So, having my monologue of achievements be interrupted — while bothersome — is fortunate, since I'm pretty sure that had I not been interrupted, I'd have talked for ages. With that in mind, as I walked to my teleportation array — the one I made in case my parents wanted to visit me or when they sent over Khem, the family butler — I couldn't help but think. Quite nice guy, Khem. Then again, he's an off-world gladiator that's also a Rattling and built like an Ogryn. Overall, an intimidating person, though quite soft when it comes to me.
Pulled out of my thoughts, I see the Array light up — and there he is.
With but a wave of my hand, I summon my Golems. All 45,000 of them. Yes, I had a private army — but when you're constantly contributing to the welfare of everyone, it's ignored. Besides, they've been holding back the Psychneuein for two years and supplementing the regular nest exterminations. Where there would usually be a few thousand casualties, I've reduced it to two total in 34 operations. Those two fell into a pit full of the twats and got their souls sucked up.
Moving on — Khem walks up to me, bows, and says, "Young Lord, the Master and Mistress require your presence." He glances at the assembled Golems, now shifted into their combat forms, radiating a rudimentary null field similar to Blackstone's properties.
"Oh, of course, Khem. Thanks for telling me."
He bowed even lower, as if my words were pushing him to the floor. I think it's my humbleness.
As I step into the teleportation formation, I send my Golems out to hit the largest congregations of Psychneuein. Besides their fists and enchantment magic, I've given them an AOE discharge of warpfire. Not to mention, when in formation, they can link up to create a shield strong enough to withstand sustained bombardment from spells and munitions alike.
The teleportation array lit up, and suddenly I was no longer in my tower — but standing before my parents. They had the Mirror Communicator active, showing windows of all the councillors and their faces.
When I arrived, I was the peak of politeness. "Hey, Mom and Dad. Heard you've got a little trouble."
As I walked into frame, my parents lit me up with hugs and kisses — mostly from my mother. I surrendered. There's no winning that.
My father stepped forward, voice serious. "Son, can you help in the defence of the city? The Council and I have agreed that you're not to leave the Stronghold. Could you command your Golem Legion to stem the tide while we prepare the ritual to incapacitate them and strip them of their ability to warp back into the sea?"
He asked as though I was being sent to personally fight their champion or something.
"Sure, no problem, Dad. I've already sent them out. Though, what caused this reaction from the Psychneuein? I've never seen them go into a frenzy this big before."
He grimaced and pointed to a figure on the communicator — a human, sweating bullets, pale as a ghost. "We can thank Scholar Valus for his dangerous experiments. He tried to talk with the Echoes using your new runes. It ended when the Echo tried to manifest — and without your wards, we could've seen a Nevermore incursion. When it was banished back to the sea, it released a great psychic echo and set the Psychneuein into a feeding frenzy."
My laid-back posture stiffened. I turned to look at the so-called Valus and instantly reached out, activating the Guardian Array in the city with my mind. His tower was isolated in an instant.
"He's been touched by a Greater Nevermore," I said quickly. "I can feel his soul being held in the creature's palm. We've been infiltrated."
The room exploded into pandemonium. Saying we had a demon host — that's every psyker's worst fear.
I dispatched Golems equipped with psyker nullifiers to apprehend him, then turned my focus back to the Psychneuein. After explaining my plan to the Council, they voted to let me use the Laser.
Sitting in a meditation posture, I willed thousands of tiny portals to appear around the Focusing Array — a thousand purple sparkles pricking the sky. The once-endless horde thinned out. I even made use of the miniature souls of the Psychneuein, who had absorbed beings' souls into rudimentary soul stones. Yeah, I was that much of a Chad — made spirit stones with insect souls. Iron Man ain't got shit on me.
With that, the assault on Tizca faded. My Golems cleared the remaining pockets. I lost around 3,000 — expected, considering they were fighting psyker-sucking parasites. The surrounding arcologies didn't fare as well. Without my Golems, their shields cracked — though none were breached.
That's all done and dusted. Time to give a massive middle finger to the Coral Face. Think it's time I grew up a bit — become a bit of a Nagash RPer with a giant floating pyramid made of Blackstone. Yeah, it's big brain time. I'll skip the boring years until the red boy comes and tries to steal my knowledge — before I send him back to live with his foster dad.
24 Years Later
Yeah, who knew time in 40k — or should I say 30k — was weird? It is what it is. Anyway, the red boy turned up, bringing the incessant nagging of a child demigod. But I had a floating castle — he didn't — so I win.
Jokes aside, seeing a Primarch at work is impressive, especially one with a warp god shard inside him. But all he's done is be a massive nerd and start a faction that wants to spread all knowledge — even the dangerous kind. So yeah, I came down hard on that. Bested him in a duel of words and psychic power. He was disgruntled and tried to sic the Council on me — they shut him down. Smart guy, no wisdom.
Moving past the walking encyclopedia — I've been up to some stuff.
I purged the Psychneuein before he arrived with my legions of Golems, all stationed in my floating Pyramid. Speaking of — the thing's 10 kilometres wide, generating its own gravity in some parts, and five kilometres tall. It's a beast, holding all the knowledge of Prospero.
I've also picked up disciples — about 50,000 of them. They're still learning, but I've got teaching Golems for that.
And, of course, I've upgraded my drip.
[Image of the drip]
Looks like standard Legionnaire armour, sure — but it's psyker-enhanced to the point I can withstand a full assault from both Magnus and his followers. Earned me the title I'm quite fond of: The Black Sun of Tizca. Magnus still holds the Red title, but he's salty — still holding a grudge after getting pimp-slapped and denied my knowledge for free.
My students? The Eclipse Order. His? Still calls them his sons.
Moving on.
My Pyramid is pure Blackstone — found the deposits myself on space hulks after cleansing them of Chaos corruption. Even fought off Men of Iron, which got me to work up a sweat — especially when a Bloodthirster decided to crash the party. Took care of it easily enough.
With those STCs and my transmutation mastery, I've made Prospero even more Prosperous. Ha. Yeah, I said it. The planet's going through a second psychic renaissance, with me as the leading figure — and Magnus right behind.
I've reinforced Prospero's defences too. Massive arrays make orbital invasion suicidal, and internal sabotage? Nearly impossible. But I've got countermeasures ready anyway. No burning of Prospero this time.
We've even got an army now — seven cohorts of 800,000 each. That's 5.6 million true psyker warriors under my command. We've secured the region around us, bringing 76 worlds into the fold — mostly agri-worlds and one Forge World we liberated from their psyker-torturing nonsense. Probably Vasshtor being a dick again. I personally wiped their Titan Legion — easy.
And if you're wondering how I ensured loyalty? Simple — Loyalty Arrays. Tiny subconscious tweaks that make my rule acceptable. Any grievances get swallowed up when life keeps improving.
I've seen seven different Ork WAAAGHs. Fought one myself while the Council bickered about who to send. Being treated like a WMD wasn't an exaggeration.
Now, I've got new Golems functioning like artillery and serving as the main line forces. There are about 20 billion of them spread across our sector — all linked to me and the Throne in my temple.
Though… we could always use more. Maybe perha—
WOOO WOOO.
Hah… why do I think…
As I turn, I see a massive psyker signature incoming. I exhale, weary but amused.
"Think Big E's coming. Can't wait to see how he reacts to his psychic battery losing to me."