40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 38 38. Light ([-])
"You're not human," Khalil said.

He chooses to start with that line, and frankly, it's not a good choice—in fact, it's a terrible choice.

However, his tone was very calm, as if he was stating a fact.

"Then neither are you," replied the Emperor.

He returned the same calm.

"That means we've started a formal exchange."

Khalil nodded calmly. "So, what's the matter, you have to dismiss them before you can tell me?"

"There are many," said the Emperor.

He did not deny the 'spread' statement.

Then, the giant took another step forward and stretched out his right hand.

The hand covered by the golden armor hovered in mid-air, maintaining a steady posture.The double-headed eagle's cameo glistened on the armor, and the darkness couldn't hide its brilliance.

In fact, the dark feared him.

All the beasts on the wasteland had left before he appeared.Their poor intellect cannot understand this, but their instincts can understand it.

leave, or die.their instincts say.

"What does that mean?" Khalil asked slowly.

"A greeting, a necessary etiquette, or a covenant. It all depends on how you choose."

Khalil laughed.

"I don't think you gave me a chance to choose—not to mention, we've already shook hands once."

"That time it was about saving."

"But you didn't mention the price."

"The price doesn't matter right now."

"Really? I want to hear it."

The giant of giants slowly lowered his noble head, his eyes glowed with golden light, and his laurel crown shone on his brow.

Khalil, on the other hand, was unmoved.

He was utterly indifferent to the godlike visage - or mask - for that matter.There was even something churning at the bottom of those pitch-black pupils.

"...you want to know the truth," the Emperor said slowly. "However, the truth may not be to your liking."

Khalil Rohars gazed into his eyes, the golden light not altering the darkness.

Then he took a step forward and took the hand that was too big for him.

"I have nothing to fear," he said.
-
Turn around.

Sanity is shredded and then glued back together.

Memories that were too old came rushing towards his face, and the countless darkness buried in them turned into choking dust and hit them together.Their fingers were wrapped in bandages, their bodies were gutted, and a special herbal smell began to fill Khalil's nostrils.

He breathes.

Then breathe again -- deeply, deeply.

"Mummy?" he asked.

"Yes." A man in a white robe stepped barefoot on the floor tiles and answered Khalil's question.

The tiredness on his face was the same as last time.He didn't wear the laurel crown anymore, nor did he wear the golden armor, but just stood there like an ordinary person.

"Egypt?" Khalil asked again.

"Yes."

"So, you were once a pharaoh?"

"Yes." said the man.

Khalil shook his head and started to walk in the burning pyramid, his voice was still calm: "When we met last time, the place you showed me was a primitive tribe, and you said it was located at the junction of the Eurasian continent. "

"indeed so."

"So, you went from a barbarian to an Egyptian pharaoh?"

"No, more than that. I have had many identities, many names."

The man paused for a moment, a little dazed on his tired face.He seemed to have noticed something, and said, "...you can call me Neos."

"I don't dare to call you by your name—what does your armor show, if I'm not wrong, you should be an emperor."

"Emperor," Neos corrected. "I've created a lot of identities for myself and played them. Normally, I wouldn't do that unless the human race was in a catastrophe."

Khalil chuckled. He turned around and put his arms up against the pharaoh's tomb: "How many?"

"countless."

"What kind?"

"Gods, men, madmen, kings, prophets. Men, women, old people, children. All the life you have ever known, I have experienced."

"Eternal life?" Khalil asked.

Neos didn't answer, he knew that Khalil had already got the answer - the ghost from the long past was staring into his eyes, and at this moment, he was not wearing a mask.

The man named Khalil Rohars was not blind, so he could see clearly.

"Eternal life." Khalil nodded. "It's a cruel punishment. Is it natural, or is it a punishment?"

Neos smiled, and this was the first time he had shown mood swings.

"I'm glad you can call it a punishment—but I'm afraid human beings don't have the ability to punish a person in this way."

"Perhaps you were not punished by humans." Khalil said calmly. "Maybe they are."

"They can't do that kind of thing. Besides, you seem to know something about me before you met. Did they tell you?"

"Prometheus." Khalil slowly spit out an ancient name. "The god of gods, whose name means foresight, Titan, steals the sacred fire, and brings flames to the earth and mankind"

He narrowed his eyes, looked at the ordinary and tired man in front of him, and shook his head.

"What have you been through?" Khalil asked softly. "What happened to human beings?"

"Disaster." Neos replied briefly, with a deep mark appearing between his brows. "A great disaster."

Khalil shook his head.

"What a riddle-like exchange. And you seem to be enjoying it?"

"Some things are meant to be buried, so yes, I'd be happy to let you get the truth without touching the dust of history."

Khalil laughed again.

"Let's get down to business," he said briefly. "What's wrong with my body?"

"This has something to do with your essence." Neos responded to his question in a calmer tone. He was very focused, and his eyes could show this.

"Nature?"

"You and I both know that a ghost floating behind that veil is unlikely to be human."

Neos said in a low voice, his voice bouncing back and forth between the ancient walls. "And your body... I just made it come alive and made a small change. What really makes it change is your essence."

Khalil nodded noncommittally: "What is my essence, Mr. Neos?"

"I can't answer that question," Neos said.

He's not denying, he's just stating a fact.His eyes were so sad at this moment, as if pitying the future of the querent.

Khalil waited calmly.

As he said - he had nothing to fear.

"Words have power, and I have made a contract with your body to bring it back to life. If I speak, your spirit will be transformed by flesh—they are already bound together, Khalil Loja Erles. You can no longer be that ghost."

"I can't ask for more," Khalil said. "That was not a good experience."

Neos laughed again. "Do you resent this feeling?"

"I can't like it if I still consider myself human."

"So, what about eternal life?"

Khalil also smiled, and there was some obvious contempt in the smile-Nios was not angry, he knew who the contempt was for.

"If this is a temptation, then your language communication skills are too scary."

"Maybe, maybe it's really just a trial, or maybe it's just a question that doesn't matter to me—but these are not the key."

The completely dark eyes met a pair of tired and ancient eyes, and no one escaped. They were all trying to dig out the emotions and buried answers in each other's hearts.

It's like two people holding the same sharp knife, trying to cut open the opposite heart in the struggle to find out.

"The key is." Neos stood up slowly, his shape changed.

He became taller and became like a god, surrounded by thunder and lightning, the flames surrendered under his feet, the darkness receded in an instant, and tremblingly turned into dust in the air.

The scene inside the pyramid dissipated in an instant, turning into a meandering river, and they stood in the river, staring at each other.

"In what, Emperor?" Khalil asked quietly.

"It depends on whether you are willing to sign this covenant."

The Emperor answered ruthlessly and indifferently. "Tool No. [-] has regarded you as his actual father, so if I need his knife, I must obtain your consent."

Khalil didn't answer immediately, just kept silent.He stared at this ruthless face, and a trace of pity flashed in his dark eyes.

"First of all, he's a human being."

he said slowly. "Secondly, I will not lead any of his actions, at most I will only make suggestions. His future should be decided by himself."

"He is a Primarch," the Emperor declared coldly. "It's one of the futures I shape, so he has to play by some rules."

"The rules are his own, Emperor."

"You can't really leave his future up to him to choose. You and I know what's hidden in the dark."

Khalil just smiled. "Yeah, so I don't think the Night Haunter—or Conrad Curze—would lose to them."

He laughed out loud, full of contempt and coldness in his laughter.

"Humble and twisted monsters dare not even see the light, they cannot fool him."

"."

Silent, the Emperor nodded.

"So," he said slowly. "Welcome, Caryl Rohars."

"No," Khalil said.

He stared at the god-like figure, then slowly shook his head. "This unforgiving mask of yours is hurting yourself, you are bleeding, can't you see?"

"I know," said the Emperor. "But I have to hurt myself to keep humanity alive."

"Sooner or later...it will hurt someone else, Emperor," Khalil said softly.

　Let's add another chapter. There shouldn't be too many new chapters, but there's no way, it's not good to be stuck here.

　　Although the update is not very good for my archives (sad)
　　I'm trying to make an Emperor of my imagination.I hope you enjoy watching.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)