Chapter 100: The Anti-Psychic Sage

In the distance, the rumble of garbage trucks persisted.

Hades stood still in the deserted waste zone, a vast graveyard of piled metal. Inside his helmet, the display showed time ticking away, second by second.

"I suggest you get straight to the point," Hades said.

"Or I'll send out the distress signal I've pre-programmed."

A flicker of light passed over the electronic eye of the Mechanicum Sage opposite him.

A miscalculation. This Death Guard was far more cautious than he appeared.

But Hades had already seen through the trap the Sage had laid at the tech-marine base. The data the Sage had collected was now highly suspect.

"What distress signal?" The Sage needed more information.

"Don't play dumb," Hades replied calmly. "You should be wondering why I'd be interested in your offer of cooperation, not how you can abduct me. I knew of your trap before I set out. I came here out of curiosity, to know why you're targeting me. Give me your reasons. Otherwise, even if you kill me now, you'll be exposed."

The Crimson Sage remained unmoved. "Why do you think you can threaten me, a tech-marine of a newly established legion?"

Hades slowly pulled out the letter from Mortarion from his power glove. Though the letter's content was minimal, the seal of the Terra Palace, the personal emblem of the Primarch, and the emblem of Macragge still held weight.

"Because I have backing."

Once the Sage recognized the seals on the letter, Hades confidently tucked it away. This move, a show of borrowed power, ensured the Sage wouldn't knock him out and drag him away in a sack.

From their previous encounters, Hades noted the Sage's rudimentary staff wasn't of the highest quality. It seemed cobbled together, missing key inscriptions and even basic circuitry.

This meant the Crimson Sage hadn't reached the level of the Electro-Priests.

Two possibilities arose. First, the Sage's attempt to capture Hades was a personal endeavor, unrelated to any organization. Second, there was an organization, but they didn't prioritize this mission highly.

Either way, if Terra or a Primarch took a serious look, the Sage would be in trouble. In the first scenario, the Sage would likely be apprehended. In the second, he'd be scapegoated by his organization.

Want a piece of Hades? You better have a big enough net. Small appetites won't do.

Given the Sage's method of capturing him, it was clear he didn't want to escalate the situation.

Moreover, based on the messages sent to Jin, Hades had a good idea of where the Sage's lair was—even if the messages were encrypted and relayed multiple times.

"So, give me a reason not to report you."

Facing Hades, the Mechanicum Sage, Korklan, felt his few remaining organic components racing. Hades had seen through his scheme but chose to confront him directly. Hades wasn't just trying to save himself; he had ulterior motives.

Korklan had miscalculated.

The Sage began, "I am Lanz, a heterodox Sage researching anti-psychic abilities. I've been collecting data on the Untouchables and various xenos anti-psychic technologies."

"And how did you 'stumble upon' me?"

The Sage decided to be honest, "I detected a psychic vacuum in the warp. After calibration, it pointed to the Barbarus system."

Hades blinked. Was the Sage referring to the Black Realm that Hades couldn't retract? Such minute details could be detected?

What Hades didn't know was that the Sage had detected the vacuum formed during the Black Realm's eruption. But Hades's memory had been altered, and he didn't recall this event.

Hades pondered. This Sage clearly had skills. Why wasn't he mentioned in the original records?

The Sage spread his hands, as if to say he'd revealed all he could. "After that, I began monitoring you."

Anti-psychic research had always been on the fringes before the Great Heresy, or directly under the Emperor's purview. And now, a wild anti-psychic Sage stood before him.

Skilled in anti-psychic abilities yet unnoticed by the Imperium, the Sage's covert actions, combined with previous conversations with Macragge and the female Sage, made it clear: he was anti-Imperial and didn't want the Imperium's attention.

But the Imperium needed his technology.

Hades stared at the "Lanz" Sage before him, a wild theory forming in his mind.

Could it be that this Sage had sided with the anti-Emperor faction and was killed by the very forces he joined during the Great Heresy? After all, some Sages were merely anti-Emperor, aiming to restore Mars's position. But after joining Horus, any Sage researching anti-psychic abilities would be the first to be purged by Chaos.

He decided to test the waters. "If it's about anti-psychic abilities, you could directly contact the Imperium. I believe organizations like the Silent Sisters would welcome you."

Sages wouldn't ally with a deceiver.

Moreover, entering the Imperium's system would mean the Sage himself would be scrutinized.

Korklan's circuits surged. He couldn't do it. He couldn't ally with a tyrant who had deceived the Omnissiah.

He remembered that day.

Rain fell on Mars.

Thick clouds covered the endless mountains, with blinding lightning and muffled thunder.

Everyone emerged: Sages, Servitors, and the Skitarii.

They gathered on city roads and port platforms, staring in awe at the miracle before them.

Even some Servitors broke their programming to witness it.

And then, the rain fell.

Real, natural rain!

Not industrial discharge, but mostly H2O with negligible impurities.

It soaked their crimson robes.

Some knelt, even if their modified limbs weren't designed for it. Hymns filled the air, stimulating everyone's sensory systems.

But most were simply stunned. The god of the temple had truly descended.

Those with unmodified eyes wept.

"Praise the Omnissiah!" The cries were endless.

But he, he was stunned.

Korklan struggled to comprehend. His newly-made psychic detector in his pocket was going haywire.

It felt like holding a ticking bomb.

He slowly turned to his companions, their logic systems blinded by joy. The psychic alarm peaked, its values still trembling. They wanted to soar, but they'd reached Korklan's set limit.

Deceiver!

This was a forced psychic rain!

It was all a psyker's trick!

Korklan stood in the downpour, the rain beating down mercilessly.

His entire world had deceived him.

From then on, he, a primary researcher in psychic fields, began studying anti-psychic abilities.

He wanted to tear down the deceiver's lies.

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