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

Chapter 840 The Steel Hand and Metal Cells

For the Steel Hand, this meeting on the shores of Lake Hera was a profound shock to their very souls, far more intense than any of the brutal battles they had ever experienced.

The good news is that they finally met the Primarch, who had fallen over a hundred years ago. Although Feralus's form of existence was not quite what they had imagined, that was not the key point.

That unwavering loyalty and devotion to the original gene, transcending life and death, could easily pierce through their carefully constructed shell of rationality.

The bad news was that the Primarch, upon meeting them, expressed extreme disappointment and frankly stated that the Legion's development since the Horus Rebellion had completely deviated from the Primarch's will and expectations.

Feralus's words, like a cold hammer, crushed their proud ideals to dust.

For the Iron Hand, this might be no less significant than the fact that they all perished in the Horus Rebellion, the Iron Ten Legions were completely wiped out, and there were no successors.

"Why, why, Father, why have you always tacitly allowed and guided us to become like this, even though you clearly didn't want us to be like this?"

"I cannot accept that flesh and blood are weak and suffering, and that mechanical ascension is the right path."

"This is the only truth we have come to through a great purge within the Legion, achieved with blood and sacrifice—the weak, chaotic, and uncontrollable nature of humanity is the root cause of the great rebellion."

"To avoid repeating the same mistakes, we must abandon these weaknesses."

What should have been a heartwarming moment of father and son reuniting suddenly veered off the edge of spiraling out of control.

Even if Feralus is the Primarch, he cannot reverse the Legion's centuries-old mindset and extreme ideology with just a single sentence.

Because the core ideas of these Iron Ten Legions ultimately stem from Felus Marus himself.

At this moment, Mel Ian, whose emotions had completely spiraled out of control, was like a master terminal that had been infected by a deadly virus, trapped in a logical dead loop.

He even ignored the many other legion warriors watching from the sidelines, turning the doubts and pain that had been suppressed for a century into sharp cannon fire, blasting it towards his genetic father.

"This guy is really brave. It's not common for an Astartes to dare to challenge a Primarch," Bjorn, the Wolf Lord, muttered to himself.

"If it were the wolf king, it would probably have been pinned to the ground and killed long ago."

His right hand was replaced with a sophisticated mechanical arm, a mark left by the brutal war against the Orc Empire, and a medal that Bjorn was very proud of.

He saved Astram, the commander of the Dark Angels, at the cost of losing an arm, symbolizing that the son of Lemanrus had once overtaken the son of Ryan Johnson.

In a true life-or-death moment, it was the Space Wolves who saved the Dark Angels. This alone is enough for the Wolves to brag about to death, and the two legions can boast about it whenever they meet.

As for the cost of a mere hand, it's really nothing. For Astartes to survive the Great Rebellion, it would be a disgrace if they didn't replace some parts of their bodies.

This greatly enhanced Bjorn's reputation within the Sixth Legion and the First Legion, and even many among the Dark Angels admired the Wolf Lord's bravery and sacrifice.

“Father, the root cause of the Horus Rebellion is that humans cannot perfectly control their emotions.”

"They will be deceived by lies, controlled by their emotions, and act according to their anger and hatred, but they have no reason or logic!"

"Even your fall in Istvaan V was due to you succumbing to your emotions and hesitating at the crucial moment, wasn't it?"

The Iron Father's questions grew increasingly sharp, even sending chills down the spines of the Space Marines from other Legions around him.

It seems a bit inappropriate for them to know so much about the internal conflicts within the Iron Tenth Legion.
But even knowing it's not good, who can overcome their damn curiosity and simply leave?

Even the highly respected Commander Luther, who was admired by countless people, silently took a glass of wine from Ms. Yoton's table and hid behind Astran, drinking and watching the show.

Some of the more arrogant wolves even secretly started placing bets on whether Felus would beat Mel Ian, the company commander who had publicly defied them.

Of course, to others, the wolf's whisper is like a loud howl right next to their ear.

Dorn didn't hesitate to knock the two men unconscious, thus avoiding incurring the Ironhands' cold and enduring resentment from the Sixth Legion.

The Iron Tenth Legion has always been lukewarm towards other legions, even to the point of being distant and indifferent.

If they really dislike you, they won't care about so-called brotherhood or guild ties; they'll just stab you in the back during a mission and wipe out your entire team.

"The Horus Rebellion grew to the scale of sweeping the galaxy because the Space Marines, the Primarchs, and even the Emperor himself could not escape the inherent weaknesses of human nature."

“Jealousy, greed, hatred, fear, pride—these festering sores rooted in the human soul from which no one can escape.”

"Only by burning these abominable things to ashes with the flames of war and then filling the gaps with machinery can we achieve transcendence and immortality."

"This is also our philosophy: as long as we discard those useless emotions and embrace mechanical logic, we will not be affected by these sores."

"There is no trust, because the trust between Primarchs has severely damaged the Empire. Trust is a double-edged sword; it can be the strongest shield or the cruelest blade of betrayal!"

"Machines, only machines will not betray, will not be cowardly, will not act on emotion!"

The Iron Father delivered a passionate speech to the crowd, with an almost martyr-like fervor.

Admittedly, even Loxi felt that what this guy said made a lot of sense after hearing part of it.

It was precisely this trust between Primarchs that led to many calamities that should never have happened:

Guilliman trusted Loka, and he never expected that the Word Bearers would betray him, and even punish Hill for predicting the possibility of a civil war between the legions.

The three loyal legions on Istvaan V trusted the reinforcements that hadn't arrived yet, but it turned out that the reinforcements that did come were all damned traitors hiding in hiding.

However, to completely deny the positive significance of trust because of this would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The Iron Hands clearly swung from one extreme to the other, and this characteristic is precisely why the Iron Ten Legion went astray.

But how can Pheros reverse this group of offspring who are trapped in a logical loop?
In Loshi's view, instead of trying to persuade a group of Steel Hands who have gone mad, it would be better to think of a way to use the Pure Gene Seed to build a new legion that is not so obsessed.

“My children, you are so convinced that steel is immortal and machines are eternal, but you do not know that metals also fatigue and machines also age. Sometimes they even break down faster than flesh and blood.”

"If you can't even trust machines, then what are you going to do?"

Felus's voice was deep and powerful, like the hum of the thunder hammer in his hand.

This question hit the nail on the head, leaving Mel Ian speechless for a moment.

"Then replace the machinery, replace the rotten parts, and replace them with brand new parts. In this way, the old and new are iterated, and immortality is achieved in a dynamic sense."

"If you keep changing bodies, and in the end only your brain and a metal body are left, will you still be yourself?"

"If you don't even have a brain, what kind of existence are you?"

Feralus did not use forceful violence to compel the Iron Hands to abandon their original ideals; that would have been impossible and irrational.

If he were to actually do this, it is highly likely that the Iron Ten Legion would suffer a mental breakdown, and even a large number of Space Marines would commit suicide.

"You must know the parable of the Ship of Theseus. In fact, flesh and blood or machines are just a kind of vessel. What really matters is our spirit and soul."

"Metal may decay, but the spirit will not."

"The spirit is the most likely to be immortal!"

Ferrus stepped forward and extended his signature steel hands, which gleamed with a liquid metallic sheen.

That was the trace left behind when the Primarch fought a metallic dragon on Medusa and melted it into the magma.

"I think the reason you admire metal and machinery and have so many fantasies about them is because of these hands of mine. I admit these hands are powerful, but they are not my hands."

"It was just the remains of the dragon I killed. I did rely on its power, but it made my mind weak. I originally planned to remove it from my body after the Great Crusade, but the unexpected happened faster than planned."

“My descendants have all followed my example, cutting off their left hands upon joining the Legion and replacing them with metal. The essence of this behavior is actually a hatred and escape from the human self, and it is the beginning of depravity.”

"If humans don't even trust their own bodies, what can they trust? And how can they remain steadfast in the face of the temptations and corruption of the warp?"

The Iron Father began to tremble before Feralus, as if the internal framework supporting his existence was crumbling.

He knew that Feralas was right; all the Iron Hands suffered from severe self-loathing: they hated their own frail flesh and blood, hated that their will could waver and corrupt, hated that their power was not strong enough...

This morbid obsession with power and immortality has eroded the steel hand to its very core.

Iron Father was one of the few in the Legion who was able to recognize the problem, but he was powerless to solve it and could only continue to let the Iron Ten Legion head towards a dead end.

After all, if the problem is forcibly solved, it could very likely cause the Iron Tenth Legion to collapse immediately. However, if the problem is shelved and treated as if it doesn't exist, the Iron Tenth Legion can at least maintain its position for a long time.

All the Iron Hands fell silent.

Now that things have come to this, what else can they do?
"I know the Legion's problems are deeply entrenched and difficult to change, but has the Iron Hand ever feared difficulties?"

Ferrus reassured them, and then he gave orders to his sons.

"From this moment on, all Astartes who join the Iron Tenth Legion shall not, as is customary, sever their left hand that holds the shield and replace the original flesh and blood tissue with metal, and the proportion of mechanization shall be strictly controlled."

"Existing veterans, cease further mechanization of your bodies. You should re-evaluate your own flesh and bones."

"The path of veterans may be irreversible, but new blood still has choices."

"The Iron Tenth Legion can take a thousand or even ten thousand years to change things, but doing something and not doing something are two different things. We can accept being slow, but we cannot accept inaction."

Rose remained silent.

Even though he had anticipated what Feralas was going to do, he was still shocked by the determination in the Primarch of the Steel Hand when he heard him give his orders.

The Steel Hand's strength stems from its relentless mechanization, which results in terrifying combat power and synergy.

Each Steel Hand possesses a destructive power that far exceeds that of Space Marines from other Legions, and can withstand far more damage.

They are connected to the Thinker computer and the main control brain, and can work together perfectly, operating as efficiently as a sophisticated machine.

If Felus's order is carried out, the Iron Tenth Legion's greatest advantage will undoubtedly suffer a devastating blow.

As these battle-hardened veterans gradually pass away in the war, and a new Iron Hand becomes the main body of the legion, the Iron Tenth Legion may be completely different from the past.

The essence of Felus's order was to abandon the current Iron Hand and, within that framework, recreate a new Iron Ten Legion.

Regarding Feralas's actions, it's hard to say what to say.

"As expected of the Primarch of the Iron Hand, he likes to go to extremes just like his offspring."

"Even the methods of correcting mistakes are so extreme and decisive."

Loshi whispered to Guilliman beside him, expressing his dissatisfaction with Feralas.

“His sons pursued extreme mechanization, and in order to reverse this trend, Ferrus asked them to go to the other extreme.”

"With this back and forth, let alone whether the combat power of the Iron Tenth Legion will collapse, even the legion's survival is a question."

"Are they really going to kill all those hundreds of thousands of veterans and throw them into the Cursed Legion to continue serving?"

"After he was beheaded, he probably didn't need to think anymore, and he was able to do something like this again."

Guilliman also sighed, feeling that Ferrus's method was unreliable.

"His personality hasn't changed much from before; he's still too simplistic and crude."

"Can we just watch the Iron Tenth Legion climb out of one pit only to fall into another?"

"But this is ultimately a private matter between Felus and the Iron Hand, so how can we interfere?"

Whether it's complete mechanization or complete opposition to mechanization, such extreme decisions are not wise.

In Loshi's view, even if Felus really reversed the Iron Ten Legion's inherent ideology, their best outcome would be to become unknown and completely relegated to the bottom of all the legions.

The Tenth Legion has its own merits. In any case, they made great contributions during the Great Rebellion and should not have met such an end.

"Do you have a better solution? There's still time." Guilliman's voice held a glimmer of hope. He truly had no other options, and he had no right to interfere in the Iron Tenth Legion's private affairs. "Since extreme mechanical modifications are undesirable, and a complete return to flesh-and-blood transformation is unrealistic, why not compromise and choose a balanced approach to solve the problem?"

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Rosie.

"Who says metal machinery can't be integrated with flesh and blood?"

"Fusion?" Guilliman asked, puzzled.

Rosie's thoughts raced back: "In the X-Men universe, I once met a mutant named Colossus, who had the special ability to freely transform his body from flesh and blood into a body of steel."

"But he can only choose to transform completely, not partially, and his life activities can continue even after he is transformed into a body of steel."

Loshi recalled some information about Colossus.

"This mutant, relying on his steel body, is able to possess super strong defense, a certain degree of self-healing ability, and a significant increase in his strength, which is considered a pretty good ability among many mutants."

"Of course, compared to truly top-tier abilities, Colossus is far inferior. After all, his ecological niche is too awkward. Sentinel Iron Man can do something similar, and he completely outclasses Colossus in terms of numbers and adaptability."

Humanity in the X-Men universe has embarked on a completely different path since Rosie's arrival.

The X gene is no longer a rare thing; most mutant abilities can be mass-produced.

Mutants who are troubled by their mutant abilities can also have their X gene deleted through genetic surgery.

It can be said that apart from mutants with truly top-tier superpowers, such as magnetic manipulation, mind control, and manipulation of subatomic particles, ordinary mutants are no different from ordinary people.

"Although Colossus's abilities aren't that great, his ability to transform is perfect for solving the problems of the Iron Hands."

"Colossus' X gene affected his cellular structure, enabling him to rapidly metallize while still maintaining his original vital signs."

"If we were to rely on experiments to find these transformable metal cells, it would probably take an incredibly long time and we would still be clueless. But with the help of the X gene, we can directly obtain the finished product."

Guilliman finally understood what Roche meant, and he had to admit that Roche's flash of inspiration was far superior to the solution that Ferrus had proposed.

Iron Hand's current principle is to undergo as much mechanization as possible, replacing his original flesh and blood with metal.

However, Ferrus did not want his offspring to continue to be so fanatical. After all, compared to their behavior, Iron Hand's hatred of human nature and his aversion to what he naturally possessed were the truly dangerous aspects.

If they are allowed to continue developing to this extreme, in the not-too-distant future, they may completely break down the boundaries between humans and machines, and even lose their sense of human self-identity, heading towards the abyss of depravity.

The disagreement between Ferrus and the Iron Hand Legion is not simply a matter of choosing flesh and blood versus machines, but rather a difference in ideology.

In many cases, this ideological contradiction is more difficult and fatal than a contradiction that can be seen or touched.

"Ahem, I think you can listen to me for a moment." Luo Xi cleared her throat, her voice piercing through the heavy silence of the lakeside.

"If you keep arguing like this, the problem will most likely not be resolved properly."

"The Iron Tenth Legion's stubbornness lies in their belief that metal and machinery are superior to flesh and blood. Well, I'm going to shatter that misconception of yours."

"Who told you that flesh and blood are necessarily weak? Given the right conditions, flesh and blood can be more resilient and stronger than machines."

His words were like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, instantly drawing everyone's attention, even to Felus, whose body was engulfed in cursed flames.

As a Primarch who had always followed the Emperor, Feralus knew clearly about Lothy's amazing ability to make the impossible possible, and he also knew how important Lothy was in the Emperor's eyes, even more so than most Primarchs.

Representatives from various legions were also filled with curiosity, hoping that Loxi could come up with a solution that would satisfy both sides.

"The mechanization of the Steel Hands is not actually that advanced; at least compared to the fully mechanized Necromancers of space, it can even be considered clumsy."

He glanced meaningfully at the edge of the crowd.

Tarachin, whose name was called, had no choice but to emerge from the shadows, his metallic skull-like face bearing a hint of leisurely detachment as he watched the spectacle.

This Endless One remained out of the public eye, silently recording everything.

For example, the ideological debate between Felus and Iron Hand at this moment is, in Taracin's view, very worthy of being recorded.

This ideological battle may very well determine the future direction of the Astartes Legion.

In Tarachin's view, such moments were far more interesting than those monotonous and uninteresting wars.

“Look how ironic,” Loshi pointed at Tarasin, “the Iron Hand is desperately trying to transform itself into a machine, while this living fossil from the Necromancer Kingdom of Space, his brethren are racking their brains to turn back into flesh and blood.”

Don't you think this is a brilliant irony in itself?

In the current human empire, the existence of Tarasim is no secret; it's practically an open secret.

“Ahem, although human generalizations are always like this… lacking in depth, ahem, they are basically true,” Tarasin said.

"In fact, whether it is metal or flesh, it is a path that can lead to the top, and there is no distinction between which is better or worse."

"You assume that the other path is easier because you haven't seen the troubles and pitfalls that will come with it. Once you've suffered a terrible setback, you'll understand what I mean."

Without a doubt, setting aside his alien identity, Tarachin's appearance as a space necromancer is indeed very convincing.

At least the Iron Hands are genuinely hesitant, wondering if there's really a problem with the path they've chosen so stubbornly.

"I need some time to turn my ideas into reality."

"Perhaps it can reconcile the intense conflict between you."

As soon as Loxi finished speaking, Felus and the Iron Hands all turned their attention to Loxi.

Losi said no more and turned to stride toward the cutting-edge biological laboratory in Macurag City.

Felus silently dismissed the other cursed warriors, following closely behind like a ghost.

All the steel hands, no matter how turbulent their hearts, followed closely in the footsteps of the Father of Genetics, like the most loyal guardians.

In the laboratory, the cold instruments gleamed with a metallic sheen. Roche quickly retrieved samples from the sealed X-gene database.

"After the Prototype upgrade technology became widespread, the new generation of Space Marines actually didn't have many different kinds of abilities that they could acquire through the Infinite Engine."

"The vast majority of original Space Marines chose practical superpowers such as teleportation, super healing, magnetic control, and telepathy."

"After all, these abilities are much more versatile, and with the mentorship system, the new generation of Space Marines rarely chooses unpopular abilities."

"This also means that Colossus's rather useless ability is rarely known or used by anyone."

Guilliman smiled upon hearing this, agreeing that it made sense.

For a Space Marine wearing power armor, can Colossus's defensive capabilities outperform the protection of the power armor?
As for the amplification of power, the power armor can also achieve a similar operation by increasing the reactor's output power.

In summary, Colossus's abilities are suitable for use without power armor, but this is extremely rare and almost never happens.

"In fact, Colossus's X gene expression is a special metal cell. With specific gene editing, it can be shaped into a form more suitable for the Iron Hand."

"So you want to implant these special metal cells into all the Space Marines of the Tenth Legion to repair the body tissues that were removed for mechanical modifications?"

"Edit and optimize it so that it is no longer limited to whole-body transformation, but can be locally and controllably metallized according to will."

If combined with nanorobotics technology, the effects would be beyond imagination.

As Loshi spoke, he became more and more excited. His method of modifying metal cells with nanobots was more than ten thousand times more advanced than the barbaric modification and replacement of the Iron Hand.

The core of the dispute between Ferrus and the Steel Hand—whether to choose flesh or machines—has now been resolved with a more perfect solution.

Children make choices; adults want it all.

He wants to pioneer a new path of evolution where "flesh and blood are machines".

Guilliman was also amazed. He keenly realized that if the steel hand made of these metal cells were replaced, it would likely generate even greater combat power.

Mel Ian gritted his teeth as he looked through the laboratory's transparent glass and saw Rosie fiddling with a bunch of complex genetic samples.

When Roche returned from the X-Men universe, he brought back a large number of genetic samples.

Now that we have gene samples as research materials, much of the time spent on repetition has been saved.

In just about half a day, Losi finished editing the modified version of the metal cell in the laboratory in Macurag City.

"Who wants to be the first test subject?" Rosie asked, looking at the Iron Hands.

“I’ll go first; the Avignon clan never settles for second place.”

"Iron Father Mel Ian said, his voice still cold and hard, but deep in his eyes there was a hint of exploration of new possibilities that even he himself was unaware of."

The Iron Ten Legion has always prioritized its own strength, and the Avini Clan, ranked first in strength, naturally has the right to choose first.

The Steel Father walked up to Felus and then lay down on the cold experimental table as Rosie had requested.

The Stone Man assistant manipulated the sophisticated mechanical arm, removing layer by layer the power armor that Mel was so proud of, and then began to dismantle the cold, complex mechanical implants inside his body, which were inherited from countless dead.

After the dismantling was completed, everyone truly felt how crazy the Iron Ten Legion's modifications were, and a suppressed gasp filled the laboratory.

The body beneath the power armor is a horrifying mechanical anatomical diagram.

Below the chest, Mel's body is almost entirely composed of a complex servo system, hydraulic lines, and an alloy skeleton, with no flesh or blood visible.

Above the chest cavity, the original location of the lungs has been replaced by a highly efficient air circulation unit, and the remaining section of the spine has been embedded with a neural interface to directly control the external weapons.

This body is less a living being and more a special war machine.

"It's unbelievable that you didn't even make it to the Fearless Rank with such injuries," Luo Xi remarked.

“Every implant is a legacy, a responsibility.”

Mel said calmly, seemingly not considering his own body anything important.

"They are constantly being upgraded and passed on, carrying the will of the deceased and their unfinished atonement."

Loshi knew in his heart that it was impossible to persuade them with words. These madmen were simply using him as a weapon for revenge, in order to atone for their sins.

Even if they fail to achieve it themselves, others will follow, fitted with their prosthetics, to continue the endless cause of atonement.

Loxi slowly injected the cell suspension, which shimmered with a strange metallic luster, into the few remaining living tissues in Mel's body.

At the same time, the life support system began pumping in high concentrations of nutrients and a specific ratio of alloying element solution.

Little by little, the molten metal disappeared into the body of the Steel Father, while fleshy buds began to wriggle and twitch from the cross-section of his mutilated body.

The metal cells began to reconstruct the body according to the genetic code edited by Roche, and countless liquid metals began to emerge, as if they were building the human skeleton under the guidance of an invisible hand.

As the metal cells divide and differentiate wildly, a strange "flesh" with a supple metallic luster begins to grow and spread along the skeleton.

The nerve bundles were rewoven like silver threads, the muscle fibers shimmered with the cold light of an alloy yet retained the elasticity of biological tissue, and the blood vessels no longer flowed with "blood" but with oxygen-carrying metal cells.

Under Felus's deep gaze, Guilliman's breathless stare, and the incredulous stares of all the Iron Hand warriors.

The steel saint, Mel Irnna, whose body was mostly occupied by machinery, is being gradually reshaped by a new tissue that is unprecedented, combining the vitality of flesh and blood with the toughness of metal.

This is not only a physical repair, but also a revolutionary reconstruction of the Iron Tenth Legion's century-long path.

This is a fusion.

Roche's answer sheet is slowly unfolding on the cold experimental table in the most shocking way.

(End of this chapter)