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

Chapter 892 Victory in the War and the Treatment of Magnus

"This war... is finally over."

"With that ambitious fellow Vashtor fallen here, the troubles we'll face in the future are a little less."

After Lothie activated the tunnel boring machine and resealed the Gate of Kane, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, exhausted.

With the suppression of the network tunneling machines and the blessing of the Eldar gods, even if Khorne launched another forceful attack, he could not break through Comoros's network barrier.

As for the Khornean army that remained on the battlefield, although they still had an extremely large number of troops, it was only a matter of time before they were defeated.

Within the completely enclosed network, they cannot obtain support from the warp or from the power of Khorne, and like water without roots, they only grow weaker with each attack.

"Khorne truly shows no mercy to the lives of his men. He would rather let his demon army be wiped out on the battlefield than allow them to retreat."

“Retreat means escape, and escape means cowardice, and the Blood God detests cowardice the most.”

Loshi murmured. In his vision, the torrent of demonic engines controlled by Vashtor had lost their master and were now paralyzed, mercilessly harvested by the Iron Men and the Titan Legion.

With the Netway tunnel boring machine in his hands, Comoros became his absolute home ground, and Loxi immediately began to dispel the war rules created by the Blood God.

The Imperium of Man discovered early on that when dealing with warp demons, especially the Khorne demons, the effectiveness of long-range attacks using high-tech weapons was often far less than the damage caused by simple, primitive weapons in close combat.

The reasons for this phenomenon are extremely complex, but in simple terms, it is because Khorne imposed His rules on the battlefield, forcing others to obey His rules.

Khorne reveres honor and valiant close combat, despises cowardly long-range ambushes and barrages, and abhors cheating psychic magic. Only by obeying His rules can one achieve normal combat effectiveness.

Having mastered the tunnel boring machine, Roxi now had the ability to say no to Khorne on his home turf.

“I said, ranged attacks deal double damage to warp creatures.”

As Lothie uttered a maxim, the Iron Titan Legion, still carrying the residual power of the destroyed Vashtor Demon Engine Army, charged fiercely towards the Khorne Demon Army.

All the Khorne demons, including the Bloodthirsty Berserkers, felt a wave of weakness and powerlessness.

They had already adapted to the environment of the Blood God's rules, but now they were like saltwater fish being immersed in freshwater. Although they would not die immediately, they would feel extremely uncomfortable.

Just as the Khorne army was forcibly adapting to the environment, the Iron Legion, surrounding the Titan Machines, was already rapidly advancing towards them.

As the volcano cannons, earthquake cannons, and plasma annihilators mounted on the Titans began to roar, the bloodthirsty freaks of Khorne instinctively, as before, used their own bodies to withstand the ranged attacks.

But the next moment, the bloodthirsty berserker's body, which was hit by the ultra-high temperature energy beam, was instantly vaporized and annihilated, including its brass armor, hard scales, and bones beneath its flesh.

One after another, the Khorne demons stared in astonishment as their bodies shattered and disintegrated, their consciousness fading away under the relentless barrage of artillery fire.

The Khorne army immediately deployed a swarm of giant demon engines resembling siege engines. When they were arranged together, they formed a mobile wall, blocking the firepower from the humans.

However, similar to the situation with the Bloodthirsty Demon, the defensive walls that could easily annihilate ranged attacks and remain unmoved by attacks from super-powerful nuclear weapons or black hole weapons collapsed and shattered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The Khorne army then realized that their once-proud resistance to ranged fire had collapsed at some point, and now they were no different from those lowly mortals when facing firepower.

The Primarchs, including Ryan, immediately noticed the change in the wind direction on the battlefield. The Caliban Lion seized the moment when Angrath was weakened and severed the head of the bloodthirsty monster with a single sword strike.

Back then, even Luo Jia could solo Angelus without the Blood God's blessing, let alone now that he has already awakened the essence of the warp, completely surpassing the Great Whisperer Ryan Johnson in combat skills and experience.

"For the Emperor!"

"For humanity!"

"We must win! We must win!"

Ryan lifted Angelus's still-conscious giant head and stood proudly atop its kneeling, mangled body, brandishing his lion sword in his other hand to boost the morale of all the humans on the battlefield.

"Must win!!"

Lemanrus swung his Frostblade Battle Axe, directly confronting a nameless, bloodthirsty berserker, cleaving the axe into pieces, and then splitting it in two from head to tail.

The wolf king was covered in the hot, corrosive blood of the Great Demon Khorne, but he remained unmoved and instead laughed wildly with even greater excitement.

Chagatai Khan's figure moved across the battlefield like lightning, and the number of Khorne, the great demons who died under his White Tiger Blade, rose sharply.

This is the true essence of the original gene, the dominance it should possess when facing an opponent of the level of a Chaos Demon.

Iron Leader Adam and Danteok were also rampaging across the battlefield. Previously, when they faced Chaos Archmages empowered by Khorne's power, they were extremely frustrated and could only fight them in close combat.

But now, Danteok can freely use his Astral power, unleashing annihilation lightning that turns every Khorne demon it touches to ashes.

Adam, wielding the Star God Phase Sword, casually slaughtered enemy soldiers.

With his father by his side, personally commanding the Iron Man army, Adam felt immense pride and excitement. He simply wanted to be seen by Rosie.

No one knows who the first Khorne demon to flee was. When the bloodthirsty freaks were all killed and the Khorne army was leaderless, even the Blood God's legion collapsed.

The bronze bulls of Khorne scattered in terror, their trampling killing many vampires and causing an even larger uproar and chaos.

Just as the internal battlefields of the Comoros were gradually calming down, outside the Webpath, in the turbulent warspace, the war between the Emperor and Khorne was also entering another phase.

"Khorne, you have failed."

"You are no longer able to break through the network barriers and deploy your army onto the battlefield."

"Your armies have been wiped out; you let them die in vain, which doesn't change anything."

“Vashtor has fallen, and there is only one candidate left for the Vicious Arts. And I can tell you very clearly that my comrades, like me, will not sit on the Chaos Throne and become one of you.”

“That little fellow of yours named Cabanha is quite interesting. He actually dared to swing his battle axe at you, his master, for the sake of his beliefs and loyalty. That’s much better than that fool Skabrand who was instigated.”

"In terms of its motivation, it was to demonstrate its loyalty to you; in terms of courage, it dared to challenge you; in terms of wisdom, it chose to flee after making its first move, lest you kill it in your anger..."

"Tsk tsk, this Kabanha is definitely a talent, hahaha!"

"But then again, first there was Skabrand, then Kabanha. We have an old saying in Terra: 'The one who starts something, will he have no descendants?'"

"Perhaps your subordinates have a rebellious streak. Who will be the next to betray you?"

While the Emperor was fighting Khorne, he was also keeping an eye on the situation on the Comoros battlefield, and he naturally took note of every move that Cabanha made.

Now, Kabanha has become the perfect entry point for him to attack Khorne and provoke the blood god.

Since neither of them can really do anything to the other right now, they might as well use verbal attacks to disgust and intimidate each other, and vent their anger.

Compared to the Emperor, Khorne didn't have so many techniques for insulting and mocking; those weren't the authority of the Blood God, and He disdained verbal attacks.

However, Khorne's disdain for verbal advantage does not mean that He would not be angry when insulted.

On the contrary, it is precisely because no one dares to insult, ridicule, or thrash that the emperor's verbal attacks are all the more effective.

Compared to lies, the truth is the most hurtful, and even Khorne began to have doubts about whether there was really a problem with his rule.

If there are no problems, why are there no traitors under the command of the other evil gods, while one after another, those who make him lose face appear under his command?
At this moment, the other three gods who had been watching from the sidelines also began to whisper among themselves.

Only when Khorne suffers a setback will they briefly set aside their conflicts and communicate with each other in a more harmonious state, engaging in utter mockery.

"I never imagined that those seemingly brutes under Khorne's command, who only seem to be all muscle, would have such complex inner thoughts as my ever-changing demon lords, betraying Khorne one after another..."

"Yes, yes, my children get along very well. They would never betray me, nor would they be easily swayed by outsiders and choose to rebel."

"Now that we're back to the point, only I still have Primarch Forgrim, so it seems I'm slightly ahead in this respect."

"However, Khorne's Angron was a defective product to begin with. I feel that the Butcher's Spike on Angron's head is the one Khorne truly favors."

This guy usually never leaves his brass throne, but now he's obsessed with the Butcher's Nail. It seems he's probably a fetishist...

"What if I became Khorne's favorite chainsaw axe, wouldn't that be..."

The whispers of the other three gods could not be hidden from Khorne, nor did they intend to conceal them at all.

This immediately pushed Khorne's anger to its extreme. He desperately wanted to start a war involving all the Chaos Gods to teach these damned creatures a lesson.

However, Khorne's rationality, after his anger reached its peak, suddenly surged back like a tide and regained the upper hand.

With the Emperor's unprecedentedly powerful intervention at this moment, continuing to commit resources to a strong attack on Comoros would only bring greater and utterly dishonorable losses.

Khorne's chilling roar gradually faded into the distance, and the crimson tide that had enveloped the Comoros began to retreat with unwavering resolve.

"Even Khorne has chosen to retreat. Sigh, how boring."

Slaanesh was prepared to be soundly beaten by Khorne, and he even wanted to experience what it felt like to be ravaged by the enraged Blood God, but to his surprise, the Blood God chose to leave directly.

Boredom is Slaanesh's nemesis, and when Prince Pleasure saw there was no fun to be had, he led his demon army back to the Silver Palace of the Sixth Ring.

Seeing that his brothers and sisters had all left, and that he alone could not possibly defeat the Emperor and reclaim Aisha, Mortalian, and the Plagueheart, Nurgle could only return to his garden in a sullen mood.

The emperor lingered outside the net, still not letting his guard down.

Only after he repeatedly confirmed that the Chaos Gods had retreated did he return the power to the God Emperor and the Black King, and return to the Web Path through the portal of Comoros.

Comoros, having endured numerous wars, is now a land ravaged by conflict, littered with the corpses of Khorne demons and various war vehicles belonging to the Blood God.

Astartes and the Iron Men operated promethium flamethrowers to incinerate the remains of the demons, preventing the spread of contamination.

The surviving Ada warriors also patrolled the battlefield, finishing off any enemies who might be feigning death.

Because of the return of Mother Goddess Elsa, most of the Adaling who did not die on the spot were able to stay alive and then slowly recover.

The souls of those Spirit Race members who unfortunately died in battle were also protected by Soul Stones, waiting to be placed into the Infinite Circuit for peaceful rest.

Both humans and Eldar were filled with the joy of victory and the relief of surviving a catastrophe.

Everyone understands that this battle is not as simple as it seems.

This war will actually determine the future development of the entire galaxy, and whether the Chaos Gods will be able to continue to recklessly interfere with life in the real universe, spreading corruption and pollution.

Now, they have achieved final victory, and the gods have lost the opportunity to completely dominate this universe.

The Emperor, Lothie, the Primarch, and the two Eldar gods gathered to discuss the next steps.

"Dorn, Peturabo, you two will remain in Comoros to ensure the safety and stability of this network node."

“Aisha, Higoki, as allies of humanity, you have proven your attitude and stance, and I can confidently entrust Comoros to you for joint management.”

Upon hearing the Emperor's encouragement, Aisha simply smiled, while Higoki rubbed his hands together with a broad smile.

“I’ve said it before, humanity will not regret making an alliance with the Aida.”

"Faced with the formidable enemy of chaos, we have a chance of victory only if we unite as one."

The Emperor nodded slightly, then looked at Lothie and said, "The Web Tunneling Machine is now complete again. I plan to take it back to Terra to expand the Web Tunneling system to a more complete and sophisticated one, building upon the existing human Web Tunneling system."

"This system will span the entire galaxy, connecting existing networks while opening new ones. Combined with the space bridge network, our dream dual faster-than-light system can be quickly realized."

"The Internet and the space bridge will become humanity's two wings, and there will be no insurmountable barriers on the journey to the stars and the sea."

"There will be no more barriers between people. We will all be closely united and will not give foreign enemies the opportunity to corrupt and erode us."

Hearing the emperor's passionate declaration and description, everyone present was deeply moved and felt that the future was bright.

……

"They're back!"

“My father, Rosie, and Ryan have all returned!”

"By the Emperor, I thought something big was about to happen again. The Advanced Technology Community and Mars kept bombarding my desk with messages, demanding that I investigate the causes of various mechanical failures and data disturbances."

"Where am I supposed to find out? I don't understand technology. Even if they force me to jump off the palace tower, I still won't be able to give them an answer."

As the Imperial Regent, Robert Guilliman looked with immense excitement at the glowing exit of the net passage in the throne room, and relayed his excitement to the Hand of the King, Macado, who was standing beside him.

Macado's aged face was beaming with a smile; he had a premonition that the Emperor would bring back good news this time.

As one figure after another emerged from the net barrier, Guilliman's long-awaited companions finally returned to Terra.

The first to emerge were Ryan, Lemanrus, and Chagatai Khan. As soon as they saw Guilliman waiting there, the three of them rushed up and gave their brother a big hug.

Ryan, who should have been the most indifferent and rational person, surprisingly expressed his true feelings, leaving Guilliman completely bewildered and confused.

"You've had a tough time all these years, brother," Ryan said, looking at Guilliman, whose hair had already turned a few strands gray.

“I’m sorry we’ve been wasting our time on the net and haven’t been back when you needed us.” Ruth gently punched Guilliman’s chest with her right fist.

"I can assure you that we will respond to your call whenever you need us in the future," Chagatai Khan said solemnly.

Guilliman immediately realized that his brothers were apologizing for their previous absence.

"It's alright. I protected the Empire very well while you were away," Guilliman patted his chest and answered proudly.

The Emperor and Loxi also emerged from the barrier of the net.

The instant Guilliman disappeared through the barrier, he seemed to see an unimaginably enormous machine engine, hovering within the space of the man-made network.

“That thing is…” the Macurag man seemed to realize something.

“That’s humanity’s future hope, a giant that can freely create its own network,” Losi replied with a smile.

"It took us a great deal of effort to restore it to its original state and to repel the attack of the Chaos Gods."

“By the way,” Loshi suddenly pulled out a warhammer burning with soul furnace fire, “that guy Vashtor is dead. I completely annihilated his existence. I think you guys must have been affected quite a bit.”

Guilliman immediately realized that Roche was referring to the malfunctions and error events that the Advanced Technology Community was struggling to understand.

"Vashtor is dead? That's the best news I've heard recently."

Guilliman could hardly contain his smile. Vashtor had posed a deadly threat to him many times. The death of this venomous snake lurking in the darkness was good news for everyone.

"Then just tell me what needs to be done next, and I'll push it forward even if it means working day and night."

Guilliman felt an endless fire burning in his chest, urging him to continue his diligent work at his post.

"The network tunnel boring machine will be commissioned as quickly as possible and will begin to expand the network tunnel with Terra as the origin. The Empire needs to provide enough qualified raw materials."

"Our most scarce spiritual bone material will be mass-produced under the personal leadership of the Spirit Goddess Aisha, which will greatly alleviate our material shortage problem."

As Roche spoke, Guilliman diligently memorized the words.

"I've already started deploying the network for the space bridge, and the first phase of the space bridge project will be completed smoothly in no time. I originally planned to tell you this good news after it was actually launched, but things are going well now," Guilliman said.

The emperor did not speak; he simply turned his gaze to the golden throne in the very center of the throne room.

There, the son who had committed the grave error was still suffering immense torment, and the emperor felt it was time to give Magnus a different form of punishment.

"Loshi, Macado, come with me."

“Guilliman, Lane, Ruth, Chagatai, you also come to witness.”

Under the Emperor's will, Marshal Waldo of the Imperial Guard quickly dispersed the people in the throne room, leaving only a few people named by the Emperor.

Loshi and the others ascended the Golden Throne, the machine that once held the fate of the human empire in check, but which could now actually be shut down.

The damaged network of tunnels beneath the palace has been repaired, and it no longer needs to draw upon psionic energy to defend against the infiltration of the demon army.

The air seemed to freeze here, and time itself seemed to lose its meaning of flowing.

Even if it's not your first time here, the massive, complex, and awe-inspiring silhouette of the Golden Throne can still grip the viewer's heart.

Vast and unparalleled psionic energy surged within the throne, emitting a deep and enduring roar, like the heartbeat of the earth or the breath of the universe.

At the top of the throne, the Emperor's colossal pillar of light pulsed slowly, radiating boundless light and exuding an awe-inspiring majesty.

The Dark King's pillar of light, however, was somewhat weak, being firmly suppressed by the God Emperor's power, leaving him no room to break free.

Loxi stood slightly behind the Emperor, his figure appearing somewhat small under the Emperor's radiance, but he stood ramrod straight, his gaze calmly scrutinizing the scene on the throne.

The commander of the Imperial Guard, Waldo, and his most elite troops stood on either side like golden statues, silent and barely audible, with only the faintest energy flow at the joints of their power armor emitting a low hum.

On the throne, besides the two pillars of divine light, there was a bound figure, almost unrecognizable as the former Crimson King, Magnus.

It was a withered skeleton, its essence completely drained. The once full, molten red skin clung to the jagged bones, presenting a dull, lifeless, and decaying appearance.

His once fiery red hair, a symbol of his noble lineage, now clung sparsely to his withered scalp like dry weeds.

His massive body was curled up, his life force as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.

The most shocking thing was the spear that pierced the center of his chest. Lemanrus was very familiar with it; it was the Dionysian spear that the emperor had bestowed upon him.

The Dionysian Spear exuded a chilling aura that could freeze one's soul. It was faithfully held by a member of the Imperial Guard, ensuring that it would remain permanently embedded in Magnus's body, preventing him from being completely consumed by Tzeentch's power.

“Pull out the Spear of Dionysus; it is no longer needed now.”

The Emperor's voice rang in the ears of the Imperial Guards.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The guard's voice was resolute and unwavering. He immediately mobilized his muscles and pulled the Spear of Dionysus from Magnus's body.

A sickening sound, like tearing tough leather or plunging a red-hot iron into ice water, suddenly erupted in the deathly silent space.

The Dionysian Spear drew forth a thick, foul, bluish-purple blood from Magnus's body, exuding a putrid, sweet, and pungent stench.

Magnus, who had been as silent as a corpse, suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream that was completely inhuman.

The voice was filled with the extreme pain of having one's soul forcibly extracted, and the extreme sorrow of being unable to express it.

He curled up and trembled as he rolled off the golden throne, each twitch aggravating the fatal wound and bringing forth new groans of pain.

He struggled to open his only remaining eye a crack, his cloudy gaze filled with endless fear and humiliation, as he moved upwards with difficulty.

Finally, Magnus saw the figure of the Emperor, as well as the faces of his many brothers.

"...Father...Father..."

Broken breaths escaped from his cracked lips, each syllable accompanied by gushing blood and trembling with excruciating pain.

His single eye instantly filled with murky tears, which slid down his withered, sunken cheek, leaving two dirty streaks.

Magnus had lost all the pride of the Primarch and the backbone of a scholar; all that remained was the most instinctive, deep-seated fear and desperate pleading of a child who had committed a heinous crime and suffered endless torment for countless years, when facing his father.

“I was foolish, arrogant, and blindly credulous. I even betrayed you…betrayed many brothers, and betrayed humanity…”

Forgive me, please forgive me, this hopeless sinner…

Magnus’s words came out in fits and starts, broken into fragments by his heavy breathing and sobs.

The Emperor's eyes were as deep as an ancient well, piercing through Magnus's broken body and staring into the desolate wasteland deep within his soul, tainted by Tzeentch's mark and repeatedly scorched by the power of the throne.

Those eyes were measuring, judging, and dissecting whether there was even a trace of redemption left behind those words of repentance.

Time passed in deathly silence, with only Magnus's suppressed, painful gasps and low sobs echoing deep within the earth, striking the cold walls.

The Emperor's gaze finally shifted from Magnus to Loshi beside him. That silent question descended upon the human controller of the network with a tangible pressure.

Loxi met the God Emperor's gaze and nodded slightly.

He took a step forward, his boots striking the cold ground with a clear sound that broke the suffocating silence.

“Regarding Magnus,” Losi said calmly, offering a rational analysis, “he is indeed deeply sinful. His betrayal directly led to the disastrous failure of the original Webway Project, causing the Empire to suffer incalculable losses.”

“His soul was deeply corrupted by Tzeentch. Although the Spear of Dionysus has kept him from becoming a demon on the spot, he is still very vulnerable to becoming a springboard for Chaos to corrupt him again.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Magnus's body, which was trembling even more violently with fear.

Magnus was pleading with Roche through his eyes; he didn't want to die, at least not after stepping down from the Golden Throne, he had suppressed the thought of dying.

"However, his powerful soul vessel properties as the Primarch are not without value in the future era of the Empire."

"You once proposed the idea of ​​a human local area network project, and now Magnus can become a piece of the puzzle for that project."

"I propose that he be transformed into a special node in the God-Emperor's faith network, a vessel capable of bearing the God-Emperor's power."

Magnus will become a crucial hub for the transmission of the God-Emperor's will in the real universe, and for the convergence of the prayers of billions of human souls toward the God-Emperor.

“I call them… the Divine Emperor’s Apostle.”

"The prayers, hopes, fears, and repentance of billions of believers... all the spiritual turbulence generated by the vast collective souls of the human race will converge, be sorted out, and transformed through this node, ultimately becoming the force that supports the great cause of the God-Emperor and the firewall of human faith."

"He will be constantly subjected to the torrent of this soul, which is not just simple pain, but a direct impact and burning of countless consciousnesses, countless emotions, and countless demands."

"His soul will become the bridge of communication, and also the one who endures the torment within. This process will not kill him; the essence of the Primarch and the protection of the God-Emperor's power will sustain his life."

“But this will be eternal torture. Magnus may survive, but he will not escape judgment.”

(End of this chapter)