The avatar of the Death God looked like a colossal Aeldari figure. A curved horn jutted from the side of its brow, and psychic-white hair flowed outward until it vanished into the distance.
"I didn't expect the Infinity Circuit to be hiding something like this…"
Eden manifested in humanoid form, staring at the Aeldari death-god avatar as understanding clicked into place.
So this was how the Aeldari Death God "revived." Every embryonic avatar lay concealed within one Infinity Circuit after another, feeding on Aeldari souls as it gradually grew stronger.
Once it reached a certain threshold, it would absorb all the avatars and become a super-god of the Warp.
"Isn't that basically the same as feeding Aeldari souls to another god? How is that any different from being swallowed by Slaanesh?"
Eden sighed with feeling.
In any case, nothing in the Warp was good. All of it counted as a Ruinous God—except him.
As for the Emperor Himself… the old man was half a god already, the kind who might darken at any moment if the mood struck Him.
The Goddess of Life, Isha, stood behind Eden. This beautiful embodiment of all things living had flowers and grasses spreading beneath her feet.
Her voice was soft, tight with nerves. "His avatar is here. I… what do we do?"
Isha instinctively recoiled from the Aeldari god before them.
There was a familiar scent clinging to it—and a chill of death that clashed violently with life-energy.
Eden understood her fear.
The Aeldari Death God, Ynnead, was a product of the gods' shattered soul-fragments fused with the Creator, Asuryan.
It embodied the Aeldari's thirst for vengeance—its essence was revenge and destruction.
That was fundamentally opposed to the Goddess of Life's authority. Of course she would feel uncomfortable, even repelled.
"This is going to be messy," Eden said, frowning slightly. "Your Garden of Life is going to have to connect to the Infinity Circuit later. Having something like that squatting inside it is… unpleasant."
Hearing that only made Isha more anxious. She edged closer to Eden, as if seeking shelter. "Ynnead isn't a benevolent presence. Even the flowers are rejecting his power."
"Everything he touches will wither."
"You can talk without clinging to me," Eden said, eyeing her. "You're supposed to be the Aeldari's future supreme deity. Could you show a little backbone?"
Eden took a deep breath.
She was a high-tier god. Why was she always acting so timid, like she might burst into tears at any moment?
With her real power, she could go toe-to-toe with lesser gods—she could even throw down with someone like Vashtorr if she had to.
The problem was her mindset. She'd mourn for half a day after stepping on a tiny animal.
Isha flinched at his harsh tone, then lowered her head again, looking wronged and small.
Eden was speechless. He seriously wondered if her trauma was simply too severe. Gods could get psychological scars too, apparently.
Then again… when Slaanesh hunted the Aeldari gods, they died horribly, one after another.
The surviving Goddess of Life had been tormented by Slaanesh, then imprisoned by Nurgle—forced to endure his "hospitality" in the Garden of Nurgle, crying over the suffering of all life in the galaxy.
Now and then, she would secretly send antidotes to the Aeldari, to humans, to any suffering beings she could reach—she was a true saint.
For someone so purely good to survive experiences like that… having shadows in her heart was only natural.
"You don't need to worry," Eden said, easing his tone to keep her from crying again. "I'll handle it."
He put on a solemn, righteous air. "Honestly, you can't carry this on your own. Looks like I'll have to take charge of the Aeldari's big picture."
In truth, this was exactly the situation Eden, the so-called savior, most wanted to see.
If the Goddess of Life were strong-willed and uncontrollable, he wouldn't be speaking so kindly.
He'd grind her into the ground until she submitted—until there was nothing left to resist.
What kind of xenos god dared interfere with harmony between Aeldari and humanity? Immediate execution on the spot.
Isha looked up at Eden, emerald eyes bright with something close to reverence.
He could save life across the galaxy rather than revel in slaughter and annihilation—Aeldari, humans, other races alike. That was why she trusted the Savior.
Suddenly, fear flashed through her gaze as she cried out a warning.
"He… he's awake!"
In the pure white sky, the avatar of Ynnead changed—so did the very environment of the Infinity Circuit's domain.
Dark purple energy spilled across the heavens, and faintly, Aeldari souls could be heard screaming.
It was a hunger for vengeance. A murderous aura spread as a voice rang out:
"I am the newborn death—and the resurrection!"
Sensing intrusion and threat from outside, Ynnead's avatar awakened in urgency.
It was furious.
Under normal circumstances, the Infinity Circuit was absolutely secure. Even if a craftworld were destroyed, the Aeldari would never surrender this sacred refuge of souls.
That was why these embryos could mature safely within Infinity Circuits, one after another—so safely that even the Dark Prince could not threaten them much.
But now, another Warp entity had invaded this birthplace.
Ynnead's instinctive rejection surged up—like a mother's body eliminating danger to protect the child within.
Hummm—
Ynnead's avatar floated in midair. Exquisite Aeldari armor condensed over its form, and its white hair streamed outward.
In its hand, a gigantic blade took shape from Aeldari souls—the Sword of Souls—and then it brought it down in a merciless cleave.
From waking to striking, there was not the slightest hesitation.
Ynnead was born of vengeance. It would remove every obstacle in its path—an uncompromising will to revenge.
"Hey," Eden snapped, "don't wake up and immediately go for the whole 'kill everything' routine!"
Facing the incoming soul-blade, Eden's body expanded in an instant, becoming a dark little sun crowned with fangs and claws.
If this were Ynnead at full maturity, maybe Eden wouldn't be able to withstand it.
But inside this Infinity Circuit was only an avatar.
So he went straight in.
Boom!
Eden's little sun slammed into the Death God's avatar, and the shockwave shook the entire Infinity Circuit.
The region of interwoven white and dark purple trembled violently.
Isha watched their fierce struggle, worry filling her eyes.
Then Eden's voice carried over.
"What are you standing around for? Hit him with me! At least feed me a wave of power!"
The Death God's avatar had entrenched itself inside the Infinity Circuit, sitting on ten thousand years of accumulated Aeldari soul-energy. It wouldn't be easy to uproot.
Thankfully, the Aeldari population was small.
If they had even one percent of humanity's numbers, the Death God they'd feed into existence would be strong enough to grab the Emperor by the head and beat Him senseless.
Gradually, Eden's little sun gained the upper hand in the god-war.
His claws carved deep marks across the Death God's avatar—each wound a tangible sign that Eden's authority was prevailing.
Because of the Infinity Circuit's special nature, their conflict inevitably affected Craftworld Alaitoc.
The battle's aftershocks surged along the Infinity Circuit into the physical world, triggering violent earthquakes. Cracks split open across many regions.
The terrifying spectacle filled Alaitoc's Aeldari with dread.
In the real world, the Wraithbone Sanctum shook under the Infinity Circuit's backlash.
"By the Veil of Fate… wh-what… what is happening…"
Elarai struggled against the impact. Even speaking took effort now, and fear gnawed at her as she worried over everything unfolding.
Instinctively, she clutched at Asurmen, her eyes pleading for help.
For the survival of Alaitoc's children, the Holy High Farseer had been forced to accept the conditions of that brutal ruler of Commorragh.
Yet that being had demanded more. In the end, she surrendered the pure, unblemished sanctum of her inner world—allowing his presence to enter and withdraw at will—and she helped establish a passage into the Infinity Circuit.
But now the Infinity Circuit had not been strengthened.
Instead, it was cracking under the strain, and the tremors were spreading across Alaitoc itself.
Was Asurmen's true goal to destroy this world?
Through her psychic senses, Elarai could see massive fissures tearing open in some regions.
If the Infinity Circuit collapsed, this world would lose its shielding and be dragged down with it.
The thought filled her with despair even as she endured the continuing shocks.
She couldn't stop this.
"I… I beg you… please stop this. Alaitoc cannot endure such tremors and danger."
At this moment, the Holy High Farseer's only hope was Asurmen.
Alaitoc's life and death were in his hands.
All she could do was plead—pitiful and helpless.
"Hiss… Don't worry. This is just a technical adjustment," Eden replied, still maintaining the connection to her inner world—only, the situation was… unusual.
Right now, he was sustaining the mental channel while simultaneously forcing a stabilization through the Infinity Circuit.
That was how he intended to erase the Death God's avatar.
Even so, it had to be said: Aeldari structure really was different from humans', and high-tier Aeldari sensitivity was… an issue.
Eden fixed his gaze on the tearful Elarai and warned her sternly:
"This is a special situation. Until I stabilize the Infinity Circuit, do not interfere in any way—understood? If you do, the consequences will be severe."
"You don't want the Infinity Circuit to collapse, do you?"
Eden had to warn her and keep her steady.
If a powerful psyker like her acted rashly, it would become a nightmare—especially while Eden's little sun was locked in a god-war with the Death God's avatar.
He was in an intensely precarious state.
He had to hold the channel steady, stabilize the Infinity Circuit through the strain, and wage a divine battle all at once.
In short, he was busy.
For a time, the Infinity Circuit's tremors, the screams of Aeldari souls, the pleas of Alaitoc's children, Elarai's strained voice, and the groan of cracking structures all tangled together.
The entire Wraithbone Sanctum shuddered.
No one knew how long it lasted.
Eventually, the Infinity Circuit's tremors calmed, the Wraithbone Sanctum stilled, and the quake outside subsided as well.
"Whew…"
Eden let out a long breath. He severed the connection at last, then rose.
"You don't need to worry anymore. The problem's been solved."
As he spoke, a thread of life-energy spread outward from the Infinity Circuit. The veil of this world grew firmer.
As for the Death God's avatar—its form had been destroyed, reduced to nothing but nourishment.
Not only that: across Alaitoc, in the regions where statues of the Goddess of Life stood, Alaitoc's children felt her presence.
She was protecting this world.
They shook free of their fear and became even more devout.
Eden looked down from above at the Holy High Farseer, who was trying hard to cover herself with a veil of half-transparent psychic gauze, hiding her form.
He took in everything with a cool, commanding gaze and spoke in the tone of an edict.
"From today onward, Alaitoc will be governed by me."
"Your safety will be guaranteed. You won't need to fear the Dark Prince's torment anymore—just like the people of Redemption Paradise."
Eden set a firm hand on her—twice—then added flatly, "That includes you. With me here, you won't be shedding tears over Alaitoc's suffering fate ever again."
Now that he controlled the Infinity Circuit, he had backbone.
Especially after seeing her temperament through her inner world—he had even more backbone.
A pure and unblemished mind could indeed resist Chaos.
But it came with weaknesses too: it could be bound by schemes, and conquered.
This Holy High Farseer—and Alaitoc itself—were like sheep before a being who held the critical resource in his grasp.
After saying his piece, Eden turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
He had obtained what he wanted.
Now he needed to go out, take charge, and implement his rule.
Behind him, Elarai still watched with fear, slowly weaving a semi-transparent veil of psychic light to cover herself.
Her emotions were complicated.
Alaitoc's salvation filled her with relief.
But she and Alaitoc had also fallen completely into the hands of that brutal ruler, and she didn't know what fate awaited them.
"By the Veil of Fate… was my choice the right one?"
Elarai clutched the gauze at her chest, her beautiful face shadowed by sorrow for the unknown.
Then she thought of something and soothed herself in a whisper.
"At least it's better than Alaitoc falling into the Dark Prince's hands… and besides, the Goddess of Life is protecting us."
As always, the Holy High Farseer extended her psychic senses to link with the Infinity Circuit.
But she discovered she could no longer spread her power across the entire craftworld as before.
She could only cover certain regions—those permitted by Asurmen.
If she could enter the Infinity Circuit itself, she would see it had become a beautiful garden.
Even so, through lingering traces of psychic resonance, Elarai gathered fragments of information.
She performed a divination—and received scattered images.
In the next instant, she stumbled upon a shocking secret. Her body nearly went limp.
"By the Veil of Fate… how could the great Goddess of Life…"
In the vision, Isha and a godlike figure who resembled Asurmen were entangled in an indecent scene—one so unbearable she could hardly process it.
The impact was overwhelming.
And it seemed Isha was the one being dominated, almost entirely at the other's mercy.
"No… that can't be. That has to be a false prophecy. Our goddess could never be like that."
Elarai collapsed to the floor, her faith on the verge of shattering.
Then Eden's psychic message arrived again, murmuring like a reminder—and a threat.
"My dear High Farseer, it seems you've discovered a secret that cannot be shown to others."
"Perhaps you should keep it to yourself. You wouldn't want the Aeldari to find out our goddess has done something like that, would you?"
His voice continued, coldly practical:
"No matter what, remember one thing: the Goddess of Life is cooperating with other gods—growing stronger—so she can protect us."
"That's enough."
"The more secrets our people know, the more they'll suffer. Isn't that right?"
The edge in his tone forced Elarai to yield. She nodded silently.
It was, indeed, the best outcome.
She had to keep this agonizing secret.
Then another message came through:
"Oh, and I'll be visiting often. As Alaitoc's leaders, we need to communicate."
Elarai froze when she received it.
Remembering what had just happened, her body trembled again.
Only after a long while did the pure High Farseer manage to steady herself.
For Alaitoc, she was willing to do anything.
She stepped out onto the Wraithbone Sanctum's terrace and surveyed the craftworld with her psychic sight.
Alaitoc's fear was fading. Smiles were returning to her people's faces.
Perhaps this world's suffering truly was coming to an end.
Elarai's mind filled with Asurmen's silhouette as she thought it.
At the same time, messages spread one after another.
Asurmen had prevented the Dark Prince's incursion. He had ended the world's tremors. In the future, the Goddess of Life would forever protect Alaitoc's faithful.
And that noble being would follow the Goddess of Life's guidance, governing this world with the High Farseer's assistance.
In the future, he would unite more of their kin, gather more wandering Aeldari, and lead their people toward rebirth…
—
Three months later.
Alaitoc, the Spire.
"Work and rest have to be balanced," Eden muttered, slumping back on the sofa. "Too many nights in the pleasure halls listening to songs isn't a good habit…"
He had just returned from Elarai's side.
Lately, there had been a mountain of governance to handle.
It was tiring, but the gains were enormous.
He had fully taken control of Alaitoc—secured this colossal craftworld, removed every obstacle, and made it so that here, his word was law.
That made his strength in the Vigilus region surge dramatically.
He now possessed a mobile platform the size of half a moon, along with hundreds of thousands of people with psychic potential.
For the moment, however, he didn't intend to rebuild Alaitoc.
Instead, he would spread the teachings of the Goddess of Life, establish a new external enemy, and push hard into war-preparations.
He would make Alaitoc's Aeldari focus on exterminating the Chaos forces in the Vigilus region. Once those enemies were wiped out alongside his allies, they could return to Redemption Paradise.
That was precisely why Eden refused to rebuild, deliberately preserved some corrupted zones, and endlessly painted Redemption Paradise as a shining ideal.
If he made this place too comfortable, Alaitoc's Aeldari might refuse to leave the craftworld later—and that would be a problem.
Eden didn't relax. He began reviewing the newest intelligence, tracking how the region's situation was developing.
Looking at the reports, he sighed.
"Erebus, that bastard, is recruiting too—with the gods backing him."
"Good thing my pace is faster."
The Vigilus region seethed with undercurrents. Multiple powers were converging on its core, reaching their claws toward Eden's precious blackstone deposits.
But his own branches of power were also gathering, slowly moving toward Vigilus.
The distance to a true, all-consuming chaos was shrinking.
Large sections of Alaitoc had already been partitioned as storage zones for war materiel.
In the future, he would likely need to transport blackstone as well—that was the only way to stay truly safe.
"At least Vigilus itself should be holding for now," Eden said, analyzing the situation through the data. "The defense there is led by Chapter Master Calgar of the Ultramarines."
Calgar was a steady sort—his record was solid—reliable enough to ease the mind.
According to Imperial records, Calgar possessed true strategic talent. He had commanded hundreds of major campaigns, defeating craftworld Aeldari, Orks, and Necrons alike.
He had faced down an Avatar of Khaine, broken open a Tyranid hive fleet—Behemoth's main swarm—and even dueled Abaddon, grievously damaging the Vengeful Spirit.
Eden scanned the intelligence, nodding with satisfaction.
"Calgar's stable," Eden said. "He got to Vigilus early and fortified the lines. At least before Erebus' forces arrive in full, it won't fall."
"Given how things look, my plan is moving forward smoothly."
After that, he continued reviewing the status of the region's factions—hundreds of red points clustered tightly together.
Mixed in were green markers: Eden's own forces and the Imperium's strength.
You could see the green slowly infiltrating deeper into the region.
Then Eden's gaze sharpened as he noticed a particular report.
"There's something here…"
The briefing stated that the Departmento Munitorum had made contact with an Indomitus Crusade fleet that had arrived in the region decades ago.
They planned to use covert methods to seize a human world ruled by the Necrons—"saving" the Imperium's miserable citizens from xenos hands.
Hummm—
A projection attached to the report flickered to life.
"Damn," Eden said, inhaling sharply. "That's… genuinely heretical."
In the image was a gigantic statue of the Emperor with overt machine traits—its eyes glowing an eerie green…
(End of Chapter)
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