Warhammer, about my years with the Wolfpack

Chapter 266 Guilliman's 30K Grand Ceremony Group

As Ferrus was implementing a series of changes and plans to address the current challenges facing the Iron Hands, Guilliman was also undertaking a similar process. While the Ultramarines failed to defeat the Orks in this war, they had gained a great deal: the planet was ultimately incorporated into Ultramar, and Hill and Auguston had matured from the battle. As a gesture of friendship between the Iron Hands and the Ultramarines, Ferrus transferred some of his swarm drone technology to Guilliman. Guilliman, taking this opportunity, made final preparations for the Ultramarines' participation in the war.

"My lord, Captains Hill and Auguston have arrived." The Emperor's attendant Ramon reported to Guilliman.

"Very good, let them in," Guilliman nodded, then gestured to Ramon, who was about to leave. "You are here. There is no need to withdraw. Anyone who contributes to Ultramar and is loyal to the Imperium and the Emperor will be considered one of my own. My descendants and subjects will love him as well."

"Yes, sir," Ramon said with a slight nod. He couldn't help but give Guilliman a thumbs-up. Honestly, Ramon was quite knowledgeable, having served in various Legions in various capacities. He had met other Primarchs, but only Guilliman had impressed him, making him willing to work alongside him. This was a testament to his charisma.

"You performed well. Although you may not be the ultimate victors in this competition, you worked hard, strived for progress, and united to fight for victory. This is what makes me happiest," Guilliman said with satisfaction, looking at the two captains. "And I believe that in the future, your achievements will be sung throughout the Legion. Your reputation will make enemies across the stars tremble in fear, and the subjects of the Empire will praise your achievements."

"Alright, let's get back to what we discussed earlier: the selection of the commander for the newly formed Chapter. Two of my heroes have recommended you two to me. Now, you have one last chance to present your strengths. The Commander of the 7th Chapter will be chosen from between you two." As Guilliman finished his words, the two Captains fell into a brief silence. After all, they truly wanted to become independent Chapter Masters. A moment later, Auguston took a half step forward and spoke first.

"Captain Hill is more suitable for the position of Chapter Commander. He has excellent performance in many aspects of tactics, legion management and logistics. Compared with him, I am more like a general who charges into battle rather than a commander. Therefore, I am willing to withdraw from this competition." Auguston said seriously.

"Captain Auguston is an excellent frontline commander. He can keenly perceive the changing situation on the battlefield and decisively make the most correct choices. It would be my honor to work with such an outstanding and excellent battlefield warrior." Captain Hill said.

"Well, very good. I believe that you two can complete the mission I have assigned to you and build the Seventh Regiment into a powerful warhammer." Guilliman said with great satisfaction.

"Very good. Do you have any ideas about the future legion construction plan?" asked Guilliman.

"We do have some ideas." Hill glanced at Auguston, who nodded slightly. Then Hill handed over a document. After reading the document, Guilliman's expression changed slightly.

"You've given me a difficult problem," Guilliman said meaningfully. This even soured the Primarch's already decent mood. Meanwhile, the two heirs lowered their heads, awaiting the Primarch's inquiries.

Guilliman frowned, looking at the document with some worry. The contents of this document were indeed unusual. If it were simply a request for troops and equipment, that would be fine. Ultramar was a large and powerful family, and he liked these two subordinates very much. He could give them more, no big deal. However, Hill and Auguston's document called for an "orderly" expansion of some chapters. This meant that, under certain circumstances, the number of members in some chapters should exceed 1.

As for the reason, it was very sufficient. That is, the Extreme Legion has a large number of fiefdoms and can recruit troops on a large scale. In the future, the Extreme Legion's strength may reach over 20. However, compared with other powerful legions, the Extreme Legion's troops are relatively low in combat effectiveness, so more troops are needed to compensate for this disadvantage.

Furthermore, according to combat training, a Chapter must defend a single front, so 10,000 men is not enough. Encountering a slightly stronger xenos could be problematic. Hill also cited other Legions as examples, showing that most of them operated in clusters and rarely attacked from multiple directions. Therefore, Hill believed that a Chapter of 10,000 men was insufficient. This document directly targeted the rules Guilliman had just established... quite a slap in the face.

"You two can go down. I'll take a look." Guilliman thought for a moment and said. After the two left, Guilliman handed the document to Ramon. He was eager to know his advisor's thoughts.

"From a military perspective, Captain Hill's suggestion is pertinent, but he overlooked one point, that is, you are not only the Primarch of the Ultramarines, but also the monarch of the pocket kingdom of Ultramar. As a legion commander, you can arrange your troops at will, but as a monarch, you must ensure the continuity of the decrees and the authority of the legislator. Obviously, from this perspective, this suggestion is inappropriate." Ramon said.

The Ultramarines' hierarchy is structured as follows: a Chapter of 1 men is the foundation. If a Primarch is called upon to personally lead a battle, he or she will lead the charge, accompanied by a group of Chapters. Sometimes, however, a battle isn't feasible for a single Chapter, but a Primarch isn't needed. In such cases, a Chapter Master or other prominent figure might be called upon to command two or three Chapters in a particular sector.

In theory, this system is sound, but in practice, it is problematic. First and foremost, Paragons are not just Legion commanders; they also serve as administrative officers, often responsible for the management of a sub-sector or other tasks. Furthermore, the number of Paragons is limited. If several Chapters are combined, can a single Chapter Master be put in charge? Administratively, this is fine, but practically, it's definitely problematic. After all, a Chapter Master might start out with only 1 Space Marines, but suddenly commanding tens of thousands of Astartes requires skill and experience.

"I agree. I believe the military system I've established is fully capable of handling over 98% of all war scenarios," Guilliman nodded. Truth be told, the Great Crusade was magnificent, annihilating countless xenos, but the reality is that most human pocket empires surrendered when they saw they couldn't defeat them. If the Emperor truly wanted to shed blood on a world, he would have stopped the Great Crusade and simply stayed in hiding in the Solar Segmentum.

For most battles, a Chapter of ten thousand men would be more than sufficient, let alone a Legion. This is why Guilliman devised this military system. From an efficiency and management perspective, it's perfectly fine. One could even argue that the "Astartes Grand Regiment," often criticized by travelers in the background, actually served a purpose. After all, the Great Crusade wiped out 99% of the invincible xenos, and a 1000-man Grand Regiment was more than adequate for most situations. Unlike in 30, where a single Legion could easily lose tens of thousands, Guilliman felt quite uncomfortable. After all, changing the rules he'd just established based on a single, isolated incident wasn't a good idea.

"Yes, it can cope with more than 98% of situations, but war sometimes depends on that 1% or even lower probability. If an accident occurs, a regiment may be severely damaged or even annihilated. War is different from other things. We should reduce the probability of failure as much as possible." Ramon said.

"So, we just abolish the Legion Decree that has just been issued and change one legion to 2 people?" Guilliman said unhappily. It was obvious that Ramon supported Hill's proposal.

"Actually, a 10,000-man battle group is fine as a foundation. Beyond these standard battle groups, we should establish some specialized large battalions. Organizationally, their size lies between a battalion and a battle group, operating independently of the battle group system. Their mission is to specialize and provide support. If the battle group is a relatively balanced military system, then the specialized large battalions can be considered additional reinforcements tailored to the needs of different battlefields. When needed, we can assign a large battalion to a specific battle group, and when not, it can return to the legion structure. We don't need to change the basic battle group configuration; we only need to provide special reinforcements when appropriate."

"By doing this, we can both make our Legion more flexible and ensure the continuity of its organization. You only need to prepare a new set of military regulations for the Legion's main camp when the time is right," Ramon said. In his heart, Ramon's assessment of Guilliman's military prowess slightly decreased.

Guilliman had established specialized Chapters, some with tanks and heavy equipment several times greater than others, others with weapons rarely used, and still others with large numbers of infantry and assault units. However, Guilliman still lacked the level of management of the Legion's internal affairs that a true tactical master would achieve. For example, the Sons of Horus had a very flexible midshipman, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand men. Horus and his Legion leaders could flexibly combine these forces like mixing a cocktail.

Another example is Dorn's VII Legion. Beyond the Legion, Expeditionary Corps, and Company configurations, Dorn also employs Fleet Lords within each of its Expeditionary Corps, specifically responsible for conducting fleet operations in space. Siege Lords, on the other hand, specialize in siege operations. Guilliman's Ultramarines, however, are less meticulous. A Legion Commander typically handles a wide range of tasks. While he may excel at planetary assaults, he also oversees fleet warfare in actual combat.

"Everything you do is to train versatile high-level commanders to the greatest extent possible. They are like products produced on an assembly line and can cope with various situations. But in some extreme cases, their response capabilities are limited. What you learn from other legions is more about technology, equipment configuration and tasks, but you don't learn the essence of strategy and tactics." Ramon said.

"True tactical masters, such as Horus and Jonson, strive to integrate their forces at the smallest possible level, deploying multiple tactical clusters on a single battlefield based on battlefield needs. They rarely have fixed, large-scale formations. Horus can build his forces from the company level. And each of Jonson's large-scale forces is composed of a mix of multiple wings. But you seem to have made this legion into a standard template, which does have advantages in training. However, in terms of the actual application of tactics, you should be more flexible. Perhaps your energy is limited and you cannot match the troops at the company level of a thousand people. In this case, we can just settle for the next best thing and integrate directly at the battalion level." Ramon said.

"Then you should come up with a plan first." Guilliman said after a moment's contemplation. Most of the time, Guilliman would listen to advice. Or rather, at this moment, his mind didn't seem to be on this matter.

"I have another document here. Take a look," Guilliman said. "To be honest, I was a bit surprised when I saw this rumor. The Imperium is planning to establish Traveler Memorials on every important gathering world. They're supposed to commemorate those who have made outstanding contributions to travel, transportation, and communication throughout human history. And it's a must."

"Of course, I'm not saying that those who made such remarkable contributions to humanity shouldn't be remembered. But I have a feeling something's not right." Guilliman said this and looked at Ramon, who came from the Imperial Chamberlain. Logically, if his father had any thoughts, he wouldn't have kept them secret. There were many things the Custodians might know, but the Primarchs might not. Guilliman understood this.

However, he still overlooked one point, that is, there are some things that the ordinary guards may not know, but the Emperor's servants may know. And Ramon knows much more than Guilliman!

"Since those predecessors should be respected, then just build it. Is there any problem with that?" Ramon said.

"I simply want to know why, my friend," Guilliman said.

"You'll find out in the near future," Ramon said.

Chapter 267 Traveler: Am I the God of All Things? (5K)

"I'm getting closer to the throne." The traveler sat upright on the throne. If a being of the same level looked directly at the traveler at this moment, they would find that the traveler's body was like a phantom, and his body was in a state where reality and subspace overlapped each other. As the time for the traveler to ascend to godhood got closer, the distance between his body and the real universe became farther and farther. This distance was not measured by units of length, but was described by some unspoken rules.

"How do you feel?" The incarnation of the Emperor appeared in front of the traveler.

"As long as I want, I can take this step at any time. Your order to build Traveler Memorial Halls in various major human worlds has greatly enhanced my strength. Although I also don't like faith and certain fanatical believers very much, I must thank you. The power of faith is really strong." The Traveler said, looking at the Emperor in front of him.

"Haha, then I wish you all the best. We are all fighting against the evil gods. We may not be able to settle accounts with these original evils, but we must suppress them. Although I don't have much good feelings towards the Eldar, they have ultimately won tens of millions of years of peace for the entire galaxy." said the Emperor.

"I feel that your current condition is better than before?" The emperor said, changing the subject.

"I've begun converting divine messengers. The souls that once attached themselves to me have been transformed into divine messengers. They can help me deal with many things and share my burden." The traveler paused and continued, "In a way, they are no different from so-called demons. They are just lawful and tend to be human."

"Didn't the evil gods notice?" asked the Emperor.

"No, I have gained access to the Webway. My servants and I are hiding deep in the Webway, a place that even Slaanesh has never entered. There won't be any problem now, but when I fight with the Overmind of Randan for the first time, I will be exposed to the eyes of the evil god. It's hard to say what other evil gods will do next, but at least Tzeentch may discover my whereabouts. The decision He makes will directly affect our next move." The traveler thought for a while and said.

"If Tzeentch has discovered it, doesn't that mean that the other evil gods have also discovered it? Won't they share what they have with each other?" The Emperor said with some surprise.

"Haha, of course not. The evil gods are chaotic, jealous, and selfish. Things that are beneficial to the entire chaotic side do not necessarily benefit a certain evil god. And when faced with these things, a certain evil god will definitely choose things that are beneficial to himself. The principle that the evil gods adhere to is that if I can't get it, it is best that other evil gods don't get it either. If there is something that will cause damage to a certain evil god, but will cause other evil gods to suffer greater losses, then they will do it. They are the ultimate representatives of malice in this galaxy. This malice is also directed at their own kind." said the traveler.

There are countless instances of the evil gods sabotaging each other. In the 30th century, Khorne's failed attempt to win over the Angels was due to the influence of other evil gods. In the 40th century, Tzeentch told Guilliman that Mortarion was about to launch a major attack and that the center of the formation was right there, so he should destroy it. This led to the Emperor possessing Guilliman and blocking the door. Of course, Tzeentch wasn't always so predictable. If we go back a bit, after Tzeentch captured Guilliman, wasn't Khorne still leading the charge?

"If that's the case, our pressure will be reduced a lot." The Emperor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, let's talk about something light-hearted. Do you know which type of planet in the empire has contributed the most faith to me so far?" the traveler asked with a smile.

"What kind of planet?" the Emperor asked curiously.

"The Mechanicus," the traveler said, somewhat amusedly. "I'm even seriously considering linking one of my aspects to the Mechanicus."

"This... Hehe, these guys." The Emperor was speechless. The Emperor really had no way to deal with the Mechanicus. He didn't like the Mechanicus, but he had to rely on it. But no matter what, no matter how superstitious the Mechanicus was, they were still the most technologically powerful organization in the entire Imperium. And how should I put it, they might really have insight into some of the deep secrets of this world. Maybe the God of Machines is nothingness, and this concept might be divided up by future human gods. But the Mechanicus was right about one thing, that is, there really are gods in this world! What they worshipped might really be the real God. After all, whether they worshipped the Emperor or the Traveler, they were all worshipping God. Of course, there were still those who worshipped Vashtor, but the latter had basically been eliminated at designated locations by the Emperor and the Traveler!

"So, you gave them your blessing?" asked the Emperor.

"I gave them some. After all, it's an equal exchange. And there are really many fanatics among them. If we simply talk about their devotion to the Empire and their predecessors, they are much better than the bureaucrats of Terra." said the traveler.

"Emmmm." The Emperor was even more speechless. After all, when it comes to faith and cohesion, aside from the Legiones Astartes, the Adeptus Mechanicus is truly the most united. While there are many factions within, and while many Forge Worlds have a troubled relationship with Mars, they are truly more united and efficient than the Terran bureaucracy! Especially now, whether on Mars, Acheron VIII, or the Steel Sphere, the worship of the Traveler is expanding at an incredibly fast pace. After all, if you worship the Traveler with piety and good performance, you can truly receive blessings! Honestly, the Traveler's value is even higher than even the sealed fragments of a Star God.

"What about other aspects?" asked the Emperor.

"Astropaths and Navigators are my base, so there won't be any problems with that," the Traveler said. The Mechanicus had a choice, after all, the Traveler didn't force them to worship him; they could do so or not. But for the Astropaths and Navigators, regardless of worship or not, if they used the Traveler's inventions and creations, they would be required to pay taxes. This was true even if they didn't know the Traveler's name. This was determined by the Traveler's status in human civilization, and also by his godhood.

"Then there are the Legions, Fleets, and others who need to travel far. They're also quite devout," the Traveler said. This may seem difficult to understand, but it becomes clear if you think about it. On a warship, the technically competent Adeptus Mechanicus worships, the navigational families in charge of navigation worship, and the astropaths responsible for information transmission also worship. Well then, whether you're a captain or a Legionnaire, why not also worship while you're there? Even if it doesn't work, you'll have to make a show of it to maintain harmony within the fleet. And if it actually works, even just once, then those who traverse the void will surely worship daily!

"You have chosen a promising priesthood," said the Emperor.

"It's okay." The traveler said indifferently.

"So what are you doing now? I can feel that you are communicating with me, but you are still focusing on one thing, or one person." asked the emperor.

"Sota Nur. One of the apprentices of the Martian Casting General Kyle Bo Har, and also a future traitor." said the traveler.

"Apprentice of the Supreme Ruler of Mars? Do you wish to plant a nail?" asked the Emperor.

"Yes, her existence is far from being seen by the evil gods. On the one hand, her value is far less than that of the Primarchs and the Chosen Ones. On the other hand, she is inherently resistant to the evil gods. Even her mentor, Ker Bo Har, was willing to cooperate with Horus initially because of his dissatisfaction with the Emperor and his desire for the STC and the opening of technological restrictions provided by Horus." said the traveler.

"So, what are you going to do?" asked the Emperor.

"I'll let him experience the pollution of Chaos in advance. Of course, I won't touch the evil god. I will lead her to the ruins of a planet controlled by Vashtor, where the demon engine created by this demigod of the Warp is hidden. I will let her realize a very critical issue, that is, maybe the Emperor is not a good thing, but Chaos is an even worse thing!" A smile appeared on the corner of the traveler's mouth.

"It's an interesting operation, isn't it? But I feel it may not be enough." said the Emperor.

"Actually, to some extent, it's okay for me to call myself the God of Machinery. At least being one of his aspects is totally fine." The traveler said with a smile.

The concept of travel is quite broad, encompassing not just navigation and communication but also, most importantly, various vehicles and ships. This, in fact, takes away a significant portion of the concept of machinery. If the Emperor's arrival on Mars was a divine intervention, using his own power, without the necessary priesthood, to forcibly warp reality and perform a divine visitation for the Mechanicus, then if it were travelers who went there, then that would be absolutely legitimate. This wasn't a performance, it was real!

"Vashtor? This guy isn't very powerful, but no matter what, he's a demigod born in the warp based on certain concepts. And you haven't become a god, so you can't expose yourself because of this. You led this guy to an important base of Vashtor in the real universe. What if something goes wrong? Do you need me to rescue him?" asked the Emperor.

"No, there is no need for people related to you to enter. In fact, I have already made arrangements. Unless Vashtor comes in person, there will be no chance. And obviously, it is impossible for Vashtor to come to the real universe in person." The traveler said with a smile.

Could Vashtor come to the real universe? This is somewhat difficult, but if He really dares to come, the Emperor will dare to take action to eliminate Him.

"So who did you arrange? The Lord of Glory?" asked the Emperor.

"No, not the Lord of Radiance, but Trazyn, the Necrontyr lord who pursues his own soul and is willing to cooperate with us," said the Traveler.

"Is it him? This guy has been very active recently, and his ideas are very clear. You know? Every time I see something about him, I can feel very relaxed." A smile appeared on the corner of the emperor's mouth. After all, in his spare time, if he can see some interesting things, it can be very relaxing.

"If it's him, it's not a big problem. If this guy is serious, he can completely control the situation." The Emperor said. Trazyn's level is unquestionable, so when he heard this name, the Emperor no longer paid attention to this matter.

"Another thing to say, Guilliman did not seem to agree with the construction of the memorial hall. Although he still carried out the order." said the Emperor.

"Guilliman, an idealist, a man who believes he can solve all problems and treats his subjects with the greatest kindness and expectations, he is a very good person." The traveler said with a smile.

"So, you don't care about his actions?" The Emperor said with some surprise. After all, in his view, Guilliman's actions reduced the Traveler's faith gains.

"Haha, at least Guilliman didn't object, that's enough. Maybe in the beginning, Guilliman's behavior will indeed slow down the growth of my faith gains in the Ultramar region, but it doesn't matter, because I am a true God, and I am also the God of the human race. I can provide people with real blessings and help them solve their problems. Propaganda is indispensable in missionary work, but fundamentally speaking, for people at the grassroots level, whether everything in faith can help them is the most critical thing. I can help them, and Guilliman is just not proactive. His behavior will not fundamentally affect my future gains and expectations. Besides, I still have a good impression of Guilliman, so let's leave it at that for this time." said the traveler.

"Thank you for your tolerance towards Guilliman," the Emperor said after a moment's silence. As an old man who had lived for tens of thousands of years, the Emperor had seen some so-called religions and some so-called gods, who would go to any lengths to spread their teachings! The Traveler's attitude could be considered quite gentle. Of course, the most important thing was that, as He said, He was truly a racial God!

"If Lorgar knew some truth, could he be saved?" the Emperor asked.

"No." The traveler said firmly.

"Why? In my opinion, Lorgar just needs someone to worship. Is it because of the so-called fate?" asked the Emperor.

"First, Lorgar worships the strong. He worships you because you are powerful, but when another being becomes stronger than you and is willing to accept his worship, he will abandon you. Fundamentally, his most fundamental ideology is admiration for the strong, and piety is merely a facade. Overall, we are not as powerful as the Heretic God."

"Secondly, what does Lorgar want to do? He wants to be the Pope, God's agent in the mortal world. He is the ladder connecting humans and God. What he wants is status! If God can send clones to the mortal world at any time, then what is the use of him as the Pope?" said the traveler.

"This..." Faced with the traveler's words, the emperor fell into deep thought.

In the background, Lorgar gave people a feeling of piety. However, the traveler knew that this piety was not piety towards the so-called gods, but piety towards powerful forces.

Why did Lorgar worship the Emperor? Wasn't it simply because he was powerful? He considered him a deity, a source of support. Of course, in the background, the Emperor ignored this and, along with Guilliman, massacred the Perfect City. This was the Emperor's fault; his methods were crude and crude, and they pushed Lorgar to the side of the Chaos Gods. This led to Lorgar's so-called pilgrimage to the Eye of Terror.

But in reality, even without the Perfect City, Lorgar, after witnessing the might of Chaos, would still have betrayed the Emperor. He had found a more powerful figure than the Emperor. Thus, in his eyes, the once-mighty Emperor became a false god! Well then, in Lorgar's view, as a believer in the true God, defeating the false god was a matter of course.

What does piety mean? It means that once you have identified a deity or person to follow, you will not change because of external factors. You will not abandon your former followers just because you encounter another powerful person one day. This is called fawning, not piety.

As for Lorgar's belief that he'd found a new direction for human development, well, that's either a foolish or a terrible idea! The foolishness is easy to understand. For all his faults, the Emperor at least launched his army from Terra, swept across the galaxy, and utterly destroyed every xenos that had ever threatened humanity. He brought human civilization back from the brink of destruction. While there were many problems, the Emperor did take concrete action. So, what did the Four Gods Lorgar worshipped do for humanity? Did they simply bestow some so-called insignificant "blessings" and yet Lorgar ignored the Emperor's contributions? It's clear that Lorgar felt he had something to gain from this change of allegiance.

As for the second point, it was even more obvious. After Horus was wounded by Rus, Lorgar played a deeply disgraceful role, attempting to replace Horus. His reasoning seemed well-founded: Horus was unwilling to embrace the Four Gods, and therefore the Heresy was bound to fail.

Well, let's analyze this from the perspective of religion and belief. First, it's certain that Horus was chosen by the four gods, and Lorgar certainly knew that. Now, before the Chaos Four, Lorgar's masters, have even begun to threaten to dethrone Horus, Lorgar, his lackey, has fabricated a pretext to seize power. What's his reason?

Even if Horus didn't embrace the Four Gods, he was still much stronger than Lorgar. Where did Lorgar get the courage to say, "I can just do it myself"?

On the one hand, Lorgar lacked ability and prestige. On the other, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Lorgar had violated the will of the Four Gods. Was this his so-called piety? Ridiculous, wasn't it? Lorgar simply knew that the Four Gods couldn't descend into the real universe, so he felt he had a small chance and wanted to give it a try. He wanted to be the intermediary between the gods and mortals, to become a unique bishop. That was his true intention.

After Horus spared him, Lorgar swiftly led his men away. Most Word Bearers didn't participate in the Battle of Terra. Isn't it obvious that they failed to seize power and, seeing no profit, simply withdrew? Speaking of dedication, even Pixar, who originally had little regard for Chaos, far surpassed Lorgar. Even after being tricked by Fulgrim, he still participated in the Siege of Terra. Lorgar talking about piety and dedication? Is that a joke?

"Well, let's talk about Lorgar later," the Emperor said finally.

Chapter 268 Bulk Mechanicus

"Sir, we have arrived at the designated location, but the Great Sage Tasin from Huangquan No. 8 has not arrived," a sage reported to Sota Nur. The latter was a disciple of Kyle Bo Har, Mars' most powerful Forging General. By this time, this female Great Sage was capable of independently leading an exploratory fleet to expand the territory of Mars.

"There is still half an hour before the agreed time. We can wait for him." Sota Nur said expressionlessly.

"It will be as you wish, my lord." The sage bowed and left. Only Nur was left on the bridge of the ark. Her artificial eyes looked at the distant starry sky, thinking about many things.

"If it weren't for my teacher's order, I wouldn't be here," Nur said through gritted teeth. This matter was actually quite simple, though of course, quite embarrassing for Mars. During an exploration trip, a disciple of his teacher, Hal, and Nur's senior brother, had a "clash" with the great sage from Huangquan No. 8. They then decided to "make friends through martial arts." Then, his senior brother decisively knelt. Regardless of the situation, the other party still had some regard for the relationship. They didn't turn Nur's senior brother into a mecha servitor. Instead, they sent a letter explaining the whole story. They also mentioned that if the other party was willing to compensate and admit their mistakes, they could release Nur's senior brother...

Then, Hal, the Martian Forge General, felt somewhat frustrated. In reality, if the Imperium was a disorganized group, then the Mechanicum was even more so! Mars was nominally the head of the Mechanicum, but in reality, outside of the Sol System, if the other powerful Forge Worlds gave you respect, you were the head; if they didn't, you weren't. Especially for Forge Worlds with close ties to certain Legions, their attitude towards Mars was essentially just lip service. Some of them even recognized the Emperor and the Imperium more highly than Mars.

Within Mars, a similar situation is evident. Mars is dotted with numerous mountainous regions. While Hal is the largest and nominally holds some righteous positions, he still needs the support of his colleagues to accomplish certain tasks. This time, Hal's actions clearly stem from his own personal struggles: he failed to defeat a certain Forge World. While it's fine if this matter remains private, publicizing it would undoubtedly do more harm than good for Hal. First, Tashin's account of the situation is undoubtedly detrimental to Hal's cause, and he won't be able to argue with them. Second, you're a Martian Forge General, known as Mars's strongest, yet your apprentice was easily defeated by a sage from another Forge World. Aren't you exaggerating? Are you failing? You're bringing shame to Mars! And all of this leads to the question of whether the position of Forge General should be given to someone more capable.

Noor knew his teacher's position was precarious. If he had previously held a significant advantage over his competitors, now, with the rise of the Cult of the Traveler, Hal's position was no longer so secure. The Cult of the Traveler had broken through the boundaries of the Forge Worlds, sweeping across the entire galaxy and the Imperium. Forge Worlds, once hostile and conflicting, were now united by a single faith. And the reason for this was that believing in the Traveler truly had its benefits!

Firstly, the Space Wolves and various Legions can open up some technologies and trade to Forge Worlds and factions that devoutly believe in the Traveler, including the Bear Gunship, which is coveted by many Forge World Archmagos. And if an entire Forge World believes in the Traveler, then it is possible to obtain the construction technology of the Dragon Gunship.

Secondly, in addition to these technological concessions, believing in the Traveler and fulfilling the so-called "oracle" will indeed bring blessings to certain products produced by the Forge World. These include, but are not limited to, a 3% to 9% increase in Light Lance output, a 15% to 25% increase in power output, and a 7% to 17% reduction in the detection system's false alarm rate, all under the same technical conditions. If you uphold the Traveler's will, cleanse a sub-sector of xenos and establish several prosperous imperial worlds, the Navigator family is willing to provide the Forge World with the finest navigators, increase the speed of travel through the Warp by approximately 3%, and reduce the probability of accidents.

Some things are simply so magical that many great sages of the Forge Worlds sought to understand the reasons behind them, but no matter how hard they studied, they could not understand. Therefore, based on the principle that believing in something would pay off, many Forge Worlds began to worship the Traveler, and their followers quickly turned from frivolous believers to fanatical devotees.

However, Mars and some Forge Worlds are still very cautious about this, especially their own teachers who are even wary and dissatisfied with it, because the worship of the Traveler does not conflict with the worship of the Emperor. The essence of the Traveler's worship is to classify oneself as a certain aspect of the God of All Things. The Traveler's believers also recognize the status of the Emperor and the so-called representative of the God of All Things in the mortal world.

Nur knew that his teacher was dissatisfied with the Emperor. His teacher only thought that the Emperor was a powerful human being, not a true God of Machinery. When He came to Mars, although He showed goodwill to Mars, it was hypocritical and unreliable, because behind the Emperor was the fierce army brought after the unification of Terra. If Mars did not agree, it would face a catastrophe in an instant. At the same time, the Emperor also prohibited Mars from researching some special technical fields. These made his teacher dissatisfied. He felt that the independent status of the Martian Mechanicus had been damaged, and that he had been restricted and deceived.

In fact, Nur guessed that there was another important reason why his teacher kept his distance from the Traveler Cult, that is, his teacher might not believe in the so-called Mechanical God, and Hake might believe more in his own power...

Admitting a mistake requires sincerity, and accepting a blow requires standing at attention. Unable to discredit the enemy, and under the premise of having to bring his apprentice back, Hal decided to compromise. He sent his apprentice, Noor, to contact the enemy with a generous apology, along with the recently discovered remains of a destroyed Forge World. Hal, having originally planned to explore on his own, now decided to join the enemy. The latter expressed its willingness to accept Hal's apology. After the two fleets reunited and the personnel exchange was completed, Noor and Tashin would journey to the Forge World together.

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"My lord, Archmagos Tasin and his fleet have arrived." As the veil at the boundary between the two realms opened in the distance, a vast exploratory fleet emerged from the Warp, led by a massive Ark warship. The Mechanicus's Ark before them was strikingly distinctive, with two massive curved structures flanking its hull. The vessel resembled an eagle, its wings spread wide, ready for flight. Atop the ship's bridge, a massive statue of a giant in a blue robe towered over the hull. This was the Traveler's mortal form. Followers of the Traveler claim that many of humanity's most renowned travelers and inventors are reflections of the Traveler from various periods in his mortal life. Therefore, the Mechanicus portray him as a polymath. The Navigators, on the other hand, describe him as a traveler and warrior. After all, what's a journey without making friends through martial arts?

"Hmm. My senior brother doesn't blame me for losing." Thor couldn't help but sigh as he watched the Yellow Springs Fleet No. 8 file out. Before the two sides met, they had actually informed each other of the size of their respective fleets. After all, they had clashed before, so they had to show some sincerity now. After a brief inspection of the opposing fleet, Thor discovered that the Archsage Tashin's fleet was indeed superior to his own in terms of speed in entering and exiting the Warp, fleet formation changes, and fleet movement speed. As the saying goes, a single leaf can reveal the coming of autumn; Thor could tell that the other side was not to be trifled with.