As the Harlequins slowly moved with the crowd, they were shocked to discover that what they had seen before was merely the outskirts of the city, just a corner of its magnificent landscape, serving only as a leisure and entertainment spot for the Aeldari living in the city.
There were many more such scenic spots in the suburbs, and even within the city itself. The Aeldari residing here were mostly older individuals who preferred a slower pace of life. The true core of this city was still a considerable distance away.
Upon realizing this, the Harlequins, who had scattered to gather information, had to regroup. "Size" was one reason; another was that they found themselves completely stuck.
This "Omega City," as the Ulthwé Aeldari called it, differed entirely in public facilities and management models from the Aeldari cities the Harlequins had encountered and lived in, except for their similar aesthetic styles.
Even though they perfectly mimicked the behavior of the Ulthwé Aeldari, the Harlequins' bewildered expressions when faced with machines whose functions they didn't understand, or transportation requiring identity verification, and their excuses of pretending to have lost their identification, were far too conspicuous.
"I think we should leave this city immediately!"
"I agree. You don't know how strange people looked at me when I tried to sit in a vehicle like them, and it kept beeping 'No authorization.' If I hadn't found an excuse to get away, they probably would have raised an alarm right then. Now I'm not even sure if they have..."
Another Harlequin quickly interrupted his companion, saying, "So we've been exposed? Then what are we waiting for—"
"Those inside, listen! You are surrounded! Lay down your weapons and surrender!"
The sudden warning from outside made the Harlequins react immediately, moving away from the entrance and closer to the windows. They were Harlequins, guardians of the Black Library, the Aeldari's most elite assault force, preventing Chaos forces from exploiting its knowledge. They maintained constant vigilance, even during performances, able to leave a field of enemy corpses in a flash. But this time, they miscalculated!
"What should we do?" one of them whispered.
Another replied flippantly, "What can we do? Our souls belong to the great Laughing God, Cegorach. What do we fear?"
"If you're afraid of death, why be a Harlequin? If I were afraid of death, I'd still be planting potatoes at home right now," said the Aeldari across from him, drawing a weapon from his waist.
The Harlequin, now back in his jester attire, asked strangely, "Do we eat potatoes? Isn't that what humans eat?"
"You ruined the ending I had prepared for my life's curtain call. Watch your back later."
"Dying betrayed by a companion, it sounds quite artistic, hahaha."
Hearing his companions' back-and-forth performance for their curtain call, the leader among them, with his exaggerated clown makeup, said:
"Hehe, I once thought my life was a tragedy, but now I realize it's a f***ing comedy! Praise Cegorach!"
With that, he kicked off the wall and leaped out of their hiding place.
"Praise Cegorach."
The other Harlequins followed closely behind, but when they saw the situation outside, the leader, who was at the forefront, charged forward while twisting his neck into an exaggerated and eerie angle, flashing a highly sarcastic smile at his companions.
The Harlequins following behind understood what their leader was ridiculing. Was it really necessary to deploy an entire organized army just to deal with a few of them?
Then the Harlequins were overwhelmed by an endless barrage of nets, shocked into dancing by stun guns, and pricked into porcupines by tranquilizer darts.
In their "dying moments," the Harlequins heard someone on the other side roar:
"Apothecaries! Apothecaries! Don't let them die from the tranquilizer darts! Why are you Banshees carrying two tranquilizer guns each? Is that how you hog credit?!"
The next morning, Gamma awoke in his "five hundred square meter" bed. Attended by a group of Eldar Misses in maid outfits, he yawned and listlessly accepted being fed.
"Your Highness, please just one more bite," the beautiful Eldar Miss pleaded.
"I can't eat anymore, I really can't. I've gained weight recently, all because you all make me eat so much every time."
"Hehe, Your Highness isn't fat, you're strong instead," the maid said, clearing the food from Gamma's front and thoughtfully wiping food residue from his lips.
"Oh, by the way, Your Highness, the Supreme Seer is waiting for you in the main hall. He said he has something to report to you."
"Oh, what is it?"
"He said they caught a few Harlequins last night," the maid, who was helping Gamma undress, explained.
Upon hearing it was Harlequins, Gamma "shook his body" as if another problem had arisen. He walked out in his pajamas, and the maids serving him quickly reminded him:
"Your Highness, you haven't bathed and changed yet. Going out like this would be impolite."
"Yes, Your Highness, it doesn't sound like a big deal according to the Prophet."
The little Tech-priest waved his hand without looking back and said, "Harlequins are troublemakers. I'll go see what's happening first."
The Eldar Misses watched Gamma's departing back with regret. Only after the little Tech-priest's figure disappeared did someone speak up, "Those Harlequins are so annoying. I wanted to show His Highness the new swimsuit I prepared and ask if the color looked good."
"You little hussy, rein it in. Don't scare His Highness. His Highness is still young!" the head maid scolded disapprovingly.
"Hehe, yes, Head Maid."
The hurried little Tech-priest knew his current life was very "corrupt," but if he, a human ruling the Aeldari, wasn't "corrupt," wasn't "extravagant," and didn't act like a "Tyrant Zhou," did they expect him to be a diligent and wise ruler of a prosperous era?
In the warhammer universe, "loyalty" was paramount. With Aeldari forces eyeing him from outside, and conscience and morality from within, the interplay prevented Gamma from becoming a "tyrant." His "loyalty" to humanity and the Emperor also prevented him from becoming a wise ruler, leaving him in a dilemma. But the threat of Nurgle hung over him like the Sword of Damocles, forcing him to make a choice.
The little Tech-priest chose to become a corrupt ruler, a worm, out of extreme "helplessness." This way, to the Imperium of Man, he was a "loyal subject" who infiltrated the Aeldari and wasted their resources. At the same time, he could ensure his image wouldn't become a target of hatred among other Aeldari factions, and he could even bring Ulthwé Craftworld under his control, making them work diligently for him.
To prevent Nurgle's threat from endangering humanity, Gamma's "sacrifice" was truly immense.
The above summary is sourced from the "diary" personally written by Magos Gamma. The Wise wrote the diary for no other reason than to hope that one day in the future, future generations would see it and resolve the "misunderstandings" caused by history and circumstances.
Believe it or not, Gamma himself believed it. He was willing to undergo a lie detector test.
Back to the main topic, at the first sight of Eldrad, the little Tech-priest eagerly asked, "What happened? Weren't they already sent away?"
"Your Highness, they were sent away, but the Harlequins infiltrated again through other passages."
"Pfft, what annoying rats. What's the situation now?" Gamma asked impatiently again.
"They were discovered by the surveillance system as soon as they appeared in the city outskirts. We originally intended to play a long game to see if there were others besides them.
However, they regrouped shortly after separating. Fearing they had some conspiracy, we had no choice but to close the net early," Eldrad reported to Gamma with lowered eyes.
"Have you learned anything? What was their purpose in returning?"
A trace of unnoticed embarrassment flashed in the Supreme Seer's eyes. He was now an "old official," and his acting skills were vastly superior to before.
"Hmm?"
Eldrad quickly recited the pre-prepared explanation: "During the process of apprehending the Harlequins, they not only ignored our warnings but also dared to resist stubbornly, actively attacking the forces involved in the encirclement. To subdue them, we had no choice but to—"
"They died?" Gamma's heart sank, thinking that this meant they had completely fallen out.
Seeing Gamma's displeased expression, Eldrad quickly explained, "No, no, only seriously injured. They are still being rescued."
"Hmm, that's good. Are our people alright?"
Eldrad mumbled ambiguously, "They're fine."
"Provide pensions where due, and rewards where due. Allocate a sum of resources from the finance department to reward the participating units."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" the Supreme Seer said with a joyful expression.
"Hmm, report any developments to me promptly."
"Yes."
Walking out of the palace, the Supreme Seer took out a book from his in my arms and read it carefully. If a human were standing beside him, they would notice that the content of the book was written in High Gothic, and the cover was also embossed with High Gothic: "The Art of Language."
This book had become very popular in the official circles of Ulthwé Craftworld in recent years. It was said to be a semi-autobiography of a high-ranking official of the Imperium of Man in his later years, recording his life experiences and his most proud skill, detailing to readers how he rose from a minor noble's second son with no inheritance to the core of the Imperium of Man simply by his words.
It was originally one of the documents about the Imperium of Man collected within the Craftworld. Due to the Craftworld's "closed-door" policy and the arrogance of the Aeldari, these documents had largely been ignored. However, after Gamma ruled Ulthwé and established his own governing system, these documents about the Imperium of Man became essential reading for every high-ranking Aeldari official.
But upon studying them, Eldrad and the others unearthed human wisdom within. This book, "The Art of Language," was one such example. They suddenly realized it was fortunate that the Imperium of Man did not know much about the Aeldari, and the two sides had little interaction, usually meeting only in conflict.
If Ulthwé Craftworld were a human faction, they would have been played to death by these cunning foxes.
Thinking of the inevitable future interactions with the Imperium of Man, Eldrad and the others couldn't help but worry. How could these "simple-minded" Aeldari compete with those "old foxes" of the Imperium of Man?
Thus, they decided to prepare for a rainy day, learning from the enemy to control them, studying this "wisdom." Only then could they occupy a more important position in His Highness Gamma's heart and not fall behind in future competition with humans.
The previous Death Guard incident was one of their practices, and it was very effective. They made the Death Guard retreat without breaking ties. Even if some bad news spread from the Death Guard, they could produce the video record of the banquet, pointing to the scene of "drinking and carousing" and questioning those who came to cause trouble:
"Aren't we hospitable enough? Would your Craftworld's secrets be revealed without reservation to the Death Guard? When guests arrive, we have fine wine, but when wolves arrive, we also have hunting rifles! Do you really think our Ulthwé Craftworld is easy to bully?!"
Based on Eldrad and their understanding of other Craftworlds, as long as the Death Guard did not provide any substantial evidence, those who came to assist them would, at most, grumble a few words and then leave.
This time, Eldrad used the wisdom learned from "The Art of Language" to successfully cover up the Path Warrior's mistake without lying, gaining a reward with just two words, "They're fine," which strengthened the power of their military faction. This made the Supreme Seer even more highly regard the "wisdom" in this book.
"Hehe, humans don't understand the Aeldari, but don't I understand them? Thinking about it, I'm actually a little excited."
Upon arriving at the heavily guarded hospital, Eldrad was only allowed to enter after several identity verifications.
"Apologies, Lord Eldrad, we were worried there might be other Harlequins lurking, so—"
"You did well." The Supreme Seer waved his hand to indicate he didn't mind, then asked, "How are the Harlequins doing now?"
...
Seeing the Warstrider leading the way fall silent, Eldrad's face immediately darkened, and he said, "Speak."
"Uh—the Harlequins were injected with too much anesthetic. To save them, we had no choice but to inject them with 'His Highness Gamma's Blessing'." The Warstrider explained.
Upon hearing this, the Supreme Seer immediately flew into a rage, scolding, "Foolish! Is His Highness's Blessing something we can casually decide upon?!"
"But His Highness said—"
"What His Highness said is what His Highness said. It doesn't mean we can act presumptuously. Otherwise, why would His Highness restrain the Blessing's infectiousness? This means His Highness no longer wishes for anyone to easily obtain this Blessing in the future. Every single Blessing now belongs to the newborns of the future Craftworld. By presumptuously injecting the Blessing into heretics, you have angered His Highness and made him feel that we do not cherish it. Have you considered what consequences this might lead to?!"
Eldrad's imposing aura made the Warstrider in front of him struggle to breathe. When he thought of the potential consequences of his actions, cold sweat instantly drenched his clothes, and he stammered in panic:
"I am willing to atone with my death!"
"Get out of my sight!" Eldrad cursed, furious at his lack of resolve. How had he never noticed before how foolish they all were? They didn't consider the consequences before acting, nor could they distinguish what was most important to them. Could death solve the problem? If death could solve the problem,
He would have died long ago.
"But—"
"No buts, read more books when you have nothing to do!"
After speaking, Eldrad threw "The Art of Language" in his hand to the Warstrider, then strode towards the room where the Harlequins were being held. After the Supreme Seer entered, the Warstrider looked at the book in his hand with a bewildered expression, then walked to the door, guarding it while flipping through the pages. High Gothic was now a compulsory course for senior Commanders like him, so he had no difficulty reading it.
Upon seeing someone enter, the awakened Harlequins knew who the newcomer was from his attire, and immediately said in an exaggerated tone:
"Greetings to you, Great Supreme Seer Lord Eldrad."
"Heh heh, to be greeted by the respected Harlequins, should I be happy? Or should I be happy?!" Eldrad said with a smile.
"Lord Eldrad is truly amusing, not at all like the rumors say." The Harlequins continued in her exaggerated tone.
But Eldrad's expression immediately changed, and he said in a sinister tone, "Heh, state your purpose."
"We are just curious, which jester isn't a cat killed by curiosity?"
"I know your souls are watched over by the Laughing God, which is why you are so fearless, but do not forget, your souls only belong to him after death." The Supreme Seer threatened nakedly.
...
The Harlequins, bound to the bed in the ward, and the Ulthwé Craftworld Supreme Seer quietly gazed at each other. Then the Harlequins suddenly laughed mockingly:
"What secret could possibly make the compassionate Supreme Seer disregard the lives of his own kind?"
Eldrad replied expressionlessly, "Compassion? Our own kind? How many of our own kind have you sacrificed for the Laughing God's plan? And how many of our own kind's souls have fallen into the hands of the Great Enemy of Chaos?"
"On one hand, you claim the Laughing God's ultimate joke will deceive the Dark Prince into using all his power to save the Aeldari."
"On the other hand, you cooperate with the Death Guard to help them awaken Ynnead."
"If Ynnead successfully deals with the Dark Prince, then the Laughing God's ultimate joke becomes a true joke, and everything your Harlequins troupe has done for countless years will be meaningless."
"If Ynnead fails, the Laughing God's plan might succeed, but what is the meaning of your help to the Death Guard? What is the meaning of the price paid to awaken the God of Death?"
Silence once again fell upon the room, but this time, the Harlequins on the bed had a mixture of confusion, struggle, helplessness, hatred, and longing on his face—
"We don't know the Laughing God's purpose. He just told us to find out what happened on Ulthwé. The Death Guard have already left; we did not act together." The Harlequins lifelessly spilled what he knew.
Upon hearing the Harlequins' statement, the Supreme Seer thought: It seems the disappearance of fate has indeed attracted the attention of other gods. I just wonder if any other gods besides the Laughing God have noticed us now?
"Was this command before or after you encountered the Death Guard?"
"After."
Good! The Laughing God still doesn't know about His Highness's existence, but time waits for no one; His Highness must grow faster! With this thought, the Supreme Seer turned and left.
As he walked out of the room where the Harlequins were being held, the Warstrider guarding the door said with an expression of "I understand now": "Lord Eldrad, I—" "Immediately summon everyone to the council hall! Immediately!" Eldrad said with a serious expression.
"Yes!"
Although Gamma intentionally promoted civil officials to balance the military generals, and although Eldrad's current position was only the leader of the Path Warrior faction,
The accumulated prestige of thousands of years and cultural inertia were not something Gamma could erase in just a few decades, even with Eldrad's intentional cooperation.
As Eldrad's order was issued, high-ranking officials of the Ulthwé Craftworld, senior warriors from branch temples, and all members of the Prophet Council put down what they were doing and headed to the council hall.
A small Tech-priest, after receiving an alert from the super artificial intelligence "Order," stopped his game with the maid and hid in the laboratory, secretly peeking.
After everyone had arrived, Eldrad told them the information he had obtained from the Harlequins and his own conjectures. When they heard that the Laughing God had set his sights on them, everyone's expressions were terrifying.
"They just can't stay quiet, can they? Haven't they caused enough trouble?!" The current head of the Warstriders said, gritting his teeth.
"A god who fled from the Pantheon, a god who hides in the Webway, daring not to show himself, heh!"
"Still a cowardly god. If he had taken Goddess Isha with him when he fled, I would have had a shred of respect for him, but he just fled by himself!"
"If he truly wanted to save the Aeldari, why has he never protected anyone outside of the Harlequins? Khaine is shattered, Isha is imprisoned, and as the only Aeldari god still capable, he remains as selfish as he was at his birth. If only he were a little more generous, why would we suffer so much? If only he were a little more generous, the scattered Craftworlds would immediately gather under his banner."
"Does he dare? Think about how the Harlequins proclaim they believe they are helping the Laughing God achieve a great feat: reuniting all Aeldari, restoring the ancient Aeldari Empire to resist any enemies who dare to offend."
"How ironic, something that could be achieved if their god just made a slight change, even if it was just protecting a very small number of people, yet it requires a group of mortals—"
"Enough!" Eldrad's booming voice stopped the others' discussions, and everyone's gaze focused on him.
"We must find a way to help His Highness Gamma grow quickly. Only then will His Highness have the strength to resist them in the future!"
Everyone present nodded after hearing this, but they didn't know how to help Gamma grow. After a moment of silence, someone said:
"Supreme Seer, judging from His Highness Gamma's performance, his authority must be related to technology. These Bonesingers, under His Highness's guidance, have already reproduced over a dozen ancient technologies. There are also dozens of others where His Highness has provided all the technology, but the technical requirements are too high, leading to no results yet. In the future, should we perhaps increase the cultivation of Bonesingers and at the same time collect as many ancient artifacts as possible?"
Someone added, "The cultivation of physical-side talents cannot be neglected either; His Highness Gamma's authority also includes this aspect."
"From now on, Necrons should be designated as a key target."
"I agree."
"Approved."
This proposal was quickly passed by everyone. The little Tech-priest, hiding and peeking, nodded in satisfaction. Cattle and horses that work by themselves are the best cattle and horses. As for the Laughing God, he is someone who wants to contend with Nurgle. Afraid of the jester hiding in the Webway? What a joke. If Vashtorr were here, it would be a different story.
"Just doing this isn't enough. These are just external forces. We need to strengthen His Highness Gamma's own power!" Eldrad said.
But this time, it stumped the officials and Path Warriors, as it involved their blind spots in knowledge. However, one of the Prophets provided an answer.
"Lord Eldrad means soul?"
"Yes, haven't you noticed that His Highness's power is also changing after consuming souls?"
With this reminder from the Supreme Seer, the others also reacted. Among them, the Path Warriors felt it most deeply. The plague in their bodies had transformed into a blessing that allowed them to temporarily use some of their ancestors' power. Such an obvious change, who wouldn't feel it? Moreover, after this change occurred, His Highness Gamma also restrained the plague's infectiousness, allowing it to be obtained only through injection.
"The Prophet means that His Highness's power grew after consuming souls, which is why there are such miraculous effects."
"Hmm, at least I haven't seen similar phenomena in the humans who are on very good terms with His Highness. Everything happened after he came to us. And this power is bound to cause wear and tear on His Highness; otherwise, he wouldn't have tightened the Blessing."
"So that's it, this explains everything that has happened these past years, hahaha. Does this also mean that our standing in His Highness's heart is now completely different from before?"
"Isn't that obvious? Otherwise, the magnificent Omega City alone would be enough. Why would His Highness build other cities and let everyone enjoy the same beautiful city?"
"Praise His Highness Gamma!"
"Praise His Highness Gamma!"
The little Tech-priest pouted and grumbled, "You flatterers, you really know how to overthink things. No matter how much you butter me up, I won't be happy. If I need to send you to your deaths, I will still send you to your deaths—"
But in the joyous council hall, a timid voice spoke up:
"But what if His Highness has always been very resistant to consuming souls?"
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces immediately fell, and they all glared at the Soul Prophet who had spoiled the mood. The Soul Prophet shrank his head. He didn't want to say such things either, but they, the Soul Prophets, were the ones constantly urged by their ancestors. Facing elders who knew all their dark histories, how much mental pressure did they endure? Who knew?
"Other gods are clearly interested in souls, so why is His Highness particularly resistant?" someone questioned.
At this point, Eldrad provided the explanation: "This is one of the characteristics of His Highness, a present-day god. This has also been observed in other present-day gods: His humanity rejects the resurgence of his divinity. In other words, His Highness does not want to become a god."
"Uh—Lord Eldrad, will consuming souls enhance His Highness's power and also lead to the growth of His Highness's divinity, right?"
"It should be."
Gamma: 'Should be' my ass! I just saw someone truly die and then thank me, the murderer, profusely. It felt annoying! Uncomfortable!
Do you understand? Do you understand?
"Then what happens if divinity grows?"
"I don't know, but you should have some feeling for the cold sun in the Warp."
The Supreme Seer's words made the Prophets, who observed Warp fluctuations daily, instinctively shiver. All Aeldari who had contact with the Imperium of Man always said they saw history repeating itself in humans.
Most of the ancient Aeldari were very depraved and debauched hedonists, but a few remained aloof, devout, arrogant, and fanatical.
Today's humans are mostly devout, arrogant, and fanatical, with a minority—primarily the ruling class—being depraved and debauched hedonists.
The Aeldari spent ten thousand years of depravity, drowning the Warp with their emotions. Humans also spent approximately ten thousand years, like the Aeldari, drowning the Warp with their emotions, except it wasn't with "pain and pleasure" but with "pain and hatred."
Therefore, the Aeldari greatly fear what terrifying thing the Emperor's part in the Warp might become due to the negative emotions released by humanity over the past ten thousand years.
"Lord Prophet, are you saying His Highness also has that potential?"
"Do not speculate freely. The affairs of gods are not something we mortals can comprehend. Never presumptuously believe you hold the truth. But while we devise ways to enhance His Highness's power, we also need to find ways to strengthen His Highness's humanity."
"But how do we strengthen his humanity? We can't just find a couple to pretend to be his parents, can we?"
"Presumptuous! How could you have such a thought?!" Eldrad scolded.
"—" The others also quickly shut up, lest their ideas incur the Supreme Seer's wrath.
Eldrad, looking around and finding no one dared to meet his gaze, was inwardly furious. At a crucial moment, there wasn't a single useful person. It seemed he would have to discipline them properly in the future. Their minds weren't as flexible as his, an old man of several millennia.
"Select beautiful women within the Craftworld to increase the number of maids in His Highness's palace. Tell all of them that their only task, and their most important task, is to play with His Highness. I don't care what they do, but the only requirement is to make His Highness feel 'love'."
"Remember, loyalty checks for personnel must be rigorous; no one with ulterior motives should be allowed into the palace. At the same time, increase the expenditures for His Highness's palace. Use the best. Even if His Highness objects, you must find a way to deflect him. With material reconstruction technology, are we lacking in resources?"
"Do you understand?" Eldrad asked, staring at everyone present. They also understood the Supreme Seer's intention: this was to make His Highness experience the beauty of the human world. Although "hedonism" gave birth to the Great Enemy,
His Highness Gamma's divinity already exists, so "hedonism" is instead a weapon against cold divinity.
"Understood, Supreme Seer." Everyone replied.
Gamma: You, you, you, you, you, don't be so excessive! I, I, Gamma, am a loyal subject of the Imperium!
Faced with the material temptation of the abominable xenos, the little Tech-priest was against it, hated it, and despised it. But thinking of his "loyalty" to the Imperium, Gamma had no choice but to accept. He would become a big worm, sucking the vile xenos into hypoglycemia.
After the meeting, Eldra dismissed everyone except the Prophets. He had another plan, but this plan could not be made public; otherwise, if it were leaked, they would face the siege of all demons.
"Do you have something to say?" Eldra asked the Soul Prophets, who had opened their mouths several times during the meeting but had not spoken.
Seeing that the Supreme Seer had noticed, they no longer hesitated. One of them spoke on behalf of the others: "Lord Eldra, although the New City Plan allows us to free some of our ancestors' souls, the quantity may not meet the effect you desire."
"Hmm, I understand. That's why I kept you here."
The Prophets quietly watched Eldra. The Supreme Seer was as reliable as ever, always able to use his wisdom to lead them to a new path when everyone else was at a loss.
"Next, I will select some of you to carry out a top-secret mission. Those chosen may never have the chance to contact the outside world again in this life, so you must be mentally prepared!" The Supreme Seer looked at them with a solemn expression.
The Prophets looked at each other, then all knelt down and said in unison: "For Gamma, for Ulthwé!"
"Good! This matter is top secret, and you are not allowed to reveal it to anyone!"
"Yes!"
In fact, Eldra's top-secret plan was very simple: there weren't enough souls in the Craftworld, but the demons in the Warp were inexhaustible. The extreme emotions generated by the torment of Aeldari souls had always been the most delicious "food" in the eyes of demons. Now, it was time to change the positions of hunter and prey.
At the deepest part of the Supreme Seer's heart, he also had another plan—souls were not only found on the Ulthwé Craftworld; other Craftworlds had them too!
He couldn't tell anyone about this yet, because there had never been a case of one Craftworld conquering another. Such an act would cause an impact on the entire Aeldari society no less than the Webway falling into human hands.
But Eldra had already done it, and doing it even more thoroughly wouldn't pose any psychological barrier. He just hadn't figured out how to do it yet!
Gamma, who had been peeking the entire time, was actually a bit confused internally. When he was with the Gear Fleet, he could confidently say that he was a "human," just a "human with a cheat code."
But his days of being a "god" on the Ulthwé Craftworld made him question what exactly he was.
He could use "overthinking" as an excuse, but he could indeed "grow" by devouring souls. Devouring one soul didn't feel like much, but devouring a hundred thousand souls felt completely different. After devouring an unknown number of Aeldari souls, Gamma could now not only see more "clearly" than before, but sometimes he even had the "illusion" of being able to manipulate machinery.
Although it was still just an "illusion," Gamma had an intuition "telling" him that if he continued to grow, one day in the future, the "illusion" would become reality.
This made Gamma feel terrified. He didn't want to become those disgusting things, so he always found various excuses and reasons to "diet." However, the Ulthwé Aeldari were absolutely uncompromising on this matter, even if Gamma got angry and threw things, it was useless.
Countless times, the little Tech-priest would use "Poison Plague" to make Eldra, the high officials, and the maids, who offered soulstones, faint from pain. The first thing they did upon waking was to continue kneeling before him with the soulstones.
After many rounds of back and forth, Gamma also gave up. Now, the unshakeable "soulstone mixed with rice" was something he "ate" every day.
"Ah, I suddenly understand why the Emperor had to fight to the death with the things in the Warp. Either kill them or become them. There's no choice, is there!" Gamma complained while conducting experiments.
(The Emperor: You little rascal! Where did you run off to? Do you know how much effort I spent looking for you?)
In the following days, the daily routine of the Ulthwé Aeldari and Gamma didn't change much, except that the little Tech-priest's "rations" became more varied, and the "dead" gained an additional end-of-life care—they could disappear while enjoying the screams of demons.
This brought not only relief but also a sense of satisfaction to the faces of the Aeldari "dead."
The little Tech-priest also summarized the effects of demons: Nurgle demons could increase his vitality and lifespan, Khorne demons could increase his physical fitness and strength, Tzeentch demons could increase his intelligence and comprehension, Slaanesh demons could increase his charm and inspiration. Undivided Chaos demons added everything, with no particular specialization. Aeldari souls added nothing, but they were nutritionally balanced and beneficial for the growth of his talent.
He also obtained a lot of information from these demons "fished" by Eldra and his group. There was all sorts of messy stuff, and many gossipy tidbits made Gamma do nothing but complain. However, Nurgle and Vashtorr seemed to have gotten into a real fight, and the other three, including the Emperor, had all gotten involved.
However, this time the faction division was a bit strange. The Emperor, who had stabbed Nurgle with a sword last time, was now helping Nurgle. One side of the free-for-all was Tzeentch, Slaanesh, and Vashtorr, while the other side was the Emperor and Nurgle. Khorne formed his own faction, fighting everyone.
Of course, this was only a general faction division. Tzeentch, Slaanesh, and Vashtorr also had conflicts, and the Emperor and Nurgle would also take potshots at each other. Khorne was much simpler; he wanted to fight five.
According to the demons, the Warp was now in chaos, and even more and more Orks were straying into the battlefield. Many Undivided Chaos demons were reduced to "laborers" and forced to the front lines, crammed into Daemon Engines. The intensity of the battle made even the immortal demons start looking for ways to "smuggle" themselves to the mortal realm for refuge.
Although there was a risk of being banished and sealed, compared to being crammed into a Daemon Engine and painfully fusing with a wicked machine, and signing a contract of servitude, the risk was not unacceptable. Then they were sent to Gamma by Eldra.
The little Tech-priest explained the situation to Eldra. The originally worried Supreme Seer suddenly understood. He had recently felt that demons were "biting the hook" too easily, almost like fishing with a straight hook, so he was worried if there was some conspiracy. If this was the case, then he would seize this opportunity to "do something big" and prepare Gamma's rations for the next few decades!
"Why are you here?"
"Am I not welcome?"
"Hahaha, welcome, welcome. I just didn't expect it, and every time you appear, something big happens, which makes me a little scared."
"Hmph, am I a jinx in your eyes?"
"Uh—"
Yvraine unconsciously smiled when she saw Guilliman's embarrassed expression. The Regent also smiled along.
"Cough!" The old Prophet reminded the Death Guard not to forget the main business.
Hearing Eldrad's reminder from behind, a hint of displeasure arose in Yvraine's heart. The smile on her face instantly vanished, and her aura became overbearing.
Seeing this, Guilliman's smile also faded. The Ultramarines guarding him reached for their weapons at their waists, and their eyes aimed at the xenos' vital points.
The Ultramarines' actions were like a match igniting the anger in Yvraine's heart. She had come to Guilliman against all odds, hoping he could prove his innocence and show others that humans were not as unbearable as they imagined. But what did her efforts get her?
They got her the "big monkey" in front of her seeing her as a jinx! They got the "little monkeys" being hostile towards her!
I must have been blind to—Yvraine, seething with anger, thought more and more, and got angrier and angrier. Just as she was about to erupt, Guilliman raised his hand and told the Ultramarines to stand down.
"Hmph!"
You have some conscience! Yvraine, feeling that she wasn't so angry anymore, thought to herself.
The Regent got up and took a Aeldari-style box from a nearby cabinet. He used a tool to take out some petals and put them into a teapot. After pouring in an appropriate amount of hot water, he returned to his seat and said:
"This is the Aeldari flower tea you gave me. Try it and see if my brewing is authentic."
"Hmph!" Yvraine walked to the opposite side of the Regent and sat down elegantly.
"Using the brewing method you taught me last time still requires a few minutes. Why don't you tell me what happened that made you come to me so aggressively?" Guilliman said in a gentle tone, while his superhuman brain rapidly rehearsed possible scenarios, and his hand moved to a suitable position, ready to catch the teacup Yvraine might throw at any moment.
"You don't know what you've done!"
Upon hearing Yvraine's accusation, a flicker of bewilderment crossed Guilliman's eyes. The power-armored bodies of the Ultramarines also tensed due to the xenos' audacity. If not for the Primarch being present, they would have certainly slain this wanton xenos on the spot.
"Yvraine, have you ever said something?"
"What?"
"Only the one who has wronged you knows how wronged you are." Guilliman said with a bitter and helpless smile.
"You! You mean I've wronged you!" Yvraine raised an eyebrow.
The Regent spread his hands and said: "You have to tell me what it is, right?"
"See for yourself!"
With that, she threw a projection device to Guilliman. When it was opened, a video was played. At first, Guilliman didn't understand what this video, which only contained Aeldari, had to do with him, but as time passed, the more he watched, the stranger his expression became, as did the expressions of the Ultramarines beside him.
After the video finished playing, the Regent uncertainly rewound it, repeatedly watching the key parts. Finally, he turned off the device and asked with a serious expression:
"Where is this?"
"Ulthwé Craftworld. Do you have nothing to explain?" Yvraine said with dissatisfaction.
"No, this is the first time I've heard that name." Guilliman denied.
"Really?"
"Absolutely true. I swear on my honor, this matter has nothing to do with us."
Seeing Guilliman swear on his honor, Yvraine already believed that this matter had nothing to do with him, but her purpose here was not just to confirm Guilliman's innocence, but also to use human strength to uncover the truth.
"This matter isn't irrelevant just because you say so. Even if I believe it, others won't. The truth must be investigated, otherwise, once other Craftworlds know about this, they will believe that humanity has infiltrated the Aeldari, and that the Webway, which they rely on for survival, has also fallen into human hands. I don't need to tell you the consequences; you know them well!"
What consequences? Aeldari civil war? What does that have to do with us? Yvraine's intention was too obvious. If I weren't the Regent of the Imperium, I would help you, but I cannot deplete humanity's strength to help the Aeldari, not even for your request. Thinking of this, the Regent brought out his old politician's skill and feigned ignorance, saying:
"You're taking things too seriously. Internal disputes are often caused by misunderstandings. Perhaps the Ulthwé Craftworld is more humble and eager to learn, and saw the advantages of us humans, which is why they acted this way. Our intervention would only increase misunderstandings. It would be more appropriate for you to resolve it internally."
"You—" Yvraine glared at the "scumbag" in front of her.
The scumbag, without changing his expression, poured a cup of tea for Yvraine, who wished to "eat his flesh and drink his blood," and then said:
"Look at you, getting angry again. Don't always think of using violence to solve problems. Think, if there's nothing wrong with the Ulthwé Craftworld, what impact would it have if you brought us to attack it? What would other Craftworlds think about it? Your image among the Aeldari is very important to the Death Guard!"
These words extinguished most of Yvraine's anger, but it hadn't completely died down, so she said sarcastically:
"Are you worried about me?"
"Of course." The scumbag looked at the Aeldari in front of him with sincere eyes.
"Hmph, you only say nice things. Since that's the case, help me figure out how to better resolve this matter."
Guilliman saw the smile reappear on his "ally's" face and appreciated the simple-minded, somewhat stubborn Yvraine even more. One old fox was enough for him, so he said:
"You can—"
Unfortunately, the Regent wasn't the only old fox present; there was another. The old Prophet, seeing Guilliman about to sweet-talk Yvraine, quickly interjected:
"Lord Regent, have you heard the name 'Gamma'?"
At the same time, he transmitted a message to Yvraine: 'Without substantive evidence, other Craftworlds won't send troops to help. Didn't we agree on this when we came?'
Yvraine's face flushed with embarrassment. Guilliman showed no reaction to the name Gamma, but Calgar and Ventris, who were beside him, immediately became agitated. They drew their weapons and pointed them at the old Prophet, asking loudly:
"Xeno, tell us! Where did you hear that name?"
The Astartes of the Primarch's Guard saw their Chapter Master, who had only recently rejoined them, react so strongly. Although they didn't understand the reason, it didn't prevent them from reacting. The Death Guard who had come with Yvraine instantly stepped forward to shield their leader.
Guilliman and Yvraine first exchanged a bewildered glance. After confirming that the other also didn't know what was going on, they separately spoke to stop their subordinates.
"Stop! Calgar, is there anything special about that name?"
"Stop! Eldrad, where did you learn that name?"
"Father, I need to report this to you privately! But he must explain where he heard that name!" Calgar said, staring at the old Prophet.
"I obtained it through psychic means from the Ulthwé Aeldari. Every Ulthwé Aeldari we have come into contact with is praying to this name." The old Prophet explained.
Calgar and Ventris immediately thought of the clearly non-Aeldari-style machinery in the video just now, and then of the Aeldari studying the astartes codex. Their facial muscles and skin twitched uncontrollably.
Guilliman saw his son's reaction and his heart skipped a beat. Then he heard Yvraine's voice in his ear:
"Now you won't say it has nothing to do with you, will you!"
To understand the situation, Guilliman had to humble himself and ask Yvraine and her companions to leave temporarily. The Death Precursor was naturally unwilling, but under the Regent Lord's eloquent persuasion, he eventually left with a triumphant smile.
No one knew what Guilliman sacrificed to convince the Eldar and protect the Imperium of Man's interests. The Ultramariness only knew that after the Primarch left alone with the xenos, he appeared very fatigued when he returned. This filled them with sorrow, certain that the hateful xenos had made unreasonable demands, and to overcome the passive situation, the Primarch had to labor tirelessly. Their father had sacrificed too much for the Imperium.
"Tell me, what exactly happened? And what's the situation with Gamma?" Guilliman asked, leaning back exhaustedly in his chair.
Calgar and Ventris were deeply ashamed. If not for their impulsive actions, things wouldn't have escalated to this point.
"Gamma is Archmagos Will's son," Calgar said, lowering his head.
"Ah? Will? Is it the Will I know?" Guilliman's eyes were filled with shock, and Will's image appeared in his mind, along with the phrase "disrespectful old man."
"Yes, Father."
"Alright, then what's so special about Will's son that caused such a reaction from you two?" The Regent rubbed his temples as he asked.
This time, Calgar didn't answer but looked at the Primarch's personal guard, which made the Ultramarines feel incredulous. What did he mean?
Did their Chapter Master not trust them?
"Do you not even trust your own brothers?"
Hearing the Primarch's stern tone, Calgar lowered his head again and said, "Gamma is a genius. At a young age, he created various pieces of equipment that could revolutionize the Imperium's armaments."
He then gestured to Ventris beside him. The Gaius drew the sword from his waist, tapped it a few times, and placed it along with an encrypted data-slate in front of the Primarch.
The gene-Primarch's superhuman senses immediately detected the unusual nature of the weapon by intuition alone. He curiously reached out and gripped the hilt. The moment his hand touched the hilt, Guilliman felt the sword resisting him, and he asked uncertainly, "It's alive?"
"Yes, it's a Weapon-Bug created by Gamma. It's a power weapon with extremely high production, excellent performance, and very low cost. The specific details are in the data-slate."
He tapped the blade a few times with his finger, feeling the struggle of the sword in his hand. Guilliman put down the sword and picked up the data-slate to examine it. It contained Ventris's account of his experiences on Thedan, Gamma's early deeds, and information on the OMG series of personal weapons.
At first, it wasn't too outlandish. Through text and images, the image of a talented young Tech-priest—"courageous," knowledgeable, moral, compassionate, and with business acumen—was painted in Guilliman's mind.
But after Gamma, by some twist of fate, returned to his roots, things became absurd. He single-handedly orchestrated the gamble with the demons, subdued the "anti-demon weapon" to deliver a fatal blow to Rain Father, and in a few years, restored Thedan's production capacity, while also leading a production revolution on the Forge World, improving workers' living and educational environments, and simultaneously repairing a whole string of broken STCs.
The most outlandish part was that he, by personal prestige alone, sidelined his own father, becoming the de facto controller of Thedan.
Guilliman looked up several times midway, scrutinizing Calgar and Ventris to see if they had been tainted by something foul or had developed an addiction from too much pressure. Only after confirming they hadn't did he continue to immerse himself in the data.
Upon seeing Gamma voluntarily leave his home to "prove his innocence," the Regent Lord deeply empathized with the young Tech-priest. Such capable and honest children were often suspected precisely because they were too outstanding. Wasn't that exactly how he himself was back then? Even now, he hadn't completely shed the stigma of being ambitious. How regrettable!
Continuing to read, Guilliman's face showed a look of relief when he discovered that this child had actually ventured into the Tau Empire at his secret command and made significant contributions to the subsequent annihilation of Gorgon.
Especially upon seeing Gamma hand over the production of Weapon-Bugs to the Ultramarines, the Regent couldn't help but praise him: "Truly worthy of Macragge's bloodline!"
But with the information on Howling Sky castellan robots, mecha, and new Titans, Guilliman realized Gamma's value to the Imperium, to humanity. Such abilities, if he simply managed them, could pry open a huge crack within the unyielding Adeptus Mechanicus.
However, as Guilliman was still pondering how to make "Macragge's good boy" cause a stir within the Adeptus Mechanicus, he saw the last sentence in the data: Suspected of recreating the Nanite Scourge!
This single sentence made the Regent's expression falter. He asked incredulously, "Calgar, is that last sentence true?"
Calgar thought the Primarch was worried that Gamma, being young, didn't understand the danger of the "scourge," so he tried to defend Gamma: "Father, Gamma is very aware of the danger. That's why he hasn't revealed any information to the outside world. He only had to use it because the situation was critical at the time, and it helped us turn the tide of the battle."
"So he really did it then!"
"Uh—yes."
Guilliman could tell that Gamma had a good personal relationship with Calgar and Ventris. Otherwise, his two sons wouldn't have reacted so strongly just hearing his name from the Eldar, nor would they defend Gamma in front of him. He rubbed his temples, a headache forming, and said, "Since you know Gamma's extraordinary talent, why didn't you bring him to see me? Were you afraid I would also harm him?"
Calgar and Ventris looked flustered and explained, "Father, it's not like that."
"Alright, I was just saying. But what you did was inappropriate. Don't let personal emotions influence your judgment."
Hearing the Primarch say this, Calgar couldn't help but shout in his heart: Father, don't I want to bring that kid to see you? If I dared to suggest it, those Tech-priests would just open fire!
But this reason couldn't be known by anyone other than the Primarch, so he once again looked at the Primarch's personal guard beside Guilliman.
Primarch's personal guard: Chapter Master, that's too much!
After two consecutive instances of distrust, someone finally couldn't hold back and spoke. It was none other than the invincible Second Company Commander, Cato Sicarius:
"Chapter Master, are we truly so untrustworthy to you?" Sicarius felt humiliated; his pride wouldn't allow him to remain silent any longer.
Calgar, who had always wanted to punch this kid but never got the chance, glared at Sicarius and said with a frown, "Some things, you are not yet qualified to know. This isn't a matter of trust."
"What things?"
"Silence, both of you! Leave now!" Guilliman reprimanded.
Hearing the Primarch's reprimand and command, the Ultramarines left the Primarch's office without delay. What surprised the Primarch's personal guard was that Ventris also left with them. Once outside, the Gaius spoke up, "Don't look at me, I don't know either."
Although Ventris truly didn't know, he could guess pretty accurately. He had witnessed the changes in the Thedan Tech-priests from the perspective of an outsider from the very beginning.
Inside the office, now only occupied by two giants, the only sounds were breathing and the hum of power armor. Guilliman watched Calgar open his mouth several times only to stop, wondering what information could make his eldest son unable to speak. He broke the silence first, saying, "Speak, it's hard to keep it in."
Hearing the Primarch's joking encouragement, Calgar gritted his teeth and said, "Gamma is suspected to be a Primarch!"
"Do you know what you're saying?" Guilliman stared at his son, who was completely tense. He couldn't believe such words came from Calgar's mouth.
But he could also see that saying this caused Calgar great stress. He wasn't muddled; he understood the implications of that statement.
"Suspected." Thinking of his eldest son's choice of words, then recalling the data from the slate and Gamma's unchanging image, Guilliman asked, "Could he be an immortal?"
Seeing Calgar not answer, Guilliman ruled out this most likely answer. He said firmly, "Calgar, tell me everything you know!"
Calgar took a deep breath, then mechanically recounted everything he had seen, the Grand Inquisitor's conjectures, the Tech-priests' worship of Gamma, and Gamma's own attitude.
After listening to his eldest son's mechanical narration, and looking at the nearly exhausted Calgar, Guilliman realized the seriousness of the situation. At the same time, he also remembered the Eldar using the word "prayer" when explaining the origin of Gamma's name, which made the Regent suddenly look in the direction of the Imperial Palace, muttering, "Emperor, Father, is Gamma related to you?"
When these words left Guilliman's mouth, the sun, which was setting fires everywhere in the Warp, making demons wail, suddenly trembled.
It immediately returned to normal, and the Four Gods, focused on their Great Game, didn't notice the change. Only the Custodes, constantly guarding the Golden Throne, felt as if the Emperor on the throne had moved slightly, but after careful inspection, they found nothing, and could only explain it as an illusion caused by their intense desire for His Majesty's recovery.
The news Calgar brought back was too shocking. Even Guilliman's mind was now filled with various conjectures. Was it an illusion created by people's imagination due to talent's aura?
Or was it another identity of the Emperor after his recovery? But if so, what was on the Golden Throne? Could it just be a part of the Emperor?
Or was it a contingency left by the Emperor, a younger brother of his?
Or was it truly the Omnissiah?
But if that were truly the case, how could the birth certificate from the cultivation pod be explained?
The complex thoughts made the already exhausted Guilliman's head ache intensely. He closed his eyes, wanting to rest and alleviate it. The Primarch's body allowed him to go without sleep for long periods, or to fall asleep instantly, recovering his spirit in just a few minutes.
But this time, something unexpected happened to Guilliman. He should have woken up a few minutes later, but instead, he had a "lucid dream."
"I can still dream?" Guilliman wondered, then let out a roar: "Who? Who's playing tricks? Come out and face me!"
As Guilliman's reprimand echoed, the impenetrable mist around him began to thin, and a small path emerged from it. The Primarch walked along the path without hesitation. Whatever brought him here, Guilliman would not fear it, and he was confident he could defeat his opponent.
The Primarch didn't know how long he walked; it felt like a long time, yet also not long at all. But the instigator had appeared before him—a madman.
A madman covered in wounds, bleeding incessantly, constantly picking up stones from the ground and throwing them wildly around!
A madman with disheveled hair, whose features were unclear, but who kept roaring and threatening the air!
"Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"
The Primarch's questioning made the madman stop and look at Guilliman. In the madman's only visible eyes, Guilliman saw disgust, guilt, tenderness, and coldness. This feeling was very familiar to him, but Guilliman couldn't recall where he had seen it before.
"Tell me your purpose?" the Primarch questioned again.
This time, the madman made another gesture. Guilliman saw the other party pull out a doll from somewhere—a doll made of gears. Then the madman handed the doll to Guilliman. Although the Primarch didn't understand what the other party meant, he instinctively took the doll.
But the madman snatched the doll back from Guilliman's hand, then pressed the doll onto his leg and spanked its bottom hard. The lifeless gear doll, however, let out cries under the madman's beating. Guilliman could tell from the cries that it hurt a lot! The madman was hitting very hard!
After watching the doll get beaten for a while, the Primarch couldn't help but ask again, "What exactly do you want?"
The madman stopped again, pulled a rope from his embrace, tied it around the doll, then threaded the other end of the rope through a wound on his arm, wrapped it several times, tied a dead knot, and then threw the doll onto the ground.
The gear doll, which originally couldn't move, now picked itself up and turned to run. But the rope in the madman's hand kept the aimlessly running doll from getting away from the madman. Then the madman kicked the doll's backside, and then another kick.
Under the madman's violence, the doll cried as it walked in one direction, trying to escape or change direction several times along the way, but each time it was stopped by the madman's foot. Guilliman could only follow the madman and the doll forward.
Then they arrived at a dilapidated old house, a crumbling old house with holes everywhere. When the doll saw the house, it immediately pulled out tools from its body and happily began repairing the house. But after only a short while, it was kicked by the madman, forcing the doll to stop and be led by the madman with the rope into the house.
Guilliman, who followed them inside, found that the owner of this place must have been well-off before. All sorts of furniture were complete, but now only remnants remained, bearing traces of fire and axe blows.
Entering the house, the gear doll took out its small tools again and began tapping and hammering at the furniture remnants, but was once again interrupted by a kick from the madman. This time, the doll raised its tool and aimed a blow at the madman's foot, but unfortunately, the madman anticipated it and dodged, and the doll received another kick.
The doll, not wanting to be hit, could only follow the madman to a chair. This was one of the few pieces of furniture in the house that was still usable. The madman pointed at the chair and told the doll to get to work quickly. This time, the doll was obedient and diligently began repairing the chair.
Guilliman watched as the originally dilapidated chair slowly returned to its original appearance under the doll's hammering. He suddenly realized that this was not just a chair, but a "Throne"!
"You—"
"Father, what's wrong with you?!"
Guilliman opened his eyes to see Calgar's shocked and worried face. He wanted to speak, but before he could open his mouth, he found it filled with the taste of blood. Immediately after, a violent headache made the Primarch cry out in pain.
"Father! Father!" Calgar shouted anxiously.
But the Primarch didn't respond, only clutching his head and groaning. At the same time, blood flowed from Guilliman's seven orifices, which greatly frightened the Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, who feared neither life nor death, and he turned to leave to call for help.
"Stop!"
The Primarch's voice made Calgar halt. He quickly turned back to look at Guilliman, who was bleeding from his seven orifices, and asked with concern, "Father, are you all right? Why did this suddenly happen?"
Guilliman weakly waved his hand, indicating he was fine. He understood who had pulled him into the dream just now. Even without the prompt from the Throne, he wouldn't forget this pain, as it had happened once before in front of the Throne.
After an unknown period, a somewhat recovered Guilliman, with Calgar's help, wiped the blood from his face and then said:
"Don't mention this to anyone. Also, Calgar, get ready. I have a very important mission to give you!"
"Yes!" Calgar replied. He also guessed that the mission must be related to Gamma.
Supported by Calgar, he returned to his seat, the Primarch leaned weakly against the chair. Although rest would allow him to recover faster, Guilliman didn't dare. Given the Emperor's current state and his emphasis on Gamma, Guilliman couldn't guarantee that if he closed his eyes, the Emperor wouldn't "replay" it for him again. Another time and he'd be in the ICU.
"Calgar, what is Gamma in your eyes?" Guilliman suddenly asked.
This question left Calgar unsure how to answer. After a long thought, he finally said, "'Human.'"
"Human?"
"We are weapons, mortals are currency, you are a Primarch, and Gamma, he is human. Although he can interact with us casually, he also feels out of place, preferring to escape rather than adapt to this world."
Hearing Calgar's answer, Guilliman smiled. He understood why the Emperor had hinted that he should tie up the doll representing Gamma with a rope, and why he should use his foot to make the doll work.
"He cares a lot about ordinary people, doesn't he?" Guilliman asked again, then realized the question was redundant. Wasn't it obvious enough from the data?
"Yes, Gamma cares a lot about ordinary people."
"Calgar, you must bring him back safely from the Eldar, no matter the cost!"
"Yes! But Father, are the Eldar trustworthy?" Calgar asked with some doubt.
"They should be trustworthy. Do you have any thoughts?"
"No, I just don't understand why Gamma appeared on an Eldar Craftworld and even became its ruler?"
"Calgar, I can only tell you that he is very different, extremely different. Anything is possible with him!"
Guilliman's words caused Calgar's pupils to tremble violently. He hadn't expected the Grand Inquisitor's speculation to be confirmed by the Primarch himself.
"Achoo!"
The little Tech-priest rubbed his nose and grumbled, "What's going on lately? I keep sneezing, and my ears feel hot. Who's talking about me?"
Casually dropping the several-kilogram dumbbell in his hand, Gamma struck a bodybuilding pose in front of the mirror, but his baby-fat, fair upper body showed no muscle definition at all.
"It's not scientific at all. My strength has increased so much, but I haven't gained any muscle. What do I need to eat to grow some?"
The little Tech-priest, with a distressed expression, hung his head and sulked. This immediately broke the hearts of the attending maids, who rushed over to comfort Gamma while helping him put on his clothes.
"Your Highness, you are still young. You will grow in the future."
"Hmm."
"How about we dance for Your Highness?"
"Hmm."
The downcast little Tech-priest slowly cheered up amidst the beautiful dances of the Eldar maids, but Gamma still had other worries.
The increases in strength, intelligence, and vitality were all fine; these only affected him. But the increase in charm was troublesome, as those around him would also be affected.
Now, every family on Ulthwé Craftworld had a few of his photos, and the maids around him were the most severely affected. Even if Gamma were to ask them to die, as long as it would make Gamma happy, they would commit suicide without hesitation.
"I need to find a way to solve this problem, ah, sigh." Gamma mumbled as he swallowed the fruit offered by a maid.
To prevent his cursed charm from corrupting all beings, Gamma had no choice but to create a shell for himself. He had this idea before, mainly because he felt his image wasn't Tech-priest enough, and it would be easy to be overlooked while wandering the galaxy. However, the need wasn't urgent then, so work had been delayed.
Arriving at the laboratory, the little Tech-priest first adjusted the experiments for several long-term projects. Don't think that just because he became a 'tyrant', he only knew how to play. He did everything he was supposed to do, and besides, the current Gamma was not the Gamma of before. He was much smarter than before. Even while playing "come catch me," he could simultaneously complete dozens of complex experimental calculations and derivations in his mind.
Arriving at the first key project, Gamma rattled off a string of cryptic characters. This project was to research "Spirit Bone Nanomachines." These Eldar nanomachines were once used to create life, but now they erase all life they come into contact with.
It was also considered one of Ulthwé Craftworld's secret weapons.
Gamma was researching it not for anything else, but to understand how it self-replicated. Don't let the little Tech-priest's current nanotechnology, which can achieve this, fool you; the difference between the two is like heaven and earth.
His nanomachines cannot exist without matter, but the Eldar's "Spirit Bone Nanorobots" can "create out of nothing." Spirit bone is essentially a solidified Warp energy, which can be manipulated into any shape. Spirit bone originates from the Warp, and this process can be accelerated by a Bonesinger, but Spirit Bone Nanomachines do not require a Bonesinger; they can complete the process from nothing to something on their own.
Furthermore, the fundamental characteristic of Spirit Bone is its ability to shield against the dangers of the Warp. Although this shielding is limited, it easily brings to mind another thing—the Webway. While the substance that constructs the Webway is not Spirit Bone, it must be related to it. Considering the relationship between the Eldar and the Old Ones, it's hard not to speculate.
Moreover, constructing the Webway, such a magnificent creation spanning the galaxy, would require unimaginable resources. The Old Ones could not have, like the Eldar, held a "flute" and slowly used their psychic power to create and shape it. They must have had some technology that could accomplish this process for them.
Although Gamma couldn't perform practical operations, his theoretical knowledge was extensive, which didn't hinder his research. More importantly, Gamma couldn't discern how the Spirit Bone Nanomachines achieved self-replication, which also confirmed that this technology was inseparable from the Old Ones.
With nothing to copy, the little Tech-priest could only use the fragmented clues he had, trying them one by one through exhaustive enumeration.
After adjusting the Spirit Bone project's experiments, he passed through several security doors to reach the second project—the Gamma Warrior, a "Space Marine" like Gamma.
This project was essentially the little Tech-priest copying the Emperor's homework. Space Marines, as mass-produced super warriors, achieve mass production through gene-seed containing Primarch genetic information, which assimilates part of the recipient's own genes. This is why the relationship between an Astartes and a Primarch is considered "father and son." The modification surgery is to stabilize the recipient's condition, control the assimilation progress, and prevent the recipient's genes from collapsing during the assimilation process.
Inspired by the Super Duck Guard, Gamma wanted to achieve it in one go, utilizing the characteristics of "Ohmega Spore" to allow humans injected with Ohmega Spore to become beings similar to Space Marines. The little Tech-priest didn't have a Primarch, but when he was still in Thedan, he had extracted common segments from the gene-seed legacy material of various Chapters.
As for where the little Tech-priest got the gene-seed, who do you think the Space Marine Chapters pay their gene-seed tithes to? And where do the gene-seeds from Chapters with questionable origins come from? Let's just say, STC, technological relics, and gene-seed are the three hard currencies in the Tech-priest black market, serving as a kind of "fiat currency" in a sense.
The laws of the Imperium and the regulations of the Astartes Orders govern the common people of the Imperium and ordinary Tech-priests, but they are useless to Tech-priests like Archmagos Will, who navigate both the legitimate and illicit worlds.
"Hmm, the development is good. All indicators for the 'Gamma Warrior' have reached expectations. The Emperor's bio-alchemy, Eldar biotechnology, plus a bit of Old One technology, hehe, the Gamma Great Crusade can begin."
"Oh no, what if the Gamma Warriors also call me 'Father' later?"
"Forget it, don't overthink it. I don't have any genetic connection with the Gamma Warriors."
Looking at the several hundred transparent cultivation chambers containing robust humans over three meters tall, Gamma nodded in satisfaction. Although he spoke of an "Gamma Great Crusade," the little Tech-priest had no such intention in his heart; he just wanted to indulge in some verbal fantasy.
He had interrogated many Nurgle demons during this time, but he hadn't received any news about Nurgle plotting against him. This made Gamma begin to doubt whether he had guessed wrong, and that the ability to control "Ohmega Spore" was actually unrelated to Nurgle. However, he only suspected this, because even without Nurgle, there was still Tzeentch.
Tzeentch was indeed, openly and without concealment, looking for him. This news had been confirmed by all the demons.
Not just Tzeentch, according to the demons, a certain Slaanesh Daemon Prince whose plans he had ruined had also vowed to find the "culprit" who had disrupted her harvesting of Ulthwé Craftworld. However, she was currently entangled in a Warp war and unable to disengage, which was why she hadn't taken action.
"I just got rid of half, and another half is here. Who did I offend? You all just wait!"
Thinking this, the little Tech-priest huffily walked to the next project. This project was the earliest to be established, aiming to return the Ulthwé Eldar to their ancestral state. It was also the iteration center for the "Gamma Path," so all uncontrolled Eldar would be sent here for sampling. There's no need to elaborate further.
Boarding the shuttle, Gamma, who had been sulking all the way, arrived at an experimental ground. Unlike the previous three projects, there were many Eldar and Wraith constructs here. Seeing Gamma arrive, the Eldar and constructs put down what they were doing and gathered around to greet Gamma.
"Rise, all of you. How many times have I told you, don't bother with these formalities," the little Tech-priest said with a "frown" at the corner of his mouth.
"Yes, Your Highness," everyone replied as usual. "Is there any new progress?"
"Your Highness, please follow me."
Guided by the Chief Bonesinger of Ulthwé Craftworld, Gamma entered a sealed building. Every corner of this building was carved with mysterious runes, whose sole purpose was to protect souls from demonic prying.
Many Wraith constructs of varying sizes, equipped with exoskeleton-like devices, were performing obstacle courses. If any Eldar from elsewhere who understood Wraith constructs were present, they would surely be amazed by the agility of these constructs.
Slow movement, clumsy actions, and almost unable to move without the guidance of a Soul Prophet were the fatal flaws of Wraith constructs. While Wraithlords and Wraithseers were not like this, they contained the souls of powerful Farseers and Warlocks, and the psychic strength of ordinary Eldar who hadn't developed their potential couldn't compare to them.
But how many Soul Prophets were there on the entire Ulthwé Craftworld? Compared to the tens of thousands of years of accumulated souls in the Infinity Circuit, it was merely a drop in the ocean. One guiding ten, or one hundred, still couldn't unleash the full power of the "dead." To avoid wasting this power, this project was established to address the shortcomings of Wraith constructs.
The little Tech-priest's approach to solving the problem was also simple and crude: too slow? Add auxiliary power. Unstable? Add an extra balance system. Not enough psychic power? Technology to the rescue.
The most difficult part was how to enhance the perception ability of the souls in the spirit stones. How does a highly nearsighted person go to the battlefield?
Fortunately, Gamma was skilled not only in physical technology but also in psychic technology. Under his guidance, the first generation of sensory enhancement devices was created by the Bonesingers. The effect was very good, but it would damage the spirit stones, causing the souls inside to lose the protection of the spirit stones.
However, the relevant technology Gamma possessed could only achieve this much. There was nothing he could do but organize the Bonesingers to tackle the problem.
"Your Highness, look!" The Chief Bonesinger excitedly presented a soccer-sized multifaceted crystal to Gamma.
"Oh, it seems to be a success. You've done very well," Gamma praised as he examined the beautiful crystal.
"It all depends on Your Highness's teachings."
The little Tech-priest "humbly" waved his hand and said, "I only gave you direction and corrected errors along the way; you are the ones who completed the entire journey."
Hearing Gamma's words, the Bonesingers surrounding him felt Gamma "glowing." Seeing their expressions, the little Tech-priest's lips curled into a smile, and he inwardly let out a long, silent roar to the sky:
My cursed charm!!!
The Bonesingers, filled with the satisfaction of their recognized efforts, then heard Gamma say, "You have invested a lot of time and effort into this project. Take some time off after the reward materials are distributed."
"Thank you, Your Highness, but—"
"What's wrong?"
"To Your Highness, actually, we can continue without rest."
What kind of workaholic saints are these!? Gamma, who still wanted to be a human, said, "Work-life balance. I'm not firing you; I still have things for you to do."
The Eldar, filled with a sense of accomplishment, heard about a new project and immediately asked eagerly, "What does Your Highness plan for us to do?"
Seeing them so eager, the little Tech-priest had no choice but to say, "Continue with this project."
"Still this project? But isn't it already—" someone among the Bonesingers asked, puzzled.
Gamma shook his head, looked at them, and began, "Technological progress has no end. Have you ever considered what this technology could achieve if it continued to be upgraded?"
This question plunged the Bonesingers into deep thought. They imagined various possibilities in their minds. After a long while, someone in the crowd spoke with excitement, fervor, and disbelief:
"Resurrection!?"