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Chapter 335: An Eldar in Human Skin?
🕑 Added 2025-10-02 10:38:27 +0000 UTCChapter 335: An Eldar in Human Skin?
"I'm sorry, I refuse," Lucan said. "I will not sacrifice the people here. But I do need that technology. And if I may be so bold, what you are offering me cannot compare to what you require. Trazyn, you are being a bit too greedy. The SCV is not a possible term of exchange. However, I believe I have other things to trade for the technology in your hands."
"Something else?!" Trazyn replied. "Lord Lucan, to be honest, your other possessions are not sufficient to arouse my curiosity. I still believe the operating principle of this mechanical construct is most suitable."
"Then what if I were to offer a Norn-Queen?" Lucan countered. "That is the most important synapse-creature of an entire Tyranid tendril. I recall that you have also collected a number of Tyranid creatures as exhibits, and that you even wish to establish a 'Tyranid Zoo.' And how can a zoo be complete without its queen? Without it, your zoo is simply not complete!"
Lucan's words gave Trazyn pause. He looked at the human before him. He had a feeling that this person understood him very well. How could he even know about his collection plans? If he wasn't certain that no one knew the location of his museum, he would have suspected Lucan had secretly been inside.
Seeing Trazyn hesitate, Lucan knew he had a chance. He immediately raised the stakes.
"One Norn-Queen is not enough? Then what if I told you that I will be able to learn the location of the Tyranids' central 'Ancient Ship' in this galaxy? I can invite you to join the subsequent operation. A historical scene like the annihilation of such a Tyranid creature should be worthy of the front row of your collection, should it not?"
"The Ancient Ship?! How do I know you are not lying?"
"Trust! What is the most important thing in a transaction? Is it not trust? And what do you have to lose? Wasn't the technology in your hands also stolen from someone else?!"
"Human! What are you saying!" Trazyn huffed. "How can the act of collecting be called stealing?! You simply do not understand! However, if what you say is true, I am indeed a bit interested. I can give you this technology. But only after I have received the Norn-Queen. But I still believe we have room to negotiate on the terms of the SCV you mentioned.
"My collection is far richer than you can imagine. As long as you are willing, anything can be used as a term of exchange. If I don't have something, and you know where it is, I am even willing to make a special trip for you. Lord Lucan, in the entire galaxy, you would not be able to find a second person for whom I, Trazyn, would personally make a trip."
Hearing this, Lucan could only say that Trazyn was truly willing to put down a heavy stake... to go and steal something on demand. And thinking of some of the things in Trazyn's museum, Lucan was indeed a bit tempted.
"Trazyn, the SCV is off the table! No matter what you offer, I will not trade it!"
"Human, you have no idea what you are missing."
Seeing that it was truly hopeless, Trazyn did not press the matter further. But in his heart, he had not given up. Since Lucan was not willing to sell, he could only resort to his own specialty once again. Trazyn was already beginning to plan how to infiltrate Agathos, though his efforts would be in vain.
"Right," Trazyn said, "as a sign of our deal, I will give you a piece of good news as a bonus. The Overlord of the Maynarkh Dynasty on Peltar is almost fully awake. I have also done you a small favor. I have cut off their distress signal. Otherwise, a massive Necron dynasty would be arriving here shortly."
"Hmm?! Are you saying Anrakyr won't be coming?"
"Hmm?! How did you know it was Anrakyr who was coming?!"
The more Lucan looked at Trazyn, the more he liked him. "If only you were a human..."
Lucan had been worried that refusing to deal with Anrakyr would bring trouble. Although the Necrons might be willing to fight alongside humanity against the Tyranids at first, the moment the Tyranids were dealt with, a war with the Necrons, even if they won, would result in heavy casualties. After all, the deal Anrakyr would have offered the local Overlord, Zardathusa, would have been to help him drive off all non-Necron entities in the Cryptus System—including the Tyranids and the humans—to reclaim the territory that originally belonged to the Maynarkh Dynasty. And if he could not fulfill this deal, then he would not be able to obtain his one-tenth of Zardathusa's army.
Anrakyr was a traditional and domineering Necron Overlord. In the entire Necron race, a social butterfly like Trazyn, who could talk to every race, was one of a kind. Anrakyr had more than a few precedents of slaughtering other races who had entered a tomb world, even at great cost to himself. In his eyes, all races, including humanity, were laughable and backward. To let them live on territory that belonged to the Necrons was an insult.
However, Lucan was not too worried about the combat strength of Anrakyr's own dynasty and the forces under his command. The Imperial forces in the Cryptus System were still intact, and reinforcements were constantly arriving. Once the Tyranid threat was resolved, Anrakyr would not just be facing the humans of the Cryptus System. It would be almost impossible for him to win. The humans were not helpless in a fight against the Necrons.
The only thing to worry about was the C'tan Shard in his possession. As one of the true former masters of the physical universe, even a fragment of a C'tan possessed terrifying power. Perhaps only by summoning the DOOM Slayer could he guarantee a victory against it.
Trazyn, looking at Lucan, became even more certain of his suspicions. The other party clearly had some kind of precognitive ability. This matched everything that had happened. Even the Eldar, a race that used divination and foresight to guide their path, could only predict a vague outline of the future. But Lucan's foresight was so clear... as if he knew exactly how the future would unfold, down to the next second.
"Lord Lucan," Trazyn asked, his voice suddenly serious, "are you truly human? I even suspect that you are an Eldar Farseer wearing human skin. Or perhaps you already know everything that will happen in the future. Who... are you?"
"Don't talk nonsense, Trazyn. I am a hundred percent human, certified by the Emperor himself."
"That statement only makes you more suspicious," Trazyn retorted. "The Emperor of you humans would cooperate so closely with an ordinary mortal?!"
Faced with Trazyn's questioning, Lucan chose to say no more. The more he said, the more mistakes he would make. He could feel that his earlier slip-up had made Trazyn suspicious of his identity.
And without the future intrusion of Anrakyr, and with only Zardathusa to deal with, Lucan had no worries about the Necron forces in the Cryptus System. Zardathusa? What kind of backwater was he? He had no C'tan Shard, no planet-destroying dark technology. His background was impressive, yes, but the Maynarkh Dynasty was already fractured. He was just an Overlord, not a Phaeron. And now, this branch of Zardathusa's had even lost the ability to catalyze stars at will; the Grand Prism was in human hands.
If the Cryptus System was to be truly pacified, they had to solve not only the Tyranid problem but also the Necron one. And the Necron warships were indeed tough. But this was Warhammer. Boarding actions and glorious melee combat were king. Even if I can't destroy your warship, if I board it and take your head, you're still dead!
