"Please repeat the prophecy you witnessed, Brother Mepheston."
This time, both men were mentally prepared, and the stiff atmosphere between them had slightly eased.
"All of Baal, our three homeworlds, and the remains of our Gene-father, will be destroyed and consumed by the Tyranids / Tyranid."
Mepheston spoke clearly, word for word.
"All Blood Angels will meet their end; all Blood Angels will die here."
"Is that the entirety of the prophecy?" Chapter Master Dante slowly exhaled in three parts, asking.
"Yes, Lord Dante."
"The ninth person has appeared; he is a mortal, a Naval Officer. Who were the first eight?"
Mepheston recited the names of the first eight individuals one by one.
"They are all extraordinary people," Dante said slowly.
The mortals among these names were all noble, ranging from the scions of High Lords to the descendants of legendary Astra Militarum Commanders.
The ninth, that Naval Officer, also possessed an unparalleled background, considered prominent among the mortals.
Horatio Cochrane, the terminator of the Twelfth Black Crusade, the sole living descendant of the legendary Navy Admiral Spire of the Gothic Fleet.
When Mepheston reported the eighth name, Dante paused.
"Blood Angels Second Company, Brother Roman Roland. He was in the Black Rage, drank the bloodletter tears dripping from the statue of Sanguinius, and temporarily suppressed the Black Rage."
When Mepheston spoke Brother Roman Roland's name, both men fell silent.
Although it was uncertain who the true Holy Blood Transmitter who would ultimately survive was.
However, Dante inwardly favored Brother Roman Roland.
As the elite assault company of the Blood Angels.
The Blood Angels Second Company gathered the most elite assault warriors of the entire chapter.
Every individual in the Pureblood Company was the pride of the chapter; each one was personally witnessed by him, the Chapter Master, as they grew into formidable warriors, chosen by him for the Pureblood Company.
He understood Brother Roman Roland.
This young battle-brother was only ninety-nine years old.
Since becoming a member of the Blood Angels, he had distinguished himself from the Tenth Company (the chapter's recruit company), rapidly passed through the trials of the first seven companies, and was selected as an assault Astartes Monks for the Second Company.
Moreover, he had drunk the bloodletter tears from the statue of Sanguinius, and that mortal had also received a blessing beneath this statue.
From this perspective, both were almost at the same starting line. Yet, it was a contest between an Astartes Monks and a mortal.
[But... the ninth one, that mortal, that Imperial Navy Officer.
[He was directly possessed by an angel...]
This again caused the Chapter Master, whose lifespan significantly exceeded most Astartes, to fall into hesitation.
He reviewed the records of golden-armored angels possessing mortals that he had seen or known about over the past thousand years.
While not every mortal possessed by an angel had successfully survived to the end.
Because the appearance of that golden-armored angel was, after all, a rare miracle, requiring the right time, place, and people.
However, among those who did survive to become the ultimate survivor, they still accounted for as much as seventy percent of the total.
This was already a very high proportion.
If that truly was Saint Giliano, his role as Sanguinius's messenger might be foretelling something.
But no matter what, only one person would ultimately survive among them all.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, time would eventually guide the Blood Angels to their Gene-father's truly chosen one.
Dante closed his eyes.
He fervently hoped that this ultimate survivor would be Brother Roman Roland, who was also a Blood Angel.
And he happened to have a basis for this:
Brother Roman Roland, upon returning from this expedition, would join the Deathwatch to study anti-Tyranids / Tyranid strategies, as the most promising warrior in the Second Company.
The Deathwatch is an anti-Tyranids / Tyranid specialized chapter within the Imperium of Man, composed of Space Marines.
This mysterious organization never publicly recruits.
It only accepts the most excellent warriors, nominated by their respective chapters.
Every Deathwatch warrior, after undergoing rigorous training and tempering, is the most elite anti-Tyranids / Tyranid specialized treasure.
Whether facing the Aeldari, Tyranids / Tyranid, Titan, Necrons, or any other abominable Tyranids / Tyranid, they could devise ten thousand strategies to kill these enemies of the Emperor.
They were absolutely the most outstanding anti-Tyranids / Tyranid experts in the entire Imperium; their strength was beyond doubt.
If Brother Roman Roland was also the Holy Blood Transmitter, then everything would align.
His training at the Deathwatch would make him the most effective sword for Baal against the Tyranids swarm.
"Lord Dante, no matter what you are thinking, we must not overly interfere with fate's choice.
Otherwise, when the chosen one is not the true Holy Blood Transmitter of the prophecy..." The Lord of Death's voice deepened.
"The destruction of Baal will be unstoppable, just as our Gene-father fell in battle on the Revengeful Soul."
"I know, Brother Mepheston."
Chapter Master Dante slowly rose to his feet.
"Let them continue their mission; time will filter out the savior from the prophecy for us." Dante's weathered voice became slower and slower.
"You can rest assured, Lord Dante. These two will be personally watched by me," Mepheston said:
"No matter which of them ultimately survives, I will tell you immediately."
"Thank you for your hard work. To think that even a Chief Librarian like you has to worry so much."
"The safety of Baal and the chapter is paramount."
Mepheston bowed to Dante.
After their communication was complete, Mepheston, with his powerful strength, merely waved his hand and restored the Messenger Officer's communication.
"Lord Dante... Ah, Lord Mepheston." The Company Commander bowed again.
"We are already aware of this matter."
Dante said, "Now, let Brother Roman Roland accept Brother Mepheston's psychic link; he will decide Brother Roman Roland's fate."
"Understood."
The ritual quickly began. The young Brother Roman Roland sat on a cold steel throne, with pipelines connecting from all directions behind the throne.
Numerous pipelines eventually converged into a single flow, connecting to the Messenger Officer's neural plug.
Mepheston's eyes widened, and he directly emitted a surging wave.
The ripples followed the Blood Chalice, immersing into the psychic flow.
From such a vast distance of tens of thousands of light-years, Chief Librarian Mepheston permeated his mental power into Brother Roman Roland's soul domain, using the Messenger Officer as a medium.
He saw a calm pool of bloodletter.
But beneath the calm of the bloodletter, undercurrents were surging.
Dark power, like black dragons winding through the bloodletter lake, moved sinuously.
Mepheston gently murmured a spell.
The bloodletter began to surge, churning up gurgling bloodletter waves, and the black undercurrents within converged in the center, forming a swirling vortex.
"Ah!! Ha-ah!!! Urgh-ah!!!!!"
Sitting on the steel throne, Brother Roman Roland, whose limbs were bound by iron restraints, twisted violently and let out an ear-splitting roar.
This roar startled everyone; the priests and Holy Blood Priests were already prepared by his side, on standby at all times.
The indestructible steel restraints were almost unable to contain him, even without his power armor.
Powerful strength was erupting from his genetically modified body, covered in solid muscles, with incredible efficiency.
Bang!
Mepheston saw black and red undercurrents explode in the center of the bloodletter lake, sending a bloodletter pillar soaring skyward.
Whoosh—
A rain of bloodletter poured down from the sky, returning to the bloodletter pool.
The Lord of Death, Mepheston, already knew what he needed to know.
He ended the psychic immersion trial.
"Lord, can Brother Roman Roland still perform his duties?" Company Commander Apher asked with concern.
At this moment, Brother Roman Roland hung his head, slumped against the iron throne, breathing heavily.
He relied on his strong will to endure the surge of the Black Rage, which was constantly being stimulated by a terrifying power.
Although his thoughts were somewhat blurry, he was still relatively clear-headed.
From his heartbreaking roars, his other brothers, though unaware of what he had just experienced.
But everyone knew he had gone through an extremely agonizing and painful trial.
"In my opinion, Brother Roman Roland does not need to serve in the Death Company for now."
Hearing the Chief Librarian's words, the battle-brothers of the Second Company collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"But!"
The Lord of Death, Mepheston's voice suddenly deepened, startling everyone.
"He will, as promised, undergo tempering in the Deathwatch."
"But Lord, Brother Roman Roland... he is blind." The Company Commander looked at the sweating Brother Roman Roland with concern and said to the Chief Librarian.
"What he lost was light. But what he gained... was power."
"Yes, Lord Mepheston. I will make proper arrangements; please rest assured."
"Company Commander Apher, before returning to Baal, you have one more thing to do at Abyss Port. Regarding that Naval Officer, and the conspiracy he might encounter to forcibly twist his fate..."