Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 130 Malcador Divination Chart

Malcador's squire opened the door for him, and the Primarch entered the observatory.

The turquoise tiles paving the inside of the vault reflect the bright light of hundreds of candles, and the shadows cast by the flickering candlelight make the many mysterious patterns on the vault appear to flicker.

Looking up, Nimrod noticed that the specific content depicted in those patterns was not easy to identify - some were constellation symbols, while others were mythical monsters from the ancient times of Terra.

At the highest point of the vault was a shadow, an area that was difficult for the candlelight to reach.

A face had been carved there years ago, but the details were no longer discernible.

Nimrod turned his gaze there and keenly sensed the difference in the pattern. It seemed to be alive, hidden in the darkness, staring down expressionlessly.

[Derived from a mythical creature? A spiritual remnant? That creature is a high-sequence potion ingredient?]

Since potion ingredients have a particular connection to the Path, it is likely related to the "Dark" Path.]
"It's just the afterimage of an ancient creature."

Malcador smirked to himself, knowing the Primarch's keen perceptions.

"Ever since my master, your father, left, I've come here less and less to gaze at the stars."

Nimrod withdrew his gaze, noticing that Malcador was reluctant to discuss the matter. He did not pursue the question, but instead followed Malcador's words and looked towards the room.

Ancient brass telescopes, orbores and armillary spheres are neatly stacked, astrological items of various shapes are placed in several mahogany cabinets, and the bookshelves are also full of books.

Nimrod saw spiritual light on several of the items.

[Well, Malcador is quite wealthy, and these are all potion ingredients that I don’t know about.

In other words, it's at least a mid-level potion ingredient.]
His eyes turned to the black and white checkerboard floor, which was paved with marble, and the gilded walls around it shone with a dim light that made it look old.

Twenty columns support the vault, two of which have their capitals engraved with a coat of arms.

One is a black wolf head under the moonlight, and the other is blurry. Ordinary people can only see it as a disordered pattern when they get closer, consisting of disordered black arcs, wings, spikes and an abstract crown.

Malcador wore a robe of fine material but simple design. The staff on which he leaned, his frail figure, seemed to be made of simple steel, though the eagle emblem on top was exquisitely crafted.

In Nimrod's supernatural vision, the staff was not made of steel, but some strange psychic material. He also noticed that there were obscure runes carved on the staff.

"You have worked hard."

Nimrod said sincerely that the burden of running the empire was heavy on an old man, even if he had great strength.

"I've gotten used to it. I've anticipated this day since the day I pledged my allegiance to him."

Malcador's tone was deep, as if lost in memories.

It took him more than ten seconds to come back to his senses and he said it with self-mockery.

"I'm sorry, but now that I've sunk into my memories, you should understand that no matter how you measure it, I'm an old man."

Seeing Ningluo nod, Malcador changed the subject and spoke.

"Divination requires information. Besides the name Necromunda, I need more information."

Nimrod had anticipated this and spoke immediately.

"I saw Necromunda, an octopus-like creature, and I saw murlocs bowing down and worshipping him."

He looked up at the vault and said thoughtfully.

"It gives me a similar feeling to that thing on the roof."

"I think that would be most obvious in the warp."

"I also saw the webs entwined around Necromunda and the spiders that clung to them, and I heard the whispers of fear from countless people."

Malcador said in a serious tone after hearing this.

"Belief……"

He was silent for a moment, realizing that there was no way to deny the existence of something perceived by a Primarch of such perceptive powers.

"I believe the Emperor and Horus have already spoken to you about the Imperial Truth. I do not need to repeat myself."

"Your perception is correct. Faith is nothing but a vain fantasy of fragile humans. That octopus creature is just a slightly more powerful creature, no different from the ones above my head. It is precisely because of their power that they are worshipped by foolish believers."

"When they encounter a more powerful being, they will be shattered, just like the shadow painted on the vault."

Malcador said, then walked over to the cabinet and took out the items he needed.

"As for the spider, it is even more illusory. Let me reveal its illusory nature to you."

A moment later, a huge parchment scroll was unfolded, as big as a wall.

"Compared to the data tablet, I am still more accustomed to the traditional method." This time, Malcador did not allow himself to be lost in memories for a long time. He began to divine.

Nimrod noticed that Malcador raised his staff slightly, and a brilliant beam of psychic light shone directly into the shadows at the highest point of the vault.

Invisible ripples rippled, and the constellations and mythical creatures on the arch emitted brilliant light. The entire observatory seemed to be integrated into the waves of the subspace.

The Primarch's perception, combined with the Frao people's etheric knowledge, was quickly analyzed in his brain.

[Psionic array.

The stars that powered it came from the stones of many stars, which were psychically purified in the Warp.

Those painted mythical creatures also provided Malcador with materials for setting up the psychic array, at least including blood.

What a grand undertaking! In the entire empire, there are only a handful of people with the ability and materials to set up such a psychic array.]
The Primarch's exclamation flashed across his face before he looked towards Malcador. His eyes instantly turned deep as he looked up at the dome, his gaze penetrating the barriers of the physical world.

The entire space seemed to enter some kind of mysterious state. After an unknown amount of time, he withdrew his gaze and began to sketch patterns on the parchment.

As his brush moved, a star map slowly took shape.

Nimrod noticed that Malcador's expression remained the same, and the light flashing in his "Warp Insight" hadn't changed at all. It was obvious that he hadn't consumed much energy in this divination.

After a moment, Malcador was silent for a moment, restraining the surging power, and then shut down his psychic power.

He looked at Nimrod, "The star map you requested is ready."

"I also saw the octopus and spider you mentioned."

"The octopus creature is currently dormant. Its beliefs only exist among the fishmen and a small number of humans. You don't need to deal with it."

Malcador paused for a moment before continuing.

"I don't doubt your ability, but it slumbers underground. Once it awakens, it will bring disaster to all of Necromunda. The earth will crack, and countless people will be swallowed up."

Nimrod nodded slightly. He did not have the fighting desire and competitive spirit that Malcador worried about.

[As far as I can remember, the giant octopus was dormant until the great rift opened up, so there was no rush to deal with him.

Fighting it now would be a disaster for Necromunda.

When I have the strength to crush him, I will collect it. Even if it is not a potion material, I can use it to make something else.]
"As for the spider you perceived, as I said, it is nothing more than a false belief of the Necromunda people."

"It's like a small fish in the ocean; a wave will scatter it."

"Although it is false, after you recapture Necromunda, you should also dispel this false belief and allow those ignorant people to be inspired by the empire."

Malcador emphasized his words to get the Primarch's attention.

"I sensed fear and death from that spider. Faith rooted in that will only create foolish believers, who will always be a source of instability in that world."

Nimrod looked at Malcador with admiration. He was indeed the wise man that Old Man Huang relied on. Malcador had actually deduced the potential danger of Necromunda based on some of the information he had foreseen.

In Necromunda, a place with outstanding people and beautiful scenery, a major destabilizing factor is the "Corpse Cult" and the belief in Khorne, the Lord of Flesh, which is closely related to the local culture.

The spider is a symbol of all the Necromunda's fears, including hunger.

If they die of starvation, they will become food for spiders.

In order to overcome the fear of hunger, countless laborers in the lower and bottom nests began to eat humans, thus the "Corpse Grinding Sect" was born and they began to believe in the Lord of Flesh.

"I understand. I'll take care of it."

Hearing Nimrod's confidence, Malcador did not ask any further questions.

"I heard you're interested in all sorts of strange things, and I have some in my personal collection as well."

"You're willing to take on the responsibility of supplying me this time, helping me solve quite a bit of trouble. I don't have anything more to offer you. You can choose one from my collection as a personal gift to you."

Malcador had no doubt that the Primarch's wisdom saw through his previous exploitation of public life, and now was the time to mend fences.

Divination was just a piece of cake for him. Since Ningluo had this hobby, he wanted to use it to build closer relations and create a friendly atmosphere for finalizing the scope of supplies later.

Ningluo didn't expect to have an unexpected gain, so he naturally wouldn't refuse.

Malcador's treasury isn't as good as the Emperor's, but it should also contain high-sequence potion materials.

With anticipation in his heart, a smile appeared on the Primarch's face.

"Then I'll thank the Seal Master."

(End of this chapter)