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

Chapter 959 A dead Taoist friend is not dead but a poor Taoist

As the saying goes, enemies are bound to be extremely hostile when they meet. Kane's anger, which had been provoked to the extreme by the Laughing God, began to swell again, becoming even more intense and fiery.

Under the horrified gazes of countless demons, human observers, and Eldar, Kane transformed into his already enormous body and began to expand wildly in a way that defied all the laws of physics.

He seemed to transform into a Titan who created the world, his body growing larger than many battle planets in an instant.

The crimson flames burning around Him spread out like a supernova explosion, turning vast swathes of the void into a scarlet hell. The Doomsday Howl also grew proportionally, releasing a vast and surging torrent of energy like a galaxy.

"die!!!"

There are no complicated moves, no exquisite techniques, only the most primal, violent, and extreme release of power!
Kane's avatar, swollen to the point where he could grasp a planet with one hand, gripped the Doomsday Wail tightly and swept his sword across the overwhelming Chaos army that was enough to engulf the Cadia star system.

This sword strike was so powerful that it defied description, not even a fraction of its magnificence.

Wherever the sword's edge passed, space itself was brutally cleaved open, creating a dark chasm spanning light-years.

Anything that existed in the path of this attack, whether it was Khorne's bloodthirsty demon fleet, Tzeentch's Ark of Deception, Nurgle's Plague Legion, or Slaanesh's Elysian Fleet, was instantly annihilated into nothingness.

This sword strike ignored their heavy armor, distorted psionic shields, and bizarre regeneration abilities, erasing them directly from the conceptual level.

With a single sword strike, the fan-shaped region of space with a radius of light-years in the direction of the Eye of Fear was completely cleared, leaving nothing behind.

The space, which was originally densely packed and filled with demonic howls and blasphemous light, instantly became empty and silent, leaving only the pitch-black crack that stretched across the void.

This is no longer war, but divine punishment, the wrath of the god of fire and war who fell long ago upon the enemy.

Those who oppose me will be reduced to ashes!

Kane's roar, like a grand bell, echoed in the void for a long time.

……

When Kane transformed into the Chaos army, which spanned several light-years, and annihilated them as if wiping away dust, the command center where Ryan Johnson was located fell into an almost frozen silence.

Only the faint hum of the instruments and the lingering echoes of the distant battle reminded people that time was still passing.

On the holographic star map, the vast red area representing the Chaos Demon Army had a huge, chilling blank space forcibly removed.

The data stream transmitted by the sensor experienced a brief period of chaos, with energy readings soaring to incomprehensible heights before plummeting, as if the attack had drained the energy from a localized part of the universe.

Ryan Johnson, the Caliban lion known for his fortitude and ruthlessness, pursed his lips, his deep, ancient eyes reflecting the shocking void on the star map.

His hand rested on the edge of the console, his knuckles turning slightly white from unconsciously applying pressure.

He knew, of course, that this terrifying war god was summoned by the Eldar allies as a weapon against Chaos.

But as the Emperor's cleaner and the guardian of the human empire, eliminating all potential threats has become almost instinctive for him.

The power displayed by the Kane avatar before them far exceeded the scope of "threat," reaching a terrifying level akin to a cosmic catastrophe.

“Such power…” Ryan murmured to himself, “Even though I have awakened my true nature and am on par with lesser gods, I still seem extremely insignificant in the face of this level of destruction.”

"Kane, the god of war and slaughter, is practically a miniature version of Khorne!"

While Kane's strength is also closely related to the battlefield environment, the current warp energy activity of the Eye of Terror is comparable to that of the High Heavens, which has amplified Kane's destructive power once again.

The Lion could not imagine the terrible price the Empire would have to pay to contain such a being if it turned its attention to humanity. He could not think of any way to defeat Kane except for the Emperor or Lothie to take action personally.

It was only at this moment that Ryan realized that these Adaling people, who seemed to be half-buried in the ground, might pull out some more damned trump cards if he was pushed too hard.

Blackrock Fortress, Kane's avatar—even if the Eldar pulled out something else, it wouldn't be surprising.

"By the Emperor..."

The holographic projection transmitted Rogue Dorn's deep exclamation. The Primarch of the Imperial Fist also looked solemn, and a rare deep worry appeared on his rock-solid face.

“The Eldar are definitely a threat, and we need to be prepared to turn against them.”

"We had greatly underestimated them before this, which was a complete mistake!"

Perturabo's voice was filled with suppressed agitation and a hint of barely perceptible fear. The Iron Lord pounded on the control panel to calm himself down.

"These pointy-eared creatures are always like this, hiding things away, only to pull out some ancient relics at crucial moments. Who can guarantee that these things won't turn around and wipe us all out?"

His hatred for the Eldar was deeply ingrained. He had been tricked by Forgrim using the Eldar artifact "Angel of Annihilation" as a lie, which had stolen a part of his essence and power.

This made him extremely suspicious of any gifts from the Eldar, and the destructive power displayed by Kane's avatar plunged him into anxiety.

Ryan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the doubts in the Primarchs' hearts.

"In any case, it is slaughtering our enemies right now, and that's the result we need."

However, we must also be prepared for all eventualities. Dorne, strengthen the monitoring of the defenses, especially units near the area where Kane's avatar is active, and be ready to deal with any unexpected events at any time.

"Petrulab, put aside your personal emotions and focus on calculating the gaps in the demon forces. We must seize this opportunity to strengthen our defenses and launch a localized counterattack."

The lion's commands were clear and calm, but the string of vigilance deep within its heart was taut to the extreme.

……

Unlike the solemnity and vigilance on the human side, the devastated sanctuary of the Usvi Ark was filled with an eerie atmosphere that blended the feeling of surviving a catastrophe with extreme shock.

Uslan and the other prophets had just recovered from the near-soul-freezing terror of facing the incarnation of Kane.

Through their psychic powers, they could clearly see in the distant starry sky that the towering, blood-red giant was reaping demons like mowing grass, creating large vacuum zones with every swing of his sword amidst the raging tide of the Chaos army.

"This...this is Kane's...true power?"

"It turns out that we had long forgotten the true power that Kane possessed, and only now are we glimpsing a sliver of the truth."

A young prophet from Iyanden murmured to himself, his voice filled with disbelief and wonder.

The historical and cultural heritage of the Eldar has been severely disrupted, to the point that even these prophets mostly have only a vague understanding of the past.

Uslan did not answer immediately. He was directing the Bone Singers of Usvi to urgently repair the huge gap in the Ark. If it weren't for the Laughing God luring away Kane's avatar, their Ark might have been destroyed as well.

Compared to the awe of Kane's terrifying power, the prophet who single-handedly brought about the establishment of the anti-chaos faction felt more of an infinite longing and lament for the lost glory of his race.

"Pantheon..."

He silently recited the name that had long since vanished into the river of time.

"When Asuyan, Kane, Kunos, Val... were still alive, and when the glory of our civilization shone throughout the galaxy, what a magnificent era it was! Even those arrogant space undead had to eventually fall into a long slumber to avoid our wrath..."

He recalled the scenes of the Eldar Empire at its peak as recorded in ancient texts: the Eldar Ark was merely a giant trading ship. Because the Eldar Empire ruled the entire galaxy, this trading ship possessed a complete ecosystem to support a large number of Eldar.

Wherever the Net extends, that is the sacred territory of the Eldar. Even in extragalactic star systems, their ancestors bravely set out to explore, attempting to ensure the Eldar's eternal glory.

That power, that glory, forms a stark contrast to the current state of their race, which is barely surviving in the galaxy and relying on Soul Stones and the Path of the Dao to sustain itself.

“We once had everything…” another Samhan prophet’s voice choked with emotion, his eyes filled with both fervor and deep sorrow, “We shouldn’t have fallen so low…”

The appearance of Kane's avatar was like a key, unlocking the long-sealed door in the hearts of all Eldar, a door to the glorious memories of their race.

"Everyone, now is not the time to reminisce about the past," Uslan said, noticing the unusual mood among the crowd.

"Nostalgia is of no use. The Spirit Empire has been destroyed and will never return. Even if it did, it would be an ugly existence of endless depravity and corruption."

"The fall of our ancestors awakened the Dark Prince, bringing even deeper wounds to our universe. These lessons have been enough."

“We are fighting for survival, forging a new path. We will close the eyes of fear, shut the gods out of the universe, and let them watch our powerless rage!”

As soon as Uslan spoke, the prophets, who were immersed in grief, gradually came to their senses.

He's right. The most important thing to do now is to continue assisting humanity in the fight and drive all those damned Undead back into the Warp.

……

Whether human or Ada, even if they harbor deep awe and fear towards Kane's avatar, at least they don't have to immediately confront the threat of the God of War.

But for Bilak, the situation was so dire that it felt completely overwhelmed.

Birac, who had just replaced Luo Jia as the nominal ruler of the Chaos Demon Army, now had a hideous demonic face so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.

Not long after killing Loka Aurelion, Bilak devoured a portion of the opponent's warp essence. However, after a bloody battle with Lemanrus and two other Primarchs, Bilak realized that the shadows of the Chaos Gods still lingered within him.

In order to escape the influence and control of the four gods, Birak planned to leave this incredibly chaotic battlefield and return to its lair to observe the situation. However, just as it began to have the idea of ​​retreating, but before it could put it into action, a chilling sense of detachment descended upon its soul.

It clearly sensed that the blessed power from the four gods within its body was becoming extremely unstable, and even showed signs of gradually dissipating.

This was clearly a warning from the four Chaos Gods, telling it not to have any improper thoughts.

Birac thus understood a cruel truth: the Four Gods could tolerate it killing Luo Jia and seizing his essence, and could even temporarily grant it great power, but they would never allow it to abandon its responsibilities at crucial moments.

It's like a vicious dog with a collar on. When its owner needs it to tear apart prey, the chain will be loosened and it may even be fed blood. But if it tries to escape with its prey, the collar will tighten and it may even be completely destroyed.

"Damn it!" Birac roared silently in his heart, "I knew this power wouldn't be so easy to obtain. They've never stopped plotting against me from the very beginning!"

"I shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess. It would have been better if the Four Gods hadn't been chosen."

Realizing that his worst fears had come true, Bilak had no choice but to return to the core of the Chaos Army and, with the help of Carlos, Anglas, Tigros, and Shalasi the Disaster, reorganize the Warp Army.

Then, it witnessed firsthand Kane's earth-shattering sword strike.

Even with Birak's current vision and power, when it saw the void spanning light-years created by that sword strike, its demonic heart, composed of pure malice and ambition, felt an unprecedented chill.

"What...what the hell is this monster?!"

It stared incredulously at the blank space on the star chart, a strong sense of frustration washing over it.

"An emperor is one thing... but now there's a Kane avatar of this caliber?! Just how many other ancient beings are hiding in this galaxy?!"

"Don't tell me that Phoenix King Asuyan will also be resurrected, and those ancient saints will emerge one after another."

It originally thought that after regaining the blessing of the four gods, it had reached the pinnacle of power, enough to look down on all living beings, and even might not be without the power to fight against the emperor.

But now, that ridiculous idea has vanished, and the war, in Bilarak's view, has become increasingly bizarre and out of control.

It felt as if it were stuck in a huge quagmire. On one side were the four gods who were watching it closely and could withdraw their power or even turn against it at any time. On the other side were the endless trump cards of humans and spirits. It was in great pain to be caught in the middle.

No, rather than making myself suffer alone, I'd rather make others suffer with me.

The saying goes, "Better to sacrifice a friend than myself," and Bilake is determined to shift the blame for this enormous mistake onto someone else.

Bilak's crimson eyes swept over the other chief demons around him, who exuded terrifying auras.

"Gentlemen," Birac said, his suppressed anger revealing an undeniable authority, "that false god cobbled together by the Idas is slaughtering our army at will. We cannot let this continue!"

"If you have any good ideas, just say them now. As long as they are effective, I will report them to the Four Gods."

Its gaze first fell on Carlos. As Tzeentch's messenger, Carlos was undoubtedly the most skilled in intrigue among them, possessing the most methods and ideas that might come in handy.

Carlos appeared calm and collected, but in reality, he was already lost in thought.

It knew very well that this was a bad job, and whoever was sent to deal with Kane's avatar would most likely be killed by it with a single sword strike.

Its two heads began to sway and chant a prophecy: "I see the threads of fate intertwined, Kane incarnate... entangled in destiny with the Brass Throne, the realm of the Blood God..."

It cleverly avoided direct responsibility and instead directed the blame towards terrorism.

Birac cursed inwardly for being cunning, and then shifted all the pressure onto Angelas.

“Carlos is absolutely right. We are both very clear about the hatred between Kane and the Blood God. It is extremely foolish of this false god to refuse to submit to and be loyal to the great Blood God.”

“Anglas, you are the most favored servant of the Blood God, the lord of bloodlust. It is your duty to reap the head of such a powerful enemy and offer this supreme glory to the Blood God!”

"You must set an example. Are you going to stand by and watch a false god swagger around on the battlefield that belongs to the Blood God?!"

A deep roar, like the rumble of a furnace, came from Angela's chest.

Its eyes, burning with endless flames of war, were fixed on the blood-red giant in the distance. It was not afraid of battle; on the contrary, its thirst for battle ran deep in its bones.

However, as the chief of the Blood God, Angelus was by no means a mindless berserker. He could clearly sense that the power contained within the Kane-like body far exceeded the scope of ordinary great demons.

That was a terrifying being whose divine nature was extremely close to that of a true god. Although Angras was powerful and the most lethal assassin under the command of the Blood God, it was no match for an almost complete incarnation of the God of War...

“The odds of winning against such a being are slim…” Angrass weighed the options in his mind. “If I were to lose in front of everyone, not only would I lose all my honor, but I would also bring an indelible shame upon the Blood God, which is more unbearable than death!”

Khorne was not a benevolent master like Nurgle. Even though He knew very well that Angrath was no match for Kane, it did not prevent Him from bringing down punishment later.

Angelus inwardly groaned, realizing that the position of chief under Khorne might indeed be tainted by some ominous curse.

Skabrand betrayed Khorne after taking the throne; Kabanhar awakened immediately upon taking the throne, declaring his intention to kill all Ascended and restore the purity of Khorne's Skull Ladder; Angron entered the Ladder during the battle between the Cursed and the Blood God, gaining complete death and peace.

Now it's my turn, am I going to be unlucky too?
Angela couldn't help but shudder, but she forced herself to remain calm as her brain, which hadn't been used in a long time, began to think frantically.

“Kane… is the enemy of my lord!” Angelus’s voice was like thunder, with a sense of deliberate emphasis.

"Only the Blood God himself is qualified to tear apart such a false god with his own hands! How can we, as his servants, overstep our bounds and directly confront our master's enemy? This is disrespectful to the authority of the Blood God!"

It tries to disguise its caution with "loyalty" and "humility" to the Blood God. Anyone who dares to continue to pressure it is provoking the authority of the Blood God and will incur the wrath of Angrass.

A fierce glint flashed in Birac's eyes. It knew that Angela was also making excuses, but it was prepared.

“Anglas, I am not asking you to fight Kane to the death, to fight to the death.”

Upon hearing this, not only Angelus, but also the other great demons turned their heads slightly, unable to believe that Bilak, such an extremely despicable and shameless guy with no bottom line, could be so reasonable.

Birac continued, his speech quickening: "As you said, Kane is the enemy of the Blood God. Right now, the Blood God is maintaining this great warp storm with the other three Chaos Powers and has no time to spare. It's impossible for him to divert his power to kill Kane."

"But Kane's goal is unlimited killing, boundless destruction; he is drawn to the most intense atmosphere of war..."

Deep within the Eye of Fear, where the Brass Throne resides, lies the place where the Blood God's supreme war will is concentrated—the most intensely war-inducing place in this realm!

It stared intently at Angrass, giving him no chance to continue his sophistry: "Your task is not to defeat Kane, but to guide it, to lead it to the core of the Eye of Fear, to the Blood God!"

"As soon as it steps into that area, the Blood God will naturally take action himself and crush this arrogant false god!"

And you, Angrass, will be the key to making all this possible. You will offer the Lord the best sacrifice without bloodshed, a feat and glory that are equally unparalleled!

This statement cleverly shifted the concept, packaging a doomed battle into a seemingly feasible and glorious guiding mission.

However, anyone with a brain understands that facing a war god who can destroy enemies in areas measured in light-years with a single sword strike, challenging Kane is the same as luring him in—both are certain deaths.

Carlos immediately let out a low, ambiguous laugh, seemingly in agreement: "A wise choice is to guide destiny, not to fight it..."

“The path ahead has been shown to you, Angrass. You still don’t dare to do this? I suggest that the Blood God replace the Chief Archmage. After all, a cowardly rat is not worthy of the Blood God’s favor.”

Carlos may seem to be speaking up for Angela, but he's actually being sarcastic and trying to pin the blame on Angela.

Tigros made a gurgling sound to indicate his agreement, as did Sharashi the Demon.

Since the trouble hasn't befallen them yet, they can certainly enjoy the show to the fullest.

All the pressure instantly focused on Angela.

Angrass fell into a brief silence. It knew that Bilak's words were half true and half false, and that guiding Kane's avatar to the core of the Eye of Terror was equally dangerous.

However, compared to a direct confrontation, this mission at least has a chance of success, and if successful, it will indeed make a great contribution to the Blood God and may even receive a stronger blessing.

More importantly, it had no other choice. With the pressure from the four gods and the support of other great demons, Birak had cornered it.

Refusing would mean being afraid to fight, and would also anger the Blood God.

"...For the glory of the Blood God!" Angrass finally let out a deafening roar, its massive body suddenly straightening up, the brass armor clashing together with a loud clang.

"I will go there myself and lead this false god to the throne of my lord! Let it be reduced to ashes in the wrath of the Blood God!"

“I will tell it that not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can call himself the God of Blood and War; that is the title that belongs to my Lord!”

Without further hesitation, Angrass unfurled his enormous bat wings, and his figure, burning with blood flames, transformed into a red meteor that tore through the void, rushing straight toward the distant avatar of Kane, who was still frantically slaughtering demons!
Of course, it wouldn't attract Kane's attention by itself, but instead ordered its many powerful demons to follow and help it share Kane's wrath.

Birac watched Angela's departing figure and breathed a slight sigh of relief, at least he had gotten rid of this hot potato.

But its heart did not relax. Regardless of whether Angras succeeded or not, the variables in this war were still far beyond its control.

It must find another way to break the deadlock as soon as possible, otherwise it will probably still face the reckoning of the Four Gods, or even worse.

(End of this chapter)