Within the fourth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder, Nareth's spiritual essence spread toward the black sphere of light before him.
His gaze penetrated every layer of the Kingdom of Disorder, and the black lines in his vision were no longer the same as before; they shimmered faintly.
The black line connecting the light spheres of the fourth layer and the Shadow Plane now glowed with a pale blue hue.
As his spirituality extended along the black strands outward, the light surrounding Bukayo Arshavin's line shone a deep blue.
The "Baron of Corruption" knew what this meant; it was the Rule-Lines.
Yet not every Baron of Corruption could see it. As the manifestation of the Kingdom of Disorder's power, only Nareth, the one who carried the destiny of the Seffiroth, was able to perceive such lines.
This was one of the signs of his advancement within the Sequence, a symbol of his growing authority over the Kingdom of Disorder.
Through this sight, he saw Bukayo, his Dark Lord eyes gleaming in the dim light, sitting before four data slates as he simultaneously processed bureaucratic work.
With a mere thought, black mist rose and drew Bukayo into the fourth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder.
The "Nightmare" glanced around in confusion, uncertain whether he was in reality or within a dream. Such visions often came to him during his sleep.
"Bukayo," came the commanding voice of the Black Emperor, deep, resonant, and filled with majesty. At once, Bukayo realized this was no dream.
"My lord," Bukayo bowed reverently.
Nareth smiled faintly.
"Mars has forged a new Gloriana-class battleship for me. In recognition of your past achievements, it shall be yours."
"You'll take command of her in August. Prepare accordingly."
"Thank you, my lord."
For Bukayo, becoming the third recipient of a Gloriana-class vessel was not only a supreme honor but also an acknowledgment of his loyalty and competence.
After sending Bukayo back to realspace, Nareth turned and entered the fifth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder.
Since ascending to Baron of Corruption, this new space had been opened to him.
His eyes glowed faintly within the thick black fog that blanketed the chamber, denser than in any previous layer.
'This layer's corresponding ability is "Corrosion." It is, alongside "Distortion," one of the Baron of Corruption's hallmark powers.'
'Now… how should I use it?'
His thoughts raced.
'When I "corroded" Lian Ramilies, it worked because I had both the authority and the pretext to keep him by my side for long periods.'
'But there are others, those I cannot keep near me long enough for corruption to take hold.'
Nareth understood that Corrosion, a Sequence 6 ability, had its limits.
If the Emperor were to assign his personal guards to Nareth, they would be nearly impossible to corrupt; their loyalty to the Emperor would make the process effectively infinite.
When he had corrupted Lian, it wasn't just supernatural influence; Lian already revered the Primarch as one blessed by the Machine God, a foundation Nareth had skillfully used.
Then inspiration struck.
'Yes… there's another way. I can forcibly draw targets into the fifth layer and subject them to direct corrosion.'
In this Kingdom, the power of Sefiroth would amplify the corruption process, greatly reducing the time required.
Of course, beings like Malcador or Constantin Valdor were exceptions, even if trapped here for ten thousand years, their loyalty to the Emperor was unshakable.
But those of weaker will, whom Nareth could forcibly summon, were ideal candidates.
He quickly identified one: Hathor Maat of the Thousand Sons.
He could not target someone too visible, such as Azhek Ahriman, the 15th Legion's foremost sorcerer and Magnus's favored son.
Nareth would never underestimate a Primarch's perception; even a subtle change in tone or demeanor could expose an act of corruption.
Thus, those always close to Magnus were off-limits: Amon, Ahriman, and other senior sorcerers of Prospero.
Yet he wouldn't waste his effort on lesser mortals either.
Maat was the perfect candidate, future head of the Pavoni Cult, one of the Thousand Sons' five great cults.
His talent in biomancy and psychic manipulation was among the greatest of the legion, surpassed only by a few captains.
Most importantly, the Pavoni suffered from severe flesh-mutation; Maat himself must already be struggling with it.
'His will is fragile. After the Burning of Prospero, he struck a deal with the Tzeentchian daemon Kairos to halt his mutation.'
'He betrayed his father, Magnus, by altering a passage in the Book of Magnus. Ironically, he was later sacrificed to Kairos, becoming the daemon's vessel in the material universe.'
Now, just as in that future, Maat faced the same suffering of mutation, yet he had never met his father, and his loyalty was faint. The possibility of corruption was real.
Nareth began formulating his plan.
Step One: Under the guise of concern, he would board the Thousand Sons' flagship.
'At this time, even Ahriman and the others were disoriented. When Ahriman reached Prospero, his memories were clouded by pain.'
Step Two: While assisting the Thousand Sons, he would draw Maat into the fifth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder for corruption.
Step Three: Depending on the corruption's progress upon arrival at Prospero, he would decide the next move.
If complete, Maat would return to the 15th Legion, serving as Nareth's unseen informant, privy to the arcane secrets Magnus shared with his sons.
'Yes… I can periodically summon him back, reinforcing the corrosion and countering Magnus's paternal influence.'
This was simple enough to arrange.
Magnus, ever curious about all knowledge, frequently sent his captains to other legions to study their tactics and broaden the Thousand Sons' understanding of the galaxy.
Maat, the third fellowship captain, was historically assigned to the Emperor's Children. His flawless face had once drawn Fulgrim's admiration, and upon his return, the Phoenician himself had affixed a battle vow to Maat's chestplate.
'If I suggest it, Magnus will gladly assign Maat to my legion. His time by my side may not suffice for full corrosion, but it will consolidate what's begun. And later, I can request temporary joint operations to strengthen it further.'
If the process failed, Nareth would simply keep him within the Kingdom of Disorder until corrosion was complete, transforming him into a powerful, loyal subordinate.
Once elevated, Maat would rival Bukayo and the other lords.
Nareth also knew that before Magnus's pact with Tzeentch, many Thousand Sons would perish from uncontrolled mutations. Maat's "death" would draw little notice.
'In a way, I'm doing Magnus a favor, removing a liability and unraveling the Weaver of Fates' schemes ahead of time.'
'No need to thank me, Magnus.'
'And for Maat… it's a kindness. Under me, he'll be free from mutation's torment, and won't end up as Kairos's plaything.'
With the plan complete, Nareth returned to the material world.
Back in Shadowhold Fortress, he met Arsena.
"My lord," Arsena reported, "our techmarines have occupied the fortress, designating foundry and armory sites."
"The envoy-sage from Lucius has agreed to your proposal and requests a supplementary contract. The document is ready for your approval."
Nareth took the data slate and reviewed the Supplementary Agreement for Joint Research between the Shadows of Order and the Forge World of Lucius.
Its main clause concerned the cooperative development of the Advex-Mors war-moon and the sharing of technological results.
Lucius would open its Hollow Forge and permit Shadows of Order tech-adepts to conduct research there for a millennium.
After examining every clause with a lawyer's precision, Nareth nodded. "Approved."
An hour later, the envo Magos arrived at the fortress and, upon seeing Nareth, said with reverent admiration:
["Monarch// Primarch// Lord Nareth// Vostroya is astounding."]
["The maglev trains bind the entire planet as one// its efficiency and production surpass even many Forge Worlds.]
["May the Omnissiah bless your world."]
Nareth smiled. "It is the result of the collective effort of the Vostroyan people."
After the agreement was signed, the envoy departed.
Nareth then gave his aide a new order to assemble the expedition to Mitu.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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