Rhodes nodded, took a deep breath, and followed the others into the Imperial Palace.
The Emperor, still seated upon the Golden Throne, retained his usual mummified appearance. However, after Magnus and others took turns supporting him, the Emperor's condition had improved significantly.
Rhodes felt that the Emperor's muscles seemed fuller than before. He was no longer just a decaying corpse; this dead body seemed to be radiating a spark of vitality!
It was a strange feeling! Clearly a corpse, and physiologically dead, yet Rhodes sensed a trace of life rekindling within the Emperor's body.
Should he call Isha over to take a look?
"You've returned, Rhodes! I knew you could complete your mission perfectly. This time, the Space Wolves have successfully rejoined the Imperium. Now, only the Dark Angels remain," the Emperor's voice echoed in Rhodes' mind.
For the Emperor to speak with ordinary mortals, he must use his incarnations, but with beings like Magnus, Guilliman, Elena, or Rhodes, he could communicate directly through psychic power.
Even Trajann, the Captain-General of the Custodes, could now withstand the Emperor's psychic light and hear his words.
"I did not fail you, Emperor! The Space Wolves have begun full legion-building, and I left them many medical pods.
Enough for them to arm a legion of tens of thousands in a short time. But it will still be a long time before they return to their peak.
Also, I brought back the oldest Dreadnought, the Space Wolves' first Wolf Lord, Bjorn. I plan to perform a Super-Beast transformation on him," Rhodes reported everything that had happened since arriving at the Space Wolves.
"I see. Bjorn was once the Space Wolves' top warrior, deeply trusted by Leman Russ. After Russ departed, Bjorn led the Space Wolves. Enhancing him with Super-Beast technology will further unite the Wolves, maybe even let him serve as Legion Master again," said the Emperor.
Bjorn was a talent. Back in Leman Russ's days, he was greatly trusted and became the leader after Russ left.
"In addition, the Space Wolves have promised to send at least five Grand Companies, totaling at least twenty thousand warriors, to support us when the Indomitable Crusade begins."
"Yes! This crusade's scale is not less than the Great Crusade, though only you and Elena are primarchs this time.
Perhaps your child will join as well. I'm looking forward to this child," the Emperor said.
Since discovering Elena's pregnancy, the entire Imperium was excited, especially the Emperor. This child was the most perfect human ever conceived.
The primarchs were, in essence, genetically engineered clones—his own genes, advanced technology, and even a fragment of a warp god's soul combined.
Theoretically, they reached the level of demigods, but limited by physical and other constraints, they never reached their full potential—half even rebelled.
Until Rhodes appeared, using Super-Beast technology and his cosmic phantom beasts, he upgraded Guilliman and Magnus, achieving the Emperor's vision of the perfect primarch.
And Rhodes and Elena's child—this child would be born at the same life level as Roboute and Magnus. As for mental and soul power, as the child grew, so would those strengths. In the future, he would not be weaker than a lesser god, maybe even stronger!
Because he would be born naturally, in some ways, he was like the Emperor himself at birth—maybe even more perfect.
If Rhodes refused the title of Emperor, perhaps his child could become the third Emperor!
"Yes! Rhodes's child is perfect. In about two and a half months, he'll be born," Magnus said.
Elena wore a proud expression. The Emperor himself had blessed her and the child, whose potential was limitless.
"Emperor, I have something else to tell you. It's about the Eldar Goddess of Life," Rhodes said.
Isha's situation could not be hidden. Rather than let the Emperor and Elena discover it, Rhodes decided to come clean.
"The Eldar Goddess of Life—I recall she was captured by Nurgle and kept in his garden for ten millennia.
Every time Nurgle developed a new virus, she would find a way to share the cure with the galaxy. She is an extremely benevolent goddess," the Emperor said.
He had some understanding of the Eldar Goddess of Life, even meeting her during his travels in Eldar territory.
Unlike the other Eldar gods, she loved her people, but also cared for other life in the universe.
When Nurgle researched new plagues, she would often help other species find ways to survive.
"It's like this…" Rhodes omitted some crucial details, saying only that he had accidentally rescued the Eldar Goddess of Life using a zombie beast, and let her take refuge in Lelith's body.
Lelith became pregnant. Because the Goddess of Life was attached to her, the child's soul belonged to Rhodes and the goddess, while the body belonged to Rhodes and Lelith.
For certain reasons, Rhodes chose to hide that he and the goddess had intentionally created the child, instead calling it an accident—after all, children are often accidental.
"…" The Emperor.
"…" Guilliman.
"…" Magnus.
"That's fine, Sister Lelith can raise the child with me," Elena said.
Though she said this, she felt a bit uncomfortable. If only she'd gone with Rhodes! Still, she got along well with Lelith and could accept her pregnancy.
Unlike Elena, the Emperor, Magnus, and Guilliman had a different reaction.
Rhodes, what are you doing?
A little dalliance with an Xenos? They could overlook it.
But making a child?
And with the Goddess of Life, no less!
"You mean the Goddess of Life is about to give birth to your divine child—a true god?" The Emperor asked incredulously.
Could gods really be born this way?
Until now, all gods in the warp existed through faith, while in the real universe, gods emerged from elemental energies and laws.
Two gods producing offspring? No one had ever imagined it, and the Emperor thought it was impossible.
There were too many complications!
More importantly, this child was a hybrid of human and Eldar. Humans and Eldar were completely different lifeforms—more different than humans and apes.
This wasn't just reproductive isolation. Though they looked similar, they were fundamentally different creations.
It was universal knowledge that humans and Eldar could not produce offspring. That's why the Emperor never stopped Rhodes from associating with Eldar women—no consequences, or so he thought. But now, there was a consequence!
As a ruler, the Emperor had many concerns. Like with Yvraine, his first thoughts were of terrible possibilities.
Could this child have children with Eldar or humans? Could he start a new race? If so, what would happen to humanity? His beloved species?
Guilliman thought the same. Rhodes had done foolish things before, but this was too much.
Magnus opened his mouth, wanting to defend Rhodes, but had nothing to say.
"We're allies with the Eldar gods now. Humans can ally with Craftworld and Exodite Eldar. Maybe this child can be a bridge between the two races," Magnus managed to say.
"That's not the key point. Rhodes, you should know the most serious consequence: this child might create a new race and threaten humanity. You know this is humanity's bottom line," the Emperor said.
If necessary, he'd eliminate the child, even if it meant offending Rhodes!
He would do anything to protect Rhodes—even sacrifice himself—because Rhodes was human.
He'd nurture Rhodes and Elena's child because that child was human.
But if something non-human threatened humanity, sorry, the Emperor would not be so merciful.
"The Goddess of Life explained that a god born from her life energy cannot have children with ordinary humans or Eldar. So your worries are unnecessary," Rhodes said.
This child would be a god and could not have offspring with mortals. Only with gods of similar rank.
This child and his descendants would never form a major new race. The Emperor's worries were unnecessary.
"Let's hope so, Rhodes. Now let me meet the Goddess of Life. We are allies now," the Emperor said.
He had to see the child to be sure!