章節 167: Chapter 158: The Eternal Collector King's Deal
The distant grief and despair, fury and entanglements, roars and tearing could not be heard here at all.
Hades sipped on his cola, ice cubes clinking crisply as he set his cup down.
Hades glanced below. Ah, finished.
"Can I get a refill?"
One hand propping up his chin, Trazyn extended his other hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly Hades' cup refilled.
Hades marveled for a bit. Necron technology was indeed shocking! He then continued guzzling the heartwarming cola without worries.
Who knew when he might drink something so comforting again in the future?
Seeing Hades unhurried, Trazyn was also unrushed. Its time was endless.
Hades pondered, then spoke:
"So you intend to collect me in the future?"
"Correct answer,"
Trazyn leisurely refilled his own cup too.
If it collected Hades now, there would likely only be two outcomes:
First, the Emperor had no time to deal with this and Trazyn obtained an outsider collectible. Or second, the Emperor decided to give it a thrashing.
But the latter was far more probable.
To Trazyn, neither was its desired result.
The current Hades remained far from reaching peak collection value. But by the time Hades truly grew to that extent, matters would have exceeded what Trazyn could interfere in.
Although Trazyn was an Overlord of the Sautekh Dynasty whose dynasty was exceptionally wealthy, its role was still only that of a "prominent figure" among the necron race.
Yes, not a "top figure." Their true masters were the Silent Kings.
Trazyn absently tapped the table with its fingers.
This would not do. The necrons needed souls. Those kinds of destructive plans would also ruin their future.
They had already wrecked their souls and race. This could not be allowed to happen a second time!
But the warp was also expanding. In the foreseeable future, the barrier between realspace and warp would grow increasingly thin.
They required effective measures to isolate the warp.
The necrons' blackstone constructions could block off the warp, but with proper operation would instead amplify the warp's might.
An existence capable of uprooting the warp from its source, eliminating warp influence—
Trazyn regarded Hades, still madly drinking his cola.
"The modified brain I gave you prevents other necrons from detecting your nature."
Hades' hand lifting his cup jerked to a halt.
Eh?
Hades began associating this with Trazyn's earlier lecture about his constitution. Hmm...He indeed should not have been caught by necrons. Felt like he might get converted into some anti-warp weapon...
Hades considered this:
"You don't wish for me to be discovered by those necrons hoping to destroy the warp?"
Trazyn silently nodded.
"Based on my personal selfishness."
Trazyn hoped to preserve peak era Hades. By then, no one would find Trazyn or his collectibles.
Whether necron or human, Trazyn was quite confident of his concealment abilities.
But those warp creatures must understand, clenched in Trazyn's hand would be a weapon capable of annihilating them all.
If the warp crossed the line Trazyn drew for them, then...
Trazyn calmly drank more tea.
Such was Trazyn's scheme, but in all likelihood Hades would become an important Imperial figure by then. The Emperor and his lackey Malcador would watch Hades like hawks. Trazyn would lose the chance to make its move.
So it came early.
As for how Trazyn discovered Hades...
Unlike humans or psykers, necrons lacked methods to detect outsiders. Finding an outsider for Trazyn was purely a matter of luck.
But this outsider had voluntarily contacted necrons.
So Trazyn could hardly be blamed.
In fact, upon receiving this information Trazyn had activated chronomantic weapons, anchoring the event of "the necrons on Solemnace must awaken."
And Trazyn had calmly waited until the very last moment, the instant Hades teetered on the brink of death.
All to ensure it could "collect" peak era Hades.
Both humans and psykers had already invested in this. It had to keep up.
Trazyn marveled at the good fortune of that opposing Emperor to have such a powerful outsider accompany his son to the Imperium.
Now it was unlikely this outsider could be brought aboard a necron vessel. It could hardly say something like letting Hades work two days a week, two hours a day, some slave contract.
Of course, Trazyn did not represent all necrons. Because if the necrons discovered the outsider...
The good news was those slumber-addled Overlords were slow to react while engrossed in dynastic infighting rather than paying attention to aliens like humans.
Hades blinked. He suddenly felt the temperature lower on the Eternal Collector King's side as an atmosphere reminiscent of conspiracy theories began rendering.
Hmm...Currently known: Hades himself was dangerous but had no impact on necrons. Meanwhile Trazyn was unwilling for Hades to interact with other necrons, the reason most likely involving Hades becoming weaponized by those necrons.
They were all necrons, so why was Trazyn here acting so high and mighty?
Hades contemplated briefly before directly questioning:
"You also hope to turn me into a weapon."
Trazyn approvingly nodded:
"That's right, yet also not."
"Do you know what you will eventually face, Hades?"
"Death I guess."
Hades shrugged.
Trazyn stared at him:
"Correct. And a death bestowed by the Imperium."
"If left alone, someday you will grow to a level even that Emperor struggles to suppress."
"And upon reaching a certain point, even you would be unable to restrain your anti-psychic field."
"Not even the Pariahs among mankind could approach you then due to their comparatively low potency."
"You would devour all, truly becoming the Lord of the Dead‚ hades."
Then Trazyn sipped some tea:
"Your Emperor would never permit this."
"After exploiting your uses, he will kill you."
"Whether by betrayal or assigning you to lethal battlegrounds."
"As long as your flesh perishes, that warp void you carry will automatically vanish."
Upon hearing Trazyn's words, Hades was not particularly shocked. He scratched his chin:
Don't you feel that's pretty cool? This aligned well with his mental image of the Emperor. If the Emperor didn't scam Hades over, that wouldn't resemble the future Golden Skeleton.
If he brought no benefits to mankind, why would the Emperor randomly seek him out?
"Then I'm helpless if by the end I've truly become an unrestrainable void."
"At that time, just me alone—how's that any different from death?"
Moreover, pursuing immortality amidst this argumentative universe...
Hades shivered all over.
He still looked more forward to early retirement.
He might as well directly volunteer for the lethal battlefields.
Back on Barbarus, death had already been commonplace. Amidst warfare, death was even more the usual affair. Hades had long accepted this.
From venturing alone into the Overlord's territory to spearheading the charge, death lurked everywhere—perhaps a shrieking bullet, perhaps a slashing blade.
Death was but an inevitable phase of life. Why not, if one's death could lend greater meaning to life?
Besides, given the intensity of these battlefields, Hades felt uncertain whether he could even survive till the day he became so awesome.
"I don't see a need to evade death."
Hades drank more cola.
"If by then my existence truly threatens mankind, I will take the initiative to find a place to die."
Hades suddenly sensed something off with the atmosphere. Trazyn was staring blankly at him. Rather awkward.
"Uh..."
Hades shrugged.
"What else could I do by that point?"
Oh right, he could secretly pilot out of the Milky Way to some remote corner for finger painting...
Hmm, but the machine spirits seemed to hate him too.
Meanwhile the necron before Hades fell silent. As former Necrontyr transformed into necrons, gazing blankly.
It was their loathing for their brief lifespans, pursuit of immortality, that brought them to this point.
They had forsaken death, and so life forsook them in turn.
Yet now, a creature of flesh and blood sat casually speaking of "dying once" before Trazyn's eyes.
Trazyn slowly spoke:
"I'd thought you would be quite sensitive towards betrayal and death. But now I realize I was mistaken."
"Your attitude towards life and death astonishes me."
Of course. What point was there to immortality when one could do nothing?
Were not the necrons the best cautionary tale?
Trazyn thought.
Hades blinked.
"Sometimes the living may be better off dying."
Unpleasant memories surfaced as he recalled his past experiences with the Death Guard's Spartan lifestyle.
Trazyn was silent for a long while. But it abruptly realized: No! It had come to persuade Hades, not be persuaded by Hades!
Trazyn hastily guzzled more tea to press on with its original intended speech:
"But what if I had the technology to preserve you? Under my care, your anti-psychic field could be suppressed."
"That would let you evade death."
Unlike that Emperor's brute force method of using psychic might to plug the warp void, Trazyn possessed extremely advanced necron technology.
Hades stared at Trazyn:
"Wouldn't that still be me locked in stasis displays? How's that any different from death?"
Trazyn spoke up:
"But your existence would deter those other warp creatures."
As expected, Hades thought.
I myself am the nuclear bomb.
"Why not let humans keep me then?"
"Because the Imperium lacks such technology. They cannot achieve this."
Trazyn categorically stated:
"Then if you safeguard me, what if you use me against humans someday?"
"If you promise to come to me, then I shall promise to never do so."
"By the Sautekh Dynasty's name, I swear it."
Trazyn solemnly uttered.
Meanwhile Hades contemplated this as he watched the bouncing ice cubes in his cup. He sank into contemplation.
After bantering for so long, Trazyn finally revealed its intentions—this was likely the Necron Overlord's ultimate goal in seeking him out.
But was this not clearly inappropriate? Entrusting himself to xenos?
No no no. Even if it was Trazyn, this still felt utterly wrong.
But from current circumstances...If Hades refused, he would get crated immediately.
Hades carefully considered. His optimal solution now seemed to pretend to haggle terms with the Eternal Collector King to allay suspicions, then ask the Emperor about this after being allowed to leave. Or gather more intel before unilaterally annulling any deal with Trazyn.
Speaking of, would the half a brain Trazyn gave him eavesdrop on his thoughts?
Hades mentally cursed out Trazyn and the necrons before cordially greeting the Four.
He looked over. Trazyn had no reaction. Oh, likely no issue then.
"What will you give me then?"
Hades asked.
Trazyn was elated to finally negotiate:
"I can provide some technologies related to necron blackstone constructions, but only scraps. You would need to piece things together using your own knowledge."
Hades tilted his head. Just that? Sending me off with a pat on the butt?
"Insufficient."
"I will also safeguard you against discovery by other necrons."
Hades drank some cola.
"That you should be doing anyway."
"No other technologies or weapons or resources?"
Trazyn stared at this damned greedy creature.
"Aside from your Adeptus Mechanicus arriving to interrogate you, extensive use of necron technology would also alert the various dynasties who would take notice of you. I would be unable to protect you then."
Hades considered this. Crap, that's true.
Then whatcha got that you can give me?
Hades sat up straight. Realizing Trazyn currently needed something from him and was powerless over Hades, he righteously declared:
"You offer too little. This is demanding without compensation. I denounce your actions."
Trazyn also began denouncing Hades:
"If not for me, you would have perished long ago on Solemnace! Don't forget half your brains were fixed by me!"
"I even pressed back down those necrons for you!"
Hades thought: Ah, that's true.
No, in times like this, can't let reason or facts obstruct zeal!
"By then I could even deter the warp! And you give me just this bit? Didn't your dynasty have loads of wealth?"
"If I don't provide you this opportunity, sooner or later your damned Emperor will dispose of you! I offer quality accommodations yet you remain picky?"
"You call that accommodation? You just covet my body!"
"If I could hook some other outsider, would I bother with you? Still covered in star god stench—you think necrons like that stuff?"
"I'm an added value package, added value! Whatcha know about that?"
"What added value is that?!"
After the intense haggling session, both sides eventually compromised. Trazyn provided Hades some blackstone related technologies and two necron engines, while "permitting" Hades to collect necron weapons from Solemnace, with the prerequisite that said weapons see limited deployment without necessity.
Incidentally, Hades could grab a weapon from the Eternal Collector King's armories later.
Meanwhile, Trazyn guaranteed that the next time Hades was at death's door and met its anticipated Null aura intensity, Trazyn would "collect" Hades.
Hades curled his lip. What stinginess from that gigantic necron dynasty!
But whatever. He would flee eventually.
If it came down to the Eternal Collector King seeking to collect on their deal at the last possible moment, he could just default then. Worst case scenario: just death.
Hades reckoned silently while drinking more cola.
Across from him, Trazyn watched Hades—this guy likely contemplated breaching their contract somehow. Indeed, for Trazyn's side, the eventual compensation seemed unlikely to obtain!
So it hadn't given Hades anything good either. Compared to remuneration, this was more a deposit from Trazyn to Hades.
When Hades was finally captured later, Trazyn could always throw some extra toys to the humans too.
More discussion could always happen then.
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