Emperor's Bane

Chapter 941 A Gift That Shouldn't Be Fatal

+I have another gift for you, Morgan. +
【Gift?】

Hmm...
You could try...treating it as a gift.
Don't worry, it won't do you as much harm as it seems.
【…】

Fortunately, the emperor at least remembered to say this in private.

Morgan couldn't imagine the scene where, in front of three Astartes Legions, she was the only Primarch present to receive the Emperor's Blessing: although the Salamanders and World Eaters were not a narrow-minded group, just thinking about such an uncontrollable situation made the Spider Queen's sensitive heart burst with irritation.

Fortunately, the emperor also thought of this: this was really not easy for him.

In a public setting under the watchful eyes of many, the Lord of Man simply stated what he needed to say: he confirmed the objectives of the expedition with the Primarchs and the Legions, and very simply hinted that the expedition was inextricably linked to the future of all mankind.

As for the rebellion crisis in the Web Path and the outside world, the Lord of Mankind did not say much. He only warned his soldiers not to pay too much attention to the battlefield environment, but to be careful of the various threats in the Web Path and Comoros: just regard this as an exceptionally difficult battle, a Web Path war comparable to the Ulano War.

As for Horus's rebellion: the emperor simply glossed over the topic.

He simply reiterated that the Comoros contains a treasure of vital importance to humanity, and finding and acquiring it is the highest priority. As for the crisis between Holy Terra and Horus, the Lord of Humanity wisely refrained from directly mentioning which side he supported, only stating that he would immediately return to the real universe to resolve the crisis once the war in the Comoros was over.

No one doubts this statement.

Even Angron and Vulcan believed that as long as the Emperor stepped forward, the war between Holy Terra and the Warmaster would immediately come to an end.

As for the Internet, Comoros, and the future of humanity?

During the Great Expedition, most warriors with a bit of experience participated in wars with unclear objectives and shrouded in mystery. They had long since become accustomed to the life of simple soldiers: since it was a guarantee given by the Lord of Mankind himself, they didn't need to worry about anything outside of battle.

Morgan was delighted to see that even though she hadn't prepared any lines or drafts for her genetic father, the Emperor was still able to make the best impression in front of everyone, becoming the perfect galactic conqueror that Astartes dreamed of, someone who could rally the Legion with just words.

and many more……

On the other hand, as the emperor of the entire galaxy, this ability to control the situation should be a basic skill, right?

Why was he so bad before?

【…】

No, that won't do: I can't think about it too much.

The more I think about it, the angrier I get.

The Spider Queen took a deep breath, but a momentary ferocity still appeared on her beautiful face.

Fortunately, Vulcan and Anglon are no longer with us.

After delivering a public speech that was nothing short of a miracle, the Lord of Mankind immediately dismissed his sons and legions. Vulcan and Anglon were tasked with leading their legions back to camp, leaving ample space for the main force brought by the Emperor to encamp. The Emperor decided to rest in the city for forty hours before embarking on their campaign against the Comoros.

After doing all this, the Lord of Mankind immediately took his only daughter aside.

Everyone was used to this: Waldo even stopped several Imperial Guards who wanted to follow.

Then, as soon as they reached a secluded spot, the Emperor uttered those words that instantly chilled Morgan's heart.

You mean...?

The Spider Queen instinctively used honorifics: but those who truly understand trouble know that honorifics are hardly a good thing for the Lord of Avalon.

Are you planning to give me... a gift?

That's right.
The emperor simply nodded.

But then he hesitated.

Actually, it can't really be considered a gift.
【…】

Upon hearing this, Morgan's remaining half of his heart turned cold instantly.

Ruined.

Even this old codger is willing to admit that this thing doesn't really count as a gift...

How bad would that be?

Dead memories began to haunt Morgan, and she couldn't help but think of the heartfelt "gifts" the Emperor had spoken of.

Dawnbreaker: Hmm, let's not talk about that.

The Burning Apple of Gold: Morgan still keeps it in her deepest recesses, ready to use it as a buff machine when necessary.

Aside from the minor issue of occasionally burning her soul to ashes, it's not a big deal.

As for Cupid's spear...

The Spider Queen only hoped that the blood of the Comoros would help her complete the final step of quenching.

The progress bar has been stuck at 99% for many years.

It's not even as good as these things...

The Spider Queen took a deep breath.

Are you trying to tell me you're planning to move the entire Comoros away?

No, we haven't reached that stage yet.
We can start by trying it out in one block.
【…】

God knows how Morgan suppressed his childlike desire to assassinate the king.

【anyway……】

After spending several seconds composing herself, the Spider Queen managed to force an awkward smile.

Her gaze swept across the distance: even though they were more than ten kilometers away, those steel giants were still the most striking spectacle in their field of vision, especially the mysterious psionic titans of the Ominous Order, whose knowledge even the Primarch knew little about.

Conversely, the relationship between these psionic titans and Morgan is far from superficial.

At least please think about it.

The Spider Queen gained some confidence.

Without me, you wouldn't have been able to bring a hundred psionic titans this time, would you?

+...You're absolutely right. +
After a moment of silence, the Lord of Mankind reluctantly acknowledged what his daughter had said.

Without you, I could have brought a maximum of twenty-five Psionic Titans this time.
+You did a really good job on this.
A compliment, a flawless compliment, flowed from the emperor's lips—a rare occurrence.

Morgan accepted it without any qualms.

She naturally had the confidence to back it up: her confidence came from the distant, quietly standing psionic titans.

In fact, neither the psionic titans nor the Omen Order to which they belonged were very unfamiliar concepts to the Lord of Avalon.

The Emperor had intended to recruit Morgan into the Order of Ominous, but the Spider Queen had explicitly rejected the plan.

In fact, it's not just that: ever since Ulanor's conversation, or even before that, the Lord of Mankind had been intentionally or unintentionally recruiting his daughter into secret organizations or projects that were entirely controlled by him and the Marksmen. These entities, located in the shadows of the Empire, were completely unknown to the outside world, and the other Primarchs had never even heard of them.

For example, Morgan wrote a guideline for the creation of Assassin's Creed.

The one who holds the seal also promised that, if necessary, the Spider Queen's place would be reserved in the Assassin's Court.

In addition, there was the Black Ship: Although it was an even more rudimentary organization than the Assassin's Court, which already had some initial personnel and organizational structure, while the Black Ship was still just a concept, Morgan was still informed of its existence immediately and promised that they could enter the territory of the Far East frontier.

Of course, compared to these trivial matters, the Emperor also revealed the real secret to Morgan.

His plan was called "Grey Knight".

Although the secret was revealed late, Morgan only learned of the Grey Knights' existence from the Emperor when Horus's rebellion was already imminent, the Spider Queen was undoubtedly one of the plan's founders: the Emperor bluntly stated that if things went so badly that the Grey Knights had to be used, he hoped his daughter would become Macardo's assistant.

In return, the Spider Queen also has the right to recommend Ranger Knights.

The Emperor still trusted Morgan's judgment.

Morgan didn't know whether this power was good or bad.

But after carefully listening to the duties of the Grey Knights and the responsibilities of the Ranger Knights, the Spider Queen decided to reserve a letter of recommendation for her friend Ahriman.

This can be considered as leaving him a way out.

In comparison, the allure of the Ominous Order is far less than that of the Primarch.

It wasn't that she was against the truth that the Psionic Titans were powered by psionic beings—Morgan's empathy wasn't that excessive—but rather that the establishment of the Omens and the origins of the Psionic Titans were too deeply intertwined with the Cult of Mechanism, and the relationships involved made the Spider Queen feel very troubled.

Furthermore, while the idea of ​​a psionic titan certainly sounds appealing, Morgan could certainly research and develop one if he wanted to; it would simply take him much longer to reach the Emperor level.

Technology is not the problem.

The real problem is Titan.

All the psionic titans in the Order of Ominous are general-class titans, and they certainly couldn't have been handcrafted by the Emperor in the basement of the palace: at some point during the later stages of the Great Crusade, the Emperor had implored the Cult of Mechanics to permanently allocate at least twenty-five general-class titans to his personal treasury.

That's right: plead.

It sounds humble, doesn't it? But it's true.

After all, in the later stages of the Great Crusade, Omnesia's resounding name, while still able to command the submission of the entire Mechanicus, had long since caused discontent on Mars due to the unequal distribution of resources and income over the century-long crusade. Even the most steadfast faith could not endure such prolonged unfair treatment, let alone Mars, which was known for its meticulousness and cold calculations.

Therefore, this requisition sparked a growing wave of opposition within the already resentful Mechanicus and Mars, with countless people viewing the Emperor's action as criminal plunder. Ultimately, Mars only made partial compromises, allocating eight Warlord-class Titans from their own arsenal to the Emperor, while the rest were provided by other Forgeworlds.

The Emperor obtained the twenty-five Titans he desired.

But this was by no means a number that satisfied him.

It was at this time that Morgan, or rather Morgan's Mechanics allies, saw an opportunity. How did they know?
All I can say is that Morgan would rather lean towards the Emperor than the Mechanicus or Mars.

Although she was indifferent to the Order of the Wicked, the Primarch did not want to see her Gene Father's plans thwarted by these jerks.

What right do these lowly scumbags have?
Although the Empress was a bastard, that bastard belonged only to her and the Primarchs.

And so, things naturally fell into place.

Riza approached the Spider Queen, requesting her to act as an intermediary and speak to the Emperor. Riza offered to concentrate her production capacity over the next few years to provide the Lord of Man with an additional twenty-five Warlord-class Titans free of charge, and even more if needed: all for the sake of Omnisiah's cause.

Subsequently, the various forging worlds in the Far East followed suit, contributing their own production capacity to create brand-new Warlord-class Titans. In the end, the numerous forging worlds throughout the Far East provided the Lord of Mankind with a total of seventy-five Warlord-class Titans, with Riza contributing forty of these seventy-five.

This is the origin of the 100 Psionic Titans we have today.

In return, the emperor later provided generous compensation to Riza and other casting worlds in the Far East.

As Omnesia, he effectively made the various forging worlds in the eastern galaxy independent of Mars, giving them official endorsement for their independent development: Riza already possessed the power to act arbitrarily within the Maelstrom when necessary, thanks to Morgan's actions, and the Emperor, in rewarding Riza's loyalty, elevated this power, which was only necessary when needed, to a permanent one.

At the same time, he also granted Riza the authority to guide the various casting worlds in the Far East in his name.

The deeply grateful Riza would never forget that at the very beginning of this incredibly profitable deal, it was Morgan, who seemed to have nothing to do with the whole thing, who inadvertently revealed the Emperor's predicament to them: Riza simply made up his mind in time, willing to risk his life, and firmly bit into this golden fishhook.

I certainly won't forget these things.
The Emperor looked at his Titans and nodded.

I will never forget their contributions, nor will I forget yours.
Then, he sighed.

Listen to me, Morgan.
What I'm giving you is a gift, but it's also a tool you'll need later.
What's next?

+In the battle of Comoros. +
The emperor explained patiently.

While calling it a gift isn't quite accurate, you'll definitely find it useful.
After speaking, the Lord of Humanity turned his head and shouted in the direction of the Imperial Guard.

Come here.
Someone received this order.

Amidst the rustling sounds of movement and footsteps in the Imperial Guard's ranks, a smaller figure moved through the tall, imposing group of men in golden armor.

Morgan smelled a... foul odor?
She had a bad feeling.

Are you sure this will be a gift?

With a sense of despair, Morgan confirmed with her genetic father one last time.

The emperor didn't even look at her.

I personally prepared it: rest assured.
These words made the Primarch completely uneasy. With the confidence of someone facing death, she watched helplessly as the last line of guards retreated to the left and right.

Then, an even smaller golden figure trotted towards the Emperor and the Primarch.

The armor, gleaming like that of the Imperial Guard, was deliberately designed to accentuate a woman's exquisite figure. Holding a greatsword, her forehead and sides of her head were shaved bald, but the spiky braid that swayed from side to side at the very top inexplicably reminded the Spider Queen of Abaddon.

Such a distinctive outfit, coupled with that strange stench that could be smelled from dozens of meters away...

【…】

Morgan heard himself taking a deep breath until he choked.

"Click...click...click..."

The Primarch twisted his neck, like a spring that hadn't been properly wound up, and looked at the Emperor.

【Father.】

Morgan wasn't sure if he was laughing, crying, or showing an expression that would make the distant Imperial Guards immediately draw their swords.

[The gift you mentioned: Could it be the Silent Sister running towards us?]

I picked it out on purpose.
The emperor looked as proud as a scientist presenting his latest scientific research product on a podium.

Take another deep breath.

This time it was accompanied by a surge in blood pressure and blood vessels that were about to burst.

[My... dear father.]

Morgan coughed twice.

You should know that your daughter is actually a psychic, right?

This isn't exactly popular knowledge.
She smiled.

What's wrong?
What's wrong!
Morgan roared inwardly.

Are you sure you want to give me, a psychic, a silent nun as a gift?

You should know their physiological habits, right?

This is exactly what I've been preparing for.
Having said that, the Silent Sister had already arrived in front of the Emperor and the Primarch. Morgan had been frowning, but she quickly realized that something seemed amiss: compared to the Silent Sisters she had met before, this Silent Sister, who was clearly younger and even somewhat naive, did not make the Primarch feel uncomfortable.

Of course, while the Silent Sisters are the best psionic assassins in the galaxy, they are no match for the Spider Queen unless they appear in large numbers of hundreds or thousands. But Morgan is not Magnus; she has plenty of ways to prevent so many Silent Sisters from even getting close to her.

If Morgan had seen a ship full of Sisters of Silence, she would have opened a rift and teleported them to the very edge of the warp instead of waiting for them to land and then killing them one by one with stones.

As for the issue of field of vision?

If a psionicist above the Alpha level has vision limited to what the eyes can see, he might as well commit suicide sooner rather than later.

To the Lord of Avalon, the Silent Sisters were more like flies or mosquitoes—not deadly, but certainly annoying, like a stain on a cake. This Silent Sister before him seemed different; while equally mood-ruining, she was far less so than her counterparts.

It's probably the difference between one hundred and twelve or thirteen.

Let's get to know Ophelia.
The emperor proudly introduced it.

She was a newcomer, yet she managed to establish herself in the Annihilation Hall through her own abilities.
【…】

Very good, still an Annihilation Knight.

The most elite military unit of the Silent Sisters only operates when dealing with Alpha-level psionic riots or carrying out large-scale planetary missions; they can be understood as the dark angels of Astartes.

It is indeed a very special gift.

What use is she to me?

After much deliberation, Morgan decided to speak frankly.

Be patient.
The emperor's smile looked more like a mockery.

Morgan, you should know your role in the upcoming Comoros War, right?
You've said this countless times.

The Primarch waved his hand impatiently.

The Custodians will act as the pillars, maintaining stability on all fronts. The Astartes will assist them and together they will hold off the Eldar's offensive. The Mechanicus will assist you in the digging from the rear, while you yourself will remain by the tunnel boring machine to ensure it doesn't suffer any disastrous damage. As for firepower, the Titans and the Knights will handle that.

And what about yourself?
I am the blade, and also the ace.

Morgan raised his chin somewhat arrogantly.

I will lead the army through the Comoros' impenetrable defenses, tearing a bloody path through their formidable walls, and protecting your precious possessions in battle.

In short, my mission is to tear apart any Dark Eldar who dare to oppose us: especially those ancient weapons that pose a real threat.

I have no doubt that you can do this.
The Emperor nodded.

+While the Dark Eldar are powerful and have inherited much of the technology and heritage of the Ancient Eldar Empire, their high-level combat strength is far too weak, and they are not a united force. If the entire Comoros could unite to fight against us, then I would indeed need to be extremely cautious. But without such an possibility, they would not be a match for your psionic powers.
+I have no doubt that your psychic power can crush any dark elf who dares to stand in our way, but that is precisely what I fear most. +
+You should know that the Netpath itself has its limits. One of the reasons Morgan, and even the Dark Eldar, abandoned psionic energy was because of the extremely fragile environment of Comoros. If too much power from the warp were used, the entire Comoros city might face a complete collapse. +
+Your strength is sufficient to do this.
I don't want this to happen before we finish our work: that would be disappointing.
So, I prepared her.
The emperor raised a hand, gesturing for his daughter to look at the silent nun before her.

+Ophelia, among all the Silent Sisters, I've identified her unique talent: after my modifications, while she remains untouchable, her influence on psionicists like you has been reduced to negligible levels. Even if she were by your side, it wouldn't affect your performance in actual combat. +
It's great to hear that.

Morgan remained unmoved.

[But this only proves she's harmless: so what use is she then?]

Her purpose is in testing.
The Emperor emphasized this point.

As a special untouchable, Ophelia is extremely sensitive to the use of psychic energy.
She will act as an alarm, alerting you to whether the psionic energy you use in battle has reached the limits that Comoros and the Web Path can withstand. I've specifically tuned her stats; if she shows obvious discomfort, it means your actions are already dangerous, and if she faints or something even worse…
At this point, the emperor became serious.

+Then immediately withdraw your power: the fragile parts of the net can't withstand such a level of psionic energy.
What if she dies?

Morgan glanced at the Silent Sister, silently uttered his question, and pretended not to see that the Silent Sister trembled involuntarily because of his words, her round chin shrinking into her chest like a turtle, while she stared longingly at the Spider Queen.

+Before you acted so recklessly, I should have been by your side and slapped you to the ground. +
The emperor waved his hand dismissively.

+And if I hadn't done that, and you luckily hadn't destroyed the network. +
+Then remember to come find me. +
He pointed to the Silent Sisters.

I'll get you a new one.
------

That's right.
+Before I leave, I have one more question.
【What? 】

Have you contacted Zhuang Sen?
He hasn't arrived yet: but I've left him with a deeply moving holographic image of him.

Don't you need my help?
【help?】

Or, to put it another way: how do you plan to persuade Zhuang Sen?
He's a very suspicious person.
Ah, you don't need to worry about that.

I possess... family-inherited persuasion skills.

+……+
Did I teach you?
That's right: lead by example.

(End of this chapter)