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

Chapter 935 Gathering in Kadia

“Governor Bastone, we have completed all the tasks you assigned us. Please issue new instructions.”

In the command hall deep within the Kassl Clough Fortress world, countless Kadians clad in full-body power armor are busy at work.

Meanwhile, a young and resolute-looking man named Kashezin, still carrying a plasma gun, strode through the security check and stood before the chief of the governor of Cadia, Bastone, to report on the mission's progress.

As one of the human worlds closest to the Eye of Terror, Kadia's human society has long been highly militarized, with almost everyone required to serve in the Kadia Commando.

There's a widely accepted proverb circulating here: Anyone in Cartier who can't handle a laser gun before the age of ten was born on the wrong planet.

Even underage Cardians were required to join the Cardian Youth Army, or the White Shields, to learn essential combat skills and war discipline. Only the most outstanding among them were qualified to join the ranks of Kashejin.

Upon hearing the report from his loyal sergeant, Governor Bastone, who was intently studying the defensive line layout and troop deployment on the command platform, put down his pen and asked the sergeant for more detailed information.

Unlike other Empire worlds, the planetary governor of Kadia is almost entirely a military and political figure, and is also known as the chief governor.

If the chief governor dies in battle or loses his command ability in a critical situation, the fortress lord of Cadia will immediately take over the duties of the deceased and become the new commander-in-chief of Cadia after obtaining public consent.

Of course, the situation in Cadia is still relatively good. Governor Bastone is deeply respected and admired by the people of Cadia. His heroism and courage have earned him much reputation and support.

Bastone did not answer the sergeant's question immediately. He waved, and the two of them bypassed several Kashezin and came to the outside of the command hall.

The governor pointed slowly to the mechanical priests surrounding the massive black stone spire and the Imperial Fist Astartes assisting them.

“Lucas, ever since a month ago, when the highest order came from Holy Terra: all Cardians must unconditionally obey Primarch Rogue Dorn’s orders to build the Cardia War Zone defense line, we have been preparing for a foreseeable war.”

"As a Cardian, you should understand what it means for the Primarch to come in person."

“When only mortal troops like ours exist on the battlefield, the intensity of the war is controllable. But if the Astartes appear, it means the intensity will escalate. If the Imperial Guard and the Titan Legion appear, it means we will all return to the Golden Throne,” the officer replied.

On Bastone's sculpted and deep-set face was a gruesome scar that ran from his forehead across his left eye. It was a wound left by the power sword of a severely wounded Word Bearer Chaos Space Marine during close combat.

If he had dodged just a fraction slower, or if his opponent had been in a slightly better condition, Bastone would have fallen like countless other Cardia warriors, succumbing to the destructive force of the disintegration field and becoming a mangled corpse on the battlefield.

But now, the scar only makes his face more recognizable, and when his sergeant Lucas sees the scar on the governor's face, he feels a surge of fanatical admiration from the depths of his heart.

"Yes, my lord. Lord Dorn and the Mechanicus sages who came with him are studying how to activate those ancient black spires."

"To be honest, it wasn't until I learned the name and function of the 'Black Stone Obelisk' from them that I realized what those relics, which our ancestors have called the Black Stone Spire, actually were."

"Those are ancient technological creations left behind by the Necromancers of the cosmos. Lord Dorn once said that as long as we activate them, we can heal that damned scar in the sky a little."

The two looked up in unison and saw a huge, indescribable fissure in the dark sky of Kadia, constantly spewing out tendrils of crimson and pinkish-purple light.

The spreading filaments of light, like the aurora borealis, slowly undulated at a speed visible to the naked eye, bringing terrifying mental pressure that could drive an untrained human to madness.

This is not an exaggeration. Within the influence of the Eye of Fear, the probability of humans developing irreversible mental problems is hundreds or thousands of times higher than in other places, even for elite mortal armies.

Both Bastone and Lucas had irises that shimmered with purple light, a distinctive feature of the Cardians and a stable hereditary trait resulting from the influence of the Eye of Fear.

Even if the Cardiacs who wander far from home marry, their offspring will have purple eyes.

To the Cardians, purple eyes signify a curse rooted in their blood. Every Cardian is born corrupted by chaos and corrupted by the warp. They must fight to defend their homeland and to protect humanity.

Regardless of gender, age, health, or disability, this is a mission they must complete.

And now, from the great Primarch Rogue Dorn, they learned an incredibly exciting piece of news: the Empire is planning to attempt to shut down the Eye of Terror.

For the people of Cardia, hearing this news meant an indescribable ecstasy.

The people of the Cardia have had to fight for their world for generations, and countless brave sons and daughters of the Cardia have died on the battlefield against Chaos.

But almost no one ever imagined that one day they would be able to close the Eye of Fear.

The slogan of the people of Cardia has always been: Cardia stands tall, which is a fact they subconsciously recognize.

If this could be put to an end, Bastone had no doubt that the Cadia soldiers currently serving would be willing to sacrifice their lives to achieve this result.

They didn't understand any grand or ambitious plans; they only knew that once they had fought all the battles they needed to fight, their descendants could break free from their fate and do what they wanted.

Seeing Sergeant Lucas's excited and enthusiastic appearance, Bastone's heart was also filled with turmoil.

As the governor of Cardia, he had to worry not only about how to cooperate with Rogdorn's orders, but also about uniting the people of Cardia.

He told Lucas the news so that the sergeant could pass it on to boost morale.

"Besides emphasizing the importance of cooperating with Lord Dorne and those Mechanicus priests, I have another message to share with you."

Bastone's expression became more serious, even more reverent and solemn than when he mentioned Roger Dorn.

"The great Lord of Mankind, the Emperor who led us to independence and victory, has already set sail for Cardia aboard his flagship, the Imperial Dream."

"Besides the Lord of Mankind, there are also the Dark Angel Legion, the Space Wolf Legion, and the Steel Hand Legion. They will all come to Cardia. We must do a good job in supplying materials and cannot afford to be careless in the slightest."

Besides Sergeant Lucas, Bastone also summoned the other quartermasters in charge of managing supplies. The governor repeatedly gave them instructions, fearing that these men might make mistakes.

"Really? The Emperor is coming to Cadia too?"

The sergeant exclaimed in surprise, never imagining that the emperor he had only seen in propaganda images and state religious sermons would one day appear before them in his true form.

The emperor himself was present.

Right here in Cardia.

What an honor!

"When will they arrive? Even if we die on the battlefield right away, it will be worth it to see the Emperor with our own eyes!"

“Among my ancestors, only I have this honor. When I return to the Golden Throne, I can boast to them about my experience.”

Lucas exclaimed excitedly, but the governor only rolled his eyes at him, thinking that the kid was still not composed enough.

"I only received a notification from Terra. As for when the Emperor himself will arrive, that is naturally not a secret I can know."

"In short, all Cardiacs must be prepared to meet the Emperor's inspection with 100% spirit."

"We must show the Emperor the glory of the Cardians. We are the best of the Astral Army, and the most loyal of the Emperor's guards."

"After all, in this war against the Eye of Fear, we are the main force, not Katachon, not Valhalla, and not Taran."

Just as Bastone was encouraging his soldiers, the pen on his command table suddenly rolled.

A very faint tremor came from the ground beneath his feet, and Bastone's expression changed instantly, though he did not show any obvious emotional fluctuation.

Another man named Kashejin ran in from outside and quickly reported:

"Governor, our high-level technicians have received a communication signal. Caliban's Dark Angels have arrived in the Cardia system. They are demanding that we prepare supplies, especially reserving enough spaceports. Their fleet has arrived!"

The governor and the Kashejins stepped out of the room again, and through the gray sky, they saw a massive planet that had appeared at the edge of their vision.

Surrounding the enormous planet were countless shimmering spaceships, neatly arranged in formation, guarding the moving planet at its center, heading towards the planet Cardia.

Even the seasoned veteran Bastone was taken aback when he saw the so-called Dark Angels fleet.

"They arrived via the Space Bridge. The core area of ​​the Dark Angels is close to the Eye of Fear, so it's normal that they were the first to arrive."

“But, Your Majesty, can anyone tell me how much energy it would take to transport a planet over via the space bridge?” Bastone murmured.

……

"We have arrived in Cardia."

"The Caliban battle planet is operating normally. The Dimension Engine is being adjusted to avoid interfering with the normal gravitational distribution of the Caliban system."

"It seems we are the first Astartes legion to arrive here."

Luther stood in the core command room of the Caliban battle planet and spoke softly to Astran beside him.

This homeworld, which has been completely transformed and has now become a mobile fortress for the Dark Angels Legion, is equipped with dozens of highly destructive weapons, capable of easily annihilating an entire Imperial fleet even by itself.

After the original Caliban was destroyed, the reborn Caliban brought the First Legion even greater combat power and mobility. When carrying out missions, they could completely push their homeworld directly to the enemy.

Through the enormous observation window, Planet Cadia resembled a gray-blue gem set in black velvet, while the menacing eye in the sky, constantly emanating chaotic colors, added a touch of tragedy and desolation to it.

"The signal has been sent to the surface of Cadia, and the recipients are identified as Primarch Roger Dorn and Planetary Governor Bastone," the Tech Priest reported in flat binary language.

Soon, the holographic projection lit up, showing Roger Dorn's resolute, rock-like face, while the background on the other side showed the busy Castle Clough Command Center.

"Luther, Astland, Caliban's response has exceeded my expectations."

Rogdorn's voice was as direct and cold as ever, without the slightest hint of pleasantries.

“Kadia welcomes the First Legion. My brother Ryan should be on his way with the Emperor. The activation of the Blackrock Obelisk is in its final testing phase. We will complete all preparations before the Emperor arrives.”

"The activation of the Blackstone Obelisk may trigger a large-scale reality disturbance, and the warp energy will be extremely unstable. Make sure your fleet and battle planet shield systems are on high alert."

“Understood, Lord Dorn,” Luther replied calmly. “The Dark Angels are prepared for anything. We will stand ready until the Emperor himself arrives.”

The communication had barely ended when another rough and bold request forcibly cut into the encrypted channel. "You little bastards of Caliban, you're faster than Fenris's giant wolves!"

The hologram showed Riemann Russ's hairy face with a wild smile, and he seemed to be carrying a huge wine flask in his hand.

"But when it comes to dealing with the warp, we still need to rely on Fenris's ancient wisdom. We will definitely win in front of the Father and show everyone the power of the Space Wolves!"

Even through holographic communication, Luther could feel Ruth's overwhelming wildness and intense fighting spirit.

He smiled slightly, maintaining a necessary respect and a hint of helplessness towards the Wolf King, whose relationship with Ryan was complicated yet who always fought alongside him in crucial moments.

He treated him like his own child... and like his impulsive friend.

“Your Excellency Wolf King, Fenris’s wolf pack remains as swift as the wind, but the Dark Angels will not lag behind.”

"Moreover... we're not the only ones responding to the call this time."

The Tech Priest's alarm sounded beside Luther; they had detected a spacetime disturbance caused by the arrival of another legion.

On the other edge of the Cardia system, a massive fleet is slowly emerging from the Netway Gate.

Their style is completely different from that of the Dark Angels and Space Wolves. They are cold, hard, and angular, with their metal hulls covered in scars from past battles, making them look like a steel continent floating in the void.

They didn't make any grand entrance announcements; instead, a simple IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) code and a combat readiness report were transmitted to the shared tactical network.

The existence of 250,000 steel hands, enhanced by living metal cells and perfectly integrated with machinery, along with their massive fleet that had also undergone significant modifications, was itself a silent declaration.

The tranquility of the Cardia system was shattered by the arrival of three fully armed Astartes legions.

Governor Bastone of Cardia was constantly arranging for the airports that could be used for resupply. Even though Cardia was originally a fortified world with a large amount of war supplies stored, it was still difficult to operate.

Fortunately, these three legions had already gained mature experience in cooperating when they dealt with the ghoul orc empire, so there was no sense of unfamiliarity when they got along.

They quickly allocated orbital space for Cardia, completed the necessary resupply, and ensured that they were in optimal condition.

More than a million Astartes, along with billions of mortal auxiliary troops, crew members, and logistics personnel, gathered here, and countless radio waves traveled endlessly through space.

Thousands of main warships, along with even more frigates and cruisers, roamed the void. The sheer number of ships was so great that the light emitted from their engines coalesced into a dazzling sea of ​​stars, its brilliance even temporarily suppressing the eerie light cast by the Eye of Terror.

Looking up from the surface of Kadia, the sky was no longer the familiar sight of being corrupted by chaotic forces, but a breathtaking scene covered by endless steel behemoths.

Each warship is a mobile fortress, an engine of destruction; the faint glow from their energy shields merges together, like a giant protective umbrella for Cardia.

This scene brings not only a sense of security, but also an unparalleled sense of awe.

Witnessing this scene, Bastone even remarked from the bottom of his heart:
"The Empire's navy is so vast that it can blot out the sun, no matter how many suns are in the sky."

"I can't imagine what kind of enemy could conquer this steel nebula that represents the indomitable will of mankind."

Since the arrival of the three Astartes Legions in Cardia, Roger Dorn has had an almost inexhaustible surplus of troops.

This Primarch, who once withstood the immense pressure of fighting against overwhelming odds in the Sun Wars, now acted like a master artist, generously unleashing his forces and pouring them into the Eye of Terror defenses that Guilliman had once built.

Those interconnected fortress worlds welcomed the Dark Angels, Space Wolves, and Steel Hands. After consultation, the three legions each allocated some troops to take on the task of defending the front lines.

At the same time, Dorn also ordered the First Legion to send out some elite veterans to explore deeper into the Eye of Terror.

They were like eyes that had been scattered, probing the strongholds and fortresses of the Chaos Rebels hidden in their eyes of fear, and destroying them on the spot after they were found out, eradicating them completely.

This mission was as easy as eating and drinking for the First Legion. Luther even used the Extinction Order weapon on the Caliban battle planet to carry out devastating strikes on star systems that might be used by the enemy.

It is better to kill the wrong person than to let him go.

The reason why the Eye of Terror has always had an endless supply of rebels is not only because the environment there is indeed complex and directly contaminated by the warp, but also because the Empire has a limited number of troops that it can mobilize.

But now, with over a million Astartes, it's just a joke.

After Rogdorn and Lemanrus had thoroughly cleaned up the entire Eye of Terror region surrounding the Cardia system, ensuring there were no enemies causing trouble under their noses, the Lord of Man finally arrived in his loyal Cardia.

After mastering the Infinite Network, the Human Empire's mobility has far surpassed its former self.

The massive, mountain-like hull of the Emperor Dream emerged from the net channel, its surface shimmering like liquid gold. Wherever it went, the eerie whispers and corrupting aura brought by the Eye of Fear melted away like ice and snow.

This colossal ship, once built by the Emperor, may have fallen behind the Empire's top warships in terms of combat capabilities, but it still holds an irreplaceable special status in terms of symbolism.

In the past, it might have been called the Imperial Dream.

But now, it should perhaps be called the Light of Humanity.

The dream of human rejuvenation is no longer a fragile illusion, but a tangible and real fact.

The entire plan to repair the Eye of Fear is essentially a subversive transformation in which humanity seizes the initiative from chaos and shifts from a defensive to an offensive posture.

Humanity can now openly tell Chaos that from now on, it's a matter of attacking and defending against the Xenomorphs!
……

On the command deck of the Imperial Dream, Lothie stood before the observation window, gazing at the terrifying eye outside, obscured by the light emanating from the human fleet.

Being there in person is a completely different experience from observing it through psychic powers in Terra.

Here, he could personally feel the "existence" of that crack.

It is not merely an objectively existing entity, but also a concept that constantly radiates malice.

A cold, greedy hunger, seemingly filled with infinite malice, is emanating from the other end of the crack, like countless invisible mouths relentlessly gnawing at the structure of the real universe and sucking the energy of life.

It is chaos's eternal hatred of order, and nothingness's endless pollution of existence.

With the help of the complete Void Dragon's absolute perception of the rules of the real universe, and its own powerful psionic energy, Loshi's gaze pierced through that thin veil of reality.

Then, he truly saw the depths of the subspace, and the terrifying existence lurking behind the Eye of Terror.

He saw four vast and immeasurable concepts: Tzeentch, Khorne, Nurgle, and Slaanesh.

These four evil gods are the condensation of the extreme emotions of countless intelligent beings in the universe; they are divine beings born from the tides of the subspace.

Their power is beyond imagination; each possesses the immense strength to distort reality and annihilate the universe.

Although there are more than just these four divine beings in the vast and boundless subspace, their presence is definitely among the strongest.

Even in a newly born universe, as long as intelligent life in that universe develops emotions, and those emotions begin to develop in an extreme direction, the four Chaos Gods will inevitably sense each other's existence and begin to extend their tentacles to interfere.

The Warhammer universe was one of their chosen targets.

However, even in the corrupted history of the Four Gods, there are few existences like the Warhammer universe.

Most universes only need one massive invasion of corruption to completely collapse and never recover.

The Warhammer universe, though seemingly shattered and with even the Celestials, the embodiment of the universe's rules, almost entirely broken apart, is still struggling to survive in the darkness, delaying its moment of destruction.

Even under human intervention, the Four Gods' seemingly secured victory began to falter, developing in an unexpected direction.

Humanity has mastered the Infinite Network and used the God Emperor to create a local area network in the warp to protect human souls, completely turning the game around. As long as humanity doesn't make any foolish mistakes, the Four Gods can be said to have already lost the Great Game.

The four gods did not want to accept this outcome.

They are willing to fight again, to join hands once more, just as they did when they corrupted Horus and shattered the Web of the Way.

At this moment, through the eyes of fear, Loxi could clearly feel their gaze fixed upon this place.

The light emanating from the Emperor and the God-Emperor made them uncomfortable, and the power gathered by humanity made them feel threatened.

Loshi took a deep breath; even he felt a chill when facing the most profound aggregate of malice in the universe.

He mobilized the power of the Void Dragon and the authority of the Om Messiah to counteract the malicious prying from the Four Gods.

"This is the enemy we must face..." Rose murmured to herself, feeling no fear, but rather an even stronger resolve.

"Humanity must break free from the watchful eyes of the four gods, or destruction will still come in the future."

"Fortunately, I am not fighting alone now."

He turned around and looked at the emperor beside him, who radiated endless glory.

Their eyes met, and without a word, a tacit understanding that transcended ordinary comprehension flowed between the two supreme leaders of humanity.

“Then let’s begin, Neos,” Loshi said softly, as the eerie green Star God lightning spread across his body, and the power of the Void Dragon surged and roared within him.

Rosie closed her eyes, immersing herself entirely in the perception and control of the fundamental rules of the universe.

A complete Void Dragon is the embodiment of machinery, order, and technology, and the ultimate manifestation of the cold logic of the real universe.

At this moment, Roche no longer sees herself as an independent individual, but rather as a living, self-aware universal law.

In an instant, an incomparably powerful force, originating from Rosie, swept out like a supernova explosion, its target the terrifying eye that loomed across the universe.

(End of this chapter)