In the living room of the suite, Jain Zar, several other Phoenix Lords, and various Aspect Warriors were conversing in their melodic Eldar tones, discussing the recent events that had occurred on Terra.
Nearby, members of the Steel Legion, Captain Sicarius, Commissar Yarrick, Lieutenant Voss, Tech-priest Datius, Inquisitor Greyfax, and Sister Miriya, sat a bit nervously on the living room sofas, occasionally glancing in the direction of the game room.
Because Yvraine and Farseer Taldeer had descended to Terra...
The Hrud Collective and the Kroot Mercenaries immediately halted their invasion of Terra upon receiving orders from Cegorach.
The Steel Legion, who had been on the run and battling with the Hrud and Kroot for days, finally got a rare moment of respite.
In the suite's game room, a concept-level barrier shimmered with multicolored light, sealing off all engines, warp abilities, psychic energy usage, and Infinity Circuit support.
Inquisitor Greyfax, Saint Celestine, Yvraine, and Lelith sat around the card table, each wearing a different expression as they studied the cards in their hands.
Behind them, Farseer Taldeer sat elegantly on a tea cabinet, carefully observing the barrier around the room.
The Drukhari Drazhar and Chapter Master also watched the game with serious expressions, eyes fixed on Lelith and Greyfax.
This game before them would determine the future fate of Terra.
"Ten of Thrones."
After some hesitation, Celestine discarded a card from her three loose cards.
"Full House! Ready hand!" Greyfax claimed the card, made her play, drew another card, and a hint of suppressed tension and joy appeared in her eyes. She indicated she was ready to win.
Sitting next to her, Lelith smiled indulgently.
She glanced at Greyfax's previous discards, mentally calculated for a moment, and discarded one of her Four of Aquilas.
"Win! Pure Suit!" Greyfax pushed her cards over with a sigh of relief, then turned to Lelith.
"Lelith, on Terra, Drukhari can only survive and spread their influence on a small hive district. They're not allowed to expand elsewhere. Is that... acceptable?"
"Acceptable. But if others come to us willingly, I won't refuse them."
"...Fine."
Greyfax considered it briefly, then accepted the terms.
Terra had clearly become the epicenter of this galactic civilization war. Before the Steel Legion had grown strong enough, balancing powers with powers was the only option.
By confining the Drukhari to a small hive district, they would no longer threaten all of Terra, yet could still help protect it.
This was already the best possible outcome.
Lelith also smiled slightly and raised her eyebrows toward Yvraine, giving her a look that said, "See?"
The game round ended.
Celestine, as the representative of the Frateris Templar, gained nothing, and instead, the Templar was required to help guard Terra's system for 5,000 years.
Yvraine, as the representative of the Craftworld Eldar, obtained the right to promote the Path in the Western Hemisphere.
The Drukhari were confined to a small hive district.
The Steel Legion managed to preserve Terra's sovereignty as much as possible, while still gaining protection and support from the Eldar, Drukhari, and Frateris Templar.
This result was far better than the high-ranking officers of the Legion had expected.
---
[Major advancement in the worldline trajectory has occurred.]
[The worldline has significantly deviated.]
[Obtained:
- 1 trait duplication
- 1 associated trait extraction
- 1 trait upgrading (red)
- 1 trait downgrading
- 1 trait removal
- 1 trait reset]
---
Upon seeing these exaggerated system rewards, Kei's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
With a wave of his hand, he removed the barrier surrounding the room.
"Everyone's always targeting me..." The Chapter Master muttered with a scowl, arms crossed, as he walked out of the game room with Greyfax to report the final result to the Steel Legion command.
Every time he entered the game, they all ganged up on him.
Over four full rounds, he played two and was nearly stripped of all his dignity by the three women at the table.
"I heard someone helped you upgrade your wraithbone body matrix?"
Yvraine casually tossed the last Four of Aquilas she was playing with onto the table, then gave Lelith a knowing look.
Since their arrival on Terra, Kei had told them he would establish a dimensional portal in the outer atmosphere of Terra, one that connects to his own dimension and could also lead to other worlds.
That meant the result of this game had been decided from the beginning: Terra would not become the exclusive territory of any one civilization. It would become the hub of communication for all known civilizations in the galaxy.
Whether Drukhari, Craftworld Eldar, or other civilizations, all must exercise restraint here.
The only one who hadn't seen this coming was the Frateris Templar representative, the slightly naïve Living Saint Celestine, who still didn't fully grasp the power of this dimensional god. And the members of the Steel Legion, who remained focused solely on resisting xenos civilization invasions.
"Soulfire Matrix! The ultimate power formed by the fusion of Warp and Anti-Warp. Dear cousin, at best, you can only fight me to a draw now."
Lelith sat with her legs crossed, chin slightly raised, exuding full queenly presence.
With Kei's help, she had become stronger than an average enhanced wraithbone body. After fusing the Warp and Anti-Warp abilities, her power had grown even further!
With the support of her Torture-class Raider, capable of functioning as a mobile command center, she now possessed power equal to that of Yvraine.
Though the Drukhari were still far weaker than the Craftworld Eldar overall, as long as she could remain undefeated, she wouldn't have to run across the galaxy being chased by that sanctimonious Yvraine, so afraid to even show her face.
"Soulfire? No wonder it sounds so pretentious when you say it."
"Tch~ You only ever use these petty jibes to try to provoke me."
"Fascinating~ Following that Dimensional Demon God has really made you more... restrained. You can even hold back your usual venom now, impressive."
Yvraine spoke with elegant amusement.
"I don't have time for your condescension."
Lelith waved her hand irritably. She couldn't stand Yvraine's superior gaze any longer and stood up, heading outside to find Greyfax for some comfort. If she talked to that self-righteous witch any longer, she feared her temper might explode from sheer frustration.
Yvraine smiled gracefully, glancing over at Kei. She then turned to Celestine, who sat sulking with puffed cheeks after losing badly, and said, "Young Living Saint, pass a message to Lord Guilliman: once Cegorach finishes collecting enough Warp Particles, he should return quickly. There won't be a second chance."
"You... I'll deliver the message."
Celestine was a bit upset by Yvraine's commanding tone but knew full well the gap between the Frateris Templar and the Craftworld Eldar.
Yvraine was not someone to trifle with.
Besides, Guilliman helping Cegorach had put Celestine, the Templar's Living Saint, in a very awkward position. She didn't even have the courage to face her dimensional savior today.
Frustrated, she stood up and left her seat.
As she exited the game room, she began initiating a vox call to the Fortress of Hera on Macragge.
Yvraine waved her hand and used her psychic energy to gently guide Taldeer, who had been spectating, out of the game room as well. Then she resealed the room.
"Are you satisfied with how everything just played out?"
"You actually care whether Guilliman lives or dies?"
Kei chuckled and sat across from Yvraine.
"From another perspective, Cegorach can't obtain Warp Particles without the Templar's stellar manipulation technology. Without enough certainty, he won't show up again. Guilliman helped you save time. Isn't that a good thing?"
Yvraine's expression remained composed, but her posture relaxed slightly.
She didn't outright refuse, which meant she was willing to negotiate.
Kei's multiverse and multidimensional system didn't represent the same annihilating threat as Cegorach, who sought to bring about the Age of Endings. But for the Craftworld Eldar, it still symbolized an unknown and uncertain future.
If possible, Yvraine naturally wanted to leave her people with a few reliable allies. After all, who knew how long it would take those mon-keigh in the Steel Legion to truly grow strong?
"Makes sense."
Kei shrugged, he didn't object.
Assigning Guilliman to guard the Sol System for 5,000 years was, in a way, rewriting his fate.
After all, anyone who could influence the worldline was still just another piece. Someone he hadn't even met in person. Whether he lived or died meant nothing to Kei.
"Looks like your little saint admirer won't have to go hide and weep in despair after all."
Yvraine smiled with elegant mischief, a touch of teasing in her voice.
"Those who heed counsel tend to be treated better."
Kei raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yvraine's graceful form, now more relaxed without her ceremonial armor, firing a flirtatious quip right back.
"Let's address the matter at hand. I want you to do me a favor. In exchange, so long as it doesn't violate the Path, the Craftworld Eldar will draw blade for you."
A hint of something unreadable flashed across Yvraine's ancient features.
Being assessed on aesthetics by someone vastly stronger than herself, someone who pursued perfection, was something she found... unexpectedly significant.
"Go on."
"I want you to... completely annihilate all vassals under Vect's rule."
"That sounds like it violates your so-called 'Path of survival,' doesn't it?"
Kei froze for a second. He had imagined many possibilities, but he truly didn't expect Yvraine to propose something like this.
All vassals, wiped out.
That didn't just include fallen Eldar, it included all the souls who had pledged loyalty to Vect.
That's no small number!
"Survival is a harsh necessity. I've been Emissary for millennia. I grow weary of the burden. And others have witnessed enough of my leadership. Stepping aside is wisdom, is it not?"
"In your opinion... who should be the next leader of the Craftworld Eldar?"
"..."
Kei pondered briefly and more or less understood Yvraine's thinking.
The Warp represented by Cegorach had already stood on the opposing side. Given his style of doing things, it was nearly impossible for him to show mercy to a half-mad trickster who had reached cosmic awareness.
Once Cegorach was dead, the xenos civilizations under his command would no longer pose a significant threat to the Craftworld Eldar. If they truly crossed the red line of survival and renewal, just a few high-ranking Phoenix Lords could easily wipe out the vast majority of known xenos civilizations in the galaxy.
The unknown species had clearly already begun cooperating with Cegorach.
This war would not end well for them.
The concept of multi-layered, multi-dimensional realms that Kei represented offered no space for these aliens to survive. They had no future anymore!
The only uncertain factor was Vect.
As the former Supreme Overlord of the greatest resources in the known galaxy, even though the Drukhari Empire had declined for millennia, the number of his followers still couldn't be underestimated.
Once Cegorach was gone, Vect would become the greatest destabilizing factor in the known galaxy.
Only by thoroughly eliminating this destabilizing element, could the remaining Craftworld Eldar, the Frateris Templar, and the Astra Militarum possibly unite the various civilizations and powers of the known galaxy into a single force, ready to face the highly likely arrival of the multi-layered, multidimensional era.
As for Lelith, the Drukhari who had been restrained had become a vicious hound with a collar.
Although Kei, this Dimensional Demon God, was no saint, and vicious hounds eventually get unleashed, the Craftworld Eldar had tied themselves to his camp. A vicious hound wearing a collar wouldn't dare go against its master's will and bite its own allies!
With all the internal strife in the known galaxy resolved, the Craftworld Eldar could now devote more strength to exploring new possibilities and moving toward a future never previously imagined.
As for Yvraine herself wanting to step down as Emissary of Ynnead, first, it might be just like in the original lore: she had long realized that the Craftworld Path of survival, under her leadership for millennia, had made little progress or change. A system that never changes finds it hard to adapt to a new future.
Second, the Craftworld Eldar's ability to travel across dimensions was entirely based on the gateways established by Kei. To expand outward, they had to cling tightly to his influence. But clinging to someone's influence couldn't be done with the dignity of an Emissary.
It wasn't just about pride, it was also about preserving some degree of autonomy, so the Eldar wouldn't end up like the Drukhari, reduced to vicious hounds with collars.
Third, she might also be willing to become a sharp blade leading the Eldar into a new future, clearing away obstacles from other realms for the Eldar's development, while wandering and exploring along the way.
"Doesn't matter who you choose, they'll all turn out the same?"
Kei shrugged and gave no specific recommendation to Yvraine about the next leader of the Craftworld Eldar.
"That's exactly why it's troublesome,"
Yvraine frowned and shook her head with Eldar grace. She needed to steer the overall direction, making sure the Eldar didn't stray from Kei's side. But at the same time, she wanted them to transform more as they moved toward a new future.
Such expectations were inherently contradictory.
"Don't stress about it. If it's hard to choose one, just pick three instead."
Kei, using [Destiny Chronometer], stared at Yvraine for a few seconds.
After seeing the future layout of the Ancient Aeldari Empire, he simply told her the final result.
In the Ancient Aeldari Empire:
The Aspect King represented the foundation of the Path system.
The War King represented its martial edge.
The Dawn King represented the future of survival and renewal.
It was a beautiful vision and expectation.
It was just that Lelith turned out a bit unreliable, walking down a path that left Yvraine deeply disappointed.
That's why the Aspect King later chose to retreat to the Craftworlds, and the War King came to wield sole authority over the Eldar territories.
"Three Kings?"
Yvraine raised her eyebrows slightly, also subconsciously thinking of Lelith.
In theory, the Three Kings system was indeed a more stable and well-rounded structure. Now that she was in the background steering the overall direction, it was unlikely that the same kind of internal collapse would occur again.
The Three Kings system could definitely bring more possibilities to the Craftworld Eldar.
War King, Aspect King, Dawn King.
No, those titles needed to be changed. After all, these were new rulers, and there shouldn't be too many traces of the old era.
Seeing Yvraine lost in thought, Kei turned his attention back to the system rewards.
The trait duplication chances had now accumulated to three, but there really weren't any traits currently that caught his eye.
What remained usable were the related trait extraction, the red trait upgrade, and the purple trait upgrade opportunities.
System, use associated trait extraction.
---
[Associated trait selected: Primordial Realm Lord]
[Obtained:
- Decay's Sigh (Gold)]
[Decay's Sigh (Gold):
The soul becomes rotten wood, the body decays and collapses, and all life must eventually wither, how can anything endure forever? Allows preliminary use of the Concept of Decay. At the moment of Decay's Sigh, all things within contact range begin to rapidly age, rot, crumble, and degrade.
(Note: This ability consumes an enormous amount of energy. When energy is insufficient, it is prone to severe backlash.)]
---
A concept!
His eyes lit up immediately and he chose to activate the trait on the spot.
The Concept of Decay!
To get access to a conceptual power like this from just one associated trait extraction, pure, outrageous luck.
---
[Compatibility detected:
- Decay's Sigh (Gold)
- Primordial Realm Lord (Rainbow)]
[Fusion? Yes/No]
---
Yes!
The power that had just surged into Kei's mind and body quickly fused into the Primordial Realm. After being restructured by the Realm, the Concept of Decay took form.
A star infused with the Decay Concept now hung high in the Primordial Realm.
With the dimensional power boost, the previously rudimentary concept had already evolved into a Decay Domain.
A conceptual-level force that transcended the laws of reality.
Even those who theoretically possessed eternal life and indestructible bodies would, under its influence, rapidly fall into decline and decay.
And more than that, it wasn't just life that would decay, matter, energy, and even any power ranked below the Concept of Decay were not exempt.
In other words, if an enemy shot an energy-packed arrow at Kei, the moment the arrow entered the Decay Domain, it would rapidly disintegrate under the Concept of Decay, and the energy embedded in it would decay right along with it.
Not bad, not bad. Even sighing is useful now.
His lips curled into a satisfied smile.
The activation condition for Decay's Sigh was, literally sighing.
To maximize the effect, he had to sigh directly at the enemy's face.
That kind of activation method, no matter how you looked at it, made it seem like his breath was really foul.
But after being upgraded to a domain, the Concept of Decay had already broken free from rigid activation methods. He could now use it however he pleased, definitely way cooler than sighing into someone's face.