Psyker, huh?
Listening to One-Eye, Alexander couldn't help but look at him with a curious expression.
In the Lower Nest, the psykers were almost like urban legends circulating on the streets.
They were terrifying tales used to stop children from crying at night, one of the ghosts and monsters that might lurk in the Bottom Nest, an ominous and taboo curse.
Everyone detested the psyker, like a legendary demon, yet no one had ever seen an psyker with their own eyes.
But One-Eye's tone sounded as if he had seen an psyker.
"You should know about the psyker, right?"
One-Eye put down the rag he was using to wipe glasses, pulled up a stool, and sat opposite Alexander:
"You're far more knowledgeable than the vast majority of people in the Lower Nest."
Alexander nodded slightly.
Of course, he knew what the psyker were.
Most psyker were actually a bunch of pitiful wretches.
They were born linked to the Warp, able to manipulate the power of the Empyrean.
But in contrast, their souls in the Warp shone like torches, constantly at risk of being corrupted and eroded.
Eventually, they would become a gateway for Daemons to invade the physical universe.
Because of this, the Imperium strictly managed and controlled the psyker.
For those psykers who might lose control, their fate was often to become fuel for the Astronomican.
But the Imperium was vast, and there were always some who slipped through the net, hiding in the shadows, becoming illegal psykers, barely surviving.
If One-Eye's words were true,
the leader of the Ark Gang could indeed be an illegal psyker.
Or perhaps...
Alexander's eyes flickered slightly.
In the organizational structure of the Gene Stealers, beneath the right claw of the Gene Stealer Patriarch, there existed beings known as "Gene Stealer Bishops."
Gene Stealer Bishops were powerful psyker, almost indistinguishable from humans in appearance.
She was the Patriarch's proxy, the administrator of the brood, using her impressive eloquence and rhetorical skills to deceive humans, to discover and expand the cult.
Alexander strongly suspected that the so-called leader of the Ark Gang was this kind of entity.
A powerful GSC psyker.
"Someone came asking about you this morning; I managed to send them away," One-Eye suddenly said, interrupting Alexander's thoughts.
"Asking about me?"
A hint of vigilance rose in Alexander's heart:
"What is there to ask about me?"
Unless the Gene Stealers had discovered that he was the one who killed those mixed-blood new believers,
but... that shouldn't be the case.
He had cleaned up all the traces on the ground, and he had used air gun water that contained no psychic power.
Even the Saint Arbiters among the Gene Stealers would likely not be able to track him.
"It was the Ark Gang, wearing linen robes, with silly spaceships painted on their faces," One-Eye said, pouring himself a glass of crimson liquor.
"Did you offend them?"
Alexander shook his finger, indicating that he had no connection with them.
Unless they really were the Genestealer Cult, Alexander thought to himself.
"Could it be that they resent me for selling weapons to the local gangs?" Alexander asked, half-jokingly.
"Hard to say, psyker are all a bit mentally unstable," One-Eye shook his head seriously.
"Tell me, what exactly happened last night?" Alexander inquired.
"The Ark Gang raided our district last night; the local gangs were caught off guard and lost almost half their territory right away."
One-Eye poured the crimson liquor down his throat, clearing his voice, and said:
"But the local gangs weren't all softies; relying on their familiarity with the streets, they quickly held their defensive line."
"Who knew some bastard saw the situation was bad and defected to the Ark Gang, leading them to outflank and ambush."
"The Ark Gang swept through like a broken bamboo, fighting all the way to the entrance of the local gangs' stronghold."
One-Eye smacked his lips, poured himself another drink, and continued:
"The rest is just as you heard."
"With the weapons you provided, the local gangs had initially held on."
"But then that Ark Gang leader stood alone in front of the muzzles, reciting from the Holy Word Records."
"The local gangs were as if enchanted, frozen in place, and at her command, they all obediently laid down their weapons."
Saying this, One-Eye lowered his voice and looked at Alexander, saying:
"The Ark Gang leader said she was acting on the Emperor's will, coming to redeem all beings in Ashford."
"She also wants to build a huge ark, carrying all the people of Ashford who join the Ark Gang, to ascend among the stars, escaping the claws of interstellar Daemons."
Listening to One-Eye, Alexander's mouth twitched slightly: "Then the whole city's people will be truly grateful..."
One-Eye, however, shook his head resolutely and said: "But the Emperor taught us that psyker are all shameless sorcerers, blasphemous corruption."
Alexander couldn't help but rub his chin.
This Ark Gang, the more he heard, the more it sounded like GSC. Could these GSC really have tracked him down?
But a strange feeling arose in Alexander's heart.
If the Ark Gang was indeed a tendril of the Gene Stealers, and they had confirmed that Alexander was the one who took out the GSC in the Abandoned city (Wasteland District),
then the Saint Arbiters should have assassinated Alexander last night, bringing down the Four-Armed Emperor's judgment upon him.
By now, Alexander should have already returned to the Golden Throne or the Brass Throne, Slaanesh's Six Rings, Nurgle's Garden... or similar places.
Noticing Alexander's expression, One-Eye raised an eyebrow.
He tapped on the table and asked:
"You don't really have a grudge with the Ark Gang, do you? Do you need to run? I can arrange it for you."
"Other gang territories or the Bottom Nest are fine; I still have some connections."
He looked at Alexander and said:
"Of course, there's a fee. The Bottom Nest is cheap, other gang territories are more expensive."
Saying this, One-Eye pulled an lho cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
He also offered one to Alexander, looking like he was discussing business.
"I don't smoke," Alexander refused with a gesture. "As for running away..."
Mont and Marquite's mutant faces appeared in Alexander's mind.
"Wait a bit longer, there's something I want to confirm."
"Really not smoking?" One-Eye shook the lho cigarette in his hand and said, "My mom said only idiots, babies, and Sanguinius don't smoke lho cigarettes."
"You're clearly not an idiot, nor do you look like a baby. Could it be that you're Sanguinius?"
"Hahahahaha!"
One-Eye seemed to be amused by his own joke.
"Alright, I might just be an angel reborn, Sanguinius himself, come to test your loyalty," Alexander said with a smile, shaking his head.
"I genuinely don't smoke," Sanguinius shrugged and said, "I don't smoke real cigarettes either."
"Khan did smoke a type of hookah, and Leman Russ even vied to try it."
"Shut up, birdman," Alexander glanced at the figure of Sanguinius, a smile on his lips, and said, "Show some respect when you're talking to Sanguinius himself!"
"Oh, how the tables have turned!" Sanguinius said with an exaggerated tone.
Just then, the tavern door behind Alexander opened.
"I finally found you, my friend Alexander!"
A familiar voice rang out:
"You had Old Lager searching for quite a while!"