"Nurgle, have you ever heard of numerology?" Alexander asked with a sincere tone.
Numerology? The moment these five words left Alexander's mouth, Nurgle froze.
He first nodded, then shook his head in confusion.
He knew the five words 'numerology'; it was some theory that little Mortarion had come up with.
Nurgle hadn't really looked into it, only thinking that Mortarion had found a way to use his Psyker powers.
"You're right, but numerology is a rigorous science developed by the Primarch Mortarion, dedicated to connecting reality and the Empyrean with numbers, explaining reality and the Empyrean with numbers, and encompassing both dimensions under materialism."
Alexander, using the acting talent bestowed by the Hot Scene Clapperboard & Robot Director and the superb logical ability from his Deduction Hat, began to spout nonsense:
"Look, do any of these bacteria of mine have even a trace of Warp power? They are purely material!"
Saying this, Alexander pushed several types of bacteria on the table towards Nurgle.
These bacteria were produced by the Unplanned Bacteria Manufacturing Machine and contained no Psyker power whatsoever.
Hearing this, Nurgle couldn't help but widen his eyes and began to observe the bacteria in the petri dish.
He was surprised to discover that these bacteria, which could even infect gods, contained no Warp power at all; they were purely things born in the material universe.
Nurgle couldn't help but lean closer, watching the tiny bacteria squirm and divide on the glass.
"They really are products of the material universe, purely products of the material universe…" He murmured to himself.
In the entire Warp, his domain had the most interference with the material realm, and his authority often manifested in the form of viruses, bacteria, parasites, and other things inhabiting matter.
But Nurgle had never tried to cultivate pure, material bacteria, nor had he ever thought that such an effect could be achieved without using the power of the Empyrean.
"Nurgle, throughout the long years, the material universe and the Warp have been like two ends of a mirror, balancing each other, reflecting each other."
"But until the war we both know about broke out—the war between the C'tan and the Old Ones born in the material universe, a war that burned the entire galaxy and the Warp."
Alexander spoke to Nurgle in a warm, instructive, and preaching tone:
"In that war, there were both Warp tides invading the structure of reality, and C'tan from the material realm burning through the Webway of the Empyrean. The two worlds intertwined and fought, but ultimately, we both know the outcome of that war."
"The material realm was permanently scarred, so many lives trapped in death and disease, trickery and sorcery, war and slaughter, yet the Empyrean boiled because of it.
You were infected with so many extreme emotions that you broke the balance between the two worlds, causing the Empyrean to tilt and overwhelm the material universe."
Nurgle nodded in continuous agreement. He knew everything Alexander said was true; he was a participant in that war and constantly drew power from it, becoming what he is today.
Not just him, but his 'brothers' or colleagues were almost all the same; even Slaanesh, in a sense, was born from the aftermath of that War in Heaven.
It's no exaggeration to say that the current pattern of the two dimensions, reality and the Warp, was actually born from that war between the Old Ones and the C'tan.
The starry sea boiled, and the Empyrean boiled because of it.
"So the Empyrean constantly eroded reality, tearing open cracks in the dimension of reality, wantonly spreading corruption. This situation has lasted for so long that you have forgotten a fact: it is not only the Warp that can invade the material realm."
Hearing this, Nurgle gasped slightly.
Alexander knew his words were having an effect, and he pressed on, "You are the oldest deity; you know better than anyone that this has happened before. How wantonly the Old Ones once manipulated the Warp, and how often the Burning One C'tan invaded the domain of the Empyrean."
"The Empyrean is the realm of will. In this dimension, only will is real, but will can distort the matter of the real universe."
"Similarly, reality is the realm of matter. In that dimension, only matter is real, but matter can give birth to will to distort the Warp."
"Think of your daemon Princes and Chosen, think of the viruses you cultivate, think of Kaldor Draigo of the Grey Knights who once invaded Nurgle's Garden."
Kaldor Draigo, Grand Master of the Grey Knights, was eternally trapped in the Warp by the curse of the daemon Prince M'Kachen the Reborn.
This Grand Master had banished Mortarion, killed a Bloodthirster with his bare hands, slaughtered six Slaanesh daemons, broke into and destroyed Tzeentch's domain,
He even set fire to parts of Nurgle's Garden.
All the daemons in the Warp feared this Astartes from the material universe; he is still wantonly slaughtering daemons in the Warp to this day.
This is not just because of Kaldor Draigo's own strength; in fact, it is because the will born in the material body of this Grey Knight Grand Master is so strong that he can even distort the Warp and dominate the Empyrean more intensely than daemons.
After all, in this dimension, only will is real.
Alexander chose to use this as a case study, an example of reality invading the Empyrean.
Nurgle couldn't help but nod repeatedly as Alexander spoke.
Based on the knowledge accumulated over a long time, Nurgle believed that what Alexander said was indeed correct.
The material universe is not powerless against the invasion of the Warp; the Warp is often subjected to backlash from the material universe.
This is also one of the reasons why Nurgle and his colleagues seek daemon Princes, Chosen, and mortal followers.
They need the power of the material universe to help them carry out their will.
"Then, just as psyker in the material universe draw power from the Warp, as Warp entities, you can also draw upon the power of the real universe."
"But for long ages, you have largely ignored the power of reality; only Mortarion saw the power contained in matter. The great prophet Mortarion elucidated for you the unified theory of the material universe and the Empyrean—this is numerology."
Nurgle listened with wide eyes.
If Alexander hadn't said these words, he might never have realized what Mortarion had truly discovered.
Numerology… a discipline that harnesses the power of the material universe.
Nurgle hesitated a little. He had always thought Mortarion's numerology was just a means for him to use his Psyker powers.
But if everything Alexander said was true, perhaps it was because he, as a purely Warp deity, hadn't noticed the power numerology drew from the material universe?
Noticing Nurgle was wavering, Alexander took a deep breath and continued:
"I can cultivate these bacteria that don't rely on Warp power at all, and easily defeat the Tear plague, all thanks to numerology."
"I truly don't understand why some people always attack our great numerology, attack the ancient sage Mortarion. Our numerology is clearly a perfect and flawless discipline; those who attack our numerology must be blessed by Tzeentch."
"Come, I'll cook you a pot of soup and show you the power of numerology."
Hearing that Alexander was going to cook soup, Nurgle immediately became interested, his eyes lighting up.
Based on the soup-making method he had just comprehended while drinking Nurgle's thick soup, Alexander began to consider how to prepare this pot of soup.
The required ingredients almost instinctively gushed forth from Alexander's mind.
"I need to go back to the material universe to collect the necessary ingredients."
As night deepened over Macragge, half the planet fell into slumber, but Roboute Guilliman still hadn't stopped his work.
He had just finished processing the front-line report sent by Sanguinius; the forces led by his most perfect brother were advancing like a broken bamboo, having reclaimed most of the planets within the former Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar in seven months, with only a few remaining occupied by the Black Legion, mutants, and daemons.
But it was likely that the war within Ultramar would end before the close of this year, before humanity entered the forty-second millennium.
And after that, the recovery of the entire Ultima Segmentum would certainly be put on the agenda.
Currently, the Ultima Segmentum was torn in half by the Great Rift, but fortunately, with the existence of the anywhere door, the dark side where the Blood Angels' homeworld Baal was located had not lost contact with Macragge.
Roboute Guilliman did not intend to personally oversee the upcoming battles anymore.
He decided to entrust the war on the Macragge side to Calgar and Tigurius, and the dark side to Dante of the Blood Angels.
As for himself, Alexander, and Sanguinius, it was already time to head to Terra.
Guilliman put down the last document; his work within Ultramar for the day was temporarily concluded.
He could now spare some time for more grand work.
Guilliman took out paper and pen, trying his best to grip the pen with fingers clad in the Fate Armor. It was difficult, very difficult.
But Guilliman felt he could do it. He began to try writing.
"Perhaps sharp, but undoubtedly, humanity is physiologically unqualified as a species to rule the galaxy."
"Most individuals in our species cannot endure the work of ruling even a single planet. They must endure sleepless nights, mental fatigue, and the exhaustion of long work, but this in turn weakens the minds they use to rule the planet. This is one of the reasons why our civilization is so inefficient."
"To be honest, even I, Roboute Guilliman, son of the Emperor, still feel tired when dealing with these state affairs. I have never felt happy ruling this Imperium."
"Humanity needs a completely new way to manage its vast civilization, a way that will be efficient and swift, rational and complete, making every individual within it a cog in a massive administrative system, so that individual fatigue, suffering, and overwork cannot affect the operation of the entire system."
"Below, I will demonstrate the operating method of humanity's new civilization system."
Guilliman scrutinized the words on the paper. He had tried his best, but it was still very ugly.
However, Guilliman was quite satisfied; he had improved a lot compared to when he first started.
Click ——————
The sound of a door opening, which had recently become familiar to Guilliman, rang out. Guilliman saw Alexander emerge from the door.
"I need some things, wait, what are you writing?" Alexander interrupted himself before he finished speaking, his gaze falling on Guilliman's desk as he asked.
"Oh, I was planning to create a new holy text, the 'Codex Imperialis.' It will replace the 'Codex Astartes' and will not be limited to the Astartes, but will encompass all things, becoming the guiding principle for all human actions —————— hey, why are you tearing it?!"