Thus, the child posed no threat to humanity. Still, Rhodes's eldest son—his true human child—must be carefully nurtured.
Such a powerful god, born of both human and Eldar, would belong to both races, loving both.
But would reality match the ideal?
Eldar were more graceful, perfect, long-lived, psychically strong, and physically powerful than humans.
The contrast was stark: one side was perfect, near-immortal; the other, short-lived, powerless, even hostile to psykers, yet called themselves his kin.
Over time, such differences would create a chasm.
A swarm of insects, pests, things one might scorn—how could one see them as kin? He might even come to despise his human blood.
These were real, and likely, risks.
The Emperor had a million reasons to believe the child would drift toward the Eldar—because they were superior. Humanity had many strengths, but also fatal flaws.
Unless humanity as a whole ascended, there was no comparison.
After living for millennia, the Emperor knew: in the Golden Age, the gold men never regarded ordinary humans as kin. They saw themselves as superior.
Even the Emperor once thought that way—immortal, mighty, and perfect, while ordinary humans were fragile, weak, and ephemeral.
Only Rhodes and Elena's child, born truly human, would never abandon his people.
When the plan for the ascension of all humanity was complete, the balance with the Eldar could be restored.
As a ruler, the Emperor had to consider worst-case scenarios, not just hopes.
A bridge between two races? That was a fantasy.
The Eldar saw humans as primitive apes; humans saw Eldar as shameful aliens.
Harsh, but true. The alliance was a last resort; most humans wouldn't ally with Eldar without the Emperor's command.
The same was likely true on the Eldar side.
"This child is truly powerful—a perfect god. I believe he will benefit both humanity and the Eldar," the Emperor said.
He said the polite words but secretly resolved to fully support Rhodes's eldest son, nurturing him to rival his divine-born sibling.
Rhodes's true heir was Elena's child, who would be born in ten months.
But the Eldar hybrid—no one, not even the Emperor, knew when it would be born; its gestation was difficult.
"I believe this child will be the bridge between our races. I will raise him well," Isha said.
Apparently, the Emperor was not as harsh as rumored. Their first meeting was friendly.
At that moment, the Emperor noticed the golden-armored man beside the Goddess.
At a glance, the Emperor almost stood up from the Golden Throne.
He saw a dazzling golden light—an eternally perfect lifeform.
It was unbelievable—Tartarus' life level stunned the Emperor. The ultimate lifeform was no joke.
In the Ultraman universe, Tartarus was a top-tier character, both in strength and life level.
"Rhodes, who is your companion? Aren't you going to introduce him?" the Emperor asked privately, telepathically.
Such a remarkable being—he could have mistaken him for human if he hadn't looked carefully.
Guilliman and Magnus didn't notice anything unusual—he just seemed an ordinary man to them.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am an Ultimate Lifeform—Absolutian Warrior Tartarus," Tartarus man said, flamboyantly.
He was arrogant but had reason to be. In just days, his soul had resonated with the warp, and he wielded psychic powers stronger than Rhodes.
In Warhammer, a strong enough soul meant one could enter the warp and become a powerful psyker—able to converse with the Emperor.
"Ultimate Lifeform? An Absolutian? Is this a new race? Did Rhodes create another one?" the Emperor wondered.
He didn't want to probe too deeply into Rhodes's secrets, but if there was a mysterious Xenos race behind him, that would be bad.
"He's an emissary from an ancient race—the Absolutians—older than the galaxy, their civilization on par with the Old Ones," Rhodes said.
The top civilizations of the Ultraman universe were odd, usually staying on a single planet despite their power.
"For various reasons, he serves as my retainer. His race exists outside this universe, at the multiversal level. He's just here to help me," Rhodes explained.
"That's right! I'll be my master's best helper," Tartarus declared.
"Let's hope so. A multiversal race—astonishing!" the Emperor said.
He didn't wish to delve into the Absolutians' origins. If a multiversal race meant humanity harm, there was no resisting.
He'd just have to raise Rhodes's son faster.
This conversation happened in the psychic realm—only the Emperor, Rhodes, and Tartarus knew. Not even Guilliman or Magnus.
After further friendly talks, the Emperor hosted a lavish banquet in the palace, with Guilliman and Magnus as hosts, honoring the Eldar Goddess of Life.
The Goddess formally established relations with the Imperium. The Craftworld and Exodite Eldar would ally with humanity—the news would spread after the Indomitable Crusade.
For now, it would only be known in the Sol System and Imperial space.
After the banquet, Rhodes, Elena, and Lelith returned to their palace.
"After half a year away, it feels good to be home," Rhodes said, stretching out on his bed.
Tomorrow would be busy—he had to meet his two scientists, deliver the stellar core, and have them prepare a Super-Beast body for Bjorn.
He also wanted to test if the Goddess and the Absolutians could extract extradimensional energy from Isha's life force.
"These two days, relax. Soon you'll be busy with many legion matters! During your absence, your legion's think tank has been trained by Mephiston himself," Elena said, lying beside him.
"I know. How's your legion coming?" Rhodes asked.
"We've surpassed five million members, and the number grows every day. All Battle Sisters will become my gene-daughters! My legion will surpass all others combined," Elena said.
No helping it—there were so many Battle Sisters, she had the advantage.