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

Chapter 799 The Dark King
"I just had a strange feeling, like something bad has happened."

"This premonition is vague, but I am certain that it is real, and it is a major event that could endanger our lives."

Inside the church where the Grey Knights were attacking the cruiser, Qi Le, who was performing her daily prayers, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and up to the top of her head.

Qi Le felt as if she were soaking in the Fenris icy ocean, every pore of her body trembling.

For a psychic of her caliber, such a strong physical reaction is a harbinger of prophecy, an instinctive warning of the future.

Therefore, upon hearing her warning, Loken, Garo, and Judge Carter, who rushed over, all had serious expressions on their faces.

"Does that feeling still exist?" Carter asked in a deep voice.

"Tell me your feelings, the more detailed the better."

"We are now in the warp, a place teeming with unknown fears and home to some of humanity's eternal enemies."

Qi Le patiently sensed the situation again before confirming that the feeling of being watched had dissipated.

"Not now. Maybe those malicious beings have lost track of us." Qi Le's face was somewhat pale, and the back of her clothes was already soaked with cold sweat.

Hearing Qile's affirmative answer, Loken finally breathed a sigh of relief.

To ensure the secrecy of this operation, they did not bring many Grey Knights or the Inquisition's direct forces with them when they came out.

Therefore, if a battle breaks out in the warp, they will face an extremely passive situation.

"Should we immediately leave the subspace and jump back to the real universe?"
According to the star map, we are not too far from Macurag; we can go there for refuge first.

Judge Carter glanced quickly at the star map, confirmed the fleet's location, and then offered his advice.

The two Grey Knights left the decision to Qile.

In terms of psychic energy, neither of them was as strong as this emperor, a living saint, and in terms of the perception of danger, they were not as sensitive as Qi Le.

Just now, Qi Le sensed danger, but the two of them were completely unaware.

“No, let’s continue to Nostramore,” Qile said after thinking for a moment, making up her mind.

"As far as I know, after leaving Terra, Guilliman went directly to the front lines and did not return to Macurag."

"Furthermore, the Ultramarines have diverted a large number of troops to the Ghoul Star Front, so Macragge's defenses are not as strong as those on the front lines."

“Since those unknown malicious entities dared to attack me, their power must be considerable. If we go to Macurag now, we will only harm the civilians there.”

"In comparison, we should hurry up and head to Nostramamo for help."

Loken looked at Qile quietly, then asked:
"What are the chances of us being locked onto again in the warp? If they can lock onto you again soon, then we should leave the warp immediately and head to Macragge."

“You are important, Qile, more important than any of us. Even if it means bringing disaster to Macurag, we must save your life.”

“We are all willing to sacrifice ourselves to protect you. Your life is more important than all of our lives in this crisis of human faith.”

Loken's hoarse voice rang out, and Galo nodded in agreement; this was also his idea.

"The probability is probably not high." A slightly stiff smile appeared on Qi Le's face, easing the tense atmosphere.

“I have the Emperor’s protection. If they could find me so easily, they would have captured me by now.”

"If I'm not mistaken, they must have found the merchant fleet I used to be with."

The female judge revealed a knowing look, as if she already understood their fate.

"They were using psychic prophecy to find you. They predicted that you would appear on the Elephant, but they did not predict our appearance."

"If we haven't found you, then you may have already fallen into enemy hands."

Qi Le looked at the imperial statues carved on the walls of the warship church and understood that this was the guidance and help of the Lord of Mankind.

Although the emperor who sat on the golden throne no longer spoke, he protected his living saint in the unseen world in his own way.

With Qi Le's approval, the Inquisition's fleet continued its rapid advance, finally arriving in the Nostramo system thirteen Terra days later.

"Prepare for a subspace jump."

"Prepare for the impact."

The warship echoed with cold, mechanical sounds. A rift was torn in the curtain between the warp and the real universe, from which dreamlike, blue-purple ethereal energy poured out.

In this torrent, the Gray Knight Strike Cruiser, where Qi Le was located, also returned safely to the material world.

When the dim sun of Nostramas cast its faint light upon Qile, the living saint couldn't help but shed a single, pure tear.

She gazed at the sun for a long time with her own eyes.

"I hope I can find the power to set things right here," Qi Le sighed.

During her time in the subspace, Qi Le pieced together a jigsaw puzzle of information: the unknown enemies she encountered and the imperial tarot reading she gave to Loken.

She seemed to suddenly understand why Terra had undergone such a dramatic change in such a short time.

However, this conjecture made her hesitant to actually believe it.

The appearance of the Tribunal fleet immediately triggered a defense alert in the Nostramo system.

Large convoys of garrison fleets arrived from all directions, demanding that this unfamiliar fleet immediately cease all operations.

Today, the Nostramo system has long since become an important logistics base and transit station.

Since the victory in the Battle of Skullcrusher, humanity has opened a wound in the Greenskin Empire and can take advantage of this to invade their heartland in the Ghoul Cluster.

A large number of warships stationed in the Nostramo system launched an attack on the interior of the Ghoul Cluster.

The Lord of Fire Dragons and his offspring took the lead, shouldering the responsibility of being the vanguard.

Guilliman, on the other hand, was taking a break after a major battle with Bloodhowl Zach.

The vast galaxy, once teeming with countless space warships, has been reduced by more than half, but in the eyes of Qi Le and the others, it still appears as an uncountable number of warships.

However, these space forces are merely a tiny fraction of the colossal human empire.

The empire was so vast that most of the galaxy was under human control, while its vast fleet of warships and armies were scattered across various regions.

Judge Carter voluntarily submitted the warship's keel number and his own court identification code to the other party.

The Inquisition dared to put on airs with traveling merchants and ronin, but it would never dare to put on airs with these Astartes legions.

Moreover, the court internally perceived the Eighth Legion as extremely dangerous and at high risk of rebellion.

After Nostramo's garrison conducted the verification process, they also learned the origin of this unfamiliar fleet.

It was strange that the court came to Nostramore, but it wasn't entirely inexplicable, given that it was the front line of the war.

After confirming that the other party was not a disguised enemy, the previously tense guard fleet turned its guns around and guided them toward the starship spaceport.

"We are safe now."

"No matter who the enemy is, as long as we are here, they cannot do anything to us."

Looking at the densely packed legion warships, Loken felt even more confident.

Although he is no longer a soldier of the Legion, he still knows that the Astartes Legion is the safest place in the universe, second only to the Imperial Palace.

In this cold, dark universe, only these massive war machines, and the valiant warriors they carry, can bring a sliver of warmth and security.

The Grey Knights' strike cruisers docked at the spaceport, and soon automated supply ships approached the deck to provide them with supplies and ship repair services.

Countless robotic arms inspected the surface deck of the warship, occasionally flashing blinding welding sparks.

Along with the supply ship came a search party from the Midnight Lords.

These warriors, skilled at concealing themselves in the shadows, will scrutinize any unfamiliar warships entering the Nostramo system.

Verifying the dragon bone code is only the first step; the next step is to check for chaos contamination and the potential presence of green-skinned orc breeding spores.

The situation in Nostrama is complicated; there are too many enemies eyeing humanity, forcing them to proceed with extreme caution.

Led by mortal auxiliary troops loyal to the Night Lords, a squad of original Night Lords, clad in Star-type Terminator armor and towering a head taller than the original Astartes, boarded the strike cruiser one by one.

They had learned that the ship was under the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, which immediately put the Night Lords on high alert.

For the Night Lord, who has a history of betrayal, the Court of Judgments coming to his door is undoubtedly an extremely sensitive matter.

In their eyes, the Tribunal was Terra's intelligence and secret police agency, a scalpel responsible for purging corruption and betrayal from within.

When the court comes knocking, will it bring any good news?
This was also thanks to Rosie's arrival in Nostramamo, which completely dispelled the confusion and concerns of the Sons of Conrad in her own name.

In the past, the Night Lords might have been prepared to let this Inquisition fleet quietly sink in some remote star system.

"I am Shen, the Legion Governor of the Midnight Lords. Members of the Inquisition, what brings you here from afar?"

Upon learning the news, Shen chose to personally board the ship to inquire about the situation.

Although this confidant of Koz's was of average personal combat ability, he had irreplaceable advantages in managing the legion and external communication.

While Shen was speaking, he did not look at the female judge who looked very intimidating, nor at the gray knight in silver-gray power armor without any legion markings.

Although his instincts as a battle-hardened veteran made him feel extremely threatened by these unfamiliar space soldiers in silver helmets and armor, this was Nostramamo.

Nostramamo is the territory of the Night Lords.

No matter how powerful they are, they can't cause any trouble.

His primary focus was on the ordinary woman surrounded by the crowd, who exuded a special aura.

Shen quickly searched his mind for information. As a diplomat-like figure in the legion, he had a detailed understanding of some of the important figures in the imperial high command, as well as the high-ranking officials of other legions.

He quickly found the corresponding background information for the person.

"Hiss." The governor couldn't help but gasp, making the hissing sound characteristic of the Nostrama language.

"If I am not mistaken, you should be the Pope of the state religion—His Excellency Euphrates Kierle?"

"Why are you coming to Nostramore instead of staying in Terra?"

Shen didn't know what was wrong with these people, that the Pope of the State Church had personally come to Nostradamus, this remote corner of the galaxy.

However, he also heard that Terra seemed to be in a very turbulent state recently, with the state religion turning Terra's political landscape upside down.

It seems that even Lord Guilliman's arrival in Nostrama was connected to the mundane affairs of these mortals.

Shen wasn't too concerned about Terra's situation; after all, the emperor was far away, and even if things got chaotic, it wouldn't affect them.

Even more so, deep in his heart, he secretly gloated over the misfortune that befell the Highlords of Terra.

"Yes, I am Qile." The living saint nodded in greeting.

"Why I came here is a long story, and now is not the time to explain it."

"Consul Shen, I have something very, very important to discuss with Lord Guilliman and Lord Roch."

"Could we meet in person to discuss this further?"

Qi Le glanced at the numerous Midnight Lords surrounding Shen, as well as the other mortal auxiliary troops, and then fixed her gaze on the governor's eyes.

"This isn't a place to discuss important matters; we need a quiet, secure meeting place."

Shen frowned, forming a deep frown on his smooth forehead.

He was considering whether to listen to Qi Le's advice, since theoretically he had no need to pay attention to the Pope, who had no right to order him around.

However, Shen was afraid of really ruining things, so he agreed with the mindset of "better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free".

"Okay, but everyone else except you must stay here and be subject to our inspection and supervision."

Shen lightly tapped on Locken and Garo beside Qi Le, as well as Judge Carter, and said seriously.

"Your timing is quite good. If you had arrived a few days later, Lord Guilliman and his men might have already set out to the depths of the Ghoul Stars."

“Okay, it’s just the few of us,” Qi Le replied. “Please hurry.”

The four of them followed Shen through another inspection of the Chaos Contamination. After confirming that there was no Ork biological contamination, they boarded the gunship and landed together on the planet Nostramore.

In the Midnight Court, after many trials and tribulations, Qile finally met the Primarch who had left Terra.

Upon seeing that tall, imposing figure clad in cobalt blue armor, Qi Le suddenly felt as if she had found her pillar of support, and all her trepidation and fear vanished.

“Lord Guilliman, we’ve finally found you.” Qile bowed to the Primarch, then quickly stepped forward and stood before Guilliman.

Guilliman was also incredulous. A few moments of astonishment and realization flashed across his handsome and rugged face. Then he extended his right index finger and touched Qi Le's palm.

“Your Holiness, I never expected to meet you in Nostramamo.”

Guilliman asked the question knowingly, as he now found it difficult to be without subjective bias towards the people of the State Church.

"The Pope?" Qi Le said with a wry smile, "I am no longer the Pope. Alfreda has effectively taken my place and taken control of the state church."

"Yes, she also rallied hundreds of thousands of believers to openly rebuke and judge me on Victory Avenue."

"I ultimately underestimated the fanaticism and blindness of religion. Even though I incorporated a lot of 'rational' ideas into it, it was still to no avail."

"Perhaps I should have strongly opposed Makado back then. He told me that we needed to use the state religion as a universal value to unite the human empire, which had been completely shattered after the Horus Rebellion."

"He told me to use the state religion as poison, to..." Guilliman's emotions surged, and he almost blurted out the second point as well.

What Makado told him was that he should use the state religion to corrupt the chaotic god behind the emperor, the Dark Lord.

Faith can shape a person or an object into what believers believe in.

For example, if all humans believe that the God-Emperor in their minds has four arms, then after a long period of time, the God-Emperor will indeed have four arms.

This is the terrifying power of faith: these seemingly weak and intangible beliefs, when accumulated in number and over time, can unleash terrifying power.

One person's faith is weak, but the faith of ten thousand, a hundred million, or even billions of people will undergo a qualitative change through quantitative accumulation.

Hearing Guilliman almost blurt out the words he immediately stopped himself, Qi Le felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if it had been squeezed by a large hand.

She looked at Lothie beside her, a special being in the human empire who had experienced the entirety of the Emperor's battle with Horus and his subsequent return to the Golden Throne after being severely wounded.

Loken and Garo also took this opportunity to remove their tactical helmets.

"It's you?!"

Loshi was pleasantly surprised, as these two Astartes were old friends of his; they had been acquainted through the siege of Terra.

The joy of meeting an old friend in a foreign land overshadowed the sorrow of war.

Loken nodded in acknowledgment. Loxi held an extraordinary place in his heart, even comparable to the Primarch.

With the addition of Loken and Garo, the tense atmosphere in the venue calmed down a bit.

After all, Guilliman and Qile had no connection. When this living saint was active during the Great Rebellion, Guilliman was still far away in Macurag, dealing with the enormous crisis brought to him by Loka and Angron.

Given the immense humiliation the State Religion brought to Guilliman, the fact that this Primarch could calmly communicate with Qile face-to-face was already a testament to his excellent manners.

"I used to think so too. It all stemmed from the High Lord's instigation and Elfreda's own arrogant ambition."

"But along the way, I seem to have figured something out."

"Perhaps behind these appearances, there is something we are unaware of that has been helping us all along."

"Qi Le said softly, and Guilliman frowned upon hearing this, his breathing becoming somewhat rapid."

"What do you know?"

"Regarding the emperor."

"I know what I should know and what I shouldn't know," Qi Le replied.

“I know that when you and the Seal Bearer Macado established the state religion, there must have been reasons and inside stories that I was unaware of. That’s beyond doubt.”

"And I abide by this tacit understanding, doing what I should do and knowing what I should know."

"But what I want to say now is that you shouldn't hide the truth from everyone in order to keep it a secret, especially at this point in time."

"Lord Guilliman, you don't really think that a state religion can completely overturn Terra and do such outrageous things, do you?"

"Without external help, Elfreda would have been completely finished long ago and wouldn't have been able to make a fuss at all."

"..."

Guilliman fell silent.

Given his original body's cognitive abilities, how could he not realize that the rise of the state religion was simply too incredible?

Alfreda's attempts to stage a coup have a very high probability of being interrupted and ultimately failing.

Her success was an extremely low probability event.

He hadn't thought about it more deeply before, partly because Guilliman believed that in Holy Terra, those warp evil gods wouldn't have much of a chance to cause trouble.

On the other hand, he was indeed physically and mentally exhausted and intended to use this presented reason to leave the prison that was the Throne World.

However, upon closer analysis, Guilliman's move could also be considered a strategic retreat.

If he stays in Terra, those lurking in the shadows might be deterred by his presence and hesitate to make a move.

A hidden problem is better exposed as soon as possible to prevent it from brewing into a bigger disaster.

Even if Alfreda took control of the state church and even the High Lords Council, Guilliman was confident he could wipe them out completely.

He left Terra, but that doesn't mean he lost control of it.

The Assassin's Court, this dangerous blade, has remained unsheatheeded, not because it doesn't want to get involved in these power struggles, but because it hasn't yet reached the point where it needs to be awakened.

"Then tell me, what are some deeper reasons?"

Guilliman pursed his lips and continued to ask.

"The deeper reason may very well lie with the emperor himself."

The living saint's speculation did not shock Guilliman and Loshi, but it made the Grey Knight and Judge Carter beside them feel uneasy.

"Only the Emperor has the ability to accomplish all this in Terra; there is no other possibility."

"And is the emperor sitting on the golden throne now truly the same human ruler we remember?"

"If the emperor were to rise, would he still be the emperor we know?"

Qi Le's suspicion can be described as blasphemous, especially considering her status as an emperor, a living saint, and the pope of the state religion.

"If the emperor has undergone some unknown changes, then perhaps this can reasonably explain everything."

Roche and Guilliman looked at each other, filled with unease and horror.

If it really is a problem with the emperor, then trouble, no, it should be said that utter disaster will soon befall us.

Even Guilliman's ever-present, standard, polite smile vanished without a trace.

His gaze was fixed on Qi Le's face, his eyes searching for the truth hidden in the eyes of the living saint with extreme rage and sharpness.

"You mean... the emperor who is currently sitting on the golden throne has actually become the Dark Lord?"

What evidence do you have to make such a guess?

Guilliman's tone was extremely serious, showing no sign of relaxation.

In fact, Guilliman had already come to believe Qile's guess, since it did explain everything that had happened before and reflected the sense of crisis he felt.

The Primarch decided to reveal the secret, which had originally been kept only among a few Primarchs, the Marksmen, and the Grand Marshal, to these people before him.

At a time like this, hiding the truth really shows they don't consider them as one of their own.

When the words "King of Darkness" were uttered, a dazzling golden light flashed in Qi Le's eyes, and her body, hidden beneath her wide robes, trembled slightly.

Yes, it is Him, it is Him.

The existence of the Dark Lord is the Empire's top secret, even more so than Loshi's intercosmic expedition plan.

When people ask why the Emperor ascended the throne, the unanimous answer is almost always that the Emperor was severely injured by Horus, who was blessed and infused with the power of the four Chaos Gods, during his battle with Horus the Rebel.

Even his powerful immortal physique couldn't heal this wound; he could only slowly recover by sitting on the golden throne.

But in reality, the damage Horus inflicted on the emperor was far less severe than imagined.

When you think you've glimpsed the full extent of an emperor's power, what you've seen is always just the tip of the iceberg.

This is like an ordinary person looking at the sun. When they are on the ground, they think that the sun is nothing special and that they can block its light with one hand.

When you climb a high mountain, you may seem to get closer to the sun, but in reality, you are still a very far distance away.

Only when one can truly travel among the stars and witness their grandeur up close does one truly realize one's own weakness and ignorance.

Moreover, the burden of the Golden Throne on the Emperor is not as heavy as imagined. With Magnus, the gold standard inexhaustible battery, providing psionic energy, the Emperor does not have much to worry about.

Even without Magnus, the Golden Throne could not drain the Emperor's psionic energy, which is as absurd and ridiculous as a straw trying to drain the ocean.

What the Emperor was truly concerned about was the will of the Dark Lord, which had been awakened by Horus during that war.

The father-son battle in Vengeance is, in essence, a battle for godhood.

The victor will step over the corpses of the losers, ignite the divine fire, ascend the altar, and embark on the path to godhood.

But in reality, Horus never had any hope of becoming the Lord of Darkness; the Lord of Darkness has always been the Emperor.

While fighting Horus, the Emperor also had to suppress himself to prevent the Dark Lord from fully awakening and devouring all of humanity he loved.

Besides his destructive side, the Lord of Darkness also possesses the qualities of a god among men.

Just as Slaanesh, besides being a chaotic evil god, also has the aspect of a spirit god.

For the past century, the reason why the Emperor has stopped speaking, stopped giving revelations, and has willingly allowed the Golden Throne to drain his spiritual energy has been to fight the consciousness of the Dark Lord with all his might.

To prevent the Dark Lord from waking up, he could even sleep forever on the Golden Throne, until ten thousand years and ten thousand years have passed and all is destroyed.

"Yes, whether we like it or not, all the evidence points to Him—the Lord of Darkness."

Qi Le uttered the name with difficulty, her temples throbbing as if an invisible pressure was accumulating within them.

"We have never had any concrete knowledge about the Emperor on the Golden Throne, and the extent of his struggle against the Dark Lord remains unknown."

"None of us, including myself as the Pope and a living saint, are actually qualified or have the power to communicate with the Emperor."

"Those royal guards will do everything in their power to keep others from under the golden throne."

Unless we wipe out all of these Imperial Guards, we have no way of getting to the Golden Throne to see the Emperor's exact condition.

Qi Le was quite helpless when she mentioned those Imperial Guards.

If the Royal Guard had simply shown up when Elfreda launched her coup, even just by sending a representative to demonstrate their stance to the State Church, things might not have turned out this way.

Perhaps they have their own difficulties, but can't they even spare one person?

This is impossible.

The attitude of the Imperial Guard has always been a headache; they care nothing for the Empire, only for protecting their master.

"And what I'm worried about is that if the person on the Golden Throne has truly become the Dark Lord, then when he speaks, the Royal Guard will obey him unconditionally."

Qi Le's worries immediately reminded the others of the Imperial Guards.

These perfect humans, created by emperors, seem to perform poorly in most situations.

Each of them was designed with perfect genes; they are the best politicians, philosophers, artists, and scientists, and their identity as warriors is just a minor part of it.

However, they exhibit extreme arrogance, lack of empathy, and extreme stubbornness once they set their sights on a goal.

"Based on my understanding of the Imperial Guards, if the order is given by the Emperor, they will absolutely obey as soon as he opens his mouth."

"Even if the emperor ordered them to die, they would commit suicide immediately without the slightest hesitation."

"If the one controlling the Emperor's body has become the Dark Lord, then the Imperial Guard will not notice or object."

In a sense, the Imperial Guard fits the definition of weapons better than the Astartes.

Astartes also have their own independent consciousness. For example, during the Great Rebellion, many Astartes followed their own inner thoughts and opposed the will of the Primarch.

However, the Imperial Guards were different; they were truly and unconditionally obedient to the Emperor's will.

Even the few Imperial Guards who could refute the Emperor and offer their own opinions would still carry out the orders fully once the Lord of Man gave a definitive command.

Guilliman closed his eyes, processing this staggering amount of information.

One of his questions was answered: why he often felt a deep-seated fear in Terra, and why that fear was even intensified when he faced Alfreda.

Because his beloved father, the great Lord of Mankind, seems to be in trouble in his battle against the Lord of Darkness.

And behind Elfreda, perhaps stands the shadow of the Dark Lord.

As the Primarch and a son of the Emperor, Guilliman's connection with the Lord of Mankind was naturally extremely close.

Although he had always believed that he had no psionic abilities and was a pure materialist warrior, his battle with Bloodhowl Zach had made him understand everything.

He possesses the power to negate psychic abilities, making him a unique psychic nemesis.

His instinctive desire to leave Terra might be a warning sign from his warp nature, a yearning to distance himself from the Dark Lord.

Of course, this could also be a revelation given to him by the Emperor, prompting him to leave Terra, this place of trouble, and seek a solution.

But what can I do? Do I really have the ability to help the Emperor?

Guilliman felt a mix of emotions, and for once, he felt uncertain.

He couldn't imagine the despair he would feel if his father, who had always selflessly protected humanity, were to one day become the very thing he hated and loathed.

“Actually, we shouldn’t deliberately distinguish between the Dark Lord and the Emperor. They are two sides of the same coin, and their love for humanity is the same,” Loshi said softly, expressing her understanding.

"However, the way the emperor expresses his love is to protect humanity and ensure the survival of this race, even if it means becoming enemies with the four Chaos Gods."

The Lord of Darkness expresses love by devouring all humanity, freeing them from this hopeless world, and merging them into His being within His belly.

"After that, the Dark Lord, who possesses the souls of all humanity, will be fully resurrected. He will take over humanity's hatred and anger, and bring end and death to any enemy who has harmed humanity."

(End of this chapter)