Leaving the Aeldari city, Gamma's next stop was the various great temples of the Path of the Warrior, where disarmed Pathstrider warriors were still being held.
Gamma's current power was only suitable for large-scale battles; neither the Iron Men legions, nor the nanite swarms, nor his other weapons, were designed for small-scale conflicts. These Aeldari warriors were a force Gamma had to utilize for tasks like decapitation strikes.
Otherwise, anyone who provoked Gamma in the future would be in trouble, because the little Tech-priest's cards were all 'bombs,' capable of unleashing 'world-ending weapons' with a mere raise of his hand.
More critically, Gamma's abilities required demons and souls as nutrients, and technological relics as seasoning. With his current fighting style, after a battle, nothing would be left of the enemy.
"Eldrad, how are the emotions of the detained branch warriors now? Since you have made your choice, you should understand how dangerous unstable factors are to us at this moment," Gamma said as the airship descended.
The Supreme Seer was grateful that Uto had the foresight; the completely disappeared Warstrider leader had communicated with the leaders of the various great temples before his suicide and personally appeased the Pathstrider warriors. At least for now, overt discord had been suppressed.
"Idalin has a very high reputation among the Pathstrider warriors. She has been advocating your ideals with others to the Pathstrider warriors during this time."
"Hmm, why does Idalin have such a high reputation? Did she accomplish any great feats? Why haven't I heard you mention it?" Gamma asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Uh, she challenged several temples one by one," Eldrad replied truthfully.
"Kicking down doors! How fierce!"
The hatch slowly opened amidst the little Tech-priest's spitting remarks. The first thing that met his eyes were his unruly castellan robots, and further away were the Aeldari's 'dead man robots'—the Wraith series.
The Aeldari usually wished for the dead to rest in peace, as they had finally escaped the torment of war and the gaze of Slaanesh. But sometimes, the war required more soldiers than all the living inhabitants of an entire Craftworld.
When this happened, a Spiritseer would enter the Craftworld's Infinity Circuit, guiding the souls within back into their Spirit Stones, and then placing the Spirit Stone inside a Wraithbone automaton. Thus, a Wraith warrior would awaken.
Wraithguards, Wraithblades, Wraithlords, Wraithknights, and Wraith Titans—even the smallest Wraithguard's combat power was stronger than that of ordinary Aeldari, and even stronger than most Space Marines. The D-scythes they were equipped with could rip a hole in reality and send enemies into the Warp.
But there was a small problem: the Aeldari souls dragged back into the world would be very confused, only able to perceive the world through psychic senses. Therefore, Wraith units often required a Spiritseer to guide them to fight normally, otherwise, they would be as unsteady as if they were drunk.
It could be said that the "Wraith series" was the Craftworld Eldar's strongest ground force. If the Spiritseers, who were also Prophets, had not already pledged allegiance to Gamma, the little Tech-priest would have had to expend a lot of effort to conquer the Ulthwé Craftworld. These "dead men" were not afraid of Gamma's "Poison Plague."
(Wraithguard)
"Praise the great Magos Gamma, White-1369 salutes you," the castellan robot emitted a high-pitched, human-like voice and performed a gear salute to Gamma.
Upon hearing this, Gamma rolled his eyes and said, "Who taught you all this?"
"Our brothers discussed it; we should be more serious in front of outsiders," the castellan robot said truthfully.
"Why do you all focus on these useless things? I feed you useful things, and you don't even eat them!"
"It's all Dad's fault; he didn't even learn High Gothic," the castellan robot blamed noob.
"I really regret installing emotion modules in you!" the little Tech-priest gritted his teeth, speaking in a tone of disappointment.
Ignoring the unruly castellan robots who constantly annoyed him, Gamma walked directly towards the temple gate. As he passed a castellan robot, he couldn't resist giving it a kick, but aside from making his foot hurt, it was useless.
The castellan robot casually patted away the non-existent footprint and naturally followed behind Gamma. When they reached the kneeling Spiritseers, Gamma said:
"Rise, all of you. You've worked hard."
"It's our duty, great Lord Gamma!" The Spiritseer, having received a psychic prompt from the Supreme Seer, quickly corrected himself.
"Hmm, what was the reaction of the souls you awakened after they understood the current situation of the Craftworld?" Gamma asked while observing the Wraithguards in front of him.
"Our ancestors are very happy to finally find true rest," the Spiritseer replied.
This answer made Gamma feel that the other party was deliberately flattering him, so he asked again, "Weren't they sleeping in the Infinity Circuit? Why would they be so eager?"
The Spiritseer explained, "Your Highness does not know, but our ancestors' souls only awaken from slumber in two situations: either our Craftworld encounters a powerful enemy, or our Craftworld is destroyed. Therefore, unease and fear have always plagued them."
It would be strange if they could sleep soundly when opening their eyes meant either fighting a war or seeing perverts with various tools. Thinking of this, Gamma no longer doubted him and spoke to the Wraithguard in front of him:
"I will fulfill my promise, but not quickly. The Craftworld still needs the Infinity Circuit for power. Before this problem is resolved, I need you to serve me."
The Wraithbone machines bowed silently, indicating their obedience.
Continuing forward into the Path of the Warrior temple, the Aeldari warriors inside had already been informed of Gamma's arrival and had already lined up to 'welcome' him.
Ulthwe and Idalin stood at the very front of the line. The moment they saw Gamma, they immediately knelt and saluted. The little Tech-priest saw that some of the Aeldari behind them also knelt, but most only wavered, though they took no action. A small number stood ramrod straight, their eyes filled with scrutiny and anger as they looked at Gamma.
"Haha, it seems some people are very unconvinced," Gamma said with a laugh.
But the Aeldari who heard his words couldn't smile at all. Idalin hurriedly explained, "Master, they are just—"
Raising a hand to stop the Banshee from speaking, Gamma shrugged and said, "Don't be nervous, I just said it casually. Besides, other than making you hurt a bit that day, I haven't done anything cruel. Why are you so afraid?"
""...
"Idalin, Ulthwe, I am already very satisfied that you were able to persuade some people within a few days. If everyone had been convinced by you, I would instead suspect that you were possessed by demons and used some sorcery on them."
This joke made all the Aeldari, including Eldrad, secretly sigh in relief. Then they heard Gamma say:
"I can understand the unwillingness and anger in your hearts. A inexplicable prophecy, inexplicably provoking me, then inexplicably being attacked by me, and finally inexplicably becoming captives."
"The Prophets and revered elders inexplicably pledged allegiance to me, saying that only I can save your world and redeem your souls. Everything is too inexplicable. You are swept along, demanded, defeated, and can only watch helplessly as the world you fought so hard to protect falls into my hands."
"It's helpless, frustrating, terrifying, and unwilling, yet you can do nothing, like a fly caught in a spiderweb, struggling will kill you, not struggling will also kill you."
"I can understand all of this."
"I am here today not to threaten you with force into submission, but to ask you a question: Have you had enough of being toyed with by fate?"
The Aeldari warriors began to stir. Even in Idalin's eyes, an expression of unwillingness was revealed. She could find a hundred reasons to convince herself and her compatriots, but she could not convince the unwillingness in her heart.
The little Tech-priest allowed the unwillingness to spread among the Aeldari warriors. Even as more and more Pathstrider warriors' eyes showed anger, he did not stop them. This was what he wanted.
Gamma silently watched them like this, and after a long while, he continued, "Actually, before I came into contact with you Aeldari, I always thought you were ridiculous. You possessed great power, yet you believed in prophecy."
"Shouldn't you believe in the sword in your hand more than prophecy?"
"Later, I found that you are pathetic, because the swords in your hands are simply insignificant in the face of fate."
"You have the will, but not the power."
"Now I give you a choice: discard your war masks and live as ordinary people from now on, or obey my commands and dedicate your lives to me, and I will imbue your swords with the power to sever fate!"
After speaking, Gamma turned and left, leaving behind a figure he considered incomparably dashing. In fact, he was indeed very dashing, because the eyes of the Pathstrider warriors on the scene were fixed on that retreating figure.
After leaving the Path of the Howling Banshee temple, Gamma then visited the "Fire Dragons," "Dark Reapers," "Shadow Spectres," "Shining Spears," "Striking Scorpions," "Dimensional Spiders," "Swooping Hawks," and other branch temples, delivering similar fiery speeches.
It wouldn't be long before the little Tech-priest would reap a batch of 'chuunibyo' Aeldari warriors shouting "Sever Fate." As for the 'stubborn ones' who were 'unrepentant and deluded,' their swords would be put into storage, their steeds put out to pasture, and a few years later, they would be given a hard time. The black-hearted little Tech-priest had plenty of ways to make them 'suddenly enlightened.'
Gamma also understood the situation of the Pathstrider warriors through this "Beer Hall Putsch." Regarding this, the little Tech-priest could only say that humans and Aeldari each had their own unique brand of abstraction.
The "Fire Dragon" branch, specialized in destroying enemy war machines and fixed fortifications, as well as clearing heavy infantry and weapon emplacements, he could understand.
The "Dark Reaper" branch, who used various large-caliber weapons to bombard enemy vehicles and important figures from a distance, Gamma could also understand.
The "Striking Scorpions" who excelled at moving through complex terrain, utilizing every corner and crevice to ambush enemies before they could attack, even the "Swooping Hawks" who had "wings" and could fly and leap, and the "Shadow Spectres" who floated around using jetpacks and holofields, like ghosts that could fire lasers—he could understand all of them.
But the "Shining Spears," who rode anti-gravity bikes and charged enemies with "lances," Gamma found very difficult to understand. Even the White Scars didn't constantly stay on their beloved motorcycles, but the "Shining Spears" were the most specialized branch warriors; they only killed while riding motorcycles.
The little Tech-priest thought for a long time, and the most useful thing he found in the "Shining Spears" faction was that their motorcycles performed well and could be modified and sold to the White Scars.
"Yvraine, I saw that the Ulthwé Craftworld would be destroyed by the Dark Enemy."
Our Regent—bah! The wanton alien bitch lifted her weary eyes from the documents, gazing listlessly at the old prophet Eldrad who had spoken.
"Oh—"
Seeing that the Herald of Death hadn't come to her senses, the old prophet had no choice but to repeat what he had just said: "I saw that the Ulthwé Craftworld would be destroyed by the Dark Enemy!"
This time, it was Yvraine who fell silent. She wearily rubbed her brow, and after a long while, she said, "Alright, let's hope everything goes smoothly this time."
At this moment, a 'bootlicker' (Dreamweaver Warrior) entered from outside, fully clad in armor, carrying a cup of hot tea and placing it in front of Yvraine, then spoke with a rude attitude:
"Are you Guilliman's little pet? Why are you managing the Death Guard using methods you learned from him?!"
"Because it works! And I don't want to argue with you, get out!"
"Hmph!" The Dreamweaver Warrior snorted coldly and turned to stand behind Yvraine.
Old Prophet:
"...—."
"If you're not leaving, then help me finish these documents!"
"Hmph!" The Dreamweaver Warrior plopped down onto the other side of the desk again.
The bootlicker warrior, whose real name is Visage, was a former bishop and Yvraine's former superior and mentor. He had always secretly loved her, to an extent that when she left her home to become a wanderer, he also took off his war mask and disguised himself as a Dreamweaver warrior, following her all the way to the present.
It's unclear whether Visage's disguise was too good, or if Yvraine already had someone else in her heart. In any case, whether intentionally or unintentionally,
Visage's identity had never been exposed.
By common sense, as the leader of the Death Guard, who was well-connected in both the 'black and white' (Dark Eldar and Craftworld Eldar) and highly respected in the Imperium of Man, his intelligence would not be so low. There could only be one possibility: Yvraine was pretending not to know, hoping the other party would give up. Unfortunately, this tactic was useless against 'bootlickers,' because they firmly believe that—licking to the end will yield results, and they will find reasons to convince themselves.
"Cough!" The old prophet brought the conversation back to the main topic with a cough, and then said, "Regardless of the outcome, the souls of our kin must not fall into the hands of the Dark Enemy."
"Mm."
Then the Death Guard was blocked outside the Webway gate of the Ulthwé Craftworld.
At the same time, the young Tech-priest, accompanied by Eldrad, who was on his way to the prison, looked at the Supreme Seer with an unhappy expression and said, "You mean there's a Webway gate on the Craftworld that even you don't know about, and the Harlequins might appear here?"
"Your Highness, the Ulthwé Craftworld has a very ancient history. It wasn't always this massive; it's the result of tens of thousands of years of expansion, so—" Eldrad said somewhat awkwardly.
"Then I'm done, I'm leaving. Just pretend I was never here." The young Tech-priest said, about to run away.
The Supreme Seer hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Gamma, saying, "Wait, Your Highness, it's not as serious as you imagine. The abandoned Webways are abandoned for a reason; either they are dangerous or extremely narrow and difficult to traverse."
"Moreover, unlike most Eldar, the Harlequin Troupe has no prejudice against other races. As long as you fight against Chaos and do not hinder their actions, they will be very happy to cooperate with you."
Hearing this, Gamma stopped and looked up at Eldrad, saying, "Do you even believe that nonsense?!"
Eldrad hurriedly explained, "Indeed, while the Harlequin Troupe recruits members from all Eldar factions, they are not loyal to any other Eldar faction. They only obey the Laughing God, Cegorach. Furthermore, Your Highness has not instigated slaughter on Ulvay. With the support of our Prophet Council, once the branch shrines join us, they will not take any drastic actions."
"Really?" Gamma looked at Eldrad with a skeptical expression. "Absolutely true, otherwise I wouldn't dare to lead you here."
Gamma thought about it and agreed, then asked, "Then aren't we doing useless work by closing the Webway? The news will still leak out, and we will still face attacks from other Craftworlds."
"That's not the case. The Harlequin Troupe's whereabouts are not fixed. The last time they performed on our Craftworld was four hundred years ago. Without the Laughing God's instructions and tasks, they wouldn't risk using those Webways that have been abandoned for who knows how many years."
"Furthermore, Your Highness Gamma, our current blockade of information is only a temporary measure. You cannot always do nothing, so the news of your rule over the Ulthwé Craftworld is bound to become known to others; it's just a matter of sooner or later."
The young Tech-priest nodded. He indeed planned to expand his influence with the Ulthwé Craftworld as his base after completing the modifications and other preparations on the Craftworld. The Imperium Nihilus was currently in chaos, with countless human worlds and Imperial forces losing contact. He could completely bring these human worlds under his control.
By then, Dante would be the Regent of the Imperium Nihilus, Roboute Guilliman would be the Warmaster of the Imperium Nihilus, and he, Gamma, would be the Fabricator-General of the Imperium Nihilus. The three of them and Guilliman would 'divide and rule' with the Great Rift as the boundary, forming the 'Imperium Nihilus Triumvirate.'
With half of the Imperium's manufacturing in his hands, what calculations would he fear? If Abaddon came, he would be beaten into an 'Abaddon egg.'
Eldar?
If they want to die, let them try!
But all of this depended on Gamma having time for early development. Before he had the power to intimidate other Craftworlds and make them not dare to touch him, Gamma dared not show his face.
"But this is still a risk, Eldrad. You must closely monitor this matter. I need time!" Gamma said seriously.
Eldrad and Gamma were now in the same boat. The young Tech-priest could still run, but he and his kin could not. He naturally knew the seriousness of the matter, and besides, their lives were in Gamma's hands.
"Understood. I have already arranged for people to investigate past records to minimize the risk! In an unavoidable situation, we can—" The black-hearted Supreme Seer made a downward cutting motion.
Shameless traitor, truly not soft on the Craftworld Eldar at all, but I like it. The young Tech-priest thought with great satisfaction, seeing how thoroughly Eldrad had betrayed.
Subsequently, the Supreme Seer, who had the accelerator pedal welded down on the path of betraying his kin, at Gamma's request, meticulously explained the intricate relationships within Eldar society. He had to understand Eldar society, even without the Craftworld Eldar, once his plan began to be implemented, he was bound to face obstacles from the Eldar.
The Craftworld Eldar, also known as the White Eldar, are undoubtedly the main Eldar faction in Eldar society, but there is almost no interaction between individual Craftworlds unless there are major events.
Long periods of isolation have led to significant cultural differences between Craftworlds. The Prophet Councils of different Ark Worlds may have different goals, leading to competition. Although direct attacks are rare, they will contend for interests through proxy wars.
Therefore, each Craftworld is an independent Eldar kingdom. However, due to the strict doctrines of the Craftworld Eldar, many young Eldar who cannot bear it will run away and wander. The Thirteenth Princess is the most typical example; she has been an Eldar pirate and has mixed in Commorragh, the Dark City in the Webway.
Wandering Eldar like the Thirteenth Princess can also be considered a link between the White Eldar and the Dark Eldar, these two mutually disdainful Eldar groups. Although they dislike and look down on each other, the Dark Eldar and White Eldar largely mind their own business, and conflicts between them are uncommon.
Of course, not every wandering Eldar's path is as wild as the Thirteenth Princess. Most of the fallen men and women who flee the Craftworlds—that is, those Eldar who have deviated from the Path—prefer to seek refuge among the Exodite Eldar.
Because compared to the Craftworld Eldar, the Exodite Eldar are much friendlier to outsiders and those who do not wish to adhere to the Path. Their way of life is also more passionate and uninhibited, and there are World Spirits there that can shelter Eldar souls and help them ward off Slaanesh's gaze.
As for the Exodite Eldar, they keep to themselves and have a very low sense of presence in Eldar society; they do not leave their worlds.
Eldrad expressed great lamentation over young people embarking on the path of exiles, his words implying, "Why are the young people of the post-XX generation so irresponsible?"
The young Tech-priest found the Supreme Seer's performance both familiar and amusing. With a wicked sense of humor, he chimed in, criticizing the young Eldar who pursued "freedom" and "distant lands" as too selfish. Knowing that the Craftworld's birth rate was low, they wouldn't honestly stay home and have children, instead risking death to seek thrills. Wasn't this making the Eldar's unhealthy population structure even worse?
These words greatly agitated Eldrad, who said that if the young people on the Craftworld had such awareness, he could now close his eyes and let Gamma devour him.
(Eldar pirates are not Dark Eldar.)
And so, the young Tech-priest continued to maliciously provoke the old Eldar, and the two arrived at the prison. Their purpose for being there was to see the prophet Balewi, who was possessed by a demon.
After a few days, Gamma hadn't expected Balewi's transformation to be so drastic. His dried skin and muscles clung to his skeleton, his eye sockets were deeply sunken, and his bloodshot eyeballs seemed as if they would fall out at any moment. His lips had been gnawed away by his own teeth, revealing pale teeth with bloody strips of flesh.
The demon, bound by runic chains, rotated its eyeballs, and after recognizing the newcomers, let out a sharp laugh: "Heheheh, let me see who's here. Is this the Supreme Seer and the master he recognized?"
Gamma ignored the demon and instead asked Eldrad, "I remember you told me the original prophecy said that Ulvay would be destroyed by the Dark Prince's demon army, right?"
Hearing Slaanesh's designation, the Supreme Seer instinctively trembled, then said, "Yes."
"Then do you think it might be caused by this thing right here? If I hadn't intervened suddenly, he wouldn't have been exposed."
After thinking for a moment, Eldrad said, "Very likely."
Gamma asked again, "Remember to investigate when you get back. I suspect he might have accomplices. Such a big deal, he couldn't do it alone."
"Your Highness means someone has been corrupted by a demon but hasn't been discovered yet?"
"Yes!" Eldrad replied seriously.
The demon, seeing Gamma ignore him, and then seeing him openly express his suspicions, revealed a twisted, provocative smile on his face, sneering:
"Yes, search carefully, suspect everyone, dig out all the unspeakable secrets in their hearts, heheheh."
Eldrad's expression was very displeased upon hearing this, but he quickly recovered, because Gamma had already walked up to the demon.
"There were many people and many things going on at the time, so I left you until now. Are you taking advantage of that?"
After saying that, he slapped the demon host.
It proved once again that demons are cowards; they will say anything when faced with death.
"Stop messing around! Quickly tell me what's been happening in the Warp recently?" The young Tech-priest, who had just gotten his hands on the list of corrupted Eldar, continued to squeeze the remaining value out of the demon.
"The Rain Father and the Plague Father are jointly attacking the domain of Vashtorr, the master of the Soul Forge, the Creator!"
"Hmm! Why did Nurgle suddenly move against Vashtorr?" Gamma asked curiously. From what he knew of the Warp, he hadn't heard of any conflict between Vashtorr and Nurgle.
"Ah, please stop, ghost Lord, this servant dares not, this servant is willing to become your slave, this servant is willing to offer my true name," pleaded the Slaanesh demon, adorned with jewels and with razor-sharp claws painted in vibrant colors.
Each utterance of "this servant" disgusted Gamma greatly. If he hadn't been outside, he would have cut off the demon's nether regions.
"Stop the nonsense! Tell me why they're fighting!"
"The Rain Father claims the Creator offended the father, but Vashtorr denies it, saying the Rain Father and the Plague Father are deliberately causing him trouble."
"I want the truth! Do you want to die or not!" the young Tech-priest threatened.
"No! I don't know, but Vashtorr's words are more credible. He doesn't like to deceive; the contracts he proposes always clearly list the terms."
"Hmph, shameless Nurgle! Clearly, he wants to regain the face he lost elsewhere from Vashtorr. Are we technical personnel just meant to be bullied? Vashtorr, ganbade! Kill them all and let Nurgle know the anger of an honest man!"
Although Vashtorr wasn't a good guy either, as a fellow technical person who was also troubled by Nurgle, the young Tech-priest felt a sense of "class solidarity" with Vashtorr's oppression.
"ghost Lord, if you just let me go, I'll go back to the battlefield and help the Rain Father deal with Vashtorr!"
"Get lost! Do you think I'm stupid? Besides this, is there anything else? For example, is Tzeentch looking for something?"
"Yes, yes, the Lord of Change is indeed looking for—" The demon stopped mid-sentence, having thought of something.
Seeing the demon's reaction, the young Tech-priest understood what Tzeentch was looking for and said, "Hehehe, it seems you've discovered my secret, so I can't let you live!"
"No! I don't know anything! I don't know!"
"Hehehe, don't cry. Living is so tiring; death is a gift, understand?"
Gamma had long expected Tzeentch to be looking for him, but the conflict between Vashtorr and Nurgle left him a bit puzzled. Their domains of power were completely unrelated, weren't they?
Fortunately, he had a consultant by his side. The Supreme Seer Eldrad was very skilled in demonology, but even after Gamma recounted the information he got from the Slaanesh demon to Eldrad, Eldrad was also a bit stumped.
"That shouldn't be!"
"Right? But the demon probably wouldn't fabricate such an obviously fake story to deceive me. Eldrad, how much do you know about Vashtorr?" Gamma asked.
After searching through the knowledge in his memory, the Supreme Seer said, "The Creator has always been very mysterious. He has only appeared a few times in the material universe. Some exploratory scholars believe he emerged due to reckless arms races in ancient interstellar wars, while others believe he had dealings with humanity's Dark Age of Technology."
"But one thing is certain: Vashtorr is not a slave to the four Chaos Gods. On the contrary, he maintains his own sphere of influence and unique role in the Warp, growing stronger by trading souls with any demon seeking his help for demonic weapons, as well as with fallen mortals."
"Because his daemon engines play an important role for the Chaos daemons engaged in the 'Great Game,' he is also the primary arms dealer for the Gods' game, which makes the Chaos Gods annoyed yet helpless against him."
"By common sense, no Chaos God would actively offend him, as this would cause them to lose an important source of weapons."
After hearing Eldrad's explanation, Gamma pondered for a long time but couldn't understand the reason, so he eventually gave up. Anyway, it had nothing to do with him. The longer Vashtorr and Nurgle fought, the better, saving Nurgle from focusing his energy on him.
What he needed to do now was to seize the window of opportunity created by this war between Chaos and quickly strengthen himself. Development was the absolute principle.
"Never mind, Eldrad, I'll leave the Harlequin matter to you. Also, pay attention to the Path of the Warrior side, and gather all the Bonesingers on the Craftworld. I want to modify the Craftworld!" Gamma ordered Eldrad.
"Yes," the Supreme Seer nodded in agreement.
As a future mobile base prepared for himself, a celestial-class warship, the task of modifying the Craftworld seemed almost impossible to others. This was not just a technical issue; the sheer workload alone could make one suffocate.
But that was for others. The young Tech-priest had Necron Scarabs helping, and a super artificial intelligence responsible for overall coordination and control, so the workload was not an issue. The truly thorny problem was the Craftworld's energy supply.
After Gamma used nanomachines and mechanical beetles to survey the entire Craftworld, he found that the entire Craftworld, rather than being a spaceship, was more like a giant living organism. However, this was just a metaphor, not to say it literally was.
The material of the Eldar bone itself possessed biological characteristics; it could grow and react to psychic energy.
The Infinity Circuit was both the resting place for Eldar souls and the power source for the entire Craftworld. Countless souls slept within it, coalescing into an unconscious "Great Soul," where each Eldar soul was equivalent to a cell of this Great Soul. And because all Eldar had psychic potential, this Great Soul also possessed the ability to draw psychic energy from the Warp.
The operation of the Craftworld relied on the Warp energy drawn from the Warp by the Infinity Circuit, which was then converted into light and heat using the properties of the Eldar bone.
However, Gamma's hands were full of material universe technology. Except for the Warp engine, which was related to the Warp, his other technologies were completely incompatible with Eldar psychic technology.
This forced Gamma to abandon his original plan of completely transforming the Craftworld and choose the path of "hybrid power"; he wanted both psychic and technological power.
Thus, Gamma became the largest and first "real estate developer" on the Ulthwé Craftworld.
The end of the universe is real estate; only building houses can revitalize the Ulthwé Craftworld.
So the young Tech-priest named his Craftworld modification plan: The New City Project.
As for how modifying a Craftworld and building houses could be related, listen to Gamma's explanation!
The Craftworld's navigation could not do without power from the Infinity Circuit, nor could its manufacturing, nor could the lives of the Eldar on the Craftworld.
The young Tech-priest did not have things like C'tan Shard, so he couldn't solve the problem of how to propel a planet-sized object at sub-light speed. Even if he had the Necron technology to convert matter into raw energy, the amount of matter consumed daily to power the Craftworld would be astronomical.
Therefore, for the Craftworld's propulsion, Gamma could only use his existing technology to add and strengthen thrusters for quick maneuvers in dangerous situations. The overall framework could not be changed.
And Eldar weaponry could not do without Eldar bone, and the growth of Eldar bone could not do without Warp energy. Replacing all Eldar equipment at once was possible, but the compatibility between Eldar and pure technological equipment was a big problem, which would severely damage the Craftworld's overall strength.
Furthermore, Gamma had no intention of abandoning psychic technology. He couldn't use psychic abilities now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't in the future. What if one day he suddenly gained psychic abilities while eating? Would he then have to train all the Craftworld's psychic technology personnel from scratch if they had all switched to studying physics?
Therefore, the Craftworld's manufacturing industry would also be retained. Even if Path of the Warrior felt Gamma's weapons were better in the future, Gamma would still support the Bonesingers. This was a long-term plan, not something to be viewed in the short term.
Finally, the part that could be changed was the power supply for the Eldar cities on the Craftworld. Cutting this part would free up some souls in the Infinity Circuit, turning the stagnant water in the Infinity Circuit into flowing water. In the future, every time an Eldar died outside, the young Tech-priest would consume one from the Infinity Circuit.
This would also fulfill his promise to the Eldar. The rule of 'first come, first served' would also appear fairer, making the 'dead' Eldar work harder for him. Later, he could even add systems like 'last-place elimination' and 'KPI' to let the 'dead Eldar' experience the oppression of capitalism.
After he explained the "New City Project" to the Prophets, they all said it was good, especially the Soul Prophet, who was responsible for comforting souls, almost set off firecrackers on the spot. Heaven knew how many times their ancestors in the Wraithguard had asked them daily during this period:
When would it be their turn to die?
Unfamiliar souls were fine, but it was the "familiar souls" they feared. To die sooner, they almost brought up how they had helped the Soul Prophet change diapers when he was a child.
Amidst a chorus of praise, the Ulvay Eldar's life, which had remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years, was about to undergo earth-shattering changes. Building a new city was something the Eldar might not see in several lifetimes.
Because the young Tech-priest considered the existence of the Harlequin and wanted to avoid leaving a tyrannical impression on the outside Eldar, he could be said to have perfectly embodied the "benevolent ruler" this time.
He did not rush into construction but instead publicized the "New City Project," soliciting design proposals from all Eldar, with the slogan:
My life, my choice.
He also attached a fantasy elf-style design proposal he drew himself, intending to compete with the Eldar artists and let everyone vote to rank them.
This move sparked a considerable reaction among rebellious young Eldar. While the steady adults were still nervously speculating about Gamma's intentions, they eagerly began to ignite their artistic cells, submitting design drafts. The young ones had long been tired of living in the same old houses that had been passed down for thousands of years!
While voting was fair, it could also lead to close calls, especially when everyone was an artist at heart.
With rebellious youths taking the lead, the older literary enthusiasts, who came later, showed the youngsters what it meant to be experienced and possess centuries of skill.
Although Gamma could choose one based on his personal preference, the Eldar would not, and dared not, voice any objections; however, this would go against his original intention of publicly soliciting proposals.
Furthermore, the Tech-priest also discovered a problem through this incident: Eldar society was extremely rigid. Individuals like Eldrad, an ancient Supreme Seer, had held their positions for thousands of years, and this was not an isolated case. Ordinary Eldar, without exceptional psychic potential or combat talent, had no room for advancement.
However, these Eldar were not without other talents; they simply lacked the environment and opportunities to display them.
This presented Gamma with an opportunity: a chance to rally a group of Eldar within the Craftworld who had vested interests tied to him. While continuing to use the Eldar Path system was possible, it was not conducive to Gamma's rule, as it would separate the Tech-priest from the Craftworld Eldar, making him consistently appear as an outsider ruler in the hearts of the Eldar.
Only by establishing his own system for governing the Craftworld, promoting talented Eldar who had not benefited from the Path system, and having them help Gamma balance and check Eldrad and his group of "former officials" could he solidify his rule.
With this idea in mind, Gamma immediately took action, "kicking aside" Eldrad and his group, preventing them from interfering with the new city's affairs, and then summoning all the Eldar who had submitted proposals.
These "bottom-tier" individuals in Eldar society were initially very panicked, but after Gamma announced that the construction of the new city would be entrusted to them and promised they could fully unleash their talents, Gamma saw ambition and enthusiasm in their eyes.
However, Gamma also gave them a challenging task. He told these Eldar:
"I have reviewed all your submissions, and honestly, they are all excellent. Choosing one means abandoning the others, which I dislike very much, because I am a greedy person."
"I want all of them, and you must exhaust your talents to fulfill my wish. When this city is completed, it will be the most beautiful and greatest city in the history of the Ulthwé Craftworld! And your names will be engraved on the stele in the city center!"
"This is a challenging task. Do you have the courage to accept it?"
The rebellious Eldar youth and the discontented Eldar ultimately accepted Gamma's task. The Tech-priest didn't even give them a guarantee.
They still took on the task, even without a promise that they wouldn't be held responsible afterward.
Gamma was very pleased with the Eldar who were willing to risk their lives for a future. If his "civil officials" lacked this courage, how could they help him balance the Path Warriors, who were like "military generals," in the future?
Eldrad and the Seer Council saw Gamma's intentions, but they dared not object. They could only visit the branch temples more frequently, trying to win over and persuade the Path Warriors of various major branches.
A city, a great city, cannot be completed by a group of inexperienced but enthusiastic people. It requires talent from all aspects, especially when not using psychic technology, the difficulties faced are beyond imagination.
And this difficulty was precisely what Gamma wanted; he intended to use the process of solving these difficulties to cultivate his "civil official" team.
If there were no talents who understood physical technology, then he would cultivate them.
If there were no talents who understood personnel management, then he would cultivate them.
If there were no talents who understood urban planning, then he would cultivate them.
Whatever talent Gamma lacked, he would have his civil officials seek it out within the Craftworld. If there were no such talents, he would establish schools to specifically train them.
Using the new city as a fulcrum, Gamma stirred the stagnant waters of the Ulthwé Ark. The rigid Eldar society also began to change due to these developments. Some previously unknown Eldar began to emerge, and some Eldar who were interested in physical technology and considered "folk scientists" began to be given important roles.
The success of these ordinary and non-mainstream Eldar ignited the ambitions in the hearts of others, prompting more and more Eldar who were previously hesitant or observing to take action.
At the same time, pure physical technology products began to appear on the Craftworld's market. These were intentionally introduced by Gamma; he wanted to break the perception of the Eldar who had always lived within the Craftworld, to let them know that not only psychic technology existed, but physical technology could also achieve the same effects as psychic technology, and even do it better.
Time passed little by little amidst these changes.
In the first year, the final design of the new city had not yet been completed, but Gamma had already established an academy within the Craftworld, beginning to systematically cultivate various technical talents.
In the second year, with the collective brainstorming and efforts of all the civil officials, the preliminary draft was finally produced. Although the civil officials were still not satisfied with the plan, Gamma decided to start construction first and make revisions as they went along. With the mechanical beetles, starting over was not a big deal.
In the third year, the new city was completed, but because it was rushed into construction, even with several modifications midway, it still could not satisfy Gamma. Therefore, Gamma decided to tear it down and rebuild.
The act of building a magnificent new city in one year and then leveling it within a few days greatly shocked the Eldar on the Craftworld. They were accustomed to a slow-paced life and to not replacing artifacts for hundreds of years due to the slow growth and difficulty in cultivating psycho-bone.
Although this new city could not satisfy Gamma, nor the civil officials involved in its construction, it was undoubtedly a beautiful and magnificent city in the eyes of other Eldar. The impact of such a city being leveled on the Eldar was unimaginable.
For a time, the number of people interested in physical technology surged, and the arrogance in the hearts of the Ulthwé Eldar was silently shattered.
The Tech-priest was pleased to see this change, as it was exactly what he wanted. However, in his interactions with his civil officials, Gamma also discovered a problem: the Eldar were an extreme race, and the pursuit of "perfection" was their nature.
Without the suppression of the Path to restrain the Eldar's nature, they could easily become engrossed in a task to the point of forgetting to eat and sleep. During the finalization and construction of the new city, some individual Eldar became so overly invested that they went without sleep for extended periods and exhibited extreme emotional behavior.
In other words, every Eldar had the potential to become a mad artist or a mad scientist. To solve this problem, Gamma had to delve deeper into the Eldar's Path system.
After a period of research, Gamma developed his "Path" – the Gamma Path.
Although the name "Gamma Path" contains the word "Path," it has nothing to do with the Eldar's existing Path system. The Tech-priest just named it that out of a mischievous whim.
For the past few years, Gamma had not given up on research into how to make the Eldar revert to their ancestral form, and he had achieved some results, but he had never dared to use them on the Eldar. Later, during one instance when Gamma was helping an Eldar who was trapped in an extreme state and couldn't extricate himself to "calm down," he suddenly had an inspiration.
If Poison Plague spores could secrete toxic substances to kill the host, why couldn't spores secrete beneficial substances?
Where is the distinction between poison and medicine?
Spores can secrete toxins, so why can't spores decompose "toxins" or decompose hormones within the host?
Most importantly, the Poison Plague spores were under Gamma's control; the life and death of infected creatures were entirely at his command!
With this line of thought, Gamma began to upgrade the "Poison Plague." He had always been very hesitant to do so, fearing falling into Nurgle's trap. However, after upgrading the "Poison Plague" according to this idea, it was no longer merely a weapon or pathogen; whether it was a life-saving medicine or a harmful plague depended entirely on Gamma himself.
This could also be considered an indirect disruption of Nurgle's "scheming."
With the help of live Eldar test subjects corrupted by Slaanesh demons, Gamma successfully completed the upgrade of the "Poison Plague." Now, calling it "Poison Plague" was no longer appropriate, so the Tech-priest gave it a new name—"Ohmega Spore."
When the "Ohmega Spore" was created, Gamma felt that he could control whether all the spores evolved according to his will. He seemed to have transformed into the master of the "Ohmega Spore," which gave him a new understanding of his abilities. This meant that in the future, any upgrade or change he made to the spores would cause corresponding changes even to spores on the other side of the galaxy.
The Tech-priest buried his head in ice water for a long time before he could calm himself down and suppress the urge to scatter the "Ohmega Spore" across the galaxy.
"The Green Giant really went all out! Gamma must not let his guard down! Even if you turn all of humanity into superhumans with Ohmega Spore, can you save humanity? If so, the Great Heresy wouldn't have happened!"
"Are you going to tie the fate of humanity entirely to your whim? Can you bear that responsibility? How can you be sure this power has no hidden dangers? No contingencies?"
The "Gamma Path" was like a nuclear bomb, and the Ulthwé Eldar were like calm lake water. As this nuclear bomb was thrown into the lake, the waves it stirred up could change the very ecology and structure of the "lake."
When ordinary Eldar discovered that they no longer had to live a numb existence and could also avoid falling into madness, the more suppressed they had been before, the greater their reverence for Gamma after their liberation.
"Your Highness, you..." Eldrad's old eyes welled up with tears, and he choked, unable to speak.
The Tech-priest, lying on a chair enjoying being fed by an Eldar maiden, found the old man truly an eyesore. A king in a "wine pool and meat forest," surrounded by throngs of beautiful maidens, a lavish banquet, and an "old official" with snot and tears streaming down his face—if an uninformed person saw this, what would they think?
"Eldrad, that's enough. Don't you see everyone is happy? You're being a real buzzkill!" Gamma said with a displeased frown, and the Eldar maiden beside him hurriedly and tenderly massaged the Tech-priest's brow.
"My apologies, Your Highness, I am simply too overjoyed."
"It's no big deal. Follow me, and you'll have good days for a long time to come, won't you?" Gamma said, swallowing a pastry fed to him by another maiden.
Upon hearing Gamma's words, the previously weeping Eldar elder stopped crying. This was not due to the Tech-priest's words, but because the "Ohmega Spore" within Eldrad's body had begun to work, decomposing the hormones affecting his emotions.
The Supreme Seer, with tear streaks still on his face, said calmly, "No matter how many times I experience it, this feeling is truly miraculous, like having a bucket of ice water thrown on me."
"Don't get too happy too soon. While the spores can calm you down, they will suppress your psychic abilities."
"Haha, Your Highness, we crave this suppression. While extreme emotions can enhance psychic power, they also bring the risk of losing control."
The Tech-priest, raising his hand for a servant girl to help him up, said after sitting up, "Your senses and emotions are far more complex than humans'. Even with test subjects, I cannot guarantee that the 'Ohmega Spore' will affect all your emotions."
"We need to establish a comprehensive societal monitoring system. As soon as an out-of-control individual is discovered, they must be sent to me immediately, so I can improve the spore's identification and decomposition functions."
The Supreme Seer, taking a sip of the fine wine in front of him, said with a laugh, "The last time I drank wine was thousands of years ago, when I hadn't yet chosen the Path of the Seer. To taste this flavor again, I truly have to thank Your Highness."
Gamma rolled his eyes and said, "I'm talking about serious matters, and you're rambling about something else."
"Haha, isn't it because Your Highness just complained that I was being a buzzkill? The monitoring system is already being arranged."
"Hmm, tell the Path Warriors that if they do this well, I will reward them."
As a representative of the Path system, Eldrad was naturally delighted that Gamma was willing to strengthen the Path Warriors. "Your Highness, would you be able to reveal anything? Your actions these past few years, coupled with the emergence of the 'Ohmega Spore,' have left the Path Warriors feeling somewhat lost."
The Tech-priest gave Eldrad a warning glance, then said, "Are you afraid I will erase the Path system from the Craftworld?"
"There are indeed such concerns," the Supreme Seer replied honestly.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't be foolish enough to simply discard the experience and techniques you've accumulated over tens of thousands of years. There will be a time in the future when you will be needed."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"But it cannot be denied that the Path Warriors' combat methods are too specialized. In the future, I will need versatile individuals similar to Space Marines who can handle various situations, so I need them to make changes."
Upon hearing Gamma's words, the Supreme Seer pondered. He had dealt with Space Marines many times, understood their combat methods, and knew how difficult those weapons created by the Human Emperor were to deal with.
"Understood, Your Highness. I will communicate with the branch temples."
The Tech-priest suddenly remembered that he still had two copies of the astartes codex in his treasury, so he said, "I'll send you two reference materials later. Tell the Path Warriors, no matter how proud they are, it's undeniable that humanity became the largest force in the galaxy not just because they can reproduce. If they cannot see the strengths of others, they are destined to be eliminated."
"Yes."
Another ten years passed, and the magnificent city, named "City of Gamma," was finally completed. No Eldar could behold this city without being awestruck by its beauty.
Countless literary youths from Ulthwé Craftworld, upon seeing the "City of Gamma," experienced an explosion of artistic cells, penning hymns of praise to express their admiration for the city and their reverence for His Highness Gamma.
The little Tech-priest also gradually lost himself amidst the flattery and praise, becoming increasingly "incompetent" and "debauched." Even if Magos Lauster stood before him now, he would say with a "drunken" expression:
"I've worked hard for so many years, what's wrong with enjoying myself? Keep the music playing! Keep the dancing going!"
What's more, the loyal "Grand Tutor" was now far away in Thedan, and Gamma was surrounded by "sycophants," vile xenos who only wanted to abduct him.
Gamma could now be said to have a small banquet every three days and a large one every five. The most beautiful Eldar maidens served him day and night (don't get the wrong idea, he doesn't have that function), the Craftworld's top song and dance troupe was always on standby to serve him, and even his personal guards were alluring female warriors carefully selected from the branch temples.
The Craftworld Eldar, liberated by the "Ohmega Spore," although experiencing various contradictions due to the drastic social changes in a short period, such as the rising conflict between the physical science faction and the traditional psychic technology faction, or the conflict between the Path of the Warrior influenced by the astartes codex and the conservative faction, and the conflict between civilian officials selected from ordinary Eldar and military generals from the Path system, and so on.
From top to bottom, Ulthwé Craftworld, though riddled with contradictions, had one unified belief: His Highness Gamma belonged to them.
He was indispensable to the Ulthwé Eldar, their greatest fortune since the Fall of the Eldar. Anyone who dared to disagree would be killed by them!
Just as Ulthwé Craftworld was united in its efforts to make the little Tech-priest forget all about home, an annoying group of individuals appeared. Several Harlequins, accompanied by the Death Guard, emerged from some forgotten corner.
When Yvraine saw the "ruined" Eldar city, she was deeply saddened. She had wasted too much time seeking the help of the elusive Harlequins troupe, too much time convincing the Harlequins and the Laughing God to assist.
"We are too late!" Yvraine's voice was tinged with sorrow and an indelible hatred.
"Life is a play, and before the curtain is raised, no one knows the content of the performance." The Harlequin, wearing a clown mask, made a bowing gesture with exaggerated body movements and a strange intonation.
The fawning warrior beside her stiffly comforted his goddess, saying, "This is not your fault. You have done everything you possibly could."
Upon hearing this, Yvraine's lips curved into a self-mocking smile as she said, "Yes, I tried, but it changed nothing."
At the same time, her hand unconsciously reached for the Sword of Khaine at her waist. She felt like she was always working in vain; she wanted to save her kin, yet her power came from the death of the Eldar. She wanted to use the five Swords of Khaine to awaken the God of the Dead, but she lost the most important one, which was hidden in Slaanesh's palace, becoming a toy for the Chaos God's lust—
"Prophet, do you know what happened here?" someone asked.
The old Prophet shook his head and said, "I tried to use prophecy a few years ago to get information about Ulthwé Craftworld, but I got nothing. I think the Craftworld might have already been destroyed by then."
"Ah! Then all these years we have been—" Considering the old Prophet's high prestige, the newly joined young warrior stopped mid-sentence, feeling it was inappropriate.
The old Prophet, who had lived for over ten thousand years, shook his head indifferently and said, "Child, you must remember that prophecy is not omnipotent; it is full of ambiguity and false information. When you think you are right, you must consider what would happen if you were wrong."
Although he didn't fully understand the Prophet's words, the young Eldar still nodded and replied, "Yes, thank you for your teachings, Prophet."
"What should we do now? Leave, or investigate?"
Hearing someone ask this question, everyone's gaze turned to Yvraine; only she could make this decision.
'Let's investigate. Ulthwé Craftworld has a long history, and its strength among the many Ark Worlds is not weak. Even if it was destroyed, I think many treasures would be left behind, and these are what we, the Death Guard, need.'
Protective archaeology is also an important means of enrichment for an ancient race like the Eldar. They belong to the kind of people who have too much heritage left by their predecessors, so much that they can't dig it all up. However, because the core area of the Eldar Empire back then became the Eye of Terror, the difficulty of Eldar archaeology is several magnitudes higher than that of the Tech-priests.
As the Harlequins and the Death Guard cautiously explored the rich mining area of the city ruins, the dilapidated sight of the buildings along the way initially made them feel sad. But as time passed, and they saw more and more, they realized something felt off.
It had been scavenged too cleanly; not a single spirit stone was left for them. This "tomb" had been trodden upon, and it clearly looked like the work of a professional team.
In the galaxy, there is only one such greedy and professional tomb-robbing team: the Tech-priests of the Imperium of Man!
"Shameless humans, they didn't even spare the remains of our kin!"
"Greedy monkeys!"
"I must kill them!"
"I think it was the humans who destroyed this place!"
Hearing her subordinates insult her "big boy" like that, Yvraine couldn't help but defend Guilliman: "The Adeptus Mechanicus holds a very special position in the Imperium of Man, even Guilliman—"
The Regent's name was not fully spoken before it ignited the wrath of a certain fawning individual: "Don't defend humans! Those monkeys are completely untrustworthy!"
"They are our allies now, an important force against Chaos."
"Allies who slaughter our people?"
The princess continued to defend: "Don't jump to conclusions before the investigation is clear."
The fawning warrior pressed on, "If humans did it, what do you plan to do?"
Yvraine hesitated upon hearing this, but in front of so many subordinates, she had to make a statement, so she said, "If humans did it, I will go to Guilliman and demand an explanation."
"You're not allowed to go!" the defeated dog wailed.
The others looked down, pretending they heard nothing and saw nothing. They were used to this kind of thing happening every few days and already had a way to deal with it.
The atmosphere of the team became silent due to the argument, but it was this silence that allowed them to hear what sounded like fighting in the distance.
Could there be survivors?!
Yvraine took the lead, rushing towards the source of the sound. The fawning warrior followed closely, protecting his goddess's blind spots, and everyone else also followed their leader. Even the old Prophet, over ten thousand years old, calmly kept pace. Although this Prophet was a psychic, he had once used a sword to disarm Abaddon the Despoiler of both his arms. If the old Prophet hadn't felt that Abaddon was not destined to die and spared his life, then there wouldn't have been so many troubles later on.
When the Death Guard and Harlequins, now in combat readiness, arrived at the source of the sound, the scene before them stunned them. For the Ulthwé Eldar, whom they thought were long dead, appeared before them, vibrant and lively, laughing and dismantling buildings.
With such a large group of people suddenly appearing, the demolition team responsible for recycling old city spirit bones naturally saw them. They thought the requested reinforcements had arrived, and the person in charge quickly went forward to greet them.
"We've been waiting for you! You don't know how much I've—" Before the demolition team leader could finish, his face changed drastically as he clearly saw the people and the few clown-dressed individuals. He stopped abruptly, then instinctively took a few steps back.
Then, as if remembering something, he gritted his teeth and went forward again, loudly and enthusiastically saying, "Where are you from, fellow kin?"
...
It's not surprising that Yvraine and the others were silent; it's because the scene before them was too unexpected. The style of wearing hard hats was not Eldar at all, and the expressions on the faces of the Eldar greeting them were too enthusiastic. They had never seen such expressions in any Ark World.
The rest of the construction team, upon hearing their leader's warning, also realized something was wrong. They immediately turned their backs and began inputting something into the panels on their wrists.
"Be careful, something's not right!"
"Mm." Yvraine responded, then walked towards the demolition team leader wearing a hard hat, smiling as she asked,
"Fellow kin, what are you doing?"
"Uh—recycling spirit bones. Where are you from? Why haven't I seen you before?"
The demolition team leader had intended to stall for time, but his very first sentence exposed his intentions. With the eyesight of these battle-hardened warriors, his change in demeanor after seeing the Harlequins was completely observed.
"Take them down!" Yvraine commanded.
Several members of the Death Guard immediately sprang forward, quickly subduing everyone in the construction team. Then they reported to their leader, "They are all ordinary people, without professional combat training."
"Ordinary people? Are they just here to recycle spirit bones, but—"
Yvraine was very confused. She couldn't understand where the people in the city had gone? And why were they recycling spirit bones? And why were they demolishing houses?
"I am Yvraine of the Death Guard. Tell me what happened to Ulthwé Craftworld? Do not try to lie. If you deceive me, even if you are kin, I will show no mercy!"
"I'm just an ordinary person responsible for recycling spirit bones; I don't have the information a big person like you would want." The middle-aged Eldar feigned ignorance.
But the psychic fluctuations from his body couldn't fool the old Prophet, who was deeply skilled in this path. The Prophet spoke, exposing his lie: "These people all have psychic fluctuations and no combat training; they should be Bonesingers."
Yvraine drew the sword from her waist and placed it against the middle-aged Eldar's neck, threatening, "You dare to deceive me!"
"Hey, hey, hey, let's talk it out! Let's talk it out!"
"Tell me, what happened here? Why did you want to run away the moment you saw us?"
"A group of armed strangers suddenly appears; any normal person would be scared!"
"Normal people don't run when they see Harlequins! What exactly have you done to make you so afraid of us?"
"I didn't—I warn you, release me quickly! I am a ninth-rank official of the Craftworld."
The middle-aged Eldar suddenly became assertive. Why did he suddenly become assertive? Because a large squadron of castellan robots appeared, whistling through the sky. One after another, steel castellan robots crashed down from mid-air, surrounding the Death Guard, and simultaneously issued a warning:
"Unidentified armed personnel, immediately lay down your weapons and release our personnel, or you will bear all consequences."
While the Death Guard and the castellan robots were in a standoff, the civil and military officials, who usually couldn't stand each other, rarely gathered to discuss what to do about the sudden appearance of the Death Guard.
"Prince Gamma's plan hasn't officially begun yet; even the Craftworld's modifications aren't complete. Our situation absolutely cannot be leaked, so why not just kill them?" the representative of the Fire Dragon Temple proposed.
"That's not appropriate. If it were just the Harlequins, we could try, but the Death Guard now have the support of several Craftworlds and their relationship is very close. Someone must know their whereabouts, and if they disappear here, an investigation is inevitable."
"Especially since Yvraine is also here. She is currently the only Death Guard forerunner who can borrow the power of the Death Guard. A direct conflict would be too dangerous for the Craftworld."
"Heh, the Death Guard. What good is a god that can only be born when we all die? If our souls fall into the hands of the Death Guard, I'd say it's better if they fall into Prince Gamma's belly."
"That's true, but unfortunately, Prince Gamma is very resistant to soul assimilation. Now, he only does it when coaxed."
"Haha, see? The difference between gods is immediately apparent, isn't it?"
"Ahem, let's not get sidetracked. I think since we can't fight them, we might as well just drive them away. If we can just stall for a few more years, allowing the Path Warriors to become more familiar with the power bestowed by Prince Gamma, then even if other Craftworlds want to cause us trouble, we won't fear them."
"Agreed, but before they leave, we must clarify whether they obtained any information about Prince Gamma from the people they held hostage."
"No! How do we explain the castellan robots appearing there?"
"Explain what? If they ask, just say it's Ulthwé Craftworld's secret weapon. Do they really think they can pry into our secrets?"
"Well, anyway, Prince Gamma's castellan robots are completely different from those of the Imperium of Man, so we don't have to worry about them making any connections."
"Ultimately, this matter still needs Prince Gamma to make the final decision. We just need to prepare for various situations in advance."
"Speaking of Prince Gamma, the Supreme Seer has already gone to report this matter to him, right?"
"Of course, how could such a big matter be hidden from him?"
When Eldrad entered Gamma's palace and saw the "tyrannical ruler" truly playing "I'm here, come catch me" with the Aeldari ladies, a smile unique to a "treacherous minister" appeared on his face. If this were in an ancient drama, just this smile could trigger a "purge of the emperor's corrupt officials."
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Hearing the Aeldari elder's call, the little Tech-priest unhappily took off the luxurious silk blindfold. He had just come out of the lab and had only been playing for a while when the old man came to spoil his fun.
The lightly dressed Aeldari ladies, upon seeing the Supreme Seer arrive, although they could no longer play with their beloved Prince Gamma, which made them a little unhappy, they still wisely retreated.
"What is it?"
"Your Highness, something big has happened this time!" Eldrad said, feigning panic.
The little Tech-priest gave Eldrad a calm glance. In recent years, he had noticed that Eldrad, the Supreme Seer, was becoming more and more like a chief eunuch, constantly saying, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something big has happened."
"The bureaucratic system is truly harmful. In just a few years, the Supreme Seer's 'immortal aura' has turned into 'eunuch aura,'" Gamma lamented. "Now, even the Ulthwé Aeldari are actively trying to become officials."
"What is it this time? Don't tell me about things like the last time, when the Finance Minister was blocked by Path Warriors for trying to reduce subsidies to branch temples. I gave you power to do your jobs. If you ask me about everything, I might as well let 'Order' directly manage the Craftworld."
"Besides, both sides are important, and it's not good for me to favor anyone."
In these years, the little Tech-priest had thoroughly mastered the philosophy of governance taught by Magos Lauster and even developed his own unique insights. Today's Gamma could be considered a "Tai Chi master," adept at mediating disputes and especially skilled at sitting back and watching others fight. Even while playing games with the ladies every day, he could firmly control the court's situation.
"This time, it's truly a big deal! The Harlequins have appeared, and they've brought the Death Guard with them."
"Hmm! Haven't we already found several abandoned Webways? How are there still more?" Gamma said, his eyes wide.
Eldrad smiled bitterly, helpless: "The Black Library has the most detailed Webway maps. Many pre-cataclysmic records can only be found there."
"What's the situation now?" Gamma quickly asked.
"The castellan robots have them under control, and they are currently in a standoff."
"Why are the castellan robots involved? Don't we have a plan to deal with the Harlequins?" Gamma asked, frowning.
"Several old cities are currently being dismantled for resource recovery, and the monitoring system has failed. The people who discovered the Death Guard and Harlequins only had time to send an alarm and were controlled before they could explain the specific situation. Coincidentally, a team of castellan robots was on routine patrol nearby, so—"
"Alright, you handle this matter. Find a way to stall. The longer we stall, the more advantageous it is for us!"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Eldrad, walking out of the palace, almost hummed a tune. He didn't care about the Death Guard or the Harlequins at all. The risk of leaked information was far less important than Gamma's attitude towards the Craftworld. Gamma, upon hearing the news of the Harlequins' arrival, showed no intention of fleeing throughout the entire conversation. For Eldrad and the Ulthwé Aeldari, that was enough. As long as Gamma chose to stand with them, the Ulthwé Aeldari wouldn't mind competing with other Craftworlds.
Upon receiving the little Tech-priest's nod, the bureaucrats quickly sprang into action. The civil officials' understanding of the word "stall" was unmatched by the military officials. Several masters of feigned ignorance, good at drinking and speaking pleasantly, brought good wine and food, musicians, and dancers, and went with gongs and drums to greet the "guests."
From the first sight of Yvraine, their praises didn't stop, almost making the Dream Demon Warrior beside her explode with anger. Then, good wine and food were served, musicians played, and dancers danced.
The Death Guard, who had expected a fierce battle, were a bit bewildered by the sudden banquet. The castellan robots and Path Warriors surrounding them withdrew, and the hostages were released.
The core members of the Death Guard and Gamma's officials sat face to face, engaging in a battle of wits with words as their swords amidst toasts.
"Gentlemen, we have come this time to help you overcome your crisis."
"I've long heard that the Death Guard and Harlequins are our saviors in despair. Seeing them in person, they truly live up to their reputation! Impressive! Impressive!"
"Let us all raise a toast to Lady Yvraine!"
"To the Death Guard Forerunner!"
"To the hero of the Aeldari!"
Gulp, gulp, gulp. Yvraine, after downing a glass of strong wine, continued, "Prophet Eldrad has prophesied that Ulthwé will be destroyed by the Great Enemy of Chaos, so I want to—"
"You are Lord Eldrad, my idol! If only my psychic talent wasn't so terrible, perhaps I would have become a Prophet by now."
"Bard, I remember you once said your greatest wish was to meet Lord Eldrad. Now that you've met him, won't you show your appreciation?"
"Yes, yes, Lord Eldrad, your deeds have always encouraged me. Please drink this glass of wine. This is my lifelong request!"
"Child, I stopped drinking after I embarked on the Path of the Prophet."
The official's face showed a look of surprise, which then turned into a bitter smile and regret. His companion, seeing this, quickly comforted him: "It's rare to meet a Prophet, what kind of expression is that? Come, I'll drink with you, but from now on, you must respect me as much as you respect the Prophet!"
"If you put it that way, I'll join in too, hahaha."
"I think we should all join in. Then Bard will respect us as much as he respects the Prophet."
"Alright, you guys! Hey, if we're toasting, then let's toast! Gentlemen, please drink this cup!"
Gulp, gulp, gulp—
And then—gulp, gulp, gulp—and then—gulp, gulp, gulp—
After several consecutive glasses of strong wine, Yvraine realized something was wrong. These people weren't here to discuss business; they were clearly here to get them drunk. Thinking she couldn't let this continue, she spoke directly:
"I demand to see the Supreme Seer!"
The officials, who had been clear-headed a second ago, immediately became hazy-eyed upon hearing this sentence.
"No problem, leave it to me! I see the Supreme Seer every day."
"Hmm? Who is the Supreme Seer? Isn't Lord Eldrad the Supreme Seer? I want Lord Eldrad to be the Supreme Seer of the Craftworld!"
"Lady Yvraine, please try this dish. It's a specialty of ours here; you can't find it anywhere else."
"Hoo-ha—hoo-ha—"
Yvraine: ...
For the rest of the time, Gamma's officials maintained an average of 0.5-1.5 people awake, while the rest were either talking nonsense or bowing their heads and dozing off. A few people took turns staying awake, talking nonsense, and sleeping.
After the banquet, everything was discussed, and yet nothing was discussed. When they heard the officials say they would come again tomorrow to hold another welcoming feast, the Princess, reeking of alcohol, would have drawn her sword and cut down these alcoholic good-for-nothings among the Aeldari if it weren't for the old Prophet, who hadn't drunk, holding her back.
"Heh heh, isn't their intention obvious enough?" the old Prophet said with a smile.
"I understand that Ulthwé is telling us to go back where we came from, but this place is just too strange. They're just like..." Yvraine thought for a long time but couldn't find the right words to describe them.
"Like humans."
Yvraine's lips curved into a smile she didn't even notice herself, and she said with a frown, "Yes! They're like humans. They give me the same feeling as the bureaucrats under Guilliman."
"They're not just like, they are bureaucrats, and they're specifically designed to deal with troublesome guests like us." Over ten thousand years of life experience allowed the old Prophet to see through their identity from the very beginning.
Yvraine's eyes widened. She trusted the old Prophet's judgment, but she had also learned a lot about management from Guilliman. Yet, when these methods were applied to the Aeldari, the flavor immediately changed. How did Ulthwé Craftworld manage it?
At this point, the old Prophet added, "Did you notice an incongruous yet familiar scent on the Path Warriors of Ulthwé Craftworld?"
The Princess patted her alcohol-numbed brain, trying to recall what had happened during the day. With the old Prophet's reminder, Yvraine remembered the incongruity the Prophet spoke of: the personnel composition, the changes in equipment, and the tactical command. It gave her a feeling that they were Path Warriors, yet not Path Warriors, and it was very familiar, but she just couldn't remember what it was.
After fruitless contemplation, Yvraine said in annoyance, "If they're not Path Warriors, could they be Ultramarines—"
"Guilliman, what the hell have you done!?"
For a career-driven woman like Yvraine, Lord Regent Guilliman's meddling within the Eldar was unacceptable.
Business was business, and personal relations were personal relations.
The Death Precursor wanted to immediately confront the Regent and demand an explanation, but the Old Prophet said that under the current circumstances, if they didn't "struggle" a bit and just left, it would arouse the suspicion of Ulthwé Craftworld.
It would be better to play along, and then slowly plan their next move after safely escaping.
Her Highness the Princess accepted the Old Prophet's suggestion. At this time, scouts from the Death Guard also returned to report to Yvraine that Path Warriors and castellan robots had reappeared around them, but this time they had left a buffer zone.
This action also made the Death Guard understand that Ulthwé Craftworld had no intention of falling out with them, which made everyone secretly breathe a sigh of relief. The Death Guard was a newly emerging force among the Eldar, and although they had Yvraine, the chosen of Death, as a living signboard, their overall strength could not compare to established forces like Ulthwé Craftworld, which had existed since the Fall of the Eldar.
The next day, officials from Ulthwé Craftworld arrived as scheduled, still offering fine wine, delicious food, musicians, and dancers. Her Highness the Princess, having spent time in Commorragh, had excellent alcohol tolerance and showed no flaws throughout, still appearing as a racial hero dedicated to saving the Eldar.
On the third day, the standard fine wine, delicious food, musicians, and dancers were still present, but the officials' attitudes were not as enthusiastic as the previous two days, and their words carried hints of sarcasm and a desire for them to leave.
Yvraine pretended to try to negotiate further, but after no success, she proposed her departure.
Then they were "respectfully escorted" by the officials all the way to the Webway gate where they had arrived, and watched the Death Guard enter the Webway one by one.
After everyone had left Ulthwé Craftworld, the Harlequins, after checking, said, "It's been sealed or destroyed."
"So, the prophets of Ulthwé Craftworld have been near us all this time?" Yvraine said, laughing in anger.
"Leader, what should we do next? Will they be like Craftworld Zaisusra—" someone from the Death Guard asked hesitantly.
Hearing the name "Zaisusra," Yvraine's face darkened. During the search for the last Crone Blade, the Death Guard learned from Iyanna Arienal, the Farseer of Ark World Iyanden, that an Ark World named Zaisusra had left the galaxy long ago and had now reappeared. Legend had it that this Ark World contained a Webway entrance to the tomb of the ancient Eldar hero, Eldanesh.
Initially, the inhabitants of Zaisusra were friendly, but after a strange visit, Yvraine discovered that this Ark World was infected by Gene Stealers, and even worse, their ancestors had willingly been infected by the Gene Stealers, hoping to protect their souls from Slaanesh.
They reappeared in the galaxy because the mixed-blood population on the Ark World was too large and resources were depleted, so they planned to spread the infection to other Ark Worlds.
To avoid being corrupted and breeding with xenos, Yvraine and Iyanna teamed up to summon the Avatar of Death, Yncarne. Yncarne directly devoured the souls of all infected on the Ark World and defeated a super Gene Stealers Patriarch who had somehow merged with a fragment of Khaine.
"Everyone, there's something I'd like to ask of you," Yvraine said to the Harlequins.
Without sharing, the Harlequins directly stated Yvraine's request: "We will infiltrate Ulthwé Craftworld through other paths to investigate the truth of what's happening there. The Laughing God is very concerned about what's happening on Ulthwé!"
"Alright then, I'll leave it to you."
After parting ways with the Harlequins, the core members of the Death Guard gathered to discuss how to deal with the Ulthwé Craftworld situation. After discussion, they concluded that even if they confirmed Ulthwé Craftworld was problematic, it would be unlikely for other Craftworlds to rashly attack a large Ark World like Ulthwé.
Because even if they won, they would inevitably pay a heavy price, so other Craftworlds would be more inclined to cut off ties with Ulthwé Craftworld, isolate the Ulthwé Eldar, and let them fend for themselves.
And the Death Guard, apart from summoning the Avatar of Death, had no other means to defeat Ulthwé Craftworld. However, the conditions for summoning the Avatar of Death were harsh, and once used, innocent people on the Craftworld would also be implicated. Moreover, the Avatar of Death was not invincible, and if the plan failed, the Death Guard, having suffered several failures and not yet recovered, would be in danger.
"I plan to seek help from the Imperium of Man," Yvraine said, startling them.
"No!" Even without naming them, everyone could guess who was objecting.
Yvraine defended herself: "Ulthwé Craftworld's strangeness has a strong human flavor. My intention is to test whether Guilliman is involved in this matter."
"If humans are involved, won't you be in great danger!"
"Don't worry, even if it's related to Guilliman, from what I know of him, he won't do anything to me."
"No, humans are untrustworthy! And Guilliman is a despicable villain!"
Hearing such prejudice from her "companion," Yvraine said angrily, "You don't understand Guilliman at all! Don't I know what kind of person he is!"
Although not attacked, the Dream Warrior seemed to have been shot through the chest. He clutched his chest and said word by word, "I disagree!"
"Objection overruled! I'm seeing Guilliman!"
"Ah—"
Meanwhile, after separating from the Death Guard, the Harlequins attempted to enter Ulthwé from other locations according to the Webway map they possessed. This time, without the assistance of Yvraine's Death Guard, these long-abandoned and damaged Webways caused the Harlequins a lot of trouble.
After several narrow escapes from monsters lurking in the Webways, they finally reached their target location.
"% ￥ @ # ￥ %"
The Harlequins swore profusely, but anyone in the know would understand. No one would be in a good mood after going through so much trouble to find a place, only to find the entrance sealed.
But the Laughing God had given the order, and the Harlequins would not give up because of one failure. So they tried another path, and then it was blocked again. After several failed attempts, the Harlequins, feeling like they weren't just acting like clowns but were actual clowns, finally found a path to Ulthwé.
Stepping onto the land of Ulthwé Craftworld again, the first thing the Harlequins did after removing their masks was to spit heavily on the ground.
Their Harlequin Troupe was the most popular Eldar faction, always enjoying free passage throughout all Eldar territories. Craftworld Eldar and Exodite Eldar regarded them as noble protectors of history and culture. Even Dark Eldar and Eldar Pirates dared not stop them. They even had some fame within the Imperium of Man. When had they ever been treated like this?
"Hehe, time to get to work."
"Let's find out if Ulthwé Craftworld is wearing underwear or not, ah haha."
"When it comes to performing, we're professionals, aren't we, guys?"
"Of course! We're the best artists in the galaxy, hehehe."
With their previous experience, the Harlequins who were smuggling themselves in this time had no intention of revealing themselves. After leaving the strange but familiar-looking ruined city, they stealthily moved, avoiding the gaze of Eldar civilians along the way, and headed towards the direction of material transport.
When the magnificent "City of Gamma" appeared before the Harlequins' eyes, they couldn't help but widen their eyes. Such a magnificent and beautiful Eldar city should not exist in this era; it should only exist in the ancient paintings collected in the Black Library.
The Harlequins looked at each other. They had imagined seeing bodies with their internal organs removed used as "bunting." They had imagined scenes of people gathering, using blood as wine and organs as delicacies, indulging in revelry. They had imagined—
They had only not imagined the scene before them: waterfalls flowing from high altitudes, rising mist refracting the sunlight of the artificial sun into rainbows, trickling streams flowing into every corner their eyes could reach, beautiful aquatic plants and animals swimming in the water, and children playing on meticulously maintained lawns.
The houses were scattered in a pleasing arrangement, each clearly the masterpiece of a great artist. Exquisite sculptures and art shaped from plants were merely common public facilities throughout this city, highly ornamental and practical.
"Have we fallen into the domain of the Great Enemy of Chaos?" one Harlequin murmured.
"Let's go in and see. I don't think Chaos would have that thing."
Following their companion's gaze, the Harlequins saw a rather cute-looking machine. It was trimming the excess branches of plants by the roadside.
"Indeed not, but we can't let our guard down!"
"Mm!"
As the Harlequins activated the gadgets on their bodies, their clothes changed, and their facial makeup disappeared, making them indistinguishable from the Eldar civilians they had seen on the road.
As the most famous troupe and the boldest professional actors in the galaxy, costumes, makeup, and props were essential. Psionic technology perfectly solved the troublesome disguise process for the Harlequins.
Once everyone was ready, one of the Harlequins turned off their stealth device. In the eyes of outsiders, in a small grove that was originally empty, after a ripple of distorted air, several unremarkable Eldar appeared within it. Then, the few dispersed, leaving the grove and blending into the passersby on the roadside.
The Harlequins, blended into the crowd, showed no trace of their usual hyperactivity. Instead, they quietly listened to the conversations of the passersby.
"Have you heard that the Harlequins and the Death Guard have arrived?"
"Hmm! Why did they come here? Do they think we're living too peacefully? I hear outside that the Death Guard are our saviors, and the Harlequins are the guardians of our history. I think they are the source of disaster; wherever they are, disaster strikes."
"Exactly. It's a good thing we sent them away, otherwise, who knows what would have happened."
Harlequin: How pathetic—never mind, ignorance is also a kind of bliss.
"I heard that His Highness Gamma recently wants to add military courses to the Ark World Academy. In the future, the training of Path Warriors will begin with selections from students."
"I heard that too. I think His Highness Gamma's decision is correct. Like me, I used to join the Shrine of the Branches, but I suffered a lot and didn't learn anything. Talented people surpassed me in a very short time and beat me black and blue. Our original training model, which didn't involve screening and only relied on personal subjective will to join, was not scientific at all."
"I remember you were so lost for a long time when you gave up your War Mask. We comforted you a lot, hahaha."
Harlequin: Gamma? His Highness? That name sounds so human.
"Ha, I have to thank His Highness for giving me a chance. Who would have thought that I have good talent in physical technology? You don't know, recently, after statistics and summaries, people in our physics academy found that the more rational a person is, the worse their psychic potential. I'm like that. When I was in the Shrine, when I saw my mentor leap dozens of meters, the only thought in my mind was: 'That shouldn't be!' Now that I think about it, I also have to say: 'That's unscientific!'"
"You don't believe it, you can do it. Come to my house, let's go fishing together next week."
"Hmm, should I share two with you? You'll be carrying nothing—"
"Get lost!"