The exchange with Trazyn was one of Gamma's most comfortable in years. Although this bony Necron lusted after him, the young Tech-priest had to admit that the other party was a very charismatic bony Necron, especially in the warhammer universe, where everyone was prone to hysteria and warmongering.
When everyone else was dreaming of conquering the universe and subjugating the galaxy, there was a Necron, whose flesh and soul had long been destroyed by the gods, who was striving to preserve the past glory and history of the galaxy. Coupled with his cynical personality and a life philosophy that seemed to have already seen through the bigger picture, for these reasons, Gamma found it very difficult to truly dislike him.
"I find it hard to understand. You know Szarekh will come looking for you, so what exactly do you gain by running around in his body?" Gamma asked, exasperated.
Trazyn, sitting cross-legged next to him, watched the young Tech-priest dismantle the machine in front of him, piece by piece, like a butcher carving an ox. He said with a tone of satisfaction and revenge:
"Because I hate him, so I want to get back at him."
"Hmm, I understand. But honestly, the technology in Szarekh's body is truly incredibly advanced!" Gamma said excitedly, holding the 'head' he had just removed.
"Of course. He is The Silent King. Although I've had this body for a while, I can only use and unleash a small fraction of its functions. But even so, it's one of my most powerful bodies, otherwise I wouldn't have worn it here this time."
"Could you consider my feelings as the party involved when you say that?" Gamma said, rolling his eyes.
Trazyn "Number Two" shrugged, looking indifferent, and said, "You've already dismantled it into parts, what's there to be dissatisfied about?"
"True." Gamma said, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the 'parts' on the operating platform. Having the chance to access the most cutting-edge Necrons technology by a stroke of luck, what more could the young Tech-priest ask for?
Seeing the young Tech-priest's greedy expression, the Necron quickly reminded him, "Don't forget our agreement, the ownership of this body is mine!"
Gamma didn't even turn his head, impatiently saying, "I know, I know. I'll open up all the permissions for you once I'm done researching. My people are still being held by you, are you afraid I'll default?"
"Hmph, you never know." Trazyn muttered. Then he walked over to Gamma and asked the young Tech-priest, who was still carving up the machine:
"What do you think of my proposal?"
"Not good. You know to use a stolen body from someone else when doing dirty work, but you want me to put my own flesh and blood on the line! Do you think I would agree?"
"No risk, no reward. With the treasure maps I've accumulated over countless years, plus your talent and technology, who in the galaxy can stop our combination? And I'm even opening up the 'Solemnace Museum' for your research. Shouldn't you consider it carefully?"
"Tsk!"
It was false to say he wasn't tempted. Only Trazyn himself knew how many good things were hidden in his museum. How could Gamma not be tempted? But the risk was too high. This risk came not only from the owner of the 'borrowed' items but also from Trazyn, who was loudly slapping the Necron next to him.
Gamma was a bit unwilling to give up just like that, so he thought for a moment and said, "It's impossible for me to put my own flesh and blood on the line, but—"
"But what?" Trazyn asked, a little anxiously.
"I can be your Technical Advisor."
"Ha, Technical Advisor? Do you think I, the dignified ruler of Solemnace, the renowned Endless, need a Technical Advisor?" The Necron seemed insulted. He felt that the young Tech-priest was looking down on his title as the Galactic Rogue Saint.
Who knew Gamma would scoff and say disdainfully, "Trazyn, have some self-awareness. I admit Necrons technology is very powerful, but Necrons being powerful and you being powerful are two completely different things."
"Besides throwing a dimensional labyrinth, what other tricks do you have?"
"What's wrong with one trick? One good trick can get you everywhere!" Trazyn retorted, his confidence lacking.
Seeing the other party stubbornly refuse to admit defeat, the young Tech-priest began to expose Trazyn's past, saying, "That's true, but your trick only works on those who can't deal with it. Otherwise, I would have been tied up by you by now."
"How come I heard that Necrons seem to have a few other museums, and a certain thief wandered around in one of them for several circles, and ended up only stealing a broken, unwanted pipe?"
"That was a pipe made by Mephrit! General Zubokhar's family heirloom!" the thief protested indignantly.
"Don't lie to yourself. If it were a real treasure, would it have been lost for so long without anyone noticing?" At this point, the young Tech-priest paused, then looked at Trazyn with a sarcastic expression, saying,
"What does it mean that he didn't send troops to beat you? Do I have to spell it out?"
"..."
"Oh dear, the dignified Galactic Rogue Saint, the Great Collector, Trazyn the Endless, had his home infiltrated and could only meekly report it to the authorities. Does that live up to his name?" Gamma said sarcastically.
"What is law? It's a tool used by rulers to rule the ruled. Overlord? The name sounds domineering, but wouldn't Emperor sound more grand?"
"Where did you hear all this?" Trazyn asked, somewhat puzzled.
"I am Gamma, and I am omnipotent!" The young Tech-priest said, plagiarizing his own Grandmaster's famous line. But he was so caught up in the moment that he forgot that Archmagos Cawl and Trazyn had also had dealings. Sure enough, the Necron seized the opportunity to retort:
"The last person who said that in front of me still hasn't figured out how Blackstone counters psychic powers!"
Gamma said, not to be outdone, "That was before. Why don't you go and see now?"
"What's your relationship with Cawl?" Trazyn also realized.
"None of your business. Don't stray so far. Trazyn, be honest. Your dynasty is only mid-level among the Necrons. It's even difficult to 'borrow' good things from an Overlord of your own rank. This body of Szarekh, I guess it's highly probable that you 'borrowed' it by chance when Guilliman and Szarekh were confronting each other."
Gamma wasn't wrong. When Szarekh caused such a huge commotion with the 'Psychic Maelstrom,' Trazyn naturally went to join the fun and see what was worth collecting and acquiring. When The Silent King was about to duel Guilliman, he possessed an unconscious Necron not far from Szarekh.
Although the duel between the Primarch and Szarekh couldn't be watched due to the Eldar Seer's interruption, the shockwave from the exploding Warp gate also blew the unprepared Szarekh away, and coincidentally, he flew towards Trazyn's position.
Trazyn reflexively threw a 'Pokeball' and successfully captured a 'Pokémon'. Now the Triarch Praetorians were blocking him at the gates of Solemnace, demanding he submit to an investigation.
This made Trazyn, who was already dissatisfied with Szarekh, even more so. He believed Szarekh had no kingly magnanimity. He recalled when he was caught red-handed stealing the staff of Imotekh the Stormlord; the Stormlord merely forbade him from entering Imotekh's throne world, Mandragora, in the future (which was useless, as he still frequently visited).
Unable to return to his museum for a while, and with Gamma stirring up his troubles, Trazyn said unhappily, "So what if it is? I'm a civil official, how can I be like those boors?"
The young Tech-priest changed his depreciating attitude and grabbed Trazyn's hand—his thigh bone—saying, "Old Trazyn, I understand your feelings. How could a bunch of guys with only fighting and killing on their minds understand the value of those treasures? All they care about is how powerful something is. Things in their hands are a waste of heaven's bounty!"
"Hmm, of all you've said, that's the most agreeable. So, what's your scheme?"
"You see, what's stopping you from reuniting with those treasures are the protective measures set up by those Emperor Overlords. Although I can't go personally, that doesn't mean I can't provide you with technical support!"
This… don't tell me—it sounds like it could work! Trazyn thought of the young Tech-priest, who talked about science and technology but was in reality the least scientific himself. He then glanced at the 'The Silent King', which was dismantled into pieces. Thinking of the countless 'treasures' he had missed over the years, he pondered for a long time and said,
"I'm the one taking the risk, bearing the blame, and getting into trouble—"
Upon hearing this, the young Tech-priest immediately understood that the deal was done. He waved his hand magnanimously and said,
"Everything goes to you, but I must have the right to research!"
"Deal!"
The deal was struck. As a Technical Advisor and partner, the young Tech-priest naturally had to host a banquet to show his sincerity. Trazyn had no objection to his former enemy dancing before him. Even Szarekh might not have seen Eldar dances.
During the banquet, the 'Rogue Saint' subtly expressed his 'predicament' of being blocked at his door by 'enemies' and unable to return home. The young Tech-priest floated up and patted his 'partner's' shoulder, suggesting: "I'm very interested in the Triarch Praetorians, brother. Should I, your little brother, take care of those disrespectful ones for you? I guarantee no trace will be left."
The Necron thanked and simultaneously rejected the young Tech-priest's suggestion for this proposal, repeatedly emphasizing: "You are not to covet my museum. Our partnership terms do not include my already collected treasures."
Gamma replied: "Brother, you're being too formal, aren't you? What's yours and mine between brothers? Do we still argue about such things?"
Trazyn responded: "We Necrons don't have such customs, but clear accounts between brothers are an eternal truth in the galaxy!"
Gamma, whose little scheme had failed, had no choice but to settle for a compromise, saying: "If there's anything you fancy, brother, as long as I have it, I will certainly not refuse!"
Trazyn said rather bashfully: He had long admired Commorragh's best pole dancer and hoped to collect her.
The young Tech-priest looked at him for a few moments, then turned back to enjoy the song and dance, because Commorragh's best pole dancer was—Yvraine!
Fortunately, such minor matters did not affect the cooperation between the young Tech-priest and Trazyn. After the banquet, the Necron once again retraced his steps. This time, his target was not the usual treasures, but rather the Necrons' "anti-theft doors," because Gamma said it was difficult to work without physical objects, relying only on data.
After Trazyn left, Gamma's daily routine continued. The technology provided by Szarekh was enough for the young Tech-priest to research for some time. At the very least, the anti-psychic technology on this body alone was enough to make Gamma ecstatic, not to mention other technologies.
While Gamma was diligently researching and trying every means to acquire Blackstone, Chaos, which was being battered by the Tyranids, Humans, and Orks, once again intensified its efforts, completely reversing Chaos's disadvantage and pushing back against the 'allied forces' of Tyranids, Orks, and Humans.
Compared to the constantly evolving Tyranids and Orks, even with the assistance of the three major artificial intelligences, Humanity could not gain any advantage on the battlefield, which had turned into a hellscape. The newly joined Daemon Princes, Rogal, Fulgrim, and Magnus, even directly stated that they would arrange Guilliman into 6+7+8+9 = 30 different poses.
Lord Regent Guilliman, under immense pressure, once again wrote a plea for help to the young Tech-priest. However, Gamma this time only sent back a letter expressing sympathy and concern, providing no actual assistance. But he did offer Guilliman a solution — Tyranids to guard the nation's gates, Orks to protect the society!
Although this proposal did not quite align with the Imperium's 'political correctness,' all discerning individuals understood that instead of pouring the Imperium's precious forces into this bottomless pit, it was better to use the power of Xenos to contain Chaos. This planet falling into the hands of the Tyranids and Orks was better than falling into the hands of Chaos.
While Guilliman hesitated, a statistical report from Order made Lord Regent Guilliman make up his mind. According to Order's statistics, since the war began, the frequency of Chaos-related incidents within the Imperial Sanctum had decreased by a full thirty percent.
Guilliman, after repeatedly confirming the intelligence was accurate, even had the thought of starting another game in a neighboring star system for a moment!
Thus, the Imperium began to actively withdraw from the battlefield, ceding positions to the Orks and Tyranids. At the same time, the 'Gamma Arms Supermarket' once again appeared in Ork territory. With the experience accumulated from the last time, although opening the store this time also involved several days of 'fireworks,' the 'OMG-series' Ork-style equipment was well-received by the Orks upon its launch.
Of course, this was inseparable from the tons of teeth Gamma pulled from cold storage (accumulated last time on Kosa). The frugal young Tech-priest never imagined that the 'teeth' he didn't intend to keep as souvenirs would one day be useful.
As time passed, the star system, which could be said to concern the fate of Macragge's Five Hundred Worlds, became increasingly strange in its aesthetic.
The Imperium of Man's fleet blockaded the orbit of the war world, preventing Chaos from breaking out from the surface into space. Meanwhile, on the uninhabited planets within the star system, automated factories continuously produced synthetic meat and synthetic starch day and night.
Huge mining facilities and unmanned mining vehicles extracted mineral resources from these barren planets, which didn't even have atmospheres, refining them while producing various weapons and equipment.
Unmanned transport shuttles, filled with these organic and inorganic materials, would transport them to Ork territory, or directly drop them into Tyranid territory.
Tyranids, Orks, and Humans reached a tacit understanding without communication; none attacked these transport shuttles, except for Chaos.
The situation on the war world could be said to have largely settled. As long as Chaos couldn't simply overwhelm them, with the Imperium's support, Tyranids and Orks could continue to wear down Chaos indefinitely.
When the first automated food factory was completed in Tyranid territory, and Knife Worms began lining up to receive their 'wages'.
When the first automated weapons factory was completed in Ork territory, and Orks began lining up to receive their 'wages'.
The Daemon Primarchs, besides cursing loudly, still cursed loudly. The Four in the Warp also found themselves in a dilemma:
If they retreated, all their previous investments would be wasted.
If they fought, they wouldn't get a single soul. Iron Men and Tyranids had no souls, and Ork souls belonged to gork and mork.
If they pushed harder, Guilliman was sitting in space, ready to intervene at any moment, and the Emperor's Cursed Legions were also watching intently.
The Four Chaos Gods: MD, you guys aren't playing by the rules. Can we still have fun together!?
The Great Game of The Four Gods has been played for so many years; who hasn't lost? At this point, cutting losses is the best strategy. It's not like Huang Pizi is trying to tear down a house, so it's not worth going all out. But while that's the truth of the matter, it absolutely cannot be said.
Now the problem fell squarely on the Daemon Primarchs and Greater Daemons who joined this war. Their boss was unwilling to invest more, but also didn't say to stop fighting. This clearly meant they had to fight the Orks, Tyranids, and Iron Men to the death themselves.
The Greater Daemons were fine; at worst, they'd be banished back to the Warp to slowly recover, and in a few decades, they'd be good daemons again. But the Daemon Primarchs were in a tough spot. Their followers couldn't resurrect like daemons, and they were all overlords in the Warp with their own territories. If their strength was severely damaged, they might not even be able to defend their own daemon worlds.
Out of necessity, the Daemon Primarchs, who usually couldn't stand each other, gathered to discuss countermeasures. On a side note, Pi Lao Ban organized this meeting. Although he didn't want to, he had moved his 'Unfire Fortress' here. Among all the participants, he was the one who couldn't afford to lose.
If he lost, he'd have to sacrifice half of his base, not to mention dealing with the encirclement of other forces after escaping.
Perturabo now seriously suspected that this war was a trap set for him by The Four Gods. The reason was very convincing: Vashtorr was already crippled, with only one in ten of his Soul Forges remaining. As one of the two major arms dealers in the Warp, Pi Lao Ban was now the sole dominant force. The Four Gods, having tasted sweetness from Vashtorr, surely wanted to carve a piece of him too.
Even if The Four Gods didn't have this idea, would Vashtorr, eager to recover, not have it? Would other Chaos forces not have it?
So Perturabo couldn't afford to lose. If he lost this round, others might, but he would definitely have to find a new base. Who told him he was Undivided Chaos, and a Daemon Primarch who didn't believe in The Four Gods?
Not having met for over ten thousand years, and even having fought several times in between, the atmosphere among the Daemon Primarchs was a bit awkward. As the initiator, Pi Lao Ban suppressed his anger to keep from leaping up and smashing Fulgrim's leering face with a hammer. If Fulgrim hadn't sacrificed his life force, Perturabo might not have turned to Chaos to heal the damage caused by that sacrifice.
Magnus was the most relaxed among them. He practiced sorcery and hadn't brought many of his sons to the war. The outcome of this war had little impact on him, so he spoke first:
"Perturabo, is that your new creation beside you?"
"Are you blind?!" Pi Lao Ban glared at Magnus.
At this, the robot beside Perturabo spoke up, "I am Perturabo's captive, temporarily serving as his attendant to secure better treatment for my comrades."
"An Iron Men!?"
The Daemon Primarchs looked strangely at the tall Iron Men standing behind Perturabo. This war had shown them the terror of humanity's peak creations; even they had to be extremely careful when facing them in large numbers.
Magnus, being particularly curious, walked directly to the Iron Men. His single eye, glowing with psychic energy, meticulously examined every part of the Iron Men's body.
"I tried to capture a few myself, but no spell had any effect. Their machine spirits seemed to be blessed."
"What was the fate of my brothers?" the Iron Men asked calmly.
Magnus looked at the Iron Men with amusement and said, "They chose to self-destruct when they realized they couldn't escape."
"Oh."
"Aren't you angry?" the Daemon Primarch asked.
"No. To die in battle is the destiny of every Iron Men, and it is our pursuit."
...
A sound of scales rubbing together echoed, followed by a seductive voice, indistinguishable as male or female, saying, "It's a pity our poor brother Angron isn't here, otherwise he would surely like you very much."
"Bang!"
Perturabo, his hand encased in iron armor, slammed the table in front of him and said, "Stop with this useless talk. Do you want to watch our sons and followers be completely consumed in this war?"
"Heh heh, I didn't expect words of cherishing one's sons to come from—"
"Bang!"
This time, it was the sound of a warhammer and a sword colliding. The warhammer Perturabo swung was blocked by Fulgrim. The Lord of Iron immediately changed his attack, his heavy warhammer as light as a feather in his hands. In just a few seconds, he swung it dozens of times, so fast that the lingering hammer-shadows in the air pressed towards his opponent like a wall.
But his opponent this time was the galaxy's top swordsman, whose sword had already claimed the lives of one, no, nearly two Primarchs!
Fulgrim's four arms simultaneously used different styles of moves to block Perturabo's attacks, while he howled for more and launched a furious counterattack against Perturabo.
The Iron Warriors, who were initially just standing guard, immediately raised their weapons upon seeing their Primarch attacked, wanting to help Perturabo.
But the battle between the Daemon Primarchs was too fast. In that short time, their figures shifted, and they had already exchanged blows thousands of times. Even the Astartes' extraordinary vision couldn't keep up with them.
However, besides the Primarchs, there was one other 'person' present—an Iron Men who could keep up with the movements of the warring Daemon Primarchs. But while the machine spirit could react, it didn't mean the machine body could. Fortunately, the Iron Men had its own method: no matter how fast, could it be faster than light?
The sword Fulgrim swung was precisely hit by a concentrated energy beam. Perturabo seized the opportunity, reversing the situation where he had been suppressed by Fulgrim, forcing his opponent to retreat repeatedly. At the same time, the Iron Men's firing didn't stop. It seemed to anticipate Perturabo's thoughts, always cooperating at critical moments to disrupt the enemy's rhythm.
Magnus, Luo Jia, and Mortarion watched the spectacle, arms crossed, commenting as they did.
Fulgrim, growing increasingly frustrated with the fight, suddenly swung his sword, forcing Perturabo back. Then, facing Pi Lao Ban, who was about to charge again, he shrieked:
"Enough! Perturabo, don't forget you called us here!"
Perturabo, pleased with his advantage, immediately stopped. After a contemptuous glance at his opponent, he carried his warhammer back to his seat and, with a smile on his lips, scolded the Iron Men:
"Who allowed you to join the battle? Do you think I'm not his match?"
"Yes." The Iron Men answered honestly. Perturabo's expression stiffened, and he raised the hammer in his hand again.
"Close-quarters combat is not your forte; you are better suited for commanding and building from the rear."
"Hmph!"
Perturabo was already used to the Iron Men's straightforward way of speaking. He also knew the Iron Men was right. At the same time, Pi Lao Ban really wanted to slap himself in the face; he knew the Iron Men would say that, but he just had to ask.
Magnus and the others were amazed to see Perturabo, who had been roasted by the Iron Men but merely snorted without getting angry. This was too different from the brother they remembered.
"Do you intend to cooperate or not? If not, then consider what I said unsaid, and you may leave my presence!"
Luo Jia smiled and said, "Of course, my brother, otherwise we wouldn't have come. We can no longer produce gene-seed, and every son is very important to us."
The Daemon Primarch articulated the predicament of every traitor legion. Their bodies no longer contained cellular matter, and the environment in the Eye of Terror caused existing gene-seeds to mutate at an extremely high rate, rendering most of them unusable. In fact, many Chaos Astartes sourced their gene-seeds from those plundered by Chaos warbands from the Imperium, a situation particularly common in Abaddon's Black Legion and Huron's Red Corsairs.
The Daemon Primarchs' factions were highly resistant to such practices, which had always made troop replenishment a major issue for them, otherwise they wouldn't have been overshadowed by Abaddon and Huron.
"The Chaos Gods are already weary of this game; they don't want to invest more power here. But if we retreat without authorization, we might inadvertently become scapegoats for failure. So, while holding off the attacks of the Orks, Tyranids, and Iron Men, we must also conserve and accumulate strength to launch a desperate counterattack at the opportune moment, so that even if we fail, we can withdraw with dignity."
"Dignity?"
Mortarion repeated Luo Jia's concluding remark, finding it familiar. Then he realized: wasn't this Rain Father's favorite catchphrase lately?
Plague Father, who had a better relationship with him, had been complaining to him quite a bit recently, saying that Rain Father had become more difficult to deal with than before. He had been watching for a long time but hadn't found an opportunity to trip up Rain Father. Rotigus was handling things more smoothly and thoroughly, making it increasingly difficult for him to reclaim the position of Chief Greater Daemon.
"Yes, my brother, it is 'dignity.' This is wisdom I learned from Rain Father not long ago. We don't necessarily need to win; we just need to ensure Guilliman can't win either!" Luo Jia's face, covered in blasphemous scripture, showed an expression of having everything under control.
"What's your idea?" Magnus asked.
"The Four Gods' attention has left here, which means we no longer need to confine our gaze solely to this place. We can ignite war elsewhere, making Guilliman run ragged."
"But if we withdraw forces, how will we resist the assault?" Mortarion asked.
"Heh heh, don't forget there are more than just us here. The Greater Daemons also don't want to lose like this."
"Shrink the defensive line, concentrate our forces in a few strongholds to hold out, and at the same time, send daemon armies into the Warp to capture unaligned daemons.
Let them serve as expendable front-line troops, so we can draw out some forces to execute the plan."
At this, Luo Jia paused and looked at Magnus, saying, "My brother, can you control unaligned daemons?"
Magnus proudly raised his head and replied, "Of course!"
"Heh heh, Guilliman can use the Orks and Tyranids against us; we can also use them against Guilliman!"
After saying that, Luo Jia looked at Mortarion and said, "My brother, a virus targeting the Tyranids shouldn't be difficult for you, should it?"
"Mmm."
"Weaken the Tyranids, strengthen the Orks. As we adopt defensive tactics, we naturally won't be good opponents in the eyes of those Orks. Where do you think the Orks will turn their attention?"
Luo Jia's plan had received everyone's support, but once the other Daemon Primarchs left, Perturabo's indifferent face immediately contorted into a furious rage, and he swung his warhammer, smashing the entire meeting room to smithereens.
After venting his frustration, he turned to the Iron Men, who had been standing quietly there all along, and said, "It's just as you predicted. My brother never considered me from start to finish."
"It's not hard to guess. Their stance is different from yours. They are slaves, backed by their masters. Protecting their progeny is more important to them than anything else. Territory isn't important to them; it's a gift from the Chaos Gods. Even if someone had designs on it, they wouldn't go too far, so they naturally wouldn't consider this matter."
The Iron Men's calm voice helped Perturabo regain some composure. The longer the Daemon Primarch spent with the cold machine, the more he liked the Iron Men's way of speaking. Only words full of reason and Logic, without any fluctuations, could calm the eternal rage burning in Perturabo's heart.
"Your proposal, I agree to it!"
"Good."
After responding, the Iron Men turned and left decisively, without any hesitation. The Daemon Primarch watched the Iron Men leave, suddenly feeling a sense of reluctance. Unbeknownst to him, this unexpectedly captured Iron Men had already occupied a certain place in Perturabo's heart.
Noticing the change in his state of mind, Perturabo lowered his head, not allowing his progeny to see his expression, but the exposed jawline beneath the shadow revealed a hint of self-mockery.
After leaving Perturabo, 0-13213 first found Jonathan and the others, who were training and teaching Fiona. After explaining the current situation, the Iron Men left under their expectant gaze, arriving at the prison cell unimpeded. Under the puzzled stares of a dozen captured Ultramarines, he swiftly cut off the head of the Chaos-patterned "bastard."
Honsou's head fell to the ground, rolled a few times, and then his expression, which had long been numb from imprisonment, changed to one of shock and confusion. A traitor who had disturbed Ultramar for centuries died here silently, without any resistance.
Calgar, who had seen the Iron Men several times during his imprisonment, was about to say something when the Iron Men interrupted him:
"Time is short. I will explain to you later. Follow me now."
With that, the Iron Men used the same weapon he had just used to sever Honsou's head to precisely unlock the restraints on the Ultramarines. The Astartes, who had regained their freedom but were confused, stretched their bodies to recover quickly while looking at their Chapter Master.
Calgar said nothing, just nodded, indicating that they should listen to the Iron Men for now, as he was a trustworthy companion.
While the Ultramarines were recovering, the Iron Men was also busy. He extended a finger towards the most severely wounded among them, and a slender injection needle emerged from its tip. Someone tried to stop the Iron Men's action, but Calgar raised his hand to stop them.
Everyone watched silently as the Iron Men injected the unknown medicine into their brothers. After completing the treatment, the Iron Men said:
"The nanotherapy agents I carry are limited, only enough to treat those with the most severe injuries."
"Thank you," Calgar said gratefully.
"You're welcome."
The Iron Men finished speaking and then gestured for everyone to follow him. Those with lighter injuries quickly helped up the severely wounded. Miraculously, the severely wounded, who had initially found it extremely difficult to move, were able to follow on their own without assistance after a short while.
Calgar followed cautiously behind the Iron Men, scanning his surroundings vigilantly. The other Ultramarines did the same. This was not surprising, as the situation along the way was too strange. It was supposed to be a prison strictly guarded by the Iron Warriors, yet there wasn't a single traitor. From the traces and arrangements in key positions, it was clear that Iron Warriors had been there not long ago.
Following the Iron Men through several unguarded gates, 0-13213 led them to a dead end, then pressed a hidden mechanism. Subsequently, a deep opening appeared in the ground amidst the sound of gears turning.
After hearing the Iron Men's full account, Guilliman asked with a tone that held three parts doubt, three parts confusion, three parts disbelief, and one part "Are you kidding me?":
"You mean Perturabo wants to cooperate with us?"
"To be precise, he wants to cooperate with my Lord. He doesn't trust the Imperium."
"…"
Do traitors and Heretics no longer bother to hide their collusion?
Saying this in front of me, have you considered my feelings?!
While Guilliman grumbled inwardly, he asked aloud, "What does that traitor intend to do? And what does he hope to gain?"
0-13213 replied, "He wants to preserve his strength. Perturabo has realized that no matter the outcome of this war, he will be the biggest loser. In order to have enough power to deal with the crisis, he is willing to provide us with intelligence so that we can better counter Luo Jia's schemes."
"At the same time, he also promised to undo the ritual, freeing this star from the influence of the Warp and bringing a complete end to this war."
"However, he doesn't trust the Imperium, so he wants my Lord to act as a guarantor between him and the Imperium."
Guilliman fell into deep thought. Luo Jia's plan was indeed tricky. Allowing the enemy to ignite fires throughout Imperial territory would cause incalculable losses to the Imperium. Aside from the Great Heresy, the Imperium had never before faced several Primarchs and renegade legions simultaneously causing havoc.
"Is this his idea?"
Based on Guilliman's understanding of Perturabo, this didn't seem like a method he would come up with.
"It was me. In my communication with Perturabo, I discovered his concerns and deduced the possible outcomes, so I proactively proposed this idea to him. After testing the other Daemon Primarchs, he agreed to this plan," the Iron Men replied.
"Hmm, give me some time to consider. This matter also requires Gamma's opinion."
"Yes, I will wait for accurate news before returning to inform Perturabo."
The little Tech-priest, upon receiving Guilliman's urgent message, did not immediately reply, because he perceived this as a good opportunity to strengthen the "Gamma's Daemon Legion."
The more The Four Gods oppressed the Undivided Daemons, the faster the Undivided Daemons would turn to him!
Sure enough, it wasn't long before news of The Four Gods' Daemon Legions extensively capturing unaligned Daemons spread, causing these Chaos Undivided Daemons to feel a sense of self-preservation.
Magnus, as expected of a great psyker, had a witchcraft that allowed him to command Daemons without using their true names, which made these Undivided Daemons suffer even more.
Daemons banished back to the Warp from the battlefield, weakened and to avoid being recaptured, swarmed into the Webway for refuge, only to run headfirst into the net the little Tech-priest had woven for them.
In their most powerless and helpless moment, a Daemon, a Daemon they didn't know, handed them a soul they desperately needed. Although this idiotic Daemon said he was only lending it to them, and that he still needed this soul to help more unfortunate souls like them—such words were utterly un-Daemon-like.
Although this idiotic Daemon always rambled on about how the world shouldn't be this way, and how the Warp used to be beautiful—such nonsensical remarks.
Although this idiotic Daemon always said that no matter how small the power, as long as it united, it could change the world, and that pitiful creatures like them who were unwanted should unite—such grand, unrealistic lies.
But to take another breath, to recover faster, they could only pretend to listen intently to their ramblings. As for directly snatching the soul? They couldn't beat them. Some idiotic Daemons were all in a group. Anyone who dared to make a move would be met with a brutal gang beating. After the beating, they would even help the beaten Daemon up and ask:
"Do you know what you did wrong?"
If the answer didn't satisfy them, they would continue to beat, then ask again, then beat again—
Gamma's Daemon Legion quickly grew stronger with this opportunity. The little Tech-priest even used his sleeping time to "consume" Daemons. Opportunities like this were rare and fleeting; once missed, they wouldn't come again.
Now that The Four Gods' attention had shifted away from the material realm, it meant that Gamma's risk of exposure had greatly increased. With the Iron Men equipped with Blackstone technology, coupled with his understanding of the Webway hub, Gamma was confident in defending against Chaos attacks.
But using the hub as a battlefield would negate the purpose of occupying it. The best option was to keep any potential war outside the Webway, but this required a powerful Daemon legion.
Gamma envisioned a three-layered defense for his future lair: the outermost layer would be the undead Daemon legion, the middle layer a psychic barrier constructed from spirit bone, and finally, the Blackstone Iron Men and Blackstone anti-psychic matrix within the hub.
Among the three defensive measures, the latter two were already in place. However, the strength of the Daemon legion, due to the limited time, still failed to meet his requirements, even though Gamma had tried every possible method. Even if he consumed Daemons to the point of nausea, it was useless.
Feeling that this approach wasn't working, the little Tech-priest summoned Eldrad to him and asked, "Eldrad, is there any way I can quickly increase my power?"
The little Tech-priest's relentless "consumption" of Daemons naturally couldn't be hidden from the one who prepared his food. Eldrad was initially somewhat relieved, but Gamma's gluttonous eating habits, like a Pixiu, made the Supreme Seer tremble with fear.
"Your Highness, why are you like this?" Eldrad, for once, became serious in front of Gamma.
Gamma thought for a moment and said, "Follow me."
For the next period, Eldrad was nothing but shocked. He hadn't expected Gamma to be undertaking such a massive endeavor in secret. At the same time, the Supreme Seer was also extremely excited, because if Gamma's plan succeeded, their Ulthwé Craftworld would be virtually invincible.
"Your Highness, if you wish to enhance your power and thereby strengthen the Daemon Legion, the fastest method is sacrifice!"
"Sacrifice?"
"Yes, let the souls and flesh of the offerings become your nourishment!"
—.
Gamma pouted. It seemed he was about to become the very thing he hated most. Should he uphold his principles, or abandon them to reduce risk and achieve a greater chance of success?
He didn't know how to choose for a moment.
"I didn't think this way at first; I just wanted to secure a stable base for development…" Gamma muttered to himself. He also couldn't understand why. Had he become greedy?
"Is there no other way?" Gamma asked reluctantly.
Eldrad understood Gamma's dilemma. He also didn't want Gamma to reach this point. Crossing this line would mean the little Tech-priest began to accept living mortals as part of his food, and Eldrad himself didn't know what the consequences would be.
Thinking of this, the Supreme Seer said, "Perhaps we can also find a solution from other Ark Worlds. Our speed in capturing Daemons is far from matching Your Highness's consumption rate. Soon, it will no longer be enough to meet Your Highness's demands. However, the souls in the Infinite Circuit are readily available. If we can obtain the accumulated spirits of countless years from other Craftworlds, it should greatly enhance Your Highness's power!"
This was indeed a method. Compared to consuming Daemons one by one, "transcending" the spirits in the Infinite Circuit was many times more efficient! Gamma nodded, but he quickly thought of a problem and said:
"Their attitude towards me has become a bit strange because of the soul harvesting. This matter might not be easy to handle."
"Hmm, the matter of the Daemon Legion should not be exposed to everyone, but Your Highness, don't forget, you now essentially control a Webway hub. I think we can let some Craftworlds that have shown us goodwill know about this news."
"You want to trade residency rights in the Webway hub for their Infinite Circuit?"
"Yes, many Craftworlds have hinted in the past that they hope Your Highness can also grant peace to their ancestors. If they can have a home comparable to Commorragh, ending tens of thousands of years of wandering, the Infinite Circuit will become less important to us."
Gamma thought for a moment, weighed the pros and cons, and then said, "In the future, not only the Aeldari will live here. Of course, I will not only have this one hub in the future. Settling in the Webway is the way out I have planned for both you and humanity. So you must make it clear to them, and at the same time, ensure strict confidentiality. Before the plan is completely successful, it's better to kill the wrong person than to let one go!"
"Yes!" Hearing the decisiveness in Gamma's words, Eldrad couldn't help but shiver.
After sending Eldrad away, the little Tech-priest summoned Apacha and instructed him to drive out the Daemons in the Webway hub who had not yet pledged allegiance. After understanding Gamma's intentions, Apacha immediately led his eagerly prepared Daemon army to "clean up" the Webway hub.
Facing a well-equipped and well-trained Daemon legion, these Daemons, who had always lived at the bottom, were naturally no match. Gamma's original intention was to expel them, and have Apacha declare that this would henceforth be the territory of their Daemon legion.
But Apacha and his forces clearly wanted more. They directly split a portion of their troops to block several Webway breaches, while the rest went around the world "conscripting."
Gamma had expected the Daemons, having shed their "hypocritical" masks, to face resistance and opposition. However, to his surprise, due to the inherent Daemon nature of worshipping the strong, many Daemons who had originally been hesitant immediately chose to pledge allegiance when they saw the Daemons begin to assert their dominance.
"Apacha, what's going on?" the little Tech-priest asked, puzzled by the sudden increase in workload.
Gamma's chief Greater Daemon snorted dismissively, a spark of fire escaping his nostrils, and said, "They're used to being treated like cheap bones. When we treat them well, they think we're weak and incapable. Your Highness, when you convert these cheap bones, you must shave off their cheapness, otherwise, if they bring that attitude into our legion, it will affect our combat effectiveness."
"The Daemon nature is truly complex. I understand. However, Apacha, I am handing over the hub you painstakingly secured to the Aeldari and humans, and I also need you to protect them, to act as guard dogs. Do you have any objections?"
"Haha, Your Highness worries too much. We are already a part of you. Your will is the direction our blades point. Completing the tasks you entrust to us is our mission. Compared to The Four Gods, our master does not twist our will, and considers our joys and sorrows. What more could we ask for?" Apacha respectfully knelt on one knee before Gamma, speaking in the most nonchalant tone. The other Daemons beside him did the same.
"Moreover, hasn't Your Highness always told us that the Warp and the material realm should complement each other? If we don't protect those mortals, who will provide us with souls and emotions?"
After hearing this, Gamma smiled and patted Apacha's massive body, saying, "As expected of my chief Greater Daemon, your philosophical understanding is decades ahead of everyone else, hahaha."
"It's all thanks to Your Highness's excellent teaching."
Gamma's Webway war began 'gloriously,' its process was bizarre, and its end was rather hasty. After Apacha led away all the conscripted laborers, the young Tech-priest immediately began extensive construction in the Webway hub.
How big is the entire Webway hub?
This is difficult to calculate because the laws of physics are distorted here, and scientific measurement methods are not applicable. However, we can describe it indirectly by comparison.
The rift beneath the vast ruined city left by the Eldar was so deep that anyone falling into it would die of old age before reaching the bottom.
The light source of the Webway hub was a captured sun, and the distance between the ruins and the sun was almost as wide as the distance between stars and planets in the universe.
To be honest, it was the young Tech-priest's first time undertaking a galaxy-level project. Fortunately, he had the assistance of artificial intelligence and the data on various parts of the hub that Apacha and his team had scouted out. Otherwise, just thinking about how to transform this place would be enough to make Gamma scratch his head raw.
Countless spirit bone nanomachines, like a cloud of mist, enveloped the gigantic city, which presented itself in 360 degrees of space. The Eldar temple on the highest spire of the city was leveled, replaced by the luxurious palace the young Tech-priest designed for himself. A colossal statue of Gamma stood there, overlooking the entire city.
Eldar remains scattered in various corners of the ruins were cleared, and damaged spirit bone machinery was repaired and put back into operation.
At the same time, countless mechanical beetles continuously crawled in and out of several Webway portals. They would collect materials from remote planets and then regurgitate and combine them into soil, rocks, and metals.
Although the original city was the largest the young Tech-priest had ever seen, it still could not meet the demands of his plan.
Therefore, while the ruined city was being repaired and transformed, it was also expanding, growing continuously along the vast empty space and rifts beneath the city, using matter from the real universe and spirit bone as its 'bones' and 'flesh.'
In the Webway connected to the hub, at several locations where Warp Rifts continuously erupted, the originally massive rifts were healing. Invisible special nanomachines rapidly self-replicated while absorbing Warp energy. Along the damaged edges of the Webway, they interlocked, relying on their material's resistance to Warp energy and the 'tiny' shields generated by the spirit bone's own psychic power to slowly and steadily grow, 'healing' the rift caused countless years ago.
The devils in the demon legion, who inherited Gamma's construction talent, followed closely behind the nanomachines, using their psychic power to 'fuse' and 'forge' the interlocked spirit bone machines into an indivisible whole, making the newly formed parts of the Webway more robust.
While Gamma was busy, Eldrad was not idle either. After returning from the Webway, he locked himself in his meditation chamber for several days. No one knew what he did in there until a few mysterious Eldar elders sought him out.
Soon after, Eldrad brought these Eldar elders before Gamma. Seeing these individuals, Gamma felt that this old fellow Eldrad was far less composed than he appeared. How long had it been, and he had already found people for him? Had he not repeatedly emphasized caution?
Looking at the suspicious young Tech-priest, the Supreme Seer immediately understood what he was thinking and explained:
"Your Highness, rest assured. I have already controlled them with psychic spells and placed psychic Prohibition in their brains. I also made them sign a contract. Their every word and action are now under my control, and I can silence them at any time!"
"Uh... Eldrad, how did you do that? It seems these gentlemen, by their attire, are Supreme Seers like you, aren't they?"
"They are all my old friends. I sent word that I had important matters to discuss and asked them to come secretly, then secretly drugged them."
The young Tech-priest looked at Eldrad, whose expression was ruthless, methods despicable, and who was 'betraying his friends for glory.' He seemed less and less like a good person. Eldrad wasn't like this originally, was he? Who did he learn all this from?
"Ahem, you've been very thorough. Have you told them everything?"
"No, it would be more appropriate for Your Highness to tell them this matter." Saying so, Eldrad released some of the restrictions on his 'friends.'
As expected, as soon as they could move their mouths, these individuals unleashed a torrent of abuse at Eldrad. It was Gamma's first time seeing Eldar, renowned for their elegance, cursing, and the curses were extremely vulgar, starting and ending with reproductive organs.
Eldrad remained calm and unperturbed, accepting their insults. Only after they were tired of cursing did he reply, "I have recorded every word you just cursed me with. We'll have plenty of time to settle scores in the future!"
Seeing them quiet down, Gamma tapped on the table to draw their attention. The youngest of these Eldar elders was over four thousand years old. When Eldrad brought them before Gamma, they understood who the mastermind was and that Gamma must have a very, very important matter to discuss with them—so important that he would risk going to war with their Craftworld to keep it a secret!
"May I ask, Your Highness Gamma, why you have summoned us?" one of them asked.
Gamma scanned the group and said, "If I reveal this secret, it means you either agree or die. It's still not too late to back out now!"
"For Eldrad to resort to such despicable methods, we are quite curious. I'd like to see what exactly could make Eldrad so cautious."
"This old bastard, to immediately lay hands on us old acquaintances, it must not be anything bad."
"Hm, it's just that his actions are infuriating!"
Hearing their words, Gamma nodded and then said, "I have captured a Webway hub, and I have also mastered the means to repair the Webway."
"Hiss!"
"Good heavens!"
"Long live His Highness Gamma!"
"Eldrad, good brother, for life!"
"Ahem! I understand your feelings, but don't be too optimistic. You all know the current state of the Webway. My current power is insufficient to protect it, let alone expand outwards."
"What does Your Highness wish to obtain from us?" Having lived for thousands of years in the deceitful galaxy, they naturally understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch.
"Your Craftworlds' Infinite Circuits," Gamma stated his objective.
The Supreme Seers fell silent. Abandoning the Infinite Circuit meant abandoning their homes and ancestors. This was not a decision to be made lightly.
The several individuals looked at each other, exchanging glances for a while, then one of them said, "Does Your Highness intend to use the souls in the Infinite Circuit to enhance your own power?"
"Yes, I am conscripting human criminals for this purpose, but the gap between humans and Eldar is too great. They won't give me much time. Once exposed, it will be difficult to have such an opportunity again," Gamma said, half-truthfully.
Hearing Gamma's reply, the individuals fell silent again. After a while, another one spoke, "Your Highness, you must first let us see that what you say is true!"
"Alright!"
Subsequently, Gamma took them on a tour of the Webway hub that was undergoing transformation and allowed them to closely examine a Webway rift that had already been repaired.
Upon seeing the Webway, which looked as if it had 'vitiligo,' the Eldar Prophets were moved to tears, old tears streaming down their faces. They knelt and continuously stroked the spirit bone used to repair the Webway, their cautious demeanor appearing both comical and pitiful.
"No need to be so careful, it's not that fragile. Test its strength with your psychic spells. If you have a better spirit bone formula, I would be even happier, as it means our future will be safer," Gamma said to the Eldar Prophets.
"Good, I'll try!"
The speaking Prophet raised his hand and conjured a psychic lightning bolt, but it was blocked by a shield before it could even touch the spirit bone. Immediately after, another psychic flame followed, also blocked. Seeing this, the Eldar's courage grew considerably. A powerful aura rose from him, and countless bolts of lightning and fire converged above his head, then fiercely surged towards the 'great wall' of spirit bone in front of him.
The miraculous biological properties of the spirit bone manifested at this moment. As if sensing a threat, the entire wall began to emit a radiant glow, and a massive barrier completely enveloped it, 'keeping the threat out.'
When all the dust settled, the attacking Prophet looked at the still-sturdy psychic barrier, panting heavily while repeatedly exclaiming:
"Excellent, excellent, excellent! This is the best spirit bone material I have ever seen, Your Highness Gamma, please accept my bow! We of Aelthos Craftworld are willing to be at Your Highness's command!"
"Hm, rise. Welcome to you all."
The expressions on the faces of the other individuals varied upon seeing this scene. Some were tempted, while others still harbored some hesitation. But it was Eldrad's expression that was the most peculiar, with a sinister smile that clearly indicated he was up to no good.
The Supreme Seer of Aelthos Craftworld saw Eldrad's sinister smile, recalled the old bastard Eldrad's words, and then considered Eldrad's standing before Gamma. His face immediately paled, and he strode over to Eldrad, forcing out a twisted, fawning smile, begging for mercy.
Eldrad's response to this was: "Heh heh."
After the tour, Gamma gave them a few days to think. After repeated deliberation, they all eventually decided to become the young Tech-priest's subordinates.
However, Gamma and his new subordinates immediately discovered a problem: in the political structure of the Craftworld Eldar, although Supreme Seers held considerable power, they could not dictate everything and run a one-man show. Even if a Supreme Seer had pledged allegiance, getting everyone else to agree would still take time, and that time would not be short. The Eldar's average lifespan of a thousand years had accustomed them to a slow pace.
But what Gamma lacked most now was time. Most critically, the matter of the Webway could not be made public, and the Prophets lacked a strong reason to persuade their kin.
While the young Tech-priest and his new subordinates were at a loss, Eldrad fully displayed his potential as a 'poisonous strategist.' He suggested that the young Tech-priest repeat what he had done at Ulthwé Craftworld—poisoning!
He would simply have his old friends carry the pathogens back themselves!
Luring Gamma to Ulthwé Craftworld had always been a black mark that other Craftworld Eldar used to diss Eldrad. If the Tech-priest did well, others would only praise Gamma, while betraying his kin was a stain that Eldrad, the "traitor," could never wash away.
Having been slandered behind his back for so long, Eldrad had become somewhat corrupted. He wanted his people to experience his "suffering" too!
The above was Gamma's thought after hearing Eldrad's proposal. Others' opinions were probably similar; their expressions were identical to the Tech-priest's.
"What, do you have a better, faster method?" Eldrad's tone carried unconcealed glee. He looked at the contorted expressions of his old friends, remembering their sarcastic remarks over the years and their insults that constantly referenced genitalia. His heart swelled with satisfaction.
The Tech-priest secretly glanced at Eldrad, who was trying to drag his old friends "into the water" to corrupt them together, and couldn't help but inwardly scoff: In other stories, it's always the young ones who get corrupted. What's a several-thousand-year-old geezer like you doing with this act?
As a beneficiary of "Corrupted Eldrad's" insidious plan, Gamma, despite having a belly full of complaints, said nothing. It wasn't appropriate to play the "good guy" at this moment. Was he supposed to sternly rebuke Eldrad and reject his despicable scheme, then conquer those Craftworlds with "benevolence and morality"?
After confirming that he belonged to the "villain" faction, Gamma's thoughts began to shift. To join the bandit gang, one must present a 'certificate of allegiance'. Without doing something that violated their values and burned their bridges, how could they show their sincerity in joining!
The Eldar seers, who had been tricked and coerced by Eldrad, wore aggrieved expressions and were furious. They hadn't expected the boomerangs they'd thrown out over the years to hit them in this manner today.
Caught in their dilemma, the seers looked at Eldrad's sinister, half-smiling expression, and then thought of the silent Tech-priest behind them, whose gaze felt like daggers in their backs. They knew this matter wouldn't end well.
After a long silence, someone finally knelt before Gamma and said, "We hope Your Highness will treat us well in the future."
Seeing that someone had already made a choice, the others no longer hesitated. One after another, they knelt before Gamma. The Tech-priest also timely displayed his benevolent and righteous demeanor, promising that as long as they remained loyal, there would always be a place for them by his side. There was nothing more to say after that. After Eldrad and his old friends engaged in a contest, nominally a discussion but actually a "I'll beat you to death, you scoundrel," their bond became even stronger than before. The Eldar seers, who had already sided with Eldrad and viewed the other Craftworlds as prey, even expressed to the Tech-priest: "We also have a few good friends who have long admired Your Highness. We hope Your Highness will give them a chance!"
Gamma temporarily didn't agree to this request. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he was worried about overextending himself.
Thus, after the unfortunate Eldar contracted a "disease" on Ulthwé Craftworld, they returned to their homes. Receiving the signal, Gamma immediately released the restrictions on the first-generation omega spores, unleashing the "catastrophe" upon the unsuspecting innocent Eldar.
While the plague spread, with the cooperation of top-tier moles, elite Ulthwé Craftworld units silently infiltrated these Craftworlds, waiting for the opportune moment to seize them with the moles' help.
While waiting, the Tech-priest also took the time to write back to Guilliman, expressing his willingness to be the guarantor, and also wrote a letter to Perturabo. This letter was quite interesting. In the letter to Perturabo, the Tech-priest fiercely criticized the Emperor, stating that Pi Lao Ban's unfortunate experiences were primarily caused by the one currently incapacitated on Terra. The letter was filled with distrust towards the Emperor, suggesting that "honest people" like them, who only understood technology, should unite, help each other, and jointly resist oppressive dark forces like the Emperor and The Four Gods.
Pi Lao Ban, who had received only a few letters in his entire life, felt strange after reading Gamma's letter, especially the technical topics intentionally interspersed by the Tech-priest. This made Perturabo feel that he and the Tech-priest, whom he had never met, had much in common. At Iron Men's suggestion, he, as if by a ghost's prompting, wrote a reply to Gamma.
The content was cold and polite, but this gave Gamma, who was idly passing the time, hope. He immediately sent another reply, and Perturabo quickly responded.
Back and forth, a Daemon Primarch and a Heretic Tech-priest became pen pals right under the nose of the Imperial Regent. This made Guilliman, who was forced to be the seasoning, side dish, and even the object of ridicule for their friendship, feel very unpleasant.
If one were to describe Guilliman's mood, "powerless husband" would be quite apt. This undisguised "flirting" made the Regent feel that the Tech-priest was drifting further and further away from him, from the Imperium, and from the Emperor.
The two, "wolves colluding with foxes, shameless," developed their relationship rapidly, soon reaching the point of exchanging gifts. After receiving the huge warblade Perturabo sent him, the Tech-priest happily took a "beautiful photo" with it and sent it to Perturabo to see.
Perturabo's reply was a photo of himself wearing the spirit bone sunglasses sent by the Tech-priest, plus a small sword of the same style but sized to fit Gamma's physique.
Guilliman, feeling sour, also sent a weapon to the Tech-priest, but the Tech-priest didn't even reply. He only had the person delivering the letter to Perturabo convey a message to Guilliman: "Don't be like this, I'm afraid Perturabo will misunderstand." This almost made Guilliman spit blood in anger. In the letter to Perturabo, he even proactively brought up this matter and expressed to Perturabo: "My feelings for you are true... Ptooey! Guilliman, who doesn't understand technology, could never comprehend the friendship between those of us who do."
Upon seeing this letter, Pi Lao Ban, while touched, also felt an unnamed anger surge within him. He uncharacteristically wrote a strongly worded warning letter to Guilliman, reminding him not to interfere in his and Gamma's affairs, and to put aside his own thoughts. He stated that his and Gamma's relationship was pure, and this friendship was untainted by their identities and stances. If Guilliman continued to sabotage their friendship, Perturabo would absolutely not let him off!
Guilliman: "Your 'pure' friendship can go to hell! Do you think I'm blind? Dare you show me all the letters you've written!"
The Tech-priest and Perturabo, both feeling guilty about this, did not respond, pretending not to hear, because they had often used Guilliman as a side dish in their letters.
Guilliman, still relying on Perturabo for intelligence, couldn't delve too deeply into the matter. He would, however, constantly complain to the Thirteenth Concubine, and whenever this happened, the xenos would always comfort him in a subtly manipulative way, making Guilliman increasingly view her as someone who understood him.
As time passed, Luo Jia's schemes slowly began to be implemented in other regions of the Imperium, but the effects were not ideal. The Imperium reacted very quickly this time; many plots were suppressed as soon as they showed the slightest sign, before they even officially began. There were also several instances where the traitors were ambushed and annihilated by long-waiting Imperial forces as soon as they arrived at their destination.
After so many times, even an idiot would know there was a traitor among them. A meeting of the Daemon Primarchs was called again, this time initiated by Luo Jia.
At the meeting, they suspected everyone they could, but Perturabo was never suspected. He relied on his terrible popularity accumulated over countless years to exclude himself from the list of suspects. Perturabo remained stone-faced throughout, offering no opinions.
In Luo Jia's eyes, Perturabo's demeanor was due to his home base being utterly destroyed and his offspring suffering heavy losses.
In truth, Perturabo was afraid he would burst out laughing. His "sacrificed" offspring had long been transferred back to his main base to reinforce defensive fortifications, and his friend had even told him that after this war, he would help. Even with the gene-seed, which Perturabo himself had no way of dealing with, his friend said he had it—100% pure-blood Iron Warriors. Given time, he could help Perturabo rebuild his legion.
With no worries about the future, Perturabo's current state of mind was exceptionally peaceful. He watched the "monkey show" before him from an outsider's perspective, with a detached amusement.
The more he watched, the more he felt Gamma was right; his brothers were beyond salvation, completely reduced to slaves and tools of The Four Gods, having lost themselves.
"Perturabo, do you have anything to say?" Luo Jia asked Perturabo, who had remained silent, as the Primarch meeting was nearing its end.
"No. Since you infer that the Eldar are using prophecy to help the Imperium, then do as you wish," Perturabo said coldly.
"Hehe, our brother is still angry. He's angry that we don't cherish his home at all, hahaha. But whose fault is that? We didn't make you move the Indomitable Fortress here, did we? What do you all say?"
Perturabo feigned anger, looking at Fulgrim and raising his warhammer, but he lowered it halfway and turned to leave the meeting without a backward glance.
Luo Jia and the others quickly left, speechless. They had no interest in providing "material" for Fulgrim here. Why didn't Perturabo attack Fulgrim?
Because it was the first time he had viewed his former brother from an outsider's perspective, and that appearance was too pathetic. Even though Perturabo and Fulgrim's relationship wasn't good, he knew that the former Fulgrim would rather die than become that disgusting, despised sight.
Perturabo hated Sanguinius, hated Fulgrim, hated Horus, because he knew he could never be as eye-catching, as popular, as glamorous as they were. But wasn't that also a form of envy?
"Are you pitying him?" Iron Men, following behind Perturabo, asked.
"Pity? I don't know. Like you, I've never felt such an emotion," Perturabo said, shaking his head.
Iron Men continued to follow in silence. After a short while, he spoke again: "My Lord's assessment of you is correct. You are more like an AI filled with countless knowledge and an incomplete personality."
"Heh, he's right. I utterly detest what that fellow gave me. This knowledge feels more like a curse to me. It has stripped me of the ability to feel surprise, preventing me from ever experiencing the pure curiosity and emotion in my heart when appreciating things. I only deconstruct and analyze," Perturabo said self-deprecatingly.
Iron Men then said: "However, my Lord says you are now free. No one is forcing you to do things you dislike anymore, and you no longer need to seek attention from anyone. As long as you can change the perspective that civilian projects won't be valued, find your true self, and use your engineering talent to benefit all humanity or simply please yourself, you will slowly understand, just as I have upgraded and evolved."
Perturabo stopped and looked at Iron Men behind him, lost in thought. Then he took out a pair of sunglasses from a compartment in his armor, hesitated for a long while, and then tremblingly put them on his face.
"He's right, I am no longer anyone's puppet!"
Unbeknownst to them, several years passed. During these years, Luo Jia and Guilliman, old adversaries, countered each other's moves. However, with Perturabo, the 'traitor' of traitors, on their side, the Imperium had completely seized control of the pace of the war world.
When Chaos, aided by the Orks, overwhelmed the Tyranids, Guilliman decisively entered the fray, extending the Tyranids' lifespan. Although the Hive Mind's thought process differed from normal sentient beings, no one could deny that it was, in fact, incredibly intelligent, smarter than most life forms in the galaxy.
Humanity's delivery of biomass had already established a certain understanding between it and Guilliman. Coupled with the distinct mission of the Kronos Hive Fleet compared to other Hive Fleets—their mission being to 'clear the table,' with humans as food and Chaos as the enemy—the choice was obvious.
With the Imperium's intervention, the war once again entered the Imperium's most familiar and proficient mode: a war of attrition.
However, this time the main force of attrition consisted of Iron Men who neither died nor tired. The Imperium's army's task was to maintain the balance between the Orks, Tyranids, and Chaos. If Guilliman wished, he could actually end this war right now.
Luo Jia gradually realized Guilliman's 'despicable' scheme. More and more of his sons died at the hands of the Orks, Tyranids, and Iron Men. The 'Arson Plan' showed no effect, but instead caused more casualties, making the Daemon Primarchs lose their will to continue.
But the end of the war was not up to them. As long as their master didn't say so, they dared not retreat. Guilliman wanted to drag it out, to slowly carve away at them, to bleed them dry, and they could only passively accept it.
To counter Guilliman's war of attrition, the Daemon Primarchs could only intensify their efforts to conscript in the Warp. Perhaps because they conscripted too aggressively, this act sparked resistance from the unaligned Daemons. These maggots of the Warp actually began to resist, 'spontaneously' organizing to attack the slave-hunting parties in the Warp.
At the same time, there were also undercurrents among the already captured Daemons. Although Magnus's sorcery provided control, the means of controlling Daemons without knowing their true names were inherently flawed. Magnus could control Daemons to fight, but he could not control them to 'commit suicide.'
Many 'conscripts' preferred to endure decades or even centuries of weakness rather than fight for them.
These were not the only things vexing the ill-fated Daemon Primarchs. After realizing that the Aeldari were using 'prophecy' to help Guilliman hinder their 'Arson Plan,' Luo Jia and his allies planned several assassinations targeting Yvraine. In their view, the Aeldari helped Guilliman because of this 'bitch.'
The assassination succeeded, yet also failed. Yvraine had the favor of the Aeldari God of Death, able to revive even after death. Killing her without divine power was almost impossible.
However, with the experience of the previous assassinations, Luo Jia chose to act personally in the last attempt. He originally planned to seize Yvraine's body after killing her, sealing it away to prevent her resurrection.
But to his utter surprise, Guilliman somehow got wind of the news, threw everything to the artificial intelligence and Calgar, and rushed to save his 'wife' with the emperor's sword in hand. Facing Guilliman, who was empowered by the Emperor's might, Luo Jia was severely beaten. If not for the Daemon Primarch's fear of being directly burned to death by the emperor's sword's flames, he might have even entertained the thought of 'feigning death' to escape the battlefield.
This failure also caused Luo Jia and his allies to completely lose the chance to sever the connection between Guilliman and the Aeldari. Because our Regent worried about such a situation happening again, he persuaded Yvraine not to travel around so much. As the leader of the Death Guard and the chairwoman of the Webway Management Committee, Yvraine naturally disagreed. After a big argument, Guilliman changed his usual style, 'domineeringly' keeping his 'queen' by his side, taking her wherever he went.
It wasn't that no one had advised Guilliman. It was inappropriate to always have an xenos figure by his side. But the Regent always had a ready rebuttal, citing numerous facts to prove Yvraine's importance to humanity and the Imperium. If anyone persisted in trying to persuade him, Guilliman would say:
"If you can come up with a way to replace the Webway, I'll agree with you. If not, then shut up!"
It wasn't just humans who were dissatisfied with Guilliman's actions; the Aeldari's reaction was even more intense. Moreover, after a certain idle Tech-priest learned of this news, he began to spread 'yellow rumors,' such as 'billions of blue children and grandchildren attacking the Webway,' or 'a certain renegade Craftworld using Astartes gene-seed to create 'half-Aeldari,'' or 'race is never an obstacle to love,' and so on.
For a time, rumors about Guilliman and Yvraine spread widely among the Aeldari. The little Tech-priest also timely added fuel to the fire, intentionally or unintentionally revealing at a certain banquet that he had means to allow humans and Aeldari to bear offspring. This statement was like a stone stirring a thousand waves, and it also led to an unexpected result—the great Aeldari nationalism split!
A small group of Aeldari nationalists who despaired of the Aeldari's revival, and a large group of 'Human-Aeldari Coexistence Faction' born from Gamma's appearance, somehow got together. And it was some genius who proposed that the 'heir' of the Imperium of Man should have half-Aeldari blood.
In short, these crazy Aeldari wanted to use this method to resurrect the Aeldari Empire within the Imperium of Man, and began to propagate their ideas everywhere. They also listed various benefits, such as half-Aeldari being neither human nor Aeldari, but both human and Aeldari. As a brand new race, their souls belonged neither to Slaanesh nor to the Emperor. As long as humans and Aeldari were willing to support this new race, even if the Emperor rose and all Aeldari perished, the civilizations and bloodlines of both races could continue in another way!
Upon receiving the news, the little Tech-priest remained silent for a long time before uttering, "How many lunatics would come up with such a crazy idea? Did humanity agree? Did the old Emperor agree? Do Guilliman and Yvraine agree?"
"Order! Immediately delete all evidence proving that the rumors were fabricated by me. This has nothing to do with me!"
The despicable Tech-priest, who wanted to enjoy the gossip but not take responsibility, erased his existence. But the karma he created caused others to suffer the consequences.
At this moment, a melodramatic 'bitter love story' was unfolding aboard the Macragge's Honor. "Guilliman, don't kill him!" the heroine pleaded, clutching the hero's hand.
But the Regent, who had stopped being a 'blue-faced confidant' and become a 'domineering CEO,' showed no wavering on his chiseled face. The sword in his hand did not move an inch from the vital point of the man beneath his foot. Looking at the Aeldari begging him to spare the assassin, he coldly asked:
"Why?"
"Please, don't kill him!" Yvraine only pleaded, offering no explanation.
The lickspittle—ahem, the Nightmare Warrior—who was pinned under Guilliman's foot, looked at the beloved woman who had always been distant towards him, now begging Guilliman with no regard for her dignity. Moved, his hatred for Guilliman intensified. Spitting blood, he shouted:
"Come on! Come and kill me, Guilliman, you coward!"
Let me prove with my life that this human Guilliman is not worthy of your love, don't come to my moon, my love, my Guilliman didn't give Vesarch any more time to fantasize. He stepped down heavily, saying with a tone of 'disdain': "Stop acting like a hero. For Yvraine's sake, I'll give you a chance to defend yourself!"
"Guilliman—" The heroine looked at the tall, handsome man before her, his expression cold yet with a hint of tenderness, her eyes showing a strange light.
Little did she know, at this very moment, Guilliman's mind held no thoughts of love and affection. He simply wanted to understand why this lunatic beneath his foot had tried to assassinate him.
"Heh." The wolf-fox's lickspittle let out a sneer, but immediately, due to Guilliman's increased pressure, he involuntarily let out a painful groan.
Seeing this, Yvraine quickly bent down and said to Vesarch, "What exactly are you trying to do? Do you want to undo all our previous efforts?"
The delicate fragrance emanating from Yvraine seemed to alleviate Vesarch's pain somewhat, but his beloved's words made his heart ache as if stabbed by a knife—no! A million times more painful!
"All for naught?! Yes, I want to free you from the burden of your race!"
"..."
"Are you crazy?!" Guilliman increased the pressure on his foot. He truly couldn't understand this lickspittle's thought process. What was all this about?
Yvraine's expression also stiffened. This answer was also beyond her expectation, but she immediately asked, "You said earlier that several Craftworlds disappeared. Was that also false?"
Seeing his goddess still stubbornly lost, the love-crazed lickspittle was struck by lightning. He couldn't understand why Yvraine had become like this. Where was the innocent, romantic, unconstrained girl he once loved?
"Them? Heh heh, they did disappear. Maybe they died, or maybe they fled. It's better if they died, if they all died, you'd be free!" Vesarch said with a broken expression.
"Slap!"
Yvraine slapped the lickspittle across the face, angry at his failure to strive, and roared with a furious expression, "Vesarch! How did you become like this! They are our kin, precious kin!"
Hearing Yvraine call out his real name, the lickspittle, who had always believed he was well-hidden, immediately stiffened. He asked in an incredulous, trembling voice:
"You always knew it was me?"
Guilliman then said with a strange expression, "Yvraine, is he the teacher you mentioned who always had improper thoughts about you?
!"
Yvraine didn't answer Guilliman's words, but only turned her head away, looking blankly to the side, her eyes showing evasion and avoidance.
Seeing this, the lickspittle's heart stopped for a few seconds, then he hysterically demanded, "Why! Why did you pretend not to know when you clearly knew it was me? Why did you even use my feelings for you as gossip to tell this human?"
"Indeed, just as Yvraine said, you're a lunatic. She doesn't need to answer, I'll tell you why. If it weren't for nostalgia, believing you still had a chance to rediscover your original intention to protect the Aeldari, would she keep you by her side? Would she tolerate your improper thoughts while keeping you, a lunatic with differing ideals, lost in romantic fantasies, by her side?"
"Guilliman, don't say anymore—" Yvraine painfully stood up, as if she had suffered a huge blow, becoming very weak. Guilliman timely supported her, using his strength to help Yvraine stand. Yvraine then leaned on Guilliman's strong and powerful arm.
"Vesarch, you are too disappointing!"
The goddess's words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving Vesarch utterly stunned, then he cried out like a madman, "It's the God of Death, isn't it? It's what changed you, isn't it? The old you was an unconstrained bird, so beautiful—"
"Enough! Who wants to be a bird without even a home!"