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

Chapter 765 Space Gotham 30k Limited Edition (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

When faced with a choice between two options, most of the time, no matter which option you choose, it will be wrong.

Because the person who sets the verbal trap has already anticipated the respondent's reaction and prepared a series of clever follow-up questions, enough to keep the other party flustered.

Therefore, without hesitation, Loxi chose to skip the other party's question and directly asked a new question that the Night Lords absolutely could not refuse.

Clearly, when Rosie mentioned Conrad Coates, Macalion, who had been looking gloomy and sullen, couldn't hold back any longer.

For all Astartes, their Primarch is the most sensitive starting point, especially for the Night Lords whose Primarch has been missing for a long time.

"You know anything about our Primarchs?"

"The Primarch has not been seen for over a hundred years. The last sighting was on the Soul of Vengeance, after which Coz disappeared without a trace, and Sevita disappeared as well."

"If you commit any lies or deception, even if it means becoming an enemy of the entire empire, the Midnight Lord will never tolerate it!"

"Never doubt our warnings!"

Macarion's deep voice was as furious as an enraged shadow lion.

On either side of him stood the Midnight Lords, clad in blue-purple power armor. When Loxi's words reached their ears, they could no longer stand still.

Lothie recognized one of them; it was Shen, the Primarch's squire, whom he remembered as someone quite adept at managing legions.

The other person was someone Rose didn't recognize, but whose face looked very similar to Coz.

Especially that kind of mental exhaustion, as if tormented by a prophecy for a long time, is very much like the midnight ghost before meeting Rosie.

Loshi didn't argue anymore, but simply took out a skinning knife that Koz had used from his pocket.

Before returning to the Warhammer universe, Koz gave this little thing to Lothie and told him that if he showed the weapon to the Night Lords, they would immediately understand everything.

Loxi thoughtfully placed the skinning knife in front of the holographic image, emphasizing the intricate patterns and decorations on it.

This is a peeling knife made from fine gold ore from Nostramo.

Its blade is so thin that it is difficult to see with the naked eye; only when viewed from the side can one see the dazzling arc of light flashing.

Only the Lord of the Night could accurately discern the details of the intricate lightning patterns, and upon seeing the weapon for the first time, Macarion acknowledged the truthfulness of Roche's words.

This is real, absolutely real, and it's the one that symbolizes "truth" from Coz's favorite set of skinning weapons.

Back when Coz was still wandering Nostradamus, he faced endless evil and chose to fight violence with violence, using bloody killings to deter all evildoers from committing crimes again.

To make this intimidation even more terrifying, Coz would cleverly use the various punishments recorded in his mind to create horrifying and gruesome torture scenes.

Mangled corpses were hung from the spire of government buildings; or the body parts of the dead were pieced together into Nostradamus script and neatly arranged at the entrance of the Legislative Yuan; or a villain, tortured to the point of wishing for death, used his last breath to announce to others that the midnight ghosts had arrived.

The various horrifying tortures even terrified the evil people of Nostramore's sinful world.

"Please land at the airport so we can talk face-to-face."

"Those warships behind you should stay at the outer spaceport. The Nostramo system cannot provide supplies and repairs for so many warships."

Macarion's attitude immediately became much more respectful; he was now eager to learn about the Primarch from Lothie.

For the past hundred years, they have never given up searching for the Primarch, and they have never believed that the Midnight Wraith could die silently.

Now, finally, there is a clue, and it's from a high-ranking figure like Loxi in the human empire.

Loshi ordered Admiral Redell to settle the fleet, while he and Tarasin boarded the Red Alert and headed to the near-Earth orbit spaceport in Nostramore.

Nostramo is a famous mining planet rich in adamantite, but its harsh natural environment makes it look more like a dead world.

Numerous ancient orbital space stations float on the surface of this planet. Their gloomy and dark construction style, coupled with the wear and tear of time, makes one wonder how much longer they can remain in service.

Nostramamo is the most uncomfortable and oppressive planet Rosie has ever seen.

Even though his Red Alert ship was just docked at the airport, the toxic clouds formed by industrial pollution and smog only created a thick, opaque layer of clouds beneath him.

The Lord of Midnight's men arrived quickly, and the war philosopher Macarion, who had just communicated with Loxi via holographic projection, personally came out to greet them.

"Thank you for bringing news of our father. Could I take a closer look at that skinning knife?"

Macalion spoke somewhat stiffly, cutting to the chase without much small talk.

"Of course, this is what I brought to you originally."

Lothie handed the skinning knife to Macarion, who immediately accepted it with both hands, his face solemn and dignified.

He wore a pair of crimson-painted gauntlets, a tradition of the Eighth Legion, where Astartes deemed guilty would wear red gauntlets to signify their wrongdoing.

Macalion has worn it for over a century, and he will wear it as long as he cannot find Coz.

The war philosopher's hands, which had killed countless enemies, trembled slightly, his breathing quickened, and his breastplate rose and fell gently.

He then handed the weapon to Shen, who was standing next to him. After Shen inspected it, he handed it to Talos.

These three Midnight Lords were the decision-makers and administrators of the entire Eighth Legion after Severta's departure.

"Yes, I would never mistake it for my father's weapon."

"I never imagined that we would actually see the Primarch one day again. I thought I would never have the chance before I died."

Shen was clearly more emotional; he gripped the skinning knife tightly, and his eyes were slightly red.

"How is our father of genetics doing now?"

Macarion carried Rossi into the space elevator, and they began to descend from near-Earth orbit to the surface of Nostrama.

The transparent space elevator passed directly through the thick, deep clouds.

The sticky, acidic raindrops, gleaming with a blackish sheen, seemed to possess some kind of life force, clinging tightly to the transparent glass.

"Conrad Coates was once on the verge of death."

Suddenly, a thought struck Luo Xi, and he took things out of context.

Macarion and the other two sons of Coz froze, as if they had been immobilized by some kind of psychic magic, standing there dumbfounded.

Their souls seemed to have left their bodies and gone to the side of the Father of Genetics.

The Primarch...is dying?
"But I saved her life later."

Loshi then continued.

"call!"

The sons of Coz suddenly relaxed, and their already pale faces became even more bloodless.

"You could have explained it more clearly and made better connections."

"That would also avoid any misunderstandings, wouldn't it?"

Macarion wanted to yell at Roche, but when he thought of Roche as his savior and the only one who knew about Koz, he swallowed all his anger.

If anyone else had mocked the Night Lord in this way, even if the Eighth Legion had returned to the Empire, they would have made the other party regret ever being born.

The Son of Conrad was inherently both good and evil, especially in the absence of Primarch's control.

The space elevator passed through thick clouds and entered a dark world.

Looking down from above, Rosie saw countless giant towers with a strong Gothic architectural style, standing like mountain peaks.

Black and gray seem to be the main themes of this world, and a hazy, viscous mist always hangs in the air.

Acid rain was falling from the sky, leaving a sticky, slippery, and strange feeling on the surfaces of the tall buildings.

Only through the narrow doors and windows of those tall buildings, a dim, yellowish light faintly shines through, providing a meager amount of illumination to the world, along with the sparse streetlights on the streets.

“This is my first time in Nostramore,” Rosie remarked, looking at the view outside the glass.

"But it lives up to its reputation; your father told me this place is a living hell."

"However, I prefer to call it—Space Gotham."

Macarion and the others didn't understand what Rose meant by "Gotham," but if it could be used to describe Nostrama, it certainly wasn't a good adjective.

"Haven't you changed Nostrama in the past hundred years?"

“You should know that Coz hates Nostramore.”

"Even though this is his home planet, the place where he grew up."

Loshi's gaze was far-reaching, looking beyond the tall, luxurious Gothic buildings to the cramped shacks scattered throughout the city.

Countless people dressed in waterproof robes, covering themselves completely, hurried through the flooded streets and alleys, their exposed eyes filled with vigilance.

In the shadows, danger and evil run rampant. They are wary of the dangers of others, but at the same time, they themselves are also a danger to others.

The polarization on this planet has almost reached its extreme. Nostramo has a well-known adamantite deposit throughout the entire Extreme Starfield, and these deposits can even be mined directly from the Earth's crust.

However, the enormous wealth generated from mining refined gold all flowed into the pockets of the planet's upper-class corporations, nobles, and gangs.

In the database that Roche saw, the vast majority of the population in Nostramore's lower class had long been in a state of destitution, and humans had no choice but to commit crimes in order to survive.

In Nostrama, murders are often committed without much motive; it's simply a matter of filling one's stomach.

"Change?" Upon hearing Rosie's words, Macarion's lips curled into a slight smile.

"How can this godforsaken place be changed? And why should we change it?"

"Even the Night Ghost back then only relied on his extreme methods to deter the evildoers in this world."

But when he left to undertake the Great Expedition, those vile people reappeared.

"As long as we can be provided with suitable soldiers and sufficient logistical supplies, we don't care what happens to Nostramo."

Macarion spoke the truth without much pretense or concealment; most of the Midnight Lords are like that.

"Unfortunately, Coz has always hoped that you could change Nostramore."

Rose casually mentioned it, and Macalion was clearly stunned upon hearing it, as if he understood the implication in Rose's words.

"Could it be... that only if we change Nostramare will Father return?"

"Then we've made a complete mistake!"

Macarion was stunned. He didn't know if he was overthinking it or if Rosie was really hinting at something.

"What happened to our father on the Soul of Vengeance? Why has he disappeared without a trace ever since?"

Talos, who looked remarkably like Koz, pressed for an answer. Loxi immediately recognized that he, like Koz, possessed extremely powerful psychic abilities.

"What happened? Is that hard to guess?"

"Koz and Horus clashed, but Koz was utterly defeated by Horus, who was blessed by the power of the warp."

"He was willing to risk his life to save Saint Gillespie, and in that incredibly risky gamble, Coz won."

"But as a price, he was also seriously injured and on the verge of death, falling into a deep sleep along with Saint Gilles."

There was no need for Losi to hide the news from Koz any longer.

After all, he had already been saved by himself, and he was in another multiverse, so there was no need to worry about the dark forces from Chaos destroying the Primarch's hope of resurrection.

"I can't tell you the specific details, but right now Coz and Sevita are in a place you can't find, and they are organizing a new legion for an expedition."

"He didn't lie."

Talos closed his eyes and sensed it for a while. He could feel the terrifying psionic pressure emanating from Loxi, which was completely beyond the reach of a psionic think tank like himself.

In fact, Loxi felt to him like an unstoppable natural storm in the warp.

However, the ability to discern whether someone is lying is still achievable for a "soul hunter."

With Talos's confirmation, Macarion and Shen felt somewhat relieved.

Although they didn't understand why the Primarch and Severus were in a place they couldn't find, the fact that they knew they were safe and sound was their greatest comfort.

However, their attention quickly shifted to another direction—what it meant for the Primarch to organize a new legion for a great expedition.

Is this a plan to start from scratch and abandon these veterans of the Eighth Army Corps?

Macalion, Shen, and Talos are all staunch Primarchs, and their loyalty to Koz is unwavering.

They are firmly opposed to the pollution of chaos and hold a contemptuous attitude towards any warp deity.

"Why? Why can Sevita stay by the Primarch's side, but we can't?"

Talos screamed, his apothecary equipment shaking violently behind him.

He inherited Kurtz's powerful psychic prophetic abilities and was even similarly tormented by prophecies.

But he never yielded to Vision, and relying on his own prophecy, he concluded that the Primarch was not dead and that he would one day return. "Silence, Talos," Macarion rebuked. "We cannot discuss the Primarch's rights and wrongs behind his back."

“He must have his reasons. We must trust the Primarch; he will never abandon us.”

Macarion was a member of the Nightbat Council during the Great Crusade and commanded the Tenth Company.

His status and prestige within the legion were among the highest, second only to Sevita.

Especially after the Night Lords, under the leadership of Coz, carried out several purges during the Horus Rebellion, Macarion was one of the few remaining high-ranking members.

As Loshi had predicted, once he brought up his close relationship with Koz, the Night Lords immediately became more friendly towards him.

Loxi nodded inwardly, thinking that this would make implementing the plan much easier.

"Please forgive our negligence, Lord Rosie."

“We were unaware of the help you provided to our father, please forgive us.”

Macarion truly lived up to his title as a philosopher of war; when he spoke, Rosie felt as if she were conversing with a white-scarred man.

Conrad's sons brought Lothie and Tarasin to their Legionary Monastery, a grand building located far from the city, perched atop a range of rolling mountains.

It looks like a long, narrow sword piercing the sky from the mountain peaks.

"This is the foundation of the Eighth Legion, and we will name it—the Midnight Court."

"For the past hundred years, we have been repairing and reinforcing this monastery so that it can become a high wall to protect us."

Macarion showed Losi their work.

This colossal fortress, known as the Monastery, was so massive that they almost hollowed out the mountain below, creating a hidden space within the monastery.

The tower's spire extends all the way out of the atmosphere, enabling it to establish a direct connection with near-Earth orbit and communicate directly with warships in space even after detaching from the transport ship.

Furthermore, the Midnight Lords took advantage of Nostramore's local resources—they used a large amount of adamantium as a building material, covering the exterior of the Midnight Court with thick adamantium armor plates.

Moreover, the Midnight Court is equipped with a giant void shield that can withstand orbital bombardment for several years.

Hidden within the mountain is a planetary-scale laser cannon array capable of devastating warships in orbit.

Furthermore, given the abundance of adamantite in Nostramo's crust, it would be virtually impossible to blast the planet apart from the inside out using a deadly weapon like the Bipolar Cyclone Torpedo.

This extravagant and wasteful act is a reflection of the Eighth Army Corps' tense mental state.

The disappearance of the Primarch, the Legion's repeated purges, the Empire's ambiguous attitude, and the ambitious expansionist world of Alteramar 500 all made the Eighth Legion feel as uneasy as if they were sitting on a volcano.

Macarion had already given orders to the Legion, so when Lothie arrived, the roadsides of the Legion's monastery were already lined with fully armed Midnight Lords.

These Eighth Legion warriors wore blue-purple Star-type power armor, with the iconic lightning bolt pattern symbolizing their origin and identity.

Numerous skulls, human skin, and prey heads adorn the Night Lords, these decorations enhancing their exceptional fear tactics.

Loshi's gaze swept over the Eighth Legion soldiers, and he noticed a problem.

Although these Midnight Lords all replaced their armor with Star-type power armor made of adamantite, none of them completed the original forging upgrade.

Whether the original casting upgrade has been completed can be clearly seen by looking at the height.

It should be noted that as soon as Loshi returned, he exchanged and shared the relevant technology with the Advanced Technology Community and the Cult of Mechanism, and Guilliman personally ordered that designated personnel deliver it to the various Primarchies.

Even if the Midnight Lord is located in the northeast corner of the galaxy, the delivery should have arrived by now, based on the time.

However, none of the Night Lords here underwent the Primal Upgrade; either the fleets escorting the technology disappeared en route, or these Astartes refused to upgrade.

Each escort fleet has a strict information verification procedure and information feedback, so Roch deduced that the reason was most likely the latter.

"I remember the Empire has already provided you with the original casting upgrade technology, why didn't any of you choose to use it?"

Upon hearing Rosie's question, Macarion simply replied calmly.

"I'm sorry, sir, we don't trust unfamiliar technology that hasn't stood the test of time."

Would you completely trust something that suddenly appears and claims to significantly enhance your combat abilities?

"Besides, the original gene is no longer here, so how can we alter our genes without his permission?"

“Our warriors are powerful enough after being upgraded with power armor, and there is absolutely no need for this so-called original forging upgrade to be superfluous.”

Macalion's answer was reasonable and well-founded, and even Rossi couldn't find fault with it for a moment.

This guy is even more troublesome than that arrogant savior, Severta. At least the Raven Prince won't rely on words; he'll teach people a lesson with his chainsaw.

"Are you aware of the war warning sent by the Empire? A new orc empire has risen among the ghoul stars, even more terrifying and powerful than the original Ulanor Empire."

"Nostramor, as the front line, will face a direct assault from the greenskin orcs. Is this how you prepare for war?"

Macarion answered immediately.

"Of course we are already preparing for war. After so many years of expansion, the Eighth Army Corps has exceeded 200,000 troops."

"Even at the peak of the Great Expedition, we never reached this number, but it quickly declined as the war consumed resources."

"We've fought green-skinned orcs before. Those disgusting aliens only need a clever decapitation to scatter them like birds and beasts."

"arrogant!"

"madness!"

Luo Xi didn't give the other party any face and directly rebuked him.

"Who told you that those green-skinned orcs were the same savage individuals you once slaughtered?"

Their leader is a Kork orc, a remnant of the War of Heaven, a weapon of war forged by the Old Ones themselves.

"What right do humans have to be arrogant in the face of these enemies? They fought so hard in the galaxy that stars died and rules were erased, and the ancestors of humankind hadn't even been born yet!"

"Your stubbornness and folly will cost the legion dearly!"

"Even the human world behind Nostramore will be affected and destroyed as a result."

Loxi's words were harsh, showing none of the gentle and composed demeanor he displayed when speaking with Macalion and the others earlier.

"The original casting upgrade technology that you scoff at and even describe as 'adding legs to a snake' is something that countless people, including myself, have earned through a great deal of time and effort."

"There is one more thing I can tell you—your Lord of the Black Armor Guard, Prince Sevita of the Ravens, crossed the Rubicon River as soon as the technology was invented and became a Proto-Forged Space Marine."

"And the new legion that Conrad Coates assembled and led was entirely composed of original casters."

This is the trend of the times; anyone who remains stagnant and complacent will be swept into the dustbin of history.

"Even Astartes is no exception; your tomorrow will be yesterday's Thunder Warriors."

Rosie's barrage of insults left Macalion unable to lift his head.

Although Roche's height made him appear as small as a child standing before this philosopher of war, his aura was completely incomparable.

"And you two, Shen, Koz and I mentioned you."

He said you were his confidant and assistant, a trusted aide-de-camp. Is this how you led the Eighth Legion into the trap of arrogance?

"You are to Cosway what Cosway is to Lane Johnson. Your rationality and objectivity often serve as a mirror for the Primarchs, reflecting their shortcomings."

"You should understand that the Midnight Lords are considered weak among the many legions."

Your fear tactics are mostly ineffective against Astartes. Under such circumstances, not seeking a change in strategy is tantamount to a slow death!

Compared to Macalion, Shen was more emotional. After being scolded by Rosie, his embarrassment and awkwardness even outweighed his shame and indignation.

However, the most damaging of these words was not actually Loshi's criticism of the Eighth Legion as inferior to the other legions.

Instead, Koz had already assembled a Primitive Space Marine Legion, and Severta had completed the Primitive Upgrade.

This struck at the three men's most vulnerable spot, making them shudder like startled black cats, their hair standing on end.

This this……

This absolutely needs to be upgraded from the original casting!
Anyone who tries to stop them from upgrading will be chopped up!
According to Loshi, these Midnight Lords who have been searching for Coz for over a hundred years have all developed some psychological problems.

Given that they've always lived in this godforsaken place called Nostrama, it's perfectly normal for them to be mentally twisted.

The key reason for mental illness is that they are too afraid of losing their original self, and even more afraid of being abandoned and ignored by their original self.

"We understand."

"Upgrade to Primarch immediately! We absolutely cannot let Primarchs hold us back!"

Macarion made a promise in front of Rosie, which calmed down the sage who was looking down on the research results he had worked so hard to obtain.

Damn it, there are so many clueless people everywhere.

Loshi looked helplessly at these Sons of Conrad. Even a fool could tell that besides them, there must be many other legions who thought the same way.

After all, the person who spearheaded the plan was Guilliman, the Limit Lord, who had a very bad reputation among many Primarch brothers and was often talked about behind his back as "ambitious".

Influenced by the Primarch, many Legions also disliked Guilliman, and even feared and doubted his loyalty and motives.

In response, Losi could only tirelessly promote his product and urge more and more Astartes to complete the upgrade surgery.

"As long as you carry out my arrangements properly, the Eighth Legion will surely be far superior to what it was before."

“I will also pass on your message to Coz, telling him about your changes and progress, and I believe he will be proud of you.”

Loshi didn't just relentlessly attack Macalion and his group; he used a carrot-and-stick approach to truly convince people rather than instill fear.

Although what he did sounded a bit like coaxing a human baby in kindergarten to behave.

But in a sense, Astartes is no different from an enlarged human infant.

They were all exceptionally pure in heart and had an infinite attachment to their father.

The Emperor's genetic modification eliminated the complex emotions in their hearts, leaving only the parts most suitable for fighting and loyalty.

“We will certainly cooperate fully with your arrangements,” Macarion assured.

His gloomy expression even softened, revealing a rare radiance.

"If those green-skinned orcs really have become more powerful, I can understand why the Empire has mobilized so many troops and even sent so many war forces to the northeast of the galaxy."

"To be honest, when we first received the news, we thought the Empire was trying to use a feint."

They're using the pretext of attacking the so-called "Ghoul Greenskin Empire" to pacify our surrendered legions.

Under Rose's combination of carrot and stick approach, Macarion gradually loosened his inner shackles and began to reveal his true thoughts to Rose.

"After all, we've seen enough similar examples during the Great Rebellion, and we even created those examples ourselves."

"In order to purge the loyalists in the rebel army, Horus lied and claimed that he needed to send troops to Istvan III to wipe them out."

"To deal with an enemy on a planet, Horus dispatched the Sons of the Emperor, the Death Guard, the Sons of Horus, and the loyalists among the World Eaters. But when they arrived on the surface, they were met with a devastating orbital bombardment by warships."

Macalion said bitterly, "The Great Purge of Istvan III is a mark that countless people would consider a disgrace."

The Primarch exploited the trust of his offspring and betrayed them without reservation.

"I see." Rosie gradually understood the concerns of Macalion and the others.

The human empire is composed of countless human individuals, each with their own interests and ideas, making it far more complex than imagined.

Even when Lothie arrived in Nostramo from Terra, he did not expect that the Eighth Legion would face so many difficulties and so much suspicion.

Even in an extreme scenario, if this distrust continues, the Eighth Legion might choose to betray the cause again out of fear and anxiety.

If they betray us again, the Eighth Legion will either be destroyed or forced to flee into the Eye of Terror.

Loshi now feels that the Greenskin Empire of the Rise of the Ghoul Stars is not entirely without its advantages.

At least he arrived in Nostrama and discovered the undercurrents beneath the calm surface of the lake.

This hidden bomb can only be discovered and defused by Loxi, and perhaps only Koz's personal return could resolve it.

If Guilliman dares to come to Nostramore to command the war, the Night Lords, fearing their own elimination, will likely preemptively assassinate him to avoid being caught in a passive situation.

Guilliman has a dark history of being assassinated by ten Alpha assassins, and Rosie even suspects that he has a constitution that makes him easy to assassinate.

"Alright, now that we've finished discussing the upgrade of the original forging, let's talk about how to deal with those green-skinned orcs."

"First, I need to make a small change to Nostrama."

Having gained the Night Lord's initial trust, it was only natural for Loxi to put his grand plan into practice.

(End of this chapter)