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

Chapter 835 WAAAGH Energy Fusion Experiment
Qi Le's resounding statement was extremely infectious.

Even legion commanders like Luther and Bjorn, who were originally indifferent to the situation on Terra, felt a sense of shared hatred.

Although they were aware that Terra seemed to be experiencing political turmoil, they had no time to learn about these complex internal struggles amidst the war between the human empire and the orc empire.

As the leaders of the Legion in the absence of the Primarch, their attitude represents the stance of the entire Legion and its fiefdoms.

From both a legal and moral standpoint, the Astartes Legion, which has already been divided up, should not voluntarily interfere in Terran affairs.

When the truth is unknown, silence and neutrality are the safest choices.

However, the situation is different now.

Luther and the others realized that this was no longer a simple internal conflict in Terra, but a major event concerning the stability of the empire's foundation and its rise and fall.

“The state religion under Elfreda’s leadership,” Qile continued, revealing the decline of Terra’s state religion, “emphasizes the fanaticism and ‘purity’ of faith more than our original state religion. She requires all believers to ‘voluntarily’ pay a religious tax in addition to the imperial tithe.”

Her voice carried a heavy irony: "For most of the imperial world, tithes are already a heavy burden, and this so-called religious tax is essentially just another form of exploitation."

Religious taxes can be any form of goods: food, weapons, minerals, or people; believers should offer their wealth as long as the state religion requires it.

“The heavy taxes have triggered a chain reaction. Worlds that could still breathe after paying tithes are now burdened by tax collectors representing the state religion.”

“Even more,” Qile’s gaze swept over everyone present, “Elfreda even intends to make the fiefdoms controlled by the Astartes Legion, and even the forging world of the Mechanicus, pay this tax. This is not an exaggeration, but a clear indication of the Terran state religion’s next step in reform.”

Qile displayed confidential documents from within the Terra State Cult on a holographic projection as evidence.

The source of these documents is naturally inseparable from the assistance of the Tribunal and the Assassin's Court, which Guilliman lent to Qile.

Qi Le did not immediately use these most dangerous assassins to carry out the assassination, but instead prioritized gathering intelligence in order to fundamentally dismantle her opponent.

“The Astartes Legion’s homeworld already enjoys special tax exemption rights, and now each legion is establishing a fiefdom centered on its homeworld.” Luther, sitting in the First Legion’s seat, launched the first attack, his voice deep and powerful.

“Even if a vassal state cannot be completely exempt from taxes, the tax burden should be reduced. We are willing to pay tithes, but religious taxes? What the hell is that!” The Caliban knight slammed his fist on the table, his anger flaring.

“Our legions guard the four corners of the Solar System, bearing enormous border defense pressure for Terra. We have already pledged our political allegiance; how dare they impose further restrictions?”

"The taxes are all taken by the state religion. How are we supposed to build our kingdom? How are we supposed to defend our borders? The Dark Angels will never pay religious taxes! This is an inviolable bottom line!"

Luther's initial statement was like lighting a fuse, and other legion representatives followed suit.

Bjorn, who had already fitted himself with a mechanical arm, was furious.

The Space Wolves were never good at governing, and with Wolf King Leman Ruth's consistent laissez-faire policy, the economic strength of the Wolf Kingdom was already at the bottom among the Primarchic vassal states. They were already struggling to make ends meet, so how could they survive if they had to pay religious taxes?

"They want us to pay taxes? Fine!" Bjorn roared. "Unless the Wolf King Leman Russ personally orders it, they'll have to get Lord Fenris's permission first!"

Upon hearing Bjorn's words, the other legion representatives immediately rolled their eyes.

Everyone knows Lemanrus's volatile temper. If anyone dares to bother Lord Fenris with such absurd nonsense, he really wouldn't hesitate to chop them down.

Besides, the Wolf King, the Lion King, and the Khan have been missing for a long time, and finding their whereabouts is a difficult problem in itself.

Qi Le was pleased that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly exciting, and the Space Marines' emotions had been stirred up, so she immediately continued.

"Fanatical faith cannot fill the void of material deprivation! Can even the most devout believer go without food, water, or the functioning of society?"

"When those extremist believers disregard their families' advice and 'donate' all their family wealth, how will their relatives, who suffer from hunger as a result, view the state religion?"

As Luo Xi listened to Qi Le's accusations, he felt that this deviant state religion was not far removed from the actions of the Chaos Cult.

“Severe corruption has also been breeding and spreading within the National Religion. The Ministry of Justice is unable to effectively supervise the National Religion, resulting in a large amount of tax revenue being misappropriated and stolen, and not being used for the Promised Land at all.”

Qile switched the projection again, displaying the magnificent religious world built by the Terran State Religion to demonstrate the "divine authority of the Emperor"—

The colossal Imperial Statue, cast from hundreds of rare materials including adamantite, is so massive that it is clearly visible from near-Earth orbit.

The massive church complex, stretching like a mountain range, houses only a small number of high-ranking clergy members of the state church. Their servants and guards outnumber the clergy by dozens or even hundreds of times, while most lowly mortals are not even qualified to step inside.

Like a living behemoth, the "redemption engine" devours devout believers, and the more agonizing the screams of the tortured, the more it proves the "devoutness" of their faith.

Those believers who could not endure the torture were dragged away by servants and dismembered into "sacred" materials—teeth, skin, hair, bones, flesh, fat... none of which were processed and used, and marked with the state religion's symbols.

The scenes made Roxi's blood pressure soar, and the Primarchs were filled with confusion and anger.

“These lunatics must not be allowed to set foot in Altramer!” Ms. Yoton’s voice had lost its usual gentleness, becoming unusually serious, and her face also appeared somewhat pale. “This is a complete trampling of humanity! I cannot understand the point of all this.”

“I will stop them, madam.” Guilliman looked at his foster mother with concern, a little afraid that Ms. Euton would be traumatized by the rather gruesome images.

"This is absolutely not what the Emperor wanted!" Vulcan was equally enraged; he cherished human life above all else. Years ago, when he returned to the Empire, he even risked his life to withstand the steely hand of artillery fire to save a battlefield infant.

The Lord of Fire Dragons saw blasphemous creatures called Cherubim flying around inside the church built by the State Church of Terra.

They are like chimeras of infant flesh and cold machinery, their surfaces coated with holy oil, covered with metal rivets, gears and marks of purity, and suspended in the air with metal wings on their backs.

The cherubim's skull was topped with a metallic halo, one eye was a scarlet electronic eye, and the other glowed with an ominous white light.

They either chanted hymns and flattering words, or were equipped with shields and anti-psychic weapons, demonstrating a variety of different uses under the development of the state religion.

The source of these Cherubim's "raw materials" is self-evident—cloned babies, or biological children "sacrificed" by fanatical believers?

Qi Le was also deeply saddened by the decline of the state religion, feeling that things should not have turned out this way.

"The state religion of Terra believes that suffering is the best soil for religion. They encourage believers to repent and even advocate using physical pain to prove their repentance and piety."

"The consequence of this is that believers' prayer methods are becoming increasingly extreme, and in some hive worlds, a terrible trend has even emerged of using suicide as a means of proving one's piety."

"And seeing this, the other hives, in order to show 'equal' or even 'superior' piety, followed suit!"

Everything has fallen into a vicious cycle. Perhaps the problems won't be too obvious in the short term, but anyone with eyes can see that all of this is depleting the cohesion of humanity that the Emperor's Great Expedition has built up.

Human patience has its limits. Conflicts will only accumulate and will not disappear out of thin air. When the conflicts accumulate to a certain extent, they will explode like a powder keg.

"What other support do you need?" Vulcan asked in a deep voice, his eyes burning with unwavering determination. "As long as it helps you overthrow this corrupt state religion, we will do everything in our power to assist you!"

“We don’t need any supplies for now,” Qi Le said, her gaze sweeping over the Primarchs and representatives present. “What we need most right now is nominal support and a demonstration of influence.”

“The more Astartes Legion openly supports us, the more momentum we gain. The Alliance of Light does not need the Legions to directly intervene in the battle—unless the Cult of Terra sends Space Marines to fight first.”

Her words were firm and resolute: "The tragedy of the Horus Rebellion must not be repeated, and the Space Marine Legion must never again be plunged into civil war."

Qile's demands were clear and unambiguous. After a brief but efficient communication, all the Primarchs and representatives at the conference table unanimously agreed to publicly declare their support for Qile's Alliance of Light in the name of their respective Legions.

Just as Qi Le thought she had achieved her goal and was about to end the meeting, a figure she never expected quietly appeared in the meeting room.

The empire's seal-bearer, Macardo, who had disappeared for over a century, stood before Qile, holding his iconic scepter.

“You have many supporters,” Makado said with a faint smile on his aged face, “but I think my support might reduce some of the obstacles you face.”

Qi Le was filled with doubt and uncertainty, wondering why Makado had appeared here. But the public statement of the Seal Bearer undoubtedly added immeasurable weight and legitimacy to the joint declaration of the ten legions.

“Thank you for your support, Your Excellency the Seal Master.” Qi Le solemnly promised, “I will surely bring the state religion back on track and end this out-of-control situation.”

As news of the Macragge Conference spread like wildfire throughout the galaxy, countless human worlds learned of the Empire's ten loyal legions and the suddenly returned Sealholder's firm stance on the issue of the state religion.

The influence of the Alliance of Light surged in a very short period of time, becoming a beacon of hope for many.

The state religion of Terra has maintained a strange silence on this matter, clearly shocked by this sudden and almost one-sided situation.

The entire empire seemed to be cheering for the Alliance of Light, but few spoke up for the State Religion of Terra.

However, Qile was not naive enough to believe that the Church of Terra would succumb to overwhelming odds. She knew that the other side would gather all its strength for a final, desperate struggle.

“Civil war is inevitable,” Qi Le declared to her core supporters. “Only a war can set the state religion in the right direction!”

……

With the conclusion of the Macurag Conference, the various legions, having completed their resupply and rest, began an orderly withdrawal from Alteramar and returned to their respective homeworlds.

Loshi and his team remained in Macurag to conduct the crucial Waaagh energy fusion experiment.

After careful consideration, Vulcan finally agreed to his brothers' proposal: he, the immortal being and the Primarch of the Salamander Gene, would be the one to carry the Waaagh! energy crystal and become the first human to fuse with such power.

If the experiment succeeds, just as the ancient Saint Quah predicted, Vulcan will be seen by countless Ork as not only the Primarch, but also a new candidate for "Ork Emperor".

This unprecedented experiment was ultimately chosen to be conducted at Mustafa’s cutting-edge genetic laboratory, which is the world’s most advanced in the field.

This foundry world, which was founded by Roche himself, has been completely transformed after a century of development. Even the founder, Roche, felt a strong sense of unfamiliarity and novelty when he visited.

"Great Sage Roche, thank you for your invitation, which gives me the honor of participating in this great experiment."

"I have gathered all the technical sages in Alterama who have studied the Orcs, and they will all participate in this project and contribute even the smallest amount of their strength."

"Thanks to the Imperial Expeditionary Force's spoils in the Ghoul Cluster, our research on the Ork Orcs, this peculiar race, has far surpassed what it has been before, and now is the time to put it to use."

The foundry director, Barker Dylan, emitted a cold, mechanical sound through his electronic voice, yet it could not conceal the excitement and elation in his heart.

This guy's size has swelled to at least three times its size compared to a century ago; now he looks more like a mobile mechanical fortress.

Thanks to advanced anti-gravity technology, Director Dylan can move around easily without needing to rely on large cranes to move his body, unlike some casting directors.

Vulcan was already prepared in the genetic laboratory. The Primarch removed his heavy power armor, wearing only a light robe. His exposed dark skin radiated an extremely deep light under the shadowless lamps.

Guilliman, Dorn, and Perturabo stood by, observing and waiting, while Makado and Tarasin stood a little further away, seemingly discussing the secrets of humanity's dark age of technology.

"Didn't you tell your offspring about your decision?" Losi asked as she underwent full-body disinfection and donned protective gear according to strict procedures.

“If I told them my decision, all the salamanders would vote against it.”

“Even though they know I am immortal and resist death, they still don’t want me to risk my life.”

Vulcan lay on the cold experimental table, looking calm and without the slightest fear or unease.

“If someone has to sacrifice,” he added, his gaze deep, “I hope it’s me.”

Even knowing Vulcan's character and magnanimity, Rosie still felt admiration for this Primarch, who could be called a "saint," when she heard Vulcan's words.

“I will do my best to control the risks, you will be fine,” Rosie assured him. Vulcan simply gave a kind smile and said nothing more.

Director Dylan and a host of technical experts were on high alert.

The researchers meticulously connected the life monitoring equipment to Vulcan's body, closely monitoring all the data.

Loxi took out a metal container shaped like a lantern, inside which a ghostly green light flickered erratically, and green electric sparks seemed to be able to penetrate the metal barrier and move across the surface.

This is the container that holds the Waaagh! energy crystals, a gift from the ancient Saint Kwak.

Lothie used her psionic powers to break free of the container's constraints, and a gem radiating an endless, intense green light suddenly appeared!
Its Waaagh! energy was so pure and powerful that it far surpassed any orc warlord that Guilliman and the others had ever seen on the battlefield, emanating a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble.

The psionic detectors in the laboratory went off the charts, instantly emitting a piercing alarm. The Blackrock Anti-Psionic Matrix and the Untouchables team, who were on standby, immediately went on high alert.

Loshi manipulated the emerald, slowly moving it above Vulcan.

The Lord of Fire Dragons' scarlet pupils, illuminated by the green light, displayed a strange blend of red and green.

Through that light, Vulcan seemed to see two huge, ferocious orc faces roaring silently.

"It's about to begin, Vulcan." Rosie's voice was deep and clear.

The waaagh energy emerald began to sink, seemingly having detected Vulcan's presence. Its rich green light seeped into the Primarch's flesh and blood like liquid.

"Ugh—!" Vulcan's limbs suddenly tensed like iron, his chest rose high in the sudden pain, and his whole body convulsed and trembled uncontrollably!
"Activate the constraints." Director Dylan's command was cold and swift.

Several heavy, refined gold restraint devices instantly popped out of the test stand, firmly locking Vulcan's out-of-control, towering body.

The specially formulated sedative was injected forcefully through a needle that could pierce the Primarch's skin, in a dose sufficient to instantly incapacitate hundreds of frenzied Orks.

A blinding green light, like a real flame, shot out from Vulcan's eyes, mouth, nose, and ears, creating a horrifying sight.

"Can Vulcan hold on?" Guilliman paced back and forth nervously, a pang of regret rising in his heart.

"Even if he is immortal, this is the orc's Waaagh! energy, two completely different psionic reactions... the consequences are unpredictable. Perhaps the Old Saint's first option is more prudent?"

"Vulcan was just the most suitable candidate. If it were me, I would also choose to take the risk."

Dorn stood there like a high wall, straight and ramrod straight, his gaze piercing and unmoved, as if nothing could disturb his powerful nerves.

"Hopefully the Emperor won't blame us, after all, our actions are a continuation of... modification of his perfect creation. We are creating a Primarch imbued with the power of the Orcs."

Although Peturabo said he was afraid of the Emperor's wrath, his eyes gleamed with a strong thirst for knowledge as he stared intently at the experimental table.

Among all the Primarchs, there may be many who have a strong curiosity and desire to explore new technologies, but Perturabo is definitely among the top three.

While in Olympia, he designed various ingenious and powerful weapons of war for his adoptive father, the king, crushing the other kingdoms in Olympia with a kind of dimensional reduction attack.

His gaze was too intense, so Dorn subtly shifted a step, placing himself between Perturabo and Vulcan.

He trusted his brother, but Vulcan's safety could not be risked in the slightest.

Peturabo pursed his lips, his gaze still fixed on Vulcan.

As Kua said, the initial process of integration is an extreme test for both the body and mind of the recipient.

Ordinary Astartes superhuman bodies would instantly collapse and disintegrate under the pressure of this force.

Only Vulcan, who possesses the strongest physique among the Primarchs, could withstand the ferocious power of the Waaagh! energy crystal.

The violent convulsions gradually subsided, and Vulcan seemed to fall into a deep sleep, lying quietly on the experimental table.

However, streaks of green electricity still danced and flowed across his dark skin, proclaiming that the fusion was far from over.

"The Primarch's vital signs are stabilizing, but his mental state is extremely unstable." Director Dylan stared intently at the data stream, his electronic voice filled with astonishment.

“The frequency of brain activity has far exceeded the limits of mortals. Ohm Messiah above, the creation of the Emperor… truly incredible.” In his eyes, these data were like beautiful notes revealing the unknown mysteries of the universe.

For Vulcan, everything outside was far beyond his perception.

He felt as if he had fallen into an incredibly real dream.

This is an endless green ocean.

Countless green-skinned orcs gathered here, their very existence shaping a bizarre and absurd scene.

Some orcs spotted Vulcan and stared at him in bewilderment, as if looking at a fellow human who was both familiar and strange.

How strange, let me take a closer look.

This feeling was unprecedented for the orcs; regardless of whether they had belonged to the Goffs, the Felsh, or other clans, here they all tended toward a certain common form.

The green-skinned orcs felt that Vulcan before them resembled one of their own kind, but they also felt that he was not entirely similar.

Following the tide of orcs, Vulcan soon arrived at a vast open space surrounded by countless skeletal peaks.

Two colossal orc gods, towering to the heavens and standing upright, suddenly appeared before him.

They were completely naked, their muscles bulging like mountains, their skin the best armor, exuding a pure and primal aura of violence.

Vulcan recognized him at a glance—it was none other than the second brother of the Goumao tribe, whom countless orcs worshipped!

But this was the first time Vulcan had seen the true face of the second brother of the Mao family so clearly.

Gao Ge looked significantly larger and fiercer than Mao Ge. He wrapped his arms around Mao Ge's waist and back, and with a fierce slam, he slammed Mao Ge into the ground, kicking up a lot of broken dirt and rocks.

But Mao Ge was more cunning and clever than Gao Ge. He kept using feints to confuse Gao Ge, and once he found an opening, he would pick up a giant stick that appeared out of nowhere and smash it on Gao Ge's head.

Every earth-shattering collision between the two orc gods would elicit cheers and roars from the endless orcish frenzy around them.

They don't need to worry about anything, because in the realm of Brother Mao, nothing matters except waaagh!

Vulcan stared, and what he saw was not just a brawl, but the wild, untamed essence of the orcs.

Just then, the green light on Vulcan's body suddenly surged.

His body expanded rapidly, as if being inflated.

In the blink of an eye, he had become only slightly smaller than the second brother, Gao Mao. The two never-ending orc gods finally stopped moving and stared at this third behemoth in confusion.

Besides the two of us brothers, how come there's this big guy out here?

Brother Gao scratched his head in confusion, then punched Brother Mao to the ground. It must be that cunning bastard playing tricks.

Mao roared angrily a few times, then suddenly turned his attention to Vulcan, letting out a provocative roar.

Vulcan instantly felt an instinctive impulse sweep over him, and involuntarily lunged at Mao Ge, engaging in a fight.

It wasn't until now that Gao Ge believed this wasn't Mao Ge's trick, but he quickly stopped thinking about it. With his eyes wide open, Gao Ge rushed forward and welcomed Vulcan with the most enthusiastic wrestling.

Brother Mao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With this newcomer as a punching bag, he could finally get rid of Brother Gao's endless "care" for the time being.

Mao stared at Vulcan, who was wrestling with Gao Ge, and immediately revealed a wicked grin, his eyes flashing with a dazzling red light.

"His eyes are so captivating!"

The next moment, accompanied by a huge roar, scorching high-energy rays burned Vulcan's unsuspecting back, leaving charred marks.

"Ouch!" Vulcan felt a sharp pain in his back, and his movements faltered.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Gao Ge lunged forward, his massive body pressing down and pinning Vulcan to the ground.

It excitedly felt the newcomer's tight, muscular physique and concluded that he was a formidable fighter.

Although we don't know each other, the fact that you're here means you're a member of our orc family.

Not long ago, Brother Gao Mao wanted to invite an interesting ancient orc to join, but unfortunately, that clueless kid politely declined.

Vulcan struggled fiercely, and an even greater power surged from the depths of his body, while the Waaagh! energy crystal bestowed by the ancient saints also melted away at an accelerated rate.

The Lord of Fire Dragons let out a deafening roar, forcefully overturning Gao Ge's suppression. In a flash, a heavy, meteor-like straight punch slammed into Gao Ge's face.

Brother Gao staggered backward, spitting out a large amount of saliva and blood.

"Good lad, that's impressive!"

Instead of being angry, Brother Gao was delighted. He admired opponents who were head-on and straightforward, without any of those cunning and sneaky attacks!

Mao Ge lurked around furtively, occasionally delivering a vicious blow from behind to the two guys.

The countless Orcs around cheered for this more chaotic and lively scene. They didn't care about the reason, they only cared that the chaos and liveliness were even greater than before!
Vulcan's strength was insufficient to contend with Gogo. The power of the orc god was simply too terrifying. He could sense that the other party was deliberately controlling his power to maintain a suppressive advantage.

"I'm not here to fight with Brother Mao, I'm here to integrate with the energy of Waaagh."

Amidst the fierce confrontation, Vulcan suddenly realized that continuing like this was definitely not a solution.

Suddenly, the Lord of Fire Dragons had a flash of inspiration and shouted to Brother Gao beside him:

"Respected and supreme Brother Mao, I am your loyal follower. Let's stop fighting for now and beat this Brother Gao down first."

Upon hearing the word "believer," Gao Ge was about to feel smug when he suddenly realized that the other party had mistaken him for that cunning bastard Mao Ge. His overwhelming anger instantly ignited all his thoughts.

But its anger was not directed at Vulcan, but rather at the "imposter".

"It's all your fault, you bastard! I'm the real bastard! You imposter!"

Gao Ge's roar shook the entire Green Divine Realm. It abandoned Vulcan and furiously pounced on Mao Ge, who looked "innocent" but was secretly suppressing a wicked smile.

In an instant, a brand new and more chaotic three-way battle erupted, once again igniting the peak of the orc frenzy!
Vulcan was able to catch his breath for a while, and the fusion within him accelerated in the raging torrent of Waaagh!

He knew he couldn't fool Brother Gao for long. Brother Gao was reckless but not stupid. He would soon come to his senses and team up with Brother Mao again to deal with him.

But Vulcan had no other choice; he could only hope that the damned energy fusion would happen faster, giving him a glimmer of hope to escape.

(End of this chapter)