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

Chapter 878 The Last Piece of the Puzzle for the Network Tunnel Boring Machine

The fire in the Plague Garden was finally extinguished completely.

Without the support of the Emperor's power, even the pure fire, capable of burning away filth, could not contend with the endless power of the Plague Garden.

The rivers and swamps that once flowed with pus and germs have dried up, revealing cracked, dry sand. Pale, twisted skeletons are exposed from the sand, creating an indescribably desolate and lonely scene.

The dense trees and flowers had completely withered, and wisps of smoke rose from the damp interior of the trees, then ascended into the gloomy sky and disappeared completely.

Most of the flies and insects that sang enchanting music and created a lively atmosphere in the garden were burned to death, while the rest hid in their nests in fear, not daring to come out even after the flames had died down.

They were in fear, they were in despair, they were lamenting their tragic fate.

However, it was not only the small creatures in the Plague Garden who felt pain and despair; even the garden's ruler, Nurgle, who symbolized plague and despair, sensed a bleak future.

This god of chaos hides in his decaying hut, and even a great impure being like Rain Father Rothigus cannot see the true form of the merciful father.

All they could hear were heavy howls coming from the doors and windows of the decaying hut, and from the roof tiles that had been torn off halfway.

"Alas, the great and loving father is heartbroken."

“Those despicable humans, those despicable cursed ones, they are completely unable to distinguish right from wrong, and they repeatedly strike cruelly at their tolerant and forgiving father.”

Rainfather Rotigus wandered through the Plague Garden, lamenting the heavy responsibility of extinguishing the Emperor's fire.

Wherever Rotigus went, the dark clouds above it followed, and a light drizzle fell, laboriously nourishing the mess.

Rain Father walked and watered the pots as he went, and soon arrived in front of a crucible that was emitting foul-smelling bubbles.

This is no ordinary crucible, but a special artifact that Nurgle uses to reshape his Great Impure and the Demon Prince.

The loving father would put the children who had died tragically back into the crucible, and then patiently mend their broken souls to restore them to their original state.

Each Chaos God possesses similar abilities, but compared to other tyrannical and demanding Chaos Gods, Nurgle is clearly more benevolent and compassionate.

Even those great demons who fail because of their own incompetence and disgrace Nurgle will be given a second life by the Father.

Other chaotic evil gods, if they become dissatisfied with their subordinates, will punish them at best, and annihilate them at worst, preventing them from being reborn.

Rotigus took the wooden stick that Naguru used to stir the crucible, making the reaction inside more stable.

One by one, grayish-green bubbles rose up, and soon a fat face with a terrifying smile appeared.

"Kugas, you bastard..."

Rotigus and Kugas did not have a good relationship, because the latter's birth reduced the father's affection for Rotigus.

The major demons in the Nurgle faction generally have fairly good relationships with each other, and there are no open conflicts or falling out.

They all know that the loving father likes a harmonious and united atmosphere, so even if they have a lot of dissatisfaction with their other colleagues, they will maintain a superficial harmony.

But behind the scenes, the great demons of Nurgle also compete for favor and are jealous of other great demons who receive more attention.

Sometimes, they might even secretly sabotage each other, making the other embarrass themselves in front of the loving father, thus reducing their importance in the father's eyes.

In a sense, it's a childish jealousy, a manifestation of Nurgle's powerful possessiveness.

But now, Rothigs has no interest in vying for favor.

Many of the great impure beings it once knew perished completely in that terrible catastrophe.

Demons killed by the Emperor himself are completely erased from existence, as if they never existed on the timeline.

While Nurgle can gradually find and piece together the erased demon fragments, it requires a great deal of the Father's time and energy.

It's even uncertain whether the demon pieced together in the end is the original demon, or just a copy with the same name, memories, and experiences.

Kugas was lucky; although it died, it died at the hands of the Primarch, and it only needed a little time to be resurrected.

Looking at Kugas's silly grin, Rotigus felt a sense of helplessness.

That idiot is actually pretty lucky.

Forget it, there aren't many familiar great demons left. It's good that Kugas is still alive.

Rotigus used his power to accelerate Kugas's rebirth.

Finally, after seven months, seven days, and seven hours, Kugas finally crawled out of the plague crucible.

It also managed to pull out the traveler Typhon along with it; the little guy had always been very close to it.

However, compared to Kugas, a native warp demon, Typhons, who was originally a human who ascended to demonhood, clearly has more demonic traits, while his original human appearance is fading.

If Typhons were to die a few more times, there might be no trace of humanity left on his body.

Kugas staggered, looking as if he had shrunk considerably, and even appeared somewhat thin. However, as soon as the Great Unclean One was resurrected, he eagerly questioned Rotigus before him.

"Have we won? Have we obtained the Heart of the Plague?"

“I have failed my loving father, but before I was completely banished back to the warp, I saw that Typhons was also going to self-destruct. If he succeeded in self-destructing, the rampaging Heart of Plague would definitely be out of control.”

"If our deaths can bring about the heart of the plague, then it will all be worth it."

"What's wrong? Why is the garden so quiet?"

Kugas sensed a strange feeling from Rotigus, and its heart immediately panicked. Then it looked around at the mess in disbelief.

The garden that the loving father had painstakingly created over countless years, searching for rare and exotic objects from countless worlds and universes, looked as if it had been wrecked by arsonists; many parts of it had even been reduced to ashes.

“We didn’t get the Heart of Plague. After Typhon’s self-destruction, the Cursed arrived in Comoros and, without any regard for honor, personally took action,” Rotigos mocked.

“I can understand that, but why has our garden become like this?” Kugas was extremely puzzled.

"That's because the Cursed One, that butcher, wasn't satisfied after taking the Heart of Plague. So, while the Father and the Dark Prince were entangled, he secretly came to our home and burned the garden down."

"Countless children died, completely erasing any trace of their existence."

"What a disgrace, what a tragedy..."

Rotigus began to cry silently in front of Kugas, and then its cries grew louder and louder.

“Even Elsa…”

Kugas widened his small eyes and grabbed Tigros's sticky, wet arm.

"What happened to Elsa? Was she killed by the cursed one too?"

Kugas's heart clenched immediately. How come he had just been resurrected and all he was hearing was bad news?

Isn't there any good news?
“No, Aisha was not killed by the Cursed,” Tigros said.

Before Kugas could calm down, Yu's father added insult to injury.

“She was taken away by the cursed one. He came to our home to steal Elsa. My loving father tried his best to save Elsa, but he failed. He was even slashed by the cursed one.”

Kugas finally couldn't take it anymore and plopped down on the sticky, slippery grass.

It felt dizzy and disoriented, realizing that its resurrection might not have been perfect and that it needed to be resurrected again.

Rotigus pulled Kugas down as he tried to climb back into the crucible, then spoke in a serious tone.

"Kugas!"

“You are no longer a child. Although you are the youngest of all the great impures, you must take on your responsibilities now that we are in a time of crisis.”

“We can all feel the pain of a loving father; it is not just emotional pain, but also spiritual pain.”

"The damage that the cursed one inflicted on the Father remains at the soul level."

He tossed and turned in his sleep, even falling into a state of melancholy. We must help our loving father regain his joy, otherwise this wound will never heal.

“What should I do, Rothigs?”

Kugas pondered for a moment and realized that Yu's father was right.

Their individual suffering is insignificant, but the loving father must not be discouraged by it.

“You are your father’s most beloved child. You should go into the cabin to comfort him.”

“And I…” Rotigus’s eyes sharpened, “We must take revenge on humanity. If we pretend nothing happened, how will the other minions of the Chaos Gods view us?”

"I will make mankind know the pain of being afflicted by disease and plague, and I will plunge them into endless despair!"

After bidding farewell to Rotigus, the newly resurrected Kugas hurriedly went to Nurgle's decaying hut.

With a pious reverence, the Great Impure One cautiously approached the decaying hut of Negro, which exuded endless sorrow and pain.

The door was tightly shut, and only suppressed sobs and the faint sound of thick, dripping pus could be heard, moving the listener deeply.

Kugas did not force his way in, but silently knelt outside the door, humming his father's favorite lullaby about decay and rebirth in his not-so-pleasant, even somewhat off-key voice.

The singing was clumsy yet full of filial piety, attempting to penetrate the heavy barrier of sorrow and melt away the grief in Nagou's heart.

The surviving Nurgles in the garden spontaneously gathered around the cabin, emitting a low, resonant hum, forming a sorrowful yet solaceful ocean.

……

“Aisha is indeed different from most Eldar. She can be considered one of the few beings in this terrible universe who can be called ‘kind’.”

"But there's one thing: she seems to be too kind."

Loshi whispered to Neos, then glanced back at the temple where Aisha lived in Comoros, as if to make sure no one else had heard him.

“Aisha was always crying, and when she cried, soul stones were created. The spirits were both grieving for their mother goddess and overjoyed at the fact that they had collected more soul stones.”

Neos remained unmoved, as he studied the Plague Heart that was bound and sealed away.

This warp artifact is theoretically a creation of the Old Ones, but it is unknown what the Heart of Plague has encountered over such a long period of time. It is now filled with filthy chaotic energy, and its self-awareness is in complete disarray.

According to Lothie, when the three warp artifacts—the Heart of Plague, the Tuchucha Engine, and the Ouroboros—are combined, they can restore the original Web Tunneling Machine created by the Old Ones, giving humanity the ability to excavate Web tunnels.

But the Heart of Plague has become like this; if they were to reunite, who knows what the consequences would be?

"Cry? That woman likes to cry so much, then let her cry as much as she wants."

“When Elsa cries, she produces Soul Stones. These special psychic crystals can capture and absorb souls, storing them perfectly.”

"Those Eldar from the Ark will place the Soul Stones containing their souls into the Ark's Infinite Circuit, so that the souls of their ancestors can continue to shine."

“Soulstones are extremely difficult to obtain. They are usually only found in the world of the old woman in the Eye of Fear. That’s why those Adas are so excited.”

"Since Soul Stones are so precious, let's collect them all and use them to store our human souls."

The emperor spoke casually, and then described a concept he was preparing.

"I mentioned the concept of a human local area network to you before. I want to imitate the green-skinned orcs and use the God Emperor and the faith system to build a firewall in the souls of all humans, forming a local area network."

"However, in some special places, such as the shielded area of ​​Blackrock, the local area network may fail, causing human souls to be unable to connect directly to the local area network controlled by the God-Emperor through the line of faith."

"In this situation, a medium is needed to temporarily store the human soul, and then upload the soul when it is connected to the local area network of faith in the outside world."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xi's eyes lit up.

Yes, if it can accommodate the powerful souls of the Aidaling race, wouldn't it be a piece of cake for the Soul Stone to accommodate human souls?

"Secondly, you underestimate the power of Soul Stones."

A crystal, sparkling and translucent, appeared in the Emperor's hand at some unknown time. It was the soul stone that Elsa had just cried out and which had condensed into form.

The Lord of Humanity gently twirled the Soul Stone with his fingertips, causing it to refract dazzling light from different angles, more captivating than any known gemstone. "The Soul Stone can not only gather souls, but also has a powerful restraining effect on some subspace creatures."

"With proper processing, even a mortal can use a special tool made of soul stones to directly seal a subspace creature inside."

A flame surged from the Emperor's fingertip, reheating and solidifying the soul stone.

When the Soul Stone cooled and solidified again, what appeared before Rosie was a special sphere that was red on top and white on the bottom, with a horizontal line separating the two.

This, this is...

Loxi was speechless. Did Neos mean to let ordinary humans use this Spirit Soul Stone Ball to capture subspace creatures?

"Just kidding, don't take it seriously."

Neos chuckled. In this era, there weren't many people who could understand what this thing was, and who could still laugh about it.

"Of course, ordinary people don't have this ability, but for warp hunters like the Psionic Think Tank and the Grey Knights, equipping them with this kind of Soul Stone containment device is very useful."

"Never think you have enough Soul Stones. Even if Elsa cried day and night, she still wouldn't have enough Soul Stones!"

"Could you urge Aisha to speed things up and work overtime to condense the spirit bone and soul stone?"

Loxi immediately stared intently at Neos with a look that seemed to say, "Are you even human?"

Just when you think the Emperor's bottom line is low enough, you'll find that it's not his limit. He's utterly despicable.

Elsa, the dignified mother goddess of the Eldar and the goddess of life whose authority overlapped greatly with that of Nurgle, was reduced to a walking, human-shaped milk cow in the hands of the Emperor.

No, at least cows need to eat grass, but Elsa doesn't need to eat anything to continuously produce precious spirit bones and soul stones.

Of course, Rosie wouldn't convey the Emperor's message to Elsa. If she were to actually do something that showed such low emotional intelligence, even if Elsa had a good personality, she would probably be so angry that she wouldn't be able to cry.

If she really throws a tantrum and stops crying, that would be a huge loss.

"Let's talk about the Heart of the Plague. How's your research going these days?"

Loxi tactfully changed the subject, and then the Emperor suspended the Plague Heart, which had been sealed in layers, above the force field array.

The chaotic emerald light within this warp artifact appeared dim and distorted under the suppression of the Emperor's will, no longer possessing the boundless power it once did.

"The chaos contamination of the Heart of Plague is more severe than expected. I don't know if it was like this when it was created, or if it was contaminated by the warp over millions of years."

The emperor looked at the Heart of Plague and said with a hint of confusion.

His expertise is mainly focused on the field of biogenetics, while tunnel boring machines involve many extremely profound sub-disciplines.

Loshi frowned. If the Heart of Plague had already been corrupted, then the plan for the network tunnel boring machine...

"The plan remains unchanged." The Emperor's gaze was unwavering.

"The Heart of Plague has been acquired, and the Tuchucha Engine has been hidden in a safe place by Ryan."

"The key lies in the final balancer—Ouroboros. If my conjecture is correct, then its 'circulation' and 'devouring' properties are the key to reconciling the Heart of Plague and the Tuchucha Engine."

Perhaps the Heart of Plague wasn't corrupted to this state, but rather that when the ancient sages created it, they endowed it with the ability to merge with the power of chaos.

After all, if we cannot control the subspace, how can we expect to excavate the Web from the gap between the subspace and the real universe?
Only when the three divine artifacts are combined can a stable circulation system be formed, truly activating the full power of the ancient holy shield tunneling machine.

The Emperor brought up the star map, and a planet located in the northern part of the hazy star field was highlighted.

"The ouroboros is sealed deep within the Earth's core in Caliban."

"Or perhaps, Caliban exists to seal the Ouroboros. When I arrived in Caliban, those little men in black robes told me part of the truth."

Immediately, images of Dark Watchers, less than a meter tall, shrouded in black robes and whose true faces were completely obscured, flashed through Rosie's mind.

"Dorn, Peturabo."

The Emperor summoned two Primarchs who were rebuilding Comoros.

"Comoros is a strategic location for us and we absolutely cannot afford to lose it. You will stay here and continue to strengthen the defenses and build a permanent fortress."

Aisha's safety is of paramount importance. She is our link to the Aida Alliance and a core strategic resource; her safety must be ensured at all times.

“Yes, Father,” Roger Dorn’s voice was as firm as a rock.

"Hmph, I will make this place impregnable, and no one will be able to break through the Comoros defenses."

"Trying to do that will only lead to disaster."

Perturabo's response was brimming with absolute confidence, far more assertive than Dorne's restraint.

“Ryan, Chagatai, Ruth,” the Emperor continued, “since the three of you were involved in the Heart of Plague incident, then continue with me to Caliban to retrieve Ouroboros.”

The three of them immediately nodded in agreement. Having stayed in the net tunnel for so long, they had no idea what had become of the outside world and were already impatient.

Relying on the seamless network, the distance in space is reduced to the extreme.

When the Emperor's flagship traversed the net and arrived at Caliban's orbit, the sight before them was both unfamiliar and awe-inspiring to all those from the Age of the Great Crusade.

In the past, Caliban was a verdant dead world covered by endless ancient forests, mysterious and profound, filled with knightly legends and the roars of giant beasts.

Today, Caliban's orbit is filled with newly built starports and defense platforms, and massive shipyards, like steel behemoths, churn out countless transport ships.

On the planet's surface, vast tracts of primeval forest have been completely cleared away, replaced by massive military camps, training grounds, foundries, and the nascent form of hive cities.

Thick smoke billowed from the massive chimneys, and the roar of machinery even penetrated the atmosphere, reaching the ships in orbit.

“Luther…” Ryan’s voice was low and filled with complex emotions.

He recognized it at a glance; it was the work of his adoptive father, Luther, the former Grand Master of the Caliban Knights.

This efficient and ruthless, military-first transformation is full of Luther's pragmatic style.

Clearly, after Ryan left, Luther devoted himself to the rebuilding and expansion of the Dark Angels Legion, engaging in a frenzied mass production of troops.

Loshi and his group arrived on the ground directly via psionic teleportation.

The former Caliban Knights' Monastery has now been expanded into the core of a massive military fortress.

Dark Angels clad in dark power armor were everywhere, and the air was thick with the smells of engine oil, sweat, and the dust unique to the recruit training ground.

The Emperor used psychic powers to conceal his presence and avoid causing unnecessary chaos.

In the command hall at the heart of the fortress, Ryan finally saw Luther again.

Time has etched deeper marks on Luther's face; his temples are now streaked with gray, but his eyes are sharper and more resolute than ever before, filled with an unquestionable authority.

He wore specially made power armor that symbolized the power of the supreme commander, and upon seeing the emperor, he immediately led the high-ranking knights around him to kneel on one knee.

“Your Majesty the Emperor,” Luther’s voice boomed, filled with respect, his posture impeccable.

"Rise, Luther," the Emperor's voice was calm. "You've done well; Caliban's transformation is your achievement."

"For the Empire, for the Dark Angels." Luther stood up, neither humble nor arrogant.

As Ryan's adoptive father, Luther tries his best to maintain his composure and not lose face in front of Ryan's biological father.

He simply looked at Ryan, a complex and indescribable light flashing in his eyes—a mixture of relief and scrutiny—but ultimately, it all coalesced into a single sentence.

"Welcome home, Ryan."

The estrangement between the father and son has long since disappeared.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries and listening to Luther's report on the Caliban reforms and Legion rebuilding, the Emperor cut straight to the point without beating around the bush.

"Luther, Lane, and all the loyal sons of Caliban." The Emperor's voice echoed through the hall, creating an atmosphere of sacred solemnity.

"Our purpose in coming here is to find the sealed artifact deep within the core of Caliban—a warp artifact called Ouroboros."

The Ouroboros is the key to the Empire's future complete control of the Network and its fight against Chaos.

The hall was silent; everyone held their breath.

Everyone understood that what the Emperor was about to say would definitely have a lot to do with Caliban.

"However, the seal of the Ouroboros is closely connected to the lifeblood of the planet Caliban itself. It is locked deep within the core of the planet, and the foundation of its seal... is the very existence of Caliban itself."

The Emperor's gaze, almost tangible, swept across the faces of Luther, Lane, and every Caliban-born warrior.

He paused for a moment, allowing this harsh truth to resonate deeply.

"The only way to safely extract Ouroboros, completely break its seal, and make it available to humanity is to destroy Caliban's core structure and dismantle the planet's foundation that serves as the seal's carrier."

This means... Caliban, the homeland you have lived in, fought for, and now painstakingly built will be utterly destroyed.

Dead silence.

Absolute silence.

The glory on Luther's face vanished instantly, his body swayed almost imperceptibly, but he regained his balance in an instant.

He steadied himself against the cold metal command console beside him, his knuckles white from the force he exerted beneath his armor.

For the first time, a complex mix of bewilderment, pain, and disbelief appeared in those resolute eyes.

The Caliban-born dark angels behind him fell silent.

Some people instinctively took a step back, some clenched their fists, and some had their eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins.

Destroy... Caliban?

This is the world they reclaimed from the clutches of the behemoths with their blood and sweat, protected for generations, and now, under Luther's leadership, they have poured all their efforts into transforming it into a base for the Legion's revival and a powerful fortress in the northern galaxy.

This sacred homeland, which carries the knights' thousand-year glory, countless heroic legends, and is the source of their soul and bloodline, is the place where they live.

Was it destroyed not by the enemy, but by the emperor?
For the Empire... For the Future...

This reason is so noble, so irrefutable.

but……

When faced with a real choice, no one can answer with a smile.

"Your Majesty, is there really no other way? Caliban is not just a planet, it is our roots!"

Astram, who had fought alongside the Emperor in the war to unify Terra, spoke up to question him.

There are very few Astartes who dare to question the Emperor, but Astram is certainly one of them.

“We are making Caliban better, in accordance with the orders you left behind, Caliban is the throne world of the Dark Angels’ kingdom.”

It is one of the most fortified strongholds in the Empire's northern frontier, and a crucial bulwark against the Eye of Terror. To retrieve a so-called divine artifact, an entire planet must be sacrificed.

However, the Dark Angels who dared to question the Emperor were ultimately few and far between, and Astram did not receive much response or support.

A sense of calm permeated the hall.

The dark angels looked at Ryan and the Emperor, their hearts churning with countless emotions.

There was incomprehension, indifference, support, and anger.

Even the most loyal dark angels, when their core interests are threatened, inevitably experience internal conflicts and divisions.

(End of this chapter)