This is our Warhammer journey

Chapter 542 Hmm, an ambitious god—

Cyberspace, Dawn, Government Affairs Hall

[Report: The investigation into the Necromancers' court has been completed, confirming their internal political stability. Zandrek the Crowned One retains absolute control over the dynasty and is taking a positive attitude towards this meeting.]

[Investigation reveals that the Tomb World Gidrem has controlled over twenty surrounding star systems and conducted military operations against multiple races. Its overall military strength is comparable to that of a core star sector. The impact of these operations has been reported through the Hengzhuotian channel. On the advice of High Sister Isabella of the Holy Rose Order, this requires special attention.]

[A key figure to note is Obi-Long, a special operations unit of the Necromancers. Compared to the other Necromancer ruling class, whose thinking is fragmented and who have a distorted understanding of the world, Obi-Long retains a relatively stable mental state, is able to carry out various operations normally, and has a clear understanding of the present galaxy. He is an important link in maintaining the internal stability of Gidrim.]

[Note: Due to the large number of prisoners recently, Zandrek has had to hold frequent banquets, which has somewhat led to a neglect of the dynasty's expansion. Internally, numerous radical factions have emerged, intending to overthrow Zandrek's rule. However, considering the mental state of these radical factions and after a detailed assessment, we believe an optimistic attitude can be maintained. The following is a psychological assessment report of the relevant individuals.]

[It is emphasized that due to the excessive number of prisoners held, the Hengzhuotian Human Life Safety Committee believes that the prisoner issue also needs to be taken seriously, and hopes that everyone will pay attention to it.]

[Additionally, in order to ensure the stable execution of the mission and reduce unstable factors such as unexpected conflicts, Wuxiangtian selectively recruited some Dark Spirit Clan prisoners. Human resources investigations revealed that their ancestors for three generations had no history of excessive genocide, they themselves had no record of activity in human regions, they all came from various Nightmare Cults, had received branch warrior training, and possessed a strong willingness to be reformed, thus qualifying them for initial assessment.]

"Probe again and report again."

Amidst the bustling crowd, Ramses relayed the message through various channels via the Unseen Heaven. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the information department to continue real-time monitoring of the undead in space through multiple channels.

Guilliman organized the contingency plan with the information, and the various working groups each received their own copy of the document. They smiled at the absurd behavior described by humans, and then got into their busy work mode.

"."

Aurikan and Talassin, who had rushed over hoping to give Dawnwing some extra lessons, exchanged a glance.

"For a moment I felt like a naked hider."

The reports, all originating from the core area, also spread to his senses through the exchanges between the various working groups. Aurican stared at the other party with a look of surprise and complained to Tarasin.

"Even though the few coins in his pocket were completely seen by others, he was still smug because he thought the other party knew nothing about it."

Clearly, Aurican overestimated his own role and underestimated the Dawnwings' intelligence network.

"I don't know that."

Tarachin immediately shifted the blame.

"You know me. There are some things I definitely won't touch if it's not something I can handle. That's my survival wisdom, except for that one time."

Since joining the Wings of Dawn, Talassin has been using his own collection and the Wings of Dawn to rent souls, while also content to be a leisurely curator on Dawnstar.

He occasionally filled in gaps in the Empire's cultural affairs, and often went to chat and joke with Ramses, living a very relaxed life.

He would never interfere with Dawnwing's every action. He stayed far away from those major decisions and events, even suppressing his desire to watch. His main principle was to maintain a proper distance.

"That's true."

Thinking back to the time when the fraudsters disguised the corpse of a coward and almost scammed them, Aurican nodded.

Given Tarahim's universally condemned reputation, it's quite an achievement that he's still alive.

The fact that he is now being condemned by everyone, rather than being attacked by everyone, is enough to demonstrate his sense of proportion in those decisive events.

"and."

Tarasin spoke again, looking at the people who were preparing for the meeting.

"I am more confident about this meeting."

"A formal, solemn meeting that included multiple major races of the galaxy, was of great significance, and was worthy of being recorded in history."

Why didn't this happen in the past?
Because both sides have a certain willingness to engage in relatively peaceful exchanges and have sufficient military force to guarantee them, relatively peaceful exchanges are a more effective way for both sides to achieve their goals than resorting to force.

Because of the Dark Angel's overwhelming mobility, Arthur, who had completed all his combat targets early on and seemed to have nothing to do, was watching all this from the busy crowd.

The hurried crowds passing by him all bowed with reverence.

Arthur responded to each of them, and then continued to watch his companions keep busy with their work, waiting for the moment when they needed him.

No one sensed anything was wrong except for Ramses and Guilliman, who were busy with their work.

The Lord of Knights has always possessed a talent that many people envy.

That is, he always manages to make others think he's very busy.

woohoo~
The warship's structure hummed as the Geller Field unfolded.

It's almost there.

Noticing that the fleet had left the network and begun warp travel, Arthur finally turned his attention back to the mission that required his focus.

They are now traveling with the fleet to their destination, along with space undead prisoners captured by the Dark Angels.
-
Rumble~
As the Ghost Ark rumbled away from the fleet that had been anchored above the tomb world of Gidrim and headed toward the deep void, its acceleration was enough to crush any mortal body.

However, Obi-Long, who had long been immortal due to the curse of the Star God, simply stared at the void rushing ahead, letting the soaring G-value wash over his core, which was fused with metal, without even blinking.

It is at such times that the cruelty of the transformation of life forms to his mind is revealed, and the pain inflicted by the Star God is the most unbearable.

Because it gave the fearful of death the body to endure unimaginable things, but no new instincts to match it.

Just like it is now.

The towering warrior stood beside his lord, feeling the rapid speed brought by the inertialess engine. Obi-Long's mind screamed, telling him to breathe deeply to prevent suffocation.

But there is no air here, and he has no lungs.

Therefore, he had no choice but to forcibly suppress his inner madness and shift his attention to the upcoming events.

He looked at the star map in front of the old general.

His towering stature gave him a perfect vantage point, allowing his gaze to pass over the old general without appearing presumptuous.

In almost any other war in the past, they would have used the Necromancers’ unique high mobility for close-range troop deployment, either through massive invasion beam cannons mounted on capital ships or through captured wormholes.

But in this place that should have been far from the Sea of ​​Souls, their control over space was disrupted.

The abnormal readings halted all transmissions and disrupted carrier communication, and even activating the Blackrock Array did not help.

Obi-Long wanted to increase the power of the Blackrock Array, but Zandreik rejected this, saying it would harm his soul-fragile Fellowships.

He glanced back at the 'Diehards' who were being placed in the Stasis Labyrinth to ensure their survival in the catastrophic space necromantic environment of the ships.

Although I really wanted to kill these people, I was able to solve their survival problem because of the protection and constraints that the gods had placed on them by. This fundamentally solved the problem of their escape after being captured due to the most basic survival issues.

The Necromancers only need to contribute a tiny amount of space in this process, instead of expending a lot of energy preparing food for Zandrek. Obi-Long himself does not need to spend a lot of time on various aspects of these prisoners, such as escape and organizing resistance, and neglect to ensure Zandrek's safety.

Considering the emotional value these people provided to the old general, Obi-Long could tolerate their existence to some extent.

Therefore, an entire fleet composed of Ghost Arks has set sail, carrying the combined military force of several legions.

Obi-Ron's legion was at the forefront of the attack. The first wave consisted of more than ten medium and large ships, with more than a thousand assault boats carrying Coffin Guardians leading the way, supported by more than a thousand Immortals. The rest were high-speed breakthrough boats filled with warriors to ensure they could make contact with enemy warships in extreme events. In addition to several Arks, there were approximately 60,000 attack aircraft and Midnight Shroud bombers heading toward the edge of the stellar system's turmoil.

This is a powerful force.

In any other war in the past, even during the War of Heaven, seeing it on the battlefield would have filled Obi-Long with pride.

But here, on the dim edge of the galaxy, facing a new force of visitors who are about to rule the galaxy again, he always worries that these troops are not enough.

He will soon find out whether it's enough or not.

buzzing-

Red patches slowly appeared on the calm star map, followed by the piercing sound of an ancient alarm system.

Just as they approached the Mandeville point mentioned by the human prisoners, the space began to act strangely.

The world before my eyes began to collapse.

It didn't shatter all at once, but rather cracked slowly, like a dusty mirror being chipped open, with fine lines spreading outwards from that point, carrying faint energy fluctuations. The space necromancer's conventional instruments instantly froze, and the previously clear star field on the screen disappeared, as if a piece had been forcibly scooped out, leaving only a blank space.

In the conventional perception of the Necromancers in space, it was as if a piece of the world in front of them had been cut away, leaving only a blank space, with only those ancient instruments emitting their own alarming sounds.

As the alarm sounded, the sand table first became chaotic, then countless gravity points emerged one after another, and warship projections appeared on the edge of the sand table, their lines clearly meticulously crafted.

Obi-Long instinctively wanted to mock the outdated design of these warships, but as soon as he had the thought, the Tomb Array returned only blank data. A strong sense of threat instantly rose in his heart, overshadowing all his contempt.

This aura felt familiar, like that of the ancient Eldar, who were as old as the Necromancers of space. This force seemed capable of breaking through the data limitations of the material universe, escaping detection by conventional methods.

This instinctively made Obi-Long feel uneasy.

And that quantity.

One, two, three.
The shattering of space continued. Obi-Wan, who had once participated in sealing the Great Rift and left countless black stone relics in the galaxy, didn't even have time to marvel at the other party's daring to enter the already tainted Sea of ​​Souls so aggressively before being shocked by the increasingly exaggerated number of them.

He remembered the prisoners saying that the arriving fleet was hastily mobilized and had not even affected the human empire's deployments throughout the galaxy.

At this moment, Obi-Long's thought process reached its peak.

He hoped the fleet would be all show and no substance, while also hoping that the other side was not there for conflict.

One after another, warships leaped out from subspace.

The signal lights, all turned on at full power, resembled countless stars adorning the dark void, forming a long, winding galaxy.

After a brief silence, the signal transmission line set up by Aurican brought news from the fleet.

"This is the Empire of Man. Through the introduction of the astrologer Aurican, the Imperial Council will be visiting the tomb world of Gidrim on behalf of Man."

The voice, relayed by the renowned astrologer, echoed across the bridge, and Obi-Long's grip on his scythe loosened slightly. "I warmly welcome you, distinguished guest from afar."

Zander replied solemnly, showing no sign of dullness or hesitation.

He made an ancient welcoming gesture toward the projected signal.

"Come, the gates of Gidrem are open to you."

An unfamiliar voice came from the other end of the communication line.

"it is good."

A single response can contain countless meanings.

At the center of the fleet, the gleaming golden warship, known to humans as the Dawn, began to approach.

She arrived before the Ark, accompanied by two Nascent Soul-class battleships, and then spat out a beacon.

Touch~
The beacon, which was not identified as a weapon, pierced through the shields of the Necronaut Ark and landed on the broad platform extending outward from the center of the crescent-shaped warship.

hum~
Obi-Long, who wanted to see the light vehicles of this civilization, was destined to be disappointed.

The beacon that landed on the platform lit up and emitted a stable signal wave, clearly positioning itself for the jump. The Necronaut Ark's instruments immediately detected spatial fluctuations around the beacon, which were more concentrated and smoother than when the fleet had jumped earlier, indicating that it was a precise jump of a small target.

The next second, a force from the highest heavens suddenly erupted, forcefully tearing through the passive blockade of the Black Stone Array, and the spatial fluctuations instantly intensified. The area above the beacon was no longer slightly distorted, but instead opened up a stable jump channel. There was no blinding light in the channel, but it exuded an indescribable pressure.

Obi-Long encountered a large army.

They were dressed in fine clothes and looked confident.

They are flesh and blood, breathing naturally.

They walk with the gods.

Star Gods, Warp Gods
Obi-Long looked at the three gods at the front of the line.

They were the first to step out of the passage, before any human or even Eldar followers, and set foot on the dangerous metallic land of the Necromancer's Ark.

It seems to be a confidence in its own strength, or perhaps a concern for the safety of those people.

Or perhaps both.

Watching the teams emerge with each teleportation beam, and listening to the phase technicians exclaiming, "Why is there such a strong subspace reaction within the Blackrock Array's influence range? This is not scientific!"—

Obi-Long could hear cheers from the labyrinth platform not far behind him, as the humans broke free from their stagnation. The surging emotions stirred up waves in the warp and converged on two of them, only to be intercepted.

The Necromancer's most advanced perception system could sense that a portion of the power in the High Heavens had been consumed, and subsequently, the souls that had perished in the war and were hidden in the Eldar Soul Stones had found a place to go.

It was neither swallowed by the Star God nor became a sacrifice to the Warp God, but flowed peacefully into another world to begin another chapter of its life.

There was no icy pain, no heart-wrenching fear, and not a trace of hatred.

For the first time, Obi-Long began to suspect the Necromancers of the Space, because of the ancient adversary Eldar and their powerful sensory system, born from their obsession with souls, which was capable of seeing through almost all illusions.

As Obi-Long faced this team brought by the Star God and the gods of the subspace, he felt a strong smell of living people hitting him.

Countless questions raced through his mind.

Does such a scene really exist?

Can a god walk among mortals so naturally?
Would God also choose to so enthusiastically help those who believe in Him?
After that instant, Obi-Long no longer considered the impending war. Instead, he spent his time inspecting the coffin guards on the ship, ensuring that they were also prepared for the large and magnificent procession.

This square formation, their armored bodies shimmering with tiny, interwoven lights as the solar wind swept through, consisted of the ten most elite men under General Dai Guan's command.

Moreover, they were Obi-Rong's personal phalanx, soldiers who had fought alongside him across a world as numerous as the stars, experiencing more battles than any mortal historian could ever dream of reading through books.

Moreover, although they were also bound by the will of him and the crowned general, these great warriors were not exactly mindless machines like the ordinary samurai in the fleet.

Compared to the cold, unyielding machines that remain pristine, each of these elite soldiers is covered in scratches, stains, and dents. Despite the self-healing abilities granted to them by living metal, they chose to preserve them, much like the equally striking medals and reliefs on the Astartes.

These marks, these records of the damage they have suffered, are what define their identity.

Although they lost far more of their minds during their long slumber than Obi-Long did.

They couldn't remember how a space necromancer needed to be awarded a medal, nor could they recall the medals that symbolized glory from the era of the Fearless.

But these echoes that symbolize the self can never be taken away.

Looking at them now, and at that flesh-and-blood army that had crossed the void, the guard felt a deep sorrow as profound as the coldness that ran through his limbs.

Some of these are veterans, whom Obi-Long has known since the days of the Fearless Ones.

He still remembers training with them, fighting with them, sharing rations and jokes from the dynasty.

Obi-Long's gaze swept over the faces that were completely different from the other monotonous space undead.

This is Sabni, the first to scale the walls during the siege of Rekmir, who always liked to add too much salt to his food. This is Pentesh, who got drunk after the victory in the war of unification and was then demoted for offending the Silent King. And there's Mesh, who remembers how Mesh shed tears after hearing the news of his lost son after the war ended.

And then there's Neb, dear Neb.

Obi-Long remembers the name of every member.

Having just completed his transformation, he confessed that he wanted to die beside Obi-Ron, on the path of sacrificing himself for Zandreuk.

Poor Nebu never got his wish.

But it doesn't matter, because he doesn't remember anymore.

None of them remember anything.

Only Obi-Long remains, carrying their memories. Only he knows the names they themselves have forgotten. These comrades from years ago are now just a group of ghosts. The steel they possess will never know that Obi-Long was their friend. According to the agreement within the Necromancers, these warriors only know that he is their master.

At this moment, when he truly witnessed a civilization radiating a brilliance beyond war, Obi-Long suddenly understood why Zandreuk was so obsessively fixated on those rituals outside of war.

Unlike Obi-Long, who was in a melancholy state, Zandrek, who was also facing such a team, was full of interest.

He followed ancient etiquette and dispatched officials to guide the massive procession forward, while he himself was the first to target his old rivals from 60 million years ago within the crowd.

Hmm, a pointy-eared death-fearing creature.

These creatures are always very perceptive and can always make the most advantageous choices for themselves when necessary. Unfortunately, desire overshadows this instinct and ultimately leads to disaster.

He made his judgment in his mind, and then looked at the humans who were the main body of the team, responsible for transporting luxury goods that covered the unique cultures of various planets and worlds.

Yes, a weak, fearful of death.

Short lifespan, frail body, a coexistence of ignorance and wisdom, openness and conservatism, yet still creating a flourishing civilization, and even twice aiming for the position of galactic overlord.

Even Zandreuk was amazed by such an achievement, and wondered if it was precisely this complexity and contradiction that allowed them to simultaneously display both evil and beauty, which was why they were able to gain so much attention from the gods.

Then he looked at the Astartes, who were positioned on the outer edge of the line and whose stature was comparable to that of the best warriors of the Fearless.

Yes, genetically modified death-fearers.

These elites, chosen from among the weak and fearful of death, possessed exceptional willpower and physical prowess. Although they faced numerous problems due to the repeated decline of their civilization, many of them deserve Zandrek's recognition for their interpretation of honor and their perseverance in the face of adversity.

Zandrek nodded again, especially noticing the group of high-ranking members of the Necromancer Dynasty who were being escorted but were not filthy, and he showed a look of surprise.

He then looked at the three gods who were leading the group.

They looked at the three deities who could unite such a group and were willing to walk among them.

Please forgive his somewhat extreme judgment.

Even with Zandreuk's tolerant nature, after witnessing the demeanor of these three beings, he could not deny his knowledge and experience and equate them with ordinary fear-of-death individuals.

Zandreuk first looked at the most dangerous knight.

Yes, a god who is indifferent and detached.

The moment Zandreik's gaze met that of the red and black knight, he immediately recognized the man's characteristics, a man whose entire dynasty was filled with madmen and whose entire tribe was insane.

He was very familiar with the faint sense of world-weariness in the other person.

The feeling of alienation that arises from waking up to find that both the world and oneself have changed drastically, creating a sense of disorientation that is difficult to adapt to.

However, compared to most of the space necromancers who simply give up, the other side seems more willing to take action like another group of space necromancers, persisting in what they believe still exists through their own actions, whether big or small.

This caused Zandreuk to selectively ignore the almost overflowing aura emanating from the other party, that of a world shaper.

Zandreuk then looked to the other side, at the seemingly unruly and flamboyant giant.

Yes, a free and unrestrained god.

He didn't know much about the warp, but judging from the qualities the other person displayed, Zandrek was very envious of someone who could play around in the world, who could openly and honestly only care about the things he cared about, and who lived the most carefree life.

Responding to the other party's unconventional wave, Zandrek's gaze wandered before finally settling on the leading blue giant.

Yes, an ambitious god.

Zanderrick made this assessment.

(End of this chapter)