Chapter 205: Circuitous Loyalty
Damon told Lucan about the hooded Astartes they had encountered and his attack on Zagara.
"The Emperor's Voice... the hooded man... to think that Cypher has appeared on this planet. Damon, be careful of this twisted individual. I can't be sure what he will do. But you don't need to worry too much about the followers of this so-called 'Emperor's Voice.' It's normal that you didn't sense any Chaos energy on them. I believe that Cypher's actions are, in another way, strengthening the faith of these people. Although it seems a bit heretical and has some negative effects, these people can indeed be considered loyal followers of the Emperor. Don't worry, I have already thought of a way to solve the problem of these people."
The Nurgle plague was difficult to completely purify by conventional means. But Lucan himself, and the special artificial Untouchables he had brought with him, could solve this problem.
In cooperation with the Ecclesiarchy on Agathos, based on Lucan's name as a Living Saint, he would fashion the 20 artificial Untouchables into the image of Saints.
Your followers of the Emperor's Voice can walk through the plague without being infected, can't they? Fine. Not only can I do the same, but I can also solve the problem of the people around being infected by the plague. It will be clear at a glance who is stronger.
In the places where the survivors from the outer regions were gathered, temporary high platforms were erected, and the 20 clones were draped in holy robes and stood upon them. They had no other mechanical creations or restraining devices on their bodies, presenting themselves before everyone in their most basic human form.
The survivors were gathered around the high platforms in the name of witnessing a miracle of the God-Emperor.
"The great God-Emperor has witnessed your suffering. You have endured the trial and proven your faith. Therefore, He has sent His Living Saint and 20 Saints to bring you salvation! Go, be by the side of the Saints, and sickness and pain will leave you. Your faith will be rewarded!"
As the priest's call ended, the Raiders who had been separating the populace also opened a path. One by one, the people walked toward the twenty temporary platforms, half-believing, half-doubting. As they got closer, the people of the Imperium found that the pain in their bodies really did begin to weaken. The plague that had been tormenting them seemed to be truly taken away by these Saints.
The expressions on the people's faces became more and more fanatical. What these Ecclesiarchy priests from other planets had said was actually true!
Lucan also timely mobilized a bit of the Emperor's power, causing himself to be bathed in a layer of golden light. The golden holy light sprinkled on the people, seeming to take away their fatigue and heal their bodies.
The faces of the twenty clones at this moment were slightly pained. There were still too many infected people. Even though the amount of warp energy contained in each person was not much, the combined volume was still very large. It wouldn't be long before they reached their limit. However, in the eyes of the surrounding populace, the look of pain on the faces of these clones was as if they were bearing the suffering that they themselves should have borne.
As Lucan was using this method to solve the remaining Nurgle corruption on this planet and gain the trust of its people, his psychic senses detected a psychic fluctuation that did not belong to the Dynasty.
Lucan whipped his head around. A person, their figure obscured by psychic energy, was observing all this from a distant building. Lucan narrowed his eyes, and the hooded Cypher instantly came into view.
Cypher had not expected Lucan to be able to discover him under these circumstances.
He had witnessed the scene just now. Lucan, shining with the Emperor's light, made his pupils shrink. And the power of those few clones was something he couldn't quite figure out. Untouchables also had levels, just like psykers. An ordinary Untouchable might only make the people around them feel uncomfortable. But to be able to purify warp energy over such a wide area was clearly not something a low-level Untouchable could do.
As soulless beings, they would also devour the soul-fire of those around them. Under normal circumstances, an Untouchable of this level would be enough to make the weak-willed people around them not even have the strength to stand up. And the other party had no restraining equipment on them.
A special individual, the power of the Emperor, human soldiers in combat suits, and those strange xenos. Lucan, in Cypher's eyes, was becoming more and more enigmatic.
Seeing the soldiers surging toward him, Cypher, this time, did not flee. When Damon, with his Night Sentinels and Raiders, had surrounded him, he still stood there, unafraid. Cypher kept his head down, his face under the hood still unclear.
"Put down your weapons!" Damon aimed a heavy bolter at Cypher. Zagara had said that his combat prowess was very strong, and that he even had some kind of teleportation-like technology.
"I need to see the one you call the Living Saint!" Cypher said to Damon.
But in Damon's eyes, it was obviously impossible to let him see Lucan. He was too dangerous.
Just as Damon and a group of Night Sentinels were approaching, wanting to forcibly disarm Cypher, Lucan's voice came through the comms.
"Damon, bring him to me!"
"But..."
"It's fine, Damon. I may not personally fight much anymore, but I'm not as weak as you think. Just protect me by my side."
"Alright... follow me. The Lord is willing to see you."
Under the close guard of the Night Sentinels, Cypher was brought before Lucan, but the weapons aimed at him were never lowered.
Lucan sized up the Cypher before him, and Cypher did the same to Lucan. Lucan was surprised to find that he could not sense any Chaos corruption on him. If he were a traitor, even if he did not believe in a specific dark god, he would surely have been able to sense the power from the warp if he had accepted it. The Sarr-Naga projection had no reaction to him, which made Lucan even more certain that Cypher was still a loyalist. It was just that his way of being loyal was a bit different. Circuitous loyalty was indeed very common in Warhammer.
As Cypher slowly raised his head, Lucan also got a clear look at the face under the hood. It was an unremarkable and younger-than-expected face. Under normal circumstances, this Cypher should have been at least several thousand years old.
"Lord Cypher... this shouldn't be your original appearance, right? I'm really curious if this title refers to one person or a group of people. Which Cypher are you? Or rather, are you a loyalist or a traitor? If you are a loyalist, why do you stir up chaos? If you are loyal to the Emperor, then at this juncture, this will only make the Imperium's original defensive forces even more vulnerable, wouldn't it? But if you are a traitor, why would you secretly help the Chapter that is hunting you?"
Lucan's words caused Cypher's calm expression to waver. He had seen through his identity at a glance. He was well aware of his own existence and situation. The Dark Angels who were hunting him would absolutely not reveal it to anyone outside the Chapter. And this mortal before him seemed to know more about him than he had imagined.
"How do you know all this? Do you really think that the measures taken by the Imperial government on this planet can really save those tormented mortals? No, they won't. They will eventually be devoured by Chaos, or even throw themselves into Chaos out of fear and the desire to live. And what I am doing is just using the method of sacrificing a part to awaken those who are truly firm in their faith. The existence of these people can make others firmly believe that the Emperor is still protecting them, giving them the courage to resist."
Cypher's voice also began to grow slightly agitated.
"I know more than you imagine. Unfortunately, your actions, while seemingly saving them, could, with one misstep, push everyone on this planet to ruin."
"Some people were going to die anyway. Rather than letting them die without value, it is better for them to make a greater contribution to humanity. And for those with weak faith and will, compared to letting them throw themselves into Chaos, I would rather use their lives to awaken hope in others. If my actions can save one more planet, one more person, then I am not wrong."
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