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

Chapter 920 I, Szalak, have invested in this project.
Lothie had met the Silent King long ago.

When he returned to the Warhammer universe after his first inter-universe journey, he made a stop at the Talrazin's Solemnas Museum, where the Endless summoned a projection of the Silent King to report on regaining his soul.

At that time, the Kork orc statue in the Talazin Museum was released by Abaddon and his Chaos Space Marines.

The Silent King also took the opportunity to warn Tarasin, lest the guy reveal the existence of a soul to the entire undead race in space, thus causing unnecessary turmoil.

At that time, Roshi felt that the Silent King's prestige was indeed extraordinary. As the Silent King, Szalak would never speak, but all imperial edicts would be conveyed by Hapsatra and Mesophite, who were by his side.

The highest authority of the Necromancers is called the Tristan Council, which is composed of the three most powerful emperors of the Necromancers.

The so-called Trinity is actually just two of the Silent King's spokespeople, no different from accessories on Szalak.

However, since Rosie was in the territory of the Necromancers in space at the time, she naturally had to show some respect to the Silent King.

Now they are in the sacred Terra of humanity, and humanity is no longer what it used to be. Facing the space undead who have not yet fully awakened, it is still unknown who is stronger.

The Necromancers of space are no longer qualified to maintain an arrogant and condescending attitude in front of humans, based on their strength and status.

After Szalak arrived, his gaze was fixed on Danteok.

Danteok stood tall and met the scrutiny of the alien master without fear.

This was not only because of the Space Marine's pride, but also because the moment he saw Szalak, an instinctive rage and hatred surged from his soul.

Danteok knew that it was the instinctive consciousness of the ruler Zahurash, whom he had overwritten and replaced, beginning to react again.

The hatred that all the Star Gods felt for Szalak, the rebellious slave leader, was so deep that even after their consciousness was erased, it remained ingrained in their instincts.

A relentless killing intent emanated from Danteok, who wished he could skin Szalak alive, crush him into ashes, and then throw him into a black hole for complete annihilation.

Szalak remained unmoved. Too many Star Gods wanted to kill him; the mere Overlord was just a nobody Star God with little presence.

What surprised him even more was that Danteok, the man who had been reported by the Crowned General Claudius and was a fusion of a human and a fragment of a star god, actually restrained his instincts.

The fact that Danteok's body remained standing still, without being hit by a Star God Lightning or a Matter Annihilation Beam, demonstrates who is truly in control of this body.

[An exceptional case, a miracle.]

Szalak commented.

When he saw Danteok wielding the fragments of the Celestial God of Domination, the image of Xerath the Enlightened immediately came to mind.

Although the knowledge of uploading the consciousness of the Fearful Ones into living metallic bodies was provided by those disguised, harmless Star Gods, it was Xerath who turned the theory into reality.

Szalak's attitude toward Xerath, the culprit who brought about the creation of the Necromancers, is quite complicated.

On one hand, he felt disgust and remorse for Xerath's actions in harming the entire Fearless race, causing all Fearless to lose their bodies and souls.

However, he also understood that he was the one who directly issued the order for bio-transformation, and that Xerath had merely "helped" him complete the order.

As a king who fears death, how could he possibly shift all the blame onto his subordinates who completely obey his orders?
Furthermore, if they hadn't completed the biological transformation and brought the Star God into their camp, the Fearful Ones might have been reduced to ashes by the Ancient Saint Alliance long ago.

Xerath is one of the few space necromancers who is extremely satisfied with his current mechanical form.

He had no lingering attachment to the past, nor did he, like other space undead, have any desire to restore his soul. What he wanted to do was to complete the final evolution of life.

What Xerath wants is... to become a Star God, and mechanical ascension is just the first step in his plan.

Because of Xerath's unique technology and research capabilities, Szalak both loved and hated him, and after considering many factors, he could only choose to acquiesce to his behavior.

If Xerath saw Danteok, he would be insanely jealous.

"Your Majesty the Silent King, now that you have come to our sacred Terra, why not sit down and have a detailed discussion?"

Even if no consensus is reached in the end, it's good to exchange opinions.

"Moreover, for such a major matter concerning the future of the universe, it would be better if you discussed it with our Emperor in person."

"Those who participated were not only the Emperor, but also the Laughing God and the Goddess of Life of the Spirit Race."

When Loxi extended an invitation to a higher-level meeting with the Emperor and the Eldar gods, a very faint ripple stirred in the depths of Szalak's consciousness, which was as cold as an ancient glacier.

Would you like to meet that human emperor...?

interesting.

He nodded silently, and the avatar of his special power, guided by Rosie, walked towards the more private meeting room.

Of these attendees, only Szalak arrived later, while the incarnations of Higoki and Aisha never left, but remained in the palace, ready to communicate with the Emperor at any time.

For these spirit gods, creating numerous incarnations is not a difficult task, and leaving one in Terra is entirely beneficial and harmless.

Before this, they dared not extend their reach here because they were afraid of the Emperor, lest they anger the Lord of Mankind. Now that they had a legitimate reason, they naturally wanted to seize the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the Eldar and Mankind.

Unlike the Eldar who are blindly arrogant and complacent, indulging in their glorious past, Eldar gods like Higoki and Aisha are better able to recognize the situation.

They knew very well that the most crucial factor for a race to survive in a dog-eat-dog world like the galaxy was whether it had a strong enough backer.

In the present galaxy, the strongest backer is the Emperor, and even the Spirit Race gods need to rely on him to fight against the Chaos God.

For them, if the Eldar could survive by clinging to humanity, they would agree without hesitation.

Their history is ancient enough that they have witnessed countless trials and tribulations, so they can naturally see that if the Eldar are allowed to run rampant, extinction is only a matter of time.

Not to mention banishing chaos, closing the Eye of Fear, or even restarting the universe to give it new life, these are things that the Eldar simply cannot accomplish.

The Emperor reverted to his majestic and inviolable divine demeanor, never revealing his Neos side when dealing with serious matters.

What incredibly powerful psionic energy this is...

The moment Szalakna sensed the Emperor's true form, his mind, which had been tempered over millions of years and was usually calm and undisturbed, instinctively tensed up for a moment.

The emperor sat on his throne, appearing to be no different from an ordinary person, but the terrifying power contained within him was, in Szalak's perception, more dazzling and dangerous than a supernova explosion.

It was an extreme qualitative change resulting from the fusion of vast spiritual energy with some ineffable collective human will.

[An ancient being who manipulates psychic magic...]

Szalak's mind raced through assessments and comparisons as he compared the Emperor to other equally powerful psionic entities from his memories.

The power of the ancient sages is like a galaxy, vast yet dispersed; this person's power is like a black hole, contained yet devouring everything.

However, if a comparison must be made, it must be admitted that even ancient sages would be considered weak in his presence.

The Silent King even subconsciously compared the Emperor to Azagorod, the most terrifying being among the Star Gods.

The Night Bearer is a cold end, the annihilation of rules; His power has even instilled a similar concept of death into the genetic memory of all life in the galaxy.

[And he is the boiling will, the burning faith, a sun radiating endless light and heat, symbolizing both hope and destruction.]

Szalak was certainly aware of the Emperor's existence, but his true form had long since traveled beyond the galaxy, and most of his information about the Emperor came from intelligence analysis by the Necromancers of Space.

However, no matter how detailed the intelligence analysis is, it is still not as real as seeing it in person.

At that moment, Szalak knew that all the Necromancer's judgments and inferences about the Emperor of Man were wrong.

They greatly underestimated humanity, especially emperors.

This guy is no different from those evil gods in the warp. If there is any difference, it's that the veil can't stop him, and he can roam the world freely.

Humans with emperors and humans without emperors are two completely different concepts.

If it is the former, then for any enemy, it means that there is a superpowered individual in the opposing camp who can single-handedly turn the tide of most battles.

Unstoppable, uninterruptible, and invincible.

Even though the Necromancers of the cosmos released those fragments of the Star Gods and annihilated the human army, it didn't have much effect on the Emperor. After all, even the largest fragment of the Void Dragon was defeated and sealed on Mars.

Compared to the emperors of that time, the current emperors are far more powerful.

Thinking about all this, a deep sense of dread arose in Szalak's heart.

He would rather face a fully enraged Star God once again than be an enemy of such an unfathomable psychic entity rooted in the hearts of billions.

After all, the Star Gods are not unfamiliar to the Necromancers of the Space; they have extensive experience dealing with these Katans.

His best fate would be to remain forever bound to that golden throne, maintaining that pathetic beacon of psionic energy; this would be best for the other races in the galaxy.

Szalak pondered coldly, remaining silent.

But unfortunately, he has completely broken free from his constraints and is now traveling the world.

Szalak withdrew his gaze from the Emperor and instead stared at the two Eldar gods.

He naturally disliked the Eldar, after all, they had been old enemies who had clashed many times since the War of Heaven.

The space necromancers suffered greatly at the hands of these psionic gods, and no one can deny the terrifying nature of these psionic entities born from faith.

The cosmic mess requires such a bizarre and hostile combination to attempt to salvage it.

The Silent King felt a sense of absurdity; in this era, even the Spirit Race Gods were joining forces with them.

Once all attendees had arrived, Losi, as the direct executor of the plan, began to elaborate on his ideas, and Szalak's full attention was focused on Losi's plan.

Loshi's voice was clear and firm: "I will take the initiative to enter the Martian eternal night labyrinth and confront the largest fragment of the Void Dragon Magladros."

I will emulate Danteok's success, using my will, combined with the authority of the Om Messiah, the shared power of the AllSpark, and all the technology and psionic support we can gather, to assault, distort, and ultimately overwhelm the remaining Void Dragon consciousness within the fragments.

Madness!

This was Szalak's first reaction.

Danteok is facing the edge fragments of the Overlord, and you dare to covet the core fragments of the Void Dragon?

But Lothie continued, "If I succeed, I will harness the power of the Void Dragon."

I will become a unique being who is driven by human will, yet can invoke the power of the Void Dragon Rules and the power of the Om Messiah Authority.

At that time, I will be able to more effectively sense, locate, and fuse other Void Dragon fragments scattered throughout the galaxy until the Void Dragon is whole again.

Szalak's mind raced, processing the vast amount of information within.

His reaction was similar to Tarachin's; both started with absolute skepticism and denial, but then transformed into curiosity and imagination about the unknown.

[The Void Dragon's power is being reassembled by fusing with other fragments, yet it is dominated by the consciousness of a human?]

The idea was so shocking that even his cold, logical circuits momentarily faltered. "Ultimately, when the gathered power is strong enough, we will actively project this power—this power that represents the rules of 'matter,' 'mechanics,' and 'the stability of reality'—into the core area of ​​the Eye of Fear."

As Loxi swung her arm, the icy blue light representing the power of the Void Dragon violently impacted the crimson Chaos Scar in the holographic image.

"It will act as the most powerful anchor of reality, forcibly suppressing and repelling the erosion of the warp, strengthening the physical laws of that area, and creating the most crucial prerequisite for the subsequent use of the Blackstone Obelisk to completely mend the Eye of Terror."

[...an interesting idea.]

Szalak's internal assessment instantly reversed.

This is not a foolish suicide mission, but a highly risky strategic investment with astonishing potential returns.

His mind immediately began to delve into the deductions, using his powerful computing ability to calculate the possibilities.

If Roxi succeeds, the Eye of Fear will be substantially weakened, and the warp will be suppressed.

This is beneficial to all life in the real universe, including our race. Chaos is the mortal enemy of all ordered existence.

More importantly... it covers the will!

Deep within Szalak's consciousness, he began to make a horizontal comparison with the mainstream methods currently used by the Space Necromancer race to deal with Stargod fragments.

The space necromancers primarily use hyperdimensional labyrinths to imprison fragments of celestial beings, thereby absorbing their energy and weakening their consciousness, keeping them in a state of chronic weakness and powerlessness.

If this method truly works, it means a more economical and safer way to dispose of the Star God fragments than eternal imprisonment has emerged.

Confining the fragments requires enormous energy and surveillance costs, and there is always a risk of escape.

Once they escape, the Star God's revenge will be incredibly fierce.

But if we could erase their consciousness, leaving only the pure, guideable power of the rules...

This audacious idea seemed to make his metallic heart throb; it might be an unprecedented new approach to completely resolve the hidden dangers of the Star God.

However, there are risks involved...

Szalak immediately calmed down.

The biggest risk is whether this human named Roche can really succeed.

If he is corrupted by the will of the Void Dragon during the fusion process, we will face a 'new Void Dragon' guided by human intelligence, filled with hatred and better understanding how to deal with us—a catastrophe far more terrible than the wild Celestials.

His gaze swept over the emperor again, and the emperor responded with a completely indifferent look.

Szalak realized that the relationship between Loshi and the human emperor was closer than he had imagined.

Furthermore, the Emperor seems to absolutely support Lothie, hoping that this human Om Messiah will do this, to completely merge with and devour the power of the Void Dragon.

The Silent King understood that whether he chose to cooperate or not, humanity would do it anyway.

On the other hand, if humanity truly masters this method of harnessing the power of the Star Gods, in the long run, will it be a blessing or a curse for our race?

As the leader of the Necromancer race in space, Szalak had to think further ahead.

He wanted humanity to be an ally in the fight against Chaos, but he didn't want his allies to become too powerful, as that would undoubtedly jeopardize his interests.

After all, for the Necromancers of the cosmos, allies and enemies can be switched seamlessly, just as they can also join forces with those Eldar gods, their mortal enemies, to fight against the Star Gods.

The threat level of humans who have mastered the power of the Star Gods will rise sharply.

However, compared to the continued spread of the Chaos Catastrophe, which may even one day completely engulf the real universe, the threat to humanity seems acceptable.

At least humans can negotiate and exert control through other means.

After much deliberation, the scales in the Silent King's heart finally tipped in one direction.

The Aidalings, descendants of these ancient saints' creations, are now almost subservient to humanity.

Humans did not exterminate them, but instead gave them space to survive and even cooperate.

This may indicate that humanity is indeed a cooperative and orderly entity.

But the Silent King harbored a deeper worry: a powerful enemy from beyond the galaxy.

Beyond the galaxy lies an endless swarm of insects that devour everything in their path, much like locusts in the mortal world.

Szalak's mind flashed back to the endless insectoid race he had witnessed beyond the galaxy, a race that might be called the Great Devourer.

Their numbers and quality have exceeded the limits of any known civilization, and according to existing intelligence, some galaxies have already been destroyed by their starvation.

Although the Necromancers of space are powerful, they would suffer heavy losses if they were to face a full-scale attack from other galactic Zerg alone.

We need a strong enough ally, a large enough shield, to share the burden.

An empire with an emperor and potential human star gods would undoubtedly be the best choice.

The Silent King found reasons for his choice, and soon he gave his answer.

Human proposals possess a certain strategic value.

The space necromancer has agreed in principle to provide assistance.

He first set the tone for cooperation, avoiding pointless squabbles and suspicions.

We can provide the most effective Blackstone suppression frequency matrix data for Magladros fragments.

Based on millions of years of observation, this study summarizes the patterns of periods of weakness and activity in the will of the stars.

And the precise coordinates and current imprisonment status of all known Void Dragon fragments known to our race.

Szalak's statement was undoubtedly a huge concession, equivalent to handing over a "weakness manual" and a "treasure map" for the Void Dragons.

Upon hearing this, Luo Xi immediately showed a delighted expression. This matter had made tremendous progress, far exceeding expectations.

At least he could have sharper weapons, stronger armor, and more comprehensive intelligence before challenging the imprisoned dragon.

However, the Silent King was certainly not a philanthropist, Szalak continued, adding that additional conditions followed.

[Only after initial success, proving the feasibility of will-overlay, will our race provide you with further information on the specific locations of other Void Dragon fragments, and even other valuable Star God fragments, and hand over the Star God fragments to you.]

In exchange, humanity must unconditionally share all real-time data and the final results of this will-overlay process.

This technology must be fully disclosed to the Tristan Council.

Furthermore, if the plan succeeds, the power gained must not be used against any Covenant Dynasty of the Necromancer in space.

This contract needs to be solidified in the form of psychic energy to give it binding force.

Loxi immediately understood.

These space undead are quite shrewd. What Szalak meant by all this was simply to say that he was willing to help, but the final technological results must be shared, and clear constraints must be placed on any future "human star gods".

Finally, this technology should be prioritized for use in assisting the Necromancers of space in dealing with the highly dangerous and escape-prone fragments of the Star Gods imprisoned by our race. Humanity has an obligation to provide technological support.

Szalak wants to use new methods discovered by humanity to completely eliminate the threat of the Star God to the Necromancers of space.

Loshi listened quietly to Szalak's conditions, his face expressionless, but his mind racing.

Sharing data and technology, and prioritizing their handling of dangerous Star God fragments—these conditions may seem harsh, but they were all expected. The Silent King would never do a losing proposition.

“Yes.” Loshi replied calmly, without even looking at the Emperor for confirmation; he already possessed the authority to make the decision.

“Data can be shared, technology can be exchanged, and non-aggression pacts can be signed. It is only right and proper for us to assist you in dealing with dangerous debris, since it contributes to the safety of the entire galaxy.”

His quick agreement caused a very subtle doubt to flicker in Szalak's cold mind.

However, he quickly reviewed all the conditions and found no obvious flaws.

"Perhaps it's because humans are too eager to succeed?" he speculated.

However, Szalak overlooked a crucial premise—even if humanity shared its technology with the Necromancers in space, they might not be able to do what humans could.

Loshi sneered inwardly. It was normal that Szalak wanted to replicate Danteok's miracle.

But he wanted to see how these soulless space undead would win that brutal war of wills.

He did promise Tarachin that he would use the AllSpark to give some of the undead a new soul, but such a soul would still be different from a soul that was born with it.

Often, even the smallest differences can lead to drastically different outcomes.

Whether a non-original soul can withstand the impact of a top-tier Star God fragment remains to be seen.

Danteok's success was based on his unwavering and unwavering human soul, and the fact that the Dominator Fragment itself was in a broken and weakened state.

The will of the Star God is a will born from the pure level of rules. To counter it, what is needed is another kind of soul will that also originates from the essence of life, full of complexity and resilience, to cover and distort it.

This is an idealistic, almost metaphysical contest.

"This Silent King seems to have a perfect plan, but judging from the fact that he was deceived by the Deceitful Star God and led the entire race onto this path of biological transformation, it is clear that he was not fooled."

He may be decisive and ruthless in long-term strategy and survival choices, but he has huge blind spots in understanding certain more idealistic areas concerning the essence of life.

It wasn't just Szalak analyzing humans; Loshi was also calmly analyzing them.

Even if the two sides were to become allies, it would have to be after they had a thorough understanding of the situation.

This negotiation between humans and the undead in space, compared to the one not long ago, had a much stronger element of calculation from the very beginning.

The Necromancers of space have never truly considered humans as allies. Although humans are the same, since Rosie is human, he naturally sides with humans and views things from their perspective.

Loshi chose to counter Szalak's scheme with an open and unsolvable plan.

This high-level negotiation between humans and the undead in space has reached a preliminary agreement, despite both sides having their own agendas.

The Emperor used a drop of his own blood to bear witness to the pact between the two parties, which possessed the power of spiritual binding force.

Szalak sees this as a huge gamble on the future, trading current resources for the possibility of completely resolving the Star God threat and gaining a powerful ally.

Loshi and the Emperor, on the other hand, saw a more feasible path, which might even be used to control the Necromancers in the future.

We will keep our promise and look forward to your progress.

After Szalak finished speaking, his figure began to become illusory, and then he disappeared along with the other two victors.

(End of this chapter)