Warhammer, about my years with the Wolfpack

He bravely charged forward, his blade wielding, slicing each insectoid in two. The swarm's blades, biological shells, and psychic energy assaulted him again and again, overloading his combat suit's shields and breaching its outer alloy armor. However, Farsight ignored all this and continued to fight, slaughtering more insectoids like a killing machine.

With every swing, Farsight could feel that he could draw strength from the battle and from the corpses of the enemies. He gradually became addicted to this feeling. The body fluids of the Zerg splashed onto his combat uniform, making a sizzling sound, but this did not make him feel scared or disgusted at all. On the contrary, it made him a little excited. He even wanted to put the opponent's head on the ground and build a tall tower made of the corpses of the Tyranids as a response to the Zerg.

"No, this isn't right!" Farsight was suddenly startled by the thought that had come to his mind. He was a general, a brilliant commander; he would never do anything merely symbolic. Furthermore, his current fighting style was completely different from what he had always advocated. While he possessed a very capable kinetic weapon, he would eliminate his opponents from a longer, safer distance whenever possible. He would only use the Dawn Blade when confronting those whom his plasma rifle couldn't kill.

Looking around the battlefield, Yuanjian was surprised to find that the entire battlefield seemed to be filled with an increasingly bloody red mist, and more Tau people nearby also chose bloody and direct tactics. What shocked Yuanjian was that the combat power they burst out seemed to be stronger than long-range ones. Some of them were entangled in the bloody aura, pretending to be crazy. The attacks of the Zerg would be blocked by the bloody aura, and the attacks of these Tau people were more ferocious than those of the orcs.

"For the God of War!" Finally, when a Fire Warrior called out a powerful name, Farsight finally realized the severity of the situation. He watched as the guy grew a hard shell and horns. Without a word, Farsight killed the guy with a single blow!

"Mortal, you missed the truth!" A huge voice sounded in Yuanjian's ears. The loud noise like thunder made Yuanjian dazed. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a huge and illusory figure standing in the void, overlooking the entire battlefield. Except for him, no one seemed to be aware of this bystander.

"Who are you! Why are you here? Are you the one who drove my men crazy?" Farsight pointed the Dawn Blade in his hand at the other party.

"It's not me who drove them crazy, but they chose me, including you." The huge shadow said meaningfully.

"Hmph, I know you guys. You guys are the ones who pretend to be ghosts just because you have some psychic powers, and you only know how to use some underhanded methods." Yuanjian sneered.

"Haha, interesting. I originally thought that you were different from those ethers, but it turned out that you were also a self-deceiving guy. Think about what you saw when you pulled out the sharp blade in your hand. Through your combat uniform, you saw your face on the blade of this magic weapon, your panicked face. Then you used this sword to kill your enemy. And it has been with you until now." The huge phantom said with interest.

Upon hearing this, Yuanjian dropped his sword in terror. He had never told anyone about this incident, and even now he couldn't remember if the sight of his own face reflected in the blade was an illusion or real. But now, when the other party pointed this out, Yuanjian was truly frightened.

"Pick it up, Vision. Don't you feel that you have lived too long compared to your pathetic colleagues? You have been chosen, you have been chosen by this weapon and the supreme being behind it. This is your destiny." The phantom laughed.

"Have I survived until now relying on this strange weapon?" Farsight was once again shocked. Compared to his peers, he had indeed lived too long. Those of his generation had either died of old age or were trapped in stasis, awaiting the day they were needed. They could fight, but Farsight was different. He was always on the front lines. He had once doubted his condition, but he could not pinpoint the cause. Now, it seemed as if the question that had long troubled him had finally been answered.

"Face the reality. I find it ridiculous when I see your childish ideas and your faltering civilization. Now you and your civilization can only choose between death and submission to our Lord." said the shadow.

"I will only be myself. No one, no matter if they are so-called gods or other beings, can distort my will!" Vision said firmly.

"Hahaha, interesting fellow. Your spirit has earned the Lord's praise. I hope you will remain so when that day comes. Also, don't think that death can end everything. Your soul can't escape."

"Also, pay attention to the Ether. Some of them have been targeted by a cunning guy, a guy who is good at playing with minds, conspiracies and psychic powers and is very interested in you. His minions may have infiltrated among you." said the shadow.

"Haha, you are talking about another existence? Aren't you the same? You and the guy you are talking about are birds of a feather!" Yuanjian sneered.

"But at least I'm being honest. You surrender, and we grant you our blessing. It's a fair trade. You can refuse, you can see what the consequences will be if you put down the Dawn Blade," the shadow said. "Think carefully. In the near future, you will have to make a decision."

When the phantom disappeared, Yuanjian woke up in shock. He gasped in fear, recalling everything in his dream and feeling even more terrified.

"Someone come! Someone come quickly!" Farsight called his guards.

"Sir, what do you want me to do?" the servant asked respectfully.

"Seal my Dawn Blade and place it in the Stasis Field." Farsight ordered. He didn't know how to deal with this unreasonable thing. The Stasis Field was the only way he could think of.

"Sir, that weapon has always been with you." The servant said in surprise.

"Do it! Seal it up! I don't want to see it! Do it!" Farsight said irritably. "By the way, make me a similar model, that's all." Although Farsight decided to abandon the weapon in panic and anger, he also knew that he had to maintain his image in front of his subordinates.

"As you command, sir." The servant immediately withdrew.

"Is this what they call a god? Then what about human gods?" Farsight, alone, fell into deep thought. In reality, it wasn't Khorne's spirit that had entered his dream, as Farsight's spirit and personality couldn't bear even the slightest bit of Khorne's attention. It was just a great demon, but even this great demon alone brought extraordinary pressure to Farsight.

"A terrifying existence is watching my people, and I have no one else to talk to." Farsight sighed. He couldn't tell this to the Ethers. After all, after the previous battle with the demon, the Ethers had kept it strictly confidential. And now, if the Ethers realized that some existence had affected them, they would probably be put into stasis, right?

At this moment, Farsight felt strangely alone. He didn't know who to turn to, or who to confide in. He couldn't talk to the Aether, and neither could he, it seemed, his comrades. They didn't understand the horrors of these beings, nor did they know anything about the things of the Warp.

"Perhaps humans can offer me some enlightenment." Yuanjian thought of the wise scholar, whose erudition and sincerity greatly impressed him. He was also a devout believer in the gods of humanity. So Yuanjian felt he might be able to confide in him.

Yuanjian was also shocked by his own thoughts, but he really had no other choice now. "With people like this as believers, their gods must also be inclined towards kindness, right?" Yuanjian thought to himself.

Chapter 527: Vision: I Want to Understand God

"It seems that you haven't had a good rest recently, and you are in a low mood." Looking at Vision who appeared in front of him again, Ahriman said. In fact, he had already sensed the other party's emotions and mental state, and he could even foresee the issues that the other party wanted to discuss with him.

The young Tau commander finally decided to address Ahriman, an outsider, on crucial matters. Ahriman hadn't previously used his psychic powers to bend Farsight's will, but his millennia of experience had taught him how to gain a person's favor and trust. Through subtle insinuations, Ahriman finally cracked the fortress-like mental barriers.

"Yes, Your Excellency is right. My condition has not been very good recently. We have made efforts but have not achieved enough results." Farsighted said with a worried look on his face.

"Victory and defeat are common in war. A momentary mistake is nothing." Ahriman said this to comfort Vision, even though he didn't believe it himself.

"Thank you for your kind words. Can we talk about other things? For example, some guys in the warp, and those gods I've heard of. I've encountered some barbaric and aggressive races in my war journey. They worship some empty things, such as certain beings in the warp. They call them gods, offering tributes, blood, and even their lives in the hope of gaining their favor and power."

Farsight cautiously recounted some of his experiences, carefully observing the other person's reaction. Ahriman also cooperated very well, displaying a serious, solemn, and serious expression.

"The Warp is dangerous, not only because of the ever-changing energy turbulence within it, but also because of those strange and unpredictable beings that are ready to devour our souls at any time. Intelligent creatures, or creatures with souls, will have projections in the Warp. However, some projections are stronger and easily detected by the enemy, while others are weaker, so they can often avoid the pursuit of Warp creatures."

"But no matter what, even if a civilization's psychic projection is relatively weak, the evil existence of the Warp cannot be ignored. In fact, they should pay more attention to it. Because a weak Warp projection also represents weakness in psychic power, and for most races, technology and psychic power are indispensable to the development of civilization..." Ahriman briefly introduced the basic knowledge of the Warp and the demons in it to Farsight.

"According to your description, the creatures with horns on their heads and wings on their backs that I once encountered should be the demons you mentioned. They are extremely powerful and ferocious, and the most terrifying thing is that they seem to have the ability to distort reality. The power of our weapons is greatly reduced when they hit them, and close combat will be more effective." said Farsighted.

"So what are the so-called evil gods? Will they seduce you directly in dreams or other ways?" asked Yuanjian.

"Demons do have the power to enter dreams, bewitch, and control minds, and evil gods can do this too, but they won't do it easily, because most mortals can't bear the information from gods. Even if the gods don't have any ill intentions, the moment mortals catch a glimpse of the gods' phantom, they will probably be turned into nothingness." Ahriman comforted. Yes, this is comfort, telling Vision that it doesn't matter, the one targeting you now is just a small fry, don't be afraid, the real big guys haven't targeted you. Of course, if they really did target you, there's nothing you can do...

"Is it really that terrifying? If the gods are so powerful, what is the meaning of our struggle? Then how did the gods you worship come into being?" asked Yuanjian.

"I don't know how gods were born," Ahriman said after a moment's silence. "Even this is unknowable to mortals. The moment a god lifts the divine realm into the heavens, all of his past becomes untraceable, unrecoverable, and unchangeable."

"It's really magical." said Yuanjian.

"As for what we are working for? Only extremely advanced civilizations can give birth to true gods. This is true for the Eldar, and it is true for us too. Civilization provides nutrients for the birth of racial gods, and racial gods provide high-dimensional shelter for civilization. But the evil gods are not like this. They are the birth pains of ancient civilizations, the nightmares of galactic history, and the devourers and destroyers of everything." Ahriman said.

"Everything sounds perfect," Farsight said noncommittally. "But according to you, gods and mortals are no longer the same species. Can they truly live in harmony with each other?"

"Most can't. Therefore, many civilizations that once gave birth to racial gods eventually vanished into the long river of history. Actually, in my opinion, the gods you understand are more like religious symbols, while true gods should be powerful beings who have achieved a higher level through the growth of power. If you understand it this way, it will be much better."

"I have said that civilization and racial gods are interdependent. Whether mortals abandon their faith in racial gods or racial gods act recklessly, both will perish together," said Ahriman.

"So do the so-called racial gods and evil gods both require faith?" asked Farsight.

"Faith makes gods more powerful, and lack of faith has a greater impact on racial gods. However, some high-level racial gods can survive without faith." Ahriman said.

"Since faith can stir up the power of the subspace and is even useful to gods, then will the Greater Good we believe in have our own racial gods in the future?" asked Farsightedness.

"That's not entirely certain. I'm only a mortal," Ahriman said. "But regardless, at least for now, you won't be able to use me."

In the background, a powerful Warp entity, seemingly born from the Tau's vassal race's belief in the Greater Good, appears to have aided the Tau fleet. But what is this being? In the eyes of the Emperor and the Traveler, it can only be considered a powerful being. After all, if you call this being a racial god, the Tau themselves don't believe in him. To say he's naturally powerful, like a Warp God, is even more impossible.

The right to interpret the Greater Good belongs to the Etheric Order, who, in turn, do not recognize this so-called God of the Greater Good. This creature was indeed created by a vassal race of the Greater Good. This is a remarkable fact...

"If we want to get assistance from human civilization, given our current situation, who would be better to turn to?" asked Farsighted.

"Rights and obligations are equal. Human civilization is willing to help other friendly civilizations, but the premise is equality. We can provide assistance, but what compensation can you offer? Your civilization is full of a tendency towards arrogance, a kind of centralism that I find difficult to understand. You believe that you will be the hope of the entire galaxy in the future. This ambition and strength are completely disproportionate. You seem open-minded, but refuse to believe some dark facts. You are like many civilizations at the beginning, full of vitality and naivety." Ahriman said.

"So, what does human civilization require of us?" asked Farsight.

"How should I know?" Ahriman said flatly. What did human civilization need the Tau for? Actually, not really. The short-term goal was to use the Tau as bait to deal with Tzeentch and Khorne. The long-term goal? To build a breakwater outside of human control, primarily to defend against the Zerg.

One thing the Tau are somewhat dissatisfied with in the current human empire is their cliques. This is easy to understand; while factions are inevitable within a system, if you form your own clique in the presence of the galactic Big Brother, humanity will be surprised. Previously, humanity simply ignored you. But now, humanity does.

"Don't expect a traitor like me to act as a middleman. That's unrealistic. You'd better contact them through official channels. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what certain guys will do. Some wandering traders will sell you things, but some may take your lives." Ahriman said.

To be honest, interstellar pirates, or people who usually run transports and act as pirates when necessary, are inevitable after humans enter the era of interstellar civilization. After all, the human empire is too large.

"Official contact? We have some connections in the Ultramar sector, but it seems we can't reach those important figures you mentioned," Farsight said. "Is there any organization that's more benevolent and, like you, hates the Tyranids?"

"There seems to be some connection between you and the space dwarves?" Ahriman asked.

"Yes, we're good business partners," Farsight said. Even though the space dwarves had returned to the Empire, that didn't stop some dwarves from still choosing to "space nomadism." It was normal for them to do some business along the way.

"Then you can contact them through the Space Dwarves and some of the Wanderers of the Order of the Traveler. They pursue technology and exploration, and are relatively friendly. Of course, the prerequisite is that you pay a sufficient price," Ahriman said. Honestly, the Tau's defensive operations this time were utterly disastrous, and the Empire must be prepared to intervene. If they want to enter the Tau Empire as stealthily as possible and strike at the Chaos forces hidden within, they must have someone to lead the way. And who better than Farsight himself to lead the way?

"Thank you for the information you provided. I will arrange for this work. You will be handsomely rewarded. I will place all remaining humans and their equipment within the fleet under your command," Farsight said. After the Rogue Traders who had rebelled against the Empire were dealt with, some personnel and equipment remained with the Tau. Among them were thorns like Ahriman, Mask, and Alpharius, as well as a large number of ordinary people. Now that Farsight had Ahriman in charge of these people, it undoubtedly brought him considerable convenience.

"Thank you," Ahriman continued, "Your Excellency, remember this: Humanity can tolerate other aliens and is willing to establish cooperative relationships, but it will never tolerate Chaos. That is, the evil god I just mentioned. Whether they are minions of the devil or their followers, they must be destroyed. Furthermore, the evil god may have begun to infiltrate the Tau. Certain races with powerful psychic talents and the psykers within them may become targets of the evil god's attention and presence."

"Then what is the reason why humans can use psychic powers so widely? Is it because you have the protection of a higher dimension?" asked Farsight.

"Yes, our psychic energy and souls will be protected by the gods, which is also an important reason why we can become the overlord of the galaxy." Ahriman said.

Ahriman then provided Farsight with some information about the Traveler Cult. After all, in his opinion, it was unlikely that Farsight would contact the Ecclesiarchy. The Ecclesiarchy was extremely hostile to xenos, believing that the Emperor was a deity solely for humans, and that no other xenos, no matter how devout, could worship Him, as that was blasphemy. The Emperor acquiesced to this, as he truly disdained the vast majority of xenos.

The Traveler Cult, on the other hand, is more flexible. They also dislike the alien worship of the Traveler, but they don't go so far as to call for violence. The Traveler also doesn't accept the worship and belief of the alien. After all, those who believe in becoming gods must pay attention to the source of their faith.

Another issue with choosing the Traveler Order is the Lord of Radiance. The Lord of Radiance is an upgrade from an advanced AI, and its compatibility with the Tau is quite good. The Tau are technology-loving, and they also work with AI, even programming emotions for it. In short, they create AI as a communicative "living being." This is similar to some space dwarves. (In the background, some space dwarves consider some robots to be their "brothers").

"Let's see what the others are doing." After sending Farsight away, Ahriman thought of his colleague Masked and the Primarch Alpharius who came with him. It seemed that these two guys had not contacted him for a while, and he didn't know what they were busy with.

"We're prepared. Even in the worst-case scenario, the Tau planet won't become food for the Zerg." Alpharius said after listening to Ahriman's question.

“I do not understand what you mean,” Ahriman asked.

"They are just some biological viruses. My people have already placed genetic bombs. Once this planet reaches a point where it cannot be salvaged, this biological virus can rapidly multiply and spread on this planet, turning the entire biosphere into a huge virus culture medium that the Zerg will be unable to use." Alpharius said calmly.

As the Primarch, Alpharius would definitely bring some sort of four-dimensional labyrinth, and the TAU's control over these border planets was still very limited, so it was easy for Alpharius to plant some virus bombs in different places on the planet.

"Alright, you decide." Ahriman remained noncommittal about Alpharius's actions.

"Do you think I'm a little cold-blooded?" Alpharius asked.

"No, if that time really comes, I will be more decisive, such as throwing this planet into the warp." Ahriman said with a smile.

Chapter 528 Imperial Agents in Action

"What about Mask? What is he doing? I can't get in touch with him." Ahriman asked.

"Well, if we're being objective, this guy is on the verge of making all the AI ​​on this planet his," Alpharius said. There was a tinge of pride in his tone. After all, this was someone who had been with him for ten thousand years. While this guy could be foul-mouthed and sometimes meddled in other people's affairs, his abilities and personality were a perfect match for Alpharius.

"How did he do that?" Ahriman asked.

"The Lord of Radiance provided some remote technical support. The Tau are obsessed with their technology, but their technology is just a toddler to us. The Lord of Radiance has no problem using his power and technology to override or even modify the Tau's AI."

"In order to deal with our hidden enemies, the Lord of Radiance even made antivirus software for the Tau people's AI to specifically deal with the electronic demons of Chaos." Alpharius said.

"It seems the Tau will have to pay us extra money," Ahriman said with a smile. "It seems we're almost ready for the Zerg, but what about the Evil God?"

"As for Khorne and Tzeentch? What I mean is that what we have done now is enough, and we can wait and see about the rest." Alpharius said after thinking for a while.

“Tell me your reasons,” Ahriman asked.

"I don't care about the lives of the Tau. I even think it would be the best outcome if they could perish together with the Zerg this time. This nascent civilization is too arrogant, and that really displeases me."

"All I did was to deny the Zerg any chance of gaining additional biomass from this planet. And what Mask did was to prevent them from becoming minions of the Chaos Demons. When the Chaos Demons and their minions descend, the Tau AI will turn their weapons directly against them if we so desire."

"Our goal is not to save the Tau, but to make them our barrier against the Zerg and Chaos in the southwest, and by the way, to give this disobedient guy a lesson. So, we must make them hate Chaos, and what can arouse the Tau's hatred of Chaos more than blood and killing?" said Alpharius.

"I feel like you're hiding something." Ahriman said.

"Haha, didn't this fool you? Are your psychic powers so powerful that you can peer into my mind from such a distance?" Alpharius asked half-seriously, half-jokingly. The Emperor's servants are powerful, a strength due in part to the Supreme Being's favor and in part to their own innate talent and cultivation. Among these powerful beings, Ahriman is a truly special one.

Some say he defeated certain Primarchs in sparring, ten thousand years ago. Alpharius believes this is a bit of an understatement. If the Primarchs don't specifically target them, some of his brothers—note, some—might not be able to defeat Ahriman, empowered by the Supreme Being. Including himself.

"I have no desire to covet the Emperor's children." Ahriman's words revealed a hint of humility. However, the Hydra Lord knew that this humility was not directed towards him, but towards the Emperor, and towards his father!

"Okay, let me tell you about my plan. The Supremes once told us some speculations about the Tau people. The Ether Clan among them has been genetically modified and has a natural dominance over the other clans. And it is precisely because of the existence of the Ether class that the other four clans form a civilized whole." said the Lord of Hydra.

"Yes, so your idea is to break up these clans?" Ahriman asked.

"That's right. The T'au people forbid intermarriage between different clans. This is actually a form of isolation. I don't know why the Ether does this. Will intermarriage lead to a decrease in the Ether class's control over other clans, or will it allow other clans to produce people who can resist the Ether's control. But there is no doubt that with Tzeentch preparing to attack the Ether and possibly directly controlling other clans through the Ether, we need to severely damage the Ether class and stop Tzeentch's conspiracy." Alpharius said.

"So, what are you going to do? Use your Hydras to assassinate Aether?" asked Ahriman. He did not object to Alpharius' plan, but there was one prerequisite: you don't mess it up.

"I think we can do this when necessary." said the Lord of Hydra.

"Ehmmmm. That's a crude method. I don't agree, and I don't think the Mask would either," Ahriman said mercilessly. As if the slightest hint of humility just now was an illusion. "Those Aethers can die, but not at the hands of our assassins. They can die under the control and magic of Tzeentch's daemons, they can die at the hands of Khorne's followers, but not at our hands. You can even expose the fact that some Aethers are contaminated and have certain Fire Warriors resolve the issue, but you can't do it directly."

"We don't have time. The social structure of the T'au dictates that as long as the Tzeentch demon can control the Aether, it is equivalent to controlling the entire T'au society. And the T'au know nothing about demons and their abilities." Alpharius retorted.

Afterwards, a long silence fell between the two sides. Everyone had their reasons, but neither could convince the other. Alpharius couldn't act recklessly. If it were just the Masked Man, he could certainly force his way through, but this time there were two Imperial attendants present, and if both disagreed, then Alpharius would be in a real dilemma.

Don't underestimate Alpharius's status as Primarch, and don't underestimate the fact that he leads a group of Hydra minions. However, he can't act alone without the two Emperor's servants. The Mask holds the blessing of the Lord of Radiance, and breaking through the Tau firewall is indispensable. Ahriman's psychic abilities are among the highest in the Imperium. Therefore, if the Hydra Lord doesn't have the support of these two, this mission will be impossible.

As for whether the Hydra Lord could get something good from the Radiant Lord? Sorry, that's practically impossible. The reason is simple: the Radiant Lord and the Hydra Lord aren't close. Everyone has their close friends and distant relatives. Unfortunately, the Hydra Lord's popularity is relatively poor among the Primarchs. He might be able to do some business, but if you want something truly valuable, sorry, that's out of the question. In reality, the Radiant Lord and the Hydra Lord were never on the same level. Ten thousand years ago, the Radiant Lord's status was far higher than the Hydra Lord's current one.

The field Alpharius chose made it difficult for him to absorb the faith openly like Sanguinius and Guilliman. Even if Alpharius wanted to join this sect, his father would not agree!

"What are you talking about, guys?" Masked man joined the group chat at the right time, breaking the deadlock between the two.

"Nothing, just some questions about the Ether." Ahriman then gave a general overview of the situation.

"That's all. I understand your concerns, Alpharius, but I can solve this problem very well." After listening, the Masked Man spoke, but it was obvious that he rejected the Lord of Hydra's proposal in a very tactful way.

"How to solve it?" Alpharius said somewhat dissatisfiedly.

"According to our research, when the Ether cannot directly contact members of other clans, it actually controls other clans through some kind of subconscious and subtle influence. Simply put, when a member of the Fire Clan fighting on the front lines believes that the person he is talking to is an Ether, he will subconsciously choose to obey. But if he thinks it is not, even if the person on the other side is a real Ether giving him orders, he will not obey. And with the gift of the Lord of Radiance, I can control their communications." The Mask's method is simply to cut off the Internet!

"That would solve most of the problems," Ahriman said.

"Well, that does solve most of the problems, but what about our ability to control the Tau forces when necessary?" asked Alpharius.

"This is actually not difficult. The Tau people rely too much on the AI ​​system. They often subconsciously choose to fight based on the AI's prompts. As long as we can strengthen the control over the Tau people's command and AI system, there will be no problem. We will also insert some information at the appropriate time, such as the picture of the Tzeentch demon controlling the ether or some other things." said the Masked Man.

"The Tzeentch demon wouldn't be so careless, right?" said the Lord of Hydra.