The contest between two Primarchs is a major event for both the Warp and the material universe.
The true micro-management master Perturabo versus Guilliman, the walking Excel spreadsheet. One is skilled at crushing opponents head-on with superior precision, powerful firepower, and absolute execution. Precisely because he favors direct confrontation, the Iron Warriors are rarely affected by opponents' petty tricks and schemes.
It's as if Perturabo was enraged by the heavy casualties his Legion suffered during the Great Crusade, yet he never seemed to consider any tactics other than large-scale frontal assaults and saturation bombardment.
In many battles, Perturabo's tactical performance was unreasonably poor, yet he seemed unwilling to think about how to fight more cleverly. He was like a worker with no enthusiasm, but who had to complete his job, numbly trying to win by piling up time and resources.
As Perturabo's opponent, you can mock him as a fool who constantly 'uses soldiers to chip at walls.' You can scoff at him as a ruthless and stubborn madman who, knowing he is wrong, refuses to admit his mistakes and treats his offspring as expendable.
But facing an opponent who won't touch a discovered weakness, won't bite at bait, and only wants to out-attrition and out-micro you, anyone would grimace in discomfort.
Because in micro-management, you truly can't beat him.
In other words, Perturabo drags his opponents down to his level, then makes them spit blood with his rich experience and AI-like computational abilities.
Guilliman actually shares many similarities with Perturabo; both are organizational experts, both meticulously plan their operations.
The difference is that Guilliman greatly values the lives of his subordinates, always striving to minimize casualties, while the rogue boss treats his children like cannon fodder, sending them to their deaths without a second thought.
In command, Guilliman also wouldn't tell the front-line guns to raise their muzzles by 10 centimeters like Perturabo. He rarely directly interferes with front-line Commanders, trusting that they will complete their missions better based on actual circumstances.
In a nutshell, Guilliman excels at strategically defeating opponents. Once the enemy is at a strategic disadvantage and exposes weaknesses, he then uses tactics to deliver a fatal blow.
This time, Perturabo's style was unchanged; he projected a part of his homeworld, and only allowed the Warp to engulf half a world, essentially telling Guilliman—come at him head-on!
This is clearly not the battlefield Lord Regent Guilliman excels at. The larger the scale of the war, the wider its scope, the more smoothly Guilliman fights.
But Perturabo didn't expect that Guilliman, the shameless one, would seek outside help. After being 'mixed doubles' by Guilliman and Conquest, the rogue boss, feeling somewhat disoriented from a few heavy blows, became enraged:
What's the meaning of bringing outsiders into a fight between brothers?!
To this, Lord Regent Guilliman's attitude was: Childish. In the adult world, only success or failure matters. What chivalry should be shown to a traitor who has fallen to Chaos?
But just as our Imperial Regent was drinking red wine, eating steak, lighting a cigar with the Sword of the Emperor, and looking utterly confident of victory...
Other Chaos forces approached Perturabo, offering to help, free of charge. When asked why, they simply said they couldn't stand Guilliman's arrogant behavior.
Perturabo, who never asked for help, was reluctant to accept such readily available enforcers, but he ultimately did, because he knew very well that he was already at a disadvantage in this war.
If not for the 'Unbreakable Fortress' — Medrengard, freed from the constraints of physical laws, transformed by the Iron Warriors, with gun turrets and towers soaring miles high, spike-covered underground chambers and intricate tunnels extending to the planet's core, and fortresses sprouting everywhere like mold...
Perturabo might have already failed, driven back into the Warp by Guilliman.
Facing the incredibly brave, tireless, and fearless frontal assault of the Iron Men Legion, the rogue boss and the Iron Warriors found it difficult to gain any advantage. The Iron Warriors excelled at crushing opponents with a massive number of huge, terrifying, and ferocious war machines, but the Iron Men *are* such war machines.
At the same time, the Daemon Primarch also had to contend with the treacherous sneak attacks of the Imperial forces under Guilliman's command.
Furthermore, although Perturabo and his Iron Warriors had fallen to Chaos, they were deeply repulsed by Chaos and psychic powers. Most warriors in the Legion did not welcome or accept any form of Chaos corruption or physical mutation within themselves. These warriors often replaced their mutated and corrupted limbs and joints with advanced bionic prosthetics.
This led to a situation where, while Perturabo's forces weren't entirely without daemons, they were mostly minor, unaligned Chaos daemons, and almost all were servants whose true names had been forced out by the Iron Warriors through various methods. These masterless minor daemons took far longer to resurrect after death than daemons serving the Four Chaos Gods. In a favorable situation, these daemon servants could be useful, but in a losing battle, their methods of slacking off could truly open human eyes.
Therefore, compared to daemons, the Iron Warriors preferred to use human slaves and cultists as cannon fodder to fill the lines. If they were only facing the Imperium, using cannon fodder to deplete the opponent's ammunition and scout firing points would be acceptable. However, this time the Iron Warriors were facing the Iron Men with infinite firepower and the Imperium benefiting from them.
The outcome was self-evident, which is also why Perturabo felt this duel was unfair—because the Imperium shouldn't be like this!
When Guilliman received reports of four different colored Chaos daemon armies appearing on the battlefield, he knew this war would likely not end well. He immediately wrote two letters: one to the Regent's Consort asking her to help with the Webway matter, and one to the young Tech-priest, asking Gamma to give him another push.
Looking at the 'request for aid' in his hand, which was actually more of a 'fishing rod' to see if there was any fruit to be had, Gamma, the 'date tree' being hit, reacted very unusually. Anyone who knew the young Tech-priest knew he was generous, but also hated being taken advantage of. Logically, Gamma should have been very angry now.
But this time, Gamma was not only not angry, but instead wrote a reply to Guilliman with a smile on his face. The general content of the letter was:
Do these abominable Chaos forces think my great Ultramar 500 worlds are a charity? They come and go as they please? Regent, rest assured, fight boldly! This time, we must make Chaos feel the pain, and secure 5000 years of peace for the 500 worlds. As a scion of Macragge, I, Gamma, unconditionally support you!
Lord Regent Guilliman, upon receiving Gamma's reply, felt something was amiss, but couldn't quite pinpoint what. When he wrote the letter, he knew the chances of Gamma bleeding more resources were slim, but what the young Tech-priest was offering this time could no longer be described as 'bleeding,' but rather 'draining blood.'
A fleet many times larger than last time, accompanied by 100,000 Gamma Warriors, 100,000 Eldar Warriors, countless Iron Men, an advisory team of Prophets led by Eldrad, two powerful artificial intelligences (avatars) named Order and Wise, and various cataclysm-level weapons.
Gamma's three major artificial intelligences responsible for military, administration, and research, along with his troop types, were all gathered under Guilliman's command. The Regent even suspected that the young Tech-priest intended to use this event to plant stakes in the Imperial Sanctum in advance, preparing for a future 'Grand Plan.'
For a moment, the Regent found himself in a dilemma; accepting or refusing was both a problem.
While Guilliman was still deliberating, the young Tech-priest, once again flexing his muscles, completely silenced all who questioned his strength. Even the most fanatical Inquisitor understood that this individual was someone they couldn't afford to provoke. And the Astartes Chapters gathered here, upon seeing the Legion-sized Gamma Warriors, nearly had their eyes pop out.
This blatant act of treating the astartes codex like toilet paper right in front of Lord Regent Guilliman could no longer be described as merely bold. But then, considering the Magos Gamma's other deeds, it didn't seem like such a big deal after all.
At the same time, the non-Guilliman offspring among them secretly sought out the Gamma Warriors. This was 100,000 men! Who knew how many more Magos Gamma had? Moreover, Magos Gamma was different from Archmagos Cawl; he didn't have ten thousand years to accumulate gene-seed. There were only two reasonable explanations:
First, Magos Gamma discovered a gene-seed vault lost by a certain Legion during the Great Crusade. This was incredibly important for the thinly populated founding Chapters, apart from the Ultramarines!
Who hasn't heard the Ultramarines boast that three-quarters of the Imperium's Astartes come from them — a harsh truth!
Second, Magos Gamma had a Primarch in his possession, and a living one at that! This was even more important than this war!
No matter which possibility, it had to be clarified by everyone except Guilliman and the Lion's sons.
"What? You're not Astartes?" Young Wolf Lord Ragnar exclaimed, looking incredulous.
Alpha, who stood a head taller than him, nodded gravely and earnestly, saying, "Although our physiological structure and genes share some similarities, there are also significant differences. We do not have a Primarch; we are warriors created by Lord Gamma."
"Hmm, indeed the scent is a bit off, but you all are really tall," Ragnar said, laughing and changing the subject.
"Lord Gamma has been continuously upgrading us, and we may grow even taller in the future."
"Hahaha, what you're saying makes me a little envious of you guys. If you grow any more, you'll be catching up to the Custodes. Come, try our Fenrisian mead. This is a special edition I went to great lengths to find ingredients for and brew," the Young Wolf Lord said with a mischievous grin, pushing a bubbling cup of mead towards Alpha.
Alpha looked down at the Fenrisian mead, which looked more like poison than drink, then glanced at Ragnar, and then drank it all without changing his expression.
"We have the ability to control the production of hormones in our bodies, or to break down hormones and toxins, so you will be disappointed if you want to see me make a fool of myself."
Ragnar's expression stiffened upon hearing this, and he looked at Alpha with a strange gaze, asking, "You know I'm here to gather information, so why are you revealing your situation without reservation?"
"When I'm on vacation, I often go to the library to learn about the Imperium. As one of the first Gamma Warriors, as the Commander of the first Legion, I must prepare for the future, because our existence will eventually be known to the Imperium and to Astartes like you. Considering the complex situation of the Imperium, deliberate concealment would only deepen your suspicions, so it's better to be clear from the start—"
"Wait!" the Young Wolf Lord interrupted Alpha, blinking and asking, "What's a 'vacation'? You even have holidays!"
"Yes, when not on missions, we train and study 8 hours a day, work five days and rest two. During rest periods, as long as we don't do anything illegal, we can do whatever we want."
Ragnar was stunned for a long time before he said, "Don't tell me, you can even retire!?"
"No, choosing to become an Gamma Warrior means lifelong service until death. Otherwise, with our lifespan and physical capabilities, it would cause a very serious impact on the social structure. Without control, we would transform from guardians of humanity into creators of disaster," Alpha said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Is that what Magos Gamma demands of you?"
"Every person who wishes to become an Gamma Warrior must undergo several years of ideological and moral education. Lord Gamma teaches us to remember where we come from, why we chose this path, and to always heed the lesson that 'the dragon slayer eventually becomes the dragon.'"
The Gamma Warriors' candid attitude salvaged much of their image, especially after the Daemonhunters learned that the Gamma Warriors were specialized against Chaos Gods, their Inquisitors' attitudes subtly shifted.
Of course, most people still harbored caution towards the Gamma Warriors. After all, they were similar to Space Marines, their exact numbers unknown, but the only certainty was their extreme loyalty to Magos Gamma.
If, one day in the future, Magos Gamma found the Imperium displeasing, the destructive power these Space Marine-like, Emperor's Angel-like beings would have on the ignorant masses of the Imperium was obvious.
Many advised Guilliman to be wary of Gamma, but Lord Regent Guilliman nodded in agreement outwardly, though inwardly he was full of complaints.
Guilliman: Do you think I don't want to? Do you think I'm not afraid? But what can I do? Am I supposed to send Ryan to bother the little Tech-priest?
The Imperium currently has only two Primarchs; you should cherish them!
These were all matters outside the war. Let us return to this galactic free-for-all, lacking only Orks and Tyranids. The entry of the Chaos legions immediately stripped the 'Guilliman-Conquest' combination, with its Iron Men and infinite logistical support, of its advantage.
Khorne, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh were manageable, but Nurgle's 'Iron Blight' severely afflicted the Iron Men. Although the single-threaded Iron Men had strong resistance to Chaos corruption, and Gamma had absolute control over his creations, ensuring no rogue machine spirits, the metallic bodies posed a significant problem. Once infected by Nurgle's plague, rusting was a minor symptom. Severe cases were like contracting a 'Flesh Curse' from another world, with the Iron Men's bodies beginning to transform into 'flesh-men'.
Not only did their weapons fail, but their twisted bodies also developed their own consciousness, attacking the Iron Men themselves.
The advantage previously gained was instantly lost. Guilliman even began to consider simply destroying this world. The Ultramarines Chapter had been silent for so long, making their chances of survival slim. However, Eldrad's seer council and the Daemonhunters' Inquisitors stopped Guilliman.
The reason was that the Chaos powers had already cast their bets. Flipping the table would result in Ultramar 500 gaining an area similar to the Maelstrom. If Guilliman flipped the table, no one knew how many of the 500 worlds would be affected and swallowed by the Warp.
Unless it was a guaranteed loss, Guilliman had no choice but to continue fighting.
To achieve victory in this war, Lord Regent Guilliman reluctantly accepted the power Gamma sent. As Order took over the purification of Warp contamination and the management of Human forces' fleets, the Wise began to update the equipment of the Iron Men and Imperial forces based on battlefield conditions.
Gamma Warriors and Aeldari warriors joined the fight against the daemons.
The scales of war once again balanced, and as time passed, they even began to gain an advantage. Simultaneously, Imperial reinforcements, coordinated by Yvraine, arrived on the battlefield. With these shifts, victory seemed within reach.
Having learned from the previous lesson, Guilliman no longer expected an easy victory this time. And indeed, as he anticipated, the Death Guard also appeared on the battlefield. However, fortunately, Perturabo and Mortarion had a conflict in the 'War of Rust and Ruin' after the Great Rift opened, disliking each other, compounded by the accumulated contradictions from the Chaos Gods' countless years of infighting.
The battle merely returned to a stalemate.
But Lord Regent Guilliman, as the Imperium's Regent, needed to approve all matters, big and small, within the Imperium. Overwhelmed, he could only increasingly rely on Conquest, Order, and the Wise. Slowly, Conquest began assisting Guilliman in commanding the Imperial armies, and Order began assisting Guilliman in handling Imperial affairs.
As for the Wise?
He was almost deified by the Tech-priests. No Tech-priest could resist the charm of a 'hateful artificial intelligence' that could continuously improve technology and was willing to share it.
Every day, many Tech-priests prostrated themselves before the Wise. At the same time, these Tech-priests also discovered that while Magos Gamma triggered prohibitions, was exceptionally domineering, and had suspicions of hoarding troops, the 'hateful artificial intelligences' he created understood the omnissiah and the omnissiah. The concepts of 'artificial intelligence' and 'hateful artificial intelligence' as defined by the little Tech-priests were gaining more and more recognition among the Tech-priests (in the Human fleet).
But many Tech-priests also proved with their lives: Gamma kept his word; whoever researched artificial intelligence died!
The Omega Faction also rapidly grew in the shadows during this opportunity. Simultaneously, with information leaked by interested parties, more and more people became aware of 'Gamma'.
Now, every prominent figure in the Imperium knew that an extraordinary individual had emerged from the Far East, a remote corner of the Imperium. A single cough from him would make both heads of the Imperium tremble. In the future, he might very likely govern with Lord Regent Guilliman, using the Great Rift as their boundary.
After noticing this war, the Aeldari also relaxed restrictions on the Webway. As long as one was going to participate in the war there, the Webway Management Committee gave them a green light, ensuring their delivery to the location. Slowly, the war evolved into a 'game' where the Imperium and Chaos continuously raised the stakes.
Guilliman even handed over the uninhabited planets within the Ultramar 500 worlds to Order, instructing Order to ensure the supply of materials.
Upon arriving, the various Astra Militarum legions of the Imperium first reported their numbers and equipment under Order's management. Then, under his arrangement, they went to the Medical Sisters' station for vaccinations and long-acting nanite healing agents, then to logistics to receive equipment upgraded by the Wise, and finally submitted to Conquest, who then allocated them to various front lines.
Incidentally, Conquest is now a mandatory auxiliary AI for every Commander, from squad leaders to Astartes Chapter Masters. You might not like it, but as long as you don't want to fall out of sync with your allies' battle rhythm, you cannot refuse Conquest's assistance.
Our Lord Regent Guilliman, while worried, also realized that the Imperium truly needed AI. The Imperium's sheer size and countless lessons learned from a millennia of bloodshed proved that managing the Imperium well could not be done by humans alone.
Lord Regent Guilliman secretly sought out 'Degenerate Cawl' on the Macragge's Glory daily. Guilliman was now certain that Degenerate Cawl was not a pre-programmed database as Cawl claimed, but rather a 'hateful artificial intelligence,' because it was terrified of Conquest, who killed every one of its kind it encountered.
While uncovering Degenerate Cawl's true nature, Guilliman also discovered that the gap in AI between Archmagos Cawl and his apprentice's son was not insignificant. Because no matter how Guilliman tried to induce them, Conquest, Order, and the Wise maintained a 'kill on sight' attitude towards 'hateful artificial intelligence,' and consistently educated him and others about the dangers of AI losing control and the potential consequences if humanity lived in an AI-dominated society.
Yet, even though Degenerate Cawl was terrified, it still wanted the real Cawl to be the Fabricator-General. As for whether it harbored ambitions of supplanting him, only Degenerate Cawl itself knew.
Having witnessed the importance of AI, Guilliman even began to complain that the Emperor hadn't given him talent in this area. If Conquest had been his creation, he wouldn't be in his current situation, simultaneously outwitting Perturabo and Mortarion while also having to guard against the little Tech-priest or AT suddenly causing a major incident.
Just as the Imperium and Chaos were locked in a stalemate, and countless human lives were being lost, an Ork fleet appeared in the system without warning. As soon as they jumped out of the Warp, they were immediately drawn to this great battle, charging headlong into the melee, ignoring everything else, enduring the Imperium of Man's gunfire, and accelerating their ships into the fray.
Although quickly annihilated by Humans and Chaos, after the first wave of Orks appeared, a second, third, and fourth wave of Orks followed one after another, as if the first wave had uploaded the coordinates of this battle to the Ork psychic network. Orks lost in the Warp, upon receiving some signal, were all rushing here.
After discussing with other Commanders and Conquest, Guilliman simply opened a passage, allowing the Orks to 'arrive' on the battlefield smoothly. The battlefield was already chaotic enough, so why not make it even more so? Gamma's extermination weapons were somewhat less effective against daemons, but they were incredibly effective against Orks.
The surface of this once-Hive World now resembled hell. Fragments casually picked up by humans could be cursed weapon remnants. A gentle breeze would turn an Ork, moments ago screaming 'WAAAGH!', into blood from nanomachines. A daemon stepping into an empty space would be devoured by swarms of mechanical beetles ambushing in underground pits, banished back to the Warp.
Many Astra Militarum legions, after deploying and holding the line for a period, found that the survivors had to undergo memory erasure to treat their post-traumatic stress. Over a dozen Astartes Chapters were forced to withdraw from the battlefield due to severe casualties. Gamma Warriors and Aeldari warriors also suffered significant losses, despite Conquest's care.
Chaos wasn't faring any better. Angron, who arrived last, had been sent back 7 times because he charged the most fiercely, just one more time to complete Khorne's sacred number. Perturabo and Mortarion, having seen the situation clearly, chose not to personally enter the fray, like Guilliman, thus preserving their 'intact bodies'.
However, their Iron Warriors and Death Guard suffered considerable losses. After this battle, they would likely lie low for a long time. As for Fulgrim and Magnus, they didn't come; one was likely too high, and the other had few subordinates and considered himself clever, so he naturally wouldn't actively wade into this messy situation.
This place seemed to have become another chessboard for the Great Game of the Gods. The four Chaos Gods and the Emperor had all committed significant forces here. The strength of the daemon legions and the frequency of sighting the Cursed Legions were both increasing.
Meanwhile, the distant little Tech-priest seemed to be the sole beneficiary so far. With 0-13213 as a sample, guided by Conquest, more and more Iron Men were awakening. As the number of intelligent Iron Men increased, the frequency of less intelligent Iron Men awakening also rose. The little Tech-priest's evaluation of this was:
Environment is crucial for a child's education!
Of course, the biggest gain was that Chaos's attention was drawn to the war, finally allowing Gamma to begin his 'Webway War'!
After so many years of preparation, with success just within reach, it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous. The Emperor's example was clear: the Huang Pizi, with the Great Crusade in one hand and Imperial Truth in the other, secretly trying to build the Webway from his backside, was still discovered by Chaos. What right did Gamma have to believe he would definitely succeed?
But the arrow was on the string, and it had to be loosed. The little Tech-priest had made all the preparations he could. Even taking down the Imperium Nihilus wouldn't add a single iota to the chances of winning the Webway war.
"I used to tell everyone that going all-in is a kind of wisdom. How can I be a coward when it's my turn?"
"As long as I'm fast enough, I still have a good chance of winning. They aren't omniscient and omnipotent, otherwise, they wouldn't have been tricked by the Huang Pizi!"
"If you don't secure a safe base to develop, Gamma, how long do you plan to wander the galaxy?!"
"You're already in warhammer, do you really expect to die peacefully? Only by fighting will you win!"
"You've enjoyed what you could. Stand up! Have some ambition!"
The little Tech-priest covered himself with a blanket and muttered to himself, hyping himself up all night. At dawn, with bloodshot eyes, and under the alarmed and uneasy gaze of his maids, he adorned his fingers, toes, wrists, ankles, neck, and slightly chubby waist with all the treasures he had collected and invented over the years.
He left the maids with a single instruction: "Pretend I'm still here. No matter who comes looking for me, find a way to turn them away. If the instrument I've left behind ever sounds an alarm, immediately notify everyone to flee for their lives!"
With that, he left without looking back, passing through several incredibly secret passages known only to him. The little Tech-priest patted his face and entered a Webway gate with visible repair marks, a gate no one else knew existed.
When Gamma reappeared in the real universe, his small face was already covered in a good deal of dust. From the lingering battlelust in his eyes, one could guess that Gamma's journey had not been peaceful.
"Hmph, daring to delay this Archmagos from his important work? I'll wipe out your entire family tree! Did you really think I kept this nest of psychic-eating bees because I was afraid of you? If I didn't want you to help guard this place, would I have let you live until now?"
"You ungrateful wretches, even coveting this Archmagos's body! You deserve to die!"
The little Tech-priest hummed and snorted as he flew close to the ground. Soon, he arrived at a valley. As soon as he showed his head, a hidden secret door appeared in the stone wall of the valley. Gamma didn't hesitate, flying straight in, then descending along a smooth, straight vertical shaft. Along the way, countless visible and invisible scanning instruments swept over Gamma's body.
After descending several kilometers, an endless underground space, full of mechanical and sci-fi aesthetic beauty, appeared before Gamma. Countless Iron Men stood silently here. Upon seeing the little Tech-priest, these Iron Men spoke in unison with voices of joy and reverence:
"Praise our Lord!"
The voice of a single Iron Men was not loud, but the combined sound of all the Iron Men was so immense that if the entire planet, save for a few kilometers of crust on the surface, hadn't been hollowed out and modified by the little Tech-priest, this underground space might have been shaken to collapse.
"For so many years, you have endured great hardship. The success or failure of this great endeavor rests on today!"
"We will surely complete the task our Lord has bestowed upon us!"
Well, the little Tech-priest had lied to his good brothers, Little White and his sons. Besides the "Bai-type" units, he also built these "Clever-heads." It wasn't that he didn't trust Little White and his crew, but those clumsy fools, whose hands were faster than their machine spirits, couldn't handle such delicate work. This task wasn't suitable for the impatient "Bai-type" guys.
Gamma needed to fight a war while simultaneously building the Webway, not fighting a war while simultaneously dismantling the Webway. If things went wrong, the little Tech-priest's best outcome would be to end up like the Huang Pizi, paralyzed and unable to care for himself. Other outcomes would depend on whose hands Gamma fell into. "Phew, then let's begin!"
As Gamma issued the command, the interior of this remote planet began to operate at high speed. The little Tech-priest, meanwhile, went alone to a rift on the surface. At the bottom of this rift was a massive labyrinth made of anti-psyker materials and spirit bone, and at the very center of the labyrinth stood a Webway gate.
This planet was discovered by Gamma after he scoured all ancient Aeldari texts he could find. It was originally one of the last few Aeldari Maiden Worlds modified by the ancient Aeldari Empire.
Unlike humanity's approach to planetary modification, the ancient Aeldari Empire, due to their long lifespans, considered time the least valuable thing to them.
Therefore, when they wanted to terraform a barren planet, they wouldn't, like humans, import materials and organisms from elsewhere and create an artificial atmosphere with machines.
The Aeldari would introduce simple bacteria to create and stabilize the atmosphere, then gradually add other life forms to construct a complete life system.
Precisely because of this, transforming a lifeless planet into a Maiden World was an extremely long process, requiring thousands, even tens of thousands of years.
The Maiden World Gamma found had only begun to be modified shortly before the Fall of the Aeldari, so even now, its surface only had some ferns and reptile-like creatures. The atmospheric composition was not only unbearable for the delicate Aeldari but also for the resilient humans. Only the Orks, with their ability to modify environments, could survive there.
Therefore, this planet was neither chosen as a home by the unfallen feral Aeldari nor occupied as a colony by the Imperium of Man during its rise. A brief explanation is needed here as to why the Aeldari considered humans a greedy race, and why humans thought the Aeldari were crazy.
After the fall of the Aeldari Empire, many Maiden Worlds survived and continued their modification process. When humanity began to venture out from Terra, searching the galaxy for habitable planets, they suddenly discovered a vibrant, paradise-like world (a Maiden World) without toxic or harmful life forms. Who would refuse "nature's bounty"?
After living there for hundreds or thousands of years, enjoying hotpot and singing songs, a group of destitute long-ears arrived, claiming it was their "ancestral property" and telling them to leave, or else. No one would agree to such a demand!
You see, that's how conflicts arise. The rest is just fighting.
The little Tech-priest was far more ruthless than human colonists. The moment he found this unfinished Maiden World, he immediately dropped a planetary terraforming AI named "Homeworld" and directly hollowed out this Maiden World.
You ask why Gamma targeted this half-finished world and acted so ruthlessly?
The reason is simple: the locations where the Aeldari Empire modified Maiden Worlds were not chosen randomly. Without significant value, who would bother to transform barren worlds into ideal colonies?
Every Maiden World had a Webway gate left by the Old Ones, and it was connected to important Webway hubs. Although the rulers of the Aeldari Empire were decadent and pleasure-seeking, they understood the importance of the Webway to them. Therefore, medium to large Webway nodes all had cities built by the Aeldari.
However, most such nodes were far from the core areas of the Aeldari Empire, and few Aeldari were willing to reside in these "backwater" borderlands of the Empire, especially in an Aeldari society that practiced hedonism and indulged in extravagant pleasures.
Thus, allowing those niche groups who preferred an idyllic pastoral life to garrison the borders became the best option.
Don't you like pastoral idylls?
Look at this! Every plant and tree is genetically modified, and the entire ecosystem is designed for the Aeldari physiological structure. Here, you can "toil" (walk a few steps to get food), you can be close to nature (in fact, all the flora and fauna on the planet grow entirely according to Aeldari needs), and when you're tired, you can "die" for a while and rest in the psychic network (World-Soul).
The first human world the little Tech-priest conquered, Afak, was actually a Maiden World. Otherwise, Gamma wouldn't have targeted it. However, it was modified relatively late, then unluckily suffered an asteroid impact, and coupled with humanity's extraordinary talent for environmental destruction, it had long lost its Maiden World appearance.
But even so, the planet Afak possessed a powerful self-purification ability. Despite humanity's destructive tendencies, the overall pollution level on the planet was relatively low within the Imperium.
This hollowed-out Maiden World, which the little Tech-priest had taken, was similar to Afak, but Afak was connected to a medium-sized Webway node, whereas this one connected to a large Webway hub, like the one beneath Terra.
With pleasantries aside, let's return to Gamma. Standing before the Webway gate, the little Tech-priest humbly glanced at the dense ranks of Iron Men around him, then swallowed, gave himself a few more pep talks, and only then timidly reached out to activate the Webway gate.
As runes lit up one by one, the complete form of the Webway gate also appeared in mid-air. The "Webway gate" in the real universe was actually just a base, or rather, a control panel. The true Webway gate was invisible, hidden in the veil between reality and the Warp.
Otherwise, a Webway gate capable of accommodating warships and Titans would surely have been discovered, unless one was blind.
The moment the Webway gate was fully activated, the little Tech-priest vanished in a flash. He had teleported away. The remaining Iron Men did not panic at Gamma's "desertion." Aside from whether they even possessed such emotions, Gamma's departure was itself part of the plan.
Little Tech-priest: When have you ever seen me lead the charge?
Facing an unknown environment, the Iron Men did not rush in. After confirming Gamma's safety, they also quickly retreated from the scene through a nearby teleportation gate.
The little Tech-priest, now hiding on the other side of the planet, was staring at the monitors with a mix of anxiety and excitement. If anyone else were here, they would gain a whole new understanding of Gamma's cowardice—ahem!—his level of caution. Inside the safe room, built from Blackstone, stood hundreds of Iron Men equipped with Blackstone devices and Blackstone weapons. In addition, every ten meters, a stasis pod quietly operated, totaling several hundred.
Lying in these stasis pods were the "Soulless Ones" Gamma had found over the years. Ever since he became the prince of Thedan, he had never given up on collecting Soulless Ones. After arriving in Imperium Nihilus, he became even more relentless, eager to find every "man-hated, dog-annoyed" natural unlucky person in his territory.
As a demon, one feared, hated, spat upon, dreaded, pleaded with, and worshipped by mortals, Apacha's life was not as carefree as mortals imagined.
Only demons could understand the difficulties of being a demon, especially one like him, without a master and belonging to no specific Chaos God.
He could tempt and corrupt those "bright" souls, but while bright souls were numerous, demons were even more so. With The Four Gods and the Cursed One around, it was incredibly difficult for a Chaos fringe demon like Apacha to get a taste of something fresh and warm.
The last time he tasted the despair produced by a fresh soul was a very, very long time ago. That time, he stumbled upon a cargo ship lost in the Warp by sheer luck, and Apacha managed to snatch one.
This soul became his most precious possession, but unfortunately, over time, this mortal soul had become completely numb to Apacha's torment. Even with all his efforts, the demon couldn't extract any extreme emotions from it.
"Damn it, the world is going to hell!" Apacha roared to the sky.
What could have happened to make a demon utter such a lament?
Please, let Apacha tell you in detail.
To fill his belly, and to prevent his power from declining due to a prolonged lack of emotional energy, Apacha could only cautiously avoid demons stronger than him while searching for those bright souls.
The Four Gods' subordinates loved to capture demons like them as slaves. They could help fight battles, do chores, and their true names could even be given as rewards and bait to mortals. That was the good part. The most terrifying part was being sold to Vashtorr or the Black Mechanicus.
These Chaos capitalists were even more ruthless than Chaos slave owners. Slave owners only wanted them to work and play with them. If they performed well and the slave owner was in a good mood, they might occasionally be rewarded with scraps.
But Vashtorr and the Black Mechanicus were different. They would directly stuff these enslaved demons into a Daemon Engine as power, tormenting the demons to generate energy!
Fortunately, Apacha had always been very careful and had narrowly avoided "slave-catching teams" several times.
Hiding and searching like this, Apacha actually found one. But finding it was one thing; the crucial question was, what to do after finding it?
Apacha's power was insufficient to break through the veil between reality and the Warp.
But the reality of hunger forced him to risk guarding this soul, using all his strength to influence it (at the same time, a certain psyker in the real world who had awakened their psychic abilities experienced a few more severe auditory hallucinations). This method was very dangerous for Apacha, because this bright soul would attract other demons. The veil was indeed very difficult to break through, but demons beating up other demons was much simpler. Apacha had done this before; otherwise, how would he know that Vashtorr would stuff slaves into Daemon Engines?
Then one day, this bright soul suddenly wasn't so bright anymore. Apacha had experienced this before, back when he was full of fighting spirit, fantasizing every day about what he would do after becoming the Fifth Seat.
It was the same situation then: the soul's brightness suddenly dimmed significantly. Young and ignorant Apacha thought he was about to succeed, but then he realized the soul was "moving." After so much effort, and on the verge of success, could Apacha let his prey escape?
He could not!
He fled, he pursued, he would not let him escape!
Then Apacha was almost burned to ashes by a "sun." That was the first time he learned that demons could also die, the first time he learned that the Fifth Seat already had "someone," the first time he learned there was an existence whose name could not be mentioned.
Watching the soul leave him once again, Apacha cursed inwardly: Cursed One, I, Apacha, will never rest until you are destroyed!
Having gained nothing and wasted his effort, the demon "drank" large gulps of the free, but nutritionally and tastefully lacking, energy in the Warp. Then he rubbed his growling stomach and left dejectedly.
With this experience, Apacha also gave up on finding souls himself. He had another avenue—responding to the summons of cultists.
This method guaranteed returns, but the risk was also high. After taking a sacrificed soul, he had to sign the contract. A demon of Apacha's level didn't have the power to deceive or fake things, or rather, his level couldn't fool the other party.
These mortals who worshipped Chaos were all ruthless characters. The more capable they were, the more cunning. One careless mistake and they would fall into their trap, having their true name tricked out of them. Once a true name fell into mortal hands, they could forget about having a moment's peace. They would even sell the demon's true name to several people.
Apacha had seen several demons whose true names fell into mortal hands, and their lives were miserable. They would just be banished back to the Warp, and as soon as they reformed, they would be summoned back to the real world, then banished again, in a continuous cycle. Apacha saw "death wish" in the eyes of these demons, but demons couldn't die. "Perhaps death truly is a blessing," a despondent Apacha muttered.
Don't blame Apacha for thinking this way, because although he had obtained a new soul, he encountered a situation even more deadly than falling into the hands of cultists.
He fell into the hands of an Inquisitor...
Cultists who summoned demons understood the principle that to make an ox work, you had to feed it well. Although being repeatedly summoned and banished was painful, fresh souls were never lacking.
But falling into the hands of an Inquisitor was a completely different situation. They didn't want demons to work; they only wanted to extract various information and their true names from the demons.
If you didn't talk, these "demons" among mortals had plenty of ways to torment you. They would also torment the body you possessed while treating you with the best medical methods, trying every possible way to extend the lifespan of that body.
When Apacha saw the Inquisitor, he felt that he was finished. Apart from a few defiant words at the beginning, he spent the rest of the time begging for mercy. The demon even felt that if he and the Inquisitor switched places, the Inquisitor could extract despair from that already numb soul.
If it weren't for the thought that his true name falling into the Inquisitor's hands would make this torment his daily routine in the future, Apacha might have given up long ago. The only belief supporting him was that he knew this body would eventually give out.
Facts proved Apacha's persistence was correct. The body he possessed died, and he was freed. However, the demon also revealed all the information he knew, except for his true name.
"I told you everything I knew, and you're still asking. So I can only make up false information to deceive you, hahahahaha!" Apacha, having escaped, laughed maniacally with relief.
Returning to the present, Apacha, weakened after being tormented by the Inquisitor for over a hundred years, had come to a previously discovered rift and slipped into the Webway. This place could be considered a natural refuge for minor, unaligned Chaos demons like Apacha.
The servants of The Four Gods and Greater Demons disliked coming here. They couldn't find souls here and had to endure the suppression of anti-psychic fields. But for demons like Apacha, having souls or not was all the same; they couldn't snatch them anyway, and it was safer to stay here than in the Warp.
As for the suppression of psychic powers, they just had to avoid the peripheral areas. The Warp energy that had poured in through the rift for millennia had made the energy density in most parts of this place no different from the Warp itself, so it didn't make much difference to Apacha and his kind.
It was precisely because of this that these unaligned Chaos demons slowly formed an understanding and unwritten rule here: no fighting allowed.
Just as animals in nature don't hunt at a water source.
"I wonder how long it will take to recover."
Apacha wandered aimlessly through the Webway, taking out his precious soul to toy with in his hands. The soul he had obtained from the Inquisitor had long been released by Apacha under the Inquisitor's command. He had been tormented for over a hundred years for nothing.
Thinking of this, the demon couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness. He was too unlucky, too miserable. What was the way out for a low-level demon?
If it was going to be like this forever, he might as well die!
"Great Chaos, let me die! I, Apacha, don't want to live anymo— Hmm!? What's that smell?"
The demon caught a very familiar "scent," so familiar that it made him tremble involuntarily.
Damn it! It was the smell of the real world!
Apacha's legs felt a bit weak. Having stayed in the real world for over a hundred years, "smelling" it for over a hundred years, he would never forget this smell as long as he lived!
The demon wanted to run. He hadn't expected that even his last sanctuary was no longer safe. Was the Warp so vast that there was no longer any place for him?
As the saying goes, thoughts arise from the heart, and evil breeds courage. It means that when anger reaches its peak, one becomes bold enough to do anything. Apacha was very angry now, an angry despair!
He'd risk it all!
He would say no to this world!
Run?
Where could he run to?
I, Apacha, am not afraid to die, so why should I run?
Worst case, I'll face the Cursed One head-on! I, the Great Demon, would welcome it!
The demon swept his robe—well, it was just a figure of speech, don't mind it—swept his robe and charged forward with stomping steps, determined to meet the "villains" who had come knocking.
Finding the source of the scent, Apacha leaped out without hesitation, like a warrior on horseback, then his legs gave out, and he slammed to his knees with a squish.
"Despicable! Don't you dare fight fair and square?!" Feeling the surrounding anti-psychic field, the kneeling demon raised his proud head.
"Pfft..."
A machine nearby sprayed a large blob of foam at the defenceless demon. In just a few seconds, the foam solidified, trapping the demon within it.
"Shameless! They even added anti-psychic material to the foam!"
Apacha hadn't expected his heroic "demonic" act to end up like this. How tragic! How lamentable!
"Perish, this world."
The cold machinery paid no attention to the dramatizing demon. A giant mechanical arm extended from the ground, gripped the immobilized demon, and retracted back underground.
The demon felt the real world trying to expel him. If Apacha didn't resist, he would soon be banished back to the Warp. But he still chose to use his last bit of strength to linger in the real world for a while longer. He wanted to see that "rat," he wanted to punch him in the face!
"Rat—"
"Stop blabbering. Come talk in my test chamber, wise one. Waited so long, finally caught one."
These two short sentences were enough to describe the scene when Apacha and Gamma met. The heroic demon ultimately couldn't voice his contempt for the little Tech-priest.
But he still had a chance. Gamma hadn't killed him. As for why the little Tech-priest didn't kill Apacha?
The situation was this: Gamma's plan was to open the Webway gates, let the demons inside run out themselves, use an anti-psychic labyrinth to turn these escaped demons into weaklings, and then interrogate these demons to understand the situation within the Webway hub.
Without knowing where the rifts were and how many there were, expecting Gamma to search aimlessly like a headless fly in a galaxy-sized Webway hub was a surefire bad move.
But Gamma's plan went awry from the start. He set up his forces, cannons and all, waiting for the demons to come, but he waited and waited, and not a single demon emerged.
Gamma didn't believe there were no demons in the hub. Since he intended to act, he had definitely investigated the hub's situation. According to information from the Harlequins, not only were there demons inside, but their numbers were considerable. Otherwise, the Harlequins wouldn't have listed this hub as a high-risk area, and the other Craftworld Eldar wouldn't have sealed all Webway gates connected to it.
There was more than one large Webway hub, but only the Eldar of Commorragh survived. That was because only Commorragh was not invaded by demons when the Fall of the Eldar occurred, or perhaps the Eldar of Commorragh promptly sealed the Webway rifts. Gamma wasn't entirely sure of the specifics, but the situation in large Webway nodes was generally similar: they were teeming with demons and monsters.
The Dark Eldar holding Commorragh was incredibly impressive, and the Craftworld Eldar were not unaware. The benefits of occupying a Webway hub did not conflict with the asceticism of the Path, so there was no reason for the Craftworld Eldar not to do it.
Finding a Webway with a rift and blocking it would be enough; the Eldar had done this many times.
The fundamental reason was that there was no way to take down a Webway hub before Slaanesh came sniffing around. The reason they couldn't take it down was that large numbers of demons had made their homes in each hub.
No one had the Emperor's ability to eradicate demons in droves with a single display of power. The little Tech-priest highly suspected that the Chaos Gods learned about the Emperor secretly building the Webway precisely because he didn't eradicate them thoroughly enough.
The Primarchs, despite their high status and immense power, knew nothing of this, which was testament to the Emperor's extreme secrecy regarding the Webway.
Looking at the demon before him, who only sought death, the little Tech-priest found it truly hard to maintain his composure. Although he had consumed many demons, he truly hadn't known that among Chaos demons there was such a—well—difficult-to-describe "low-level group."
Gamma saw the pain of being unable to live or die in this demon named Apacha.
To say he sympathized with them?
That was a bit of a stretch. What was there to sympathize with demons for? They were inherently opposed to sentient beings.
To say he hated them?
To be honest, the evil they had done might not even be as much as the psychopaths and villains among humans.
Especially after Gamma reviewed the memories of that soul Apacha cherished as a treasure, the little Tech-priest's evaluation of that wicked planetary noble was that he got what he deserved, and it was his own fault for falling into the hands of a demon.
But this also inspired Gamma, giving him a grand ambition. So he said to Apacha: "Apacha, do you want to join me, and become my hound for judging evil?"
Gamma's attitude towards demons has always been: kill them all.
If it weren't for the fact that after awakening, he could control the speed at which the "Gamma Egg" absorbed demons and souls, and this time he needed to pry information about the Webway hub out of a demon's mouth, he wouldn't bother talking nonsense with Apacha. He would just raise his hand and give him a "Hundred Thousand Horsepower Whatchamacallit Punch."
But this demon, who longed for death, successfully attracted the attention of the little Tech-priest. Driven by curiosity, he chatted a few more sentences with Apacha.
The conversation, initially seemingly insignificant, revealed to Gamma that there was a significant difference between this demon and other demons.
Although all are demons, they can be broadly categorized into three types: subordinate demons of The Four Gods, demons who worship The Four Gods simultaneously, and demons who worship Chaos itself.
Apacha was very different from the subordinate demons of The Four Gods. Subordinate demons of The Four Gods were created by the Chaos Gods from a small portion of their own power; they were extensions of their will. The appearance and personality of these demons reflected the Gods' own nature.
When the Chaos Gods expend a portion of their power to create an independent entity, combining a series of senses, thoughts, and purposes,
a Nurgle or other demon is "born."
This essentially creates a consciousness and personality that can move in the Warp. The Chaos Gods can reclaim this form at any time, which ensures the demons' loyalty. Not all demons act entirely according to their masters' wishes, but even the greatest demons dare not openly defy them.
Except for Skarbrand the Exiled, but the blood god doesn't care about rebellion, only about more skulls and blood.
Some undivided Chaos demons worship The Four Gods. They are the product of The Four Gods' countless great games, fighting among themselves for authority. For example, "bodybuilding" could be Khorne's domain because he is the god of strength, or Slaanesh's domain because he is the god of beauty, or even Nurgle's domain because he is the god of "health" and life, and it could even be Tzeentch's domain because muscle changes are also changes...
Other undivided Chaos demons are different; they worship Chaos itself. The characteristics of the Chaos Eight-Pointed Star can be found on them. These demons are more like immortal, ageless Warp creatures that feed on emotions and have similar yet different values from mortals.
For example, the most perfect blessed son, Angron, and the demon Lorgar, who resided in his body, coexisted very harmoniously. Although he pledged allegiance to Chaos, Angron's soul was not twisted. He could even perfectly switch between human and demon forms.
In a sense, Angron even symbolized a possibility for humanity and Chaos to coexist. In Lorgar's eyes, Angron was the most perfect path he envisioned for humanity.
(Knowing there are four immortal, undying old men in the Warp, it's hard not to think this way, because they are truly formidable.)
Apacha and Lorgar belonged to the last category. These undivided Chaos demons are Warp creatures born from mortal emotions. They possess all the emotions mortals have, making them the most human-like, yet also the least numerous and most miserable in the Warp. After ascending to daemonhood, Perturabo also belonged to this category, while Lorgar belonged to the second category.
As a demon, Apacha instinctively wanted to prostrate himself before this egg. He knew he had truly hit a brick wall this time. He wasn't sure which seat this being held, but he was clearly already halfway there, one of the candidates.
For such an existence, eradicating an unaligned demon like himself, born in the sea of Chaos, required only a thought. Apacha now felt not only an instinctive fear of disappearing but also a sense of relief that it would finally be over.
When Gamma asked Apacha if he wanted to join him, Apacha really wanted to say yes, but he also really wanted it to end.
"Why the hesitation?"
"My Lord, perhaps I am tired of it, or perhaps I do not wish to lose the last bit of small and humble pride and self-comfort I possess.
I am weak, but I am free; I am no one's servant." Apacha confessed. This being had not avoided him at all when looking through his soul memories, so concealment was meaningless.
Gamma said in agreement, "I understand. Living an endless, painful life is worse than dying quickly and painlessly."
After chatting with Gamma for so long, Apacha also realized that this being was not some god difficult to communicate with or understand, at least for now. So, he boldly asked:
"Why does my Lord want to recruit a useless demon like me?"
"I won't hide it from you. I want you to be a guide and help me conquer the Webway hub faster."
"Oh." Apacha neither agreed nor refused, but Gamma hadn't finished speaking. The demon then heard a loud and incredibly majestic voice say:
"That's the main reason, but there are also some absurd reasons. Apacha, what do you think of the Warp now?"
The demon thought for a moment and replied, "It's terrible for me!"
"It is for me too. I believe the world shouldn't be like this. The Warp and the material realm are two sides of the same coin; they should be distinct yet complementary, making both worlds better, not like they are now."
...
This topic was too grand, not something a small demon like Apacha would consider or should consider.
Gamma continued without stopping, "The more prosperous the material realm, the more life there is, and the more prosperous the Warp becomes. You don't object to that, do you?"
"Yes." The demon nodded. The foundation of the sea of souls is the souls and emotions of material realm creatures. Without creatures in the material realm, the Warp would be like a tree without roots, water without a source.
"But you also know that The Four Gods and other powerful demons, in order to harvest more souls and their preferred emotions, or simply to increase their power and status, or to please The Four Gods, invade the material realm recklessly and exhaustively."
'Countless worlds have been destroyed, becoming barren planets where not a blade of grass grows. If these worlds could have continued to exist, what changes would the mortals who propagated there for generations bring to the Warp, Apacha?'"
What changes would it bring?
It would provide countless emotional energies to the sea of souls, making the energy in the Warp more abundant.
If those worlds hadn't been destroyed, I might not feel "hungry"—
The demon somewhat understood Gamma's meaning. He asked with some apprehension, and also some expectation and longing, "My Lord, is that true?
"I don't know."
"Ah?!"
"However, it is certain that the Warp was once glorious. Weren't you born from their creations?"
When Apacha heard this, his heart skipped a beat. He thought of the taboo topic that could not be questioned in Chaos—the duration of the Gods' existence.
If you ask a demon how long The Four Gods have existed?
He would instinctively reply: eternally.
But anyone, human or demon, with a brain capable of thought, understands that this is a false premise. Slaanesh has only existed for a little over thirty thousand years. Even if time in the Warp is chaotic, the material realm is different. If the material realm and the Warp were not connected, demons would not question it because they wouldn't have access to information from the material realm, but they do.
Yet this topic is such a cursed taboo that no demon has ever dared to bring it up, or rather, all demons who did bring it up have disappeared.
"I once heard it mentioned that there are indeed benevolent entities towards the material realm within the Warp, although I didn't quite believe it. But after meeting you, I understood some things. It's not that they don't exist, but rather that the environment within the Warp doesn't allow them to be 'kind.' Just like you, it's hard enough to survive, so how could you have the energy to consider other matters?"
"At the same time, I heard that there are also many Warp animals in the Warp that are different from demons and have low cognition. This also indicates that the Warp actually has a unique ecosystem different from the material realm. However, they are now also distorted beyond recognition by the power of The Four Gods or the terrible environment of the Warp."
"M-m-my Lord, do you want to restore the Warp to its former state?!" Apacha asked, trembling and stammering.
"Yes, but I don't know how to do it. That's why I said it's a somewhat absurd ambition, but I want to try. I think if mortals living in the material realm knew that evildoers would be tormented and punished by demons, these wicked people wouldn't be so reckless, and the material realm wouldn't be so despairing.
More positive emotions might make the Warp a little better."
Gamma truly thought this way. Although the Emperor's imperial truth failed, the fact that The Four Gods were so anxious that they had to unite against the Emperor indicated that it was truly effective, at least against The Four Gods.
Let's hypothesize: if the Emperor had succeeded, what would the galaxy look like?
First, the minor xenos would definitely be dead. Although cruel, it would have eradicated races that worshipped the Chaos Gods.
Second, among the intelligent races in the galaxy, only the Orks, Necrons, Eldar, and humans would remain, and none of these four believed in The Four Gods.
As for the Dark Eldar, with the Webway in human hands, couldn't the Emperor still deal with them? Commorragh couldn't escape!
Third, as the most numerous race, humanity would become the absolute supplier of emotional energy. The Emperor only needed to bring out some of his collected black technology to solve the food shortage problem. Humans, who could eat their fill every day after enduring so many hardships, would naturally generate a massive amount of positive emotions.
Crucially, these positive emotions would be generated by humans who believed in the imperial truth, without specific direction. At most, a portion would be directed towards the Emperor, but most would still enter the Warp.
The energy composition within the Warp would change, and the environment would naturally change too. Over time, with one diminishing and the other growing, the Four Chaos Gods might even become Four Righteous Gods. Demons would no longer be called demons but angels, and the Gellar Field might even become a superfluous piece of equipment.
Humanity could also achieve psychic ascension and become the next "Old Ones."
Unfortunately, the Emperor failed, and failed very thoroughly—
Gamma didn't have the Emperor's grand ambition to take everything. His idea was to make wicked people afraid. As long as they understood that their souls might be tormented after death before committing evil, they would somewhat restrain themselves… Hmm… Hmm!
Shorten lifespan! Doomed!
The little Tech-priest suddenly realized that what he was doing now seemed quite similar to what the Emperor did. Without mentioning other places, at least the humans and Eldar under Gamma's command were living happily and contentedly.
His attitude towards cults was also to exterminate them, regardless of whether they were human or not.
The key was that the Webway was already in his hands, and he also intended to repair it. By all accounts, he was on track to become "Emperor 1.5." Wouldn't The Four Gods have to unite again to deal with him, creating a "Horus 1.5"?
Apacha noticed that the giant egg absorbing him was shaking like a sieve. He was somewhat puzzled. Could it be that his prolonged silence had angered this being?
"Um, Apacha, have you ever heard my name in the Warp?" the giant egg asked with a tremor.
"Fame" is very important for those who dabble in Chaos. It's a bit like the Orks; the louder your name, the stronger your power becomes through the tales, fear, and worship of others or other demons.
Apacha, as a demon, knew this well, so Gamma's question didn't surprise him. However, the demon still didn't know who he had fallen into the hands of, so he said,
"My Lord, I still don't know your name—"
"I'm Gamma!" the little Tech-priest interjected.
Oh, so it was that Lord Gamma. The demon nodded and began to recall what had happened during his absence, having just escaped from the human Inquisitor and arriving at the nexus to inquire with other demons.
"My Lord, your reputation in the Warp is immense now."
Upon hearing this, the giant trembled a few more times. The demon, judging "God" by himself, thought the other party was happy. This gave Apacha, who had been swayed by the little Tech-priest's promises and was considering pledging allegiance, an idea. He wanted to flatter his future master, he wanted to "embellish" it a bit and make Lord Gamma sound even more powerful.
"Is, is that so?!" The little Tech-priest swallowed, as if he could see himself paralyzed and posed in various ways.
"Of course! My Lord, even Greater Demons tremble at your name now; you are a great figure who dares to contend with The Four Gods!"
"Gulp!" Gamma.
Apacha, still unaware of the incredible feat he had inadvertently accomplished, continued, "Now, there isn't a single demon who doesn't know that you snatched food from the Dark Prince's mouth and covet father's wife..." The little Tech-priest first froze, then furiously shouted, "This is slander! They are slandering me! When did I ever covet the green fat man's wife?!"
The matter of coveting father's wife was a product of Apacha's "embellishment." The original words were: "Although that Gamma is human, he likes beautiful Eldar Misses and has gathered countless of the most beautiful Eldar women in his palace."
Apacha thought that since the little Tech-priest liked the Eldar and was a candidate, the only one worthy of him would naturally be Isha, the Eldar goddess in father's garden. To flatter him, he naturally had to exaggerate things; otherwise, how could Gamma's prowess be demonstrated?
But he didn't expect to step on a landmine. Words spoken are like spilled water; they cannot be taken back. If Apacha dared to say this was his "embellishment," the little Tech-priest would kill him directly. No superior likes a dishonest subordinate.
The demon could only brace himself and continue, "M-m-my Lord, I also heard it. You know how rumors are—"
"Alright, alright, I'm not angry at you, it's just that this rumor is too outrageous. Didn't the green fat man react to this at all?" Gamma said with some helplessness.
The demon, eager to move past the topic, quickly said, "No, although father won the battle against the Creator, he suffered considerable losses in that Great Game. Coupled with a war currently ongoing in the material realm, he doesn't have the spare energy to pay attention to such rumors circulating among us lesser demons."
Phew, that was a close call! Apacha thought, letting out a long sigh of relief in his heart.
"Hmm, are their powers really that weak? They're already stressed from just one battle?" Gamma was somewhat surprised. He was simultaneously on a "Great Crusade," fighting a "Webway War," and supporting Guilliman, a three-front war, and he didn't feel any pressure. Yet Chaos felt pressure?
"Ah, My Lord also participated in that battle in the material realm?!"
"Yes, without me, the Imperium would have lost long ago. But although it's fierce there, it shouldn't be enough to make The Four Gods feel pressured, right?"
"Lord Gamma is mighty. The Four Gods' power is indeed far greater than that, but it is, after all, the material realm. Even with the veil weakened, there is still strong suppression on the demonic armies of The Four Gods. At the same time, the cursed ones have also invested a lot of power, and even if The Four Gods are all fighting, they will also attack each other."
At this point, Apacha paused. He remembered the little Tech-priest saying he had also participated in the war, and he recalled the robots he saw when he was captured. He then understood what kind of subordinates the Omega Faction had sent. He had intended to flatter again, but in the end, he gave up and pretended not to know, stating truthfully:
"This time, the demonic armies of The Four Gods are facing an extraordinary opponent. I heard it's an ancient pinnacle creation of humanity. I heard from demons who were summoned to participate in the battle that they were banished back without even seeing their opponents. A few demons who stayed longer said that these Iron Men know no fear, are immune to corruption, possess powerful weapons, and grow stronger the more they fight."
"Many famous Greater Demons initially held the advantage, but gradually they were suppressed by these Iron Men. Even Khorne's Greater Demons, who live for battle, dislike fighting these Iron Men who learn their combat techniques, because as soon as one Iron Men learns a technique, all the others immediately learn it too. Many Greater Demons have been executed by their own signature moves."
"What makes them most uncomfortable is that these Iron Men have no souls, so even killing them yields nothing."
"And those towering Titans have almost become a psychological shadow for the demonic armies. Being trampled to death alive is a very humiliating thing for demons, especially Greater Demons."
"Even deploying demonic engines and demonic Behemoths of the same level is no match for their powerful firepower."
"What is a demonic Behemoth?" Gamma, hearing the name for the first time, asked curiously.
Apacha explained, "A huge Warp creature that can grow as large as a Titan. It is generally used by demonic armies as a living war machine to attack the most difficult defense lines."
"Oh, let's not talk about the war. Let's talk about me. Besides the Dark Prince, who else is hostile to me?" Gamma steered the conversation back to himself. His own life was at stake, so he couldn't ignore it.
"Yes, I heard that the Lord of Change is very interested in you. He has always wanted to find an opportunity to contact you."
"That's it?"
"No, the blood god sees all gods as rivals."
Why is this not quite what I expected? Is my status as Magos Gamma so low? You all team up against the Emperor, but not against me? Are you looking down on me?
The underestimated little Tech-priest was a bit indignant. He did everything the Emperor did, so why was he being ignored?
The only one trying to get him, Slaanesh, was because Gamma had stolen the latter's favorite "snack."
So annoying! When will Magos Gamma be able to stand tall and be taken seriously!
"I must be crazy to think that way," Gamma muttered with a hint of reluctance.
Even the slightest murmur from the little Tech-priest sounded like thunder to Apacha. Although he didn't quite understand the meaning of the words, it wasn't important. As a demon, a demon dedicated to corrupting mortals, Apacha understood from the tone alone that this Lord was dissatisfied that The Four Gods didn't consider him an opponent. Look, an opportunity to flatter just came up!
To make Gamma realize how "powerful" he was, Apacha combined his recent near-death experience of being drained with rumors he'd heard from other "demons"—that humans seemed to have mastered powerful "sealing" magic, causing many demons who went to the material realm to fall. Demons had become much more cautious now, some even only taking "jobs" from acquaintances.
Apacha immediately understood. What kind of sealing magic? It was clearly that they had entered this Lord's stomach. Thus, a piece of fake news about the Warp's "Number Two Terrorist" was freshly concocted.
Apacha, with an expression of unwavering loyalty and trepidation, like a loyal subject worried for his master, said,
"Lord Gamma, you must not underestimate The Four Gods' malice towards you. They must be secretly preparing a conspiracy against you!"
I knew it! Those four wouldn't let me off so easily! The trembling little Tech-priest quickly said, "Tell me!"
Gamma spoke quickly and urgently, which, to the demon who was misinterpreting, only seemed like joy at his widespread renown. So, he continued to feign anxiety and said,
"My Lord, I am but a minor demon, and the information I hear may not be accurate—"
"No matter!"
What a magnificent "No matter"! It only strengthened the demon's conviction: "Listen to that word 'No matter'! It's Domineering and carries a hint of disdain!"
Apacha, having learned his lesson, prepared to pour water only after setting up the bucket: "The disappearance of many demons has already caused panic. Now, even The Four Gods' subordinates dare not easily accept summons to the material realm. The Four Gods are furious about this!"
"Gulp!"
Eldrad, you old fool who does more harm than good! I told you to eat less, and you said the awakening growth period needs ample nutrition. I told you not to bait too aggressively, and you said it was small fry, and the longer it dragged on, the easier it would be to expose ourselves; it was safest and most cost-effective to grab enough before the demons reacted. Now look, trouble has come! W-w-w-w, they're really after me now, w-w-w-w...
"But there are not many individuals or factions capable of doing such a thing. Lord Gamma must also be an object of The Four Gods' suspicion. You must not let your guard down!"
"Is that true?" Gamma asked.
"It is true!"
"Indeed?" Gamma asked again.
"Indeed!"
"Phew, Apacha, thank you for telling me this news. Although I'm sorry, I can't keep you alive. If you want to hate me, then hate me!"
Apacha: (;'A')/ Wait! What's happening! What's happening? Why can't you keep me alive now?
"M-m-my Lord—"
"Apacha, it's not your fault. I truly wanted to take you in, but you also said The Four Gods are looking for the person who made their subordinates disappear. That 'culprit' is indeed me. All the demons who have seen my abilities have been silenced. Keeping you would increase my risk of exposure, so you understand."
Apacha: I don't understand! Isn't a great reputation a good thing? Isn't it?
"Wait, My Lord, just now—"
Apacha couldn't speak. Telling the truth would get him killed by this Lord, and not telling it would also get him killed. The demon now only wanted to say one thing: he's really having a tough time!
"What happened just now? I know what I did wasn't proper, but didn't you also want to die? Don't worry, I've killed so many demons I can't even count. This time, I'll definitely give you a quick and painless death with my true power!"
"..." The little Tech-priest, feeling guilty and ugly, was about to unleash his full power to send Apacha on his way. Just as he was about to act, he heard the demon say,
"M-m-my Lord, if you are worried about my betrayal, you can transform me into your servant!"