"Good morning, brother." The girl's pleasant voice was like a gentle spring breeze.
"Good morning, Izara." Khayon, preparing breakfast for his sister in the kitchen, replied with a smile.
The girl sat quietly at the table and asked softly, "Brother, how long have the Masters been gone?"
"Today is the ninth day."
"Are they alright?" Izara looked a little worried.
"We have scheduled communications every day. They are safe now. Don't worry about them."
Khayon wasn't just comforting his sister. Although much of Prospero's infrastructure had fallen into disrepair, the satellite array in orbit was functioning normally.
Unless there was an emergency, Tizca wouldn't actively call the expedition; the expedition had to contact them.
Every day, the expedition sent back data and information gathered from outside, helping Tizca understand the outside world.
If the expedition met with misfortune, and Tizca had to form a second expedition, this data would allow them to avoid many dangers in advance.
Izara blinked. "Brother, haven't they encountered any Psychneuein?"
Khayon placed the toasted bread gently in front of his sister. "The destroyed cities are empty. No survivors. Psychneuein don't linger in ruins. As long as you don't actively approach their lairs, there should be no danger."
Izara took a small bite of bread, hesitated, then asked, "Could the Psychneuein have already disappeared?"
Khayon frowned involuntarily. "That line of thinking is very dangerous, Izara. We still know very little about the habits of Psychneuein, but they certainly didn't disappear for no reason. Who told you this?"
Izara said, "My classmates all say so. Their parents think the Psychneuein might have starved to death long ago. We shouldn't be kept locked up in Tizca anymore. We should go outside and rebuild Prospero."
"Izara, ignorance is more terrifying than the Psychneuein!" Khayon warned her seriously. "Don't believe the rhetoric of the Libertines. They only want to leave Tizca and set up their own power because they can't gain influence in the Council."
"But if the Psychneuein are still there, wouldn't leaving Tizca be suicide for them?"
"That's the problem. They use unverifiable lies to mislead the people, and in the end, they even believe their own rhetoric themselves."
There had been no signs of Psychneuein near Tizca for many years, which naturally led to much speculation. One of these was that the Psychneuein, which fed on humans, might have already died out due to lack of food.
Theoretically, this inference had some logic.
Since Psychneuein feed on humans, after the global population was mostly devoured, they wouldn't survive long either.
The fall of Negada was twenty years ago. That disaster might have been the Psychneuein's final feast.
Although this was still theoretical speculation, the Libertines treated it as gospel.
They firmly believed the Psychneuein were extinct and spent all day calling on the people to leave Tizca and rekindle the flame of Prosperine civilization.
However, their true intention was merely to gain more seats in the Council.
Leaving Tizca might bring freedom, but rebuilding a city in the ruins was hardly as practical as seizing power directly in the Council.
The Libertines had a loud voice among the populace, but it was completely different in the Council.
None of the nine Masters belonged to the Libertines. Most were moderates, and Vennakar was a staunch conservative.
The conservatives' views were completely opposite to the Libertines. They firmly believed the Psychneuein were not extinct and that they must not leave the protection of Tizca.
Although both sides had their arguments, it was clearly the conservatives who would keep the Tizcans alive longer.
The Libertines was too reckless, even eager to put their ideas into practice without verification.
Khayon warned repeatedly, "Izara, remember, never trust outsiders!"
"The Masters are on this expedition to confirm whether the Psychneuein still exist."
"Even if the Psychneuein are truly extinct, we must wait for the Masters to return and announce the truth. Never listen to one-sided arguments!"
Izara shook her head forcefully. "I'm not that stupid."
Khayon smiled gently. "Of course Izara isn't stupid. You're a genius praised by all the Masters!"
Izara raised her chin proudly, but soon lowered her head dejectedly. "But still not as good as Magnus."
"He is not an ordinary person. You can't compare yourself to him."
"But he's only one year old!"
Khayon fell silent too. The truth was indeed frustrating.
Magnus was not yet one year old, yet he had already surpassed the nine Masters.
Although the nine Masters were part of the expedition, Magnus and his father were the leaders.
The purpose of the expedition was also based on the theories proposed by Magnus's father.
Khayon had no way to verify whether Magnus's father's words were true, but he felt it sounded more reliable than the Libertines's rhetoric.
If the Psychneuein were Warp entities, would they truly die out due to lack of food?
Khayon's view aligned with his teacher's. They believed the Psychneuein could survive on psychic power alone. The reason they hadn't appeared in Tizcans' sight was perhaps because they were hibernating.
But if the Tizcans rashly left the city, they would wake from hibernation and begin a new round of hunting.
And regardless of whose guess was correct, they first needed to find the source of the disaster.
This was like an infectious disease. To contain its spread, you had to find Patient Zero.
….....
"For freedom!" Theod roared, clenching his fist.
"For democracy!"
Nine young faces were illuminated by the flickering oil lamp in the secret chamber, their expressions intertwined in light and shadow. Their faces were all filled with the same fanatical emotion.
"The time has come!" Theod's voice was barely able to contain his excitement. "Those old fogeys have all left Tizca. Now is the perfect time to act!"
Owen slammed the table. "They've been deceiving the Tizcans for decades! The people have a right to know the truth!"
"For generations, us, our parents, our grandparents, generations of us have been imprisoned in a cage by their lies! It's time to break the chains they've placed on us!"
"Those incompetent old fogeys have been deceiving the world with their colossal lie about the Psychneuein, just to cling to their power!"
The young people argued indignantly. The secret chamber didn't even have electrical wires; they didn't have to worry about eavesdropping.
"Fellow citizens, we must expose the Masters' conspiracy." Theod raised his arm high. "A God has revealed the truth to me through prophecy: the Psychneuein are already extinct!"
"They did exist once, and the Masters did once protect the Tizcans."
"The Masters of the past were heroes. The Masters of today are just a bunch of sanctimonious politicians."
"They use carefully crafted lies to deceive the world, using the high walls to restrict our freedom, so they can enjoy privileges and worship alone."
"They have long forgotten their original intentions and are completely unworthy to lead the Tizcans!"
"Fellow citizens, let us unite! We must take back the freedom that belongs to the Tizcans!"
"We should not live in ignorant lies. We are not just Tizcans; we are Prosperines."
"We must walk out of Tizca with our heads held high, out of this prison that restricts freedom, and be our own masters!"
Theod was a remarkably eloquent speaker, and his passionate speech made the others even more hot-blooded.
Theod was confident enough, his voice loud enough, so they believed him.
"But what should we do?" asked Rosalind, the only girl among them.
Theod answered, "In two weeks, it will be our turn to guard the psychic arrays. That is a gift from fate. We can secretly sabotage them."
"Without the confinement of the psychic arrays, the people will suddenly see the truth. We will expose the Masters' lies used to maintain their power!"
A young man hesitated. "Isn't this too radical?"
"The Masters have gone outside to explore. They are also doing it for the Tizcans."
"Regardless of whether the Psychneuein exist, they will bring back evidence."
"Sabotaging the psychic arrays now, what if the Psychneuein are still there? It could kill many people."
Owen glared at him. "Belial, are you betraying freedom?"
Belial's face flushed red. "I'm not betraying freedom. I'm just a little worried."
"Don't be afraid!" Theod grabbed his shoulders. "Because what I bring you is the truth!"
"Freedom requires a price. Lies will be exposed."
"The prophecy has revealed this to me. Even if you don't believe me, don't you believe in the Gods?"
"The Masters' expedition is also a lie. They know lies cannot last. Freedom has already taken root in people's hearts. The expedition is just to appease the populace."
"When they return to Tizca, they will announce to the people that the Psychneuein still exist."
"That thanks to their unremitting efforts, they painstakingly eliminated the Psychneuein and saved Prospero!"
"By the time they return to Tizca, nothing we say will matter."
"The people will credit all the achievements to the Masters. All our efforts so far will be in vain!"
"Are you willing to accept such a future?"
"We must sabotage the psychic arrays." Theod's gaze swept over his companions. "We cannot give the Masters a chance to cover up their lies. Otherwise, the Tizcans will continue to live in their lies and will never gain true freedom!"
"In the future I saw, there are no Psychneuein, only an awakened people. They will thank us for tearing apart the hypocritical lies!"
Theod raised his right arm, pointing 45 degrees towards the sky. "Act now, fellow citizens! Unite!"
They raised their arms one after another. "Hail, Freedom!"
…....
Dusk flooded over the desolate city like a tide, submerging it in deep shadow.
The empty window frames were like countless hollow eyes, gazing vacantly at the expedition outside the city.
Mephia asked, "We've searched over a dozen cities, crossed hundreds of kilometers. If the Psychneuein really exist, why can't we find a single trace?"
He didn't disbelieve the horror of the Psychneuein; the ruins of those cities had proven their terror.
What he doubted was whether the Psychneuein might have already perished.
Caelan had said they needed the hole to exist in the material universe, but this disaster had lasted nearly a century.
Could that hole connecting to the Warp have already closed on its own over time?
"The hole is still there. Right there."
Magnus raised his arm, pointing towards the cliff at the city's edge. "I can feel it. It's calling to me."
Amon asked, "What is it?"
"I don't know. But it stands out like a lighthouse in the dark. It's definitely not natural."
"Whatever it is, we can't give up halfway."
Caelan's voice gained unanimous agreement from the others. They had come this far; they couldn't just turn back.
Even if there was danger there, they had to face it. Otherwise, wouldn't their suffering along the way have been for nothing?
Only when they were completely unable to handle the danger could they consider leaving.
Even if there was no danger, they still needed to confirm that the Psychneuein were truly extinct.
That was precisely the purpose of this expedition.
Caelan's gaze fell on Magnus. "Little Mag, it's your decision."
Magnus stared at the steep cliff. He couldn't see what was there, but that thing seemed to have a fatal attraction for him.
They were standing on the edge of the cliff right now. Just one more step forward, and they might fall into the abyss.
Avoiding the danger was simple: he could just turn and leave.
But the cliff would still be standing there. His avoidance wouldn't eliminate the danger.
They could turn and leave today, but tomorrow, curious explorers would climb the cliff, trying to see the truth.
He could put up warning signs at the foot of the mountain, even post guards day and night to warn latercomers.
But someone would always find another way, search on their own, or be guided by others, taking an unmanned path up the mountain.
If he died at the bottom of the valley, that would be one thing; the terrifying thing was that such people often dragged the innocent into their fate.
Magnus now faced a choice.
If he were an ordinary person, he would turn and leave. What did the lives of others matter to him?
But he was a Primarch. He and his brothers were born to guide mortals.
He wouldn't rush into danger, but he had to see what the danger was.
Was there a crack in the cliff, ready to collapse under weight?
Or was someone lurking there, waiting to push curious people who walked onto the cliff into the abyss?
They stood outside the mountain, seeing its full silhouette.
They could see the danger on the cliff, but they couldn't see what the danger was.
Magnus said resolutely, "We climb the mountain!"
Magnus's eyes were resolute. No one raised an objection at this moment; they all yearned to know the truth.
Amon murmured to himself: "Truth is so precious that people rush towards it!"
They knew there was danger on the mountain, yet they were willing to climb it even if it meant being dashed to pieces. They would even willingly die on the mountain.
The mountain was there. How could people resist climbing it?
Caelan said, "Truth is so precious that it must be guarded by lies."
Amon frowned in confusion. "It seems we are not talking about the same thing?"
This proverb was profound, but it didn't seem related to their current situation.
"No, it's the same thing."
"Lies are so precious that they must be guarded by truth."
"That is also the same thing."
"I don't understand," Amon shook his head.
"Perhaps there is no danger on the mountain."
"The basis for that judgment?"
"No basis. Simply because He is Tzeentch."
The Warp erodes the material universe from all directions; it wouldn't limit itself to one aspect.
If there were a 'hole' on the cliff, Warp energy would shroud the entire city.
But the overall Warp energy concentration on Prospero was very low, no different from the material universe.
They had been worried all the way, yet encountered no danger. Perhaps the danger had never existed from the start.
Tzeentch is not Khorne. He doesn't need to use danger to achieve His goals.
That would be too direct, not Tzeentch's style.
Even if the Psychneuein's nest were on the mountain, so what?
Psychneuein are not as terrifying as Enslavers. Although their reproduction method is horrifying, they are not difficult to eliminate.
They posed no threat to the expedition.
They climbed the winding mountain path and scaled the cliff.
Upon reaching the summit, Magnus suddenly stopped.
A magnificent giant bird carved from colorful stones stood prominently before them.
This giant bird seemed about to spread its wings and fly high. Its neck was as long and elegant as a swan's, standing dangerously on the cliff face.
The moment he saw it, knowledge rushed uncontrollably into Magnus's mind.
Time flowed before his eyes as a river; history unfolded before him. He saw the statue's past and present lives.
It had existed since the ancients first colonized Prospero.
It had stood here for millennia, enduring wind and rain, yet always maintaining perfect balance.
But the instant Magnus saw its magnificent form, it suddenly winked at him, then toppled from its pedestal with a crash, plummeting into the abyss in the howling wind.
Like a fledgling just leaving its nest, it fell from the great height on its first attempt to fly, shattering into pieces.
Or perhaps it had finally fulfilled its purpose and was calmly meeting its fate ordained by destiny.
The moment the statue fell, Magnus felt as if a priceless treasure was shattering before his eyes. An indescribable, sharp pain surged in his heart, his breath catching.
But just as the stone statue was about to fall into the abyss, an invisible, gentle force softly lifted it.
As if guided by an unseen giant hand, it 'flew' back towards the sky, finally landing steadily back on its pedestal.
It stood there again, as intact as before.
But the giant hand remained supporting it, lest it inadvertently fall again.
"So this is what was attracting you?"
Magnus looked back at his father. It was he who, at the critical moment, had saved the statue, and the secrets it held.
"Yes."
Magnus turned his gaze back to the statue. "It contains truth. It is truth!"
When Magnus looked at it, knowledge surged into his mind in an exciting way.
It was pure, precious knowledge, containing no traps or costs!
The knowledge was so complete that it captivated even the primarch.
"Little Mag!"
"I understand, Father!"
Magnus's innate instinct made him greedily crave knowledge, but he still forced himself to look away from the statue. "Knowledge is not without cost. Knowledge is the cost!"
When you touch truth, the colors of truth have already quietly stained your soul.
Regardless of what that truth is.
.....
30 Chapters [email protected]/DaoistJinzu