In the dim ambiance of the library, the faint light from three candles burned silently, the darkness creeping into every crevice.
Hades sat opposite Fernando, staring dumbfoundedly at the three tarot cards before him. The dark library, the floor littered with ancient weapons, and the golden inscriptions everywhere were overshadowed by the bloodstains on Fernando's face.
Hades blinked in surprise. Wasn't he supposed to apologize?
Had it not been for Barasin informing Hades and emphasizing that Fernando meant no harm, Hades would have fled to alert the captains the moment he saw this scene.
Let alone sitting in this eerie circle now.
It felt as if he was about to be sacrificed.
Fernando, on the other hand, sat calmly and seriously across from Hades. According to the divination, this conversation required Fernando to be forthright and control the pace.
"Greetings, Hades."
"I regret meeting you in such a manner, but the situation is urgent. Allow me to get straight to the point."
"After discussing with Barasin, you will answer my questions first, and then I will answer yours."
"In the name of the Chief Think Tank, I swear I need your truthful response. Do not hide anything."
Hades swallowed hard. Given the current setting and Fernando's words, everything felt a bit mad.
Is this how all psykers are?
Fernando's voice interrupted Hades's thoughts, "Allow me to ask, are you an Untouchable, or something else?"
"Or can you limit the use of psychic powers?"
To those unfamiliar with psychic powers, watching Hades fight Ugo might lead them to believe that Hades was an Untouchable. But the experienced members of the Think Tank knew that Hades's nature wasn't that simple.
Hades pondered. If he said he wasn't sure about his own nature, would Fernando believe him? In Hades's self-perception, he should be a variant of an Untouchable. After all, the Emperor, through the Silent Sisters and the Custodes, had granted him the Scythe Notice, indirectly acknowledging Hades's unique nature.
So, Hades slowly began, "I believe my nature is a variant of the Untouchables."
"At present, I can limit the use of psychic powers and sever the connection between beings and the Warp."
Hearing this, Fernando's eyes lit up, but he quickly pressed on, his urgent tone slightly aggressive, "Then why didn't you directly sever Ugo's connection to the Warp during your duel? As far as I know, just being around an Untouchable makes psykers uneasy."
Hades replied, "That's where I differ. Currently, I can only suppress the psychic energies and Warp fluctuations that come into contact with my body."
"My ability... cannot leave my body."
Upon hearing this, Fernando, without showing any surprise, extended his hand towards Hades, "Now, sever my connection to the Warp."
So direct?!
Hades couldn't refuse. Moreover, he felt that Fernando's current state was a bit off. Restricting him would make Hades feel safer.
Hades covered his right hand with his psychic null field and reached out to grasp Fernando's wrist.
Fernando's pupils constricted.
— Silence —
Having just connected with the Warp, Fernando's ears still rang. The moment Hades touched him, his world—
Went silent.
The connection to the Warp was severed, and a burning sensation spread from his arm. The figure of Hades across from him began to blur.
Fernando blinked in disbelief, as if trying to confirm something. In the eyes of a psyker, the tarot cards, which usually shifted and changed, now looked like ordinary paper.
This recruit—no, Hades—had truly severed the connection to the Warp!
Could he be the solution to that entity?
A wave of elation surged in Fernando's heart.
Sitting across from Fernando, Hades also sighed in relief.
In his psychic "vision", Fernando's soul was a brilliant and pure white, dazzling, but devoid of any repulsive power.
When fighting the sorcerer lord of Barbarus, Hades could distinctly feel the psychic energies they used, filled with a loathsome, even nauseating aura.
Fernando had none of that.
Good, you are pure.
Hades mentally noted, then released his grip.
Even at a minimal level, the thought of long-term erosion of a human soul was chilling to Hades.
"So, that's how it is," Hades said, looking at Fernando, waiting for his next move.
A mix of elation, relief, and fatigue momentarily appeared on the usually stoic face of the Chief Think Tank.
"Very well."
But Fernando quickly resumed his serious demeanor.
"Hades, what are your views on the Warp?"
"Do not hesitate. I won't pry into how you know or became aware of these things."
Perhaps the Emperor's Silent Sisters and Custodes had told Hades something. As the Emperor's closest allies, the Silent Sisters and Custodes often knew more truths than the legions.
Hades hesitated. Fernando seemed to be asking him to lay all his cards on the table.
But Hades had a hunch that the Think Tank in front of him might have glimpsed a part of the truth about the Warp. And the urgency to find an Untouchable likely had something to do with psychic powers and the Warp.
Hades didn't know the relationship between the legions and the only Untouchable force in the Imperium—the Silent Sisters. But most likely, the legions couldn't directly request the Silent Sisters' help.
Moreover, situations requiring the Silent Sisters often drew the attention of the Emperor and Mortarion.
For the entire legion, this might not be good news.
Given that Fernando needed something from him, and considering the psychic phenomena Hades had observed, he decided to share some information.
"I believe there are beings in the Warp that abide by its rules, and these entities harbor great malice towards humanity."
"Psykers, who have a closer connection to the Warp, are more susceptible to their corruption."
As he finished, Hades saw tears of blood once again form in Fernando's eyes.
A voice, several times raspier than before, spoke, "I am now convinced."
After all, to most, the idea of beings in the Warp would sound like utter nonsense.
"You are the manifestation of the Wheel of Fate from the divination."
Until now, Fernando had only found snippets about the Warp in ancient texts.
But Hades in front of him had easily voiced some of the conclusions Fernando had reached after much convoluted experimentation.
"Now, I can answer your questions."
"Let me tell you a story."
"Have you heard of Daemons?"