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

Chapter 936 The Shrinking Eye of Fear

Wherever this force passes, the fundamental parameters of the real universe are recalibrated, physical constants become more stable, and the spacetime structure becomes more robust.

The veil of reality, which had been continuously eroded by the subspace and become riddled with holes, began to thicken and heal at a visible rate.

These invisible changes may be difficult to perceive with the naked eye, but within the vast star field covered by the Eye of Fear, the changes that can be directly seen are countless.

In a demon world shrouded in a deadly plague, the foul-smelling fog that used to perpetually permeate the air, capable of melting metal, began to dissipate, and even the corrupted star in the sky, radiating an ominous green light, gradually returned to its normal yellow.

The Nurgle demons and Chaos followers that roamed the earth were horrified to discover that the plague wellspring upon which they depended for survival was rapidly drying up, and their bloated bodies, once filled with the blessings of the Father, were beginning to grow heavy and sluggish.

As the spiritual energy dissipated, the severely decaying body could no longer sustain life, and countless shrill wails and screams rang out one after another as people died tragically in extreme pain and fear.

Even the polluted planet itself seems to be groaning in pain, as the forcibly distorted landscape and physical laws are being forcibly corrected by an irresistible force.

In another demon world ruled by the followers of the Blood God, the Khorne berserkers, who were enjoying the thrill of slaughter in the arena, suddenly felt a strange sense of weakness.

Their rage remained, but the boundless energy from the warp that sustained it was dissipating.

They were soon horrified to discover that killing enemies was no longer as easy and enjoyable as before; the sounds of weapons clashing were much duller, as if the rules of the world no longer encouraged endless violence and bloodshed.

Countless similar scenes unfolded in the various worlds within the Eye of Terror, and the enhancement of the veil brought devastating effects to these worlds built upon the foundations of warp power.

The power of the warp was drastically suppressed, and the demons and various supernatural phenomena that depended on the warp quickly subsided.

Low-level demons were reduced to ashes in droves and forcibly banished back to the warp.

The powerful demon lords also felt a deadly threat. They roared and were forced to abandon their strongholds, which they had cultivated for thousands of years, and retreated in disarray to the core area deeper within the Eye of Terror.

It's like a massive receding tide; as the seawater goes out, all sorts of marine life that depend on it for survival are forced to go with it.

The Eye of Fear, which had been torn open again with the birth of the Prince of Pleasure, finally began to slowly but steadily collapse inward.

On the surface of Kadia, countless soldiers and civilians watched in shock as the terrifying eye in the sky, resembling a festering wound, began to blur at its edges.

The sinister filaments of light that kept wriggling and protruding gradually contracted and broke as if they were being burned.

"Look! Look!" A Kashejin soldier pointed to the sky, his voice trembling with excitement.

"The rift... the rift is healing! By the Emperor, He is truly closing the gates of hell!"

Although the Eye of Fear had only shrunk slightly, the cheers from the humans on Cardia rose and fell, growing ever louder.

They didn't know who was closing the Eye of Fear, and could only guess that it must be another display of the power of the Lord of Humanity.

Planetary Governor Bastone stood outside the command room, looking up at this scene that could only be described as a miracle.

This tough guy, who had been through the baptism of war and was known for his bloodshed but not for tears, couldn't help but have some tears in his eyes at this moment.

“My ancestors longed for the Eye of Fear to disappear, but they died in battle without seeing that day come.”

"How fortunate I am! The sacrifices and perseverance of generations of Cardiacs have finally brought me to see the dawn of an end."

However, as the laws of physics continued to expand, Roche's brow began to furrow slightly.

He could sense that the initial effect was indeed very significant; the Eye of Fear had shrunk by nearly one-fifth.

However, as the repairs progressed and they approached the region where the Eye of Fear connected to the subspace, the resistance they encountered began to increase exponentially.

The core area of ​​the Eye of Fear, the root connecting to the warp, is exceptionally resilient. It is the channel through which chaotic forces are directly injected into the real universe. Relying solely on the power of the Void Dragon is like trying to stop a tsunami with a dam—it's a one-man show.

Rosie wasn't too surprised by this; he had been mentally prepared for it beforehand.

After all, the Void Dragon is only one of the Star Gods. Even if it becomes whole again, the rules it repairs will only account for one of the rules of the real universe.

Being able to shrink the Eye of Terror by one-fifth is already a testament to the Void Dragon's immense power.

"Nios, relying solely on strengthening the rules of the real universe is not enough to eradicate this problem; we need more direct intervention!"

Roche communicated with the Emperor through telepathy.

The emperor's gaze then fell upon the towering black stone spires on the surface of Cadia.

"It's time, Dorn!"

"You and that astrologer together will activate all the black obelisks on Cadia."

The Lord of Mankind's command was instantly issued to Roger Dorn, who was coordinating the defenses on the surface of Cardia.

Without the slightest hesitation, the most loyal Primarch turned to Orikan, who had just arrived in Cardia and was inspecting the humans' work.

"Lord Orikan, activate the Blackstone Obelisk Matrix!"

Orikan nodded; he had already reviewed the modifications made by the human technicians to the black obelisk left behind by the Necromancers on the Cardia.

It must be said that humanity has indeed mastered Blackstone technology to a very high degree, and even he could not find any major flaws.

The astrologer extended his metal hand and pressed it onto a pre-prepared control interface, thus activating the Black Obelisk on the Cardia.

Om-!
On the planet Kadia, more than eight thousand black stone obelisks simultaneously emitted a deep hum.

Humans not only maintained the 5,810 black stone spires on the planet's surface, but also rebuilt the undead creations in space that had collapsed or sunk due to various natural disasters.

Now, these ancient undead creations, which have been dormant for tens of millions of years, are displaying their immense power at the same time.

A powerful anti-psychic field was instantly activated, and more than 8,000 black stone obelisks continuously amplified this field, connecting it into a huge network that covered the entire planet.

Within this anti-psychic network, each Blackstone obelisk is no longer an isolated entity, but rather a part of a whole, having squeezed out the last bit of Blackstone's potential.

This anti-spiritual energy acted like a colossal anchor of reality, forcibly pinning down the spacetime surrounding Kadia and radiating a powerful suppressive effect outwards.

Immediate results!

The Eye of Fear, which had already shrunk by more than one-fifth under the power of the Void Dragon, was now being gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand and began to shrink rapidly again.

More demon worlds were "spit" back into the real universe, and countless demons who couldn't escape were crushed by the laws of reality and turned to ashes.

The range of the Eye of Fear has been compressed by about one-fifth again, and its appearance in the visible universe has become even dimmer and blurrier.

However, at the same time, the powerful anti-spirit field also brought serious side effects.

On Cadia, all beings with souls felt an intense sense of unease washing over them.

The first to notice the discomfort were the ordinary people. Although everyone on the planet was a soldier, there were always people on the planet who were unable to perform their duties due to physical disabilities or various diseases. They could only take on some logistical work on the planet.

Compared to the elite soldiers of Kadia, their will and bodies were much weaker, and under the influence of the anti-spiritual energy field, they quickly felt dizzy and weak in their limbs, as if they had contracted a serious illness.

Some people with weak constitutions even started vomiting, fainting, and some even had blood seeping from their mouths and noses, with their vital signs dropping sharply.

The Qadia soldiers, who have undergone rigorous training and honed their will and physique, are in a better position.

They felt unusually exhausted, as if they had expended too much energy in a brutal war that had lasted for years, and their spirits were low.

Even more serious were the human psionicists, who collapsed to the ground in agony, clutching their heads, their souls feeling as if they were being ripped out.

The indiscriminate suppression of the Black Stone Obelisk is also a form of torture for humans whose souls have a natural, weak connection to the warp.

"Hold on! Brothers! Hold on!" The officers shouted, trying to boost morale despite their discomfort.

The Cartiers skillfully transported the wounded and spontaneously began counting the casualties—an instinct honed in war to provide their superiors with the clearest basis for judgment.

"What's the current situation? How many of the Cardians are still in good fighting condition?"

Governor Bastone quickly flipped through the data scrolling across the data board while asking his sergeant Lucas a question.

"To date, 36,753 civilians have been transported to the logistics hospital due to illness, of whom 677 have been declared dead due to their severe condition."

"As for our Qadia soldiers, there have been no deaths so far. We are still able to hold our ground and are ready for war at any time."

The sergeant's voice was firm and resonant, and the governor finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He felt a deep sense of regret for the Cardians who did not die on the battlefield but instead perished during periods of war preparedness.

Every Cardian, including himself, can die, but they must die a worthy death.

"The royal guards from Terra sent specialists to provide us with medical assistance."

"In addition, each Astartes Legion has also sent its pharmacists and doctors; otherwise, with the situation so sudden, we might not have been able to perfectly control the situation," the sergeant continued.

“We Cardians are not fighting alone; the entire Empire is our support,” Bastone said.

Just as the two were talking, a woman dressed in a simple white robe and holding a scepter appeared in the command hall.

Beside her followed several bishops of the state church, who escorted the woman before the chief governor of Cadia. Upon seeing the face of the newcomer, even Bastone's expression changed, and he immediately gave the man a standard Eagle salute.

"Your Holiness, you've also come to Cadia?"

The person standing before Bastone was none other than Euphrates Kira, the Pope of the State Church and the faith leader of countless mortals throughout the human empire.

"What? You can all come to Cardia, so why can't I?" Qi Le asked with a smile.

"This is a crucial moment for humanity's counterattack. We are about to eliminate the threat posed by the Eye of Fear. At this critical juncture, the State Religion must play its role."

Seeing the seemingly confused look on the planetary governor's face, Qi Le didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.

"I know that with the full activation of the Blackstone Obelisk, the humans on Kadia have experienced varying degrees of discomfort, which is normal."

“To combat this discomfort, all of you must strengthen your prayers and faith in the God-Emperor.”

Upon hearing Qi Le's words, Busterne immediately became somewhat anxious.

"Your Holiness, are you questioning the loyalty of us Cardians to the Emperor?"

"I assure you with everything I have that every Cardian is a loyal follower of the Emperor. We are willing to shed our last drop of blood for the continuation of humanity, and so will our descendants."

Qi Le didn't rush to answer; she looked at the elderly male bishop beside her.

“I am Sebastian Saul, and perhaps I can answer your question.”

This male bishop was none other than Bishop Thor, who helped Qile break through the warp storm and make a pilgrimage to Terra during the Black King's Rebellion and the internal strife of the State Church.

Although his official title is only that of a bishop, there is now almost a consensus within the Church that this Saul will inevitably succeed Qile as the next pope of the Church.

"We came to you not because we doubted the loyalty of the Cardiacs."

"No one can question your sacrifices and dedication; this is the greatest slander against the followers of the God-Emperor."

"What we want to say is that you should strengthen the education on the faith and norms of the God-Emperor in the military."

“Your faith system is too crude and inefficient. If you follow our guidance and pray to the God-Emperor through specific rituals and sacred objects, you can achieve twice the result with half the effort.”

"Trust me, do as we say, and the humans on Cadia will have greater resistance to the Blackstone Obelisk."

"The reason they are in this situation is simply because their soul strength cannot withstand the pressure under the influence of the Black Stone's anti-spirit field. However, as long as their faith power is strengthened, this pressure can be offset."

After hearing this, Bastone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Cardias have always been a fortified military world, where everything is geared towards military purposes, and they have historically lacked sufficient understanding of the realm of religious belief.

Compared to the standardized belief system of the God-Emperor mentioned by Qile and Thor, the Cardians preferred to spend their time on training and maintaining weapons.

In their view, such loyalty in action was undoubtedly a better proof of their loyalty to the emperor and the empire than loyalty in words.

But now it seems that this verbal loyalty can achieve unexpected results.

Bishop Saul's voice was steady and penetrating as he unrolled an ancient parchment, on which intricate prayer formations and holy symbols were drawn in gold ink.

"All humans on Cadia need to relearn how to more effectively express our loyalty and prayers to the God-King."

This is not to deny your past piety, but to guide and gather it into a greater force.

He patiently explained, “First, you can adopt a system of timed collective prayer. We will conduct prayers simultaneously at three key times: sunrise, noon, and sunset in Cardia Standard Time, through a planetary broadcasting system.”

"When the will of all the people of Kadia is focused on the same goal at the same moment, the resulting resonance will far exceed the simple sum of individual prayers."

“Secondly, there is the use of sacred objects and symbols.” Thor pointed to the box held by the accompanying priest, which contained a large number of small and exquisite golden statues of the divine emperor, amulets imprinted with the eagle emblem and sacred texts, and miniature versions of the Book of Words.

"We will distribute these sacred objects to every soldier and civilian so that they can carry them with them or place them where they live or work."

These items, through specific consecration rituals, can themselves become a subtle node of faith, continuously and steadily radiating a calming and protective power, and helping the wearer to better focus their beliefs.

"Finally, there is the standardized process of prayer."

“From the specific trajectory of the Falconry ritual to the breathing rhythm and tone of voice when reciting prayers, everything has its symbolic meaning.”

These rituals are not empty formalism, but rigorously verified to be the most effective way to mobilize the power of faith, making them a means for the divine emperor to easily receive and respond to.

Governor Bastone listened, his brow furrowing and relaxing at times.

He suddenly clapped his hands, as if in a flash of realization, and said, "I understand, Your Excellency Saul. What you're saying sounds like... like on the battlefield, when our communication signals in a certain area become weak due to interference, we deploy more signal boosters and relay stations, and have all units use a unified encrypted channel and calling protocol!"

"In this way, scattered noise is filtered out, effective signals are amplified and synchronized, and the command post's instructions can be clearly transmitted to every soldier's ears!"

Pope Ciro Ursula smiled approvingly upon hearing this.

"A very apt metaphor, Your Excellency. You can interpret it this way."

Faith, in a sense, is also a form of information transmission.

Individual prayers are like faint signals, easily drowned out by the noise of the warp and the interference of the black rocks.

The standardized rituals, collective synchronization, and the assistance of sacred objects are like establishing a powerful signal tower, using a high-gain antenna, and a unified communication protocol. This allows our prayers to be transmitted more clearly to the Divine Sovereign, and the Divine Sovereign's blessings to reach us more smoothly, forming protection.

This analogy, made using military communication technology, instantly made the logic perfectly clear to Bastone and all the Cadia officers around him.

For these soldiers who are accustomed to thinking in terms of data and efficiency, this explanation of "professionalizing" and "systematizing" their beliefs is far more persuasive than any mystical preaching.

“I see! I understand now.” Bastone’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Lucas, immediately issue the order: all military units, logistics departments, and civilian settlements throughout Cardia, immediately implement the procedures provided by His Holiness the Pope and Bishop Sol!”

The command was executed quickly and efficiently.

The tens of thousands of priests and pastors brought by the state religion seeped into every corner of Cardia society like a gentle stream.

They instructed the soldiers on how to set up temporary prayer altars on the battlefield, taught the people the correct prayer gestures and incantations, and distributed sacred objects to everyone.

The effect is almost immediate.

At noon on the next Cardia Standard time, solemn hymns resounded across the global broadcasting system.

Hundreds of millions of people in Qadia, whether they were soldiers on duty, wounded in hospital beds, or busy logistics personnel, all stopped what they were doing, faced the nearest statue of the God-King, made the standard Eagle salute, and recited the same prayer in unison.

Initially, many people simply felt a sense of spiritual cohesion.

But soon, a faint yet palpable warmth began to emerge in many people's hearts, as if their souls were being comforted and supported.

Within the medical ward of Castle Clough Fortress, critically ill patients who had been on the verge of death and bleeding from their mouths and noses due to the influence of the Blackrock Force Field began to miraculously stabilize on their vital signs monitors. Their painful groans gradually subsided, replaced by a peaceful and serene drowsiness.

On the front lines, the soldiers felt a significant reduction in the exhausting weakness and dizziness. Although their strength had not been fully restored, their minds were clearer and their hands and feet no longer felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

Even the psychics who were suffering greatly felt the tearing sensation that was about to rip their souls apart being countered by a gentle yet firm force, and their minds became more stable and clear.

"Reporting to you, sir, according to the data we have received, the number of reports of discomfort symptoms caused by the Black Stone Field in the entire Cardia has decreased by 70%, the number of severe cases has stopped increasing, and more than half of them have turned into mild cases!"

Sergeant Lucas excitedly rushed to Bastone with the latest data panel to report. He looked tired, but his eyes were much brighter than before.

Bastone turned to face Pope Cielo and Bishop Sol and solemnly performed the Eagle Salute.

Since the Blackrock Obelisk was activated, affecting a large number of Kadians, these two high-ranking figures of the State Church have been stationed here, guiding them in their self-salvation efforts.

As a Cardinal, Bastone felt genuine gratitude towards them, not out of awe of their status or position.

"Thank you, Your Holiness, Bishop Thor. You have brought the knowledge and methods that have saved countless lives of the Cardians. The Cardians will surely stand with the Empire and with the God-Emperor!"

Qi Le responded gently.

"It is the glory of the God-Emperor that protects His loyal people. The resilience and sacrifice of the Cadia people are all seen by Him. The God-Emperor will not overlook even the smallest sacrifice."

Now, let's persevere until victory arrives.

……

However, humanity's efforts to repair the Eye of Fear are progressing smoothly, but how could the Chaos Gods sit idly by and watch their bridgehead be uprooted?
Just a month after Lothie used the nature of the Void Dragons and the Black Stone Obelisk on Kadia to gradually curb the range of the Eye of Terror, the counterattack from the warp finally arrived.

The Eye of Fear, which had shrunk to about half its original size, erupted in a terrifying subspace storm in a very short time, a storm that was indescribable and brought together the four extreme emotional powers.

This subspace storm is completely different from any other one before.

It combined the power of four Chaos Gods—Tzeentch, Khorne, Nurgle, and Slaanesh—four forces that were originally in conflict and even devoured each other, and were now united once again.

The Eye of Fear, which had been shrinking continuously, stopped abruptly after the arrival of the warp storm. Like a wild beast injected with an overdose of stimulants, its heart began to pound wildly!

Subsequently, the Eye of Fear, which had been suppressed to the extreme, not only stopped shrinking, but began to expand in the opposite direction at an even more ferocious speed!

(End of this chapter)