Hearing these words, Rowan felt a sudden jolt of shock.
This was the deepest secret harbored within his heart, and his absolute greatest reliance since transmigrating into the Foundation universe.
"You are referring to the fact that I can elevate the level of my reality bending capabilities, are you not?"
Rowan suddenly felt a sense of relief wash over him, his posture completely relaxing.
"This is indeed different from other Reality Benders, as the ability I initially awakened was a re Level 1, only capable of minor telekinetic feats like bending spoons or fetching objects from afar, and it took a trendous amount of my energy to step-by-step elevate it to its current state."
"However, I must disappoint you, because my current conditions for growth have essentially reached a dead end, making any further elevation exceedingly difficult."
"Tell ," Neoth commanded softly, "why have you reached this dead end?"
"The condition to satisfy my elevation is brutally simple," Rowan replied, "and that is slaughter."
Rowan let out a heavy sigh, explaining that whenever he killed a sentient being, or if a death had a direct causal link to his actions, the victim's soul would be devoured by him and used to increase his personal Hu level.
"As you likely know, the Hu level is a paratric term used to asure the stability of reality, and the higher a Reality Bender's personal Hu level, the lower the Hu level becos in the space imdiately surrounding their body, thereby magnifying their reality bending power."
He paused for a mont before continuing his explanation, noting that when he elevated from a Level 1 to a Level 2 Reality Bender, he only needed to slaughter a few dozen humans, a quota easily t by traveling to a war-torn nation and wiping out a few cartel syndicates.
"But now that I need to elevate from Level 2 to Level 3, the requirents have increased at an exponential rate, and it is sothing I simply cannot achieve."
"Is it perhaps a staggeringly massive number?"
"That is correct."
Rowan's expression turned exceedingly grim as he stated that he would need, at the absolute minimum, the souls of over one hundred thousand people.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a highly peculiar atmosphere descended upon the space between the two figures.
After a long mont of silence, Neoth finally spoke.
"One hundred thousand?"
What in the warp was with that "is that all" attitude?
Rowan's eye twitched violently as he demanded to know if one hundred thousand souls was not considered a massive number.
What kind of joke was this, did he truly think the Foundation was comprised of blind corpses?
If he actually attempted to put such a genocidal plan into action, he feared that in the very next second, the Foundation's Mobile Task Force Achilles Heels, specialized in suppressing Reality Benders, would spontaneously manifest right upon his doorstep.
What would follow would be a brutal beating until he was brought to his knees, only to be dragged away to a containnt site to live as a numbered anomaly.
"No, I have a proposition for you."
Neoth spoke after hearing his explanation, asking if Rowan would be willing to leave this world and journey to an entirely different universe.
"Are you suggesting that I travel to another universe, completely escape the surveillance of the Foundation, and then fulfill my conditions for growth there?"
Having mingled within the anomalous world behind the Veil for several years, the highly experienced Rowan was naturally no stranger to the concept of alternate universes.
It certainly sounded like an excellent proposition, save for the fact that it was not without its own glaring issues.
"The problem is," Rowan pointed out, "it is not as if other universes are completely devoid of the Foundation."
Indeed, this was the most fatal flaw in the plan.
The Foundation, an organization utterly dedicated to protecting humanity from the anomalous, maintained a presence across the multiverse.
Based on Rowan's experiences exploring alternate universes utilizing the anomalies and esoteric technologies of other factions, other parallel worlds generally fell into two distinct categories: either the Foundation existed to maintain rigid order, or the world was simply an irradiated wasteland where the apocalypse had already driven humanity to extinction.
Neither scenario could possibly satisfy the growth conditions for his abilities.
"No, you misunderstand , as my universe has absolutely no connection to the Foundation whatsoever."
Neoth shook his head slowly, dropping a revelation that Rowan had completely failed to anticipate.
"You can think of it as an entirely different multiverse, much like two completely separate books that should have remained distinct and utterly unrelated, but due to a miracle occurring that even at my current level of existence I find difficult to comprehend, I was brought to this place."
"However, the connection between our two worlds is exceptionally fragile, not only preventing the passage of overly powerful entities, but also standing on the very brink of vanishing entirely."
"Because of these severe restrictions, I can only imdiately select soone who is capable of aiding , soone such as yourself."
"Are you willing to leave this universe behind and travel to mine?"
Rowan was a hair's breadth away from agreeing to the proposition right then and there.
He had absolutely had enough of this warp-forsaken Foundation universe.
It was a hellscape filled with anomalous artifacts that could cause spontaneous death from a mont of inattention, an average of several K-Class End-of-the-World scenarios occurring annually, the relentless pursuit by the Foundation and the Global Occult Coalition, a myriad of treacherous anomalous cults, and technologies guaranteed to deny a soul even a peaceful death.
What possible universe could be more miserable than this wretched place?
Yet Rowan forcefully restrained his impulses, forcing himself to ask Neoth to describe exactly what kind of place his world was.
Neoth's visage remained a mask of tranquility, his expression utterly unruffled.
"It is a beautiful universe, a fantastical world where humanity, Aeldari, Orks, Necrons, Daemons, and a multitude of other races all coexist together."
"Naturally, because so many diverse species share the sa reality, it is inevitable that there is a little bit of minor friction between the various factions from ti to ti."
"I am the Emperor of Mankind, and My demands of you are not high;"
"as the champion chosen by My hand, you need only assist humanity in defeating the Daemons and the Ruinous Powers that back them, leading mankind to greatness once more."
"I am certain that such a task will not prove overly difficult for a Reality Bender capable of altering the materium at will, possessing a power akin to wish-fulfillnt."
"Furthermore, you will be able to elevate your reality bending abilities through the crucible of slaughter, highly likely advancing to Level 3 or an even higher echelon of power in short order, at which point your mission will beco even more effortless."
Rowan stroked his chin, plunging into deep contemplation.
Given his wealth of experience, he naturally detected the unspoken implications layered beneath the entity's words, realizing that the description of this new world was clearly a massive understatent.
For instance, His brief summary of His universe was so reductive that it could technically apply to the Foundation universe as well, making it sound as though this current reality was completely devoid of Daemons, Aeldari, Necrons, and Orks.
Ultimately, however, after agonizing over the decision, Rowan gave a heavy nod and declared his agreent.
It all ca back to one simple truth: he had absolutely had enough of the Foundation's hellish reality.
Surely, there was no possible way that this alternate world could be more of a grinding at pit than the Foundation universe, right?
Upon hearing Rowan's vocalized consent, the youth calling himself Neoth ford a smile brimming with divine, sorrowful rcy, while his eyes erupted with blinding psychic light akin to a blazing sun.
Pillars of ascending radiance wreathed his physical form as overlapping tiers of pure white wings unfurled majestically behind his back.
Rowan suddenly felt an agonizing, searing pain flare across the back of his hand, forcing a sharp hiss of cold air through his teeth.
Fortunately, the agony faded as rapidly as it struck, the burning tornt shifting into a lingering, comforting warmth that prompted him to raise his hand and inspect the flesh.
Branded into the back of Rowan's hand was a glowing sigil radiating a blinding luminescence reminiscent of the sun, forming a very specific shape.
A golden double-headed Imperial Aquila?
Rowan's eyes widened in absolute horror as he stamred for everything to stop.
This sickeningly familiar icon violently awakened the mories of Rowan's past life;
because the transaction had reached its final stage, Neoth no longer possessed any need for concealnt, directly stripping away the cognitohazardous interference blanketing Rowan's mind.
Freed from the entity's psychic dampening, Rowan pieced together all the prior clues to realize with terrifying clarity exactly which universe he was about to be cast into, and the true, horrifying identity of the man calling himself Neoth.
Tragically, it was far too late to say anything now.
The cascading tiers of angelic wings descended upon him, enveloping his entire physical form until, before Rowan could utter a single syllable of protest, his body vanished completely into the brilliant golden light.
As all the supernatural phenona dissipated into the aether, Neoth slowly descended to the cathedral floor, his form shuddering violently as jagged fissures began to spiderweb across his face, ultimately dissolving into motes of pure light.
Within the cavernous silence of the grand cathedral, only a single, lingering sigh remained.
"In the grim darkness of the forty-first millennium, there is only war... but hope remains."
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