Chapter 31: The Transaction
Inside the topmost room of the Seventh Floor, the air was thick with the scent of ozone and ancient dust. Kian Voss sat on a rusted chair, watching the Rogue Psyker huddled on the floor.
The Psyker was eating the Sanctified Ration with a frantic, desperate hunger. He was nibbling at the wafer like a starving rodent, savoring every microscopic crumb of starch. Every time a tiny flake fell onto the grimy floor, he would drop to his knees and lick the plasteel clean with a pathetic, whimpering intensity.
When Kian had first handed him the wafer, the man had taken one bite and suffered a complete systemic shutdown—the sudden purge of Warp-taint had caused his body to give up control. He had soiled himself on the spot, his eyes rolling back in a trance of pure, unadulterated ecstasy.
Kian understood. This was a "Wild" Psyker—someone the Black Ships hadn't found. He had zero mental discipline and no understanding of how to filter the Empyrean. His soul was a leaking tap in a room full of Daemons. No wonder he'd mutilated himself; his corruption levels must have been sitting at 40 or 50 percent before that first bite.
The silence Kian provided was a drug more addictive than anything the Alchem-Hounds produced.
"Listen, friend," Kian said, standing up. "Are you going to kill me or not? Because if we're done here, I've got things to do. I'll be on my way."
The Psyker froze. He lunged forward, grabbing Kian's legs. "NO! DON'T LEAVE! Stay... stay with me! I will do anything! I will serve you!"
He was terrified. He knew the moment Kian walked away, the silence would vanish and the screaming would return.
Kian rubbed his chin. "Anything? Look at this place. No amenities, no safety. It's a dump compared to my Sanctum in the Underhive. The people there are lovely—they barely stab you if you pay them. I'm going home."
Kian turned to walk away, but the air turned to cold lead. The Psyker's telekinetic grip locked his joints in place.
"You think you can keep me here by force?" Kian mocked, unable to move a muscle. "You might have my body, but you'll never have my heart. I'll just wait until you're asleep and find a sharp corner to end it. You can't stop a man from respawning, you freak."
The Psyker's face twisted in panic. He was right. He couldn't watch Kian 24/7. He needed to entice him. He needed to give this man a reason to stay.
The Psyker looked at Kian, then down at Kian's belt. He knelt and reached for the buckle.
Kian's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Whoa! Wait! Hold on! Chotto matte! Let's talk about this! I actually have a permanent solution for your voice problem!"
The Psyker paused, his hand on the buckle. "Let me... let me repay you first."
"I don't need that kind of repayment! Get away from me!"
After a frantic few minutes of de-escalation, Kian explained the existence of Sanctified Oil. The Psyker's eyes lit up with a fanatical, desperate light.
"Give it to me! Give me the oil!"
"Patience," Kian said, smoothing his rags. "I'm a businessman. We trade."
"Trade? For what? Take anything! This tower is yours! The lake is yours!" the Psyker shouted, his voice still trembling with the edge of madness.
"I want to learn," Kian said. "Teach me how to use the Warp. Teach me Psionics."
The Psyker stared at him with a look of pure, unrefined stupidity. "Psionics? What is... Psi-onics?"
He didn't even know the name for his curse. Typical for a backwater world.
"The magic," Kian simplified. "The things you do with your mind. Teach me, and I'll keep you supplied with the oil that brings the silence."
The Psyker recoiled as if stung. "No! No! You must not learn! It is evil! It is a hole in the head that lets the Daemons in! You will see the Hell-dimensions! Do not seek the power!"
He began to wail, his self-inflicted wounds weeping fresh blood as he thrashed on the floor.
Kian crossed his arms. "Friend, look at yourself. You're using the power right now to hold me. Do you hear any voices?"
The Psyker paused. He flicked his wrist, and a nearby plasteel wall exploded outward as if hit by a krak-missile. He listened.
"Nothing... there is nothing but the wind."
Normally, every use of the Warp acted like a flare, drawing Daemons closer. But with the aura of the Sanctified Ration still in his system, the connection was shielded.
"Hahaha! HAHAHA!" The Psyker went into a frenzy, blasting holes in the ceiling and floor, marveling at the ability to use his power without the mental agony. He felt like a god.
Kian watched him, unimpressed. The man had no idea that in the wider galaxy, he'd be a snack for an Inquisitor.
The Psyker turned back to Kian, a greedy, predatory glint in his eyes. He realized Kian was the source of his salvation.
"I know what you're thinking," Kian said, reading the man's expression easily. "You're thinking of kidnapping me, locking me in a cage, and forcing me to produce the oil. Go ahead and try. But I'm the only one who knows the ritual. If I die or if I decide I don't like you, the oil stops. And then the voices come back. And they'll be angry."
The Psyker hesitated. He was torn between his base instincts and the soul-crushing fear of the Warp-whispers.
"I have three bottles of Sanctified Oil—about 450ml," Kian lied (he actually had them in his stash). "They're hidden in a place only I can find. You teach me to manifest the power, and they're yours. Do we have a deal?"
The Psyker's greed for silence won out. "Yes... Yes! I will teach you! I will show you how to pull the threads of the Beyond!"
Kian nodded. "Good. Wait here."
Kian turned to leave, but the Psyker was already at his shoulder, following him like a lost, mutated puppy.
"Where are you going?" the Psyker asked.
"To get the oil."
"I am coming with you," the Psyker stated, his eyes fixed on Kian with an intensity that suggested he would never let Kian out of his sight again.
Kian looked at the blood-stained, wire-wrapped freak and grinned. "Fine. Let's go. I've got a long walk and a lot of loot to carry. You can be my pack-mule."
[MISSION UPDATE: THE WITCH'S PACT]
Objective: Escort the Rogue Psyker to the stash (Your Sanctum).
Reward: Access to [Psionic Training Tier 1].
Warning: Guard your mind. The Warp is a fickle mistress.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you