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

Chapter 153: The Hermit's Wish
"Because of the stupidity of my Gene-Father, the Emperor's hope for the revival of mankind will be shattered, and the Imperium and Horus's rebels will be like the Ouroboros in mythology, trapped in an endless war."

"Lorgar, why don't you understand that everything is a test from the God-Emperor? The Perfect City is a test to prove the sincerity of his faith."

"However, his empty faith and his own ignorance prevented him from understanding the will of the God-Emperor. Instead, he developed resentment in his heart and embarked on a path that went against the God-Emperor."

Luo Xi looked at the hermit's sad face and felt a sense of loss and helplessness.

He had read about the events of the Perfect City and knew of the Emperor's extreme aversion to religion and faith.

The Lord of Mankind had a hatred and hostility towards the gods far beyond that of ordinary people, and the act of the Word Bearers and Lorgar worshipping him as a god was dancing on his reverse scale.

But in the eyes of true fanatics like the Hermit, everything the Emperor does is a test.

God is everything to believers.

His approval and anger are both grace; thunder, lightning and rain are both divine favor.

He interpreted the emperor's behavior entirely from a religious perspective, but everything could be made self-consistent from a religious perspective.

"If all Word Bearers are really like this, then there would be less trouble." Luo Xi sighed. He had seen horrific disasters caused by the backlash of faith, and true believers would not betray their faith.

Guilliman looked at the hermit in front of him with a complicated expression, and there was even a trace of fear in his heart. Faith in such an illusory thing could turn a weapon of war like the Space Marine into an ignorant fanatic.

"Fortunately, my legion does not have this situation. My descendants are rational and objective and will not blindly believe in anyone." The Primarch rejoiced in his heart.

"Then why did you surrender to us, Hermit?"

Guilliman's tone softened a lot. No matter what, the Word Bearers before him at least proved that he and Lorgar were not birds of a feather.

The hermit's expression became painful, as if he was suffering from inner torment.

"We were wrong, completely wrong. The Seventeenth Legion was unable to understand the Divine Emperor's profound meaning. We were unable to cleanse the original sin we carried. We even went against the Divine Emperor's path."

"We have defied the will of the God-Emperor and aided the false gods of Chaos in destroying the future of humanity. I learned this lesson beneath Calth, and I refuse to take part in it any longer. I cannot stop my brothers from going astray, nor can I end the war, but I can surrender to the Ultramarines."

The physical pain could not make the hermit suffer at all, but the distortion of his faith by his own behavior made him extremely painful.

Luo Xi could see that this hermit had a strong tendency towards self-destruction.

He believed that he was guilty of an unforgivable sin and had abandoned the duties bestowed upon him by the God-Emperor. Their evil deeds had incurred the wrath of the gods and they were spurned by them.

It is predictable that if not stopped, this Word Bearer will kill himself in order to cleanse himself of the original sin he carries and the sins he has committed.

He and Guilliman looked at each other, both realizing this.

No, we can’t let the hermit die like this. He still has great value waiting to be discovered.

The two of them thought of the same thing almost telepathically.

The Word Bearers are undoubtedly the authority in the field of religious belief, and when the Ultramarines face the Word Bearers who have fallen into Chaos, they are often trapped by the chaos sorcery they cast.

It has to be admitted that the Word Bearers have extremely deep knowledge of the Warp and Chaos forces, which is something the Ultramarines cannot catch up with.

Fight magic with magic, and fight witchcraft with witchcraft.

The appearance of the Hermit was a perfect opportunity. He had a profound knowledge of the Warp sorcery and an unparalleled understanding of the Word Bearers. What was even more valuable was his unshakable loyalty to the Emperor.

The Hermit will fill the gap in the field of occultism for the Ultramarines.

With his help, the Ultramarines will gradually take the initiative, rather than passively facing the enemy's tricks and sorcery again and again.

"Hermit." Guilliman's voice echoed like a bell.

"Look up and look into my eyes, into the eyes of the Thirteenth Son of the Emperor you believe in."

The hermit raised his head and worshipped Guilliman with absolute piety.

Luo Xi understood that he was not worshipping Guilliman, but the Son of God in his heart. He was the extension of the God-Emperor's will, and he deserved the hermit's absolute respect both in terms of bloodline and identity.

"You and your legion have made an irreparable mistake. You did not reflect on your own ignorance, but instead disobeyed my father, so he brought down his wrath on the Perfect City."

"None of you can comprehend the good news bestowed by the Emperor. Instead, you harbor resentment and throw yourself into the arms of the evil power of the Warp that the Emperor hates. This is unjust!"

The hermit's mind had been completely subdued by Guilliman. He was like a lamb with its neck strangled, waiting blankly for the judgment of the Son of God.

"But the Emperor is merciful. Since you have returned from your wrong path, he will give you a chance to mend your ways. Ignorance and betrayal are not original sins, but arrogance and hubris are. I order you in the name of the Emperor. You need to atone for your mistakes."

The hermit had fallen completely to his knees on the ground. He was trembling, his muscles twitching, and he was worshipping the Primarch with extreme piety.

"Remember, death is an escape from sin. You must not seek death before obtaining the Emperor's forgiveness." Guilliman first gave the hermit a shot of prevention in his heart. He will be a very important link and must not die early.

If the Hermit died, where would they find such a perfect Word Bearers fanatic?

If the Hermit awakens too early, he will die in Lorgar's purge within the Legion, and if it is too late, he will die in the underground war in Calth.

"You need to help us uncover the Word Bearers' mysterious plot in the warp, help the loyalists restore order, and make up for the devastating disaster you have caused."

"You will atone for this with your life and with your soul."

"I will do my best, Son of God." The hermit stood up again, his eyes burning with unparalleled fanaticism, and that fanatical belief made Guilliman feel cold in his heart.

He somewhat understood how the Emperor felt when he was madly worshipped by the Word Bearers. This foolish, fanatical and ignorant belief was completely contrary to the civilization and rationality that the Empire pursued.

What the Emperor wants is for mankind to stand up again from the ruins and reshape the civilization of the past with reason and wisdom, rather than worshipping the Emperor wholeheartedly and treating him as the supreme god.

Perhaps for the Emperor, being called "God" would be a great insult and mockery.

For an idealist who is determined to restore human civilization and make mankind once again have the pioneering and enterprising spirit, it would be the strongest insult and blasphemy if his own race were reduced to an ignorant race that only knew how to believe in and rely on others, and hoped that the gods would show mercy and exert divine power.

The greatest insult to an idealist is not to mock himself, but to blaspheme his ideals.

"Father, is this how you felt at the beginning?" Guilliman felt bitter in his heart, but he had to accept the facts before him.

He needed the power of the Hermit, the sorcery of the Warp that he mastered.

"What can you do, hermit, to wash away your sins?"

The Word Bearer stood up with tears streaming down his face. He proudly said, "I am one of the first veterans of Colchis and one of the first scribes of the Sacred Words. I am familiar with everything about the Legion - so I can also refute and fight back against my lost brothers from a religious perspective."

"More specific?" the Primarch demanded.

"Can you use witchcraft and rituals to summon some Warp demons? We need these messages from the Warp to understand the enemy's intentions." Luo Xi said.

"It is not difficult, Son of God." The hermit's answer delighted Guilliman greatly.

A big plan began to take shape in their minds. With the help of the hermits, they would launch a counterattack against the warp that had always taken the initiative.

(End of this chapter)