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

Chapter 940 The Battle of Cardia (Part 1)

Upon hearing the prophecy of Carlos's second head, Luo Jia frowned, and the scales and keratin on his face pressed together, outlining wrinkles as deep as mountains.

Carlos has two heads, one of which tells the truth and the other always lies. However, the two heads don't always tell the truth or lie, so no one knows which head is telling the truth and which is lying.

Upon hearing Carlos's "curse," Luo Jia was inexplicably startled, and a bad premonition began to surface.

"No, the four Chaos Gods have gathered their power and even made an alliance. The human empire has no chance of winning."

Luo Jia murmured to himself, forcibly erasing the feeling of panic.

“You are in fear, you great speaker.”

Slaanesh's chief demon, Sharah the Calamity, extended his long, snake-like tongue and swept it past Luo Jia.

Its voice is like a mixture of male and female voices, exuding an irresistible charm that corrodes the human mind like a deadly poison.

Luo Jia did not answer. In his view, these Chaos Demons were inferior to him in both strength and status, so there was no need for him to answer their questions.

Meanwhile, Typhons, who was standing next to Luo Jia, looked at Rain Father Rotigos with a complicated expression.

Because of the previous battle for the Heart of Plague and the burning of the Plague Garden, Korgath, Nurgle's most beloved, was also in a weakened state.

The fact that the loving father chose to entrust this task to Rain Father instead of Kugas sent a signal that made Typhons very uneasy.

Kugas was the youngest and most beloved of the Great Impure Ones, and the only one Typhons could be considered to have a good relationship with in the Plague Garden was Kugas. Now that it was Rotigus who had stepped forward, it was undoubtedly bad news.

"Typhons".

Rotigus spoke, his voice like spring rain soaking the earth, or the desperate cry of a soul tragically drowning in a filthy flood.

"When the Great Father of the Plague sent me here, he mentioned that if you can prove your worth in this war, He will consider forgiving and pardoning you."

“Praise the Father’s kindness. If it were me, I certainly wouldn’t give you another chance.”

"The arrival of you outsiders has brought too much misfortune to the Plague Garden. Perhaps the Father should never have accepted you humans."

"You are the root of all evil, disrupting the normal operation of the Triple Path and causing the compassionate father to suffer constant harm!"

Rain Father clearly still harbored immense resentment towards Typhon, a resentment that even shattered the unity and harmony that the Great Demons of Nurgle had been striving to maintain.

"I am not human!"

"I have long since been transformed into a benevolent father, the devilish prince!"

"Even before I ascended to demonhood, I was a descendant of the Barbarus alien. My mother was merely a human slave who provided nourishment!"

"How dare you insult me ​​like this, Rothigs!"

The smile that had been on Typhon's face suddenly turned cold, and he started screaming like a madman whose toe had been stepped on.

However, Rothigs simply ignored him. It would obey its father's orders, but its dislike for Typhon remained unchanged.

"Alright, quiet down, Typhons."

"You should know what to say and what not to say. Doing more and saying less is better than anything else."

Luo Jia felt somewhat embarrassed. Rotigus had only provoked him slightly, but Typhons had already broken down and was even rambling incoherently.

Typhons is indeed the offspring of a hybrid of a human and an alien from Barbarossa, which is why he was born with powerful psychic abilities.

However, this kind of thing cannot be exposed in public. You must know that even the Primarchs who have ascended to the Demonic Realm, and those Astartes who have fallen into Chaos, still have an instinctive hatred and disgust for the Xenomorphs at their core.

Typhons revealed this secret everywhere. How should the team be led now? How should the grudges in the hearts of the soldiers be resolved?

Typhons realized his mistake and immediately calmed down, his expression changing drastically as he remained silent.

"Looks like you've found yourself a not-so-bright teammate, Luo Jia."

"Instead of fighting alongside such an idiot, why not consider me?"

Just as the atmosphere was at a standstill due to Typhon's disruption, a voice, laced with sarcasm and an undercurrent of arrogance, rang out in Luo Jia's ear.

The Great Manifestation turned to look at the figure before him, which appeared to be an exceptionally tall and ferocious demon.

At first glance, most people would probably mistake it for a champion under the Blood God's command.

This great demon was covered in strong, bulging muscles, with a pair of ferocious horns that snaked upwards, and huge fleshy wings that swayed slightly behind it. Battle-damaged holes and scars were faintly visible.

However, its skin color is completely different from the brass and blood red of the Khorne demon, instead presenting a deep and gloomy gray-black color.

Even more striking is the fact that a huge chaotic eight-pointed star rune is engraved on the demon's chest, and a skull made of some kind of metal chain is casually suspended above its body, exuding a terrifying sense of oppression that makes people's hearts tremble.

It possesses the savage ferocity of the Khorne demon, the cunning and elusiveness of the Tzeentch demon, the resilience and vitality of the Nurgle demon, and the agility and speed of the Slaanesh demon, creating a strange yet harmonious blend of the bizarre.

Luo Jia's pupils contracted; he recognized the other person's identity.

This is the legendary first demon prince in the entire universe, and the first chosen one to be blessed by the four Chaos Gods simultaneously.

Horus was not the first of the four gods to be chosen; Bilak, the Lord of Shadows, was the first to create the world.

However, compared to Horus, Birac has more autonomy.

All four gods extended olive branches to Birak, and Birak, well-versed in the art of impartiality, accepted the favor of the four gods while also pledging allegiance to all the Chaos Gods.

Furthermore, under Bilarak's instigation, the four Chaos Gods vied to bestow more blessings, arguing and fighting over who was Bilarak's most recognized ruler.

However, the four Chaos Gods eventually saw through Birak's balancing act and the fact that it was uncontrollable. They withdrew their blessings and began to recruit demon princes who were loyal only to them.

Bilak has gone from being chosen by all four gods to not being chosen by them. Even its presence has been greatly weakened and diluted, and only a very few people know of its existence.

Luo Jia did not respond immediately to Bilarak's invitation.

His eyes, deep beneath his bony brows, were like two profound ancient wells, scrutinizing the legendary figure before him.

As a unique individual who has received the blessings of the four gods but was abandoned by them, even though the blessings have been taken back, the imprint left by those powers and its nature that transcends ordinary demons still make Birac exude a suffocating sense of power and oppression.

Luo Jia felt a great threat from the opponent, a threat he hadn't felt in a long time, even more so than the chief demon of the Four Gods.

This is an incredibly cunning, absolutely cruel being, even more troublesome than the chief demon of the Four Gods.

“Lord of Shadows,” Luo Jia’s voice was deep and steady, revealing no emotion, “I have heard of your name, but why are you here? As far as I know, you have long been outside the direct gaze of the gods.”

"This is the battlefield of the Four Gods. The Chaos Powers are about to wage a full-scale war against humanity. Stop their mad ambitions."

On Birac's ashen face, twisted muscles stretched into an expression that resembled a smile.

"Wandering? No, Great Man, I am just waiting, waiting for a grand enough stage for me to win back... everything that should have been mine."

Its massive body leaned slightly forward, exhaling a pungent, acrid smell of sulfur in front of Luo Jia.

"The gods need a victory, a glorious victory that will shatter humanity's delusions."

And I, Birac, can bring them victory, if only they would once again…favor me.”

Its tone was full of confidence, even with a sense of entitlement, as if it were the perfect spokesperson for the power of chaos.

"What arrogance," Luo Jia thought to himself.

However, Luo Jia keenly sensed a subtle, almost imperceptible, difference in the depths of its words.

What Birak wants is far more than simply regaining the favor of the gods.

The Shadow Lord's pride prevents him from having any second hope for the power of the Four Gods' Blessing, which could be taken back at any time. Nor will he lower his proud head and shamelessly return to the Four Gods to beg for mercy.

But Luo Jia didn't care.

After all, he is now a follower of the Dark Lord. His decision to stay instead of leaving with Abaddon is fundamentally a desire to give humanity a resounding slap in the face and prove himself before leaving.

Whatever Billak wants to get from the Four Gods, what does it have to do with him?
In the war against the human empire, any powerful force can be used as a weapon; whether the weapon itself is dangerous is a question to be considered only after victory.

“A grand enough stage…” Luo Jia murmured to himself, then turned his gaze to the chief demons of the evil gods who were arguing incessantly.

"This is an unprecedented war, and our lord is the god of war, so it is only right that I take command. I am the most suitable candidate."

Angrass dragged his chainsaw-like giant axe, making a terrifying sound like the grinding of saw teeth, expressing his attitude without any attempt to hide it.

With the gathering of the Four Divine Demon Armies, a problem arose before them.

That is, who should command and lead this endless army?

Faced with Angelus's domineering attitude, Sharasi the Demonic Calamity remained unmoved.

The chief demon of Slaanesh merely stroked the serrated whip in his hand, as if recalling some past events.

"You're the most suitable? Angela, you were once my defeated foe. What right do you have to swagger in front of us?"

When the Dark Prince created Sharasi the Demon, he devoted more energy and effort to it, defining it as a unique being that hunts down great demons.

Sharasi lived up to Slaanesh's expectations, hunting down more bloodthirsty demons than the other two major demons combined, and even Angrath did not escape its clutches.

Of all the bloodthirsty monsters under Khorne's command, only Skabrand, who had been banished, had never fought him, and of those who had fought him, only Angron had never been defeated by Shalasi.

Even among the Chaos Demons, the Ascended Primal is in a completely unique class, almost unmatched.

However, Angron had already secured a complete annihilation in the war between the Emperor and Khorne, which also meant that there was no one under Khorne's command who could reliably defeat Sha'raz.

Angela was instantly enraged and clamored to have a showdown with Sharasi.

"War command requires wisdom, not brute force."

“I am the best choice. You are far inferior to me in seeing the future. I can see the strategic layout of mankind and I can also see where their weaknesses are.”

"Carlos said, panting. He was the most haggard and weak-looking of the great demons present, which was closely related to his fall into the Well of Eternity," he said. "Yes, you can see the future and you can see the past, but you can't see what's in front of you."

"I can't even imagine how terrible it would be to let you lead us. A bald, blind bird who can only make judgments based on prophecies—just thinking about it gives me nightmares."

It was Rotigus, who had been mostly silent, who stepped forward to confront Carlos. Although Nurgle's Great Unclean One didn't seem very bright, his words were exceptionally sharp.

Carlos hates nothing more than having its appearance attacked, after all, it used to be a dashing and promising Demon Lord of a Thousand Faces.

However, Tzeentch wanted to know all the secrets of the Well of Eternity, but dared not jump into it himself, so he could only coax and trick one of his many shapeshifting demons into the bottom of the well.

Of the countless ever-changing demon lords, only Carlos was lucky enough to survive and climb out of the Well of Eternity.

However, when it gained the incredibly powerful ability to foresee the future and peek into the past, it became abnormally old, intermittently insane, blind, and even grew two heads.

As for the fact that most of its feathers have fallen off, making it look like a drowned rat pulled out of boiling water, it's nothing compared to the negative effects mentioned above.

But even the smallest scar is still a scar. When mocked by these old enemies, Carlos was so angry that he was practically fuming. He wanted nothing more than to electrocute Tigros with his magic staff.

"Don't forget the covenant made by the gods, Carlos," Tigros continued to mock. "I don't want to be some kind of demon army ruler. If you want to fight for it, fight for it yourselves."

These four Chaos Demons each represent the will of their respective gods. If any one of them were to command the entire army, the other three would never accept it.

The alliance between the four gods prevented them from fighting amongst themselves at this moment, but the mutual restraint and distrust between them made the united army like a pile of loose sand.

"Enough!" Luo Jia finally spoke up to stop their argument.

“Endless arguments will only delay our chances of winning. Since you cannot elect a commander who can win the hearts of the people, then I will take the place.”

The scene fell silent instantly, and the eyes of the four chief demons all focused on Luo Jia.

"I am Loka Aurelion, Lord of the Word Bearers, a believer of the Dark Lord." Loka's voice carried an unquestionable authority.

“I do not belong to any one of your gods; the true God I serve has not yet awakened.”

"That's why I can better balance your individual needs and formulate a strategy that best serves our common interests."

Don't forget, Abaddon is gone, and I am the only one who can unite your forces right now.

When Luo Jia mentioned Abaddon, a subtle sense of pleasure quietly arose in his heart.

The four gods once chose Abaddon to become the second Warmaster of Chaos, allowing this eldest son of Horus to inherit Horus's former position.

The reason why Luo Jia did not choose to compete for this position was that, firstly, he was the Primarch, while Abaddon was just an Astartes and Horus's eldest son. If he were to take action, it would be bullying the weak and he would lose face.

For these Primarchs, life is practically an infinite, boring number. Besides their own interests, the most important thing to them is their reputation.

On the other hand, it was because Abaddon's forces were also depleted of talent, with only a handful of capable men.

Angeltai, Fabius, Typhons, and Ahriman are all unruly troublemakers. Rather than wasting time dealing with these people, Luo Jia should spend his time studying the Primordial Truth and improving his own strength.

However, the situation has changed now. Without Abaddon, the most legitimate Chaos Warmaster, Luo Jia will no longer be accused of bullying the weak.

In addition, the current Chaos Army has already gathered four Chaos Gods and countless Chaos Demons, making it a destructive force capable of sweeping across the entire galaxy and even stirring up storms in the warp.

Wielding this power and savoring the feeling of ruling over all demons, even Luo Jia felt a surge of eagerness to try it out.

After Luo Jia expressed his opinion, the four chief demons reported the situation to their respective gods. Under the orders of the four gods, they finally reluctantly accepted the proposal.

"Our Lord is willing to trust you once, Loka Aurelion."

“You can command us, as long as we can conquer Cardia. Even if you send us to the battlefield as cannon fodder, we will accept it.”

Carlos's shrill voice rang out. They didn't actually want this outcome, but the four gods had given the order, and they had no choice but to obey.

The four gods spared no effort, not even defending their own divine realm when it was attacked by the Cursed Legion, and they were the so-called price to pay.

“Very good,” Luo Jia used his spiritual energy to condense a star map of Kadia. “Then, listen to my command.”

His finger pointed to the star map, to the Cardia, which was heavily protected by golden light and a steel fleet.

"We possess an endless army of chaotic demons. Faced with their sheer numbers and the immense power of chaos, any sophisticated tactics are utterly futile."

Our tactics are simple: we need to launch a strong attack!
"With overwhelming force, crush their defenses, destroy Cardia, and thwart humanity's ambitions and plans."

Luo Jia's voice rose, filled with inflammatory fervor.

The hostility in Angelus's eyes lessened slightly; it had no objection to Luo Jia's idea.

Even if it were in command, it would make the same choice: if the entire Chaos Demon Army were to be wagered, humanity would undoubtedly lose.

With the support of the warp storm created by the four gods, they can exert even greater power when fighting in the Eye of Terror than they can in the warp.

As one side gains at the expense of the other, humanity is forced to fight in unfavorable environments, which further widens the gap in military power between the two sides.

"I agree with your plan. I will make the blood of the humans on Kadia flow like rivers. I will use the heads and blood of the humans as sacrifices for the great bronze throne!"

Angras roared wildly, and so did the countless vampires and bloodthirsty monsters behind him, their blood boiling with excitement for the impending carnage.

“But we face a core problem,” Luo Jia added immediately, seeing that the Blood God’s demon army was already showing signs of fighting spirit, “who can stand against the Emperor?”

"Among humanity's high-end combat forces, Lothie, who wields the power of the Star God, must continuously strengthen the rules of the real universe. Meanwhile, Primarchs such as Lane Johnson, Leman Ruth, and Vulcan are not invincible. We can use a human wave tactic to wear them down and restrain them."

"The Emperor is the only problem that is difficult to solve. Even if he cannot go all out, his very existence is the most deadly threat to our army."

Even if we all joined forces, what are our chances of winning against him?

"Anglas, seeing how much you crave war and bloodshed, why don't you go and hold off the Emperor?"

The bloodthirsty maniac instantly calmed down, even lowering the chainsaw axe he had raised, and his shouts of "Blood sacrifice to the Blood God, skull offering to the skull seat" immediately ceased.

Angrath knew all too well what it meant to confront the Emperor directly; he was an enemy it could never face. If it did, the result would not only be destruction, but could be utter, existential annihilation.

Even though the current Emperor is not in its complete form, the God Emperor in the subspace has been blocked by the four gods working together, so the Emperor cannot borrow power from the God Emperor.

“Shalasi is stronger than me; it is more suited to challenge the cursed.”

"In order to achieve the goals of the Four Gods, I am willing to give up the opportunity to challenge the Cursed."

From Angela's large mouth, full of sharp teeth, came out a few words of humility and modesty.

Even Luo Jia didn't expect this guy to say that.

It turns out that Khorne's great demon also has a brain; when faced with an enemy of vastly superior strength, it will act according to its will.

"You're talking nonsense! You spineless coward, you've betrayed the Blood God!"

Sharasi the Demon also cursed loudly, expressing utter contempt for Angras's cowardice.

"Even the four of us would be no different from the Cursed. The great Four Gods are already at their limit in maintaining the warp storm and preventing the Eye of Terror from being compressed. It is impossible for them to personally appear in the Eye of Terror and fight the Cursed."

"The Weaver of Fate, Carlos, said slowly."

"My suggestion is to let Luo Jia face the cursed ones directly. Now that you have become the commander of this war, you should naturally take on your responsibilities."

Rotigus saw through Carlos's intentions. There was no way Luo Jia would agree to his proposal. This guy was just trying to annoy Luo Jia with his sarcastic remarks.

"I can."

Just as Luo Jia was pondering how to retaliate, Bilake, who had remained silent all along, suddenly took a step forward.

Its gray-black body seemed to absorb all the light around it, and the chaotic eight-pointed star on its chest emitted an ominous pulse.

“If I can reclaim the blessings of the gods,” Bilarak’s voice boomed like thunder, “I can serve as an anchor, a medium capable of temporarily bearing more of the power of chaos in the real universe.”

"I will become the sword and shield of the gods in the real universe, against the cursed!"

“I know Horus, who was blessed by the four gods, once severely injured that lord of mankind. What he could do, I can do too.”

Bilak's powerful declaration moved all the Great Demons, including Luo Jia.

Bearing the blessings of the four gods, especially after being "abandoned" once, means unimaginable risks. If one's will falters even slightly, it will completely collapse and turn into chaotic energy dust.

However, if he successfully receives the blessing of the four gods, Birak will gain terrifying power for a short period of time, making him the best candidate to fight against the Emperor.

Carlos's two heads stared intently at Bilak, the Weaver of Fate trying to uncover the true reason behind Bilak's idea.

Since Birac dared to do this, he must have something to rely on.

But what was that reliance? Carlos couldn't see it.

Luo Jia stared at Bilake and saw the burning, mad ambition and the extreme thirst for power in the other's eyes.

Bilarak was not a selfless sacrifice; he was taking a huge gamble.

Perhaps it is betting that it can not only regain the favor of the Four Gods with this achievement, but even surpass its former status.
"Are you sure you can handle it?" Luo Jia asked slowly.

Birac let out a sickening laugh: "I was the first chosen one of the Four Gods, the first demon prince!"
This glory and power are etched into my very being. The Lord of Humanity may be powerful, but how long can he withstand the combined power of four true gods?

Luo Jia fell silent.

He needed this sword, a sword sharp enough to rival an emperor.

As for who this sword will ultimately harm, that's another story.

“Then…” Luo Jia took a deep breath and made a decision, “Let’s do it this way.”

“Bilak, you will be our trump card in the fight against the Emperor.”

We will simultaneously assault the four strongest points of the Cardia defenses, letting human blood stain the stars, and their despair become the best sacrifice to the dark gods!

(End of this chapter)