The Emperor’s Angel of Death

Facing Hotep's lengthy discourse, Lana blinked, saying with a hint of teasing:

"But, elder cousin, you still haven't answered me."

"You are still young, you don't understand what despair is, of course, you don't understand what hope is, and you don't know how heavy these two words are. They contain many things we cannot understand. I have seen countless lives reach their peak, the limit of their lives, old lives silently moving towards their final destination, their expressions are exactly the same—desperate and heavy. The long past, we have worked so hard, gained so little, for the sake of life, for the responsibilities we bear. What will happen if we continue? The meaning revealed by eternity is already difficult to measure with limited and infinite. At least, the Silent King did unite all groups with a goal. War itself is neither right nor wrong, life begins to struggle from birth, it is an endless cycle, the cycle of life, even without the war initiated by the Triarch Council, the Necrons themselves will still fight."

"So... elder cousin, you support it? Do you really believe in so-called eternity?"

The female Technomancer snorted softly, using a famous work from the ancient Necron era, 'Dirge of Death,' as an answer—

There is so much mystery more vast than all we have seen

There are so many things more magnificent than all we have done

Endless stars, trillions of ages

There is so much more mysterious than our past discoveries

Limited life, unlimited knowledge

That is the cycle of life and death

It drives us all

Through despair and hope

Through betrayal and trust

Until we find our destination

On the unfolding path

In the endless cycle

After listening, Lana seemed to feel something, shedding a few sad tears, then picked up the towel hanging on the rack by the maid next to her and gently wiped the corners of her eyes.

"Elder cousin, what is your yearning for eternity for?"

"For learning, learning more knowledge, understanding more worlds and truths."

Hearing this, Lana thought of something, beckoned, and then the elderly maid walked over and knelt on the ground, her forehead pressed against the floor tiles.

"Your Highness, Princess."

"Qie, do you want eternal life?"

"Uh..."

"Raise your head and speak."

The maid hesitated for a moment, then slowly straightened her back, but her back was still hunched. Originally, for a commoner like her, she should have died long ago at this age, but because Lana had been served by her since she was a child, and this Dynasty Princess was very sentimental, the maid named Qie was able to receive treatment that only nobles could enjoy, but even so, her life was still entering its countdown. The lesions had severely eroded her face, so she could no longer directly face this jewel of the Dynasty—looking directly at a noble with a face of death is a capital crime, and it would implicate relatives.

She tried not to let her face, corroded by the lesions and hyperplasia, directly face the other party, but she had to straighten her back, which made her posture very strange, as if her head was about to fall below her shoulders.

"I'm asking you, do you want eternal life? That is, to live healthily forever, without death or illness."

After hesitating for a moment, the maid responded in a cautious tone:

"I think about it."

"Why?"

"Because... because this way I can serve you forever."

"Is the eternal life in your heart just to serve another person forever..."

[ ]

"This is necessary... it should be, serving you is the meaning of our lives."

Lana sighed and waved her hand.

"Go and rest, all of you leave."

"Yes."

Soon, all the maids retreated from the room, and Lana looked at her elder cousin.

"Elder cousin, what is the meaning of eternity for those who don't even understand the meaning of their own existence? And such people account for 99% of the race's population. Do you think our race is really ready to accept the concept of 'eternity'? If eternity is limited to the nobles, is this eternity or slavery?"

"So I always say, Lana, you are not suitable to be a Technomancer, because you don't have a resolute and cold heart. Your mentality must be correct and placed in the position you are in."

"Oh, you're serious again. I'm just saying... Anyway, so-called eternity is definitely a dream bubble. The ancient nemesis has wiped out all the expeditionary forces, and the Triarch Council's wrong decisions have led to so many innocent deaths. No one will listen to their nonsense anymore."

Hearing this, Hotep turned her head, slightly tilted her body, and whispered:

"That's not necessarily true... Recently, I heard a rumor from other Technomancers that the Silent King of the Triarch Council seems to have found a way to solve the dilemma, and now he is running around the dynasties looking for supporters."

"It's him again? He was the one who instigated the war in the first place, and he was also the one who led the entire Necron race to utter defeat. What is he going to stir up now? I heard that Nephthys the Lawmaker of the Ammon Dynasty was born immune to all diseases. Perhaps he is studying a way to save our race. I think he is our hope."

"Oh?"

Hotep looked at her younger cousin with interest, saying playfully:

"I heard that Nephthys the Lawmaker is not only extremely healthy, but also incredibly handsome. If he asks your uncle, would you agree?"

"Wh-what."

Lana quickly used drinking water to cover up her expression, and Hotep no longer teased her, but whispered softly.

"Actually, this news came from my friend Vanessa, who is currently serving Nephthys the Lawmaker. This Lawmaker has been dissatisfied with the Triarch Council for a long time. He is contacting many dynasties to oppose the Silent King's madness. Our dynasty has a good relationship with the Ammon Dynasty, and may join this one's camp."

"Is that so? Then I have to study harder, maybe I can provide some help for the dynasty's battles in the future!"

In the next moment when she was complacent, she was surrounded by raging fire.

Handcuffed, she was pushed into the sea of fire, followed by painful tearing, knocking, and grinding. She was like a grain in a stone mortar, being ravaged over and over again, and everything in the past seemed like a flashback.

The glorious homeland of the past was torn apart by the terrifying power of the Star Gods, the army from the Szarekhan Dynasty trampled on the ruins and the dead. Simut, the crowned general of the Szarekhan Dynasty, the cousin of the Silent King Szarekh, displayed the head of her defeated father on a spear, flaunting his power. Hotep took her away, almost blankly...

And the Sautekh army, which had always claimed to come to support, never showed up...

The despair of falling, the fire of burning anger, made her study harder. She and her elder cousin vowed to avenge the dynasty and their relatives. The Silent King Szarekh and his accomplice, the Szarekhan Dynasty, must pay their blood debt!