Warhammer: Don't Call Me the God of All Machines

Chapter 712 Interlude: Dantioch's Immortality

Extreme star field, Sosa Star.

Warsmith Barabas Dantioch opened his eyes on time, like a programmed machine.

He turned over and sat up, ending two hours of deep sleep.

Even for an Astartes with ganglion-modified organs, two hours of sleep a day is too little.

Normally, an Astartes in a non-combat state also needs four hours of deep sleep.

Of course, even when they are sleeping, they can keep their brains awake and respond appropriately to the external environment.

But Dantioch was different from the other Astartes.

When he was still loyal to Perturabo, Dantioch led his army to fight against the Hrud aliens, but the legion suffered heavy losses under the attack of this mysterious alien.

Even the Warsmith himself was struck by the entropic weapon, instantly aging by three thousand Terran years.

Although the lifespan of Astartes remains a mystery to this day.

Since the Emperor created this extraordinary genetically engineered warrior, no Astartes has died of old age.

"Perhaps I am the first Astartes to die of old age." Dantioch said self-deprecatingly.

Dantioch's room was extremely simple. Apart from a steel bed that was just big enough to accommodate his body and a bookshelf with hundreds of physical books, there was only a small candlestick.

Dozens of sacred candles are lit on the candlesticks, and a golden incense burner in the center is emitting a peaceful fragrance.

The emperor's portrait was hung on the candlestick, accepting offerings.

The face of the Lord of Mankind was shrouded in a hazy divine light; only his holy True One Armor and the blazing Emperor's Sword could be seen.

Dantioch took off his helmet, revealing a face full of wrinkles and scars.

After being exiled and punished by the Gene-Father, Dantioch branded a molten iron mask on his own face.

He must remind himself to never forget the shame brought to them by the Father of Genes.

However, after the great rebellion started by Horus was extinguished, Dantioch heard that Perturabo was captured by Dorn himself, so he asked the sage of the Mechanicus to remove his iron mask.

But he did not accept the rejuvenation surgery suggested by the Mechanicus Sage. Although it could not change his aging body, it could at least restore his former appearance.

Dantioch accepts his own appearance unconditionally. The iron warrior, made of steel inside and out, needs no false embellishment.

The Warsmith prayed devoutly to the Emperor's holy icon. He could feel the Lord of Mankind watching him silently.

It is now the 30th year since the Lord of Mankind once again ascended the Golden Throne.

Dantioch was deeply saddened that humanity had once again lost its Emperor, the greatest and most outstanding human being in the world, who had dedicated everything to his race.

"I often regret that I missed that war, that I was not able to stand before my genetic father and rebuke and ridicule his stupidity and weakness.

I failed to stand before the Emperor and protect him, and that is my fault."

Although he had already broken with his own legion and parted ways, the crimes committed by the Fourth Legion still made him feel heartbroken.

How ironic that the Emperor's steel betrayed him.

Dantioch's breathing began to become rapid, not only because his heart was suffering from the same torment for thirty years, but also because his body had become so weak that he could not leave the power armor.

All three of his lungs had failed. If it weren't for the power armor that could assist his breathing and keep his vital systems functioning, he would have died long ago.

"But I can't die now. I still need a little more time."

"Whatever steel remains within this old, shattered armor of mine, it will fight for the Empire."

Dantioch put on the old Mark IV tactical helmet again, and the oxygen supply system started, allowing him to recover from the state of mild asphyxiation and shock.

"I once promised Lord Roboute Guilliman that I would uncover the secret of the Pharos."

"This Necrons' technological beacon illuminates the galaxy through pure physics."

"Now that the Emperor sits upon the Golden Throne, should the Astronomican ever fail again, the beacon of the Pharos will burn brightly as it did in the past."

Dantioch said resolutely.

Ever since he used the Pharos Lighthouse to rally the lost Imperial Loyalists during the Ruinstorm, he has remained on the remote planet of Sotha.

As he had mentioned to his close friend, Pollux, of the Imperial Fists, he was too old to make much of a contribution during the Siege of Terra.

The best option for him to realize his own value is to completely defeat Fallows.

Dantioch missed his outsized friend, the close bond they shared, proving that even the Imperial Fists and the Iron Warriors could coexist peacefully.

This shouldn't be the case between the two legions. We are all warriors of the Emperor, so why should we regard each other as mortal enemies?

All this stemmed from Perturabo's ridiculous jealousy.

Dantioch left his room, and in the corridors and halls, all kinds of mortal servants were busy.

Many of them were descendants of the natives of Sosa, ancestors whom Dantioch had seen before, and now those who had aged had passed on their responsibilities to their descendants.

The War Blacksmith couldn't help but feel a little dazed. If he died of old age, who would be the one to take over his responsibilities?
Dantioch did not like to talk much, so he seemed to ignore the busy mortals.

However, his steps were light, and he deliberately avoided those areas that had already been cleaned so as not to increase the workload of the mortal servants.

Several mortal servants who were only in their teens looked at Dantioch's back with a little curiosity.

They all noticed that this strange Astartes was different from the Ultramarines wearing cobalt blue power armor.

The Ultramarines' power armour was awe-inspiring: the finely polished cobalt-blue coating gleamed in the sunlight, their voluminous cloaks fluttered gently, and the green laurel wreaths adorning their tactical helmets shone brightly.

These Sosa children had never seen such a magnificent warrior.

In comparison, Dantioch's armor looked old and worn, with even the paint on the surface peeling off, revealing the base metal color.

It looks like scrap salvaged from a garbage dump.

In this research base nestled in the mountains of Pharos, there is only one Iron Warrior, Dantioch.

The Astartes of the 199th Ultramarines Company are stationed here. They are Sosa's Aegis, adhering to the Primarch's orders and carrying out their guarding missions day after day and year after year.

As Dantioch walked past them, the Ultramarines greeted him with respect.

They all knew who had broken the deadlock when the Five Hundred Worlds were besieged by the Storm of Destruction more than thirty years ago.

"Sir, Captain Opal Day told us that he hopes you can take some time to visit him."

"He has something important to convey to you."

Dantioch was suddenly stunned. Could something major have happened in the empire again?
He decided to temporarily put aside the work of cracking the Lighthouse of Pharos. As of today, Dantioch has completed the analysis of 99% of this alien artifact.

Only the final energy source remains to be discovered.

The Necrons used a special hypercube maze to cover the energy source, but they were able to continuously release energy to supply the lighthouse.

Dantioch felt that he had touched the most critical point and was only one step away from success.

But he may not be able to see through this finishing blow until his death.

Led by the guards, the War Blacksmith went to the monastery where the 199th Company's headquarters was located.

"Is there something going on in Terra, Opaldai?" Dantioch said directly without any unnecessary greetings or pleasantries.

Opal Day is a standard extreme warrior. His short black hair and three-dimensional facial features make him handsome.

Guilliman's offspring all look good. Although they are not as good-looking as the offspring of Sanguinius and Fulgrim, they have a kind of decent and generous beauty.

"No big deal." Opal Day said with a smile.

"Our Gene-Father has been staying in Holy Terra, handling the paperwork that has filled up the mountains and seas, while also promoting the reform of the empire."

"Although the presence of Lord Guilliman brings greater stability and security to the Empire, it is a torment for those of us in the Five Hundred Worlds."

Opaldai's tone revealed bitterness. They, the Extreme Warriors, really wanted to see their father, but no one could leave Sosa because of their duties.

"With Lord Guilliman in charge, there's no need to worry about any major problems arising in the Empire."

Dantioch said with great certainty.

Sometimes he even envied these Ultramarines brothers, who had an extremely outstanding father who loved his children.

"I called you here this time because I want to tell you something." Opal Day paused and sorted out his words.

"At the end of the Siege of Terra, the Fourth Legion's commander, Fricks the Citybreaker, was forced to surrender after the Lion King blocked his retreat."

"And after the war, the Primarchs unanimously decided to give fair trials to the rebels whose hands were stained with the blood of too many loyalists."

"Those Iron Warriors who had committed heinous crimes and had completely fallen into Chaos were killed directly, and even their gene-seed was completely destroyed."

"These beasts are not worthy of inheriting their gene seeds."

"Those Iron Warriors whose hands were stained with blood but who had not fallen into the corruption of Chaos were organized into a legion of atonement, launching a crusade of atonement against other rebel forces."

As Opal Dai told the former Iron Warrior warsmith about the situation outside, he was still observing the other party's emotional changes.

But Dantioch was still like a piece of cold steel, without any abnormality.

He was silent for two seconds, then continued.

"Lord Guilliman is still too merciful."

"If it were me, I would kill all the prisoners immediately and eliminate any threat, rather than launching these atonement expeditions."

Opal Dai was also slightly surprised. He still underestimated this war blacksmith.

"Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty. Even the crusade of atonement cannot wash away their sins."

"Allowing them to die in atonement is already a merciful choice."

Opal Day tapped the wooden tabletop with his fingers. This planet, located on the edge of the Milky Way, was rich in trees of various materials. The hardness of the furniture in his office was comparable to that of ceramic steel.

"You are right. Our Gene Father is indeed kind. I have always been worried that this would hurt him."

"The Redemption Legion, formed from the Iron Warriors, arrived at the borders of the Five Hundred Worlds a year ago."

"The Shadow Crusade left behind countless interstellar pirates, remnants of the Traitor Legion, and even some alien races who took advantage of the situation to loot. They are scattered across the vast Ultramarine."

Upon hearing that a redemption expedition of Iron Warriors had arrived at the Five Hundred Worlds, Dantioch's body began to tremble uncontrollably.

With his iron will, he forced himself to remain calm.

Stay calm, Dantioch, and remember that you are made of steel both within and without.

He seemed to already know what Opal Day was going to say next.

"These Iron Warrior rebels were implanted with self-destructing bombs, and then, under the leadership of some loyal Iron Warriors, carried out extremely dangerous missions."

"And a loyal Iron Warrior commander, Kyle Varen, heard about your situation in Sotha, so he specifically requested a meeting with us through the Legion."

"This kid is not dead?" Dantioch suddenly exclaimed.

Kyle Valen was one of his few good friends in the Fourth Legion. He was the second company commander of the 77th Battalion of the Fourth Legion and was promoted to commander during the 11-year brutal war to suppress the aliens.

Later, Dantioch heard that after the outbreak of the Horus Heresy, Kyle Varen went to the world of Palamar V for supplies, and happened to run into Hydra, who came to capture the place on Horus' orders.

This Iron Warrior worked directly with the local garrison and the Mechanicus to deliver a head-on blow to the Alpha Legion.

However, in the end, Hydra occupied the world of Palamar 5 at a heavy price. Kel'Varren and other Iron Warriors disappeared without a trace after detonating the fortress.

"Yes, he is not dead." Opal Day confirmed.

Although he didn't like traitors like the Iron Warriors, they were one of the few traitors who remained loyal.

No Ultramarines would tarnish the loyalty of their brothers in the face of betrayal.

Even compared to those Astartes who are already loyal to the Legion, Kyle Varen, who is betrayed but still maintains his loyalty, is more worthy of admiration.

"Kyle Valen was seriously injured and in a state of suspended animation. If it weren't for the pharmacist's rescue, he would have died."

"When the Empire's counter-insurgency fleet arrived at the asteroid belt near the world of Palamar 5, they found their hidden warship and informed them of its current situation."

"Then, Kelvaren and an Iron Warrior named Qinon volunteered to monitor the veterans of the Fourth Legion from the Atonement Crusade to prevent them from betraying us again."

Dantioch had mixed feelings. He had originally thought that he was the only loyal member of the Fourth Legion left in the world.

Now hearing that Kyle Valen, Qinon and other battle brothers were still alive and still remained loyal, Dantioch was even more excited.

"Where are they? I want to see them."

Dantioch's heart was beating violently, and he felt a faint dizziness as if his head was swelling and congested.

His aging body could not bear such emotional fluctuations, so he injected a dose of sedative without hesitation and regained his composure.

"Their fleet is now in orbit over Sosa. I will tell them to send someone down to see you." Oberdai also admired Dantioch very much.

Dantioch remained loyal to the Emperor and humanity from beginning to end, and spent decades in Sotha, fulfilling his promise to Roboute Guilliman.

According to the chapter's apothecary, Dantioch's life flame could be extinguished at any time.

It wasn't due to trauma or a curse, it was simply because his body had aged to its limit.

Now he perseveres every day he lives with his incredible iron will.

Even the physical condition of an ordinary mortal is more optimistic than that of Dantioch.

Opal Day didn't know when this loyal warrior, who was truly made of steel inside and out, would be immortalized.

There wasn't much he could do, and allowing Dantioch and the other loyal battle-brothers to meet was the limit of what he could do within his authority.

As the 199th Company on the surface sent a permission signal to the Legion of Redemption in low-Earth orbit, the defense array on the orbital platform also began to shut down and turn.

Sosa holds an extremely important secret, and Guilliman has given the 199th the mission of guarding it, or perhaps destroying it before it is exposed.

The deck of a strike cruiser slowly opened, and a battle-hardened Stormbird assault landing craft was lowered.

Following the navigation beacon given by Opal Day, the Stormbird carrying Kyle Valen and Qinon slowly landed on the helipad near Mount Pharos.

Dantioch stood alone near the eye-catching yellow sign on the tarmac.

He raised his head, his spine cracking under the heavy burden, but he remained stubborn.

A Stormbird with the legion's emblem and number painted on it descended from the sky.

Dantioch didn't need to see the markings to recognize that this Sokaren Stormbird definitely came from the original Fourth Legion, but after being captured, it was given back to the Legion of Redemption for use.

The Iron Warriors favored this type of vehicle for its large crew capacity. This ancient vehicle could carry 50 Astartes or five Dreadnoughts of various sizes at once.

Dantioch hesitated for a moment and took off his tactical helmet again.

He wanted to see his brothers in the last moments of his life.

The support column under the Storm Bird opened and rested firmly on the eye-catching yellow mark on the ground.

Along with the hum of the hydraulic system, a burst of white steam rose up, and the heavy armored door bounced open and slammed heavily on the ground.

In this brief moment, Dantioch's heart, which had been tempered through thousands of trials and tribulations and was made of steel inside and out, seemed to stop beating.

When the heat-dissipating steam disappeared, a tall and burly iron warrior wearing heavy armor strode out.

Even though the opponent was wearing a helmet, there was still a fierce and tough aura coming towards him, as if he was a steel weapon that had been fighting fiercely on the battlefield and whose blood had not yet dried.

Beside him followed a taller Iron Warrior. The two stopped immediately after seeing Dantioch.

In response to Dantioch, they took off their helmets in unison.

Kelvaren had only one eye, and where his left eye stood was a hollow, with atrophied muscles deeply sunken, forming a rough scar.

Dense scars crisscrossed his face, and the missing corners of his lips exposed his white gums directly to the air. His expressionless face already looked like a grim smile.

The two Iron Warriors veterans looked at each other. They looked at each other quietly, and even remained silent for three minutes.

The Ultramarines stationed nearby temporarily evacuated their posts under the orders of Opal Dai.

This meeting belongs to the Iron Warriors.

"I knew you wouldn't die so easily, bastard."

"During that annihilation battle against the aliens, a fragment of an alien weapon was inserted into your chest. Without any treatment or pain relief, you fought for nine hours with your chest pierced."

The memories in Dantioch's mind came alive.

The brotherhood and the heroic ambition to sacrifice one's life all returned briefly.

"Yes, old man, I'm still alive."

"I, Kel'Varren the Broken Blade, will never die easily."

"Those damned traitors haven't been completely killed yet, I won't resign myself to this!"

The Iron Warrior who came from the Stormbird pounced on Dantioch and gave him a tight hug.

His strength was so great that it almost strangled Dantioch in half, including his armor.

All the nerves in Dantioch's body suddenly sounded an alarm, protesting against such brutal behavior.

However, the Warsmith didn't care at all. He hugged Kyle with all his strength, just like hugging his past self.

"Damn it, my body right now can't handle your brute force."

The old friends who had not seen each other for a long time finally let go of each other, and Dantioch's face had turned almost purple.

He couldn't stop coughing, like the sigh of the dying god.

Kyle also noticed the abnormality of his old friend, and his face was gloomy. That was the price they paid for the failure of their expedition against the Hrud.

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about the past. I hate nagging people the most." Dantioch waved his hand and then looked at another person beside him.

"Sir, it's been a long time since we last met." Qinong saluted.

He and Kelvaren are almost two extremes. Qinon is tall and handsome. He doesn't look like an Iron Warrior at all. Instead, he looks quite like those guys from the Blood Angels.

"I still remember you, lucky boy." Dantioch stared at Qinon for a long time.

"That bastard Perturabo wanted to kill you all, but because you were handsome and dashing, the Primarch took a fancy to you and you managed to escape."

Although it sounds a bit outrageous, everything Dantioch said is true.

The Fourth Legion inherited Perturabo's genetic characteristics. All the soldiers are short, strong and sturdy, which makes them extremely suitable for fighting in tough battles on the battlefield.

In a sense, being short, strong and sturdy objectively reduces the probability of being hit by a grenade.

Perturabo felt that it would be a pity to kill such a handsome and tall son, so he intervened and kept him.

"How is Felix?" Dantioch suddenly asked.

Maintaining long-term friendships is extremely difficult for the Iron Warriors.

Because their life cycle is too short, they often have to rely on quickly recruiting new soldiers to maintain the size of the legion.

When you just get to know someone and know his name, it is very likely that he will die in battle tomorrow.

High-ranking commanders like Dantioch, Fricks, and Kelvalen cherish each other's existence even more.

"Him?" Kelvaren gave a rare wry smile.

"According to the trial standards, Flix, as one of the Tridents, had commanded too many heavy and treacherous blows against the Empire. Even if he had a hundred heads, he wouldn't be able to withstand being chopped off."

"But Lord Guilliman, in recognition of his decision to surrender rather than fight to the bitter end, allowed him to lead a fleet of atonement ships and fight to the death without supplies."

"He's not dead yet, but he will be soon."

All three of them fell into silence.

Fricks had always been a loyal supporter of Perturabo, and he had no legitimate motivation to join the rebellion.

Just because the father of genes chose to betray, he followed suit and betrayed.

The three Iron Warriors just stood by the tarmac, chatting and talking as they did in the old days.

Their topics of conversation were unusually sporadic: from gossip about a certain battle-brother's embarrassing moments to cursing what a bastard Perturabo was, with curses and laughter ringing out incessantly.

Kelvalen did not mention how long Dantioch's body could hold out, and Dantioch did not mention how long he would take the remnants of the sinful Fourth Legion on an expedition of atonement.

Dantioch felt that he had never experienced such a relaxing and happy moment since the beginning of the Great Rebellion.

He can temporarily put aside his heavy responsibilities, put aside those extremely complex and profound problems, and enjoy the time with his brothers.

No war, no death, no Perturabo.

"That damned, twisted egomaniac is the one who caused the Iron Warriors to become what they are today," Dantioch cursed.

"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have become enemies with the Imperial Fists, and we wouldn't have been branded traitors."

"I'll tell you a secret." Kelvaren's ferocious face suddenly seemed to remember something and revealed an ugly smile.

The three of them put their heads together.

"I heard from some of my cousins in the Imperial Fists that they witnessed it with their own eyes on the battlefield of Terra. Perturabo was transformed into a suckling cub due to the temporal turbulence."

"It all started with the defeat of the Hrud Crusade. Besides you, Perturabo was also hit by the entropic rays."

"You've gotten older, and he's smaller now."

Dantioch's face became extremely strange, with surprise, panic, ecstasy, and disbelief mixed together, merging into an expression that was difficult to describe in words.

"Serves you right!" Dantioch cursed with a smile.

He laughed so hard that his lungs were almost squeezed dry, and then he stopped twitching all over.

The three of them chatted for a long time, so long that even the moon of Sousa climbed up into the sky.

They have never hated why time passes so quickly, so quickly that the beauty before their eyes seems to disappear in the blink of an eye.

"We are leaving. The Atonement Crusade will not end until all of us are dead."

Kelvalen said to Dantioch.

They still have a mission to complete and cannot stay for too long.

He patted his old friend on the shoulder, then returned to the cockpit of the Stormbird without any regrets.

Qinong bowed to the old senior again and followed him away.

As the monitors of the Iron Warriors Atonement Expeditionary Fleet, the two of them should not have left the battleship. It was Opal Day who made an exception and allowed them to reunite briefly.

They were very grateful to this understanding son of Guilliman. If it were any other legion, they would definitely not agree to such a thing.

The Ultramarines are the most humane of all the Legionaries.

However, these warriors who experienced the Horus Heresy and survived to this day are able to meet each other again, which is enough for them to have no regrets in their lives.

In this war that affects the entire galaxy, everyone is drifting like duckweed, and personal destiny is too insignificant compared to the fate of the galaxy.

Dantioch watched as the engine beam at the Stormbird's tail gradually shrank and disappeared into the sky.

"It's time to continue my research. The secret of the Pharos Lighthouse must be in the hands of humans."

Dantioch walked towards the caves at the top of Mount Pharos.

He didn't wear a helmet or turn on the flashlight. He had walked this road countless times over the decades and knew every rock here by heart.

The strong wind from Mount Pharos blew across his face, and from his withered nostrils, it violently rushed into his lungs, which had long lost their vitality.

Dantioch remembered how Guilliman had earnestly pleaded with him to light the Pharos over thirty years ago.

In a trance, he felt that his soul seemed to break free from his old body and enter a mysterious state.

"He" watched his body come to the gate of the Pharos Cave, and then entered it through the genetic recognition system.

Dantioch knew that there was a phenomenon in Pharos called "Mountain Dreams". People who encountered Mountain Dreams would experience scenes from their own or other people's past.

But he didn't believe that he, who had studied the Pharos Lighthouse for decades, would enter this state.

His body entered the cave, and following his inner intuition, he gradually went deeper into the bottom energy source of the entire Pharos Lighthouse system.

This was also the only part he didn't understand—a huge energy source that could output infinitely.

It is shrouded in an ancient hypercube maze, and a voice within it keeps muttering, calling out Dantioch's name.

“Come…come…”

"Danti...Ok..."

The Warsmith watched as his body moved closer and closer to the hypercube maze, and even entered it directly.

Over the years, he has been curious about this, but never dared to go in and find out.

But now, Dantioch felt that his life candle had reached its final moment and he might run out of energy at any time.

He had no time to hesitate.

Thinking of this, Dantioch hardened his heart and rushed into the depths of the hypercube maze in this soul form.

(End of this chapter)