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

Chapter 921 Slaying the Dragon
With the initial negotiations with the Silent King finalized, the strategic plan targeting the fragments of the Void Dragon Magladros has entered the implementation phase.

Although the Silent King's physical body was still outside the galaxy, he issued a supreme order to his Szalakhan dynasty, recording the information he had promised regarding the Void Dragons and sending it to humanity through Talasi, his ambassador to Terra.

This is only the first step in the cooperation. The Silent King needs to see results before he will fulfill his other promises and hand over the Star God fragments, except for the Void Dragon, to humanity.

"It must be said that the Necromancers' understanding of the Star Gods is indeed far superior to ours."

"Even I only have a superficial understanding of Void Dragons."

After obtaining the experience data and records accumulated by the Necromancer over countless years, even the Emperor began to carefully examine them with great interest.

"Since most of the Star God fragments are under the surveillance of the Space Necromancers, and these Necromancer dynasties are still asleep, we humans actually have very few interactions with the Star God fragments."

"My understanding of the warp and chaos is far deeper than my understanding of the star gods."

"When the fragment of the Void Dragon arrived on Terra from the galaxy, humanity was still in the dark and ignorant Middle Ages. This evil dragon descended upon Cyrena in Libya and devoured the souls of many humans."

The Emperor reminisced about that time, and Rosie listened intently.

Although he was far from being born at that time, it is very interesting that those legends in history were actually true.

"At that time, I was still an observer hidden in human society, playing different roles to promote the development of human civilization, but I could never ignore such an extraterrestrial visitor and directly destroy human civilization."

"So I went to settle the score with the Void Dragon."

The emperor waved his right hand forward, and a phantom image reappeared from his memory.

A knight clad in golden armor and wearing a red feathered helmet rode a tall, pure black warhorse, brandishing a silver spear. Amidst the despairing yet hopeful gazes of countless humans, he charged toward the fragments of the Void Dragon.

This is an absolutely unfair war, with one side being a void dragon from the universe, wielding the great power of the pure material universe.

Even setting aside its magical powers, just looking at its size, the Void Dragon's tail is already over twenty meters long, its body is covered with indestructible metal scales, and it can spew out evil Star God fire from its mouth. Nothing on Terra can withstand the scorching heat of its dragon breath.

On the other hand, there is a human knight who looks completely ordinary and extremely primitive and backward.

Even the Void Dragon itself felt that this was nothing more than a foolish human offering up a sweet soul.

However, the actual result was quite surprising. The Emperor's mount was instantly killed by the Void Dragon, but the Emperor's spear pierced the Void Dragon's weak point on its lower left wing with unstoppable force, and the dragon was defeated by the Emperor in the blink of an eye.

Almost all physical attacks are ineffective against the Void Dragon; the only thing that can harm it is the non-material force from the warp.

"After defeating the Void Dragon, I worried that leaving it on Terra would cause future humans to be affected by the Void Dragon, so I sealed it on Mars."

"In addition, after defeating the Void Dragon, I also tried to kill it, but unfortunately, I couldn't do it at the time."

"I realized that the giant dragon from the universe was not as simple as it seemed. It was not some kind of concrete monster, but a fragment of a much grander existence."

The rules of the universe protect it; it is virtually impossible to kill unless the rules are completely destroyed, and even if it were killed, it would still cause dire consequences.

After sealing the Void Dragon, the Emperor only used it as a foreshadowing to guide the birth of the Mechanicus tens of thousands of years later, without delving too deeply into the Void Dragon.

Now, after reviewing the records about the Void Dragons provided by Szalak, the two have gained a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of Magladros.

"Yes, now we can confirm that the birth of this special material, Black Stone, is inseparable from the Void Dragon."

"When the War of Heaven was nearing its end, it was the Void Dragon that created the Black Stone, which further guided the Necromancers of the cosmos to build the Black Stone Obelisk, suppressing the warp rift torn open by the Old Ones."

"Val, the Eldar's god of forging, used the black stone created by the Void Dragons as raw material to create the Vaal Amulet, which is the Blackrock Fortress, a powerful psionic weapon."

Prior to this, the ownership of Blackrock, a special creation capable of both suppressing and amplifying the warp, had been a subject of controversy.

Both the Eldar and the Necromancers believe that the Blackrock belongs to them, and that the other is merely a thief who stole it.

In retrospect, they were all thieves; the true creators were on Mars.

However, Roshi and the Emperor were not interested in who created the Blackrock. What they cared about was that since the Void Dragon created the Blackrock, the Star God fragment on Mars might also have an unusual control over it.

"Although the Void Dragon is the creator of Blackstone, there is no need to be too cautious. After all, the Eldar were able to use the Vaal Charm made of Blackstone to attack the Celestial God, which shows that the Void Dragon's control over Blackstone, which has solidified the polarity of the amplified warp, is not as strong as imagined."

The emperor made his judgment and drew a conclusion.

"Then we'll place the black obelisk further away, as far away from the Martian surface as possible."

In Lothie's plan, using the Blackrock Obelisk to amplify the warp in order to further suppress the Void Dragon Fragments was a necessary operation.

He has notified the Martian Mechanicus and the Advanced Technology Community, instructing them to clear the area where the Labyrinth of Eternal Night is located to prevent it from being affected.

"I will personally take action, while also borrowing the power of the God Emperor, to open a controllable subspace rift within the area covered by the Black Stone Obelisk."

"The God-Emperor will transmit the purified subspace energy from the human local area network to the real universe, avoiding pollution within the solar system while increasing the psionic energy of the solar system."

"The starlight on Terra will also become a key node for amplifying psionic energy. With this multi-pronged approach, your advantages will be magnified to the extreme, while the Void Dragon's disadvantages will be continuously amplified."

Although the emperor always liked to exploit his comrades, it must be said that he also gave help without reservation.

With the combined power of the Blackstone Obelisk, the God Emperor, and the Star Torch, the battlefield where Loxi slays the dragon will approach an ideal state.

Originally, in the Emperor and Loxi's plan, making these three preparations was already an extremely pleasant surprise.

However, after reviewing the reference information provided by the Space Necromancer, they realized that they had considered too few influencing factors.

"The Necromancers' understanding and research on the Star Gods far exceeds our imagination. They are even able to use different Star God fragments to attack and mislead other Star God fragments."

"In fact, after the first Star God was shattered using the first-generation God-Slaying Weapon, the vast majority of the other Star Gods fell to the God-Slaying Weapons that the Space Necromancers had forged using the Star God fragments they had obtained."

The data packet delivered by Szalak also contained a special technology that could amplify the power of the Star God fragments, tune them to a specific frequency, and thus interfere with and weaken other Star God fragments.

The Star Gods are indeed powerful, so the best way to deal with them is actually to use other Star Gods.

Under the deception of the Laughing God Xi Gaoqi, the Star Gods even devoured each other in an absurd attempt to become more powerful.

Out of an instinct to become more complete, the fragments of the Star God will also blindly devour other fragments of the Star God.

“We can utilize the Star God power that Danteok possesses. Although he has only fused with a fragment of the Overlord Zahurash, even the weakest Star God is still a Star God.”

"As long as we utilize the technology provided by Szalak to amplify Danteok's power, we can greatly mislead and interfere with the fragments of the Void Dragon, which will be extremely important at crucial moments."

"After all, the Void Dragon is already shattered, and its consciousness is in a state of confusion and bewilderment. It is simply following the guidance of its instincts, repeatedly hating the enemy that shattered and imprisoned it."

This unique tactic of using Star Gods to fight Star Gods was highly appreciated by Lothie, since in their plan, the Void Dragon was just the first, and there would be more Star Gods to be controlled and ridden in this way.

Once this snowballing method gets going, the difficulty decreases as you go further.

Just as Loxi and the Emperor were discussing how to weaken the Void Dragon, Laughing God Xi Gaoqi stepped into the room without anyone noticing.

This flamboyant spirit god gave a perfunctory greeting, and then, unusually, began to mince words without beating around the bush.

"If you intend to take action against the Void Dragon, I suggest you choose a suitable time."

"The Necromancers have their methods, and the Adarin have their techniques. We have our own unique way of weakening the Star Gods."

"We can utilize... the power of the stars."

Upon hearing Xi Gaoqi mention astronomy, Luo Xi's eyes lit up.

When he and Peturabo traveled through time to the ancient era, they witnessed how the ancient spirits used changes in the stars to amplify their spiritual power.

For both sides in the war for heaven, the vast universe is their chessboard, and a galaxy is merely a local battlefield.

A planet in a galaxy can at most catch up with the position of a chess piece. When the pieces move to the appropriate positions, they fulfill the requirements for constituting a special symbolic ritual.

"According to my calculations, the next time the stars of the solar system reach the peak of the psionic tide should be three Terra months later."

Since the God of Laughter had put it this way, Rosie naturally had no reason to refuse.

“That’s perfect. During this time, we can safely set up the Black Stone Obelisk Matrix on Mars. When the constellations of the solar system reach their most perfect moment, I will enter the Labyrinth of Eternal Night and fight the Void Dragon,” Loxi said confidently.

……

Mars, this ancient, rust-red planet, underwent a dramatic transformation in a very short time after the human leadership decided to take action against the Void Dragons.

The once bustling near-Earth orbit and starports are now eerily empty, with only specially designed engineering ships belonging to the Mechanicus and the Advanced Technology Community, like busy worker bees, weaving a vast net of black stone around the planet.

Because of the establishment of the advanced technology community, Mars, the most brilliant technological jewel of human civilization, has gradually lost its unique and special status compared to before.

However, its position in human civilization remains crucial.

The major actions gradually unfolding on Mars are proof of the firm resolve of humanity's leadership.

As long as the Void Dragon can be dealt with, even if production on Mars comes to a standstill, it's not a major, crippling event.

The task of building the Black Stone Obelisk Matrix was being carried out under the personal supervision of the current supreme ruler of Mars, the Great Sage Belisarius Caul.

Kaurna, a figure incongruous with the mechanical priests around him, stood in the center of the Martian engineering command hall. As the inheritor of the Rand School, there were no obvious signs of mechanical modification on his body.

Even so, he was still able to monitor the sensors and engineering machinery scattered around the world and even on orbit in an orderly manner, ensuring that the project proceeded steadily according to plan.

Through tens of thousands of monitor images and sensor readings, he saw the original black stone minerals provided by the Nihirah dynasty being cut and shaped on the near-fire track under the precise guidance of energy beams, creating black stone obelisks of unprecedented scale.

These obelisks are not placed on the Earth's surface, but are precisely deployed in specific orbits, forming a complex and grand geometric structure around Mars, as if adorning this red planet with a solemn and majestic black ring.

Dense patterns are engraved on the surface of the Blackstone Obelisk. With the blessing of these runes, the Blackstone Obelisk's amplification ability will be further amplified, exerting its full effect.

[Orbital parameter calibration: Refer to the 'Astral Suppression Frequency Model' provided by His Excellency Tarachin.]

[Black Stone Obelisk Paving: 97.3% Complete.]

[Psionic Conduit Rune Inscription: In progress.]

Kaul was completely absorbed in analyzing these space necromancy technologies. Even he was amazed by the ingenuity and profundity of the technical data provided by the space necromancy.

Kaul was never one to be complacent or hold grudges, and he never harbored the arrogant illusion that "I am invincible and everyone else is trash" about human technology.

As long as it proves useful, Kaul doesn't care where the technology comes from, even if it's alien technology.

Of course, the Empire no longer has an almost perverse technological red line on alien technology. As long as it can pass the review of the advanced technology community, alien technology can be whitewashed and utilized.

Kaul sincerely praises this era, in which humanity has once again embraced progress and innovation, rather than remaining stagnant and stuck in the past.

A civilization that can only progress by excavating technological relics left behind in the past is undoubtedly a pathetic existence.

The engineering command center where Kaul was located was atop Mount Olympus, the highest point on the Martian surface. Through the highly translucent reinforced material, he could see that the area spanning thousands of kilometers centered on the Labyrinth of Eternal Night on the Martian surface had been completely cleared.

All the casting temples, production plants, and even some ancient laboratories buried deep underground were temporarily closed or relocated.

The massive Titan Legion and the Guardians formed a perimeter, prohibiting any unauthorized access.

The entire area was shrouded in a solemn and tense atmosphere, with only the roar of machinery and the hum of energy echoing in the void.

[Warning: A deviation of 0.005 mm has been detected in the base structure of Obelisk No. 7384. Correction order has been issued.]

[Note: The Starlight Psionic Beacon from Holy Terra is now online, with a stable signal strength.]

[Notification: The Star God Interference Matrix provided by the Third Research Institute of the Advanced Technology Community is in place, and Barabbas Danteok is on standby.]

Kaur's consciousness was like that of a conductor of a symphony orchestra, perfectly coordinating every minute part of this massive project.

The plan given by the great sage Loshi was only a general framework, and what Caul had to do was to fill in the details of that framework and make it work perfectly.

In the past, Kaul might have felt uneasy, but after the experience of the Advanced Technology Community and the trials of the Network Engineering, he has long since matured.

Even his teacher, Arkan Rand, believed that his disciple had surpassed him and reached a point where he could truly stand on his own.

Kaul focused his attention intently, fully aware of the importance of the task and its risks.

Once the matrix is ​​activated, the gathered spiritual energy will be unprecedentedly powerful. Any mistake could lead to catastrophic energy out-of-control and even unexpectedly interfere with the plans of the Great Sage Lothie.

Just as the intense preparations were reaching their climax, a top-priority communication from Terra was connected to Caul's command network.

“Great Sage Caul.” Guilliman’s holographic image appeared before Caul, his face showing a hint of fatigue, but more so an undisguised excitement.

"We have returned from the Pacific Starfield. The threat of the Cult has been completely eradicated by us, and the artificial immortality technology in the hands of the Cult has been brought back to Terra."

I've heard that a major project is underway on Mars. What's the situation now?

Guilliman had just returned to Terra when he sent a holographic message to Kaul.

On the one hand, he wanted to gain a real understanding of the specifics of the Martian blackstone matrix, since he had been away from the solar system for quite some time and some new situations were beyond his knowledge.

On the other hand, Guilliman was also telling Kaul that they had completed their mission.

Once the major events on Mars are over, the Mechanicus and the Advanced Technology Community will need to cooperate in analyzing and applying the technology for creating artificial immortals.

Although Guilliman hoped to use the artificial immortality technology as soon as possible so that his mother, Lady Eudon, could be completely free from the threat of death, he was still, after all, the regent of the empire.

He knew very well what was important and wouldn't do anything out of line.

The only thing he could do was to inform Kaul so that he could save some time in the subsequent arrangements.

[Your Highness the Regent.]

Kaul responded neither humbly nor arrogantly, nodding slightly at Guilliman's holographic projection.

Given his current status and position, he wouldn't need to perform any complicated rituals when meeting the Imperial Regent, but he still maintained the proper respect.

Kaul was not a research fanatic who was only interested in scientific research and had no interest in anything else, nor was he a political idiot. He also had his own philosophy of dealing with other high-ranking human beings.

"The deployment of the Black Stone Obelisk track matrix is ​​proceeding according to plan, and it is expected that all infrastructure construction and commissioning will be completed within two Terra months."

Everything is going smoothly so far; no unusual interference from the Eternal Night Labyrinth has been detected.

“Very good.” Guilliman nodded. “The Empire has seen all your efforts and dedication.”

"I believe the plan will proceed smoothly. I have packaged the valuable information obtained from the cult database into a highly encrypted data packet and sent it to Ganymede's main AI."

“I don’t understand such cutting-edge technology, but I think you might be able to find something helpful for the current plan from the esoteric Buddhist database.”

“Thank you, Your Highness Regent. The information you provided will be included in the analysis, and I will respond after reviewing it,” Caul replied.

Guilliman's holographic image nodded slightly: "I hope this helps. Mars is in your hands now, Great Sage. Be careful. I will prepare a reward for you at the victory celebration."

The conversation did not last long, and Guilliman ended the call shortly afterward.

Kaul refocused all his attention on the matrix construction project.

Guilliman's new technology was an unexpected bonus, and it might bring some surprises, but the current project is the most important thing.

Time is passing by, and the massive ring of countless black obelisks in Mars' orbit is gradually taking shape.

Everyone could feel the immense energy flowing slowly within, carefully restrained and guided.

As the clock struck the last minute, humanity's countless preparations for slaying the dragon were finally complete.

"Praise be to Om Messiah, a miracle of the human mind, a feat of using mortal power to move the rules."

Kaul whispered to himself, then sent a signal to Losi that everything was ready.

On the surface of Mars, after receiving the message that everything was ready, Rosie strode confidently toward the heavily surrounded labyrinth of eternal night.

Centered on the labyrinth of eternal night, the surrounding area of ​​thousands of kilometers has become a no-man's land, with only howling winds and sandstorms, stirring up metal fragments and ancient dust.

Mars seems to have reverted to its state tens of thousands of years ago, before the arrival of humans, with only barren sandstorms and desolate land.

Roxi walked across this desolate land, his steps steady and firm.

With each step, it seemed to resonate with the core of the planet beneath my feet, with the gradually brightening black stone matrix in orbit, and with the burning star torches on distant Terra.

He was not alone.

When he walks by, the earth trembles slightly.

In the distance, those majestic Titans, including the Warlord-class and even the Emperor-class Titans, stood silently on the guard line, like ancient giants.

At this moment, as Loxi moved forward, the core reactors of these Titan machines emitted a deep and powerful roar, and the huge sensor arrays slowly rotated, focusing on the lone human figure moving forward.

Then, the machine spirits of these divine machines bypassed the captain's control and reacted autonomously.

They slowly knelt on one knee with an almost worshipful solemnity.

The Titan Machine's massive metal knee slammed into the ground with a dull yet awe-inspiring thud, sending up a towering column of dust.

They lowered their massive heads, their weapon arms hanging at their sides, and all the cannons were slightly turned away from Roxi's direction.

This is a tribute, a submission, and above all, worship.

It is the most sublime tribute from the spirit of machinery to the Om Messiah who walks among men.

Further away, countless armored vehicles, knight mechs, and even those cumbersome transport vehicles, as long as they possessed a machine spirit, seemed to be guided by an invisible will and made similar moves.

They couldn't kneel like the Titans, but they shut down their engines and stopped running, and all the indicator lights flashed at a regular, prayer-like frequency.

Meanwhile, the mechanical priests, the Guardians, and the knightly families were already prostrate on the ground.

They chanted ancient and sacred binary hymns, their voices converging through loudspeakers into a deep and vast ocean of sound.

"O Om Messiah, save us from the mediocrity of thought!"

"In the name of the sacred binary code, let us loudly praise Om Messiah, and all glory to the god of machines!"

Even the servants, who had lost most of their thinking abilities, seemed to be infected by the grand atmosphere, instinctively kneeling in the direction of Roxi and uttering mechanical chants.

The entire planet Mars seemed to hold its breath at that moment, focusing all its will and all its expectations on the figure walking toward the entrance to the abyss.

In the cosmos beyond Mars, grand miracles are unfolding.

The matrix of black obelisks surrounding Mars suddenly lit up, with a deep blue energy surging and flowing within it, forming an incredibly complex and enormous matrix.

These naturally bipolar black stone creations are now being adjusted to a polarized "amplified" mode.

Almost at the same moment, in the distant direction of Terra, the star torch that guided humanity's voyage burst forth with an unprecedentedly intense light.

Its brilliance even briefly surpassed that of the sun, making it the most dazzling presence in the Milky Way.

Its psionic energy surged like a tsunami, and all beings in the galaxy with even a slight psionic sensitivity could clearly perceive the unparalleled will and power originating from the Lord of Humanity.

The surviving aliens were filled with despair, and the humans seemed like some kind of natural disaster that they could not resist.

The various human worlds, on the other hand, are filled with heartfelt pride in the ever-brightening light of the starlight, for wherever the starlight reaches, that is where human territory extends.

Immediately afterwards, directly above the Mars orbital matrix, the veil of the universe was forcibly torn open by an indescribable force.

But this was not a foul rift emanating from a chaotic demon; the edges of the rift shimmered with a pure, golden light, more stable than one could imagine.

Beyond the rift lies not a chaotic and frenzied sea of ​​souls, but a vast and orderly golden ocean filled with countless human beliefs, prayers, hopes, and perseverance.

That was the power of the God-Emperor, a manifestation of the collective unconscious network of humanity, and the purest torrent of spiritual energy purified and guided by the dual will of the Emperor himself and the God-Emperor on the Golden Throne.

This warm and majestic torrent of golden energy, like a celestial river pouring down, precisely poured into the Martian black stone matrix.

After being greatly amplified by the black stone, it transformed into a boundless golden light curtain, gently yet firmly enveloping the entire Mars, especially the area where the Eternal Night Labyrinth was located.

The physical structure here is temporarily blurred, and the concentration of psionic energy has risen to an unbelievable level, yet it remains completely uncorrupted by the evil and madness of the warp.

Within this realm completely imbued with the power of the Holy Spirit, Rosie felt her strength increasing exponentially.

His authority as the Om Messiah resonated perfectly with this realm, and boundless power flowed into his body, cleansing his soul and strengthening his will.

His body began to spontaneously radiate a soft yet majestic golden light. With each step he took, the red sand beneath his feet seemed to come alive, blooming into tiny, fleeting flowers of psychic energy.

His senses were amplified infinitely, as if he could hear the pulse of Mars' core, feel the energy flow of every obelisk in orbit, touch the unwavering guidance of the Terra Torch, and even faintly sense the vast and warm sea of ​​faith belonging to all humanity beyond the rift.

He is no longer just a powerful individual.

At this moment, he became a hub, a channel, gathering and carrying the power and expectations of the entire human civilization.

Finally, he arrived at the door.

We're just one step away from becoming a Void Dragon.

(End of this chapter)