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

Chapter 970 Ancient Saint's Treasure
The phrase "ancient treasures" is like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples throughout the throne room.

All the Primarchs’ eyes were now focused on the Emperor and Lothie, even on Dorn, who seemed indifferent to everything.

The emperors and their descendants present all had some understanding of the Old Ones. Some, like Corax, only knew a little about them through hearsay, while others, like Perturabo and Dorne, had seen the Old Ones in person.

“Each of those ancient saints possessed terrifying power that could shake the stars. Their enemies were complete star gods, and even the undead of the past were nothing more than overconfident and defeated opponents in front of them.”

"The ancient spirits, the ancient orcs, and many other races that we have never even seen are their creations. These creators indirectly gave birth to the pantheon of the spirits and the second brother of the orcs, and we have only recently witnessed their great power."

Perturabo murmured, trying to explain the significance of the Old Ones to his Primarch brother, Corax, who knew little about them.

Corax, standing behind Guilliman, was almost completely enveloped in his brother's shadow. The Raven King was whispering to Guilliman, who was on the front lines of the war in Terra.

When Guilliman heard that Corax had once encountered such a terrifying enemy as the Chosen of the Four, Bilak, his heart clenched, and he was filled with lingering fear.

“Bilak will inevitably become a major hidden danger to the Empire in the future, and we must find a way to get rid of this new chosen one of the Four Gods,” Guilliman thought to himself.

Lothie then picked up where the Emperor left off, saying leisurely, "Back when we were searching for the three artifacts—the Tuchucha Engine, the Ouroboros, and the Heart of Plague—and finally piecing together the complete Web Shield Tunnel, we realized a deeper truth: this triune creation was not merely a great tool used by the Old Ones to carve the Infinite Web..."

"The tunnel boring machine is also a key, a key to unlock the final treasure left behind by the ancient sages before their demise."

"However, because this key itself was influenced by the subspace over a long period of time, it gave birth to uncontrollable desires and consciousness. In order to prevent the relic he left behind from being misused, the ancient saints split it into three at the last moment."

The Ancient Ones then created the Dark Watchers, special beings who guard the most crucial 'Ouroboros' component, hoping that one day, a suitable successor would reassemble it and make the right choice.

"Now that the tunnel boring machine is in our service and the threat of the Eye of Fear has been eliminated, it is time to uncover this final secret."

The legacy of the Old Ones may provide crucial assistance in addressing future challenges, whether it be the Tyranids or the Chaos's counterattack across the multiverse.

"If we could obtain the treasures of the ancient sages, wouldn't that mean that our technology would take a new step forward?"

"After all, those are treasures left over from the War of Heaven. Even if only a small part of them can be used by us, it would still be a great thing."

As the regent of the empire, Guilliman was well aware of the tremendous progress the empire's technology had made compared to the past.

Even during the Great Crusade, the Empire's technological progress still largely relied on STC templates unearthed from all corners of the galaxy by the Mechanicus, rather than its own innovative breakthroughs.

Many mechanical priests' lifelong research may simply be the result of old paths that humanity had already traversed in the dark ages of technology. In such extreme circumstances, it would be more profitable to dig up ancient ruins than to expend a great deal of energy on research and innovation.

According to information Guilliman obtained from the Advanced Technology Community, new STC fragments have been continuously found and sent to Mars and Ganymede, but the proportion of them that can be judged as valuable is decreasing.

This means that humanity's current technological level is constantly approaching, and even reaching, the level of the Dark Ages in some areas. This is why the importance of the STC, a relic originally regarded as a supreme treasure by the Cult of Mechanics, is constantly declining.

“Indeed,” Loshi affirmed. “The ancient saints’ research on psionic energy, genes, and cosmic dimensions far surpasses ours. Compared to those creators, we have far too many shortcomings.”

"At least with current human technology, it is impossible to research and create a stable, faster-than-light channel like the Seamless Network without the Network Tunneling Machine, nor can it create powerful war races like the Ancient Orcs and the Ancient Spirits."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what you'll gain, since advancements in the technology tree will have an immediate impact on the entire empire," Guilliman said with a smile.

"Then what are we waiting for? The tunnel boring machine is already in our hands. As the key to the ancient saint, it should know the whereabouts of the ancient saint's treasure." The Wolf King was even more anxious and asked repeatedly.

Luo Xi shook her head.

"The specific memories of the treasure by the tunnel boring machine have been deliberately erased by the ancient sage, and I do not intend to try to reawaken this part of consciousness, as the risk of doing so is too great."

After all, I only tamed the tunnel boring machine; I didn't fully master it, so we need to look for clues from other sources.

"That's it..."

Ruth scratched his fluffy blond hair and then put the matter out of his mind.

"Just tell me what your plans and ideas are, and I don't need to think about the specific details."

The Fenris's nonchalant attitude immediately drew another round of suppressed laughter from the other Primarchs around them.

Among his many brothers, perhaps only Lemanrus would be so unconcerned about his own pride, even proudly accepting the stereotype of being barbaric and reckless.

However, it must be said that it was precisely because of this stereotype that Lemanrus was able to live a carefree and comfortable life on many occasions.

"When it comes to understanding the secrets of the ancient times, there are two beings we cannot ignore. The first is the Laughing God, Higochi, who has survived the War of Heaven and is hiding in the Black Library. The second is the Star God who has never split: the Outer One, Salanoga."

"So who do you plan to contact first?" the emperor asked.

"Theoretically speaking, the Adarin, as the successors of the Old Ones, should know the most secrets, but it is precisely because they know so much that we need to be more careful."

Although Loxi had a good impression of the Eldar God of Laughter, Higoki also helped humanity on several occasions.

However, the interests of the two races were exactly the same before, and their common enemy was Chaos, so they were naturally able to cooperate peacefully and achieve mutual benefit.

However, the situation is different now. The secret of the ancient treasure is kept by the Laughing God of the Spirit Clan, and the key to the Net Shield Tunneling Machine is in the hands of humans. The Laughing God may not be willing to tell us everything.

“Why don’t we ask the Outer One first? If we can get some information from it, we won’t be completely clueless. Then we’ll have a better chance of communicating with the Laughing God,” Rosie suggested.

“In that case, let’s go and visit that Outer Star God first.” The Emperor quickly made the decision.

……

Since the end of the Battle of Kadia, according to the previous agreement, Loshi was required to help Salanoga remove the fragments of the Star Gods that it had devoured in the past. Considering the danger level of the Outer One itself, it was placed in the Betan Galmon system, which is neither too close nor too far from the solar system.

This place was once one of the most devastating battlefields at the end of the Horus Rebellion. The warp almost swallowed this cluster of stars, and it remains a desolate ruin today.

Choosing this desolate place for the Outer One, Salanoga, to temporarily reside in served two purposes: firstly, it made it easier for Loxi to help it peel away the Star God fragments; secondly, it was to minimize the harm that the power unconsciously dissipated by this unstable Star God might cause to mortals.

Through the interconnected network beneath Terra Palace, Lothie, the Emperor, and Macardo arrived at the icy starry sky of Betangalmon in just a few breaths.

Fortunately, all three were among the top psionicists in the galaxy, and they could easily survive even if they were thrown onto a white dwarf, as the frigid vacuum environment would not harm their bodies.

With the arrival of Loxi, an unusual energy fluctuation suddenly emanated from this void of Betangalmon.

A planet spinning in the void seemed to be awakened from its slumber, and the chaotic will of Salanoga, a being from the outside, mixed with countless fragments of the star god, cast its gaze upon it.

The chaotic power swept in like a storm, and the twisted forces it contained were enough to drive an entire world of humanity into madness in an instant.

Loxi could sense that the outsider was clearly wary and intimidating, especially when he sensed the Emperor's aura, this reaction was particularly strong.

"Quiet, Salanoga."

Loshi exuded a calming aura, as if soothing the restless outsider.

“We are not your enemies. You should be able to feel that the conflicting fragments of the Star God within you are gradually calming down under the influence of my power.”

"Void Dragon..."

Within the chaotic consciousness of the outer being, the rational part slowly organized its language.

"Yes... I'm finally calm... much better than before. Time means nothing to me; I can wait..."

The will of the outsider reveals an almost greedy enjoyment; it is savoring this long-lost tranquility, undisturbed by countless internal voices.

"How do you feel sleeping here?" Rosie asked patiently. If this big guy in front of her went crazy, it would be bad news for everyone.

"It's...so empty, that's nice..."

Salanoga's response was intermittent, but the hostility noticeably lessened.

"There aren't many noisy little things bothering me anymore. By the way, you came to see me... is there something you need?"

Just as Rosie was communicating with the outsider, a blazing figure, like a small star, streaked rapidly from afar.

It lingered in the void, a little distance from the outermost one, and was the very fragment of the Burner Nyadrazasa.

"Void Dragons, when are you going to make a move against that damned slave leader Szalak?!" The Burner's voice echoed in the void.

"I must get my fragments back! I've waited too long!"

Loshi was also quite helpless with the Burner, who would come every now and then to urge them to start a war with the Space Necromancers and make a fuss about taking back his fragments.

Starting a war now would bring no benefit to humanity whatsoever. At least until the Silent King and the Storm King completely break off relations and start a civil war, neither Lothie nor the Emperor will show any hostility towards the Necromancers of the Space.

“The time is not yet ripe, Nyadrazasa. Acting rashly will only alert the enemy. Wait patiently, and I will fulfill my promise when the time is right.”

The fragments of the Burner stirred restlessly, causing the surrounding temperature to rise sharply.

"I don't want to know that. Just tell me a specific time, when exactly is the right time?"

Rosie thought for a moment, then answered.

"At least until I completely remove the Star God fragments from Salanoga's body, and a complete Star God joins the battle, your chances of reclaiming your fragments from Szalak will be much greater."

“You’re right, then I’ll keep waiting.” The Burner pondered for a moment and also felt that what Rosie said was correct.

Loshi refocused his attention on the outsiders.

“Saranoga, we have come to ask you if you know any information about the treasures left behind by the ancient saints before their demise, such as their location.”

"Ancient Saints? The treasure of those crawling toads? Heh... Why don't you ask Hiccupy? That lying clown probably knows more..."

“We will naturally visit Xi Gaoqi,” Luo Xi said frankly. “But the thoughts of that Laughing God are hard to fathom. Even if we know, he may not be willing to tell us the truth, and may even mislead us with information that is half true and half false. Therefore, we want to get some clues from you first so that we can make a judgment.”

"I don't know..." The outsider's answer was direct.

"I have no interest in the things created by those ancient saints. I devoured the essence of the other Katan a long time ago, and since then, all that's left in my mind is noise and pain. Those trivial matters are irrelevant to me..."

"I'm going back to sleep. When you see that bastard Xi Gaoqi, remember to tell him for me: Never, ever let him fall into my hands!" ...

After failing to obtain any concrete clues about the Ancient Treasure from the Outer Ones, Lothie, the Emperor, and Macardo did not linger. They returned to the Holy Terra Palace via the Infinite Web.

However, shortly after they returned, the imperial guards announced their arrival outside the magnificent palace.

"My Lord, the space necromancers Tarachin and Orikan request an audience."

The Emperor waved his hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to bring the two space undead here.

Even the Lord of Humanity must show due respect to these two space necromancers who have close ties with humanity and played a crucial role in the Battle of Cardia.

Orikan and Tarasin soon appeared before everyone. Perhaps because they possessed souls, these two space undead, if their faces were concealed, would actually appear more human based on their senses alone.

At the very least, a serious and rigid space necromancer would never be able to walk with the swagger of a street thug like Tarachin.

"The Endless One/Astrologer pays homage to the Lord of Mankind."

The two first paid their respects to the Emperor. They had only come to find Luo Xi, and their encounter with the Emperor was completely unexpected.

In fact, if they had a choice, they would still prefer to communicate with Roxi. Standing in front of the Emperor, they always lacked a sense of security.

“Loshi, I’ve come to see you today to fulfill our promise,” Eurican said directly, without beating around the bush.

“I remember the promise, Eurican,” Rosie interrupted Eurican before he could continue.

The agreement he reached with Origen had two points: one was to help Origen conceive a soul, and the other was to help Origen achieve his wish to ascend to become a star god.

The astrologer Orikan possesses the most sophisticated time-observation skills among the cosmic undead, enabling him to see the past and glimpse the future.

But only he himself knows what his system of predicting the future actually is.

If the future does not unfold as Orichen predicted, he will travel through time and personally shape it into the form he predicted.

For example, if he observes that someone will die on a certain day, but if that person does not die, Eurycan will personally send that person to their death to make up for the "gap" in his observation.

In Rosie's hand appeared a crystal fragment, only the size of an adult's fist, with an extremely irregular shape and a surface covered with natural geometric patterns.

Its body radiates a pure, ethereal light at all times, as if reflecting countless interwoven timelines.

“This is a fragment of the Observer,” Loshi explained. “Among the Star Gods, it is unknown and its power is far inferior to that of Niadrazasa or Salanoga.”

"The essence of the observer is more inclined to subtle insights and calculations of space and time. It is also a fragment that I recently took out from the body of the outsider. This may be more in line with your path as an astrologer."

The green light in Euricane's eyes instantly intensified to its peak, filled with an irrepressible desire.

However, Roche did not immediately hand over the observer's fragments to the other party; instead, he kindly reminded him:

“Orikan, wielding the power of the Star God is no easy feat. The cosmic information flow contained within its core is so vast that it can instantly shatter any mortal consciousness, even your reconstructed soul and ancient necromancy mind.”

"Don't think that just because Danteok and I succeeded, you will succeed as well. If you fail, your consciousness will be devoured by the observer."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Eurican paused, and after a few breaths, he finally gave his reply.

"I have already made my choice to become a Star God. This is my lifelong dream."

"Even if I die for this, I am willing to do it."

Looking into Eurycan's incredibly determined eyes, Rosie remained silent.

Everyone has their own pursuits. If their goal is within reach, even if the end is an abyss, they will choose to forge ahead.

With a slight lift of his wrist, Roche sent the Observer fragment slowly drifting toward Eurycan.

Without hesitation, Eurykan caught the Star God fragment. He gripped it tightly, completely immersed in the knowledge about controlling the Star God fragment that Loxi had transmitted to him.

"Cough cough!" Tarasin, who was standing to the side, suddenly started coughing.

“Eurican has made many contributions, but compared to me, he is still far inferior.”

"And what kind of reward will I receive?"

"Your reward..." Loxi stared intently at the Endless One, then said with a hint of sarcasm, "How about I reserve the position of Master of the Three Holy Council for you?"

Tarasin's face immediately showed an embarrassed and awkward expression.

"No, no, no, I have no interest in these things. The French Emperor values ​​me highly, and even if that day comes, it should be the French Emperor who sits on that throne."

Rose smiled, then changed the subject.

"Since you're not interested in this, you might be interested in what we're about to do."

“You’ve come at the perfect time. I was just about to visit the Laughing God Xi Gaoqi to inquire about the ancient treasures.”

"I'll join!"

No sooner had Rosie finished speaking than Taracin gave an affirmative answer without even having time to think.

"An ancient sage's treasure?! My God! This is absolutely the most exciting treasure hunt I've ever had in tens of millions of years!"

"Take me with you! Lothie, you must take me with you! When it comes to uncovering forgotten secrets and finding hidden treasures, no one in the entire galaxy is more experienced than me, the Endless Tarasin!"

“If you need to argue with the God of Laughter, I am definitely the best choice. This old guy is always cunning. Without me, you will definitely suffer a great loss at his hands.”

Loshi's idea was also impromptu. As a living fossil who had experienced the War of Heaven, Tarachin's understanding of the ancient saints far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Moreover, everyone has witnessed the skills of this galactic thief. Most of the items in his Solemnas Museum were patiently collected from all over the galaxy.

Bringing him along might have a surprising effect.

“Alright, Taracin.” Loshi nodded in agreement. “You can come along, but remember, our goal is to find the treasures left behind by the ancient saints, not to move them into your private museum.”

“Of course! What do you take me for?” Tarasin patted his chest and assured him.

"I am just an enthusiastic witness and preserver of history. What I want to do is unravel the mysteries of history! Am I some kind of despicable thief?"

But when Taracin opened his mouth to defend himself, everyone's face, whether it was Orikan who had just obtained the Star God Fragment, or the Emperor, Loshi, or Macado, was filled with distrust.

"After the war ended, the God of Laughter returned to Comoros with Aisha, and we went there to find Him."

Without further delay, the group immediately set off for Comoros.

At this point in time, the Eldar city that once lay hidden in the shadows of the internet, filled with extreme depravity and bloody revelry, no longer exists.

What comes into view is a fortified city undergoing a complete rebirth.

The blasphemous smell in the air, a mixture of blood and debauchery, had long been dispelled, replaced by ozone, the acrid smell of welded metal, and the deep hum of a large engine.

The towering, twisted, and sharp Eldar spires have mostly been demolished by explosion. On the remaining bases, a brand-new steel fortress with a distinctive Imperial Gothic style has risen from the ground, like a cold iron fist, firmly guarding the various network entrances and key nodes.

The magnificent buildings that once belonged to the Dark Eldar noble district were razed to the ground and replaced by countless research facilities bearing the eye-catching Imperial Aquila emblem and the words "Advanced Technological Community - Comoros Web Research Division".

This place is no longer the corrupt paradise of the Dark Eldar, but a Cyberway outpost city full of hope and order, with a touch of rough industrial beauty.

At the heart of this unique landscape where old and new intertwine, a small number of distinctive buildings in the Adaline style have been preserved.

That was a temple dedicated to Aisha, the goddess of life, and also her residence in the Comoros.

At this moment, in Aisha's temple, not only were the Idaling people, who worshipped the goddess of life, stationed there, but also some clown-like spirits dressed in clown costumes and with thick makeup.

“Higgoy, thanks to that kid Eldrad’s efforts, the Eldar have reunited and are trying to rebuild their former capital. Shouldn’t that be a good thing?”

Why are you still so worried about the future?

Wearing a light green gauze dress, Elsa stood beside Higoki, looking at her last kin with a hint of worry.

"Oh? How did you know I was worried?"

The God of Laughter was still dressed as a comical clown, in a costume adorned with bells and patches, his face covered by a white mask with a sinister smile, looking exactly the same as before.

“I can tell from my intuition that we’ve known each other for so many years, you can’t fool me,” Aisha said with a smile.

A spinning bone die appeared at Higoki's fingertip. He spun this object of change at a speed too fast for the naked eye to perceive, and answered Aisha's question in a troubled tone.

“I am not worried about that; the Eldar’s fate is improving. What I am worried about is an unplanned variable that is brewing.”

"Do you remember Asdubal Victor? That dark Eldar kid who escaped from the Comoros?"

Aisha is the mother of all Eldar, including the Dark Eldar. She quickly found the memories of the Dark Eldar named Victor in her own memories.

She remembered that it was this Dark Eldar who lured the three Primarchs, including Ryan Johnson, who were trapped in the Webpath, into Comoros, intending to use them to eliminate his rivals.

"He didn't die in that massacre?" Aisha asked in surprise.

“No, I actually wish he had died then.” Xi Gaoqi flicked his hand, hiding the dice in his palm.

"Not only did he not die, he also got involved with our unborn brother, the god of death, Aeneid."

(End of this chapter)