Tierney manipulated the data panel embedded in his arm, projecting a holographic image of the moon in front of Nareth.
Nareth noticed a specific area that had been highlighted. Tierney began to explain:
"My lord, one of my squad mbers discovered that in the Aristotle-Beta do, the locals sleep an average of one hour longer than residents of other dos on Luna."
"Everyone experiences nightmares when they sleep. Even the two team mbers we sent to investigate reported the sa."
"More importantly, at regular intervals, soone falls into a deep sleep… and never wakes up again."
Nareth nodded thoughtfully.
'Longer sleep, nightmares, never waking again… If it's truly the influence of a beyonder power, then it likely falls under the 'Darkness' pathway. Very likely, it's the Eight-Legged Black Wolf.'
With that in mind, he spoke:
"You've done well."
He then confird, by both questioning and reading Tierney's aura, that Tierney had digested the "Marauder" potion.
Nareth continued, "Your performance has satisfied . I will enhance your capabilities."
"Go wait in the receiving room. Your gyrinx and ranger-class las rifle are there."
"Return in five minutes."
Monts later, Tierney, having advanced to Sequence 8, 'Power Binder', whispered softly:
"Swindler."
"That's right. Terra has many ancient families. I trust you'll find the right targets."
"Anyone of note among the treasure-hunting squad?"
"My lord, there are thirteen capable individuals. All of them retrieved valuable items. I've brought them to the palace."
Nareth gave a slight nod.
"Summon them to serve at my side. I will assess their capabilities."
The next day, as Terra celebrated the triumphant return of Leman Russ with grand festivities, Nareth boarded a transport ship bound for Luna.
The orbital defense platforms, inford of the Primarch's arrival, quickly and accurately completed the identity handshake with the transport ship.
Upon communicating with Nareth's attendants, the Selenite Gene Cult learned that the Primarch's target wasn't a gene-lab, but an ordinary do.
A black gunship detached from the transport ship. Nareth gazed through the observation window at the Aristotle-Beta do below.
Most of Luna's dos still remained, their locally unique silver surfaces glistening under the sunlight.
Nareth didn't imdiately extend his Spirit Vision to scan, doing so would alert the mythical creature.
The ship landed at the Aristotle-Beta do about thirty minutes before sunset, just as he had planned.
The very mont sunlight disappeared from the do, Nareth sharply perceived a tide-like surge of pure darkness engulfing the entire area.
It was as if Aristotle-Beta had been dragged into a domain of darkness. The do's residents were exhaling visible breath and slipping into dazed states.
So were lying on beds, others slumped over desks, soon all of them drifted into sleep.
Even the treasure-hunting squad mbers, thrilled to be following the Primarch, began to feel the effects. It was as though gentle moonlight was brushing over them.
Their eyelids grew heavy; yawns beca uncontrollable, as if they might fall asleep standing up.
They struggled to stay awake, but three of them succumbed to sleep.
Nareth judged their willpower to be lacking.
His black eyes flashed, and his awareness expanded outward.
In an instant, his consciousness blanketed the entire do.
He didn't sense any obvious powerful entity, and this didn't surprise him.
He had judged that the creature lurking within Aristotle-Beta was the Eight-Legged Black Wolf, a creature of the "Darkness" path, renowned for its secrecy.
Such creatures on that path could erase all traces of themselves and mislead any attempts at divination or detection.
Nareth spread his consciousness into the minds of every resident. If his guess was correct, the Eight-Legged Black Wolf fed on human dreams, especially nightmares.
The human mind always revealed its true state. Even those entities would leave so trace if they fed on it.
Unless, of course, the Black Wolf was a Sequence 2 or higher creature, capable of leaving behind no trace at all.
But clearly, it hadn't reached that level. It had been discovered by Malcador, and had even been seen crossing the moon.
Nareth's consciousness lted into the darkness like moonlight, seeping into the minds of the do's inhabitants.
With his superhuman brain, he quickly scanned each individual's dreamscape.
Then, he found sothing.
In the dream of a beautiful noblewoman in silver silk sleepwear, he saw her running through a forest.
Behind her chased a massive jet-black wolf, toying with her like prey.
She sprinted through a seemingly endless dark forest, crying out in terror, but the forest was dead silent.
Every ti she stumbled and nearly got caught, the black wolf would deliberately miss, allowing her to keep running, sobbing in terror.
Clearly, the black wolf was toying with the noblewoman, feeding on her nightmare.
Nareth quickly pinpointed the silver tower where the girl lived.
He linked his awareness with the treasure-hunting squad, the honor guard, and the "Hunters," establishing one-way psychic links in an instant.
Only Sanchez resisted. His will was far stronger than that of ordinary n, even the Primarch could not instantly intrude into his mind.
Nareth sent a ntal pulse to the Lord Reaper:
"Open your mind to ."
Sanchez didn't hesitate. He imdiately complied.
Once connected to the Gene-Father, Sánchez, like the other Shadows of Order, felt as if he were basking in warm sunlight.
Even though Nareth hadn't opened his own mind to them, the most sensitive among the Shadows of Order were overwheld by the experience.
They felt as if a giant fatherly hand had stroked their minds, an intoxicating sensation… abruptly broken.
A multidinsional, hyper-realistic ntal map of the Aristotle-Beta do unfolded in their minds.
They "saw" every building's height, width, and depth.
They "saw" every household, every sleeping resident drowning in nightmares, and the fear and despair radiating from them.
Instantly, each person understood their role from the psychic pulse transmitted to them.
They dispersed through the do like a net.
The treasure-hunting squad spread to the edges, and Sánchez's objective lay between the Silver Tower and the do periter.
But Nareth was faster than all of them.
He ran at full speed, air exploded around him. In a flash of black lightning, he reached the Silver Tower.
In the darkness, a voice began to recite a poem:
"A lullaby gently stirs,
Bodies curled in velvet unfurl,
The stars fall into silver chis,
Humming cradle songs of peace.
Ti tiptoes on dewdrops,
Fearing to disturb the cocooned sleeper,
In the creased folds of eternal night,
All things fall silent."
The poem was calm and peaceful, soothing to the point of sedation.
Nareth sharply sensed his own soul being influenced by a mysterious force, slowed, as though lulled into a serene dream.
'The Nightmare ability: Dream Invasion. No, this was a qualitatively transford high-sequence power.'
Nareth, who had used Sequence-1-level powers via the "Hand of Order," imdiately detected a similar energy within the "Lullaby."
Yet this power was far more complete than the one he had simulated with spirituality and authority.
His black pupils instantly dilated, filling his entire eyes, he entered the Third Layer of Thelema Mindscape: Law of Will.
Thelema's core philosophy:
"Your will is the only law. Whatever your will desires, it shall be. All things submit to your will."
In accordance with his will, Nareth's psychic power condensed into a scythe in an instant.
The Scythe of Will struck down!
..
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu
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