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

Chapter 882 Shield Tunneling Machine Operator
When Luther breached the last line of defense of the Ghoul Orc Empire, he witnessed firsthand how the Battle White Dwarf annihilated the Orcs' Battle Moon with overwhelming force.

This experience left a deep impression on the First Legion's governor. After witnessing such absolute dominance in size, even a behemoth like the Thundercloud-class planetary warship lost its former unique brilliance in Luther's eyes.

In the minds of the Kaliban, more is beautiful, bigger is better, and the idea that caliber equals justice has taken root.

Luther even began to imagine a mobile Caliban, what a powerful weapon of war that would be.

The original Caliban was good, but he had too many limitations, which hindered his ability to use his skills.

But now, Caliban is left with only a relatively intact piece, making it entirely possible to start from scratch.

Luther looked at Caliban through the porthole.

The remaining star of Caliban is roughly an irregular ellipsoid, and its surface shows the magnificent outline of the monastery, the remaining edge of the forest, and the rock strata that have been cut exceptionally flat by the force field.

It floats alone, like a sacred tomb floating in cosmic dust, or like a newly sprouted seed, exuding a tragic yet resilient aura.

"Your idea isn't entirely unacceptable."

Loshi said in a deep voice that battle planets were nothing new to him, and building them wasn't too difficult.

"Instead of building a battle planet from scratch around the remains of Caliban, it's better to embed it directly into the core of a battle planet."

He raised his hand and pointed in the air, and a complex holographic projection instantly unfolded.

The projection center is a standard concept image of a human combat planet—not a monster like a combat white dwarf, of course, whose super-strong gravity would kill all life on the planet.

The newly formed Caliban will become a truly colossal war fortress: possessing heavy alloy armor, planetary-level void shield arrays, macro cannon arrays spread across the surface, light spear matrices, and devastating weapon silos buried deep in the earth's core.

It is itself a mobile fortress, an ultimate warship.

“Look here,” Losi pointed to the core region of the battle planet concept map, “We can embed the remains of Caliban as the heart and control core of this battle planet.”

"The Legion monasteries and historical sites preserved on the ruins of Caliban will become the spiritual symbol of this battle planet and the location of the Legion's command center, inspiring all the Dark Angels to fight tirelessly."

As Roche swiped her finger, the concept art changed.

The remains of Caliban were cleverly pieced together into the core structure of the battle planet, with countless thick energy conduits and data cables acting like blood vessels and nerves, connecting it to the various systems of the battle planet.

If Luther had at least witnessed the power of the battle planet, then Ryan Johnson, who had just emerged from the Webpath, was left only with awe.

After emerging from the net, the Lion, besides being busy with matters concerning the Ouroboros and the Tuchucha engine, spent his time catching up on the major and minor wars that had occurred in the Empire over the past century.

The most important war was, of course, the great war against the ghoul orc empire.

Ryan had developed a strong curiosity and desire for the battle white dwarf, and now, after hearing Luther's idea, he could hardly contain his excitement.

Blowing up the old Caliban and replacing it with a new one... doesn't seem like a bad deal.

Ryan stared intently at the virtual projection before him. Its planetary armor was etched with the symbol of the Dark Angels and reliefs of the Caliban Forest. When the main cannon charged, each roar of the energy torrent was an echo of Caliban's howl.

Caliban was not destroyed; it was simply reborn in a new form.

Ryan clenched his fists, his dark eyes burning with a fervent desire for war.

"I agree with your concept, but there's only one problem... when will I be able to see it become a reality?"

"With our control over the network, it can achieve network traversal, instead of the clumsy subspace travel or dimensional engine travel of the past?"

“It would take at least a year,” Losi replied without hesitation. “If we could mobilize the resources and technologies of Riza, Mars, and other world-building sites simultaneously, it might be faster.”

"I know you want to ask why we were able to finish so quickly when dealing with the Orc Empire. That's because in order to shorten the construction period, we had to compromise on the performance of some other aspects."

"With my coordination, we were able to achieve such speed, but I cannot spend a lot of time on the reconstruction of Caliban."

“I understand,” Luther answered first.

"The Empire is not facing an imminent war right now, we still have time."

"If going slower can result in a better combat planet, we would rather go slower."

Luther was still afraid that Ryan would say something completely lacking in emotional intelligence, so he answered first.

He knew that this was not only a reconstruction project, but also a crucial step in uniting the Dark Angels Legion and healing the wounds of their home planet.

“I will tell the mechanical engineering school about the process and methods of building it, but right now, we have more important things to deal with.”

"The three key tools have been put back in place. The next step is to consider how to restore the tunnel boring machine in the safest and most secure way."

Upon hearing this, Ryan's initial excitement immediately cooled down.

Compared to the Emperor's great achievements, Caliban's reconstruction seems so insignificant.

“In that case, Luther, I’ll leave the Legion’s affairs to you. I need to stay by the Emperor’s side to prevent any potential problems.”

Immediately afterward, Lothie and Lane bid farewell to Luther and headed to the vault of the new Caliban.

The Emperor and several other Primarchs were currently in the treasure vault.

When Lothie met the Emperor again, the Lord of Man was having a more in-depth conversation with the Tuchucha Engine and the Dark Watchers.

Upon seeing Lothie arrive, the Emperor immediately dismissed the Tuchucha Engine and the Ouroboros, leaving only the Dark Watchers and the Primarchs.

"How's the situation being confirmed? What did the Darkwatcher say?"

Loxi took a deep breath and asked, also curious about what method the Emperor would use to control the tunnel boring machine to the greatest extent possible.

"We cannot passively wait for the fusion to complete before trying to control a powerful, independent consciousness that may have already taken shape."

"Prevention is better than cure."

The Emperor spoke softly, gazing at the Tuchucha Engine and Ouroboros, which were sealed by his psychic powers.

"In ancient Terra, the best way to tame a giant elephant is to tie it to a post with a rope while it is still young."

"And when the giant elephant grows up, even if it has the strength to easily break a pillar, it will still be bound to the same place due to habit."

The emperor first used the example of the ancient Terrans taming giant elephants to more vividly and concretely express his ideas.

"Therefore, we must exert a decisive influence before the integration is complete."

"Of course, according to my prediction, the best time should be when the original consciousness of the three divine artifacts begins to dissolve and merges into one. At this point, it will be easiest to change its consciousness."

"So you plan to erase the consciousness of the tunnel boring machine and replace it with a self-consciousness that obeys humans?" Luo Xi raised an eyebrow and asked in return.

“We can’t do that. After all, the tunnel boring machine is a creation of the ancient sages, and those creators took precautions long ago to prevent this from happening.”

“The consciousness of the tunnel boring machine cannot be altered. Its consciousness is bound to the core physical structure and the ‘concept’ of the tunnel itself. Forcibly separating or altering it will only lead to unpredictable collapse or… even more terrifying loss of control.”

The Emperor shook his head, rejecting the possibility proposed by Rosie.

“We cannot replace the consciousness of the tunnel boring machine, but we can influence and change its self-awareness—by applying a continuous external force.”

Losi recalled the analogy the Emperor had used, and a sudden realization flashed in his eyes. He then spoke.

"We cannot 'kill' or 'replace' the consciousness that is about to be born, but we can put a... inescapable 'bridle' on it at the very beginning of its birth, in the 'young elephant' stage where its core consciousness has not yet been fully solidified?"

"It's like putting a rein on a baby elephant."

“That’s right, that’s the only solution we can think of.” The Emperor nodded slightly.

"But having reins alone is not enough. We need an 'elephant trainer,' someone who can constantly tighten the reins and continuously imprint the command to obey and serve humanity onto the tunnel boring machine's consciousness."

The Emperor's gaze turned to Rosie, who immediately sensed something was wrong.

"This elephant tamer must possess sufficient authority, strong mental power, and a deep understanding of mechanics, the nature of the subspace, and the technology left behind by the ancient saints."

"He needs to put a rein on the tunnel boring machine the moment its consciousness takes shape, becoming the guide of the machine's self-awareness."

“Forced commands will only provoke resistance, while guidance… can shape habits, just like the pillar that plants the idea of ​​‘inescapability’ in the heart of a young elephant.”

Rose's mind was racing, trying to figure out how to get rid of this huge mess.

“I think you are the best candidate, Neos. Your strength is more than enough to control the tunnel boring machine.”

"If it doesn't obey, use your psionic powers to beat it until it obeys."

The emperor looked at his best friend with a half-smile; he was all too familiar with this kind of escapism.

First it was Makado, now it's Roxi. Whenever I try to give them more responsibility, they find all sorts of excuses to shirk it.

But it doesn't matter, he has already mastered the art of manipulating them.

“I said that mere violence is useless, otherwise things wouldn’t have become so complicated.”

“My friend, I have entrusted the authority and power of Om Messiah to you. Now you are the most suitable person in the world.”

"You are the god of all machines, with an extraordinary attraction and affinity for all machinery. You can subtly influence the tunnel boring machine and distort its self-awareness invisibly."

The Emperor placed his hand on Rosie's shoulder, while maintaining eye contact.

"You have seen a living ancient sage and received a gift from one of them. You carry the aura of the Creator, which makes the tunnel boring machine naturally drawn to you."

"More importantly, you possess the AllSpark, a powerful artifact from the multiverse that can give life to soulless machines and create souls out of thin air."

“The source of the spark…” Rose repeated in a low voice.

Since helping Tarachin regain his soul, he has not used the Fire Source for a long time, but has kept it by his side and continuously analyzed its power.

He had become so accustomed to the existence of the AllSpark that he forgot it could be useful in this situation.

“Yes, the AllSpark,” the Emperor affirmed. “It can not only give machines souls and life, but that is just one way of using its power.”

"I can sense that the AllSpark represents a power of order, and its creator stands on the side of that order."

"During the War of Heaven, the consciousness of the Netway Tunnel Boring Machine was gradually corrupted by the subspace, and it even developed its own ambitions. Now, the power of order must be used to neutralize and counteract the corruption."

"At the critical moment of fusion, when the fragments of the three sacred artifacts' consciousness swirl and collide like a chaotic nebula, you can infuse the power of the AllSpark into them."

"The power of the spark will become a rein with a taming effect, allowing the tunnel boring machine to be used by mankind."

Since the Emperor had put it that way, Rosie really had no reason to refuse.

What else could he say? He truly was the best choice.

"Looking at it this way, I'm definitely going to be the operator of this tunnel boring machine," Luo Xi said with a wry smile.

“I prefer to call myself a trainer for the tunnel boring machine,” the Emperor said, rubbing his chin with his hand. “But if you want to call yourself a driver, that’s perfectly fine.”

Lothie sighed. Perhaps after the Emperor stepped down from the Golden Throne and was freed from the curse of the Dark Lord, he should set off again and leave the Warhammer universe.

At least when Neos planned to conscript more men to work for him, he could use the excuse that the journey was too far.

"Shall we return to Comoros now? After all, the Heart of Plague is there, and combining the three artifacts in the Web Path would at least be safer."

The environment inside the Web, especially at the massive Web node of Comoros, can shield against direct observation and interference from the warp, providing an additional barrier for the extremely dangerous and crucial ritual of fusing the three artifacts. "Comoros is currently the most ideal location," the Emperor affirmed Lothie's assessment.

"Moreover, I have a strong feeling that when we merge the three artifacts into one, our enemies in the warp will not stand idly by."

"They consider themselves players of the great game, but when faced with unfavorable circumstances, these players will not hesitate to abandon their game beliefs and will do anything to win."

"The tragedy of Horus was the result of the four gods overturning the table; they had no shame whatsoever."

"Never overestimate them. Although they are gods of chaos, when they start acting like scoundrels, they are no different from ordinary thugs..."

However, just as the Emperor was making his critique of the four Chaos Gods, an invisible, heavy malice suddenly pierced through the veil between the real universe and the subspace.

The cold metal walls inside the vault seemed to be instantly shrouded in a layer of rust, and the air was filled with the scorching, pungent smell of brass and sulfur.

The emperor's expression instantly turned serious, his gaze piercing like a sharp sword towards a direction in the void that could not be perceived by mortals.

Primarchs such as Ryan, Ruth, and Chagatai tensed up instantly, their powerful psionic energy and combat instincts allowing them to sense the intense malice emanating from the High Heavens.

Even the Primarch felt his own insignificance in the face of this invisible malice.

"It seems I was right." The emperor's face showed no unusual expression, remaining as calm as ever.

"Some guys... are starting to get anxious."

……

Deep within the warp, in a realm filled with demonic engines and blasphemous furnaces.

This place is neither the original territory of the Four Gods, nor one of those unclaimed subspaces.

This is a world of furnaces and anvils, a purgatory where gears mesh in agony and souls are forged in flames.

Countless demonic engines are forged, assembled, and tested here, their roars and howls defining this unique place.

Whenever a new blasphemous technology appears in the real universe, or a terrible lost technology is recovered, a strange furnace appears in this realm.

Vashtor's massive body now sits atop a molten iron throne.

As the dark embodiment of forging and warping technology in the warp, Vashtor possesses an extremely unique and transcendent status and immense power.

He was not a subordinate of the four gods, but rather their "collaborator".

Molten metal droplets flowed across His metallic body, and countless sophisticated mechanical arms writhed behind Him like living things, operating complex tools.

Four sickle-shaped metal blades form a wing-like structure, which complements his sharp, curved metal horns that meander towards his jaw.

Before the Lord of the Forge, a massive star map composed of twisted runes was slowly rotating, clearly marking certain key nodes of the real universe.

It may look a bit messy, but only Vashtor knows what these nodes really mean.

Those nodes are the locations of the [Key] fragments, or places that have appeared in history.

"Humans destroyed Caliban." Vashtor's voice was like the grinding of rusty gears, filled with a metallic coldness and uncontrollable rage.

"They stole the Ouroboros! Those damned humans who steal the power of destiny!"

Vashtor slammed his Soul Forge Hammer into the ground, and an even more violent soul fire instantly spread in all directions.

The Forge Master's metallic face was contorted, and the core furnace within his chest throbbed violently, radiating scorching and furious energy fluctuations.

Humans, always humans, these humans will never get along with Him.

The Dark Lord, the great being destined by fate to ascend the throne of Chaos, fell into an unprecedented silence due to the Emperor's victory.

The Chaos Octagon refuses to allow a new being to ascend to its throne because the Dark King has not yet returned to his position.

Vashtor, a warp giant that rose to prominence amidst countless conspiracies and brutal wars, is now being held back on its path to ascension by an invisible ceiling.

But Vashtor never yields to difficulties; when the normal path is blocked, he has no choice but to find another way.

His only hope now is to find the legendary ultimate treasure left behind by the ancient saints.

It contains not only lost technology or powerful weapons, but also great secrets about the origin of the universe, the deep connection between the subspace and the real universe, and even the nature of "gods".

By mastering these secrets, Vashtor might be able to bypass the stuck Dark Lord and forcibly complete his ascension ritual.

Vashtor had known of the Ouroboros's location for a long time, but neither the Tuchucha Engine nor the Heart of Plague was under his control.

Furthermore, in order to obtain the Ouroboros, He would inevitably have an irreconcilable conflict with the Dark Angels, and He had been keeping a close watch, quietly lying in wait for an opportunity.

In the warp, Vashtor is not the only being seeking ascension; the competition among lesser gods is equally brutal.

Vashtor knew he only had one chance, and once he made his move, he had to collect all three artifacts at the same time.

He has great patience and is fully capable of waiting indefinitely for the right opportunity to arrive.

But now the situation has changed.

Vashtor had not anticipated that humans seemed to have also become aware of the existence of the Three Sacred Treasures.

The Tuchucha engine has been in the hands of the Dark Angels since the Great Rebellion, and they also seized Caliban's Ouroboros. The Plague Heart, which is trapped in Comoros, is also likely to fall into their hands as well.

As the largest arms dealer in the Warp, Vashtor was extremely perceptive to the changing winds of war, so it was impossible for him not to know that Nurgle had first had his garden burned down by the Emperor, then had Elsa stolen from him, and then had the Heart of Plague stolen from him.

No one in the Warp has ever insulted the Father of Plague so blatantly; the power and resources of this most ancient Chaos God have never been limited to this.

The human emperor and his damned sons, along with Lothie, who holds the power of mechanical creation, are once again blocking his path.

As a minor god of the warp, Vashtor has always prided himself on being "rational and calm," but now, disgusted by humanity time and time again, even He can no longer maintain His restraint.

We must not let them succeed!

Vashtor's roar shook the entire Forging Prison, and countless demon engine parts that were being assembled scattered all over the ground.

"Humans may not know the secret of the [Key]. The reason they gathered the three artifacts was to open a new network and prolong the life of their empire."

"But as long as they control the tunnel boring machine, they will eventually find out about the key's existence, without a doubt."

“And I…” Vashtor’s heart was burning with rage, “I will forever lose this opportunity and be trapped in this pathetic, limboed state!”

At this moment, the Lord of the Furnace made up his mind. He had to stop humanity from fusing the three artifacts, and he had to seize at least one artifact before the Net Shield Tunneling Machine was born, or... destroy it.

But humanity's power was unprecedented, with the Emperor himself present, several powerful Primarchs protecting them, and the unfathomable Lothie.

Vashtor knew that the chances of a successful frontal assault with his army of demonic engines were slim.

He needs allies, and absolute power capable of confronting humanity's top combat force.

Those useless people from Luojia are no longer worth relying on; Vashtor is utterly disappointed in the Great Manifesto.

In that case...

A calculating glint flashed in Vashtor's eyes. He needed one or more allies of sufficient importance, otherwise his schemes would come to nothing.

The Forge Lord's speed of action is astonishing. One second he makes a decision, and the next he leaves his domain and flies towards an extremely terrifying area in the warp.

In this era, only subspace powerhouses like the Four Chaos Gods could deal with such a terrifying being as the Emperor.

Vashtor stumbled into a divine realm where the sounds of eternal battle echoed.

Beneath His feet lay a boiling sea of ​​blood, in which countless skulls and brass fragments appeared and disappeared.

Just by getting close to this place, Vashtor felt his soul furnace twisting, being assimilated and eroded by the endless burning rage.

The divine realms of the Chaos Gods are projections of their essence; getting close to these projections will naturally influence one's own being.

Vashtor took a deep breath, stabilizing his power to prevent it from being corrupted, and then headed toward the heart of Khorne's realm—the Brass Arena.

Although the Lord of the Forge is a sub-god of the warp, he appears to be only below the four Chaos Gods.

However, the higher one stands, the more one feels one's own insignificance and patheticness. Vashtor was affected just by approaching the Blood God's domain.

He knew very well that if Khorne really intended to attack him, he would have absolutely no chance of leaving this place.

"Without transcending and elevating oneself, without stepping off the chessboard, one is ultimately just a pawn..."

Vashtor silently resolved to sit on the throne of Chaos.

The moment Vashtor, a lesser god, entered the realm of the gods, Khorne sensed his presence.

The Blood God's enormous body, burning with endless rage, sat quietly on the bronze throne, like a mountain.

He merely glanced at Vashtor's visit, neither welcoming nor rejecting him.

The Blood God was pleased with the demonic engine that Vashtor had created, which allowed Him to tolerate His domain being tainted by an alien being to some extent.

As long as He doesn't disturb me while I watch the duel in the Brass Arena...

However, Vashtor went straight toward the Blood God's true form, which immediately angered Khorne, who was already short-tempered and easily angered.

"Vashtor?!"

Khorne's voice was like a thousand swords, spears, and hammers grinding together, making the listener feel as if their brain was being heated and boiling.

"The rusty smell of you has tainted my sea of ​​blood. Go back to your furnace and pound your demonic engine!"

Blood God looked down on Vashtor; he was nothing more than a tool for forging equipment, not worthy of respect.

Vashtor endured the almost soul-tearing pressure, his metallic body groaning under the Blood God's wrath, yet he stood ramrod straight.

The Forge Master knew how to communicate with Khorne.

When faced with terrorism, you cannot be arrogant, nor can you be subservient.

Khorne despises the spineless weak and punishes the arrogant strong; in short, even the slightest mistake will incur the wrath of the Blood God.

He must find that delicate balance.

"The great Blood God, Vashtor, Lord of the Soul Forge, pays his respects."

Vashtor's voice was neither humble nor arrogant, offering sufficient respect while retaining the necessary backbone.

"Perhaps you don't welcome me, but I've brought you... an extremely rare war feast, a feast that will make your anger resound throughout the galaxy and your skulls pile up into planets!"

Khorne's anger subsided slightly, replaced by a certain interest in cruelty.

"A grand feast? Tell me!"

"If you can't satisfy me, then you might not be able to leave today without leaving behind a demonic engine that satisfies me."

(End of this chapter)