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

Chapter 965 The New Ruler and the Outsider Arrive

In this battle of wills, Danteok was on the defensive from the very beginning.

The "Zahulash" group completely disregarded this lowly human being.

Their remaining intelligence is completely incapable of understanding why the largest fragment of the ruler would be possessed by the will of a mere human.

In their view, as long as "themselves" swarm in, they will undoubtedly win this contest of wills.

The will of Danteok and the fragments of the ruler's will were completely mixed and merged together, becoming a complex state in which each contained the other.

Taking this opportunity, Danteok also began to perceive the other party more deeply.

"Although the will of these fragments of rulers is vast and boundless, its essence is not much different from the fragment of the star god I encountered on Sosa, the same emptiness and poverty."

"They have existed for hundreds of millions of years, but they have never developed lofty beliefs or an indomitable spirit that transcends primal instincts."

In the battle against the Star God Fragment, Danteok was once again certain of his guess.

In contrast, human life, which can be described as "short," is able to give birth to all sorts of profound thoughts in its short span of life.

This may be the difference between two completely different lives: one has unlimited material abundance but is extremely lacking in the spiritual realm, while the other, although extremely lacking in material things, has achieved unparalleled brilliance in the spiritual realm.

The core of the ruler's consciousness always revolves around devouring more energy, plundering more souls, and taking revenge on the traitorous space undead...

These simple and brutal desires drive them, yet also imprison them, making them like wild beasts.

They never considered the higher meaning of their existence, never thought about protecting anything, let alone fighting against the subspace that attempted to devour all real-world order.

Their power originates from the rules of the universe, yet they have never thought of giving back to the universe that gave them their existence.

In comparison, Danteok's conviction stemming from his human identity seemed so small, yet so brilliant and unbreakable.

Loyalty to the emperor and humanity, responsibility to human civilization, camaraderie with brothers-in-arms, and a deep sense of responsibility to protect the real universe beneath our feet…

These emotions and beliefs constitute the core anchor of his will, far more resilient than the loose and primitive collection of desires of the ruler.

The vast wave of star god consciousness crashed against the seemingly insignificant reef, but instead of destroying it, it was gradually eroded and broken down by that unwavering will with each impact.

Danteok carefully removed and annihilated the chaotic and violent remnants of consciousness as if peeling away rotten flesh, while methodically incorporating the pure essence into himself, and re-merging it with the part of the ruler's power that had long been integrated with him.

From the outside, the azure energy sphere enveloping Danteok was undergoing a wondrous transformation.

His body trembled and twisted violently in the void, sometimes standing tall like a giant, and sometimes shrinking and condensing. The terrifying energy radiation even caused the surrounding undead warships to retreat.

The Burner Nyadrazasa watched this scene silently, sensing that the physical constants of this region were fluctuating violently.

Gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force... everything seemed to have lost its inherent order, forming a regular turbulent flow around that dark blue sphere of light.

[To devour the essence of a star god with the power of a mortal is truly insane yet...astounding.]

The burner's thoughts were filled with complex emotions, including a hint of instinctive rejection and disgust, but more so a profound and indescribable shock.

It knew that Lothie had mastered the full essence of the Void Dragon, but it had never witnessed the process firsthand.

What Danteok is doing now is recreating that incredible miracle before its eyes.

[That Zahurash guy, the remaining madness is being erased; this human is becoming the new "ruler."]

What a steadfast soul it is, capable of withstanding such assimilation without losing its way!

The Burner watched as the Ruler was gradually replaced, but it had no intention of interfering.

The relationships between the Star Gods are very complex. They appear to be of the same race, but in reality, they are enemies who openly and secretly fight each other.

From the Burner's perspective, since Zahurash couldn't even defeat the will of a human being, it was only natural that he would be replaced.

In any case, if the ruler changes its consciousness, it has nothing to do with it. With the painful lesson of the outsiders, the Burner would never dare to covet other Star God fragments.

It only retrieved the fragments of the Star God it had lost, nothing more.

From the perspective of the space necromancy, the monitored data is even more intuitive and chilling.

From the perspective of the space necromancers, however, it presents a completely different picture.

On their sensor readings, Danteok's vital signs and energy levels are soaring exponentially, rapidly exceeding one upper limit threshold after another set in their database for "individual threat level".

"The energy reading has broken through the critical value, exceeding the level of the world's main engines firing simultaneously!" A tomb engineer reported in a voice filled with electrical noise, brimming with disbelief.

"The veil of reality is fluctuating violently; the target is forcibly rewriting the rules of the real universe within a localized area!" another scientist exclaimed.

General Claudius, wearing a crown, watched in silence, his rigid logic now deeply shaken.

He witnessed firsthand how a "mortal" was devouring and assimilating those terrifying beings that had once required the entire strength of their race and a terrible price to imprison them, in a way he could not comprehend.

Tarasin meticulously documented everything, muttering to himself, "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! This is the most valuable collection ever... a miracle of life, a hymn to the will... far more precious than those inanimate objects."

Suddenly, Tarasin sensed a familiar presence approaching from Kadia.

His old friend and rival, the astrologer Orikan, naturally couldn't miss this grand ceremony and was rushing to the scene.

Orichen's dream was also to become a true star god, thereby truly realizing his desire to observe and walk along the timeline.

Witnessing Danteok's transformation firsthand might be an important reference for him.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the unstable, dark blue sphere of light enveloping Danteok suddenly contracted inward to an extreme degree, as if even the light itself was about to be swallowed up.

Immediately afterwards—the sphere of light, having collapsed to its limit, exploded like a cosmic blast!
"boom!!!"

Centered on Danteok, this power of the Star God rapidly spread out, instantly sweeping across the entire Kadia star system.

At this moment, all beings in the Cardia star system, whether human, Eldar, Orc, demon, or space undead, experienced a strange feeling.

They sensed that the invisible strings of physical rules in the surrounding universe were being gently plucked by an invisible hand and then forcibly "fixed" in place.

The raging warp storm began to subside, the distorted spatial folds were gently smoothed out, and even the omnipresent warp whispers were greatly weakened in that instant.

The human and Eldar alliance was naturally overjoyed and their morale soared, while the Unborn from the Warp suffered a sharp decline in morale, and the Veil's restrictions on them became increasingly apparent.

At the center of the halo, the energy gradually converges and stabilizes.

A brand new being has quietly risen in the void.

He still had the outline of Danteok, but his body had become taller and more imposing, as if it were made of pure, dark blue energy crystals, with bands of light flowing around him like the veins of a galaxy.

His eyes were like two miniature blue stars, and he exuded a powerful aura of "ruling over all things".

The new ruler, the Star God—Barabbas Danteok—has been reborn here.

He slowly raised his palm, clenched his fist slightly, and felt the vast and boundless power within him, as if he could reshape the stars in an instant.

This power no longer carried any extraneous noise, nor any remnant that contradicted his will; it was as responsive as an extension of his arm, a seamless whole.

Danteok turned to Loshi, bowing slightly. His majestic yet calm voice resonated directly in everyone's minds, devoid of any of Zahurash's mania, displaying only Danteok's composure and steadfastness:

"Lord Loshi, the ruler Danteok... is in position."

The Burner silently gazed at its intact kin; though the consciousness had changed hands, the familiar aura of authority was unmistakable.

He knew that from this moment on, this being named Danteok had truly entered the ranks of the Star Gods.

Rosie, however, did not let her guard down at all.

He stared intently at the revered star god before him, feeling the immense pressure emanating from the complete and absolute authority.

While the Overlords cannot compare to the dominant beings among the Star Gods like the Void Dragons, Nightbringers, and Outer Ones, a complete Star God still possesses absolute dominance over a Star God in a broken state.

He had to confirm whether the one standing before him was a Danteok or an ancient monster disguised as a Danteok, known as the "Ruler."

“Dantiok,” Lothie’s voice was calm, with a hint of scrutiny that was barely perceptible, “tell me, what is the Iron Warrior’s battle cry?”

This is a question so simple it's almost childish, yet it directly addresses Danteok's unique memories and self-identity.

Without the slightest hesitation, the newly formed ruler answered in a clear and firm voice:

"Clad in sturdy armor, steel inside and out!"

He then continued speaking, his voice still carrying the same human emotion.

"The Iron Warriors are a thing of the past; the current belief of the Rebirth Steel is 'to rise from the ashes and fight for humanity.'"

Hearing this unwavering and deeply humane reply, Rose smiled with relief and satisfaction.

With his current abilities, it would be almost impossible to lie to him, even for the Star God.

Therefore, he could sense Danteok's unwavering humanity and steely, tenacious will.

He knew that Danteok had succeeded. He had not only merged with the power of the Overlord Star God, but also completely conquered it, while retaining his core self.

“Welcome back, Danteok,” Loshi said solemnly.

"Now that we have more power at our disposal, it's time to begin the next phase of our plan: to completely push the influence of the warp back to the source of the Eye of Terror, and then, to close this gate to hell!"

Danteok bowed again and answered in a firm and resounding voice:

"Your will and the Emperor's will are my will, and the Steel of Nirvana will forever fight for humanity."

Just as Danteok completed its transformation and returned to its whole form, another fusion of powers was also taking place simultaneously.

Loxi turned his gaze to Niadrazasa, nodded slightly, and without saying a word, the Burner's dark red avatar transformed into a streak of fire, instantly traversing the void and disappearing into the specially made tomb ship carrying its small fragments.

Unlike the perilous struggle of wills in Danteok, the Burner's process of fusing with its own fragments was more like a long-awaited rain after a drought, a process of self-repair. When the smaller fragment sensed the call of its main body, it offered almost no resistance, joyfully merging into the flames of Nyadrazasa like a weary bird returning to its nest.

"boom--!"

The outer shell of the tomb ship was instantly melted by the uncontrollable high temperature, and a dark red fireball, even larger and more intense than before, expanded in the void, emitting a suffocating heat wave and light.

The flames of the burner became deeper in color, and the flow of energy became smoother and more powerful, as if a missing piece of a puzzle was being further filled in.

For the burner, this small fragment is invaluable.

As the most violent and ferocious of the former Star Gods, and therefore the one targeted and hated by the Necromancers of Space, it suffered the most thorough "dismemberment" when it was personally shattered by the Silent King Szalak.

The number and distribution of the fragments of the burner far exceed those of many of its kind.

The return of each fragment signifies a small step towards its former wholeness, and also means that it has gained more strength to exact revenge on those metal skulls.

"Completeness...I must return to completeness..."

During the fusion process, the burner's suppressed, abhorrent desires were not satisfied, but instead became even more intense.

"That idiot Zahurash is now history, replaced by a human... The next complete Star God should be me!"

It forced itself to suppress its deep-seated hatred for the space necromancers, transforming its raging anger into calm and patience.

The Burner knew very well that it had to obey Loshi's will and help him deal with the warp, the common enemy of all forces.

Only in this way can it have the opportunity to settle old scores with Szalak in the future and reclaim the "skin" that was made into a cloak and the largest fragment that supports the throne.

The fused fragments of the Burner floated in the void, their radiant light and heat causing the surrounding undead warships to adjust their distance once more.

The next moment, it withdrew most of its energy and reformed into the dark red humanoid silhouette, returning to Rosie's side.

After becoming more complete, Nyadrazasa's demeanor became more composed and reserved than before, and its rationality gradually returned.

I have merged with the fragments; I am now the rider of the Void Dragon.

My power has increased further, enabling me to better assist you in stabilizing reality and expelling the filth of the warp.

The Burner's voice paused slightly, as if carefully choosing its words, before it brought Losi a shocking message.

Furthermore, there is something I think it's time to tell you now, regarding... the Outer One, Salanoga.

Loxi's gaze suddenly sharpened: "The Outer One? That Star God who is rumored to have fallen into eternal madness by devouring its own kind? What happened to it?"

The rumors weren't entirely unfounded, but the situation... is more complicated.

The Burner briefly described its encounter with Salanoga in the desolate southern galaxy of the Milky Way, and provided some basic information about Salanoga.

Salanoga has sensed your presence, a complete and conscious Void Dragon.

It believes that perhaps only you can help it; it desperately desires to regain its independent consciousness and is willing to pay a heavy price for it, even offering you assistance.

As Loshi listened to the Burner's account, the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

This was like a godsend – a fully-fledged Star God, though not in top condition, whose strength was undeniable, was actually seeking cooperation and even asking for my help!
"Great news...this is fantastic news!" Rose couldn't hide her excitement.

"Niadrazasa, contact Salanoga immediately and tell it that I am willing to meet with it to discuss cooperation. Please make sure it comes to the Cardia star system!"

【as you wish. 】

The Burner accepted, releasing a summoning signal based on the essence of the Star God, which traversed unimaginable spatial distances and was sent towards the far southern region of the Milky Way.

However, both the Burner and Loshi underestimated the "efficiency" of the outsider Salanoga, or rather, its "urgency" under the influence of its confused consciousness.

Almost immediately after the summoning signal was sent, a top-priority emergency alert from the southern frontier star system of the Empire was swiftly transmitted to the Cardia command center through multiple channels, including the network and the space bridge network, and finally appeared before Losi.

The alarm was chilling: an unknown entity with a terrifying mass, indescribable in conventional astronomical units, was "moving" directly toward Cardia from the southern frontier of the Milky Way in a manner that defied known laws of physics.

Wherever it passes, the spatial structure is severely distorted, and even light is completely twisted and swallowed up by the enormous gravitational source.

Several observation stations along its path and the edge of the world were completely cut off from contact, as if they had been directly erased from reality.

Accompanying this entity are large-scale disruptions to the structure of reality, biological mental breakdowns, and incomprehensible, deadly hallucinations.

"It's Salanoga! It's here!"

Luo Xi instantly understood, and her expression became extremely solemn.

He could imagine the catastrophic consequences of the Outer One's planet-sized body rampaging through the galaxy.

Its natural field, which distorts the laws of physics, is enough to drive lower life forms mad with its mere existence...

If it were allowed to infiltrate the heart of the Empire, or even approach Cardia, the damage it would cause would likely be no less than that of a large-scale Chaos invasion.

"This madman! Does it intend to run us over?!" Rose was both angry and anxious; he had to stop it immediately.

Without the slightest hesitation, Loxi's main body separated even more power from the throne of Kadia, creating an even more powerful silver avatar that directly entered the dimensional space and headed straight for the outermost being.

With the help of the Burner and the Overlord Danteok, the pressure he is under in Kadia has been greatly reduced, allowing him to devote enough energy to dealing with this unexpected event.

……

Far from the raging war in Kadia, on the desolate southern edge of the Storm Starfield.

The starry sky here is unusually dark, as if even the light from the star torches cannot fully illuminate this place.

However, this darkness is being swallowed up by a deeper, more unsettling presence.

That was a planet.

But anyone capable of observing its existence can realize that it is by no means any naturally formed celestial body.

Because no natural celestial body has such a constantly changing, distorted shape on its surface.

This planet absorbs all forms of light and radiation around it with almost 100% efficiency.

Around it, space twisted and folded like crumpled paper, radiating an incomprehensible, irrational, and eerie light.

This is the Outer One, Salanoga, a terrifying star god whose very existence can bring about madness.

Its enormous body, equivalent to 32 million times the mass of Terra, should logically be impossible to maintain its current planetary form; it should have collapsed into a white dwarf or a neutron star.

But clearly, those on the outside do not follow common sense.

This moving cosmic catastrophe has destroyed several human galaxies. It is like a walking ancient god, inadvertently turning the nests built by ants by the roadside into ashes.

Just as this moving cataclysm was about to destroy another human world, space rippled, and Loshina's shimmering silver avatar suddenly appeared, blocking Salanogana's path of destruction.

Compared to the terrifying planetary-sized body of the outer being, Loxi's avatar was as insignificant as dust.

However, the powerful aura emanating from him, belonging to a complete Void Dragon, pierced through the madness and darkness brought by Salanoga like a lighthouse.

"Stop! Salanoga!"

Loxi's avatar emitted a massive wave of mental energy, directly piercing through the chaotic consciousness barrier of the outer being.

“I am Lothie, the rider of the Void Dragon. I have received your offer to cooperate, but not in this way!”

"Look around you, your very existence is tearing reality apart and destroying everything in its path!"
This is not an attitude of seeking cooperation! Immediately cease this brutal method of movement, utilize your dimensional space for faster-than-light travel, and avoid all human civilizations; otherwise, all cooperation is out of the question!

Seemingly sensing the essence of Loshi, a star god of equal caliber, and the unwavering resolve contained within it, the constantly moving dark planet suddenly paused.

The bizarre and deadly illusions surrounding the outer observer froze for a moment.

The next moment, a massive, chaotic force, mixed with countless wails and hisses, surged towards Loxi like a tsunami:
[Cooperation...complete...help me peel away the pain...those voices...keep nagging...]

Salanoga's mind was fragmented, filled with unspeakable pain and longing.

Take me to Kadia… You need… power… my power…

“I can take you to Kadia, and I can try to help you!” Rosie roared.

"But the prerequisite is that you must obey my guidance and immediately enter the dimensional space, where I will guide you!"
If you cause any more unnecessary damage, I will turn around and leave, and you will be forever condemned to this insane hell until the end of the universe!

Loshi's threat seemed to touch the core of Salanogan's chaotic consciousness, where the deepest fears resided.

The massive, dark planet trembled violently, its surface geometry shifting wildly.

After a long while, a feeling of resentment mixed with a hint of relief came:

[…As you wish…lead the way…]

Immediately afterwards, the massive planetary-sized body of the outer being, Salanogana, began to blur and become illusory.

It began to mobilize the dimensional space that naturally belonged to the complete star god, and according to Roche's request, it broke away from the conventional movement methods of the physical universe and entered the dimensional space to travel at faster-than-light speed.

Even without dimensional space, the Outer One can travel faster than the speed of light; it simply doesn't care. Even if countless humans die in its path, Salanoga will not be emotionally affected in the slightest.

In its view, these were nothing more than a group of low-level carbon-based monkeys, which would multiply into even more monkeys in the blink of an eye.

However, since this is Void Dragon's intention, it's best to give him face.

Loxi's avatar breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his expression remained grim.

Salanoga's condition was worse than he had imagined. The creature was only able to communicate on rare occasions, and he had to focus all his energy on maintaining contact with Salanoga to prevent it from falling into autistic madness again.

(End of this chapter)