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

Chapter 749 Imperial Weightlifting Champion (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Roche had never seen Guilliman so vulnerable and broken.

In his memory, the Lord of Macurag had always been calm and composed, with a calculating and meticulous demeanor.

Guilliman was a perfect ruler; he was able to use his rationality to firmly control his emotions, and thus rely on his calculation ability to make the most rational judgments based on objective circumstances.

Many people who spend time with him can't help but marvel that this Primarch is practically a supercomputer that looks like a human.

But now, Guilliman held Rosie tightly in his arms, kneeling on one knee, looking completely broken.

"This……"

"What exactly have you been through?"

Guilliman was not wearing his armor, but rather a comfortable and loose robe.

Luo Xi could vaguely see a few stray white hairs at the temples of this imperial heir.

The original body can also grow white hair?

Loxi really didn't know that.

Even on Peturabo, who was hit by the Hrud's entropy energy weapon, he did not see any white hair.

If we exclude the many bald, muscular Primarchs, even Guilliman might be the first Primarch with white hair.

Although Guilliman did not cry, Rosie clearly understood his feelings.

Exhausted, numb, in pain, and with no will to live.

"For the past hundred years, you've been staying in Terra Palace, handling affairs?"

"Is this how Makado exploits you?"

Guilliman broke down for a full half hour, while Rose stood there for the same half hour.

Enrico of the Imperial Fist wisely stood outside the office door, while the other Sons of Guilliman could only stand guard outside the palace.

The Imperial Guard refused entry to the Ultramarines, a decision that even Guilliman's own protests could not change.

The Horus Rebellion seems to have completely activated the Custodian's PTSD, making all Space Marines appear as traitors or potential traitors.

“Lord Guilliman… he has suffered.” Enrico thought to himself, it was the first time he had ever seen the Imperial Commander show such vulnerability.

"Those Ultramarines, are they going to come and assassinate me? After all, I saw the vulnerability of their Primarchs."

"It's not impossible. If anyone from another legion saw Lord Dorne's vulnerable and broken side, I would also want to kill him to silence him."

Enrico's emotions were fluctuating, and his thoughts even began to wander.

However, he never imagined Dorn would break down like that; his mind simply had no material to process it.

Meanwhile, in the office, Tarasin, completely oblivious to the concept of avoiding suspicion, was holding his camera with a wicked grin, recording Guilliman's entire appearance.

The rarity of a Primarch weeping in despair is even greater than the rarity of a Primarch being beheaded.

Guilliman endured an unimaginably high workload, but that didn't mean he became thin and emaciated.

Instead, by saving time on meals, they maximize their efficiency by pushing themselves to the limit.

Guilliman consumed too many high-calorie foods and caffeine drinks with concentrations high enough to be fatal, which caused him to develop a "bloated" appearance.

To use Roche's words, it's "overwork obesity".

In Rosie's view, her old friend's face was obviously much rounder than before, and even a double chin appeared when he broke down.

Deep dark circles loomed over his eyes, and Guilliman exuded a half-dead, listless air typical of a working-class laborer.

"Sigh, why do you do this to yourself?"

"Although that old man Makado ran away, didn't he leave you the Terra Highlord Council as a way to share the burden?"

"Why do you have to do everything yourself? Just leave it alone."

Upon hearing Roche's words of comfort, Guilliman's emotions, which had calmed down slightly, suddenly surged up again.

"Don't mention that old scoundrel's name!"

"I am irreconcilably opposed to him! I am irreconcilably opposed to him!"

"It was clearly agreed from the beginning that I would temporarily lend a hand to help the empire smoothly transition from its state of war to a state of development, and then I would go back."

"Liar, complete liar! He tricked me into this position, and then just disappeared without a trace!"

Guilliman was so agitated that veins bulged on his forehead, and he even spit out saliva, smearing it all over Rosie's face. He could only try to calm him down.

This miserable Primarch can still recall that afternoon more than a hundred years ago—when he heard news one after another of his brothers, the Sealholder, and the Marshal of the Imperial Guard disappearing.

From that moment on, Guilliman knew he had been deceived, but he could no longer find anyone to replace him.

"As long as I am in this position, I cannot shirk my responsibilities."

"If I clearly see a mistake but don't correct it, I will feel deeply guilty and regretful."

"Horus's mistakes have greatly damaged the Empire: the Solar and Dim Sector suffered the most damage in the war, while the Limit Sector, being the largest, was also severely damaged."

"The remaining Storm Starfield and Pacific Starfield are slightly better, but these two starfields also have many problems that need to be solved."

"The burden of the entire human empire's five star regions rests on my shoulders; how can I not be exhausted and overworked?"

Rosie nodded secretly; these were indeed words that Guilliman would say.

He was too stubborn and too upright, and Macardo took advantage of Guilliman's honesty. If he had even a tenth of Lemanrus's cunning, he wouldn't be the way he is now.

If any other Primarch were to take the blame for Macardo's actions, they would most likely just walk away as if nothing had happened.

Loshi thought for a moment and realized that if Ryan were to take the position of Imperial Commander, he would definitely plant the Extinction Order throughout the entire galaxy.

If Chagatai Khan and Lemanlus were to sit in that position, the former would be obsessed with racing cars and the latter with hunting and banquets; neither would seem capable of governing the empire well.

Saint Gilles and Coz now take their place in leading the uprising in the parallel universe of the gods.

Dorn and Perturabo are lost in the temporal turbulence; Feralus Marus is working as 007 in the Cursed Legion. Thinking about it carefully, it seems that there are indeed not many people who can replace Guilliman.

"What about your good brothers Corax and Vulcan? They are the kindest and most benevolent of the Primarchs. Why wouldn't they help you?"

When Rosie asked the question, Guilliman simply sighed.

"Korax has a strong sense of guilt about the Empire and his legions, which, as far as I know, is about the [Super Ravenguards]."

"The Emperor gave Corax some unique technology, but it failed to be put into practice, which made my brother depressed for a long time."

"He told me he was going to settle accounts with Luo Jia, and then he disappeared."

Guilliman and Corax had a really good relationship. In a sense, the former was the only brother that the Raven King recognized, and he taught him the ways of war and how to conduct himself.

"As for Vulcan, his legion was probably the most severely damaged of all his brothers, so he also returned to Nocturne to recuperate."

Upon hearing Guilliman's reply, Rosie immediately lost her composure.

The so-called gentleman deceives others with his methods, but the other Primarchs see through it all.

"You, the imperial weightlifting champion, will have to work a little harder."

"Since you've managed to hold on for a hundred years, a thousand years shouldn't be a problem."

"Maybe you'll get used to it after working overtime for a while?"

Rosie's teasing made Guilliman's expression change drastically.

"what?!"

"You're back again this time? All I know is that the other brothers said you left our universe to seek new opportunities and power in a new universe."

Guilliman's excitement gradually subsided, and he immediately realized that Rosie had obviously returned with important matters to attend to.

"What is the outside world like? Is it better than ours?"

Since Roche went out and came back, it means that he must have made some discoveries or gained something while he was out there.

After all, traversing the universe is no child's play; it's not something that can be done easily.

Guilliman's overly developed multi-threaded thinking even led him to draw parallels to the fantastical adventures that Roche had experienced.

"The outside world?" Rosie hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Although other universes are not exactly the same as ours, they also have their own predicaments and enemies, so it’s hard to say which one is in a better situation.”

Intelligent life in the Warhammer universe faces the threat of chaos, especially the corruption of the four warp gods.

The Celestial Universe is simply a universe that has been completely enslaved and transformed by the Celestials. All life there lives a life that appears peaceful, but in reality, it is nothing more than a life trapped in a cage.

"It seems that the same principle applies to different universes: without the power to protect oneself, everywhere is a covetous and lurking enemy."

"Strength is the only true measure of success."

Guilliman was also quite moved.

In the past, he was merely the king of the five hundred worlds of Otram, yet he already deeply felt the weight of his responsibilities and burdens.

Now, having sat in the position of imperial commander for a hundred years, he has come to deeply understand the immense pressure that past emperors had borne.

Many ordinary people struggle and suffer from the trolley problem, while emperors deal with thousands upon thousands of problems every day that are billions of times more difficult than the trolley problem.

For the past century, he has been trying to fill the huge hole left by the past for the Empire. Horus's rebels have almost destroyed the entire galaxy, and too many planets need to be rebuilt.

On the other hand, he was also trying his best to guide the empire toward the kind of mortal politics that the emperor and Macardo desired.

“Rosie, sometimes I really can’t understand why my father trusts and is so at ease with humans.”

"Since the establishment of the Terra Highlord Council more than a hundred years ago, the Terra Highlords, each selected from among the humans, have assisted me in governing this empire."

"They are all top performers in their respective fields, who rose to high positions after complex exchanges of interests and political maneuvering."

"But I still found that they had more or less problems. Even the few high lords that I was satisfied with mostly did not live long."

"The shortest-serving high lord of the Ministry of Internal Affairs only lasted thirty-five years in his post before working himself to death. Even the biotechnology of the Cult of Mechanism could not save him."

Guilliman sighed.

He quite liked that talented person, but unfortunately, their relationship was as short-lived as fireworks.

The imperial framework left by the Emperor and Macardo destined him to never truly wield absolute power.

The Imperial Commander and the High Lords Council are in a relationship of checks and balances and mutual support. He must spend a certain amount of time and energy communicating with those High Lords.

At first, things were alright. The Empire had just survived that terrible war, and the Primarch's war prestige was enough to overwhelm all the High Lords.

But as time passed, the painful memories of the past gradually faded, and the minds of ordinary people began to stir.

Relying on the political structure left by Macardo, they began to seize power for themselves, both openly and covertly.

The pursuit of fame and fortune is inherent in human nature.

Without the transcendent mental state and mindset of the Primarch, even the highest-ranking humans like the High Lords of Terra would be captivated by him.

Even if they don't care, the interest groups behind them will care and will force them to fight for it.

“Sometimes I would clash with the high lords, but I had to use political means to persuade them, since theoretically I wasn’t their direct superior.”

“They respect me, but that doesn’t mean they will listen to my opinions unconditionally. There are a large group of interest groups behind them who keep me in check.”

"Human beings are always short-sighted; when faced with a choice between long-term and immediate interests, they often choose the latter."

"It is not an easy task for me to outwit and outmaneuver these people, especially since there are so many of them and I am all alone."

Rose heard a lot from Guilliman's words: his helplessness, his confusion, and his lament.

"Many times, in order to protect my long-term interests, I have to stand up and be the bad guy, and keep offending more and more people."

“Sometimes I wonder how Makado manages to satisfy the appetites of those people under him while also keeping my father’s empire running smoothly.”

"It's hard on you."

Rosie wanted to say something, but all that came out were these four short words.

In fact, a large part of the reason why Guilliman is in so much pain now is that the position and power left to him by the Emperor and Macardo are all subject to checks and balances.

He was not the ruler of the empire. If he could have made decisions and controlled everything as he did in Macurag, then he wouldn't need to outwit and outmaneuver the most cunning and shrewd people in the world.

The energy consumed in political struggles with the High Lords could even rival the mental effort Guilliman expended in handling state affairs.

"Saint-Gilles and Coz asked me to deliver a message."

"They said they miss you and look forward to meeting you in the universe."

"They are launching a new grand expedition beyond the universe, and their enemy is none other than those false gods."

Rosie's words immediately made Guilliman's eyes light up, and he instantly put aside his unpleasant feelings.

Guilliman chewed over every word Rosie uttered with greed.

"You saved them? I didn't even get to see Saint Gilles and Coz one last time, since you were already gone when I arrived."

"How are they doing now? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Guilliman felt guilty for arriving too late. Many times he thought that if he had arrived sooner, perhaps Saint Gilles and Coz wouldn't have been so badly injured, and the Emperor wouldn't have sat on the Golden Throne again.

But unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in the world.

"They are fine. In another universe, I killed an incomplete [Broken God]."

"Then I burned those enemy prisoners of war, along with the shattered gods, to ashes, thus breaking the corruption and curse that Horus left in the Primarch's soul."

Loshi said it casually, without mentioning the thrilling details.

But Guilliman knew Rosie so well that he could glean from her simple and plain language what Rosie and the human expeditionary force had encountered in the outer universe.

"Shattered God?"

"You also killed a god?"

Even a fool could tell that someone whom Roche called a god was no ordinary being.

While they couldn't possibly be beings like the four Chaos Gods of the Subspace, they were at least at the level of the Spirit Race Gods.

"Yes, it is these guys who call themselves gods who enslave other universes."

In order to maintain their rule and interests, they even divided a single, unified universe into countless parallel universes.

“I learned dimensional technology from them, and how to divide the universe. In the near future, I may also be able to carve out a universe that humanity can completely control.”

"We humans can live, learn, and reproduce freely in an independent universe without worrying too much about the covetousness of enemies from beyond the universe."

The scene described by Roche instantly captivated Guilliman.

“This is exactly the future I’ve always dreamed of,” the Primarch exclaimed.

"If I could carve out my five hundred worlds of Ultramar, along with the surrounding universes, and establish a small cosmic kingdom..."

Guilliman said instinctively, but then he swallowed the rest of his sentence.

He is now the commander-in-chief of the empire, and every word he utters must be carefully crafted and polished.

These words might not seem like much if they came from someone else, but when he said them, it was tantamount to openly dividing the human empire.

If this were to reach the ears of those high lords, who knows if they would actually believe it and think that Guilliman was tired of playing political games with them anymore.

"Now that Sanguis and Coz have taken over the reins of those parallel universes in my place, I have been able to temporarily escape and return to my homeland."

"I came back this time with a specific purpose."

"Firstly, I want to share with you the technological creations and unique knowledge I have collected from other multiverses, so that humanity in the Warhammer universe can develop more quickly."

"Secondly, I also want to come back to see the situation in my hometown, to see if you are all well and to make sure that nothing major has happened or any accidents have occurred."

"Now I am convinced that there is a time flow difference between our universe and the outside universe. After all, only a few decades have passed on the other side, while a hundred years have passed here."

Guilliman listened quietly as he took a bottle of his prized Macurag wine from the freezer next to him, opened it, and placed it on the table to let it breathe.

A genuine look of envy crossed his eyes. Sanguis and Coz were fighting hard in the unknown multiverse, protecting the future of humanity.

And he, sitting languishing on the throne of Holy Terra, overwhelmed by endless official duties, burned himself out like a living candle.

The vast galaxy is home to countless planets and humans—all sorts of requests for help, trade, and war documents fly toward Holy Terra, some even decades old, due to the instability of warp communication.

Even if the Ministry of the Interior does not delay and sends the order quickly after Guilliman replies, there is still a possibility of encountering subspace communication fluctuations.

Guilliman was acutely aware that as long as humanity could not escape the subspace, it could not escape this semi-dead state.

However, if humanity were to rashly detach itself from the warp, it would only transition from a slow death to a sudden, violent one.

"Actually, I also want to go out and see the world. My brothers have all scattered for their own goals, but I am the only one trapped here."

"I actually empathized with that idiot Magnus, because in the vast palace, there were only the two of us Primarchs."

Kiriman paused for a moment, then poured the decanted red wine into a crystal glass.

“Oh, I almost forgot someone. Our only sister, Mortalian, is still imprisoned in the Shadow Prison of the Royal Palace, guarded by those loyal Shadow Prison Guards.”

Luo Xi raised an eyebrow, sensing a hint of surprise.

"Isn't that old man Uslan trying to take Mortalian away? He said it was to deepen the alliance with humanity, and it would be best to send a Primarch to Eldar as a representative."

Guilliman chuckled and teased.

"Yes, Father did not address Mortalian's future before he ascended the throne."

"But if the emperor doesn't object, it means he acquiesces; this is a well-known unspoken rule of politics."

"In fact, she herself was firmly opposed to it. She would rather die in the Shadow Prison than go to the Adalings."

“The prophet Uslan has also come to Terra several times, but he was turned away by Mortalian each time.”

This was a rare moment of amusement for Guilliman in his monotonous life, so when he talked about it, Rosie noticed that the fat on his chin started to jiggle.

“You really should lose some weight. When I came in just now, I even hallucinated a giant blue Macurag hamster stealing food.”

"And all these documents and files in this room are the wood chips you use to build your nest."

Guilliman immediately looked embarrassed, knowing that he had gained some weight.

"Cough cough."

"I'm just too busy."

"My Crimson Sword is even getting moldy on the weapon rack, and its mechanical spirit is complaining about why I always neglect it."

"After that war of extermination, although the empire was still full of loopholes and was reporting errors and asking for help everywhere, no major problems had emerged."

When talking about these things, Guilliman finally revealed a sense of relief and pride.

Isn't his tireless work and dedication precisely to prevent major problems from arising in the empire?
Although he, a paperhanger, couldn't possibly solve all the problems, that's beyond human capabilities.

"In the chaotic century since my father's departure, I have stabilized the Empire, driven out and annihilated the vast majority of the rebels and warp demons that roamed the galaxy."

"I struck down those alien races that tried to take advantage of the chaos among humans: including green-skinned orcs, various psionic aliens, and several restless space necromantic dynasties."

"I spearheaded postwar reconstruction, vigorously promoted population recovery, replenished and reorganized the severely damaged Astartes Legions and mortal auxiliary forces, and promoted the transformation of most mortal auxiliary forces into Imperial Astral Forces."

Guilliman's voice grew louder and louder, so loud that even Enrico, who was waiting outside the door, could hear it clearly.

“Lord Guilliman is the pillar of the Empire now,” the Son of Dorne murmured.

"Under my rule, the Empire's severed economic and trade network has been restored and is more prosperous than during the Great Expedition."

"I have vigorously promoted scientific and technological development, not only organizing more than a dozen expeditions to recover lost technologies, but also sparing no effort to support the mechanical education on Mars and the advanced technological community on Ganymede."

Guilliman seemed to be reviewing his own achievements, and he made his assessment as objectively as possible, neither humble nor arrogant.

Of course, he wasn't saying this to boast about his achievements; he just wanted to hear Losi's opinion on the matter.

There aren't many people in this world he cares about, but Rosie is definitely one of them.

He knew that now that he was in a high position, even his own children might make some subjective comments because of his prestige.

Even ancient emperors who could only possess a small piece of land would feel lonely and isolated at the top, let alone Guilliman, who actually rules the entire galaxy at this moment.

“You did a very good job, Rob, very good.”

“Even I, or any of your brothers, could never have achieved more than you in your position.”

"In fact, even the Emperor is like that, because you and I both know that Neos is a damn bastard who likes to shirk responsibility and use moral blackmail!"

When Loxi uttered those words, the entire Terra Palace seemed to tremble silently under the influence of an invisible force.

Guilliman's proud expression was instantly replaced by embarrassment.

As a son and subject, he could not speak of the emperor as freely as Roxi did.

“Even Makado couldn’t stand him; he would pack up his bucket and run away as soon as the matter was over.”

"But without you, the entire empire would probably fall into a state of chaos and confusion."

“We must persevere. I will fight outside the universe, while you will oversee the Empire.”

Hearing Rosie's encouragement, Guilliman's expression improved considerably.

"We all have different roles and responsibilities, and people have different opinions about us."

"I'm on an expedition, you're defending the base, and the other Primarchs are farming and developing their resources. We all have a bright future ahead of us."

Loshi tried his best to deceive him, and although the giant hamster Macurag had a tense face, he couldn't hide the twitching muscles on his face.

That smile is harder to control than a twin-barreled heavy explosive rifle.

But that's not right. Since everyone has different roles and responsibilities, why can't I do other things?

Guilliman suddenly had a brain fart and veered in another direction.

He vaguely felt that he had been flattered by Rose and deviated from the original intention, but for a moment he didn't know where the problem was.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rosie glanced at Guilliman, who seemed to be deep in thought, and then released even more information to disrupt his thinking.

This is a top-notch ox personally selected by Makado. It is hardworking, highly efficient, and, most importantly, willing and responsible.

You won't find another person like him in the entire galaxy.

"I brought back many good things this time, which is good news."

"But since there's good news, there's also bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

Roche cleverly steered Guilliman's thinking toward choosing between good and bad news, and the simple-minded Marklag boy fell for it.

“Let’s hear the good news first. I’ve had enough of this and need some good news to lift my spirits,” Guilliman said, taking a sip of wine.

His taste buds had become numb and dulled after decades of being tortured by lethal doses of caffeine, and he tried very hard to savor the taste of this bottle of red wine.

"The good news is: I brought back key technologies that we were missing from other universes."

"Space bridge technology is a faster-than-light travel method that I obtained from an alien civilization called Cybertron."

A space bridge could traverse vast distances in a short time by creating wormholes in space.

"The most crucial point is that it does not use subspace technology, but is purely physical technology."

Pure physics? Faster than light?
Guilliman clenched his fist tightly, crushing the half-empty glass of Macurag wine into dust.

He paid no attention to these priceless treasures.

"By the Emperor!"

"How many more surprises are you hiding that I don't know about?!"

Guilliman swung his fist, drops of red wine mixed with shards of glass sliding from his hand, but it did not attract the slightest attention from the Lord of Macragge.

He paced back and forth in the room, realizing that most of the problems that had been troubling him could be resolved or alleviated because of the value behind this good news.

"What are the costs of a purely physical method to achieve faster-than-light travel?" Guilliman was still somewhat apprehensive.

He feared that after finally hearing such good news, he would have to accept the drawbacks that came with it.

"The price?" Rosie thought for a moment, then said.

"The space bridge technology requires a massive amount of energy, and its operating cost is much higher than that of the Kia space engine."

"Furthermore, the space bridge is far inferior to the subspace engine in terms of flexibility."

We need to construct a massive structure similar to a stargate, provide it with security and energy, and then build a giant space transportation hub around it.

Loshi counted on his fingers the drawbacks of the space bridge technology.

But when all of this reached Guilliman's ears, it automatically became noise that was completely blocked out.

In his eyes, Rose kept talking, but he couldn't hear anything clearly.

That's it? You call that a flaw?
Guilliman's face was contorted with a grin.

Guilliman simply wanted as many flawed technologies as possible; he didn't mind.

"There's no time to lose, right now! I need a space bridge, the Empire needs a space bridge!"

"I'm going to build fucking space bridges all over the galaxy! I'll pay for it! If I can't afford it, I'll call the Emperor to pay for it."

Guilliman slammed his hand on the slam.

He decided to postpone all the original plans and arrangements and reorganize them. Now, the most important thing is to unlock and popularize the Space Bridge technology.

Even if the emperor were to step down from the golden throne now, he would make the same decision.

If a faster-than-light means that does not rely on subspace were available, humanity's slow communication and material circulation would undergo a qualitative change.

The Empire's current operating mechanism is entirely built upon the crucial point of the warp.

Whether it's the warp engines used for navigation, the navigators guiding the way, the star-speakers using the warp to transmit information, or the Starforge that burns star torches to create beacons, all of these are examples of this.

He has already envisioned that humanity will enter a bright new future because of the emergence of this technology.

(End of this chapter)