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

Chapter 929 Fenris's Planetary Will
Seeing the Burner fragments enter the Hypercube Labyrinth that Loxi carried with him, Lemanrus's tense muscles finally relaxed a little.

As a Primarch who had unleashed his true nature, he could clearly sense the extreme danger posed by the Star God Fragment.

While he may not be in any immediate danger, the space wolves he brought with him are a different story.

Faced with a rampaging Star God fragment, elite units like the Astartes are not much different from ordinary mortals.

"All done?" he asked in a low voice.

“It’s under control for now.” Loshi nodded, speaking in a voice only Ruth could hear, while his gaze returned to the ruins. “But our questions remain unanswered.”

He picked up the miniature maze that contained the Burner fragments and asked the Star God fragments within it questions directly through his mind.

“Nyadrazasa, what happened here? What destroyed this tomb world that imprisoned you? Where did all the space undead go?”

A faint voice, filled with resentment yet compelled to answer, emanated from within the miniature maze.

[About a thousand or more planetary orbital periods ago... the specifics are blurred, and my fragmented memory of time is very vague...]

I am imprisoned here, spending most of my time asleep, with very limited perception.

All I remember is that one day, the entire tomb world suddenly experienced an unprecedented and violent tremor, far more violent than the normal geological activity of this frozen planet.

[A massive fissure opened in the earth, and the space undead, still slumbering in the stasis field, had their hibernation pods and maintenance systems shattered, crushed, deformed, or even swallowed by the surging underground lava. Many automated defense systems and constructs were destroyed before they could even be activated.]

I was startled awake, but could only sense the destructive energy emanating from the outside world. I thought this force would destroy the cage binding me, giving me a chance to escape, but unfortunately, none of that happened.

The Burner's thoughts were tinged with confusion, as if it itself could not fully comprehend the situation at the time.

The earthquake and lava flow destroyed most of the area, and for a long time afterward, it remained desolate.

Later, the tremors subsided, and the tomb world was completely paralyzed, leaving only my hypercube maze, which, due to its unique physical properties, continued to operate at low power, barely clinging to life.

As for what caused it... I was trapped in the core of the maze and couldn't accurately perceive the details of the outside world.

All I know is that it didn't resemble the methods of any known race, nor did it seem like infighting among space undead; it was more like a brutal, purely physical act of destruction.

As Lemanrus listened to the Burner Fragment's narration, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

"More than a thousand years ago? The Fenris system was still in the late stages of the Age of Conflict. The humans here were still fighting against the harsh natural environment on the planet. It was absolutely impossible for them to silently destroy a space necropolis world."

"Besides humans, who else has this power, the Eldar?"

Loshi looked at Taracin: "The great collector, the Galaxy Street hustler, do you have any leads?"

"If we're talking about people here who have a clear understanding of things from a thousand years ago, it's you who's the only one."

Tarasin immediately adopted a thoughtful expression.

"There is no record in my memory module that this branch of the Nekmunda dynasty's tomb world is located in a secluded place, and its destruction has not been recorded in any known chronicles."

"Judging from the remaining traces, the attackers used brutal and efficient methods, had a clear objective, and cleaned up very thoroughly."

Aside from the Star God fragments that were difficult to handle and the completely destroyed building structure, almost no valuable clues were left behind.

Eurycan then returned to his old profession, once again observing the timeline.

“There is a powerful psionic reaction here, and the spacetime structure is disordered, making it impossible to trace the source effectively.”

"I can't see what happened in the past; the past timeline is shrouded in mist."

Loshi fell into deep thought: a mysterious force capable of destroying the Necropolis world in space without leaving any obvious trace.

What was its origin? Why was only the Burner fragment left behind?
If this problem isn't clarified, Lemanrus might not be able to sleep peacefully from now on.

“Sir,” a Space Wolf technical sergeant stepped forward to report, “the scans show that the underground cavity structure here is extremely unstable. Previous drilling and energy fluctuations may have accelerated its collapse. We recommend evacuating as soon as possible.”

Lemanrus looked at Loxi, and Loxi nodded.

The main objective of this trip has been achieved, and it would be unwise to remain in this place full of unknowns and dangers.

"Wolves, retreat!" Russ growled, and took the lead in heading towards the tunnel.

Just as the team was rapidly retreating along the drilling tunnel and about to reach the surface, Rosie's psionic senses suddenly detected something unusual.

An invisible and intangible yet vast and powerful force is quietly emerging from all directions of the planet Midgardia.

It was not as filthy and chaotic as warp energy; instead, it possessed a cold, ancient purity.

This power, like a behemoth awakening, slowly and steadily began to spread and converge, its target the hypercube labyrinth in his hand that contained the fragments of the Burner.

It is like an invisible net, woven from the planet's veins, magnetic fields, and even howling winds and snow, gently yet irresistibly trying to pull the fragments of the Star God back to the earth and reseal them.

"Hmm?" Luo Xi immediately stopped in her tracks, her expression turning serious.

He raised his hand to signal the team to stop advancing.

"What's wrong?" Lemanrus instantly became alert, gripping his battle axe tightly, his wolf-like eyes scanning the surrounding icy tunnel walls.

As the wolf king of Fenris, Lemanrus sensed a familiar aura—a chilling current emanating from the icy wastelands of Fenris, a unique aura that contained life within a desolate atmosphere.

"There's something... that doesn't want us to take it."

Loshi raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He could sense that pure spiritual energy resonating subtly with the outer shell of the Hypercube Maze, seemingly trying to penetrate it and reinforce the already weakened constraints.

Instead of confronting it, he slowly released his consciousness, cautiously touching and probing towards that vast, unfamiliar consciousness.

"Who are you?" Rose asked.

However, he was met with a cacophony of sounds, like the dull noise of a glacier moving and crushing mountains.

Just as Roxi was feeling puzzled and even thought the other party didn't want to answer, a slow, grand thought slowly gave the reply.

[...danger...fragments...must...be imprisoned...]

The voice was intermittent and seemed to lack a clear sense of self, more like a primal instinct formed over a long period of time.

"Why?" Rose pressed on. "It's been brought under control and will no longer harm the world."

"No..." the voice replied.

Its very existence is a disturbance; its heat will melt the ice caps; its agitation will tear the earth apart...

This idea is vast yet simple; it is not concerned with the evil of the Star God itself, but rather with the destructive impact of its objective existence on the planet's physical environment.

Luo Xi's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately asked:
"So it was you who destroyed the underground Necropolis world? All of this was to protect yourself?"

【Yes……】

[Outsiders...deep within the planet...they bring...discomfort...changing them awakens...a dangerous heat source...must...be eliminated...]

A flash of inspiration struck Luo Xi, instantly connecting all the clues.

Tarasin and Orikan could not find any trace of the attackers because the attackers were not any specific entity.

The planet Midgardia itself destroyed that world of space necropolis.

Or more accurately, it is the will of the planet Fenris that Midgardia is connected to—a far greater and more ancient will.

The Necromancers of the cosmos built their tomb worlds deep within the planets to protect them from external interference and influence, thus ensuring the long-term, stable operation of the hypercube labyrinths that imprison the Burners.

The crypt world continues to expand deep beneath Midgardia, where restless necromancer scarabs, spiders, and wraiths mine the planet's natural minerals to maintain its normal wear and tear.

All of this is like tumor cells growing inside a planet and constantly inflamed lesions—definitely not a good thing.

For the self-aware planet Fenris, this nearby crypt world and the "dangerous heat source" it imprisons are undoubtedly a long-term threat to its stability and the creatures under its protection.

Thus, more than a thousand years ago, the planetary consciousness, having accumulated enough power, or rather, having been continuously stimulated and finally reached its breaking point, launched a precise self-defense counterattack.

It directly manipulated the geological activity of Midgardia, triggering a targeted super earthquake and volcanic eruption that brutally destroyed most of the structure of the tomb world on a physical level, utterly burying countless sleeping space undead and their creations.

The Necromancer's crypt world is indeed heavily fortified. The various structures built from black stone and necromantic alloys are not only far stronger than humans can imagine, but they can also self-repair under the maintenance of units such as the Necromancer Scarab.

It's safe to say that even if a planet were to be hit by an asteroid, the tomb world would most likely be unaffected.

However, this attack came from the planet itself, and the tomb world's defense system had no way of warning or identifying it. They could defend against external enemies, but they could not defend against the wrath of nature.

This is why the signs of vandalism appear so raw and violent, leaving almost no evidence of an outside attacker.

Fenris's planetary consciousness successfully destroyed the tomb world, but it could not completely destroy that highly technologically advanced prison that involved hyperdimensional spacetime. It could only isolate it underground to prevent the "dangerous heat source" from leaking out.

Now, Roxi is taking this "heat source" away, freeing it from the suppression of the planet's consciousness, which triggers its instinctive defense mechanism.

“I understand…” Loshi murmured to himself, quickly relaying his understanding and speculation to Lemanrus.

The wolf king was dumbfounded, his rugged face filled with disbelief.

"You mean, Fenris, the spirit of all things, killed those ribs and has been keeping an eye on this thing ever since?"

He pointed to the container in Rosie's hand that held the fragments of the Burner, then looked at the ground beneath his feet with a complicated expression.

The Fenris people worshipped many gods, and they firmly believed that their homeland, Fenris, possessed its own unique will and power.

Rune Priests of the Space Wolves Legion, for example, do not derive their psychic power directly from the warp, but from Fenris, the spirit of all things, and can channel and control it through runes and totems on their armor.

Even Ruth never imagined that Fenris's spirit of all things could manifest its power in such a concrete way, even crossing the stars to affect another planet!
Even before the Space Wolves were born, Fenris was already clearing away those deadly dangers for humanity, hiding a fragment of a Star God.

“That’s certainly one way to understand it.” Loxi nodded and continued communicating with the planetary consciousness.

“Listen, Fenris, the spirit of all things,” Loshi tried to explain, “I’m taking it away not to release it. I’m taking it away from your galaxy, to a faraway place for control and research, where it will no longer threaten you and your children.”

The response from the most intelligent of all beings was tinged with distrust and stagnation.

Why trust? ...The fragments yearn for freedom...yearn to burn...once freed from their shackles...they will surely return...for revenge...

The destructive nature of the Burner's Shards left a deep impression on Fenris, the spirit of all things.

Compared to its extremely unique planetary consciousness, the Star God is practically its natural enemy.

Long ago, when the star gods were still energy entities floating in the universe, they fed on the life of stars.

If the mood strikes, they will also devour certain planets and celestial bodies to satisfy their hunger. If the Burner fragments hadn't been tightly bound by the Necromancers of Space, even Fenris, the most powerful being, might not have been a match for them.

After all, it was too slow and too passive. Even if the escaped Star God fragments were to fly a kite from a distance, they could still kill the Spirit of All Things.

Fenris, the spirit of all things, was unwilling to believe Roche's words; it dared not gamble on the veracity of the promise.

Loshi could feel the surrounding psionic pressure slowly increasing, the wind and snow howling more fiercely outside the tunnel, and even the faint sound of the underground rock strata rubbing together.

The spirit of all things seems to be brewing an even greater power, attempting to forcibly leave behind fragments.

"I've never fought against the world consciousness of a planet before, so this feeling is quite novel. However, this is, after all, the home planet of the Space Wolf Legion. It wouldn't be good if it got damaged."

Loshi thought to himself that forcibly confronting the will of a planet was not the best course of action, especially since this will was also acting with goodwill and a desire to protect. He decided to try to persuade the other party rather than resort to force.

He looked at Lemanrus beside him, and an idea immediately came to mind.

“Ruth,” Lothie whispered, “perhaps it is up to you to communicate with it. You are Fenris’s son, the king it acknowledges and raised. Your words carry more weight than mine.”

Lemanrus paused for a moment, then nodded heavily.

He took a deep breath, the air of which seemed to carry both the chill of the Fenris ice field and the warmth of a campfire.

The Wolf King closed his eyes and did not use those complex psionic techniques. Instead, he used a more primitive method, closer to the origin of his bloodline, to call out to the earth beneath his feet, to the starry sky, and to the vast consciousness in the darkness.

That call contained the majesty of the wolf king, as well as a deep longing for and responsibility towards his homeland.

"Ancient spirit, guardian of Fenris! I am Leman Ruth, hear my voice!"

His booming voice not only echoed in the tunnel, but also seemed to penetrate the rock strata, blend into the wind and snow, and resonate with the pulse of the entire planet.

The Wolf King naturally exuded a powerful psionic energy fluctuation, stemming from his nature as a Primarch and the intricate, inseparable fate linking him to the planet Fenris.

The planetary consciousness that was trying to stop it clearly paused for a moment, as if a giant beast had noticed the familiar child at its feet.

The cold and immense thought slowly turned towards Lemanrus, its wariness and resistance softening, replaced by scrutiny, an almost maternal concern.

Leman Russ...son of Fenris...

The thoughts of the most intelligent of all beings were no longer so sluggish, and seemed to have become slightly smoother due to the change in the object of communication.

It could clearly sense the surging power within Lemanrus, a power partly originating from itself.

He was the most powerful "child" born on its land, a demigod walking among mortals, and his fate was already closely intertwined with the rise and fall of Fenris.

"Yes, it's me."

Ruth's tone was firm and sincere, as if she were making a vow to an elder.

“I know your worries, ancient spirit. You protect this star field, drive out enemies, imprison dangers, and shelter my people. I salute you for this and am grateful for everything you have done.”

He pointed to the container in Rosie's hand: "But we must take this fragment with us."

“I swear to you in the name of the Lord of Fenris, and I assure you in the name of the whole Father, that this dangerous thing will never be released and will harm your domain.”

It will be far removed from your world, sealed away, and if it risks spiraling out of control, my brothers and I will be the first to destroy it!

Lemanrus's promise was resounding, and his psychic power spread with the oath.

A long silence descended once again.

But this time, the silence no longer held tense hostility or an impending outburst of natural rage; instead, it conveyed a profound acquiescence and weighing of options.

The most intelligent of all beings can sense Lemanrus's sincerity and the weight of his vow.

It may not be able to fully comprehend the complex purposes of humanity, but it believes in Lemanlus.

This is the child it watched rise from the ice plains, leading the Fenris humans towards the stars; its promise is trustworthy.

Finally, the vast spiritual energy dissipated like the receding tide, and the surrounding pressure suddenly eased.

Even the howling wind and snow seemed to have become much calmer.

Remember your vow... Son of Fenris...

Protecting...your homeland, your people...is also an extension of myself...

[Danger... if it arose because of you... you must... end it yourself...]

Fenris, the spirit of all things, left its final instructions, then vanished quietly like snow-capped mountains, returning to the planet's utter silence.

The unusually active psionic fluctuations on the Midgardia ice plains subsided, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

Inside and outside the tunnel, only the normal sounds of bitter cold and snow remained.

Everyone instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Although the space wolves who had been traveling with them couldn't fully understand what had just happened, they could feel that the heart-pounding sense of oppression had disappeared.

Lemanrus slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a long breath of white air, and looked at Loxi: "It's resolved. I convinced it."

"It seems that sometimes, the intervention of someone with the Face Fruit ability is more effective than anything else." Loshi smiled. "It trusts you far more than it trusts me."

“Fenris is my home,” Ruth said simply, her voice filled with pride. “Let’s go, this place makes me feel stifled.”

With no further obstacles, the group quickly left the tunnel and boarded the Stormbird.

The aircraft engines roared as it broke through the snow and wind of Midgardia and flew toward the fleet that was hovering in orbit.

Looking back from the porthole, Midgardia gradually transformed into a snow-white sphere that seemed forever covered in ice and snow.

But both Loshi and Russ knew that beneath the ice and snow lay an ancient and powerful will, silently guarding this star field.

The Stormbird smoothly docked in the flagship's hangar.

The hatch opened, and Loxi and Lemanrus strode out, where the wolf lords and mortal auxiliary officers who had been waiting saluted.

“The mission has been successfully completed,” Ruth said to the wolf priest who came to greet him, his tone returning to its usual gruffness. “The Iron Wolves and Storm Wolves have been decommissioned; they have no chance to fire.”

"Yes, Primarch!"

Tarasin, however, seemed somewhat unsatisfied.

"I never imagined that the Fenris system would have a planet with such an active and powerful self-awareness. It is truly rare even in the endless galaxy. Fenris is indeed a place full of surprises."

"Even our race sometimes falls short in the face of the power of nature."

Loshi raised an eyebrow and warned Tarasin.

"Don't even think about getting your hands on Fenris. Lemanrus isn't as easy to talk to as I am. Being targeted by the Space Wolf won't end well."

The Endless One gave an awkward smile.

"What are you talking about? I'm just amazed by the wonders of nature, I have absolutely no bad intentions."

However, in Tarasin's mind, since he couldn't afford to offend Fenris, why not just find an unclaimed, living planet?

Given the vastness of the galaxy, beings like Fenris are certainly not isolated cases.

Holding the miniature labyrinth containing the Burner fragments, Lothie said to Ruth, "I need a safe and isolated place to handle it. Does your flagship have such a facility?"

Ruth stroked his chin, running his thick, bushy beard.

"Come with me. At the bottom of the vault, there is a stasis field chamber used to store the most dangerous loot. Outside, there are multiple seals set up by rune priests and technical soldiers. It should meet your requirements."

Led by Ruth, they arrived at the treasure vault located in the core area of ​​the flagship.

After layers of identity verification and psionic detection, the heavy gate at the bottom slowly opened, revealing a secret chamber filled with various suppression field generators and ancient runes.

Loshi carefully placed the hypercube maze containing the Burner fragments in the center of the platform.

Since the Star God fragment entered another cage, Loxi has blocked its perception of the outside world.

The fragment of Nyadrazasa is currently feeling uneasy in the Hypercube Labyrinth. Its thinking ability has been severely weakened compared to before, but this does not mean that it has lost its ability to make judgments.

It's worth noting that it was the Burners who cracked the Ancient Ones' Infinite Web and created the Tombstone Gate, a revolutionary technology that allowed them to hack into the Web and significantly reduce the mobility of the Ancient Ones' forces.

The more he thought about the Star God Fragment, the stranger the situation seemed.

[Magladros is not quite the same as I remember it, although this could be because it is not yet complete, but there is no reason for it to be so different.]

It didn't feel like the great Catan to me, but rather like an intelligent being with more hidden agendas.

It keeps me in this cage, saying it will release me when it's in a safe place, but if it keeps me locked up like this, I don't have many good options.

No, this shouldn't be the case; I must take the initiative.

Upon thinking of this, the Star God Fragment began to stir restlessly, completely ignoring its previous promise to remain quiet to Loxi, and began to attack the Hypercube Maze.

The containment device used by Rosie is superior in terms of convenience, but in terms of stability, it is naturally incomparable to the large-scale equipment in the tomb world.

As Loshi watched, the small labyrinth began to shake, while the fragments of the Burner called out the name of Magladros in an even more violent and furious manner.

Answer me, Madragros!

What exactly do you want? To devour me? After the chaos we went through, we should all know the consequences of devouring the fragments of a star god!

Those beings that devoured too many Star God fragments, such as the Outer One Salanoga, had their consciousness corrupted and assimilated by countless Star God fragment consciousnesses, even forgetting their own existence. This was simply a losing proposition!

The fragments of the Burner issued a warning, while Loshi listened quietly, pondering whether he should tell the unfortunate fellow the truth.

Their main purpose in seeking this Burner Fragment was to exchange it with the Sothek Dynasty for the last Void Dragon Fragment.

Niadrazasa the Burner is also a powerful being among the Star Gods.

If given a choice, Rosie would still want to tie it to humanity's war machine, since its power would be very useful if they were to turn against the space necromancers in the future.

A thought flashed through Rosie's mind, and she quickly came up with a way to take advantage of the other party.

He wanted to sell the Burner fragments to the Necromancers in space, and also have them do things for humanity.

(End of this chapter)