Two hundred years later, Luo Ji wasn't as shocked as he'd imagined; in fact, his heart was as still as water. He looked up at Mark Maximos on the walkway and said with a mix of emotion and resignation, 'Yes, it really has been a long time—if I had my way, I'd rather never see you again in this life, especially him.'
Thinking about it, he felt his life...
The first half of his life had been smooth sailing; although he wasn't incredibly wealthy, it was certainly comfortable.
But ever since he met Mark Maximos and 'Emrys' in SH City, his life took a sharp turn, like a watershed!
From inexplicably becoming a 'Wallfacer' to being assassinated right after stepping out, then lying in a hibernation pod for nearly two hundred years, only to wake up and, before he could even enjoy a few peaceful days, be dragged into trouble once again.
Two hundred years later, Shi Qiang, the only person he could call a familiar friend, was shot in the head right before his eyes, his brains splattered everywhere.
If it were an ordinary person, they would have probably developed a psychological shadow by now; it was only because his mind was resilient.
And then what?
After two days in the hospital, he was taken away by the Adeptus Arbites's enforcers, locked in a secret detention room, and before he could even warm his seat, he was put into an infantry fighting vehicle and crashed through the Adeptus Arbites's fortress.
Immediately after, he embarked on a desperate journey.
Wearing a long-sleeved shirt, he climbed Mount Everest in the strongest winter monsoon, almost losing half his life!
Just thinking about all the experiences he'd been through made Luo Ji want to cry.
From being shot, to sleeping, to waking up, being caught in a terrorist attack, escaping prison, hiking in the wild, climbing a snowy mountain—all these things, in his subjective time, only amounted to 'one year'!
Leaving everything else aside, just based on his experiences, how many people in the entire world could achieve that?
In summary.
Luo Ji had reason to believe that his tragic encounters and experiences were inextricably linked to that damned 'Rogue Trader'!
But now, he no longer had the strength or energy to curse that damned Rogue Trader.
Luo Ji sighed heavily, as if resigned to his fate, and said weakly, 'Where is he? Wake him up quickly; the outside world is already in ran.'
'Come with me.'
Mark Maximos glanced at him, then turned and walked up the pathway.
Although he was exhausted, the thought that this was the final stretch—that as long as he woke that damned, cursed, plague-ridden Rogue Trader, his mission would be complete and he could face Zhuang Yan—a surge of strength reappeared in Luo Ji's body, supporting him as he stepped onto the pathway.
At the end of the pathway was the 'statue'.
Luo Ji stopped in front of the statue, examining it, finding it somewhat unfamiliar, and couldn't help but ask, 'This statue—who is it of?'
The appearance of the statue seemed to have been deliberately blurred, but even though his face couldn't be clearly seen, the statue seemed to possess a magical power that made those who gazed at him feel an unprecedented sense of peace.
'The Emperor?'
He asked curiously.
But this statue was clearly different from the 'Emperor' statues he had seen in the 'State Church' cathedrals.
'It is him, and it is not him.'
Mark Maximos stopped, his expression complex yet tinged with reverence: 'In my opinion, he is merely a—pitiable, yet hateful person.'
This sentence seemed to contain a lot of information.
Just as 'gods' in other religions are false tools used to deceive the populace, thereby creating divine authority and strengthening rule.
Was the Emperor not merely a false existence created by the 'State Church' to consolidate faith and strengthen rule?
Thinking of this possibility, Luo Ji couldn't help but be startled by himself, then immediately dismissed his idea.
No, this is not scientific!
But just as he was thinking this, he inadvertently looked up at the 'Holy Icon of the Emperor'.
This statue, which should have been lifeless, transformed in his eyes into a magnificent figure enveloped in golden light, his eyes filled with compassion, as if he were a true God, looking down upon the suffering of the human world.
Initially, Luo Ji's first reaction was that he was hallucinating—how could a stone statue come to life?
But very quickly, he realized something was wrong.
Drip! Drop!
The faint sound of two drops of liquid hitting the ground jolted Luo Ji awake, and his eyes were pierced with intense pain, as if he had been burned by staring directly at the Sun!
Blood flowed!
He seemed to hear—a certain sound!
The 'Holy Icon' standing before him had pupils like two stars, and his features gradually became clear in his eyes—a perfection that could not be described in words, that even the most extensive human vocabulary would struggle to convey!
His existence was like the embodiment of perfection!
The dome of the sanctuary seemed to be collapsing, metal screeching, and the 'Holy Icon' bowed his head, like an ancient God awakening.
And in that instant!
His retina was almost burned through by the dazzling light.
In the eyes of the 'Holy Icon', he saw a halo formed by the overlapping shadows of billions of martyrs, at certain moments appearing as a crowned king, but soon transforming into a giant cloaked in stars.
But finally, the 'Holy Icon' settled into—a rotten 'corpse', with only white bones remaining.
He sat upon a magnificent golden throne, like a Prisoner in chains, countless cables and pipes connected to him.
Only those eyes!
The eyes of the corpse were like the eternally burning fire, his left eye reflecting the storms of the Warp, his right eye reflecting the tragic, wailing, painful future of humanity!
The 'corpse' seemed to want to say something.
However, another dark, cold force suddenly pushed him out of the hallucination!
Buzz!
The terrifying scene before Luo Ji vanished in an instant.
Stagger! Stagger!
Luo Ji suddenly stumbled back a few steps, his face filled with terror and shock. Who could understand the horror of a carved stone statue 'coming to life' before his eyes?!
'He, he, he—he seems to be alive!'
Mark Maximos, walking ahead, heard this and turned back, looking at the terrified Luo Ji with an unperturbed gaze, and said calmly, 'This is just a stone statue. You saw incorrectly.'
Saw incorrectly?
Luo Ji's lips were pale, his pupils like pinpricks. He bravely looked at the 'stone statue' again, only to find that the 'stone statue' was still a 'stone statue', as if everything that had just happened was merely his hallucination.
Was it really a hallucination?
Luo Ji fell into a daze. He swore he had really seen the stone statue suddenly enveloped in golden light, transforming into a compassionate 'God'.
'He—no, the Emperor—' He thought of the scene he had witnessed and couldn't help but say, 'Like a tragic God.'
Suddenly, Mark Maximos ahead gave him a fierce, sharp look, and warned him in a very strange and stern tone: 'Remember, no matter when, always bear in mind one thing: the 'Emperor'—is not a God; he is a human!'
'Not a God, but a human?'
Luo Ji froze.
He didn't understand. If the 'Emperor' was revered as a God, then why—why deny it?
Maximus was extremely evasive on the topic of whether the Emperor was a God or a man, seemingly very wary of the question.
Luo Ji was also tactful and did not press the issue. He only wanted to awaken Merlin as soon as possible and then have him clean up the mess outside!
He had originally thought that at the end of the path, he would see Merlin, but in reality—he was naive!
"You didn't hollow out the entire mountain range, did you?!" Luo Ji finally realized how simplistic his thoughts were as he gazed at the enormous, almost endless space.
As Seal Holder, who commanded all the resources of the world, how could his hibernation place be simple?
Their current location was, to be precise, the first level. Below it was a massive, downward-sloping space carved out of the entire mountain, resembling the legendary "God's Dwelling." The first gate alone was dozens of meters high. Along the smooth path, like a divine road, stood armored giants.
They were three meters tall, like short but orderly buildings, clad in golden armor intricately carved with patterns, making them appear like Gods. Their four-meter battle axes pointed skyward, like a forest of steel.
"This is—"
Luo Ji was about to ask.
"Silence."
Maximus sharply cut him off with a cold voice.
Luo Ji dared not speak again and closed his mouth, but his gaze couldn't help but drift towards the golden-armored giants. Their armor glowed with a scorching brilliance, like a star, too intense to look at directly.
Maximus silently walked onto the divine path, not forgetting to instruct the person behind him.
"Bow your head, do not look at them directly."
He—them?
Luo Ji's heart suddenly constricted. Could these "Statues" all be to live people?!
Thump!
Suddenly, the "Statues" standing on both sides of the divine path slammed their battle axes onto the ground, emitting a deafening roar. They all knelt on one knee, their hard knees striking the ground like waves crashing against a reef.
Battle axes lit up, like lighthouses in the dark, illuminating the entire divine path!
Oh my God!
Luo Ji was almost scared to death by the commotion.
He had thought these "Giants" in golden armor were just deceptive statues. Who would have thought they were all Zhenren (Immortal)!
He quickly lowered his head and nervously followed Maximus, afraid of being left alone there.
With each person he passed, Luo Ji could feel his heart pounding violently, as if every "Giant" kneeling on one knee was watching him, their scorching gaze seemingly capable of melting his soul!
On the divine path, Luo Ji followed behind Maximus, passing through ninety-nine equally magnificent archways before finally reaching the palace deep within the mountain.
The air here was as heavy as lead.
With every breath, he had to exert all his strength, squeezing his lungs, just to extract a bit of oxygen from the dense air.
The palace's pillars were carved with many paintings, depicting scenes of humanity's galactic expeditions, worlds being incinerated, and the hateful, terrifying evil daemons attempting to destroy humanity. The vaulted ceiling above projected a dynamic star map of the entire galaxy.
Inside the palace, a tech-priest, dressed in a red robe and covered in machinery, seemed to have been waiting for a long time. The crimson light in its eyes stung Luo Ji's own eyes.
The tech-priest's gaze rested on Luo Ji for a few seconds, then it asked in a hoarse voice, "Is this him?"
Maximus nodded, "Yes."
Their conversation held a certain mystery that Luo Ji couldn't grasp. The heavy atmosphere here kept him silent. Then, he saw the tech-priest give him a meaningful look, nod, and say, "Ahead is the Path of Silence."
The tech-priest's voice carried a rare reverence.
"Those who tread here must maintain absolute silence."
Maximus looked at Luo Ji.
"Go. You must walk the rest of the way alone."
Luo Ji swallowed and followed the tech-priest.
The floor of this final path was made of pure black, unknown metal. He could even see his own timid and uneasy face in its reflection.
Standing on either side were no longer "Giants," but rather terrifying—machines.
No, to call them machines didn't quite capture it. These things felt more like a special kind of life to Luo Ji. Their dark green mechanical skeletal bodies and the green light flickering in their eyes seemed to peer into the depths of his soul, detecting every fleeting stray thought.
In the heavy, silent air, a kind of whisper seemed to permeate—not a sound, but an echo directly entering his mind, as if countless people were simultaneously praying, shouting, and weeping.
Finally, this arduous path came to an end.
Luo Ji's eyes widened, his pupils unconsciously contracting. He saw a gate that defied description, constantly shifting its form, sometimes appearing like cast bronze, sometimes like living flesh. Images flickered on its surface, seemingly expounding humanity's ancient history and future.
"The Audience Hall has been reached."
The tech-priest prostrated itself on the ground, bowing its head. Its mechanical voice conveyed supreme reverence.
"Remember, once inside—no matter what you see, maintain your faith and strengthen your heart."
Luo Ji silently stepped forward. The gate opened soundlessly, and a terrifying psychic storm instantly swept over him, his soul feeling as if it would be annihilated at any moment!
Just then.
The "key" floated, transforming into an invisible barrier that pulled Luo Ji out of the terrifying psychic storm, his consciousness returning to reality.
The inside seemed shrouded in mist.
He took a deep breath and stepped into the mist. The ground beneath his feet felt solid. Although he couldn't see the ground, this reassured Luo Ji somewhat.
Step by step... Luo Ji's figure vanished into the mist, and the gate closed once more.
Then, Luo Ji saw—him.
Was that a throne?
An extremely massive mechanical throne, almost embedded in the mountain, with countless conduits pulsating like blood vessels. Innumerable terrifying servo-skulls, like Angels, flew around the throne, chanting hymns he couldn't understand at all. And seated in the very center of the throne was none other than the rumored Merlin Emrys, who had been in hibernation for two hundred years!
"You—how did you become like this?!"
Luo Ji's breathing stopped.
The Merlin he imagined should have been lying in a hibernation pod, not like this—sitting on a mechanical throne, withered and gaunt!
Yes, withered and gaunt!
If he had to describe it, the Merlin currently sitting on that mechanical throne was just like the Emperor he had seen in the illusion!
"You have finally come—"
Merlin on the mechanical throne seemed drained of strength, every inch of his skin dry and withered, yet his eyes remained bright and fiery.
"As you can see, I—made some mistakes. This is the price I must pay."
"You—what mistakes did you make?"
Seeing him in this state, Luo Ji's last trace of resentment vanished.
"It was I who brought disaster."
Merlin on the mechanical throne was extremely weary, his voice soft and heavy, his gaze falling on Luo Ji.
"In the Warp, you must have seen 'them,' right?"
"They" referred to...
Luo Ji nodded.
"Yes, I saw them."
"They are—with me—"
Merlin's voice was devoid of sorrow or joy.