"Father, I'm back."
Guilliman's voice was low.
He looked at the Golden Throne, a sad expression on his face.
This was where all dreams began, and where all dreams ended.
The Imperium was born for this, and continued because of it.
Daniel also curiously surveyed the magnificent Golden Throne.
The overall structure of the Golden Throne was massive, filled with various profound machinery throughout the underground palace, operating in a way Daniel found difficult to comprehend.
The Emperor sat on the Throne on the high platform, maintaining the Golden Throne's suppression of the Webway with his severely injured body.
Captain-General Valdor led the two deeper, past the machines, to the magnificent high platform.
Brilliant light emanated from the Throne on the high platform.
Within the light sat a man, the Lord of Humanity, the great Emperor.
Guilliman saw a man sitting on the Throne, like an eternal king.
Unlike what Guilliman saw, Daniel saw a severely injured man slumped on the Throne.
The fatal wounds left by Horus were still clearly visible.
Endless pain was etched across his face.
His mouth was wide open, emitting silent screams.
For the survival of humanity, the Emperor endured inhuman torment.
Even his otherwise immortal face was corroded by endless pain.
His features were twisted in agony.
His legs, covered in golden armor, occasionally twitched, lightly tapping the metal Throne.
The machines in the Throne Room had been roaring continuously.
When Guilliman and Daniel walked in, the roaring grew even louder.
Bang!
Some ancient components overloaded from the overflowing energy, sparking brilliant electrical flashes.
Adeptus Mechanicus members in soiled red robes looked panicked, praying binary holy words, appeasing the machine spirits, and replacing relevant components.
The machines buried deep underground produced rhythmic pulsations.
Never-ending pistons moved back and forth at the furthest end of the cavern.
Flickering electrical sparks jumped and traveled between the giant devices used to maintain the energy flow.
Arcs tore apart free oxygen molecules, releasing a pungent ozone that lingered in the air.
As Daniel approached the Throne, an indescribable power and will suddenly surged into his body.
Bright light emanated from his mouth and nose.
It was as if a sun was being born within him.
Then, Guilliman saw the Emperor on the Golden Throne suddenly open his eyes.
He looked at Guilliman, his golden eyes like the sun, containing unimaginable power and might.
In just an instant, Guilliman felt as if his throat had been seized.
He widened his eyes, looking at his father on the Throne, his face filled with shock and disbelief.
Father actually opened his eyes?
One must know that ten thousand years ago, when he returned with the reinforcing army,
Father had never said anything to him, let alone opened his eyes!!
The Emperor attempted to speak, and billions of voices immediately sounded in Guilliman's mind simultaneously.
Even a Primarch found it difficult to bear these voices, showing a look of unbearable pain.
An unimaginable will struggled to suppress the other voices, and finally, He called out the Primarch's name.
"Guilliman, my last loyal son, my pride, my greatest victory."
"My second-best tool, another one of my hopes."
"......"
These words made the already pained Guilliman even more pained and heartbroken.
Ah!
No!
Even as a tool, I'm only ranked second!
Who is first? Is it the Saint?
Dad, isn't this too much?
I'm your biological son!
Even if there's a ranking, I should be first, alright!!
Captain-General Valdor, who had entered with Daniel and Guilliman, looked at the roaring machines with astonishment.
He didn't see the Emperor open his eyes, only the glowing Daniel and the increasingly pained Psyker.
"Has he really established a connection with the Emperor?" Captain-General Valdor was somewhat disbelieving.
The people outside the door also seemed to sense something.
Celestine and the Sisters behind her looked joyful and began to pray.
Voldus and the others showed surprise; the existence of a Saint was indeed extraordinary.
The Lord of Humanity had never manifested so frequently in the mortal world.
Now, they had witnessed it twice with their own eyes.
Daniel did not see the Emperor open his eyes, nor did he hear the Emperor's words.
He was once again pulled into that magnificent city.
But this time, his vision changed.
It was no longer the ground, but high in the sky, infinitely distant high in the sky.
The magnificent city appeared minuscule in his eyes.
"Is this the Dark King's vision?"
Daniel was very shocked.
He had never imagined that he could gain the Dark King's vision.
By the way, isn't the Dark King the Emperor's avatar in the Warp?
Am I the Emperor now?
"Hey, brother, tell me, am I human or god?"
By the way, I'm controlling his projection.
So he should be using my body now.
Did we swap?
Daniel speculated for a while but couldn't get an answer, so he suppressed his thoughts.
Instead, he looked around with curious eyes.
He saw countless human souls continuously pouring into the Dark King, becoming part of the flames.
These souls generally carried pain, despair, and piety.
"The destruction of humanity will give birth to the fifth god in the Warp."
Daniel recalled what he had discussed with the Eldar prophet Eldrad Ulthran.
Everything he was currently seeing was undoubtedly the best interpretation of that statement.
With a thought,
countless visions appeared before Daniel, each representing a devout believer.
He connected with these people through the threads of faith, using their eyes to observe the Holy Terra.
Countless conspiracies and plans suddenly surfaced in Daniel's mind.
"Other Chaos Gods wouldn't have this kind of vision too, would they?!"
Daniel was a little curious. He looked towards the Calixis Sector.
He saw the populace under the rebel faction praying for the Emperor's salvation.
The Imperial army, following his orders, was launching attacks everywhere, sweeping away the rebels, forcing them to gather in the Mara Bass system.
In the Menagerie, several Players were trying to place a beast-controlling device on Mara Bass, the Menagerie's controller.
This offensive act angered the Great Daemon of Tzeentch greatly.
This was trying to make him a mount!!
These pawns of The Cursed ones were truly too much for a Daemon to bear.
Of course, all of this was wishful thinking.
Players at this stage simply couldn't defeat a Great Daemon.
"Emperor protects."
Among the Players was an Ecclesiarchy Player wearing a priest's robe, holding a scripture, with the ID (God-Emperor Above, Slaanesh Below).
He was praying devoutly, seeking the help of the Emperor's great power.
As he prayed, the power of the Dark King, like a drop of silk, flowed along the thread of faith into the other party's body.
"Let me give you a hand."
A thought arose in Daniel's mind.
A surging power instantly poured into that Player's body.
In a few milliseconds, it turned the other party into a torch.
In less than a second, the other party burned to ashes and scattered with the wind.
Daniel: "......"
Mara Bass, the controller of the Menagerie, showed a look of fear.
He looked around, searching for the figure of The Cursed one.
And the surviving Players also widened their eyes,
looking at their teammate who had instantly burned to ashes, at a loss.
"What happened?"
"Probably because this guy's name was too blasphemous, and he dared to become a Ecclesiarchy Player, relying on faith to eat. He was probably sanctioned."
"No more Heretic brother, no show, let's go."
"......"
Watching the Players flee from the Menagerie in disarray,
Daniel felt a little embarrassed.
The power of the Dark King was too terrifying, and he hadn't controlled it well.
Next time, be careful, be careful next time.
Even just thinking of giving a tiny blessing would instantly burn the other party to ashes.
If it were an ordinary person, their fate probably wouldn't be very good.
Daniel guiltily shifted his gaze to Terra, discovering a layer of crimson shadow slowly gathering on humanity's homeworld.
"Is it the one from the Brass Throne? Is this an invasion of Terra?"
"Khorne, big guy, take a psychic lance from me."
Daniel accumulated the Dark King's power, locked onto the source of the crimson shadow, and prepared to give the other party a shot.
Suddenly, a moment of trance.
When his scattered pupils refocused on everything before him again,
Daniel found himself back in a single vision and in the Throne Room.
"I'm back already? I haven't even taught that Khorne a lesson yet!!"
Daniel was a little annoyed, why wasn't he faster?
......
Guilliman didn't know how much time had passed.
To him, only a few minutes had gone by.
But when the conversation ended, and he checked the time counter built into his battle armor, he found that a day had already passed.
"Saint." Guilliman called out to Daniel, who was still annoyed beside him.
"Primarch." Daniel nodded, "Is the conversation over?"
Guilliman nodded, "Did you hear his voice?"
Daniel shook his head, "What I saw might be a little different from what you saw."
Guilliman originally wanted to ask what the other party had seen, but he quickly abandoned this foolish idea.
Evidently, the Emperor had different arrangements for the two of them.
"Don't always think about seeking answers," Guilliman admonished himself, recalling Magnus's fall. "Sometimes, answers are meaningless; only action matters."
After finishing their conversation, Guilliman and Daniel walked out of the Throne Room.
The waiting crowds knelt, praying for enlightenment from the Primarch and the Saint.
The sound was like waves, one after another.
Guilliman walked up to them, his voice firm, "Redemption has arrived. A new era will begin."
Afterward, the Primarch stopped speaking to them and instead walked up to Captain-General Valdor, giving him an order.
"Go gather all the High Lord; I have a few important announcements to make."
Captain-General Valdor nodded, instructing a nearby Custodian Guard to relay the order.
Soon, a grand meeting was convened.
Representatives from the Custodian Guard, Mars, the Administratum, the Astronomican, the Astropathic Choir, the Ecclesiarchy, the Inquisition, Navigator Houses, the Adeptus Arbites, the Astra Militarum, the Imperial Navy, the Officio Assassinorum, and the Adepta Sororitas were all present.
These included the twelve members of the High Lord of Holy Terra.
"I will reassume the positions of Supreme Commander of the Imperium and Chancellor of the Council."
Guilliman dropped a bombshell at the very beginning of the meeting.
It caught everyone off guard, leaving them bewildered and at a loss.
They had long been accustomed to serving a silent god, not a living Primarch.
After a moment of silence, a cacophony of voices surged back.
They conversed among themselves, displaying various emotions—panic, unease, and for some, excitement and enthusiasm.
Imperial Chancellor Tyreen was also somewhat flustered.
In his centuries-long political career, a living Primarch had never appeared.
But relying on years of experience, he still managed to compose himself.
"According to Imperial law, you possess such authority, My Lord," Tyreen replied to the Primarch, neither servile nor arrogant. He then turned to the High Lord and others, "Does anyone have objections?"
"A millennium has passed since your era, My Lord; everything has changed now," Iltutmish Hitmoen of the Administratum was the first to speak. "The new era requires new methods. Perhaps you should choose a better position."
"Such as?" Guilliman looked at him.
"How about Military Commander? You could mobilize the entire Imperial army to fully suppress the expansion of Chaos forces and internal rebellions," Iltutmish said in a professional tone.
Upon this suggestion, the attendees of the meeting immediately began to discuss.
Many showed expressions of agreement.
The era of the Primarchs was over; rashly controlling the Imperium might lead to a series of unknown problems.
Yet others were enraged by the audacity of this suggestion.
A group of damnable insects dared to use a Primarch as a tool for their rule.
They did not want the Primarch to wield Imperial power; instead, they wanted him to lead the army to campaign and resist the enemies of Chaos.
That way, they could remain on Holy Terra and continue to enjoy power and wealth.
Guilliman stared at the Administratum representative, Iltutmish Hitmoen.
This fellow was the most influential and longest-serving among the twelve High Lord.
From some people, Guilliman learned that this fellow had always pursued conservative policies.
When Cadia Fortress fell and the Imperium plunged into crisis, he and his followers even proposed austerity measures.
They wanted the Astropathic Choir to cease operations and to consolidate resources as much as possible to ensure the Sol System could safely weather the Age of Darkness.
"You are dismissed, Iltutmish," Guilliman said calmly.
The Primarch's single sentence silenced the entire meeting hall.
Many faces turned pale.
They finally realized that the rules of the game had completely changed.
"You cannot dismiss me from my position," Iltutmish was no longer as composed as before.
"I am the son of the Lord of Mankind, one of the Imperium's founders, and even this council was rebuilt by me after the war. My taking over as Supreme Commander of the Imperium and Chairman of the Council is not a discussion with you, but an announcement."
"I strongly suggest you review the Imperial law and see if I have the authority to relieve you of your duties."
Guilliman's tone was calm; with each reason he stated, Iltutmish's face grew paler.
Finally, he looked like a wandering ghost, unsettling and frightening to behold.
"I…"
"Take him out," Guilliman called for the enforcement officers to escort Iltutmish out of the meeting room. "Next, does anyone else object?"
The Primarch's words plunged everyone into silence.
Who would dare to object now?
They were afraid that as soon as they spoke, they would be dismissed on the spot!
In the entire Imperium, who could contend with the prestige of a Primarch?
The answer was no one.
Especially now, with Cadia Fortress fallen and the Age of Darkness descending, the Imperium was in turmoil.
The fervent support of the populace and the Astra Militarum for the Primarch was his most powerful weapon.
Guilliman's gaze swept coldly over everyone, "Now, let's proceed to the next agenda item: the issuance of the Grand Production Edict to provide sufficient supplies for the expedition."
"Expedition?"
"What expedition?"
"…"
The attendees of the meeting looked bewildered.
They exchanged glances, filled with confusion and incomprehension.
"Cadia has fallen, and Chaos forces are expanding on an unprecedented scale. The Imperium must launch a powerful counterattack to stop the enemy and staunch the bleeding wound," Guilliman said firmly.
"I plan to gather all the Imperium's forces to launch an expedition to strike at Chaos forces."
"This expedition will be named 'Indomitus,' signifying humanity's eternal defiance."
"…"
…
Daniel did not participate in Guilliman's power struggle with the Holy Terra Council.
He was busy with his own affairs.
After coming out of the Throne Room, a golden light screen appeared.
[Quest: Escort Cawl safely back to the Sol System (Completed)
You have successfully escorted Cawl to the Sol System, earning rewards: Large amount of Faith Points, Players can unlock Primaris upgrade after reaching a certain level]
"The Players can finally get their Primaris upgrade," Daniel said with a smile, looking at his quest rewards.
For ordinary humans to become the Emperor's Angels—Space Marines—they needed to undergo nineteen surgical procedures:
The Secondary Heart, Ossmodula, Biscopea, Haemastamen, Larraman's Organ, Neuroglottis, Mucranoid, Oolitic Kidney, Sus-an Membrane, Omophagea, Multi-lung, Occulobe, Lyman's Ear, Hypno-indoctrination, Progenoid Glands, Melanochrome, Betcher's Gland, Preomnor, and the Black Carapace.
Only by successfully completing all implant surgeries could one transform into a Space Marine.
For a Primaris Space Marine, three additional surgeries were required on top of the nineteen:
The Sinews of the Primarch, the Magnificat, and the Belisarian Furnace.
These three organs would grant Players greater strength and enhancements, as well as regenerative abilities surpassing those of ordinary Space Marines.
Once Players completed their Primaris upgrade, their combat power would undergo a qualitative leap.
Having just distributed the rewards for the old quest, the Emperor gave Daniel a new quest.
[Quest: Stop the Cultists/Khorne Daemonkin,
A Warp Storm is gathering; the Blood God intends to unleash his armies into Holy Terra.
Holy Terra will face a severe trial.
Please annihilate the Cultists on Holy Terra and suppress the Khorne Daemonkin about to enter Holy Terra.
Rewards: One Epic Power Armor, Large amount of Faith Points.]
"Why didn't you just let me give that guy a psychic lance, and everything would have been fine?!"
Daniel felt a little itchy every time he thought about the psychic lance he couldn't unleash.
He wondered if there would be another chance to exchange blows!
If there was, he would absolutely give a psychic nuclear bomb to each of the four benevolent beings of the Warp at the first opportunity.
Let them know what human wrath was.
After a round of complaints, Daniel set about completing the task assigned by the Emperor.
Daniel had Arale issue quests to the Players, instructing them to follow the Grey Knights and the Custodian Guard to various locations to clear out Cultists and Warp Daemons.
After the Blind Days caused by the Off of the Astronomican, Holy Terra's suppression of Daemons had significantly decreased.
Occasionally, Daemons would enter Holy Terra through cultist rituals or mortal prayers,
wandering in the lower Hive City or abandoned areas, hunting the souls and flesh of those in pain or confusion.
The various Imperial departments and the Players acted swiftly, but Holy Terra's crisis was beyond imagination.
The entire planet was in turmoil; various cults emerged endlessly, and sacrifices were being performed everywhere.
On the eighth day of Guilliman's return, the unrest that erupted everywhere caused the Warp Storm to reach its peak.
Immediately afterward, the Khorne Daemonkin descended upon Holy Terra.