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

Chapter 764 Rescuing the Ghoul Stars (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Sometimes, fate is just that wonderful, isn't it?"

"During the Horus Rebellion, Guilliman, Lane, Sanguis, and I desperately tried to lead the legions to break through the rebel lines and rush to Terra's aid."

"The devastating storm triggered by Luojia almost completely blocked subspace travel, making crossing tens of thousands of light-years a luxury."

"Now the situation has reversed, and it is our turn to go all out to support the Extreme Starfield, defeat and annihilate those green-skinned orcs that have emerged from the Ghoul Cluster."

Lothie sat atop the steel throne on the bridge of the Red Alert, gazing at the ever-changing warp waves reflected in the ship's portholes, lost in memories.

Tarasin stood to the side, whistling leisurely.

"Times have changed. That war back then was a war that concerned the survival of countless people."

This war, in the eyes of many humans, may simply be a war of extermination against the newly risen orc empire.

A peculiar glint flashed in Tarasin's eyes; he understood all too well the thoughts of a rising young empire like humanity.

Whether it was the former Empire of the Dead, the later Empire of the Spirits, or the current Empire of Man.

When the empire is on the rise, its members always treat other enemies with contempt and arrogance.

“Yes, what you said is true.” Losi did not deny it; in fact, this was also what he was worried about.

"When pride and confidence begin to swell and go too far, they turn into arrogance and conceit."

"Despite Guilliman's repeated warnings to the Imperial legions to be cautious, they could not truly understand until they suffered a real loss."

Tarasin helplessly spread his hands, indicating that he was also powerless to help.

"Regarding the Necromancers in space, I have already contacted my Emperor, and he has agreed to lend me a war fleet. We will launch an attack on the Ghoul Cluster from the direction of the Misty Starfield."

"However, the person commanding this war fleet is not me, but a crowned general from our Nihirak dynasty. He is the most outstanding commander, far superior to an amateur like me."

A vast star map appeared before Rosie, with the shimmering starlight representing humanity's important worlds, with a magnified view of the northeastern Milky Way centered on the Ghoul Cluster.

"There is one advantage to these green-skinned orcs emerging from the Ghoul Cluster—the Ghoul Cluster is located in the northeastern part of the Milky Way, and going any further out would mean leaving the Milky Way's boundaries."

"Therefore, we only need to set up interceptions in the south and west of the Ghoul Cluster to build a dam and keep the surging green tide outside the heart of the Empire."

Loshi didn't know what kind of fighting power these green-skinned orcs actually possessed.

The green-skinned orcs led by the Kork orcs are completely different from the original green-skinned orcs.

Their technology was unmatched even by the former Ulanor Orc Empire.

Roche was not a general on the battlefield, but a commander who oversaw the overall situation.

Rather than figuring out how to defeat the green-skinned orcs, he had to prioritize figuring out how to minimize the damage that this massive green tide could cause if he couldn't stop the orcs.

Beyond the Ghoul Stars lies the Limitless Starfield, within which Guilliman's five hundred worlds of Alteramar are located.

Five Hundred Worlds is not only Guilliman's masterpiece, but also Roche's masterpiece.

When he awoke from his millennia-long slumber, the first world he visited was Macurag.

He even transformed a wasteland planet called Mustafa in the Macurag system into a forging world capable of continuously producing advanced equipment.

In his heart, this is already his homeland in the thirty-first millennium.

These worlds suffered devastating destruction during the Horus Rebellion, with many even being bombarded by the rebels' orbital bombardment, and the Chaos magic completely transformed them into worlds of death.

However, the brave people of the world, with their extremely tenacious spirit, managed to survive that most difficult period.

After a hundred years of struggle and hard work, these people painstakingly rebuilt a brilliant civilization, rising from the ashes.

If these human worlds were destroyed by the aftermath of the Green-skinned Beast Tide, Lothie would have no face to face the Alteramars.

Influenced by this mindset, Rosie quickly focused her attention on a shining planet near the southern edge of the Ghoul Cluster.

"Nostramo".

Loshi murmured the name of the planet.

"This is the homeworld of Conrad Coz, the Primarch of the Eighth Legion, and the source of his nightmares."

"This godforsaken, sunless planet has accumulated too much evil and darkness. One can imagine the severe negative impact that Koz suffered growing up here."

“Sometimes I even feel that if Kurtz can just be crazy instead of turning into some kind of laughing bat monster, that would be enough to show his determination.”

"Since Nostramore is the most important world closest to the Ghoul Cluster, let's just establish our forward base here."

Incidentally, it also allows for the demolition and reconstruction of all the original filth and ugliness.

Loxi tapped the holographic projection in front of him hard, and the star map that originally covered the entire northeastern Milky Way continued to zoom in, eventually revealing the appearance of the Nostramo sector.

Nostramo has a satellite called Thenepo. It is this satellite and the planet's orbit that create the solar eclipses, and the severe atmospheric pollution on Nostramo causes it to remain perpetually shrouded in darkness.

The star that dominates this galaxy is a star in its final stages of evolution; its volume has begun to expand, and it is transforming into a red giant.

It brought a faint, dim light to Nostradamus, and also shaped the planet's gloomy, melancholic cultural background.

"You mean you want to set up the front line of the war in Nostrama?"

Tarachin has been by Roxi's side for so long, so he naturally understands his personality.

By simply following the flow of thought, one can discern what he didn't explicitly express.

This sense of uncertainty fascinated Taracin; he had an almost obsessive fondness for uncertainty.

"Isn't this Koz's home planet? Even though you saved Koz, you didn't have to completely destroy his home planet, did you?"

Tarasin also understood the significance of the homeworld to an Astartes Legion; it was the root of the legion, and the soldiers selected from the homeworld would become the main members of the legion in the future.

"Who said I was going to destroy Nostramore?"

Luo Xi raised an eyebrow and asked in return.

"This is a reshaping."

"Initially, Koz led the Night Lords to join Horus's rebel army. The Eighth Legion burned, killed, and looted everywhere in the galaxy, spreading terror and destruction for Horus and forcing more imperial worlds to surrender upon hearing the news."

"These are indisputable facts, and no one can deny them."

Although Koz later repented with my help and returned to the Empire, this does not mean they can escape punishment.

What Loxi was describing was the current state of the Midnight Lords Legion after the war.

They have both great faults and great merits.

After all, it was Koz who tricked Magnus into coming to Terra, which led to them forcibly pinning Magnus to the ground and dragging him onto the Golden Throne.

If Magnus had not sat on the Golden Throne, the Emperor would have had no choice but to forcibly leave the throne in response to Horus's invitation.

At that time, whether it is Macardo or Rosi who replaces the emperor, it will be an unacceptable loss.

Because of the Night Lords' dark history, the Empire later almost completely ignored this region.

The fact that the Empire was able to refrain from digging up the Midnight Lord's past mistakes and not bring up old historical grievances was already a result of Guilliman's strenuous efforts to suppress the rebellion.

However, matters such as trade, postwar reconstruction, and interstellar travel are almost entirely unrelated to the Nostramo Sector.

They were isolated and marginalized.

Koz was critically wounded and dying during the battle with the Avengers, and Severta and the others followed Loshi to the multiverse.

The remaining Night Lords, who were more loyal to the Primarch, returned to the Nostramore Sector under the Emperor's will.

And from this starting point, we will create a kingdom for midnight ghosts.

But even Guilliman wasn't entirely sure how well these Midnight Lords had managed this place.

"Nostrama will be an important strategic point, and we need to go there to find out what's going on."

“I’ll call Auguston over, and we’ll divide the tasks.”

Lothie immediately summoned Auguston from the fleet, and this time Guilliman sent him along as well, to the Five Hundred Worlds to better convey the Primarch's will.

A dozen minutes later, Auguston, dressed in military uniform, transferred from his flagship to Losi's Red Alert.

"Lord Losi," the towering Ultra Warrior bowed respectfully.

“No need for formalities,” Rosie waved her hand in acknowledgment.

Compared to his time guarding the Terra Palace and enduring the humiliation of the Imperial Guards, Auguston, now back in the Five Hundred Worlds, is a picture of high spirits and confidence.

The main body of the power armor is cobalt blue, with gold patterns made of shimmering gold material. The chest plate is branded with an Imperial Sky Eagle marked with the pure skull of a human.

The massive shoulder armor was adorned with delicate, pure markings, and the forehead was decorated with a green laurel wreath bestowed by Guilliman.

The iron halo behind his head shone brightly, and the scarlet cape behind the power backpack further accentuated the demeanor of an invincible war god.

All of this, along with the three gleaming gold service studs on Auguston's forehead and his extremely smug expression, further solidified the image of Guilliman's good son as a fat tiger in Roch's mind.

Fratus the Fat Tiger Auguston.

Auguston had always felt that Losi's gaze towards him was strange, indescribable, but not exactly malicious or hostile.

"This time, as we head to the front lines of the Ghoul Stars, we need to gather forces from all sides."

"Guilliman has already sent the original casting upgrade technology, as well as other weapon and equipment upgrade technologies, to the Five Hundred Worlds, but we still need to confirm the specifics."

"This task is entrusted to you. Go to Macurag and carefully convey Guilliman's message to Marius Gage, and also check their preparations."

"If the Five Hundred Worlds are ready, send troops to the front lines of the Ghoul Stars to await further instructions."

“I obey your will,” Auguston replied, pounding his chest heavily with his right hand.

"However, I think Gage and the others don't need me to confirm it at all; their talents far surpass mine."

If they couldn't even do this, Father would never have allowed them to sit in the positions of the Four Heroes and Legion Commander.

Auguston had even more confidence in Gage and the Four Heroes than in himself.

Although he was confident that none of these people could defeat him in terms of individual combat strength.

However, when it came to the ability to govern and command, Auguston knew he was no match for them.

Where are you going?

"Nostramo, I intend to transform this planet's sector into a frontline against the Greenskin Orc invasion, and this will require the cooperation of the Night Lords."

When the Eighth Legion was mentioned, Auguston's expression changed immediately. He even rubbed his abdomen, revealing a peculiar look.

“I still remember Conrad Coates, who almost ripped me open back then.”

"But Lord Loshi, it will probably be very difficult for you to cooperate with those Midnight Lords."

Auguston looked troubled and spoke slowly.

"When the war ended, the Primarch ordered us to establish the Great Ultramar Kingdom, and we began to reassess and reorganize our territory."

"After all, the original Ultramar 500 Worlds was just a lost political concept inherited from the Dark Age of Technology. When King Connor was in power, he once aimed to revive the Great Ultramar."

"But after the Emperor arrived, Great Otlam can only be said to be a territory under the Empire's rule. We cannot defy the world and seize land everywhere to expand our territory."

Loshi listened and nodded. It turned out that the reason why Guilliman was feared and suspected by many people was because his rule over the five hundred worlds of Alteramar was too conspicuous.

If Guilliman were to continue expanding his territory and taking more of the world under these circumstances, it would be tantamount to dancing on the edge of the empire's bottom line.

However, after the Emperor issued an order allowing the Primarchs to establish independent kingdoms, it became legitimate, and the Five Hundred Worlds were no longer constrained.

“We will continue to expand outward from the original five hundred worlds, bringing all those ‘ownerless’ star systems under our management and rule.”

"The people also lined the streets to welcome our arrival. It was a great fortune for them to be able to live in Lord Guilliman's country."

Auguston spoke with an undisguised smile and pride, for the Ultramarines' territory was indeed a haven of peace compared to other Empire worlds.

"But when our fleet expanded northward, the Nostramo exterminator fleet blocked our way and claimed the Great Nostramo Kingdom as their own."

“The issue of territorial boundaries has always been a sensitive and cautious one. At that time, Gage sent an interstellar communication to Lord Guilliman, and his reply to us was to retreat.”

Loshi understood that this was Guilliman's reason for wanting to adjust the relationship between the two legions, and even the two Primarchies.

His deliberate retreat was a gesture of goodwill towards Nostradamo, indicating that he had no ill intentions.

"But even after we retreated fifty light-years, the Nostramo fleet remained relentless, claiming that the area where we were was their territory."

"They want us to retreat another two hundred light-years and set up a boundary marker at a naturally formed subspace rift."

"A full two hundred and fifty light-years—what greed!"

Auguston waved his thick arms, making a whooshing sound in the air, seemingly harboring great dissatisfaction with the midnight lords.

"These guys were all traitors. How dare they ask us to continue retreating? Whether from the perspective of legitimacy or strength, these star systems should belong to us!"

Lothie pondered the relationships between these Primarch states. If even the Ultramarines and the Night Lords could have conflicts and friction, what about the other Primarch states?
It's important to understand that the Ultramarines are already the most orderly, rational, and rule-abiding of all the Astartes legions. If it were a more volatile legion like the Space Wolves, the situation would likely have escalated by now.

"Nyos, Nios, I wonder if your idea of ​​having the Primarchs establish fiefdoms to protect Terra has been inspired by the history of the Zhou Dynasty in ancient China? Aren't you afraid that your sons will fast-forward directly to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods?"

"The Primarchs fighting each other, Terra dying suddenly, it doesn't sound like it's a long time coming."

Loxi shook her head, then continued to ask.

"Wait, you said the Ultramarines were forced to continue retreating by the Night Lords, so how far were you from their homeworld Nostramore when you first encountered the Eighth Legion?"

“1500 light-years, sir,” Auguston replied obediently.

Rosie's lips twitched, but she pretended not to ask.

1500 light-years may seem like a long distance, but it's actually quite close when you consider the distance between two Primarchies.

At this distance, the Ultramarines' fleet could reach the Midnight Lords' homeworld with just one warp jump.

Under such circumstances, it's no wonder that the Midnight Lord was so anxious that he even sent out a destroyer fleet to force the Ultramarines to retreat.

"I shouldn't encounter this situation when I go to Nostramo."

"After all, I'm the one who saved their original genes. I also carry the tokens that Kurtz gave me. As long as they still acknowledge their genetic father, they have to listen to me."

Since Roxi dared to go directly to Nostramamo, he must have his own reasons.

"In that case, I wish you all the best. I will return to Macurag now and have Gage and the four heroes immediately dispatch troops to the front lines."

"The Five Hundred Worlds fear no challenge from any enemy; the Ultra Warriors will surely wipe out these damned scum!"

Auguston's roar made Rose's ears ring.

Guilliman's son then got up and left without hesitation, returning to Macurag as quickly as possible.

"Do you think he understood what you meant? This extreme warrior seems to only have muscles in his head."

Taracin held a glass of craft motor oil in his hand, sipping it slowly, seemingly savoring its mellow flavor.

"Maybe not. That's just how Auguston is. He's always been straightforward, and even if I hint at it, it won't make a difference."

"Let Guilliman handle these matters. I'm not the Primarch of the Ultramarines."

Lothie gave a helpless, bitter smile. He had originally intended to advise the other party to handle the relationship with the neighboring Primarchies properly, so as to prevent the conflict from accumulating and deepening.

Lochte's fleet and Auguston's fleet parted ways here.

Most of the Imperial Navy and Astronautical Forces in this fleet followed Loshi's lead and headed to the Nostramore Sector.

This time, Guilliman even dispatched most of the Solar Fleet to support the war in the northeastern part of the galaxy.

This is the empire's most elite and largest naval force.

Imperial Navy Admiral Corinthians von Raeder personally led this expeditionary fleet.

Although this naval commander did not shine during the Horus Rebellion, he led the rebuilt Imperial Navy in the pursuit of the remaining rebels throughout the galaxy after the Siege of Terra ended.

The galaxy is so vast that even after the Wolf God died in his duel with the Emperor, countless rebels from all over the galaxy are still striving to reach Terra.

Relying on subspace interstellar communication can sometimes produce frustrating time errors; it's possible to receive a message when the war has already ended for over a decade.

It was in this chaotic local conflict that General Raeder climbed his way up from the bottom, eventually becoming an admiral.

As for the Astronautical Army, Guilliman also brought Roch the best of his class—the Astronautical Army of the Sun, which was reorganized and transformed from the original Solar Auxiliary Army.

These proud warriors naturally had little reason to doubt; they had already proven their reliability and strength during the Horus Rebellion.

This fleet, consisting of thousands of warships, swiftly traversed the subspace.

With Lothie personally overseeing things, the warp storms that Roger Dorn once encountered when he sent the fleet to quell the rebellion in the Istavan system are unlikely to recur.

Now, Lothie is able to use his authority to directly dispel and extinguish ordinary warp storms.

Even if they encountered a subspace storm of the devastating magnitude of the past, Loxi could at least spot it in advance like a lookout, and then lead the fleet to find the storm's weak points to avoid it.

“I’m a little worried about the movements of the other support fleets. Based on my predictions, their support of the Five Hundred Worlds may not be easy.”

"Never forget that our real enemy has never been the green-skinned orcs."

"The true mastermind behind this orc empire that rose from the ghoul stars is actually the Chaos God of the Warp."

"It was Abaddon who led the Chaos Space Marines in a raid on Solemnas and released the Kork Orcs that had been stored away by Stasis."

"So do you think that if the human empire has already reacted and is going to suppress the rising orc empire, the evil gods in the warp will just sit idly by and watch the show?"

Listening to Rosie's speculation, Tarasin also fell into deep thought.

Yes, in the end, the green-skinned orcs were nothing more than tools used by the Chaos God.

After losing their bets on Horus, they became impatient and even released the green-skinned orcs to prevent humans from winning, so that everyone could lose together.

"Yes, so I speculate that the other detachments are likely to be hindered by the subspace storm, causing them to be delayed or even lost on their way to the battlefield."

"The frequency of warp demons will also increase, as their masters need them to hold humanity back."

"Furthermore, we've diverted the entire empire's attention to the Ghoul Cluster, and deployed most of our military forces and personnel to this battlefield. Doesn't that mean our rear is now vulnerable?"

"The scars of the universe, the Eye of Fear, have yet to be healed, and the threat from the warp hangs over humanity like the Sword of Damocles."

As Tarasin listened to Loshi's analysis and speculation, he fell into deep thought for a moment.

After a long while, he finally snapped out of his silence.

"You have indeed grown very quickly. If you were the same person you were when you first met me, you wouldn't have thought about so many things so complicatedly."

"Since you've already considered that your opponent might take advantage of the chaos, what are you planning to do?"

Rosie displayed a calm and composed demeanor, as if he had expected this all along; he and Guilliman had already discussed these matters.

"Behind every crisis lies an opportunity. After a century of cleansing, the chaotic forces within the galaxy have been steadily weakening and shrinking."

"But if they just stay in places like the Eye of Fear and the Maelstrom, where the real universe and the warp meet, then we really don't know what to do with them."

"But now the Empire's attention is shifting, and those rats hiding in the gutter are starting to move."

"As soon as they show their faces, the empire will deliver a thunderous blow."

"Those traitors are waiting for us to make mistakes, but aren't we also waiting for them to make mistakes?"

"high."

Tarasin gave a thumbs-up, a gesture he had learned from humans.

"Indeed, I am better suited to discovery and collection. I am a historian and a collector, but I can't handle these complicated things."

Taracin laughed heartily, while Loxi was even more envious of the other's ability to wholeheartedly enjoy himself.

"If humanity can escape the covetousness of the Warp, and the Emperor can lead humanity again, then there's nothing more for me to do."

"I also want to run away completely, just like Makado, and disappear without a trace."

The thought of Macado instantly made Rosie furious.

It's one thing for this guy to disappear, but now that the empire is about to be plunged into war, he can still hold back from showing up.

The fleet led by Loshi is rapidly advancing towards the Nostramo Sector.

Just as he had predicted, the closer one got to the Ghoul Cluster, the more turbulent the subspace corresponding to the real universe became.

An invisible, immense force is churning within the sea of ​​souls, stirring up towering waves.

Loxi had already vaguely sensed a subtle aura unique to the Chaos God.

They are watching this war they started and are happy to see the situation worsen.

Of these scents, the one belonging to the Blood God was the strongest.

Khorne longed for the impending war to be even bloodier and grander; for the god of war and blood, this was the meaning of His existence.

Amidst the stench of the Blood God, there was also a faint, eerie fragrance of the Lord of Myriad Changes.

The appearance of the ancient orcs undoubtedly added a huge variable to this great game, after all, even the Chaos God himself could not control this variable of the ancient orcs.

This feeling of being subtly out of control was something that Tzeentch found incredibly intoxicating.

"Perform a subspace jump."

"Entering the real universe."

"Passengers, please prepare for impact."

Inside the Red Alert, the main control AI thoughtfully issued a reminder. After a violent tremor and shaking, Rosie finally arrived in the Nostramo system.

Just as I warp out of Mandeville, a fleet of cruisers marked with the Eighth Legion Nightbat insignia is approaching.

They aimed their broadside guns at the Imperial warships that had just warped in, but did not make any move to prepare to fire.

The aging sun of Nostramo cast a dim light that shone through the starship's portholes onto the interior deck.

Loxi strolled to the porthole, where a communication request from the Midnight Lords Legion was already ringing in her ears.

“Establish holographic communication with them, Pikachu.”

With a flash of hazy light, three Midnight Lords appeared before Loxi.

The Midnight Lord in the center was not wearing a helmet. His face was unusually pale, his eyes were sunken, outlining deep-set eyes, and there were several cut scars on his cheeks and lips.

What struck Roche most was his smooth, round head, a clear sign of purity untouched by the corruption of chaos.

Even just standing there, Conrad's son seemed like a ghostly figure watching over those around him.

His shoulder armor was covered with several sharp steel spikes, with decorations resembling human skin wrapped haphazardly around them. The blue-purple night bats paired with lightning patterns made him look particularly sinister and eerie.

"You are……"

"Midnight Lord Archon, War Philosopher Macarion".

As Loxi revealed the other party's identity, Macarion slowly raised his head.

He seemed somewhat surprised that such a big shot as Rosie would remember the name of an unknown nobody like him.

"Lord Luo Xi."

"Nice to meet you."

Macarion bowed slightly as a gesture of respect.

Loshi wasn't surprised by the other party's indifferent attitude towards him. After all, when Koz was on the verge of death, he took him to other universes to seek a cure, which was kept completely secret from everyone.

Before leaving, Severta only told the Eighth Legion that he was going to carry out an extremely important and secret mission, but he didn't tell anyone what the mission was or where he was going.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Eighth Legion, Severta disappeared without a trace along with the Primarch, leaving them without even a clue.

It was already the limit that Macarion was able to bow to Roxi. In fact, the calmness shown by these Midnight Lords had exceeded Roxi's expectations.

“I bring the will of Terra, son of Conrad,” Lothie said in a deep voice.

“Terra?” Macarion frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing across his face.

"This is the Midnight Ghost Court, our territory, and this is an order personally issued by the Emperor."

"Are you saying that the emperor's personal order has become completely invalid after only a hundred years?"

"This shelf life is really unsatisfactory."

Although Macarion appears gentle and refined, lacking the ferocity and cruelty of other Midnight Lords, he possesses a subtle yet firm strength, a hidden edge.

If Rossi answers no, then he can use the Emperor's name to refuse Rossi entry.

If Rosie answers yes, then he can ridicule Terra's hypocrisy and the absurdity of imperial authority.

"What a bunch of troublemakers, they're all just like Koz," Losi cursed inwardly.

Faced with the two choices presented by Macalion, Roche chose neither.

He simply said it.

“I have news of Koz, and the keepsake he gave me.”

Do you want to know?

(End of this chapter)