A grand, towering gate stood in a swirling expanse of gray-white mist.
When Raven vanished from the Emperor and Waldo's presence, it reappeared in this enigmatic space.
"They didn't see through my bluff, did they?" Raven muttered, its confidence wavering.
Despite its mysterious entrance, Raven was no cosmic deity. In its past life, it was an ordinary human, crushed by a speeding hundred-ton truck while driving. Upon awakening, its soul found itself in this Mist Space, bound to the body of a raven.
After ages of exploration, Raven mastered the Mist Space, gaining extraordinary abilities: bending the laws of reality, reading the traces of universal evolution, peering into the past, and freely navigating multidimensional timelines. The ancient gate at the heart of the Mist Space allowed travel across different universes, but only if Raven bound itself to a Protagonist of Destiny. By altering a universe's fate, Raven could feed on the resulting origin power, growing stronger.
"Trying to con the future Dark King on my first go—my poor heart nearly gave out," Raven chuckled nervously. "Here's hoping I pulled it off."
The Mist Space was a lonely prison. Without a summoner or a contract, Raven was trapped, unable to leave. If the Emperor refused to cooperate, Raven would have to seek another Protagonist of Destiny, condemned to endure the monotonous gray mist until then.
"I mentioned the Webway," Raven mused, reviewing the conversation. "That should hook him."
The Webway was the cornerstone of the Emperor's plans, a safeguard against humanity's annihilation. The fall of the Eldar Empire birthed Slaanesh, one of the Four Chaos Gods, and tore a wound in reality—the Eye of Terror. Soon, humanity would surpass the Eldar, becoming a fully psychic race. Their souls would shine like beacons in the Warp, drawing countless daemons. Without protection, humanity would become fodder for the Dark Gods, facing extinction far worse than the Eldar's.
To shield humanity, the Emperor sought to master the Webway, isolating the Warp and freeing mankind from its influence. His unification wars, the Great Crusade, and the Human Empire were all steps toward amassing the resources needed to build it. The Webway was non-negotiable—even the loss of his gene-primarchs or his own life was a price he'd pay without hesitation.
At the climax of the Terra War, Horus, the Warmaster, wielded Warp-fueled power to block Guilliman's reinforcements. As all seemed lost, Markus's sacrifice allowed the Emperor to briefly leave the Golden Throne and confront Horus. To defeat the Chaos Gods' champion, the Emperor unshackled his power, devouring Warp energy like a ravenous beast, nearing godhood. One step further, and he'd have become the prophesied Dark King, capable of crushing even the Four Gods combined.
But the cost would have been humanity's annihilation. Choosing mankind's survival, the Emperor relinquished that power, facing Horus as a mortal.
When humanity's existence was at stake, the Emperor would likely compromise.
"*Heh heh*, golden titan, you don't want humanity to go extinct, do you?" Raven cackled, imagining a taunting line that would surely earn it a millennium of punishment.
"The Emperor's strength is undeniable," Raven continued to itself. "As a Protagonist of Destiny and the mortal vessel of a potential fifth Chaos God, few in other universes could match him. A long-term partnership would bring unimaginable rewards."
Raven approached the towering gate, its body dissolving into light and merging with the structure. Using the Mist Space's power, it projected its consciousness across the multiverse. Without a Protagonist, it couldn't enter other universes, but it could observe them.
"Harry Potter versus Voldemort? Nah, he'd squash poor Voldy with one hand, and magic's useless to him," Raven muttered. "A cultivation world? He's already psychic and immortal—why bother? Captain America's super-soldier serum? Too weak compared to the Astartes. Death Star tech? Tempting—imagine a planet-busting weapon to make xenos weep. But Terra's unification just happened; he lacks the resources to build one."
"Super-God Academy?" Raven paused, intrigued. "Even the basic gene engine tech could supercharge his armies."
Meanwhile, the Morgan Federation had been crushed. Its leaders were executed, its innocents absorbed into the nascent Human Empire. Markus arrived from Imperial territory with supplies and officials to rebuild the Navian Peninsula per the Emperor's plans.
In a makeshift camp, the Empire's triumvirate—the Emperor, Waldo, and Markus—convened to discuss Raven.
Markus learned of the creature from Waldo's account: a mysterious raven claiming to ferry the Emperor across universes to alter their fates for power and knowledge.
"Majesty, do you trust this unknown entity?" Markus asked, his face grave.
"We have little choice," the Emperor replied, his tone heavy. "It knows our primarchs live and the Webway's purpose. It holds our secrets. If it serves the enemy, we're already lost. Better to end our plans now than proceed blindly."
"We could devise new plans," Waldo suggested. "Why trust this creature?"
"Time is against us," the Emperor countered. "We've spent ages perfecting every detail of this plan. Could we complete a new one before humanity becomes a psychic race?"
He turned to Markus. "The Morgan Federation is broken, and the remaining nations pose no threat. Terra's unification is complete. I leave the next steps to you, old friend."
"Majesty, please reconsider," Markus urged. "Even if it can send you across universes, how can you ensure your safety?"
"No force can truly kill me," the Emperor said. He faced Waldo. "Assist Markus in governing this new Empire. If I return, we'll forge a new plan to conquer the stars. If I don't, make Terra the cradle of human civilization once more."
A day passed. At the appointed time, Raven reappeared before the Emperor, now joined by Waldo and an elderly man in a robe, clutching a staff. Raven sensed the man's surging psychic power and deduced his identity: Markus, the Malcador, second only to the Emperor in psychic might.
Raven fixed its gaze on the Emperor. "Made up your mind? I'm recharged and ready to start the journey if you're in."
The Emperor nodded. "It's a compelling deal, but I have one question."
"Ask away," Raven said.
"If I travel to another universe, will Terra change beyond recognition when I return? If all is lost, what use is foreign power and knowledge?"
"I can anchor time," Raven assured. "No matter how long you spend in another universe, only a day will pass here."
"One day? That's acceptable. I agree to the deal."
"Contract sealed, big guy," Raven chirped. "Let me show you the multiverse!"
Its body dissolved into light, forming a swirling vortex before the Emperor. The portal expanded, swallowing him whole.
Waldo watched, a faint flicker of worry in his eyes. Unable to guard his lord, he felt unease.
"What happened? Where's His Majesty?" Markus demanded, scanning the empty space. He'd seen nothing, only heard the Emperor's one-sided conversation before he vanished.!