Samuel Young forcibly suppressed the majestic power churning within his body, which was almost about to break out of its 'shell.' Those uncontrollably flickering golden eyes gradually stabilized, but the torrent of energy contained deep within them was like magma forcibly pressed under a layer of ice, still surging in undercurrents.
He clearly recognized what the root cause of this near-out-of-control crisis was...
At this stage, the Human Empire of the main universe had a territory spanning the multiverse, and its population base had long swelled to an astronomical number that ordinary single-universe civilizations could not imagine, or even calculate.
Among these countless trillions of subjects, those who could stand out, undergo numerous surgical modifications, and ultimately become Astartes were all elites, one in ten thousand, or even one in a million.
Even so, the total number of Astartes the Empire possessed had already exceeded twenty million.
These powerful warriors were not only the Empire's sharp swords and solid shields, but also the extension of his, Samuel Young's, bloodline and will. From a genetic lineage perspective, they could be called his 'grandchildren.'
Every Astartes' faith in the Emperor had been heavily tempered through the flames of war and loyalty. The power of faith they provided was tens of thousands of times stronger than that of ordinary Imperial subjects.
The flood of faith converging from these twenty million Astartes was originally one of the important cornerstones supporting his mighty power.
And this time, in the 22nd Universe, the number of human compatriots he saved with the miracle of 'resurrection,' who had suffered the cruel modifications of the Qu civilization, impressively reached the hundreds of billions.
These hundreds of billions of souls, having experienced eternal torment and ultimate salvation, reached an unimaginable peak in the purity and intensity of their faith.
However, these hundreds of billions were far from all.
There were still trillions of souls who chose to return to the physical universe. Because the Bio-Division needed time to clone the corresponding number of perfect shells, and this process would take at least six to eight months, they were temporarily 'stranded' in the Heavenly Domain, waiting for the next deliverance.
The instant outburst of the power of faith from just these hundreds of billions of 'resurrected' compatriots, converging into a wild tide, had already nearly pushed him past that critical point to directly 'ascend in dimension and become a god.'
It was imaginable that if trillions of souls returned simultaneously, what kind of 'world-destroying' scale would the converged power of faith be?
But this sudden surge in power did not come without a price.
Samuel Young profoundly realized that what he was enduring at this moment was not only the 'bloating' sensation brought by the increase in power, but also an invisible rejection and pressure originating from the source of the universe.
His actions severely violated the most deep-rooted rules, or rather, laws of the physical universe—life and death are orderly and irreversible.
This was one of the cornerstones maintaining the stability of reality.
How could there be any logic in an intelligent creature experiencing irreversible damage to its body, with its soul having already left the body and gone to the otherworld... such as the Heavenly Domain, and then utilizing its original genes to replicate a new body and forcibly 'stuffing' the soul back in to grant it a new life?
This was fundamentally the most direct tampering with the cycle of life and the chain of causality.
These compatriots he resurrected, because their souls had reached the Heavenly Domain controlled by him, witnessed with their own eyes and even personally experienced his power that transcended the boundaries of life and death. Therefore, the power of faith they fed back was not only massive in magnitude but also carried a special attribute of 'witnessing a miracle,' making it far 'heavier' and more 'impactful' than ordinary faith.
And he, as the executor of this 'retrograde' act, naturally had to endure the 'backlash' from the universal laws themselves.
This backlash was not like the wrath of thunder, but a more fundamental, invisible force attempting to 'reject' him out of the dimension of reality.
Just like those Evil Gods of the Warp, their power was enough to taint the galaxy, but it was extremely difficult for their 'true bodies' to truly and fully project into the physical universe because their very existence contradicted many basic laws of the physical universe.
At this moment, from the perspective of the so-called laws, Samuel Young was to some extent in a situation similar to those Evil Gods—he was exercising power that severely violated the rules of reality.
Had he not possessed a solid 'physical body' himself and been a 'member' rooted in the physical universe, he probably would have long been forcibly pushed out of reality by this repulsive force, or his form of existence would have undergone an uncontrollable 'mutation.'
Must anchor...
With humanity, with the identity of the Emperor...
Samuel Young's will was like the toughest cable, firmly tying himself to the identity of the 'Emperor of Humanity.'
He recalled his original intention in establishing the Empire, recalled the years of fighting side by side with his sons, and recalled the scenes of those ordinary subjects living in peace and contentment under the Empire's protection. These emotions and responsibilities belonging to a 'human' became his most powerful weapons against those cold laws, as well as the rejection and the temptation of divinity.
He forcibly pressed his divine essence, which was almost about to break out of its shell, back deep into his body, stabilizing his existence as 'Samuel Young.'
"Your Majesty!"
A low roar bearing unconcealed horror and worry pulled Samuel Young back slightly from his deep struggle of wills.
It was the Custodes.
These golden guards cultivated using his own gene-seed had a connection with him that far exceeded the ordinary 'master and servant'—it was a blood connection akin to father and son.
Coupled with the fact that they were the closest, they almost immediately perceived the highly unstable, terrifying coercion on Samuel Young that seemed ready to burst open at any moment, as well as the uncontrollably flickering golden light in his eyes that made even their souls tremble.
Alexia's expression also changed drastically. Although she was not an Astartes or one of those so-called gods, as the mother of the Primarchs and the head of the Bio-Division, her perception was equally sharp.
She immediately took a step forward, wanting to speak and ask, attempting to understand what exactly had happened.
However—
The moment she lifted her foot and was about to speak, a formless and intangible coercion, yet as heavy as stellar remains, centered on Samuel Young and exploded outward like an out-of-control flood bursting a dam.
"Ugh!"
!!!
The Custodian guards, these existences that could be called the pinnacle of combat power, were as if viciously pinned down by a giant invisible hand. Their entire armor let out a low groan of being overwhelmed, and they actually could not even move a single finger.
They could only stand stiffly in place like golden sculptures. Only their eyes behind their visors were filled with extreme worry and the will to struggle desperately.
Alexia felt her breathing stifle even more, as if the atmosphere of the entire planet had solidified, pressing heavily on her chest and shoulders.
She opened her mouth but could not let out any sound, and even her thinking became sluggish under this terrifying coercion.
She could only watch helplessly as Samuel Young stood there, the space around him distorting slightly, with the golden light flickering erratically on the surface of his body, as if he were engaged in a tremendously perilous internal war that outsiders could not comprehend.
Time seemed to be infinitely stretched at this moment.
Every second felt as long as a century to the Custodes and Alexia enveloped by the coercion.
They endured the unconscious psionic downpour originating from their gene-father and the Lord of the Empire. This power bore no malice, but because it was too massive and seemingly out of control, it was full of destructiveness.
It was unknown how long had passed; perhaps it was just a few breaths, perhaps an eternity.
Finally, the violently flickering golden light in Samuel Young's eyes completely faded away, restoring its usual profoundness and calmness.
The terrifying, suffocating coercion around him rapidly receded like a tide and vanished without a trace.
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
The instant the coercion dissipated, the Custodes stumbled almost simultaneously, although they immediately steadied their figures relying on their superhuman physiques.
"Phew!"
Their heavy panting sounds could be clearly heard through their breathing grilles.
Alexia also coughed violently a few times, like a drowning person finally surfacing from the water. Her body swayed slightly, requiring willpower to stand steady.
She looked at Samuel Young with lingering trepidation, her eyes full of lingering fear and deep worry.
Samuel Young slowly let out a breath of stale air, a breath that seemed to carry a trace of the lingering energy resonance that had not yet completely settled.
He glanced at the Custodes and Alexia, who had clearly endured tremendous pressure. A trace of imperceptible apology flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper resolve.
The crisis just now made him recognize the boundaries of his power more clearly, as well as the price that had to be paid and the principles that had to be strictly observed when exercising this 'heaven-defying, fate-changing' authority.
"Your Majesty! You..."
At this moment, the leading Custodian Captain forcefully suppressed the feeling of exhaustion in his body and stepped forward at the first opportunity, his voice full of undisguised concern and tension.
The visor of his helmet was firmly locked onto Samuel Young, as if to confirm his status to the very inch.
Alexia also walked up quickly. Her face was still somewhat pale, but her eyes had already restored their usual calmness and wisdom, although the worry deep inside lingered.
"Your Majesty, what was that just now..."
Samuel Young slightly raised his hand, stopping their further inquiries.
His voice also returned to its usual calmness. Only if one listened carefully could one detect a minuscule, uncharacteristic sense of exhaustion hidden within.
"It's nothing, just a slight fluctuation of power, which has already settled."
His gaze passed over the crowd and cast beyond the camp.
There, endless streams of reborn compatriots, under the guidance of technicians, were walking towards the new homes built for them with longing for the future and a trace of timid curiosity, bringing long-lost vitality to this land that once only held death and despair.
Samuel Young gazed at this scene, remained silent for a moment, and then stepped forward, walking towards the newly planted woodland at the edge of the camp, meticulously planned by the Engineering Division.
Alexia immediately understood. She gave a look to the Custodes who were preparing to follow and escort him, and slightly shook her head.
The leading Custodian hesitated slightly, but ultimately raised his hand to stop his subordinates, only following the Emperor's back with his gaze from afar, maintaining maximum vigilance.
Alexia quickly caught up with Samuel Young, and the two walked into the woods one after the other.
Sunlight filtered through the fresh green canopy, casting mottled spots of light, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and plants.
They walked along a gravel path and finally arrived at the edge of an artificially excavated lake that tried its best to imitate a natural form.
The lake water was clear, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, and the surrounding greenery. A gentle breeze brushed by, stirring sparkling ripples. It appeared quiet and peaceful, seemingly a microcosm of this land of rebirth, sculpted under the power of the Empire, striving to return to the tranquility life ought to have.
Samuel Young stopped by the lake, his gaze looking down at the rippling water, and remained silent for a long time.
Just as Alexia was about to ask, he suddenly spoke, his voice low, carrying an emotion she had never felt from him before.
"Alexia... I seem to be a little 'tired'."
?!
Alexia was abruptly startled, almost suspecting she had misheard.
Tired?
For this word to come from the mouth of the Emperor before her, who led humanity towards glory, whose power and will were enough to shake the stars, it was so unfamiliar, so... unbelievable.
This could be called the first time since she had known him that she heard him express a feeling akin to 'fatigue.'
She did not respond immediately, merely suppressing that shock in the bottom of her heart and listening more attentively.
She knew that at this moment, what Samuel Young needed was not questioning, but a quiet confidant.
Samuel Young's gaze remained on the surface of the lake, as if he were pouring out his heart to the water, or as if he were organizing his own thoughts.
"Just now... I was only one step away. Had I not forcibly suppressed it, I might have already taken that step and become a true 'god'."
His tone was flat, but it made Alexia feel a chill.
A true god, what did that mean?
"If I become a god..."
Samuel Young continued slowly, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible melancholy. "I might no longer be me."
"I might discard many original emotions and attachments, becoming a grander, yet colder existence."
"A god who only loves 'humanity' as an entire race, rather than caring about every specific individual."
He shook his head, his tone becoming firm. "But I am the Emperor, the ruler, the guardian."
"What I care for is every subject living under my protection, their joys and sorrows, their individual destinies and choices."
"I do not wish... to become 'ruthless' like that."
Alexia listened quietly, her heart surging with waves.
She could feel the human struggle hidden deeply beneath the absolute power.
She took a step forward, standing side by side with Samuel Young, looking at the same landscape of lakes and mountains. Her voice was gentle and firm, carrying the rationality and insight unique to her as a top scholar, as well as the tacit understanding and support that only existed between them.
"Your Majesty, the form of power may change, but its core essence stems from your will and choices."
"You worry about losing your care for individuals. This worry itself is the greatest difference between you and those deities that are like illusory concepts."
"You established the Empire, implemented laws, developed technology, and even spared no effort in expending massive power to save these suffering compatriots. The starting point of all this has never been some cold ideology, but respect for and responsibility towards every living, breathing life."
She turned her head, looking at Samuel Young's profile with a clear gaze. "You walk in the mortal realm, fight alongside your sons, and listen to the voices of the people."
"These experiences, these emotional connections, have long become an inseparable part of your existence, an 'anchor' more solid than any divine power."
"I believe that no matter where the path of the future leads, what defines who 'Samuel Young' is will always be your own heart, not the level of your power."
Hearing this, Samuel Young remained silent for a moment, and then the corners of his mouth curled into an imperceptible arc.
He did not look at Alexia, but merely gave a soft response.
"I know." His voice regained its usual steadiness. "I just wanted to vent a little."
?
Alexia was stunned again, and then, a helpless yet somewhat relieved, gentle smile bloomed on her face.
She similarly shook her head gently, her tone carrying a rare, almost reproachful nuance. "Your Majesty, please do not always make these... heart-stoppingly cold jokes."
Samuel Young did not respond to her teasing. His gaze became distant, as if piercing through the lake before him and casting into an even more nebulous dimension.
Just now, in the instant his power went out of control and bordered on the critical point, besides the surging power of faith and the rejection of the laws, he also caught some fragmented 'echoes' from a distant beyond.
That seemed to be...
The suffering and anticipation of human compatriots in other universes.
Moreover, this perception did not come through the already established spatial gate channels; it was more like a very vague resonance that directly crossed the barriers of universes.
This discovery made his heart skip a beat.
He realized that as he continued to absorb the power of faith, or as his psionic essence 'grew' due to this incident, when it reached a certain unprecedented magnitude, he might no longer need to rely on the random opening of spatial gates.
By then, he might truly possess the ability to do 'as he pleases'—directly perceiving specific universes in need of help, and relying on his own mighty power to accurately open stable spatial channels leading there.
This would completely change the Empire's model of integrating the multiverse, shifting from passive exploration and random connections to proactive searching and precise rescue.
A grander and inevitably more arduous future path seemed to faintly reveal a corner before his eyes.
And maintaining his true heart, balancing divinity and humanity, would become the most crucial core for walking on this path...
______
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