377: Chapter 379 The Book of Rules! I'm coming clean, this galaxy is a game?

The air in the secret chamber was sucked out once again.

Everyone's gaze shifted from the fear of the Tyranids, refocusing on the black figure who had triggered it all.

Nathasir, Maxim, Titus, Clone Fulgrim...

They all realized the core of the problem.

Zhang Yuan's knowledge was far too "fresh."

It transcended the timeframe that an archaeological discovery could carry.

Under the pressure of all those gazes, Zhang Yuan remained silent for a moment.

From the speakers of the archon power armor came a slight sigh, one that seemed to carry endless weariness.

"You are truly wise, Lord Regent."

Zhang Yuan's voice sounded a bit ethereal, as if he were telling a story that even he found absurd.

"Alright, I admit it..."

"That didn't come from an STC."

He shrugged, a gesture that was completely out of place in the tense atmosphere.

"Actually, I once obtained an... artifact."

"A book."

"A... constantly updating, constantly changing... book."

"I call it the [rulebook]."

Boom!!!

It was as if an invisible depth charge had detonated in everyone's minds!

"rulebook?" Roboute Guilliman's brow furrowed instantly. His mind, like a supercomputer, began frantically searching all known related concepts the moment he heard the word.

The Black Library? A Warp grimoire? Or... some unheard-of forbidden creation that recorded the underlying logic of the universe?

Zhang Yuan didn't give them much time to think. His voice, tinged with self-deprecation, continued to pour out information enough to subvert the entire galaxy's perception.

"It's like... a constantly updating Universe Setting Collection."

"From the War in Heaven sixty million years ago, to the awakening and rise of the Four Chaos Gods, to... the tragic Horus Heresy."

His voice paused, each word striking everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.

"It seems to write all the major background stories of this universe."

"And it's constantly updating."

"What I witnessed was its update from the first edition all the way to... the tenth edition."

"In several of the updated versions, it even detailed the various races in the galaxy, their internal structures, faction compositions, and even... detailed data on military units."

Zhang Yuan's voice became smoother, like a lonely child forced to show off his collection.

"The Imperium of Man: the various Chapters of the Space Marines, the famous regiments of the Astra Militarum, the Forge Worlds of the Adeptus Mechanicus..."

"The forces of Chaos: the fallen Legions of the Chaos Space Marines, the various demons under the command of the four dark gods..."

"The Aeldari: the noble Craftworld Aeldari, the fallen Drukhari of Commorragh, the mysterious Harlequins..."

"Wait!"

A cold, synthesized syllable filled with urgent static interrupted him. It was Trazyn. He took a step forward, his electronic eyes flashing green. "Don't talk about things I've already collected samples of! Does the book... mention... those lost Legions? The whereabouts of the Second and Eleventh Legions?!"

Everyone present missed a heartbeat, and even Roboute Guilliman's breathing hitched.

Zhang Yuan was silent for a moment, seemingly recalling the contents of the book, then slowly shook his head: "No. Regarding them, there are only two words in the book—[Data Expunged]."

This answer caused a flash of disappointment in Roboute Guilliman's eyes, but it made Trazyn even more fanatical: "Good, good, good! Even 'non-existence' can be recorded! This is true history! Then... what about the Aeldari? Besides these wandering Craftworlds and the madmen of Commorragh, does it record the 'Old Ones'? Does it record the truth of the War in Heaven?!"

"It does." Zhang Yuan turned to the despondent Nathasir, "It even details the birth and... fall of every deity in your Pantheon, including the gestation process of Slaanesh. The details are... far more ugly and detailed than the legends passed down by your survivors."

Nathasir's body swayed violently, nearly unable to stand.

Only then did Zhang Yuan shift his gaze back to the room: "The book records everything, from the ancient Necron dynasties to the savage Orks, to..."

He paused deliberately, casting his gaze toward Titus.

"...what we were just discussing, the Tyranids, even including the vanguard of the Tyranids—those internal infiltration organizations known as the 'Genestealer Cults.' The book has detailed descriptions of them as well."

From beneath Titus's helmet-covered faceplate came a sharp intake of breath!

That was the core secret of the Deathwatch! It was bloody knowledge they had paid for with the lives of countless brothers!

To think... it was recorded so nonchalantly by a "book"?

Zhang Yuan's voice continued, like a scalpel precisely dissecting all the secrets of this universe.

"Oh, and the Tai-jun... sorry, slip of the tongue, the [T'au Empire], which is rising in the eastern fringe of the galaxy, trying to unite everything with the 'Greater Good'."

Aside from Zhang Yuan himself, no one cared about this small slip of the tongue.

But the words that followed caused a violent reaction from both Roboute Guilliman and Trazyn.

"Even... the [Leagues of Votann], who have long been forgotten by the Imperium and are quietly mining in the galactic core."

"The book says they are 'abhuman cousins' of the same origin as the Imperium of Man."

Roboute Guilliman's pupils constricted to the extreme instantly!

The Leagues of Votann! A name that only existed in the oldest records of the early Great Crusade! They had long been deemed by the Imperium as a completely lost branch of humanity!

They... still exist?!

As for Trazyn, beneath his ornate metallic shell, the data streams flashing in his logic circuits almost formed a storm!

The "Ancestor Cores" of the Leagues of Votann! Those were ancient creations from his era! He had always thought those things had been annihilated over the long aeons!

As if Zhang Yuan felt he hadn't dropped enough bombs, he added another sentence.

"Furthermore, this book... very thoughtfully includes exquisite illustrations for every unit and every race."

"In short..."

He spread his hands, making a summary.

"This book is practically a... living, breathing Encyclopedia of our world."

Dead silence.

A silence more absolute than any before.

Everyone in the strategic chamber felt as if their souls had been pulled from their bodies, floating in a void woven of absurdity and reality.

Librarian Maxim's face was pale; his lips moved, but he couldn't make a sound.

[rulebook]? [Encyclopedia]?

This... what blasphemous words!

The ten thousand years of humanity's bloody epic, the heroic sacrifices of countless heroes, the Emperor's holy work...

Could it all just be a few pages of illustrations and a few lines of text in a "book"?!

His faith, at this moment, was completely shattered, turning into dust.

Beneath the smooth mask of the Aeldari Farseer Nathasir was a horror he had never experienced.

He peered into the threads of fate and saw only countless tangled, blurred possibilities.

Yet this "book" could clearly depict everything?

This was no longer a prophecy...

This was... a [Script]!

A Script of fate that had already been written and could not be changed!

A sense of powerlessness originating from the depths of his soul made him almost fall to his knees.

In the violet eyes of Clone Fulgrim, endless pain and... a hint of relief surged.

So that was it.

His Primarch, that "Phoenix" who pursued perfection, his fall, his betrayal...

Were they all just pre-set plot points?

He wasn't a unique sinner, just a pathetic actor performing according to a Script?

This realization made him feel absurd, yet it strangely lifted the heaviest shackles from his heart.

And Titus, the battle-hardened veteran of the Deathwatch, his mind went blank.

He didn't think of blasphemy, nor of fate.

He thought of... those dead brothers.

If this book truly existed, if this information could have been known a little earlier...

How many battles could have been avoided? How many lives that shouldn't have been sacrificed could have survived?

A massive, cold remorse seized his heart.

But the shock felt by everyone else couldn't compare to that of the two leaders present.

One was a Primarch, the other a xenos lord.

Roboute Guilliman leaned forward slightly, his "armor of fate" letting out a groan as it bore the strain.

On his face, there was no anger, no shock, only an extreme, cold prudence.

His brain was operating at a speed beyond its limits.

This "book"...

It wasn't a simple record of information.

That it could "update" meant it possessed some ability to observe, or even interfere with, reality.

Its existence itself was a violation of the laws of causality!

Was this Tzeentch's ultimate conspiracy?

Or was it a game board laid out by some existence slumbering beyond the galaxy, older and more terrifying than Chaos?

Roboute Guilliman's first thought was to control this book at all costs, or... to completely destroy it!

And on the other side.

"Oh... oh... oh..."

A series of unintelligible syllables emitted by synthesized vocal cords came from Trazyn's mouth.

His electronic eyes, flashing with emerald light, were now bright to the extreme, like two supernovae about to explode!

His elegant, scholarly posture was gone.

He walked toward Zhang Yuan step by step, his ornate metallic body trembling slightly from excessive excitement.

[rulebook]!

[An Encyclopedia that recorded all the history, present, and even the future of the universe]!

This... what a perfect collectible!

This was no longer just an exhibit!

This was the [Cornerstone] of the entire gallery! The [Catalog] of all collectibles! The holy artifact that could give [Ultimate Meaning] to his sixty million years of dull collecting!

In his Solemnace Galleries, he had collected the Imperium's Primarchs, Aeldari Farseers, Ork Warlords...

But so what?

Those were just fragments of history.

While this book... was [History Itself]!

Trazyn's logic core was completely submerged at this moment by a primitive emotional virus called "greed."

In his mind, he instantly planned a brand new, grand exhibition hall with this "rulebook" as the absolute core.

He had even already thought of how to write the descriptive label for the exhibit—["The Book of Ultimate Universal Truth," also known as "Trazyn's Private Collection Catalog," unique, permanently collected by Trazyn the Infinite].

"Human..."

Trazyn's voice carried a hint of static noise due to computational overload. He reached out an ornate metallic hand, almost touching Zhang Yuan's shoulder.

"...Name your price."

"Give me all your collections, and I will give you all of mine!"

"No, that's not enough! I can conquer a star sector for you! As long as you give me that book..."

Before he could finish, Zhang Yuan sighed again and shook his head.

That sigh was like a bucket of ice water poured over all the feverish minds.

"Everyone, don't get excited yet."

Zhang Yuan's voice held a trace of helplessness.

"If you want to obtain it, stop thinking about it."

"Because it's gone."

He spoke slowly, as if stating a trivial matter.

"Just after I finished reading its tenth edition..."

"Right before my eyes, it was bit by bit..."

"...devoured by an invisible, incomprehensible maw."

"I have no idea what happened."

"But all the knowledge I read has been permanently branded into my mind, like an imprint."

Zhang Yuan looked up, his faceplate directly facing Trazyn, who had completely frozen at his words.

"So, now."

"I am that walking [rulebook]."