Guilliman's voice was firm and powerful, filled with authority.
It spread throughout the battlefield like the simultaneous roar of a thousand cannons, clearly heard by every soldier holding a weapon.
"For the Lord of Ultramar, for the Holy Emperor!"
Sicarius, standing beside the Primarch, roared instantly.
His power sword crackled to life immediately.
With his exquisite swordsmanship, he easily cut down the daemons and mobs.
Black Templars High Marshal Amalrich, Inquisitor Grey, and many other Imperial heroes who had followed the Primarch to Terra also let out war cries.
They formed ranks and advanced, unstoppable.
In front of the high-spirited Imperial forces, the daemons were easily crushed like ants.
Their disgusting limbs were pulverized into dust by the overwhelming power, completely obliterated.
Some of the Dark Angels Chapter warriors who had undergone Primaris upgrade also joined the expedition fleet.
Their appearance represented the will of Grand Master Azrael.
The Dark Angels Chapter stood firmly on the side of the Primarch.
Along with the Space Wolves, White Scars, Raven Guard, and others.
Guilliman received support from a significant number of the original Chapters.
This was a symbol, and it also represented an unimaginably powerful force under Guilliman's control.
The original Chapters possessed an unimaginable power of appeal over their successor Chapters.
The original Chapters' recognition of Guilliman also meant that numerous successor Chapters recognized Guilliman.
The Imperial Fists Chapter and the Iron Hands Chapter, who had gone to Beta-Garmon, had also sworn allegiance to Guilliman long ago.
It can be said that over eighty percent of the entire Imperium's Chapters were in the hands of the Regent of the Imperium, Guilliman.
Within the Imperium, he was undeniably the uncrowned king.
Even the Custodes had to admit that in this age, with the Emperor seated on the Golden Throne and many Primarchs missing and their whereabouts unknown.
Guilliman was the de facto ruler of the Imperium.
He could even be called the second Lord of Humanity, the new Human Emperor.
No human force could shake his position.
On the battlefield, countless Imperial heroes emerged from the pillars of light.
They assembled into battle formations and launched a counter-charge against the daemons and mobs.
The fully armed Astra Militarum regiments continuously unleashed their firepower.
Combined with high-altitude bombing, the human counterattack was no longer something the daemons and mobs could withstand.
In the face of the humans' furious firepower, the daemon armies, which had been aggressive and intended to advance on the Imperial Palace, were quickly shattered.
The grand, prolonged, and inspiring holy hymns continued.
The singing strengthened the human side and constantly weakened the daemons.
The Blood God's domain shattered bit by bit.
The crimson sky was slowly receding, gradually returning to normal.
The power of the daemons also decreased accordingly.
They were being efficiently slaughtered by the numerous Imperial heroes.
In low orbit above Terra, the Emperor's Radiance, carrying Celestine, was continuously releasing the Emperor's power.
Innumerable faithful sang together, their wills converging, transformed by the Astronomican into a force capable of opposing the Blood God's domain.
This was a miracle.
For ordinary people, this was an absolute miracle.
The Ecclesiarchy ark Mechanicus vessels wandering in the Sol System were all converging on Celestine's ship.
Flagellants, covered in blood and wounds, wept loudly, moved to tears by the sight of such a sacred spectacle.
The devout priests knelt on the ground on all fours, praying fervently for the God-Emperor's salvation, singing praises to the Saint and the great Primarch.
Their emotions of prayer to the God-Emperor were also collected by the Astronomican, thus forming an even stronger power.
This power suppressed the daemons on Terra, forcing them to fight the human forces under immense pressure, putting them in a very disadvantageous situation.
Under various unfavorable circumstances, the greater daemons quickly fell in the encirclement.
They were powerful.
But the primaris space marines were not weak either.
Some warriors had even awakened, beginning to master the powerful boosts given to them by the Heart of Guilliman, stepping onto a true path of demigodhood.
This was an incredibly powerful force, making them far superior to the past, with the hope of becoming the most powerful human warriors.
This was Guilliman's gift.
An unprecedented new technology.
Under the encirclement of the Grey Knights, primaris space marines, and Sisters of Silence.
The greater daemons burning with black fire fell one after another.
They wielded their weapons in vain, trying to last longer under the encirclement of the Grey Knights and primaris space marines.
However, facing the overwhelming numerical superiority.
They could do nothing at all.
One after another, they were banished back.
Angron was pinned under Guilliman's foot, only able to let out an impotent roar.
This was a great humiliation.
But he could do nothing.
After ten thousand years, he thought he had far surpassed the long-slumbering Guilliman.
It was only after fighting him now that he realized how wrong he was.
He was simply not Guilliman's opponent.
He was defeated so easily by the opponent and was even stepped on, humiliated to the extreme.
The greater daemons, who had been so arrogant just moments before, were quickly wiped out.
Their massive bodies, unable to withstand the bombardment of countless artillery, fell with a tremendous crash, giving off a toxic, bloody smell.
The lower daemons and mobs saw this scene and scattered in all directions.
The carnival was over, and what followed was a bloody and cruel slaughter.
The Imperium would show no mercy.
Anyone who had tried to push the Imperium to ruin would pay a heavy price for it.
Tens of thousands of troops filled the gaps in the defense line and pushed beyond the Lion's Gate.
Daemons and mobs were crushed into pieces by the iron tide.
Buildings were recaptured and cleared one by one.
The mobs also had nowhere to escape; even if they hid in abandoned buildings, they would be dragged out one by one and publicly executed by firing squad.
Their bodies were piled together and centrally cremated.
The buildings warped by the warp and covered in chaotic flesh were purified by flamethrowers and returned to normal, though they were inevitably charred black.
On the other side, under the gaze of countless Imperial soldiers, the daemon Primarch Angron was pushed onto the execution platform.
This was ordered by Guilliman.
He wanted to personally execute Angron, announcing his return.
For some special reasons, Guilliman did not have the intention of using the Emperor's Sword to completely annihilate Angron's soul.
A living Angron was more in line with his plan's requirements.
It was time to give the daemons in the warp some fun.
No one could deny the power of the Chaos Gods.
But they were not omnipotent either.
Or rather, nothing was omnipotent.
Any being claiming to possess this characteristic was, without exception, a liar.
The universe is evolving, everything comes from nothing, and even truth itself is constantly changing, collapsing, and reshaping.
The concept of omnipotence is relative; it is something that will never truly exist.
The Chaos Gods preside over realms located in the warp, possessing countless daemons who serve them.
They can also influence the material universe, and countless wars erupt because of them.
Ignorant people regard them as unconquerable gods, fearing them greatly, not daring to have any contact with them, lest they fall into depravity.
Guilliman didn't care much; the warp could not corrupt him, so he had nothing to fear.
He knew that the Chaos Gods were not as united as people imagined.
Those daemons were actually full of contradictions, with no communication or trust between them.
Undoubtedly, Angron was a good breakthrough point.
As long as a little leverage could be applied, it could throw them into chaos, causing them to fight each other constantly, unable to pay attention to the material universe.
This was not Guilliman's delusion; the Chaos Gods had been fighting each other in the Eternal Battlefield for countless ages.
Their hatred for each other was deeper than their hostility towards humanity.
Between the two choices of destroying humanity or destroying their warp companions who were also Chaos Gods, they would not hesitate to choose the latter.
The history of humanity's birth is less than a fraction of the universe's history.
The Chaos Gods simply would not care about a fleeting, insignificant species.
They merely regarded it as part of their game.
The Eternal Battlefield is one part, and the material universe is also one part.
Humanity was chosen by them not because humanity possessed any potential, nor because humanity was special.
It was because in this current era, human activity was the most frequent.
Therefore, they chose humanity to fight and oppose in the universe, as part of their amusement.
Humans were pawns used by the gods for entertainment.
But sometimes, pawns can also become players.
As long as the opponent's weakness can be grasped, one can guide the opponent to achieve one's own goals.
On the high platform, Guilliman raised his battle axe, which had been blessed by the Grey Knights; he was preparing to personally execute Angron, which would be more impactful.
Angron was firmly bound by countless iron chains.
His head was held tightly on the execution platform by a mechanical device, like an ancient condemned prisoner.
"By rights, a slave should not enjoy the treatment of being personally executed by the Regent of the Imperium, but who made us brothers once!! I know you won't die, Angron, you will be reborn in the warp.
But I don't care, a coward who dares not resist is not something to be feared, you dare not resist Khorne, you dare not resist Lorgar, and you dare not resist me, you will only cowardly hide in the warp, away from my sight. In that case, you are no different from dead to me."
Angron's eyes blazed with fury, and the indescribable anger made him roar.
He could see that Guilliman was humiliating him.
But now, he was powerless and could only endure such humiliation.
Guilliman swung his axe and chopped towards Angron's head, the head with burning daemon horns fell to the ground with a loud thud.
After rolling a few times, the black fire covering the head slowly disappeared, leaving only the hideous head with the Butcher's Nails implanted.
A veteran of honor standing nearby picked up the head and raised his power sword, letting out a roar.
The people watching below also let out excited cheers.
They looked at the noble, sacred Primarch, their eyes filled with piety and fervor.
Two hours ago, they were in despair, wondering if the Imperial Palace would fall today, wondering if the Imperium that had stood for ten thousand years would fall apart.
And now, they had swept away the daemons, and all enemies who had tried to stop them had been annihilated like dead leaves in a storm.
It was all because of Guilliman's arrival that the desperate battle took a complete turn.
"Regent."
"Throw it up high," Guilliman said.
A trace of joy appeared on the face of the veteran of honor; following the Primarch's command, he threw Angron's head high into the air.
Guilliman raised his other hand, wearing the Gauntlet of Ultramar.
Bolter rounds spewed out, weaving into a curtain of fire that shattered Angron's head.
"Hang his headless body and tell everyone that traitors are not worthy of forgiveness," Guilliman said.
Guilliman looked into the distance at the advancing front line; it would take several weeks to fully restore the former glory.
The mobs and daemons needed to be thoroughly purged; only then could a new Terra be rebuilt on the ruins.
Guilliman turned and walked down the high platform; Valerian, being supported, stood below the platform.
Before the other party could speak, Guilliman directly stated his purpose.
"I need to go to the Throne Room to see my father."
"Understood, Lord Regent," Valerian nodded.
After the performance just now, Valerian had a preliminary understanding of the Primarch's powerful appeal and strength.
No force could stop him anymore.
None.
Unless the Emperor stepped down from the Golden Throne, no one could stop Guilliman from doing anything.
In that case, it was better to be compliant.
Perhaps there would still be room for negotiation then.
A few minutes later, a prepared grav-hauler stopped in front of Guilliman.
The distance from the Lion's Gate to the Imperial Palace Throne Room was not short; walking was impossible.
Guilliman selected a few attendants and, led by the Custodes, boarded the grav-hauler, heading towards the depths of the Imperial Palace.
The vehicle carried the Primarch away from the Lion's Gate area and into the inner precincts of the Imperial Palace.
Here resided hundreds of millions of sheltered civilians, the fortunate ones.
They had fled to the Imperial Palace just before the signs of the daemon invasion became apparent.
They were all praying, hoping to receive the Emperor's protection.
Guilliman's arrival filled them with extraordinary excitement.
These people cheered Guilliman's name, watching the grav-vehicle fly towards the Imperial Palace.
They offered prayers, hoping the Emperor would grant him the inspiration to guide humanity and save them from endless suffering.
Along the way, hundreds of millions of eyes watched as the Primarch and his entourage gradually delved deeper into the heart of the Emperor's domain.
Guilliman wasn't overly concerned about this.
He had long grown accustomed to the people's fervor.
Occasionally, he would smile and wave in response to the zealots.
Most of the time, he stood silently on the vehicle.
Immersing his thoughts within his mind.
Conversing with his cheat, the auxiliary AI.
At this moment, he was checking the completion status of the second phase mission.
**Control Terra, wield the authority of the Imperium. As the homeworld of humanity, controlling this place holds extraordinary symbolic significance.**
At this point, this mission was indicated as complete.
**Congratulations, host. The second phase database has been unlocked. You can now access relevant technical knowledge. The Warp firewall technology you are most concerned about also includes conceptual ideas and computational drafts for data models.**
The voice of the auxiliary AI echoed in Guilliman's mind.
"It's finally unlocked."
A thought of relief surfaced in Guilliman's mind.
The Warp firewall was crucial, concerning his future, and even the future of all humanity.
In this dark universe.
Humanity had fallen into a dilemma.
The Warp was the source of many of humanity's sufferings.
Yet, it was also an important foundation for humanity's existence.
The Warp was a realm of ephemeral things like emotions and dreams.
Human souls could draw nourishment from the Warp, this ephemeral realm.
In a sense, human souls were rooted in the Warp, growing and evolving by absorbing its nourishment like plants.
This was true for any race with a soul, except for the soulless necrons.
Like leeks planted in the Warp, they slowly grew stronger and brighter with the progress of civilization and the fluctuations of the Warp.
Forcing humanity to completely abandon the Warp was an impossible task.
Without the Warp, the Imperium would immediately crumble.
Human souls would also slowly weaken, eventually perishing completely.
The necrons' C'tan Shard domains had a very malicious effect: they severed the connection between the Warp and all life.
Once humans entered a C'tan Shard domain, they would feel weak and listless at best, and at worst, they would die instantly.
The Emperor had long ago predicted humanity's tragedy.
Human souls grew rapidly in the Warp, but had no means to protect themselves.
Like a field of leeks, about to mature, becoming thick and large.
Yet this leek field didn't even have a fence.
The daemons, naturally overjoyed, wielded their scythes, preparing for a feast.
The Webway Project was largely about building a fence to keep the daemons out and protect human evolution.
Unfortunately, this plan failed.
Guilliman's Warp firewall was also about building a fence to keep the daemons out.
Of course, his plan was different from the Emperor's.
The Emperor wanted to replace the Warp with the Webway.
Guilliman's Warp firewall plan was to construct a Warp that was only a human local area network.
The true Warp was like a large, unrestricted internet.
All races, all life, could log in.
As long as one possessed a soul, they could resonate with the Warp and log into it, learning various arcane spells, or glimpsing ancient histories, and could also communicate and converse with all sorts of strange things, broadening their horizons, or using those entities to complete their transactions.
Many psykers, sorcerers, or other assorted individuals who could connect to the Warp were easily tempted by daemons while wandering in the Warp.
Those daemons would feign kindness, offer some benefits, and pretend to be good brothers, guides, or mentors, deceiving the trust of those fools.
When the time was ripe, they would speak ill of the Emperor and the Imperium in various ways, and extol concepts like democracy and freedom.
These people, lacking discernment, would righteously raise the banner against the Emperor.
Acting as if they were sacrificing their lives, they would launch a vigorous movement against dictatorship and against the Emperor.
Only on the day they died did they realize they had been utterly deceived by others.
The others were purely promoting those things to harvest souls.
After being deceived, these fools wanted to righteously condemn the daemons, only to find that being devoured alive by the daemons wasn't enough; the other party would even mockingly say:
"Although you have lost everything, been scorned by the Emperor, toyed with by the gods, and ended your life so tragically, you have gained freedom."
Guilliman's Warp firewall was to isolate it, creating a regional network Warp that only humans could access, no longer connected to the outside.
It would wall off most people who lacked discernment, allowing them to live normal lives, unaffected and untempted by Chaos.
A small number of powerful individuals could cross the firewall, roam in the true Warp, investigate the movements of various daemons in the Warp, observe their growth and changes, thus building a wall without becoming isolated.
The Warp firewall was listed by Guilliman as a top priority project.
Even recovering the Imperium's dark side was not as important as this plan. Once completed, humanity would possess the ability to protect itself against the Warp.
In other words, humanity would secure its fundamental position.
With the firewall, the Imperium of Man could advance or retreat defensively.
They wouldn't have to be like now, where ignorant masses are tempted by a few words and think they are democratic fighters or angels of peace, stubbornly rebelling and wanting to overthrow the Emperor, the dictator.
The daemons were already feasting and getting fat just by watching humanity fight amongst itself.
Of course, the Great Rift had now appeared.
Daemons and traitors could appear in the real universe more easily.
If he were to directly announce his plan, it would certainly be sabotaged by the combined efforts of daemons and rebels.
Without some strategizing, completing the firewall plan would likely be impossible.
After taking control of Terra, Guilliman planned to initiate several other projects to confuse and mislead the enemy.
For example, developing technology to repair the Webway, creating a force of daemon-slaying warriors, sending people to explore paths to other universes, and so on.
These plans all had a certain urgency and necessity. If they could be successfully implemented, humanity would gain more initiative.
For instance, exploring paths to other universes could prepare the Imperium of Man for a potential great escape.
Better safe than sorry.
When defeated, strategic retreat is necessary.
Losing is not shameful; as long as you are alive, there's a chance to regain face and make a comeback.
The Webway is even more obvious; it's like building a highway, once built, it can be used.
If the Aeldari can use it, humans naturally can too.
Based on the Emperor's lessons.
Guilliman didn't plan to build Webway entrances on important planets like Terra and Mars anymore.
He would find remote star systems, or build the Webway directly in the void.
He would build it segment by segment.
From one sector to another.
If it couldn't be built, it would serve to divert the enemy's attention.
If built successfully, it could also reduce the impact of Warp storms on Imperial ships.
If daemons heavily obstructed it, expel them if possible; if not, find another place to build.
Build a little here, a little there, and over time, it would all be built.
Guilliman had made up his mind, absolutely refusing to follow the Emperor's extreme methods.
The Emperor fought wars like playing Stellaris.
Open a mine, develop some half-baked technology, and then think about spamming units for a one-wave rush.
With this approach, even a slight operational error would lead to immediate failure; there was no room for error.
This wave of units was certainly powerful.
But without power or resources for logistics, and causing widespread discontent on his planets.
But if the opponent resisted for a bit and caught their breath, his own logistics would collapse, and his star systems, unable to bear the oppression, would also declare independence.
He was mighty for a while, but in the end, he was defeated.
Guilliman planned to proceed cautiously.
First, a major overhaul of the Imperial ruling system to stabilize his rule and ensure his commands could reach the grassroots.
Second, strengthen technological research and development to further enhance human technology and build a stronger army.
Enhance national strength, so that even if mistakes occurred, there would be room for error.
Once the firewall was established, daemons would merely be a minor nuisance, and the Imperium of Man could easily handle them.
After reviewing the theoretical knowledge of the firewall, Guilliman settled down to examine the technological knowledge in the second phase database.
More colossal constructs appeared in the database.
Even technological knowledge like strong-force materials was stored in the second phase database.
This was a top-notch item.
As is well known, the densest and hardest material in the universe is neutron star matter.
A spoonful of neutron star matter weighs a billion tons; even atomic nuclei are squeezed together.
Such material, no matter what it is used to forge, is incredibly sturdy.
To forge things using neutron star material, a civilization's technological level needs to be extremely high.
At the current stage, the Imperium of Man is completely unable to achieve this.
Strong-force is a compensatory technology.
It uses the strong magnetic force possessed by fundamental particles to forcibly arrange all atoms together, forming an absolutely smooth plane.
Materials constructed in this way are also incredibly sturdy; even steel is as fragile as tofu in its presence.
Strong-force material is definitely a top-tier weapon capable of changing the galactic war.
With this thing, even when facing the top dynasties of the necrons, Guilliman would have confidence.
Second-generation technology for super-soldiers was also included, with bio-engines, dark matter computers, and everything else. By following the steps, Primaris Marines could be upgraded again, gaining stronger bodies and brains.
Guilliman rapidly browsed the second phase database using his super-brain.
The knowledge within was vast, like an ocean, and Guilliman could only give it a cursory look.
He would find opportunities in the future to study it slowly.
The technological knowledge in the second phase database was more advanced than that in the first phase database.
The fundamental theories regarding the microscopic domain were also more profound.
This knowledge could enable the Imperium of Man to achieve better development.
Besides physical technology, the second phase database also contained knowledge about supernatural powers like the Warp, souls, and magic.
It was clear that once a civilization developed to a certain level, the Warp was an unavoidable obstacle.
After examining the knowledge in the database, Guilliman also felt more confident.
This knowledge was sufficient to help the Imperium of Man build the Warp firewall.
It could even analyze the Webway and reverse-engineer its technology, thereby achieving the goal of constructing the Webway.
A large amount of material science knowledge within it could also advance humanity's Lighthouse Project.
The Lighthouse Project was equally important.
Once successfully implemented, humanity's reliance on Warp communication would significantly decrease, and humans would be able to communicate and transmit information quickly and safely.
After a long time, Guilliman came back to his senses amidst the cheers of the surrounding civilians.
He looked up and saw the outline of the Imperial Palace appearing on the horizon in the distance.
The palace structure situated on the mountains gradually became clearer.
The most striking among them was the Astronomican, radiating a glory that pierced the clouds and the sun.
The anti-grav vehicle swept over the high walls and entered the Imperial Palace avenue where twelve statues of saints stood.
Those silent sculptures stood in the grand square, watching their entourage.
Each of these sculptures was incredibly massive, comparable to an Emperor-class Titan.
Having crossed the square, the grav-vehicle reached the Imperial Palace.
Guilliman looked up at the gates of the Imperial Palace.
Even he felt extremely small at this moment.
The towering gates, reaching into the clouds, were carved with scenes of angels battling daemons.
Upon reaching this point, the grav-vehicle could not proceed further, and he had to continue on foot.
Led by the Custodes, Guilliman passed through numerous magnificent arches and wonders.
Finally, he arrived before the last archway.
Beyond this gate lay the Emperor's Throne Room.
Ancient memories surfaced; ten thousand years ago, when Guilliman first came to Terra, the war had just ended.
The Emperor, gravely wounded, had been carried into the Throne Room by the Custodes and the loyalists.
After giving His final instructions to the loyal Primarchs, the severely injured Emperor had taken His seat upon the Golden Throne, and from that day forward, He had never spoken again.
Guilliman stood before the great doors of the Throne Room.
It had changed somewhat from how it was ten thousand years ago.
The Throne Room was situated within a solemn and towering sanctuary.
Guilliman looked around; the changes here also revealed a little of how humanity had changed over the past ten thousand years.
Ten thousand years ago, it was very simple, with no structures designed to display status.
Now, various sculptures were placed here, countless perpetual candles burned, releasing a faint fragrance mixed with the heavy scent of smoke.
Guilliman gazed at the massive stained-glass windows that radiated golden light.
They depicted the Emperor's past glorious deeds.
He walked alone towards the final portal.
The melodious sound of bells rang out, echoing for dozens of miles around.
Hovering servo-skulls and cherubim were recording this momentous occasion through their internal devices and broadcasting it to the external communication network.
The entire population of Terra, indeed the entire Solar System, was watching this moment.
Hundreds of millions watched as the great doors of the Throne Room silently began to move.
Through the slowly opening gap, the faithful could only glimpse profound darkness and swirling white mist.
The white mist coiled around Guilliman's feet like a swarm of snakes and spread across the several steps behind the Primarch.
Guilliman took a deep breath.
He was about to face his greatest trial.
The fate of humanity would also depend on this day.
He stepped inside, and the great doors slowly closed behind him.
Even with mental preparation,
Guilliman was still horrified by everything within the Throne Room and felt a trace of inner fear.
The Throne Room was immense in scale, filled with various machines.
Seemingly endless steam pipes covered the floor and walls, and cables intertwined like dying giant serpents.
Towering equipment lined up in rows, interspersed with countless panels of gauges.
Many thick pipes penetrated the ground, extending underground.
The Throne Room was merely the terminal for this equipment; a much larger structure was located beneath the Imperial Palace's crypts.
Guilliman could glimpse the ambition of the creators and the intelligence contained within these devices from the equipment.
The only pity was that they were not running, covered in dust.
This equipment had been abandoned.
After the Emperor admitted the failure of His Webway Project, these brilliantly engineered machines were shut down and left here to gather dust.
Guilliman walked past this equipment, reaching the central area of the Throne Room.
In the center of this vast chamber sat a peculiar golden construct.
It was several kilometers high.
Its entire surface was inlaid with golden runic circuits.
Guilliman, using his knowledge, observed it for a long time, and finally had to admit that he could not fully decipher the Golden Throne.
The Emperor was more terrifying than he had imagined.
One must remember that he had activated the second stage of his database, possessing the knowledge of civilizations sufficient to build a stellar empire.
Yet, he still could not comprehend the operating mechanism and principles of the Golden Throne.
The Emperor, however, had built the Golden Throne with His own wisdom.
Around the Golden Throne were placed black metal sarcophagi.
Guilliman walked past these sarcophagi; inside them were withered human bodies.
Among them were even children of twelve or thirteen, their tender faces filled with pain and incomprehension.
Guilliman felt a pang in his heart at this.
The souls of these people were shattered, used as sustenance to be fed into the Golden Throne.
Those black metal sarcophagi were soul siphons, drawing out their souls to nourish the Emperor, allowing Him to hold back the out-of-control Webway.
This was a desperate plan.
Regardless of the outcome, the future fate of humanity was one of utter darkness.
Guilliman calculated that there were ten thousand sarcophagi here, meaning the Emperor needed to kill ten thousand psykers every day.
When the Emperor first ascended the Golden Throne, He only needed to burn a thousand psykers.
Now, He needed to burn ten thousand.
And what about the future?
How many would He need to burn then?
One day, the number of psykers would not be enough to sustain His consumption.
Who should be burned then?
Should innocent people be burned for the Emperor's continued existence?
The Emperor had protected humanity for ten thousand years; this was undeniable.
Without the Emperor, humanity might have perished during the Age of Strife, becoming one of those ancient civilizations that were annihilated.
But continuing like this would only lead humanity into the abyss, ultimately beyond redemption.
The Emperor was becoming the kind of person He once most abhorred.
Just like the warlord He killed during the Unification Wars - the Pope of Moransen.
In the beginning, the Pope was just a priest wandering the wasteland, collecting clean water and food everywhere and giving it to the poor.
He was benevolent and charitable, a truly good man.
Soon, those who received his help began to follow him sincerely.
He slowly grew stronger and became more devout, striving to do all sorts of good deeds.
Saving tribes on the verge of extinction, healing the diseases of the poor.
When Terra was plunged into chaos and slaughter, this man, through the power of faith, protected the poor people.
Because of this, more and more people joined his ranks.
To protect these people, he began to sacrifice to the warp, using blood sacrifice to gain stronger power.
If he could protect ten thousand people, what did it matter to sacrifice one?
This once-kind priest, to protect the people who followed him, began to constantly break his own bottom line, conducting one blood sacrifice after another, using genetic machines from the Age of Strife to create fierce modified soldiers, employing various terrifying weapons to intimidate enemies, and even destroy them.
He did it only to protect the faithful who wished to receive his protection.
For the sake of so-called justice, he began to use unscrupulous means to eliminate enemies, more actively spreading his doctrine, attempting to build a better world.
For victory, he offered more tributes.
For the faithful who wished to be protected, he slaughtered more people in exchange for power.
In the end, he was no longer willing to leave this world.
For his people, to protect the innocent, he desperately wanted to live and gain more power, by any means necessary.
Finally, this priest was called the Pope and died at the hands of the Emperor during the Terran Unification Wars.
But what difference was there now between Him and the Pope He had once despised?
Committing horrific atrocities for the sake of so-called protection.
Superstition and ignorance were dragging humanity deeper and deeper.
If killing ten thousand psykers every day could guarantee the survival of the Imperium, what did it matter to murder them?
If enough souls could keep a monarch alive, what was the death of a child?
Guilliman withdrew his gaze, suppressing his thoughts.
He needed to change all of this, but he couldn't rush.
Many things couldn't be solved by rushing.
He stepped towards the stairs of the golden platform.
At its very top was a massive throne made of gold and silver.
Its exterior was patched with layers of bronze and platinum.
It seemed the internal components had failed and been repaired many times.
The Master of Mankind, the strongest psyker, the absolute leader of the Imperium, the Omnissiah, the man with countless titles, sat upon the Golden Throne.
Guilliman could not clearly see His appearance; only blanks could see the Emperor's true form.
He saw a withered face, full of pain, without a trace of life, slumped in that seat.
Then what he saw began to shift.
A king of infinite power, appearing pensive on His throne.
A white-haired elder, like a father, with a stern face, seemingly about to give him advice.
Guilliman stood still; in his observation, the Emperor's image constantly changed.
Pain, joy, excitement, death, filled with countless emotions, flashed before him in an instant.
"Father," Guilliman looked directly at the Emperor, shrouded in light, and spoke, "I have returned."
The Golden Throne had activated a stasis field; by all accounts, the Emperor should not have heard Guilliman's voice.
But Guilliman still felt the gaze of a powerful will, possessing infinite power.
The power of that will was in no way inferior to that of a Chaos God.
This made Guilliman's hair stand on end.
Suddenly, He spoke.
A myriad of voices instantly made Guilliman's head feel like it would split.
Tens of thousands of voices sounded in his mind simultaneously.
Making Guilliman almost unable to stop himself from cursing.
**GUILLIMAN.**
**THIRTEENTH.**
**SON.**
**STRATEGIST.**
**BUILDER.**
**HOPE.**
**REGENT.**
**FAILURE.**
**LIAR.**
**BETRAYER.**
**FORGOTTEN.**
**LOST.**
Guilliman's body had been enhanced; the system template gave him power far exceeding that of greater daemons and daemon Primarchs.
But at this moment, Guilliman also felt his mind buzzing.
He felt like he heard everything, yet felt like he heard nothing.
The concept of language became utterly ridiculous at this moment.
"I seek your help," Guilliman said, enduring the pain, "I need the technical knowledge of the Webway."
Numerous and terrifying thoughts washed over his consciousness. Among them were premonitions of the future.
For a moment, Guilliman doubted if his head would explode.
**A RESURRECTED ONE.**
**TWO SOULS.**
**SON?**
**A BRAND NEW TOOL**
A grand plan ruined, a terrifying ambition never realized.
Countless pieces of information continuously flooded into Guilliman's mind.
Talking to the Emperor was like a floodgate opening on a dam on the verge of collapse.
Countless pieces of information gushed out; they didn't care if it was the information Guilliman needed, they just kept pouring into his mind.
The history of stars, races older than time, xenos wars, so terrifying they seemed unreal.
"I want the technical knowledge of the Webway," Guilliman struggled to endure, making his final request.
He decided that if there was still no answer, he would leave and find another way.
Continuing to talk to the Emperor would definitely make his head explode.
Not even a machine intelligence of Abominable Intelligence grade could withstand such a terrifying amount of information.
"Guilliman," amidst the countless frantic screams, one will overpowered everything and spoke, "Mars, the mysterious crypts. Moloch, the forgotten altar."
Countless memories came with the screams, and Guilliman accepted them all.
Countless images surfaced.
Those images originated from before the Great Crusade even began, before Terra was unified.
The Emperor and many Perpetuals were already planning the establishment of the Imperium of Man and the Webway Project.
"I take my leave," Guilliman extracted what he needed from those images, then turned and left.
Such a conversation, even with an enhanced mind, was unbearable.