The Endurance, Librarius.
The Past.
<+>
Fernando sat opposite Ugo, looking at him with a serious expression.
"You’re saying that when the new recruit touched you, you felt your psychic abilities being suppressed?"
Ugo nodded silently.
"But before you came into full contact with him, you didn’t feel any discomfort."
"Yes, teacher."
Fernando remained silent.
Based on abilities alone, this seemed like a case of an Untouchable.
However, none of the Untouchables he had encountered or read about had ever exhibited such odd behavior as this recruit.
Fernando recalled the suggestive conversation he had with Barasine after Ugo’s duel with Hades.
"The recruit, Hades, received a weapon from the Emperor."
"A scythe, but it was carried exclusively by a Sister of Silence."
Barasine looked at him again.
"Fernando, you still aren’t very good at hiding your emotions."
"You’ve changed noticeably since that derelict ship incident."
Fernando stayed silent.
But Barasine didn’t push further.
"I don’t understand psychic abilities, but I trust you. If you need help, come find me."
"Besides, don’t worry too much. I have an emergency protocol in place specifically for any psychic energy leak incidents in the library."
"I’ve also been monitoring the Black Ships in this sector; I can reach them at any time."
Fernando finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
"If..."
If this matter were discovered, would their forces really be spared from annihilation?
Did Barasine truly understand the gravity of the situation, or did he only have a vague idea?
Fernando wasn’t sure.
Yet he still preferred to handle the matter internally.
"…No, thank you, Barasine."
Even if this recruit might not be an Untouchable, having the right capability would suffice.
It had to be done quickly—“it” was growing.
He needed to meet the recruit as soon as possible before making a decision.
Perhaps, at this moment, a divination was in order.
<+>
Endurance, Librarius.
Now.
<+>
In here, countless books were crammed into shelves, some even being rare originals, with centuries of wisdom slumbering within.
The library, usually bright, was now plunged into darkness, with every light extinguished, enveloping the room in silence.
In the center of the library, surrounded by shelves, a faint white glow shimmered—
Fernando sat at the center, a deck of pure black cards laid out before him.
Around him, ancient weapons with bloodstains were arranged in an orderly manner—swords, boltguns, and a thermal gun. Three unlit candles were interspersed among them.
Some of these weapons had been wielded by previous members of the Librarium, while others were honors bestowed by the Emperor after victorious battles.
Golden inscriptions covered the floor, radiating outward from Fernando and the empty seat across from him as the center.
Almost alive, the inscriptions writhed constantly.
Fernando closed his eyes tightly. Psychic lightning flickered around his head, forming a white crown of thorns.
He still had half a standard Terra hour until his meeting with Hades.
If Hades were an Untouchable, he couldn’t be directly involved in the divination; his presence would disrupt the psychic’s connection to the Warp.
Thus, Fernando could only choose a time and place connected to Hades, using the empty seat as a proxy for him.
In this world, psychics with ability would employ various methods, invoking prophecy to capture the psychic resonance from the Warp, which lacks any concept of time, to interpret their past, present, and future.
The Librarium would also conduct divinations before each significant battle, foreseeing the situation ahead.
And during battle, using short-term predictions to anticipate the opponent's actions is also a common phenomenon.
Fernando steadied his will, immersing himself in the familiar sensations of divination, fully connecting with the Warp.
A bright white light flared up as the inscriptions began to glow, writhing and climbing onto the surrounding weapons like golden chains, binding them tightly.
The deck of tarot cards suddenly floated, both sides pure black, shuffling in a dazzling display.
The cards rose into an arched formation, each spaced apart.
This time, Fernando, following the latest star alignments, chose the Holy Triangle divination.
He shuffled the deck three times and drew the seventh card each time, representing [Past], [Present], and [Future]. The cards began to turn, and a drop of blood trickled from the corner of Fernando's eye.
One, two, three, four, five, six—
Seven!
Like it was yanked by an invisible force, the seventh card flew through the air and landed precisely on one of the three divisions of the circular inscription.
A spark flickered, and a candle suddenly ignited.
The [Past] was set.
The remaining floating cards spun, shuffling again in midair.
Seven.
A card pulled out sharply, and a flame burst up on another candle.
The [Present] was revealed.
The power of the Warp drove the final card’s manifestation.
Seven.
The last candle lit as the final tarot card silently fell onto the circle.
The [Future] awaited.
The remaining cards settled back into place, and the psychic energy began to diminish. The glowing inscriptions faded, leaving only the three quietly lying tarot cards and the three burning candles.
+A sneer+
Fernando opened his eyes, blood tears streaming down.
Intricate, complex patterns began to emerge on the black card faces.
The first card, facing Fernando, was illuminated in vibrant yellow light, with a full circle rising—
[Inverted Star]
Since this was a proxy reading, an inverted position for Fernando meant an upright position for Hades.
Their fates in the divination were mirrored.
But… a proxy reading would also reflect the fate of the diviner.
The upright Star symbolized hope, the fulfillment of ideals.
Could this refer to Hades helping his primarch unify the planet on Barbarus?
But the inverted Star…
Fernando felt his heart skip a beat.
Failure, helplessness… he remembered the derelict ship, with the engraved Star emblem.
No, no, divination doesn’t reveal such specific details.
Fernando steadied his emotions, focusing on the next card.
Straight lines outlined a massive aesthetic machine, filling the card—
[The Titan]
Titan, these powerful machines of war, in upright position meant taking initiative, seizing the advantage, and… honesty.
Perhaps in his upcoming conversation with Hades, Fernando should be more forthright.
Reversed, Titan signified loss of control, unexpected events, disrupted plans.
Fernando furrowed his brows; he might need to warn his next visitor.
And the third card, symbolizing the future—
Chaotic colors spilled randomly over the card’s surface, with no discernible pattern, and twisted, erratic lines filled it.
[Wheel of Fate]
Yet… in the one place indicating orientation, there was a burnt-out void, as if scorched—
The card was distorted!!!
Fernando had never drawn this card in prior divinations, not even in the Legion’s bloodiest battles!
And even worse, the orientation of the Wheel of Fate was twisted!
[Wheel of Fate] in upright position symbolized opportunity and change, while reversed represented failure due to misjudgment.
But under normal circumstances, [Wheel of Fate] wouldn’t appear; the card’s significance was simply too vast.
Fernando fell silent.
The library door opened, and right on schedule, Hades entered—
Only to see Fernando, tears of blood streaming down his face, surrounded by strange weapons scattered on the floor.
Hades froze.
Should he… not have come right now?
Was it too late to leave?
<+>
Tn: Uh oh, Nurgle you son of a bitch, go away