfully bowing in a salute of reverence, her right hand pressed to her chest, the curve of her waist at just the right angle.
"Thank you for your intervention. Had it not been for this, we Aeldari would likely have met a grim fate. Since you have now graced us with your presence in person, this is also our honor. No doubt by now, you already have a proposal in mind regarding the Aeldari."
She smoothly straightened up, her grey-blue eyes staring directly at the human-disguised entity before her.
"Then, can you now inform us what your decision is? We will listen attentively and accept it gladly."
Such an obedient and candid attitude?
Adam looked her up and down, nodding inwardly.
It was quite different from the Aeldari farseers of his past impressions who were full of riddles and called humans mon-keigh—so polite and tactful, this trait was indeed not bad.
He hooked the corners of his mouth in satisfaction, putting away several insurance measures he had originally intended to use to persuade them.
"Then, let me briefly express my views on the Aeldari."
Adam paced calmly, his gaze sweeping over the still-tense Aeldari faces.
His tone was extremely calm, like stating the most objective of facts: "To put it simply as an analogy—if humanity in this galaxy is likened to a critically ill patient lying in the ICU, then the Aeldari are likely a corpse already chopped into pieces. It's just that this corpse still retains a few weak neural signals and occasionally twitches. You shouldn't have any objections to this point, right?"
Such sharp and venomous language made the expressions of all present Aeldari look rather unpleasant.
Yvraine maintained her silence. Usluan closed his eyes slightly, saying not a word.
However, they clearly could not refute it.
Thus, Adam continued.
"Therefore, the facts you face right now are very clear."
Adam continued pacing, his tone still unhurried: "Humanity will rise; this is already inevitable. The Imperium of Man, that critically ill patient lying in the ICU, has already been saved by me."
"So here is the question: since things have undergone such changes, why can't you shift your attitude and fight side-by-side with the Imperium of Man, giving me a reason to also save your race?"
That's right, no matter how abstract the Aeldari race was, as a civilization with a long history and an overall strength far greater than the T'au, they still possessed considerable united front value.
Adam was crystal clear on this.
If without paying any cost, merely a promise could eliminate Aeldari interference in the upcoming great war, the significance of this was absolutely monumental.
Thinking of this, he paused, turned around, and swept his calm, earnest gaze across every Aeldari present: "Therefore, before this, I will give the Aeldari a condition they simply cannot refuse."
"I declare that upon your death, your souls will not belong to Slaanesh."
As soon as those words were uttered, almost all the Aeldari present held their breath simultaneously.
The shock in their eyes spread out in circles like pebbles thrown into a pond.
Including Yvraine, all the Aeldari struggled to calm their racing heartbeats.
Wasn't the reason the Aeldari frantically pursued the power of the Whispering God precisely so they could accept even the worst outcome?
Even if the resurrection of the Whispering God failed, even if they perished in a divine war against Slaanesh, their souls wouldn't have to plunge into that six-fold palace?
That outcome of being tortured in eternal agony by She-Who-Thirsts within eternal pleasures, yet never finding release, was something no Aeldari could ever accept.
Since their situation had already hit rock bottom, going anywhere else was upward, so why not fight desperately to resurrect the Whispering God?
But now, an option more reliable and powerful than the Whispering God had appeared before them.
The eyes of the Aeldari present instantly lit up.
In a sense, they felt zero psychological pressure about this.
After all, the Aeldari were inherently a race adept at clinging to powerful patrons.
In ancient times, they clung to the coattails of the Old Ones, successfully climbing to unimaginable heights of peak civilization; inheriting the legacy of the Old Ones, they possessed brilliant accomplishments within the Warp.
During the ancient Aeldari Empire era, they clung to the Aeldari Pantheon, skyrocketing their strength to a height future generations could hardly ever hope to reach.
Even the Necrons, whose technology had already reached divinity back then, had to avoid their sharp edge and willingly enter stasis slumber within tomb worlds.
That being the case, if they discarded their original stance and seamlessly switched allegiances, wouldn't that be wonderful?
At worst, they could just comfort themselves by saying they weren't serving humanity as masters, but rather serving this twisted god as their master.
Otherwise what?
Could it be that the Aeldari had any other choices left right now?
Defect to other alien factions?
Should they defect to Gork and Mork, those two invisible, intangible beings that could only Waaagh back and forth?
Or defect to their ancient mortal enemies with whom they shared an irreconcilable blood feud, the Necrons?
Or go defect to the Great Devourer, which was eyeing them hungrily from outside the galaxy, preparing to treat them like an all-you-can-eat buffet?
After being shocked by this stunning display of Aeldari wisdom, the Aeldari immediately accepted it gladly.
Even under the signal of Ynnead, the remaining members of the Ynnari cult laid down their final misgivings.
After all, the other party held the power to effortlessly manufacture even the highest holy relics of the Whispering God; what was there left to hesitate about?
Besides, hadn't they seen that even the Whispering God's Chosen One had approved?
Since they already saw this situation, if they didn't surrender their armor and weapons and submit with full courtesy now, what were they waiting for?
Those who yield to power are wise!
After a round of intense psychic communication and eye contact, the Aeldari present reached a consensus.
As the leader of the Ynnari cult, Yvraine earnestly bowed toward Adam and spoke.
"The Ynnari cult agrees with your view. For all Aeldari, this is the most acceptable outcome."
"Then, the contract is made."
Adam nodded with satisfaction and said, "The rest is simple. I need you to take action immediately. After all, your Ynnari cult cannot yet represent the Aeldari race as a whole."
"—Yes. But we will proactively help you spread this matter among all Aeldari across the galaxy."
Yvraine said, "I believe other Aeldari will also agree to this."
Are you kidding me? Being able to permanently escape the threat of Slaanesh held infinite temptation for all Aeldari; even the Archon of Commorragh would likely be tempted!
"Very well."
Adam nodded with satisfaction. "Before that, I still need you to do two things."
He calmly raised his hand. "Send me the coordinates to Commorragh and the Black Library. I have business to attend to at both locations right now."
Before everything began, Adam now intended to investigate one by one the places in the galaxy capable of causing major commotions.
This was also part of his plan.
Taking advantage of the Necrons' threat currently looking manageable, he had to immediately and thoroughly stamp out every variable in the galaxy to prevent Chaos from pulling any more tricks!
Eliminate one wherever you find it!
[1] TL:N: Did the author spawn a random farseer wtf