Adam raised his head and looked forward.
Sunlight poured down from the stained glass in the vault above, dyeing the entire grand hall in a sacred, warm golden-red hue.
Dust that had remained suspended for ten thousand years floated quietly within the light beams, dancing slowly through the air.
The murals depicting the Emperor's suffering still hung high upon the dome, and the candlelight on both sides of the altar burned quietly without a flicker.
The Emperor, who had just spoken within the chapel, bore the form of a youth.
Clad in a pure white robe, he stood barefoot beneath the beam of light in the center of the hall.
His face was so young it verged on tender, yet it still emanated a striking sanctity. The light of the candles reflected in his eyes—placid, deep, and seemingly capable of piercing through all illusion.
This appearance—
Adam paused for a brief moment.
This was the very appearance of the Emperor he had seen before everything began, back before he ever arrived in this universe!
At that thought, Adam looked at that face and suddenly broke into a faint smile.
"Has a bit of a retro feel to it. Not gonna lie."
The Emperor made no reply to this banter.
He simply stood there quietly, the hem of his white robe swaying gently in the faint draft.
"Arriving here in such a rush, you didn't come just to catch up on old times, did you?"
The Emperor's voice was calm and gentle, creating a curious contrast with his youthful appearance.
Clearly, compared to their last meeting, the Emperor's disposition seemed to have shifted once again. However, such occurrences were entirely normal for the Master of Mankind, so Adam paid it no mind.
"No, I didn't."
Setting aside his smile, he took a step forward, his footsteps echoing through the hollow expanse of the hall.
"I need to discuss what comes next with you."
Adam's tone turned serious. "I want to ask first—can you see the trajectory of the future clearly?"
The Emperor did not answer immediately.
He tilted his head slightly, and a barely perceptible gleam flickered across his eyes, which carried the weight of ten millennia.
In that instant, the candles throughout the hall flickered in unison, as if the entire illusion trembled alongside his will.
Then, he slowly shook his head.
"Just as I thought."
Adam showed no signs of disappointment.
To be honest, he had not harbored much hope regarding this in the first place.
If the Emperor could perceive the conspiracies the Chaos Gods were orchestrating beyond the galaxy, he would have alerted him long ago via psychic transmission.
Since he hadn't, it meant the obscuration techniques employed by the Chaos Four had reached a degree that even the Emperor found difficult to pierce.
"They have utterly interfered with my perception of the future," the Emperor explained.
"It is worth noting that the capabilities demonstrated by the Chaos Four at this juncture far exceed those of the past. They have united completely, Adam."
"This is not a loose defensive and offensive alliance formed merely to achieve a temporary goal, like during the Battle of Cadia. Nor is it a desperate measure cooked up to deal with your direct assault on their Warp domains after the Eye of Terror closed."
He articulated, "This time, they are truly united, just as they were during the Great Heresy ten thousand years ago—perhaps even more tightly knit than back then."
The Emperor raised his hand slightly.
The youth's fingertips traced a path through the air, leaving behind a pale golden trail of light.
The light trace expanded beneath the hall's vault, forming a hazy image—a holographic projection of the galaxy. Yet most regions of the projection were shrouded in a dense shadow, with only scattered flickers of light gleaming within.
"However, I can see a few things now. Moving forward, the various powerful enemies of the galaxy will awaken one after another to a degree where they can contend with present-day humanity. The Necrons, the Orks, the Aeldari, the Great Devourer—and Chaos itself will find the exact breakthrough it desires amid all this turmoil."
The Emperor's voice lowered.
"Everything will undergo a total resurgence, and then begin to burn the entire galaxy to ash."
Adam fell silent.
After a moment, he took a deep breath.
"So, that brings me to the request I want to make of you next."
Adam assumed a rare solemnity. "You've likely guessed it—I want to ask whether you can still use that realm bridge."
"I need to leave this universe once more and head back to my 'hometown' to find a way to break this deadlock."
"I see. So that is your reason for coming to me."
The golden light in the Emperor's eyes flickered slightly. A remarkably human expression appeared on his youthful face. "So, you intend to continue seeking power from that universe?"
"Yes. Since the opponent has already pushed things to this extent, and the Chaos Four treat all of humanity as an enemy that must be vanquished—"
Adam continued, weighing every word carefully. "Then seeking power from an alternate universe becomes an option worth considering."
"I've already tried it once and achieved excellent results, haven't I?"
"Indeed you have."
The golden light in the Emperor's eyes receded somewhat.
Refocusing his gaze on Adam, he spoke, "However, judging by your tone, you don't seem to intend to proceed with that original 'Travel Frog' plan?"
"—Forget about that one."
Adam shook his head.
He let out a sigh that formed a pale puff of mist, which quickly dissipated into the air.
"My original idea was far too risky."
Even with his unconventional way of thinking, Adam had to admit this truth. "Across countless anomalous universes, the potential consequences are unimaginable. To be honest, what happened in 'Post-Mortem' left a profound impression on me."
"My initial plan was indeed somewhat ill-considered."
"Or rather, back then I only focused on the potential gains and gave insufficient thought to the worst possible outcome."
Adam continued, "I didn't reflect deeply enough on the fact that in those Containment Site incidents, there were outcomes far more unacceptable than death."
"Even if 'I' managed to make a brave choice back then and reached a good outcome, I still shouldn't rely on luck. Given those perilous possibilities, if 'I' had failed back then, the consequences would have been truly unthinkable."
"Because I am 'me.' In a sense, if I had failed back then and suffered eternal torment in 'Post-Mortem', it would still fundamentally be me experiencing it."
"Therefore, considering how uncontrollable the risks and rewards of that old 'Travel Frog' approach were—"
At this moment, Adam spoke with utmost seriousness: "I want to switch to a different plan."
The Emperor waited quietly for him to elaborate.
"I won't go exploring other Containment Site universes this time. I will simply return to the universe I visited previously, nothing more."
"Back then, due to my contributions, the higher-ups at the Containment Site promised to lend me an item."
The Emperor's brow twitched slightly.
"What item?"
"'A Square Peg in a Round Hole.'"
Adam answered.
"It is an insurance policy that can save everything. Something capable of overwriting all past time, turning back the clock, and resetting all things."
He paused, as if giving the Emperor time to digest the information.
"However, this is only a one-in-a-ten-thousand contingency. I will only activate it if everything becomes truly beyond redemption. But at the very least, I must ensure it is in my possession before that moment arrives."
Silence.
Only the occasional crackle of burning candles filled the hall.
The Emperor watched Adam quietly, a deeply complex expression surfacing on his youthful face.
"I understand," the Emperor finally said.
"That is indeed a very flawless insurance policy."
He turned his head slightly, his gaze deep.
"Are you setting off right now?"
"No rush just yet."
Adam rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment.
"I need to wrap up the matters at hand first. My main body outside the galaxy is still tied up with that bug, the Custodes in the Webway are still pushing forward, and Guilliman's side is an absolute mess. Before I leave, I have to handle whatever I can handle."
"For instance, finding a way to delay the Great Devourer's entry into the galaxy as much as possible, or quickly dealing with a certain xenos issue to relieve the pressure on humanity."
He lowered his hand and looked back at the Emperor.
"Once I clean up these loose ends, I'll set off."