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

Chapter 948 The Backstabber Dies from a Backstab

"Ugh—!"

As the Spear of Dionysus pierced the chest of the Demon Primarch, Loka let out a heart-wrenching scream.

The Dionysian Spear was even sharper than powered weapons; it easily tore through Loka's demon armor and pierced the Primarch's skin, muscles, and bones.

At this moment, Luo Jia finally woke up from her blind confidence and arrogance.

It turns out that he really is no match for Lemanrus. His Ascended Primarch may seem impressive, but as soon as he comes into contact with the real Unleashed Primarch, his inner weakness is immediately exposed.

In his battle with the Wolf King, Luo Jia gained a deeper understanding of the gap between the two sides.

Lemanrus's power comes from his own essence; he has complete control over it and can use it at will.

The power that Luo Jia gained from researching the primordial truth was more like a gift from the subspace. Once a certain limit was reached, the subspace refused to grant Luo Jia any more power.

It's like two countries at war: one can be self-reliant and manufacture its own weapons, while the other has to pay a third party to buy them.

Only now did Luo Jia truly realize what he had lost after being forced to ascend to demonhood.

He lost some of the essential qualities he was born with as a Primarch, a foreshadowing left by the Emperor when he created these demigods, yet he instead became complacent about the false rewards bestowed upon him by the Warp.

Luo Jia screamed in increasing pain, and this pain did not come solely from the body, but more so from the soul.

The Spear of Dionysus, a divine weapon forged by the emperor himself, possesses power far beyond simply physically killing enemies; that is merely a minor, secondary function.

The moment it pierced Luo Jia's body, a warm and pure energy, yet carrying a merciless will of judgment, surged into his soul, which had long been deeply corrupted by chaos, like a flood bursting its banks.

Under the impact of this force, the part of the soul that Luo Jia himself had buried, wrapped in layers of fanatical faith and dark knowledge, gradually revived.

This part of the soul contains the faint conscience of being born human, as well as the pure goodwill that was once held for brothers, emperors, and humanity itself.

When the Great Manifesto was first born, he did not have the extreme ideas he has now. It was his experience on Colchis that shaped his character and ideas.

Long-forgotten scenes flashed uncontrollably through his mind:
The joy of sharing drinks and laughter when occasionally encountering Primarch brothers during the Great Crusade;

The unspeakable shock and hidden pain in my heart when the perfect city was destroyed;
After driving Horus to his downfall, there was a hint of bewilderment and panic hidden deep beneath the fanaticism, a fear that even he himself was unwilling to acknowledge.

And, the faint but indelible guilt he felt for the countless people who died because of him…

"No...that's not the case..."

Luo Jia's voice became weak and disordered, and the tyranny and madness in his eyes seemed to recede like the tide, temporarily dissipating, replaced by an extremely rare kind of confusion and pain that had disappeared hundreds of years ago.

“I…I just…wanted to seek the truth…I never expected…this would happen…”

He looked at Ruth, a hint of pleading in his eyes.

“Ruth…brother…I…”

"Shut up!"

Lemanrus's roar interrupted him; the wolf king's eyes held no pity, only the icy coldness and resolve of Fenris's wind.

"Leave your repentance to the billions of souls who have been killed by you and your 'truth.' I am not the God-Emperor; I have no interest in your dying words!"

Horus...

As Lemanrus looked at Luo Jia before him, the name of that person came to mind.

The tragic final moments aboard the Soul of Vengeance flashed through his mind; it was a moment of reluctance and hesitation that led to the irreversible consequences.

He will never make the same mistake twice!
"Pay the price for all your crimes, Loka Aurelion!"

Rus suddenly exerted force with both arms, and the Spear of Dionysus burst forth with an even more dazzling light, about to completely shatter Luo Jia's two decaying hearts and annihilate his soul as well.

However, at this critical moment——

The sky over the entire demon world suddenly darkened.

A darkness far more ancient, deeper, and more desperate than the power released by Luojia permeated every inch of the planet like viscous ink.

A figure, whose terror and majesty defy description, appeared silently behind the dying Luo Jia.

Its mere presence alone instilled in Lemanrus an unprecedented chill and sense of oppression emanating from the depths of his soul.

Bilak, the Lord of Shadows, has answered the call.

A giant hand covered in ancient armor casually grasped the shaft of the Spear of Dionysus, its power, enough to slay a demonic Primarch, was easily blocked, unable to advance even an inch further.

The chaotic eight-pointed star symbol on Birac's chest was no longer as dim as before; instead, it shone with a dazzling chaotic light, and terrifying power surged within its body, causing Lemanrus's instincts to constantly issue warnings.

“Loka Aurelion,” a cold, hollow voice, as if from the very end of all things, echoed in Ruth’s ears, “belong to me.”

The next moment, Bilac's other large hand grabbed the dying Luo Jia and pulled him backward violently. Rus felt an irresistible force coming from him, and Luo Jia was pulled off the Spear of Dionysus.

Once the Spear of Dionysus leaves the body, its ability to evoke ancient memories and awaken dormant conscience begins to dissipate.

The Great Manifesto, who had been feeling extremely conflicted and tormented, calmed down again, his nature once more prevailing, and looked at Lemanrus with intense hatred.

He was so close, so very close, to dying.

If one is killed by the Dionysian Spear, even if he is the demon prince of the High Heavens, he will not have a chance to be resurrected. He will truly vanish into nothingness.

Fear, resentment, shame, and anger mixed together, solidifying into utter hatred.

Luo Jia now desperately wants to kill Lemanrus and erase this only genetic prototype who knows his ugly nature from the world.

In this way, no one knows the nonsense he uttered after being pierced by the Spear of Dionysus, and no one knows the cowardly attitude he displayed in the face of death.

The wound on Luo Jia's chest, left by the spear of Dionysus, had not yet healed, but it did not continue to worsen. The Great Sage continuously cast multiple healing spells on himself, which barely managed to control the injury.

"Is this the helper you found?"

"Luojia, you're still the same old you. As soon as things go wrong, you immediately want to back down and find someone to help you solve the problem."

"Your weakness makes you believe in others, not yourself."

“Big, dark-skinned man, I originally thought that Khorne’s great demon was ugly enough, but I didn’t expect you to be even uglier. The only one who can rival you in ugliness is the great unclean one, Nurgle.”

"Judging from your appearance, you weren't born from the crossbreeding of Khorne and Slaanesh, were you?"

Lemanrus's most lethal weapon is not his Dionysian spear, but his mouth, honed on Fenris, which can endlessly spew out savage, crude, and trashy words.

With his sharp tongue, the wolf king often managed to incite his powerful enemies to anger and throw them into disarray during battles.

He was ruthless in his words, but his beastly instincts were screaming warnings: the being shrouded in shadow and chaotic light was extremely dangerous, and the oppressive aura it exuded could rival that of Horus, who was blessed by the four gods.

Horus, blessed by the four gods, was the strongest enemy Lemanrus had ever encountered. His power even surpassed the limits of comprehension, reaching another dimension.

But how could such an exaggeratedly powerful enemy just appear out of nowhere?
Lemanrus was filled with countless questions. Not everyone was qualified to receive the blessings of the Four Gods, and even the Primarchs might not be able to do so.

Even a Primarch as powerful as Horus, in the later stages of the war, began to be unable to withstand the power of the Four Gods' blessing, becoming increasingly deluded and arrogant, his mind clouded by the power.

At this moment, the Chaos Eight-Pointed Star on Birak's chest was no longer dim, but rather, like a ignited furnace, it shone with the crimson of Khorne, the dark blue of Tzeentch, the filthy green of Nurgle, and the alluring purple of Slaanesh.

Four completely different chaotic divine powers, which should have been in conflict with each other, achieved a terrifying balance and fusion within his body in an incredible way.

Lemanrus could sense that even if he unleashed his true nature and faced the opponent with the Spear of Dionysus, his chances of winning were extremely slim.

But his mission was not yet complete—Luojia must die!

Only if this brain that maintains the unified command of the Chaos Demon Army is destroyed can the situation on the front lines be reversed.

Meanwhile, Luo Jia, clutching his chest, urged fiercely, "Bilak! What are you waiting for? Kill him! I swear in the name of the Dark Lord, his flesh and blood, his soul, and even his abominable warp nature, shall belong to you! I only want him dead!"

“In the process of fighting me, Lemanrus also exhausted a lot of his strength, and he is now at his weakest point.”

In order to eliminate Lemanrus, Luo Jia made a huge promise. He thought that such a generous reward would be enough to sway any demon, even the Lord of Shadows.

The entirety of a Primarch is something that even the Chaos Gods would covet.

Upon hearing this, Lemanrus's pupils contracted slightly, and alarm bells rang in his mind.

He realized he had underestimated the shamelessness of the Word Bearers; these guys could bring "outsiders" into the conflicts between Primarchs without any qualms.

The Wolf King took a deep breath, and Fenris's frigid storm began to gather around him once more. The light on the Spear of Dionysus also blazed brightly again. He prepared for what might be the most arduous battle since his confrontation with Horus.

Their fighting spirit was rising, their battle intent was solidifying; Lemanrus had never even shown this level of performance when facing Luojia.

However, what happened next was beyond everyone's expectations.

Birac's head, shrouded in shadow and bearing a trident-shaped horn, seemed to turn slightly toward Luo Jia, who was urging him on.

The Lord of Shadows was pondering something.

The light from the chaotic eight-pointed star on its chest flickered, as if carrying a hint of mockery.

The next second, without warning, the giant shadow hand that had just easily grasped the Spear of Dionysus and rescued Luo Jia suddenly swung backward at a speed beyond the limits of visual perception, its five fingers like hooks, viciously digging towards Luo Jia's back, who was right in front of it.

"Pfft——!"

The dull thud of sharp claws tearing through flesh and bone was so clear it sent chills down one's spine.

The anxiety and resentment on Luo Jia's face froze instantly, replaced by an incomprehensible astonishment.

He looked down and saw Birac's arm, wreathed in four-colored chaotic energy, pierce through his own chest, clutching a shattered heart that was beating weakly. No, not just the heart; he felt his entire spine, along with something more essential, being brutally torn apart and plundered by this attack.

"you……?!"

A hissing sound escaped Luo Jia's throat. He wanted to question, to roar, but his life force was draining away from the huge wound like a flood breaking through a dam.

Birac's arm jerked violently, unleashing a devastating force.

Before the incredulous eyes of Lemanrus and all the Space Wolves who witnessed this scene, the massive demonic body of Primarch Loka Aurelion was torn in two by Bilak!
Filthy blood and entrails splattered like a torrential rain, and the burning demonic power spilled out uncontrollably, corroding the surrounding ground and creating sizzling pits.

However, the Primarch's tenacious vitality ensured that even after suffering such severe damage, Loka did not perish immediately.

His mangled body, torn in two, writhed and convulsed on the ground like a helpless maggot, his eyes, burning with dark flames, fixed on Birac, filled with endless confusion, pain, and overwhelming resentment.

"Why...?" he managed to squeeze out a weak question through his broken vocal cords, "I gave you... trust... and strength..."

"Why?!!"

Those who speak out against this cannot understand Birac's betrayal; there is simply no reason for it.

Ever since he reached an agreement with the chief demon of the Four Gods and signed an alliance, he personally helped Birak regain the favor of the Four Gods.

In fact, it was only by using the power of primordial truth that he was able to help Birak control the chaotic divine power within his body and keep it in balance, preventing it from turning into dementia like Horus.

Luo Jia felt he had done right by Bilake, and could even be considered Bilake's benefactor for helping it rise again.

Even Lemanrus was stunned by the dramatic scene before him.

He had already prepared for a fight to the death, and even secretly gestured to Bjorn behind him, indicating that they should be ready to retreat at any time. It would be useless to keep such an enemy alive; it would only increase casualties.

However, the sudden infighting within the Chaos faction has once again increased the complexity of the situation.

He'd seen plenty of infighting within the Chaos faction; after all, that was the nature of Chaos. But to betray the commander so decisively at such a crucial moment was just too much…

Just as Russ was frantically trying to figure out why Bilak had betrayed him, the great demon blessed by the four gods made his move again.

The Lord of Shadows tossed aside Luo Jia's lower body remains as if discarding trash, and his hand, stained with demon blood, precisely grabbed Luo Jia's still struggling upper body.

Then, accompanied by a tooth-grinding sound of bones cracking, he easily broke Luo Jia's remaining arms, as easily as breaking a withered branch.

Finally, the giant, armored hand gripped Luo Jia's throat like an iron clamp, lifting him to eye level.

Luo Jia attempted to mobilize her spiritual energy to resist, but the extremely weak spiritual light was ruthlessly crushed by the even larger and purer chaotic energy emanating from the eight-pointed star on Bilac's chest.

The divine blessing that Luo Jia obtained for Bilake has now fallen upon Luo Jia himself.

Only then did Birac's hollow, cold voice slowly emerge.

He answered Luojia's question in a condescending, judgmental tone.

"Why? Luo Jia Aurelion, don't you understand the truth even now?"

"Lemanlus is absolutely right, you really are a fool, a naive fool."

The Shadow Lord's voice carried an undisguised mockery.

"You, and countless other fools who have fallen into chaos, always place all your hopes on those four great beings of chaos, begging for their attention and thirsting for their rewards."

Do you really believe that by receiving their favor, you can obtain eternity and truth?

"Fool!"

Bilac tightened his grip on Luo Jia's throat slightly, making the latter's struggles even more futile.

“I was as foolish as you. I was chosen by them all, bathed in supreme glory and power. I thought I had touched the ultimate. But then what?”

Bilarak's voice suddenly became sharp, containing resentment and awakening that had been suppressed for millennia.

“They can give easily, and take away even more easily! When you lose your usefulness, or simply because of their fickle moods, you will be ruthlessly abandoned and cast into the dust, just like me.”

Leman Russ listened quietly, but his heart was in turmoil.

He never expected that this chosen one of the Four Gods, who appeared out of nowhere, would have such a bizarre and complicated past.

From being chosen by the four gods to being abandoned by the four gods, and now being chosen by the four gods again, Bilak's life experience can indeed be described as legendary.

After a period of unrestrained venting, Bilarak's voice gradually returned to its cold calm.

"That experience of being abandoned by the gods taught me a lesson—any external blessing is just a sandcastle that is illusory and will easily collapse when the tide comes in."

Only by firmly grasping power in one's own hands and transforming it into an inseparable part of one's own essence can one attain true eternity.

His gaze seemed to pierce through Luo Jia's body, looking directly into the depths of his soul—the essence that had been corrupted and plundered by chaos, yet had not been completely lost.

"In the vast subspace, the only way to truly control one's destiny is to ascend to godhood."

The gods here are not those who call themselves gods, but rather an indispensable part of that chaotic eight-pointed star.

Vashtor… that foolish master of the furnace, it was too hasty, its ambitions were exposed too early, so it failed and became a thing of the past.”

Luo Jia's eyes widened, and he realized what this madman in front of him wanted to do.

Why did he initially step forward and then volunteer to accept the blessings of the four gods, even becoming a weapon for the gods to fight against the human emperor?

It turns out that when he used Birac as a pawn, this original demon prince was planning to use the power of the Four Gods' blessing to gain benefits for himself.

“And I, Birac, will never repeat the same mistake.” His tone was full of absolute confidence and a long-planned certainty. “I know that the road to the throne is extremely difficult and cannot be accomplished overnight.”

“If you rush things, then Vashtor is the best example of the opposite.”

"I need... more stepping stones to help me ascend to godhood. I need a sufficiently powerful warp essence to nourish me and make me stronger step by step!"

He carried Luo Jia and turned to the wary Leman Russ. The greedy gaze made Russ feel a chilling sting on his skin.

"You, Loka Aurelion, as a demon prince of undifferentiated chaos, though your soul is corrupted, it has not yet been completely assimilated and plundered by any single deity, and still retains a portion of your original essence..."

"You are too foolish and do not deserve what you have. In that case, why not give it to me?"

Listening to Birac's whispers, Luo Jia felt an overwhelming sense of regret.

He thought he could control everything, including Birac, but he never expected to be bitten by the wolf he had raised himself.

"As for you, Lemanrus..."

Birac's voice carried an even stronger longing.

"You have awakened your true nature, and your true nature is more complete and powerful than that of Luo Jia, this flawed product..."

"By consuming you, I can compensate for the deficiencies in my foundation, allowing me to grow and sublimate more quickly after seizing the essence of Luojia."

Ruth sneered and gripped the Dionysian Spear tightly in his hand.

“I have seen many greedy and incompetent enemies, but I have never seen a demon like you who wants to plunder the essence of the Primarch.”

"If you have the guts, then give it a try."

Despite Russ's provocation, Bilarak did not respond. It planned to deal with Luojia, who was already in its hands, first.

"So, do you understand?"

Bilarak finally delivered his final verdict on the dying Luo Jia in his hands.

"After I kill you, I will become the new commander of the Chaos army, continue to rule the demons of the four gods, and keep hunting down more Primarchs."

“The Four Gods will not mourn your death, because you were never their demon prince. You were able to reach your current position only because of the compromise between the Four Gods, and I was able to do the same.”

"Thank me, I was so generous that I even told you my plan, so that you wouldn't die an innocent death."

"Don't worry, your brother Lemanrus will be here to join you soon. Neither of you can escape."

As soon as he finished speaking, the chaotic eight-pointed star on Bilac's chest spun wildly, and the four colors of energy transformed into countless streams of light like tiny tentacles, forcibly penetrating into Luo Jia's remains.

He was extracting and stripping away something more fundamental, which was the core essence of Luojia as the original gene.

"No……!!!"

Luo Jia let out a final, desperate, and painful scream, a sound filled with endless regret and resentment.

He struggled to look at Lemanrus, the Great Speaker's eyes were complex and unreadable, perhaps with a hint of pleading, or perhaps wanting to warn his brother.

But in the end, his body, will, soul, and even the remnants of his essence rapidly collapsed and disintegrated under that terrifying extraction.

His body withered and weathered at a visible speed, eventually turning into a wisp of ashes, along with the essence that had been stripped away and shimmered with chaotic light, which was completely swallowed by the eight-pointed star on Birac's chest.

Lord of Shadows, Bilak, let out a satisfied groan that echoed like the abyss. His aura became even more profound and terrifying at this moment, and the light of the chaotic eight-pointed star seemed to become even more solid.

With the power of the Four Gods' blessing, it was able to easily devour and absorb Luo Jia's essence. If it were the original Luo Jia, it might have taken a long time to wear down Luo Jia's will.

Birac slowly turned around, his dark, abyss-like eyes, like those of the hungriest predator, locking onto the ready-to-fight Lemanrus.

“Now it is your turn, Fenris’s wolf. Your essence will help me… take another step closer to the altar!”

(End of this chapter)