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

Chapter 931 The Rampaging Star God Fragments

Since awakening from his slumber, Imotek has made up his mind that he will become the Supreme Emperor who will once again unify the Necromancers of space.

He even looked down on the so-called Triune Council. Such a thing could only fool the undead in space. The truly powerful emperors of the dynasties knew very well that the Triune Council was just a tool for the Silent King to carry out his dictatorship under the guise of a council.

What other purpose did the other two viziers of the Triune Council serve besides acting as mouthpieces for Szalak?
Imotek despised such hypocrisy; he had always disdained it.

If you're going to be a dictator, be a legitimate dictator; if you're going to be a tyrannical ruler, be an open and blatant tyranny.

Szalak betrayed the Deathbringers to the Star Gods, ending their era of flesh and blood, a crime Imotek considered an unforgivable sin against the entire race.

On the other hand, the only right thing Szalak did was to give the Necromancers eternal metallic bodies and lay a solid foundation for their conquest of the entire galaxy.

Yes, Imotek had long since changed his self-perception. He proudly identified himself as a space necromancer, while the Fearful Ones were merely a medium and a stage in the birth of the space necromancer.

To alleviate his guilt, Szalak destroyed the master control protocol and gave all the Necrons of space the freedom to think independently.

In Imotek's view, this was more of a weak and foolish act. If he were in control of the master control protocol, he would never destroy the protocol for such an absurd reason.

This ambitious French emperor of the Sotek dynasty had long believed that a civil war to purge the old order and establish a new one was inevitable.

To win this war, he needs every possible advantage, and a powerful fragment of a star god is undoubtedly a heavyweight on the strategic scales.

"Trading with humans," Imotek finally spoke again, "is the fragment they possess powerful enough? Have you seen it with your own eyes?"

Eurycan's heart stirred slightly, knowing that Imotek was already interested. Now, all that was needed was the final push to dispel Imotek's doubts.

"I assure you, Your Majesty, that the energy level of that fragment far surpasses the Void Dragon fragments we currently possess."

"Human history is too short, and their understanding of the Star Gods is extremely shallow. To them, the fragments of the Burners are merely a tool that can serve as an endless source of energy."

"They yearn to enhance their technological prowess through the Void Dragon Fragments, but this is destined to be futile, for our technology originates from numerous Star Gods, and we have developed it independently for millions of years, something that humans cannot match."

"Your Majesty, humanity is willing to make this exchange in your crown world, in a realm completely under your control, with me and my guards present as witnesses and guarantors. What tricks can humanity possibly play?"

"If they dare to make any rash moves, they will only give you a perfect reason to start the war prematurely, and they obviously don't want to see that. In this deal, the initiative is always in your hands."

Imotek slowly leaned back on the throne, the eerie light in his eyes stabilizing.

Storm King's intelligence network spans the entire galaxy, and he already knew that humanity was collecting Star God fragments from various space necromantic dynasties.

He also knew that the Nihirah dynasty behind Tarasim seemed to have a very close relationship with humans.

Humanity's collection of Star God fragments is certainly not just about advancing technological advancements.

But so what? His Sotek dynasty was located in the southeast of the galaxy, while Szalak's follower dynasty was closer to the heart of humanity.

Even if humanity wanted to wage war against the undead in space, the Silent King's forces would inevitably be the first to be affected.

Imotek was determined to add fuel to the fire if it could weaken Szalak.

Moreover, Imotek simply did not believe that humanity had the courage to wage war against the undead in space.

They were too young to understand the true power and strength of the Necromancers in space—a terrifying force that could truly make the sea of ​​stars boil.

“Very well, Orikan.” The Storm King’s voice regained its usual majesty and decisiveness. “Your proposal is valuable, and I agree to this exchange.”

“A wise decision, Your Majesty.” Orikan bowed slightly. “This will usher in a new era for the Sotek dynasty.”

"In that case, we will head to Golden Mandela immediately to complete this exchange."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will do everything in my power to ensure the interests of the Sotek Dynasty," Orikan solemnly promised.

The communication ended, and Euricane's holographic image disappeared.

Imotek sat alone on the throne, the surrounding energy storms seeming to stir with his surging emotions.

He seemed to see the fragments of the Burning Star God becoming the cornerstone of his new throne, the banners of the Sothek dynasty flying across the galaxy, and Szalak pale in comparison to him.

“Zorhan,” he ordered, “begin designing immediately… well, a throne base that can perfectly house and display the fragments of the Burning Star God.”

"It is much larger and more imposing than that of Szalak."

"As you wish, Your Majesty the Storm King."

……

On the golden mandala's necromantic ark, Orikan turned around and looked at the lich guards who were still bowing their heads.

“He’s taken the bait.” Orikan’s electronic voice was flat and emotionless.

Tarasin raised his head, a sly glint in his eyes: "Of course, who can refuse an opportunity to retaliate against their mortal enemy? Especially an ambitious fellow like Imotek."

Orikan stared at Tarasin with a strange look in his eyes. He was certain that this guy had ulterior motives.

However, if I have the chance to show off in front of Tarachin, I will definitely do it, and I will do it very resolutely.

"The next question is how we can break free from the Technicians' control and cause some trouble in their Crown World after ensuring that the Burner Shards enter the Golden Mandela."

"Furthermore, this matter must have nothing to do with us. Otherwise, if Imotek holds a grudge against us, we'll have to be careful not to be targeted by the Death Mark assassins in the future."

As they were talking, Tarasin's eyes met Orikan's again.

“I think you should be very good at this, Taracin. Your ability to shift blame is top-notch in the universe. This task is entrusted to you,” the astrologer said seriously.

“Me?” Tarasin pointed to his nose, his face full of disbelief.

“You yourself said that I would be fully responsible for this plan, so I naturally have the authority to give you orders.” Eurican brought up the promise that Tarasin had made at the beginning, which immediately silenced the Endless One.

"Okay, okay, let me think of a way to shirk all the responsibility."

"Don't give me that. I don't believe that Lothie gave you this task without offering you any help." Eurykan had already seen through Tarasin's pretense and said bluntly.

Tarachin shrugged smugly. After all, he was the most trusted Necromancer in the universe, a relationship that Eurycan could not match.

The Necromancer Ark the two were traveling in had entered the core identification zone of the Sotek Dynasty. Since they had sent an application to the Golden Mandela in advance, their arrival did not alert the large number of guards.

Through the observation window, Taracin and Orikan were able to glimpse the magnificence and grandeur of this legendary burial world.

Rather than describing the Golden Mandela as a planet, it is more accurate to describe it as a combination of an enormous work of art and a war fortress.

The entire surface of the planet is almost entirely covered by metallic structures, and what comes into view is an endless, magnificent complex of buildings constructed of black stone and necromantic alloy.

The towering spires, like giant spears piercing the void, are covered with ever-burning, eerie green energy patterns that outline intricate geometric designs and the emblem of the Sotek dynasty.

The massive black stone pyramid mausoleums are scattered throughout the land. In the Age of the Dead, they were sacred sites for burying the nobles of the dynasty, but now they have been transformed into powerful energy nodes and defensive fortifications.

The crisscrossing network of passages is like a sophisticated integrated circuit, with countless ghostly constructs, from tiny scarabs to enormous ghostly spiders, flowing through it and maintaining the operation of this metallic world.

A chilling stillness permeated the air, yet it also contained a powerful surge of energy.

As legend has it, at the end of the War of Heaven, Mandela’s sanctuary gathered the most elite legions of the Sotek dynasty.

Even during periods of deep hibernation, the automated defense system here is enough to deter any intruder.

Now, under the will of Storm King Imotek, this sleeping behemoth is gradually awakening.

As can be seen, in a specific assembly area, the Immortal Legion, arranged in neat squares, is being inspected; the Destroyer Cannons are activated, flashing with a dangerous light; and massive Tomb Ships are undergoing final adjustments in the near-Earth orbit dock.

A chilling war intent enveloped the entire golden mandala, revealing Imotek's ambition for conquest.

“It’s… spectacular, but also suffocatingly oppressive,” Taracin commented, a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm in his voice.

"Imotek has managed this place like an ironclad fortress, no wonder he has the confidence to challenge Szalak."

Orikan did not respond, but calmly scanned the structure below, searching for the best landing spot.

Following the instructions, the ark landed on a closed platform specifically used to receive important foreign envoys.

Soon, a lich guard led by a high-ranking scientist arrived to greet them.

The leading technologist was much larger than the ordinary undead, with energy crystals representing his status embedded in his metal shell. He was Zorhan, the time mage appointed by Imotek to handle this exchange.

“Lord Orikan,” Zorhan’s electronic voice was monotonous and flat, “His Majesty the Storm King has ordered me to wait for a long time. Please come with me to complete the handover ceremony of the Star God Fragment.”

Orikan nodded slightly, signaling Talassin, disguised as a lich guard, to follow with a carefully decorated storage box that emitted a faint energy fluctuation.

The box contained the hypercube maze that imprisoned the Burner fragments, but the exterior was covered with multiple layers of camouflage and suppression fields.

Although these things were not actually of much use, they at least made the Sotek dynasty appear sincere.

The handover ceremony took place in a highly guarded isolation hall.

Surrounded by energy barriers and automated turrets, Zorhan and his assistants conducted an extremely rigorous inspection of the storage tank using various scanning instruments, confirming that its structure was stable and that there were no external trigger mechanisms or traps such as bombs.

Tarasin obediently followed Eurykan, his eyes darting around as he watched Zorhan. The Endless One couldn't help but laugh at the thought of what they were about to do.

That would be a huge black pot, so big that anyone who tries to carry it will be crushed by it.

The time warlock ignored Talathim, whom he considered nothing more than a lich guard with a mental problem.

This is common among the Necromancers of the cosmos, like the crowned general Zahdek and his lich guard Obi-Roon, both of whom are mentally unstable.

"The energy radiation signal has been confirmed, and it matches the records of burner fragments in the database with a 92% accuracy rate," an assistant reported.

"Structural integrity confirmed, no abnormal energy fluctuations found."

"The container is safe and meets the handover standards."

Zorhan carefully examined the data and finally nodded.

O'Richard stepped forward at the opportune moment and spoke in a businesslike tone.

"Zorhan, please sign this handover confirmation receipt according to procedure."

This will prove that we have safely handed over the designated item to the representative of the Sotek Dynasty. From this point forward, all risks and responsibilities related to the item shall be borne by your side.

This is a crucial step in the Tarachin plan—obtaining written proof from Sotek to absolve them of subsequent liability.

Often, the reason why work must be documented is to make it easier to shift blame.

Now that your Sotek dynasty has completed the takeover, whatever happens next cannot be blamed on Orikan and his people.

Even if Imotec suspected Eurican, he had no choice but to swallow his anger and accept the fact for the sake of the dynasty's reputation and face.

The Storm King aspires to replace the Silent King and rule the entire race; his pride is often more important than one might imagine.

Zorhan had no objection to this, as it was a common procedure in the transfer of valuable goods between large dynasties.

He simply assumed Orikan was indeed cautious, living up to his reputation as an astrologer. Putting business aside, Zorhan actually held Orikan in high regard; after all, the other was a legendary time sorcerer from the Sothek dynasty, and in terms of experience and ability, he was far inferior to Orikan.

Orikan's abilities are unparalleled among all the Necromancers in space.

If Eurycan's stance hadn't been so questionable, Imotek wouldn't have appointed him as an advisor.

He took the data board provided by Oricen, which contained a specific encryption protocol, and left his authorization mark on it to confirm his identity.

Once the information was confirmed, the relevant data was uploaded to the Sotek dynasty's system, and anyone with the necessary permissions could access it.

"Handover confirmed, Your Excellency Orikan. The Sotek Dynasty thanks you for your efforts in facilitating this transaction." Zorhan handed the data panel back.

After confirming that the work was completed, Tarasin handed the container containing the Star God fragments to Zorhan.

The two bodies touched very briefly.

In that brief moment of data transfer, Tarasin's fingers discreetly brushed against an inconspicuous seam on Zorhan's arm armor.

A barely perceptible data fluctuation silently crept into Zorhan's internal system.

This backup plan was the code virus that Lothie created using the essence of the Void Dragon and the power of the Om Messiah authority.

The Sotek dynasty's scientists were able to deal with the vast majority of code viruses.

However, what Lothie created had both the protective properties of psionic energy and the Void Dragon's ability to control metal and machinery, making it perfectly capable of easily bypassing Zorhan's firewall.

All conventional security scans are completely ineffective against it.

Moreover, thanks to Santa Rasin's superb skills, Zorhan couldn't find any trace of him.

Tarachin returned to Orikan's side, sobbing, and continued to be a guard with little presence.

Imotek's most trusted advisor felt that the lich guards of Orikan really needed to have their memories reset and their useless cache cleared.

"Your Excellency Astrologer, your lich guard servant really needs some serious training."

"If you need, I can send you a few elite lich guards from the Sotek Dynasty. They are absolutely trustworthy and reliable."

Zorhan said meaningfully, "Orikan knows that this is the other party trying to plant spies around him."

“No need. Although I am loyal to the Sotek Dynasty, I am currently serving under the Silent King, and it is not the right time,” the astrologer declined.

Zorhan said nothing more after hearing this. He had said what he needed to say, and it was up to Eurykan whether he listened or not.

After the handover was completed, Orikan and Tarasin did not linger. They declined the symbolic hospitality offered by Zorhan on behalf of Imotek, citing the need to reply to the human side as soon as possible.

They quickly boarded the Ark of the Dead and left the Golden Mandela.

The Ark once again sailed into the cold void, and Talasi removed his disguise, stretching his metal joints.

"Done." He said casually, his face full of a malicious smile that showed he had successfully tricked Zorhan.

"We've received Sotek's confirmation receipt, and the nails have been planted in Zorhan's body. Now, we just need to wait and watch the fireworks."

“When will the effects of what you left on Zorhan fully manifest?” Eurican asked.

“I don’t know. Rosie told me that what he gave me would activate at the most appropriate time. The specific principle involves psionic energy, which is beyond our understanding.”

Upon hearing this, the astrologer stopped asking questions. The true architect of this plan from beginning to end was actually that terrifying human who had already merged with most of the Void Dragons.

In addition, with the piece they are about to take back, the Void Dragon will be whole again after being split for millions of years.

As Eurykan watched the Mandela planet, shimmering with a ghostly green light, gradually recede into the distance, a hint of anticipation appeared in his eyes.

"We hope the Burner Shards won't disappoint us, and we hope Imotek will appreciate this generous gift."

……

Several days later, when Tarasin and Orikan's arks were far from the core star system of the Sotek Dynasty, the virus code set by Loshi finally entered the recovery state.

Zorhan is in the Golden Mandela Tomb world, carrying out the construction orders given by Imotek.

The Storm King also wanted to build a larger and more magnificent Throne of Domination than the Silent King's. Relying on the powerful industrial capabilities of the Sotek Dynasty, the Throne of Domination was quickly and successfully completed.

However, what is truly important is to perfectly integrate the Star God fragments into the throne, making it a complete whole.

"This task must be carried out with extreme caution. The Burners are the most violent and ferocious of all the Star God Fragments."

"If we make even the slightest mistake, we'll be in big trouble."

Zorhan was supervising the tomb engineers as they transferred the Burner fragments to the core of the Throne of Domination when suddenly, he froze.

The Time Sorcerer's optical sensors were instantly overwhelmed by a chaotic data stream, and a bunch of virus code suddenly appeared in the underlying logic of the Mind Engine.

All of this happened so suddenly that even the sophisticated firewall set up by Zorhan had no time to react before it was completely compromised.

Under the astonished gazes of the surrounding scientists, Zorhan's arm rose uncontrollably, and an unusual energy pulse shot toward the hypercube labyrinth that was about to be placed into the core base!
"Warning! Unauthorized operation!"

The system alarm sounded shrilly, but it was too late.

【free!!!】

The Burner Fragment, Nyadrazasa, had been waiting for a long time, and it had no choice but to believe in the promises of humanity.

But now it seems that humans did not deceive it.

The raging fury that had been suppressed for millions of years surged out from the cracks like a flood bursting its banks.

The Burner's intense energy instantly engulfed the entire hall, the metal walls began to melt rapidly, and the scientists, unable to react in time, were vaporized amidst their screams.

Zorhan, who directly caused the Burners to escape, was burned to nothingness.

He didn't even have time to upload his data to the resurrection protocol. Even if he were resurrected in the future, "Zorhan" would only have the memories from the backup.

But this is just the beginning.

Within a fraction of a second of the Burner Shard's fury sweeping through the storage hall, it unleashed a powerful resonance of freedom and vengeance, stirring up a colossal wave within the Star God Shard Imprisonment Zone meticulously crafted by the Sotek Dynasty.

The Sotek dynasty was so arrogant that they even stored some of the Star God fragments together, because they were confident that nothing unexpected would happen.

But now, an accident that was theoretically impossible has still happened.

The first thing to be awakened was a small fragment of Azagorod, the Nightbringer.

As a powerful being who once ranked among the top three among all star gods and wielded the power of death, even as just a fragment, its awakening brought a completely different kind of terror.

"Let me out, Nyadrazasa!" cried the Nightbringer Fragment.

[Revenge! Revenge! Revenge!!]

The Burner Fragment responded directly, understanding that its own power was far from sufficient to accomplish its revenge.

The Burner, engulfed in flames, streaked across the tomb world like a fiery meteor, instantly reducing the hypercube labyrinth that bound the Nightbringers to ashes.

The automated defense system in the distance began to retaliate, unleashing a barrage of Gaussian rays and arc beams of electricity towards the Burner.

But aside from blasting those undead creations into discrete atoms, these attacks had no effective way to deal with the Burners.

The alarm had been sounded, and the entire Golden Mandela began to react. The Burner knew that his time was running out.

As the Nightbringer fragment was freed, an absolute darkness rapidly spread out from it.

This darkness is not a lack of light, but an area where even the concepts of energy, sound, and time are temporarily suppressed.

As soon as the Netherworld construct, which was carrying out an emergency protocol nearby, entered this darkness, the energy flow inside it instantly stopped, and its living metal surface was immediately covered with a layer of frost colder than the core of Mandela Planet, before silently turning into dust.

The fragments of Azagorod murmured, a sound that seemed to emanate from the dark void before the birth of the universe.

The long night has begun...

The destruction of Sotek is imminent!

Immediately afterwards, a fragment of the fraudster Murphyland emitted a twisted laugh.

【I'm here for you, you need me!】

The Burner snorted coldly and shattered the Deceiver's cage once more.

Amidst a chilling burst of laughter, the Star God who had initially deceived the Fearful Ones regained his freedom.

Its power is not direct destruction, but a more bizarre distortion of reality.

Several squads of immortals who were charging forward suddenly found that the closer they got to the Star God fragments, the farther apart they became.

The green beams fired from their Gauss weapons curved strangely, circling around before striking their own comrades.

The fragments of Murphyland reveled in the chaos; they had been suppressed for far too long, to the point of near madness.

However, in terms of the scale of destruction, a fragment of a massive, endless swarm of bees, the Ashura, demonstrated an astonishing ability.

Its essence is devouring and replication. The stellar energy that escaped from the broken cage quickly transformed into countless tiny swarms of insects shimmering with metallic luster. These swarms surged toward all matter like a hungry tide.

Whether it's the living metal of the undead or the black stone material of the tomb world, they can devour, decompose, and assimilate it, and multiply at an exponential rate in the process.

The fragments of the Rising One Orgriadar appear more direct and violent.

It manipulates powerful gravity, simply and brutally tearing and squeezing everything around it.

The massive black stone pillar was uprooted by an invisible force, crumpled into a ball like a toy, and then hurled like a cannonball at the undead army that was gathering in the distance.

There are many other weak fragments of star gods whose names have been forgotten. They may only have instinctive energy release, but when they come together, they form a destructive torrent that cannot be ignored.

Help me, my fellow countrymen! Tear apart these dens of metal slaves!

Golden Mandela, the proud crown world of the Sotek dynasty, was instantly plunged into an unprecedented catastrophe.

Imotek's prized war machine proved overwhelmed by the chaotic yet immense primal power of multiple Star God fragments.

Alarms blared on every channel, energy readings soared wildly, and the very fabric of the world seemed to groan.

This chain reaction of rampages triggered by the Burner's fragments was not only a devastating physical blow to the Sotek dynasty, but also a heavy blow to Imotek's authority.

And all this has just begun.

(End of this chapter)