The Imperium achieved a great victory!
The Military Department recorded that in this operation, the Imperium eliminated over a hundred thousand Chaos Astartes.
The main force of the Black Legion has been completely annihilated.
The Chaos Gods rescued Abaddon and other high-ranking members of the Black Legion.
All other enemies were utterly destroyed under the leadership of the Solar Lord, the Warmaster of the Imperium.
This campaign was the Warmaster's second great victory leading the Imperium.
In this war, the Imperium resolved the problem of the Black Legion, which had plagued it for thousands of years. Long live the glory of the Warmaster!
This information was quickly disseminated by the Imperium's Department of Military Affairs, the Astropathic Choir, and the Imperial cult, spreading throughout the millions of worlds of the Imperium, both theoretically and in practice, far beyond that number.
The news had a profound effect. After it spread throughout the Imperium, those Imperial worlds still under the Indomitus Crusade and not yet reconquered were greatly emboldened.
Moreover, the Imperial worlds in the Imperium's dark territories were further solidified in their resolve to resist because of this event.
The Warmaster's army appearing in the Imperium's dark territories meant something obvious: they felt that they were about to receive aid from the Imperial army.
Hundreds of Imperial worlds were on the verge of falling, but after this news reached them, they renewed their determined resistance.
At the same time, when this news reached the forces of Chaos, it also led to the collapse or hasty retreat of many ordinary Chaos warbands.
No one was foolish; they clearly understood that once the Imperial army had annihilated the main forces of the Black Legion, the Imperial army would undoubtedly press its advantage.
At that time, countless Imperial worlds in the Imperium's dark territories would surely receive the Imperium's salvation once again, especially those star sectors closest to Naelrus.
Great victory!!!
Everyone believed that the Warmaster would continue to lead the army to reclaim more Imperial worlds.
However, what they didn't expect was that Noah did not personally lead the army in battle; instead, he returned to his homeworld with Angron.
"Angron, I have organized the World Eaters Astartes who miraculously survived. When the operation begins, you will lead them on a crusade of atonement."
"I have also completely cleansed the Chaos energy from their bodies, so you can confidently lead them into battle."
The World Eaters' resolute act of turning against and attacking the Chaos Astartes made Noah believe that they could continue to atone, rather than be summarily executed for nothing.
Wastefulness was never Noah's habit, so he re-gathered the more than 2,000 World Eaters who were still alive after the battle. He did not execute them directly but instead incorporated them into the Penal Legion.
"Your first unit will be this Penal Legion. As for the other units, I will provide them to you later."
"Thank you, Warmaster."
Angron spoke these words with genuine sincerity. Whether it was Noah freeing him from the Khornate daemon's control or preserving his sons so they could continue their atonement, Angron was deeply moved.
This address of "Warmaster" was heartfelt and full of emotion. For Angron at this moment, even if Noah now ordered him to lead the World Eaters Legion to fight the Emperor, he would do so without hesitation.
After all, compared to his nominal and genetic father, Noah seemed more like his father.
He could never forget everything the Emperor had done to him, nor could he forget his brothers who had died on his homeworld because of the Emperor's actions.
Subsequently, the Emperor, for the sake of all humanity in the Imperium of Man, had no time to care for his son.
This allowed Angron's warp essence to be completely suppressed by the Khornate daemon.
the Emperor was worthy of the entire human race, but he failed his army and his son.
"You're welcome. After all, I had demands when I saved you."
"When we get to my laboratory, follow my instructions without any resistance. I will extract your warp essence from your current body and then reshape a new body for you."
"As for your current body, since it has committed monstrous sins, this body must be publicly and completely destroyed as a warning and example!"
"This can also be considered an explanation for the Imperial soldiers who fell by your hand."
Angron could not refuse Noah's request; instead, he nodded very seriously.
"I have no problem, Warmaster. You can do as you say."
Angron was completely convinced by Noah.
Since Angron said so, Noah didn't continue to discuss other matters with him. He used a small test tube to take some cell tissue from Angron's body, then in the laboratory, he reverted it to pluripotent stem cells.
And once the pluripotent stem cells appeared, he began to guide them to re-form into an existence like a fertilized egg, developing a new, powerful body.
Under the influence of psionics technology, this body did not form its own soul; instead, it remained as a mere shell.
Souls and bodies also have compatibility. To avoid any mismatch, Noah did not directly create a body for him but chose to custom-make one for him.
The next second, Noah used his powerful psionic abilities to painlessly extract Angron's soul directly from his original body.
The transparent Angron emitted the scent of warp essence, attracting the attention of Chaos daemons.
If someone could devour Angron whole, they could become a minor god of the warp. Such a temptation was irresistible to ordinary Chaos daemons.
When the first warp daemon appeared around Noah's laboratory, Noah noticed it. His powerful psionic energy began to surge forth, directly enveloping the surroundings.
Immediately after, the dark energy shield was activated, completely erasing the laboratory's existence from the universe's information.
This was to ensure that those Chaos daemons would not appear during the subsequent operation.
Although Noah was not afraid of them, these guys swarming out like ants were quite troublesome.
"Angron, are you ready? If you are, I'm about to put you into your new body."
Placing a person's soul into another body was not a difficult technique for the Terran Federation.
However, the current conditions were limited, and this was Noah's first time doing such a thing, so he still asked Angron.
"Of course! I am ready. Please proceed."
Angron had long been mentally prepared. Whether this matter succeeded or failed, he accepted it.
After all, Noah had saved him.
If it succeeded, it would be a new beginning for him, and if it failed, it would be a release.
Angron's soul not only showed no fear but instead appeared very excited.
Noah looked at Angron's soul with some surprise.
As expected of something formed from the essence of the warp, a human could still display such vivid expressions in a soul state, which made Noah even more interested.
This was a rare observation, as such practices had long been explicitly forbidden in the federation. Anyone who dared to do such a thing would inevitably be hunted down by the Psionic Legion.
As one of the top scientists, Noah would never do such a foolish thing.
However, with such a rare situation available for recording, Noah naturally would not forget to document it.
After Angron finished his expressions, Noah immediately threw him into the new body.
"How do you feel, Angron?"
"What do you feel in your body? Do you feel any discomfort when commanding your own body?"
Noah first asked Angron about his feelings. Facing Noah's inquiry, Angron conducted a detailed examination and experiment using his own methods, and then came to a conclusion.
"No problem, but the reaction is a bit slow, but the impact is not significant."
Angron said so, and Noah glanced at the equipment next to him, looking at the complete containment of the body and soul.
98%
"Not bad, your body and soul containment rate is 98%, which proves that this body replacement is very good."
"A 98% body containment rate is not low, after all, you just entered. Now you should do more exercises. Come back to me in an hour or two to record the data and see if there is any improvement. If there is an improvement, then it's almost complete."
"If not, don't worry, I can just give you a new body."
Noah comforted Angron in this way, after all, for him, being able to perform a soul-body exchange one more time was a rare experience.
Even though he was a Level 10 scientist, he had almost never done this before.
"I understand. I'll go exercise now to strengthen the adaptability of my body and soul."
Angron naturally did as Noah said. He was 100% obedient to Noah's commands, so he left after Noah finished speaking.
Under the guidance of the Custodes, he arrived at the training room and underwent a series of rehabilitation training, all designed for him as a Primarch.
Inside the training room, Angron felt this brand new body.
It was unlike his past flesh, which was twisted and enhanced by the butcher's nails and Chaos energy, filled with explosive, uncontrollable brute force.
Instead, a purer, more controllable power flowed within it.
Every punch, every dodge, the response of nerves and muscles brought an unprecedented sense of coordination.
There was indeed a subtle, almost imperceptible lag in the fusion of soul and body, as if the path of consciousness transmission needed to be re-laid and optimized, but this feeling was rapidly fading with each movement he made.
He focused on the most basic tactical movements, weapon drills, and Primarch-level physical training.
There were no angry roars, only steady breathing and precise movements.
Sweat seeped from his new skin, carrying away the last trace of discomfort, leaving behind a gradually perfect sense of control.
Two hours later, Angron returned to the laboratory on time. Noah had already prepared precise scanning equipment.
"Step on it." Noah motioned for him to stand on a platform covered with sensors.
Soft beams of light swept over Angron's entire body, and countless data scrolled rapidly across the holographic screen in front of Noah.
Noah's gaze was focused on analyzing each parameter: neural synapse response speed, psionics resonance frequency, bio-electrical coordination, synchronization rate of muscle fibers with conscious commands... A few minutes later, the scan ended. Noah looked at the final result and nodded.
"99.7%." He reported a number, "The fusion is very successful, and that slight feeling of sluggishness has almost completely disappeared. Your soul's adaptability to this new body is extremely strong, far exceeding my expectations. It seems that your Warp essence, in its pure state, possesses extremely strong plasticity and compatibility."
Angron breathed a sigh of relief, a surge of gratitude welling up in his heart. This meant he no longer needed to change bodies and could immediately begin his path of atonement.
"Thank you, Warmaster. This body... is very good." He flexed his fingers, feeling the almost perfect coordination.
"You deserve it." Noah turned off the instrument. "Now, it's time to deal with that old shell."
His tone became serious. The wall on one side of the laboratory slid open silently, revealing a transparent incineration chamber inscribed with purification runes.
Angron's massive, ugly old body, a symbol of endless pain and sin, lay quietly within.
"The Imperium needs a ceremony, a public ceremony, one sufficient to console countless souls and warn all Chaos Forces."
Noah looked at the incineration chamber, "The destruction of this body will mark the complete end of Angron, the World Eaters, and your — Angron, the Atoner's — new life."
"I understand." Angron gazed at the shell that had once caused him so much suffering, his eyes complex, but ultimately turning to calm. "It should have been destroyed long ago."
"Hmm," Noah said nothing more, but instead pressed a button. Soon, the body appeared on the planet's surface, and the next moment, live broadcast equipment began filming it.
The next second, Noah and Angron appeared together around the execution platform. Noah spoke loudly into the broadcast, which was facing the entire Segmentum Tempestus.
"This is the body of the former Chaos Daemon Primarch Angron. He has now been rescued by the Imperium and will become a new human guardian, saving the Imperial citizens of the Segmentum Tempestus."
After Noah finished speaking, the broadcaster even gave Angron a close-up, while also displaying the body riddled with butcher's nails to all Imperial citizens in the Segmentum Tempestus.
Such a scene naturally shook the Imperial citizens of the entire Segmentum Tempestus. After all, since the Great Rift opened, this place had become the Imperium Nihilus, and they had rarely seen Imperial victories.
First, Noah eliminated the Main force of the Black Legion, and this news was enough to greatly inspire the Imperial citizens.
And now, Noah had not only eliminated a Chaos Primarch but also rescued a Primarch, which further boosted the morale of the Imperial citizens in the Segmentum Tempestus.
Myths were replayed before them.
Each additional Primarch meant an additional huge hope.
No one in the Segmentum Tempestus knew exactly how many people there were; not even a rough estimate could be made, because the Imperium of Man's Department of the Interior was truly too abstract.
No one could currently figure out how many Imperial Worlds were in the Segmentum Tempestus, and how many Imperial citizens were on each Imperial World?
Even the number of Imperial citizens registered was an astronomical figure that the Department of the Interior could not count.
Moreover, if all numbers were to be counted, there were also those Imperial citizens in the Underhive.
Their numbers were simply uncountable, but the number of people was not important.
The most important thing was the far-reaching impact when the Daemon Primarch was placed here, ready to be judged.
Noah kept the broadcast going and said nothing more, but instead let reality speak for itself.
He pressed a button on the control panel.
The incineration chamber was instantly filled with incredibly pure, scorching white flames. These flames were not ordinary fire, but energy flames containing Noah's powerful psionic abilities and the Imperium's highest purification technology.
The body of the old Angron rapidly decomposed in the flames, not burning, not exploding, but simply turning from solid to nothingness, like ice and snow in sunlight, leaving not even the finest dust.
All the Chaos marks attached to it, the curse of the butcher's nails, and the bloodlust and resentment accumulated over ten thousand years, were completely purified and annihilated at this moment.
The entire process was quiet and swift.
Even all the Imperial citizens who watched this live broadcast had not yet recovered, as they watched a Daemon Primarch's body being destroyed.
Immediately after, all eyes were focused on the reborn Angron.
The old Angron, the World Eaters, had vanished. Now, the savior and atoner had appeared.
Noah did not continue to appear in the broadcast, but chose to hand over the current scene to Angron. He wanted the Imperial citizens to remember this savior who was about to save them.
Only in this way could Angron better complete his mission and save more Imperial Worlds.
Noah was, after all, still the person with a strong sense of morality. Since he had already punished the other party, the next step was to help this Imperial commander who was about to save his fellow humans.
This live broadcast could just wash away this shame for Angron.
And bid farewell to the past, so that he would not be resisted by the Imperial army during his atonement crusade.
Angron was a man of few words, so he didn't say much during the broadcast; he merely showed his determination through his actions.
Angron clenched his fists, struck his chest hard, and made his vow...
"The Imperium did not abandon me; it saved me from the hands of Daemons. And now, I will spread this glory and mercy to all."
"To all Imperial citizens currently suffering from Daemonic calamities, I promise you that I will come to save you. Do not give up, do not give up hope!"
"As long as you hold onto hope, one day a miracle will descend, just as it did for me, receiving salvation after ten thousand years."
"The Warmaster's army and the Warmaster himself will come to save you. The Warmaster will not abandon any Imperial Citizen!"
Hope!
These two words are not easy to say, but the meaning they represent is profound.
Angron didn't know how many Imperial Worlds his words would inspire, but for him, as long as more Imperial Worlds could hold on and await the arrival of his Redeemer army, that would be enough.
After delivering this speech to the Imperial citizens of the entire Segmentum Tempestus, Angron returned to Noah's laboratory.
This was what Noah had told him before the broadcast because Angron wanted to save the Imperial Worlds, and a mere 2,000 World Eaters Legion soldiers were not enough.
No, these soldiers were no longer World Eaters Legion soldiers, but Redeemer Legion soldiers.
They would come for redemption.
Only 2,000 Redeemer Legion soldiers were clearly insufficient to accomplish Angron's Great Crusade and atone for his sins, so Angron needed more Space Marines.
Out of his noble morality, Noah prepared two choices for Angron.
And these two choices were presented to Angron by Noah once he returned to his presence.
"Your current army size is severely insufficient, so I need to either expand your army or assign a batch of troops to you. I now present two choices before you; you may select one."
"The first choice: I can now allow you to recruit from existing Space Marine troops. As long as the current Space Marines are willing to follow you to redeem the people of the Imperium, they can become soldiers of your Legion."
"The advantage of this is that you can quickly acquire an army and go to redeem the Imperial citizens earlier."
"However, you must understand that they are Space Marines from formal training, not Space Marines like your previous Legion.
So, they may not fit your combat style. You might make some mistakes in command."
Noah first described the situation of the first choice to Angron and told him what the risks were.
After all, a commander's combat style is also very important to an army.
If the combat style of the troops and the combat style of the commander are completely different, then the effect will be half the effort for twice the result.
Angron listened to Noah's description of the first choice and did not rush to express his stance; instead, he continued to maintain a listening posture.
As a Primarch who had participated in the Great Crusade, he, of course, knew how terrible the consequences would be if the Legion's combat style was completely different from his own.
Therefore, he wanted to hear what the second choice was.
"The second choice is that I will now use the pluripotent stem cells that can be extracted from your body to reshape a batch of your Legion soldiers."
"These Legion soldiers will be re-manufactured with your genes as the core, and the advantage of doing so is that the combat style of these soldiers, after a short period of training, will be exactly like yours."
"You will achieve twice the result with half the effort when commanding such an army."
"Just like the Primarch Legions during your Great Crusade era."
"However, this choice also comes with a price: it requires time."
"To cultivate Space Marines capable of combat requires at least one month for large-scale cultivation, and then another month for familiarization and training. You will only be able to lead your new Legion into battle two months later."
"Now, tell me what your choice is?"
"I have set the prepared by for your Redeemer Legion at one million men. I will fully equip you with one million Space Marines when you depart.
Of course, you also have the right to recruit new members for yourself while fighting outside, and you can later have more than one million Space Marines."
"I will prepare enough Tech-Priests for you. If you feel you need more new soldiers, you can expand your army as you wish. I am not like those useless High Lords; you can expand your army as you see fit."
"However, if you still carry out the Culling of the Eleventh during the Great Crusade era, then don't blame me for being impolite."
Noah placed the two choices before Angron, waiting for him to make his decision.
And facing these two choices, Angron chose the latter with almost no hesitation.
"I choose the second one!" Angron grew up in the world of gladiators. Although there was no saying there about 'to do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools,' there was a similar sentiment.
Angron clearly understood how important a Legion that matched him was. He didn't mind the extra two months this would take.
He knew how important a Legion that matched him was. These two months could be fully made up for in subsequent operations.
Ensuring that he led an army with a compatible combat style would ultimately save far more Imperial Worlds than hastily leading an army into battle.
"A wise choice. This is the choice a smart commander would make. If you had chosen to lead the troops directly into battle, I would have been somewhat dissatisfied and felt that I had misjudged you."
Angron's choice was exactly what Noah hoped he would make at that moment, for although he was not a military strategist, as a scientist, he also understood this principle.
"Next, you can continue to hone your combat skills and military command abilities. Someone will teach you how to command in battle, as your cultural foundation is too poor and you need to study hard.
Come back to me in two months. I will now begin cultivating your Legion soldiers.
"In addition, you can go to the Fleet Admiral to learn about and further understand the warships you will be taking with you."
"I will equip you with newer and better warships to enhance your efficiency in the expedition, for time is life. Every minute you arrive earlier, countless Imperial citizens might be saved by you.
You may leave now. See you in two months."
Angron bowed deeply to Noah, without superfluous words, but the gratitude in his eyes said it all.
He understood that Noah had planned a path for him that truly led to redemption and could maximize his abilities.
Two months, for him who had waited ten thousand years for liberation, was not long.
He turned and left the laboratory. Now he had to strengthen himself, as he also hoped to save more Imperial Worlds and atone better for his sins.
At the same time, his heart was compassionate and capable of understanding the pain of others.
This was his Warp essence; he should have been the Primarch most capable of understanding the feelings of others.
Humanity's recent actions have become increasingly significant, especially since the Great Rift's opening did not lead to the decline of the Imperium. This situation naturally caught the attention of the Aeldari.
The Aeldari were once the galactic overlords before humanity, having once established a glorious civilization, although this civilization was born from the mutual devastation of the war between the Necrons and the C'tan.
However, this absolutely cannot deny the Aeldari's past glory, for in their indulgence, they even created the powerful Chaos God Slaanesh.
That a race could create a powerful warp entity through pleasure alone speaks volumes about the former strength of that civilization.
The Aeldari, also known as Eldar, are nicknamed "Bean Sprouts."
This race is one of the oldest in the galaxy, and at its peak, their territory spanned almost the entire galaxy.
The Aeldari not only possess advanced technology but are also born psykers. They consider themselves the rulers of the galaxy, looking down upon all others.
The first time Noah dealt with the Aeldari was because of Roboute Guilliman.
Due to the Aeldari's statements, Noah had no good feelings towards them.
These foolish beings actually dared to say in front of him that they wanted to kill a human compatriot. Such behavior was undoubtedly an act of contempt towards Noah.
And Yvraine, after all, was also one of the leaders of the Ynnari. She was directly thrown out by Noah at the time. This action undoubtedly felt like a direct confrontation with the Ynnari.
As former galactic overlords, how could the Aeldari accept being humiliated by Noah in such a way? Retaliation from them was inevitable.
In the eyes of these Aeldari, the lives of xenos are utterly insignificant. If sacrificing an entire Imperial star system and billions of human lives could save a small group of Aeldari, they would gladly do so.
The Aeldari only ever care about their own destiny and future. All their cooperative attitudes will never be for mutual benefit; they will always be biased towards themselves.
Every conflict and war the Aeldari engage in is meticulously planned by their Farseers and Warlocks. The goals of these wars are often based on interpretations of the threads of fate.
The Aeldari manipulate key nodes of fate, incomprehensible to mortals, to create large-scale butterfly effects, thereby rewriting the entire grand tapestry of the future for a considerable period.
And just before, their attempt to curry favor with the Imperium and use it to achieve their goals was directly shattered by Noah.
They had intended to form a cooperative relationship with Guilliman, but none of this came to fruition because Guilliman was saved by Noah, and these xenos were thrown out of Ultramar like trash by Noah.
Noah's powerful psionic abilities and individual prowess indeed made it impossible for ordinary Aeldari to contend with him.
In fact, no one in the entire material universe could contend with him.
However, this does not mean that the Aeldari would give up on their goals, especially the Ynnari, a faction that seeks to restore the Aeldari to their former glory.
In a new prophecy, they saw a massive, indescribable battleship that, with its powerful attacks, directly destroyed one star system after another.
humanity razed one star region after another until the very last Aeldari fell into their hands.
The entire Aeldari race, the entire Aeldari, everything was destroyed by that Daemon named Noah.
He left no spark of hope for the Aeldari, not even for those Aeldari who had fortunately escaped the Milky Way and appeared in other star systems.
He utterly destroyed the entire Aeldari presence across the universe.
This was the result of prophecies made by the Farseers of various Aeldari factions.
This was a terrible prophecy, and it also revealed humanity's attitude towards xenos.
How could the Aeldari accept such a prophecy and outcome?
They absolutely could not bear such an end.
Even with the emergence of Slaanesh, some Aeldari still survived, but now that Daemon named Noah wanted to exterminate them completely, and even escaping the Milky Way would be useless.
This was something they could never accept.
To reverse this situation, they once had two viewpoints. The first was to try to ally with humanity and re-establish a cooperative, win-win attitude to ensure they would not be annihilated by humanity.
However, this attitude was already rejected by the Aeldari Farseers after Yvraine failed to save Guilliman.
Their attempts to curry favor with the Imperium had failed, and Yvraine also described Noah's attitude in detail.
Noah's attitude was resolute, completely disdainful of xenos, even surpassing humanity from the Dark Age of Technology.
In his view, xenos like the Aeldari did not even have the right to converse with humans.
Such an attitude from humanity naturally dispelled the Aeldari Farseers' idea of trying to befriend humans.
They were well aware that with Noah's emergence, humanity could no longer unite with the Aeldari.
Moreover, the Ynnari's goal was the great revival of the Aeldari, and the human race also wanted to bring the entire galaxy under its jurisdiction, which led to a clear and sharp conflict between the Aeldari and humanity.
The reason they might have stood together before was primarily because both humanity and the Aeldari shared a common enemy: the forces of Chaos.
However, recent wars have shown that humanity no longer fears Chaos at all; in some respects, they are even pushing Chaos back.
The annihilation of the Black Legion further Daemonstrated this point.
humanity cannot be allowed to continue developing; a major blow must be dealt to them. Otherwise, as humanity grows stronger, the Aeldari will have less and less room to exist.
Who knows, perhaps their prophecy will truly come to pass in the end?
Therefore, a plot from the Aeldari is now drawing near.
The Aeldari Farseers' plan is very simple: they intend to use the forces of Chaos to launch a large-scale attack on humanity.
Their target for this attack is the 108 worlds of the Mists Sector.
The 108 worlds of the Mists Sector, as the 108 most brilliant star worlds in the human faction, are undoubtedly the most important colony worlds in the hands of humanity's Solar Lord, Noah.
If all these 108 worlds could be destroyed, they would undoubtedly inflict a huge blow on humanity and potentially dissolve humanity's current flourishing situation.
Then, humanity, under pressure from the forces of Chaos, would be forced to reunite with the Aeldari, and their plans could get back on track.
Based on this consideration, the Aeldari's plot began to shroud the 108 worlds of the Mists Sector.
Their plan is simple: all Aeldari possess powerful psionic abilities.
This also gives them extremely advanced psionics technology, and some of this psionics technology can even guide warp shadows to shroud the material universe.
As long as the power of the Chaos Gods can be guided into the material universe, they believe that, given the Chaos Gods' abilities, there will certainly be a way to destroy humanity's 108 most brilliant worlds.
With the Chaos Gods personally intervening, humanity's peak would be slapped back down.
To make them continue to struggle for survival in the mire—this was the final strategy derived from the Aeldari Farseer Council's prophecies and discussions.
This strategy could not only weaken humanity but also allow them to preserve their own vital forces as much as possible. It was truly the most suitable plan for them.
The plan was good, but due to the fall of their empire, the Aeldari's military strength could not be concentrated.
This meant that in an all-out war, they were bound to lose to the Imperium of Man.
However, they possessed unparalleled advantages.
The existence of all Psykers, their longevity, and the Craftworlds meant that the Aeldari still maintained a large amount of their technology.
At the same time, the existence of psionic technology also allowed the Aeldari to incorporate their enemies, the Chaos Gods, into their plans.
By introducing the Chaos Gods into the real world, they could unleash a large number of Daemon legions without restraint.
Many Craftworlds of the Aeldari collaborated to create a powerful device.
The Void Weaver.
Led by Craftworld Iyanden, in conjunction with dozens of Craftworld Eldar from Craftworlds like Ulthwé and Biel-Tan, tens of thousands of Aeldari Farseers and the psionic arts of the Mournival collectively crafted it.
Its core material was taken from the remains of destroyed Aeldari ancient gods, and it was infused with Webway fragments and energy crystals from Warp rifts.
Appearance: A floating prism-shaped structure, its surface flowing with iridescent light patterns, its edges interwoven with wraithbone and blackstone, with a Tear of Khaine gem embedded in the center, symbolizing the Aeldari's curse upon the Bloody-Handed God.
Core Mechanism: By chanting ancient Aeldari dirges, a fool-proof psionic method to twist the fabric of reality, it forms a 'Dream-Weaving Domain' in the target area, causing Warp rules to overlay the real universe.
Functions and Effects:
Reality Disintegration: Upon activation, the laws of physics within one light-year around the device gradually fail, gravity becomes chaotic, time flows erratically, and Warp energy surges in like a tide.
Greater Daemon Descent: The Four Chaos Gods can dispatch Greater Daemons into reality on a large scale, and their power remains undiminished.
The Aeldari can maintain their sanity through Webway technology, while other races will rapidly corrupt or go mad.
In their experiments, it was even enough to corrupt the Space Marines of the Imperium of Man, directly corrupting them.
After all, this thing was forged by dozens of Aeldari Craftworlds working together and integrating a large amount of psionic technology.
The Space Marines' resistance to Chaos corruption was powerless against such corruption.
And this feature was specifically added to deal with these Space Marines.
After all, in the Segmentum Tempestus, the number of Space Marines detected by the Autarch and Abaddon alone already exceeded ten million.
Such a vast military force, coupled with the Imperium of Man's immense Astra Militarum... such an army was somewhat difficult for these Autarchs to contend with.
So they had to make humanity turn on itself; they had to make those Space Marines capable of being corrupted by Chaos. Only then could they ensure the destruction of all Segmentum Obscurus 108 Worlds.
Initially, many Craftworld Eldar were reluctant to use such a thing, to be honest.
But they had no choice; they had witnessed the vision of the Aeldari's destruction, which they could not accept.
This thing was a double-edged sword; if the instrument lost control, allowing more Warp power to enter the real universe, there might be a chain reaction.
Slaanesh would absolutely not let the Aeldari off the hook either.
If things went wrong, they might not even be safe in the real universe.
Large numbers of Slaanesh Daemons could pursue them relentlessly, which would lead to another Autarch fall event.
The already weakened Aeldari might suffer heavy losses again.
But as mentioned before, for the Aeldari, the most important thing was the continuation of their species.
For them, whether the Aeldari existed was paramount; as for the consequences, that was a matter for later.
And even if it went out of control, at worst they would suffer heavy losses; compared to ultimately being exterminated by humanity, they found suffering heavy losses more acceptable.
At the same time, if it succeeded, they could set things right again.
Making humanity follow the path in their prophecies, instead of running wild like unbridled horses as they were now.
Taking advantage of the current melee among the five Chaos Gods in the Warp, with Warp storms almost engulfing the entire Warp, preventing Imperium of Man warships from traversing the Warp smoothly.
However, races like them, who rely on the Webway, did not have this problem. There was no better time than now.
While the Imperium of Man's transportation was inconvenient and the armies of World 108 could not receive support from other regions of the Imperium of Man, they would launch a full-scale attack!
And the Mournival led by Yvraine was responsible for executing this strategy.
After all, this matter originated from them and was pushed by the Mournival, so it was naturally most suitable for the Mournival to handle it.
To ensure success and the continuation of the Overlord, the Aeldari had also consulted their existing god, the laughing god.
The laughing god did not prevent their decision in any way; instead, he tacitly approved it.
At this time, war raged in the Warp, and the Chaos Gods clashed. The Aeldari were like a lone boat in the ocean, having to proceed cautiously. The laughing god had witnessed humanity's power.
Powerful Psionic Legions launched round after round of attacks against the forces of the Chaos Gods in the Warp. This was a powerful legion; even the Aeldari of old never possessed such a mighty army.
Now, human Psykers were becoming increasingly powerful; they had to suppress humanity as much as possible, otherwise the galaxy would surely fall into human hands.
So, for the laughing god, the Aeldari's current desire to suppress humanity perfectly aligned with his own views.
The Chaos Gods, completely red-eyed from battle, once they could act freely in the real universe, would inevitably unite and attack humanity together with the four gods Daemonic armies.
If the situation in the real universe truly unfolded as the Mournival envisioned, then the Imperium of Man's World 108 of the Segmentum Tempestus must be destroyed; they must destroy humanity's most vital planets.
To ensure that this vast empire would continue its slow and decaying suicide.
The laughing god's promise was a huge help to the Mournival; this way, the powerful Harlequins among the Aeldari could also join the battle.
With the assistance of the Harlequins, they were confident they could place these devices in the Imperial Worlds and detonate them before the Imperium of Man could react.
Enveloping the entire Segmentum Obscurus 108 Worlds with the threat of Chaos.
At that moment, the Aeldari's hidden dangers would be shattered by their own hands, and everything would return to their proper course.
For the Aeldari's renewed greatness and to once again become the Overlord of the galaxy, the Mournival was willing to do anything; everything was for the phoenix's rebirth.
Everything was for the Aeldari to be great again; no one could stop the Aeldari's resurgence!
With the support of their god, the laughing god, the Aeldari's most powerful warriors, the Harlequins, began to execute this plan.
To destroy the entire Segmentum Obscurus 108 Worlds, all 108 devices must be placed on every Imperial World in the Segmentum Tempestus. Only by doing so can all 108 Worlds be completely destroyed!
A large number of Autarch Harlequins began to act, using various methods, be it the Webway or spaceships, in short, they were doing their utmost to advance towards various regions of the Segmentum Obscurus 108 Worlds.
To maximize the device's effect, it is best placed at the planet's core. This way, the planet will suffer the most terrifying blow from Chaos.
In addition, the planetary shield on each planet must also be destroyed or malfunctioned, otherwise, the planetary shield might become a variable that hinders the device's performance.
This operation is extremely important, so they cannot tolerate any failure. Any factor that could lead to their failure must be eliminated.
Each device was escorted by forty Harlequins, who then secretly infiltrated the Imperium of Man's Worlds. Although their actions could be described as covert,
they were still discovered by the Custodes and Grey Knights.
Numerous Custodes and Grey Knights have always patrolled within the Imperium of Man's Worlds, especially World 108. These 108 jewels received special attention from the Custodes and Grey Knights.
Under their airtight surveillance, as soon as the Aeldari Harlequins began to move, some were already discovered.
"Don't run! You bean sprouts, what exactly do you want to do in our Worlds?!"
In a hive World within World 108, two Custodes were pursuing a Harlequin.
He constantly evaded the Custodes' pursuit with his elegant movements.
It should have been very simple for the Custodes to eliminate these Harlequins, but considering their relationship with the Aeldari, and to avoid creating more enemies for Noah, they did not directly kill him.
Not killing him meant capturing him alive.
The difficulty of capturing him alive was much higher.
To capture him as much as possible, the Custodes allowed this Aeldari to escape from their hands multiple times.
The Harlequin moved like a ghost through the hive city's intricate steel jungle and the yet-to-be-renovated alleyways.
His movements defied physics; at times, he floated like a feather through the gaps between giant pipes, and at others, he refracted like lightning through narrow passages, leaving the two gleaming giants behind him by a small distance.
"Stop! In the name of the Emperor of Mankind, you have nowhere to run!" one Custodes growled.
"If you keep running like this, we will kill you on the spot! Stop now!"
The tip of his Guardian Spear flickered with energy, yet he delayed firing a fatal plasma beam, his hands and feet bound by the thought of not wanting to create another great enemy for the Imperium.
The Harlequin did not respond, but instead made an almost impossible right-angle turn, plunging into a maintenance tunnel filled with steam pipes and thick cables.
High-temperature steam instantly gushed out, obscuring their vision.
"Damn it!"
"How many times has it been this month? These damned bean sprouts escaped again!"
The Custodes were clearly dissatisfied with such a result, but they had no better solution, as these Harlequins were indeed agile.
If they just kept running in the streets, it would be difficult for the Custodes to capture them.
After all, so many people were in the streets.
No matter how powerful the Custodes were, they couldn't go on a rampage and recklessly chase down the Aeldari.
These Custodes were quite clear about Noah's attitude towards the citizens of the Imperium of Man, so they did not want to offend Noah's taboos.
"Forget it, next time. No matter what they want to do, they will always appear again. When that time comes, just capture them alive. If not, I will submit a report to ask the Warmaster if they can be killed."
"The actions of these xenos are all for their own race. The Segmentum Obscurus 108 Worlds will never allow these xenos to act recklessly, because we don't know what they are trying to do."
The two Custodes stopped and conversed with each other.
They were discussing whether to suggest to the Warmaster to just kill these guys directly.
The Custodes once again gave up on pursuing these Harlequins, and the Harlequin who escaped the Custodes' crooked pursuit arrived at a secret base.
Here, their team of 40 Harlequins had now dwindled to 36, with 4 members captured by the Custodes and Grey Knights during the operation.
After all, the Custodes and Grey Knights are not made of clay; they can't escape every time.
After the escaped Harlequin returned to his base, he took off the clown mask on his face.
"The Imperium of Man has too many troops stationed in the Segmentum Obscurus 108 Worlds. I just went out for a few minutes and was pursued by the Custodes. Their defenses have at least doubled."
This male Harlequin reported the news from the outside world to the leader of their action team.
Hearing his words, Cevy, the leader of the Harlequin Troupe who was sitting there waiting for him to return with information, turned his head.
"No wonder the god's prophecy stated that humans would destroy us. Their Custodes can now be used to patrol territories. If humans continue to develop like this, then danger will surely come."
The increasing number of Custodes and their pursuit did not diminish the Harlequins' resolve to carry out their mission; instead, it made their determination even stronger.
After all, in the past, the Custodes were only on Holy Terra and could not possibly carry out these patrol missions.
But now these Custodes are already performing patrol missions, which is enough to show that if humanity continues to develop, everything in the prophecy will come true.
"My mission is extremely important. No matter what, we must accomplish our mission and never let our race die at the hands of humans."
"You did very well this time. Go rest first. I will send others to investigate the human situation again and then look for an opportunity to transfer the device to the core of this planet."
Cevy first spoke to strengthen the resolve and belief of his Harlequins, and then ordered the recently returned Harlequin to rest.
"Understood, then I will go rest. If there are any tasks that require me to perform, please feel free to command. For the Aeldari to be great again, for the laughing god, I will fear nothing!"
Although the Harlequin performing this mission was from the Harlequin Troupe, he also joined the Mournival, so 'For the Aeldari to be great again' was their slogan.
"Mm." Cevy nodded, signaling his subordinate to leave.
Cevy sat alone in his position, deep in thought. His squad had already lost four members. While he believed the Harlequin's will was strong enough that the Imperium of Man wouldn't obtain any intelligence from his brave warriors, still... the number of Imperium of Man patrol teams had doubled, which was enough to indicate that they had been exposed.
No one could be sure if the Imperium of Man had other means to extract their plans from their captured members.
If the Imperium of Man truly obtained this plan, then everything would be over.
So, they had to quickly, quickly, quickly do what they intended to do.
They had to plan carefully.
While the Aeldari were pondering how to achieve their goals, the Imperium of Man had already reported the news of the Segmentum Obscurus 108 Worlds being attacked by Harlequins to Noah.
Originally, this matter was just an attack on a single world, but as time passed, the Imperium of Man quickly discovered that all 108 Worlds seemed to have been attacked by Harlequins.
This was no small matter.
No one knew if these fellows had some strange plan or objective, so after synthesizing the situation, the Custodes quickly reported this situation to Astra Militarum Commander Trajan.
"Report, we have discovered a large number of Aeldari traces in the Segmentum Tempestus 108 Worlds.
They seem to be executing some plan, and all the Aeldari units that appeared are their absolute elite Harlequins."
"Moreover, the combat power and skill of these Harlequins even surpass those we encountered before; they seem to be the elite among Harlequins."
My world had Custodes and Grey Knights Forces dispatched, so Harlequins were captured.
However, not all worlds were able to successfully capture Harlequins; some worlds didn't even capture a single Harlequin, only experiencing dozens of Harlequin sightings.
After all, if it was merely a sighting and the alert level wasn't raised, the Custodes and Grey Knights wouldn't be directly dispatched.
So, in some worlds, the Custodes and Grey Knights had only received intelligence and hadn't even deployed yet.
But just from their current performance, it could be judged that these Harlequins were definitely the elite among Harlequins.
Trajan also realized the seriousness of the current situation upon hearing this.
As one of the few factions aware of the Aeldari's style of operation,
the Custodes knew very well that such a large-scale Aeldari operation must involve something significant being planned, and the target was directly the 108 Worlds of humanity.
"Increase vigilance. Transfer another 20,000 Custodes from Terra to patrol there."
After a moment of thought, Trajan issued his order. He had no other choice now but to intensify patrols and vigilance.
"Yes! We understand. We will immediately mobilize forces to strengthen vigilance and patrols. But Commander, should we report the current situation to the Warmaster?"
"If we report the situation to the Warmaster, he should have a good solution, after all, he is a legend!"
Noah's prestige among the Custodes was absolutely high, after all, he successfully achieved mass production of Custodes.
At the same time, the Custodes modification surgery, which originally had an extremely high mortality rate, had almost reached 100% success due to Noah's intervention.
Even the few who couldn't be successfully modified into Custodes could still save their lives and continue to live out their remaining years safely. Such actions undoubtedly made the Custodes exceptionally worship Noah.
"Do not report to the Warmaster yet. The Warmaster is currently engaged in an important research project.
The Aeldari situation, we don't yet know how troublesome it is. Reporting this news to the Warmaster so early and disturbing his research would not be a wise choice."
"It's just some Harlequins. We can handle it. If we have to bother the Warmaster with everything, then what is the meaning of our existence as Custodes?"
Trajan rejected the Custodes soldier's suggestion without a second thought.
If they had to go to Noah for everything, then what was the meaning of their existence as Custodes?
The Emperor sat on the golden throne under their protection, and Noah, like the Emperor, did not need the Custodes' protection.
On the surface, they, the Custodes, were the most elite troops of the Imperium, but in reality?
In reality, besides guarding Terra, what else could they do?
Were they just to keep cracking down on the Ecclesiarchy? Wasn't this a bit of an overkill?
Trajan now intended to contend for the Custodes to regain their rightful status, instead of having various functions almost entirely overlap with the Grey Knights, as they did now.
If it weren't for the fact that the Custodes' individual combat power was still far superior to the Grey Knights, and in one-on-one combat, the Grey Knights still couldn't defeat the Custodes,
and that the Custodes and Sisters of Silence working together were also the Imperium's ace troops,
otherwise, the Custodes might not even be as useful as the Grey Knights.
After all, these Grey Knights were all anti-daemon specialists, and they were also adept at fighting the Aeldari.
Most importantly, the recruitment of Grey Knights Forces was very simple and inexpensive; they only needed Psykers, unlike the Custodes who required suitable candidates.
The Grey Knights had now become regular Astartes forces, but the Custodes were different; they were still the elite forces of the Custodian Guard.
However, in terms of cost-effectiveness, the Custodes couldn't compare to the Grey Knights.
It was precisely because of this that the Custodes' status could be said to have been heavily impacted by the large number of Grey Knights.
Could it be that they, the Custodes, couldn't even properly complete small tasks like patrolling now?
No!
They could!
Not to mention that the Warmaster was currently conducting important research; if even dealing with a few Aeldari Harlequins required bothering the Warmaster, then they would be no different from ordinary Astartes.
Cevy's worries and Trajan's decision unfolded almost simultaneously in different locations, foreshadowing the impending escalation of this covert war surrounding the Segmentum Tempestus 108 Worlds.
The 20,000 Custodes mobilized from Terra quickly arrived at the Segmentum Tempestus 108 Worlds via the Webway, and Trajan also issued new orders.
"To protect the worlds of humanity from the invasion of evil forces, from now on, every Space Marine Chapter on every Imperial World has the duty and necessity to cooperate with the Custodes in clearing out those Aeldari spies and crushing their conspiracies!"
Although Trajan wanted to restore or contend for the Custodes' status, he was not foolish. He would not do anything that would harm the interests of the Imperium.
A lion uses its full strength even against a rabbit, let alone the battle-hardened Custodes?
All available forces must be utilized. If it weren't for the Imperial Guard being vulnerable before the Harlequins, Trajan might even have ordered the Imperial Guard to join this search.
Under Trajan's command, the alert level of the Segmentum Tempestus 108 Worlds was raised by another notch. The Custodes, who originally patrolled in pairs, directly transitioned to a combat squad formation, with four people per group.
At the same time, the Sisters of Silence, who fought alongside them, also dispatched four individuals to act with the Custodes.
The Emperor's talons once again completed their cooperation and combination. Just like in the Webway War, they would once again declare to the entire Imperium what true Emperor's talons were!
What it meant for the Sisters of Silence and the Custodes to cooperate and become an invincible existence!