The Imperium of Man's reclamation progress had reached 80%.
Ian and the Emperor sat in the Great Hall of the Imperial Palace on Terra. Countless projections floated before them, each displaying the latest strategic situation of the Imperium. Most of the galaxy had returned to human rule, and the remaining sectors were being reclaimed in an orderly fashion.
"Progress is quite a bit faster than expected." Ian flicked a model with his finger and nodded in satisfaction.
A flicker of intensity passed through the Emperor's golden eyes, and a rare trace of a smile appeared on his majestic face. "The resistance from the forces of Chaos is weaker than anticipated."
"Those annoying bastards are definitely cooking up something foul!" Ian felt it was impossible for the Dark Gods of the Warp to simply allow humanity to reclaim lost territory.
Just as the two were discussing their next strategic deployment, they suddenly felt an extremely powerful energy fluctuation within the Warp, surging toward them like a tidal wave.
Ian stood up, his eyes sharp. The Emperor also rose slowly, golden light radiating from within his body to resist the erosion of this malevolent energy.
"These four energies... it's those four guys, but something seems a bit different," Ian whispered.
"It is certainly the four Dark Gods of the Warp," the Emperor's voice was low, laced with hatred.
A smile played across Ian's lips, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Finally couldn't hold back anymore?" He looked at the Emperor, his tone excited. "I wonder what new tricks they've prepared. I hope they can give me some entertainment."
The Emperor didn't respond; he simply tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, golden energy flowing along the blade. The two stood still, carefully sensing the energy fluctuations.
"Something's definitely off," Ian's brow arched slightly.
"The energy is complex. There are slight differences compared to the four gods we knew before," the Emperor added.
Ian nodded. This was indeed the energy signature of the four Dark Gods of the Warp, yet it felt subtly distinct.
As they pondered, space suddenly warped. A massive portal slowly opened in the center of the War Room, purple energy swirling around the frame, radiating a dangerous aura.
An elegant Slaaneshi daemon with a tall figure stepped out of the portal. She possessed perfect bodily curves, skin that glowed with an unnatural purple luster, and eyes flashing with seductive pink light. The Slaaneshi daemon bowed slightly to the two, then made a beckoning gesture, inviting them into the portal.
Ian stepped forward without hesitation.
"Are you sure you want to go straight in?" the Emperor asked in a low voice.
Ian gave the Emperor a slight smile. "What's there to fear? It's a good chance to see what they're hiding up their sleeves. Besides, they're the ones who should be afraid!"
With that, Ian walked directly into the portal, vanishing into the purple light. Seeing this, the Emperor followed closely behind.
The moment they crossed the portal, the two felt a violent surge of Warp energy. The energy here was extremely dense, churning like a physical substance, forming eerie vortices and ripples. The sky displayed a twisting tapestry of colors—blue, green, purple, and red—intertwining together, while the ground was composed of constantly writhing fleshy tissue.
In the distance, twelve thrones stood tall. Seated upon them were twelve figures of immense power, radiating a suffocating pressure. The twelve figures consisted of three Slaaneshes, three Khornes, three Nurgles, and three Tzeentches.
The simultaneous appearance of twelve Dark Gods of the Warp was unprecedented in the entire history of the Warhammer universe. The sheer power of the collective energy nearly tore the Warp asunder.
"Now this is interesting," a flash of surprise crossed Ian's eyes.
Ian saw that their forms were all different; even for the same god, their appearances had distinct variations. As he carefully perceived their energy fluctuations, he began to glimpse information about the gods before him.
"Past, present, and future," Ian murmured. "Each god has three versions from different timelines."
The Emperor nodded, a hint of vigilance in his golden eyes. "Furthermore, the gods of the past and future do not seem to belong to our universe."
A look of realization dawned in Ian's eyes, and his smile deepened. "The four gods of your universe seem to have contacted the four gods of parallel universes. They've certainly gone to a lot of trouble."
Ian suddenly burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the Warp. "Good, good, very good! I didn't expect a real surprise. If you're coming, then come! To think you'd deliver two parallel universes to me on a silver platter!"
Among the twelve gods, the Tzeentch of this universe appeared somewhat uneasy. He could sense that Ian's power far exceeded expectations, and his own power hadn't increased much despite the arrival of the other gods. Logically, the simultaneous existence of so many gods should have drastically increased the "change" in the universe, thereby significantly boosting his power.
However, that was not the case. This meant that the final outcome of the current world had still not changed.
Ian and the twelve gods faced off, no one making the first move. The three Khornes were filled with battle intent, their bodies expanding and power surging as if they were ready to charge at any moment.
"I hope you can give us a satisfying fight, human," the Khorne of the past growled, his voice like metal grinding on metal.
'Keep acting tough, I'll send you flying!' Ian thought.
The Tzeentches of the past and future constantly shifted their forms, their voices rising simultaneously yet sounding distinct. "Everything is according to plan."
What is the hardest thing in the Warhammer world? Definitely Tzeentch's mouth!
The three Slaaneshes danced provocatively, their voices as alluring as honey. "Surrender, New God. We will let you enjoy endless pleasure."
'Eh? Wait, this seems okay. I could consider it!'
The three Nurgles let out viscous laughter, their rotting bodies dripping with foul-smelling liquid. "We will fill you with thick soup and make you part of us."
'Ugh... so disgusting. I wonder if I'll get bugs on me if I fight him. Old Man Huang, I'll leave this one to you in a bit.'
Ian engaged in mental banter with Old Man Huang (the Emperor) while listening to the Dark Gods' pre-battle trash talk. Although the four gods spoke arrogantly, not one of them was the first to strike. They were all waiting—waiting for another god to step forward and test the waters. Time slipped away quietly.
Ian and the Emperor also stood their ground, motionless, as if enjoying a performance. Suddenly, Ian bared his teeth in a savage grin, a dangerous light flashing in his eyes.
In the next instant, countless clones clad in Infinity Armor and wielding the Sword of the Cosmos emerged from the void, surrounding the twelve gods. Each clone expanded a powerful forcefield, completely partitioning this section of the Warp and cutting off all escape routes for the gods.
This was exactly why Ian had delayed his move. While facing off with the gods, he had silently released his clones to isolate this space. To him, these gods weren't incredibly strong, but they were far too good at running and hiding.
"I was waiting for my clones," Ian smiled at the twelve gods, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "What were you waiting for? Waiting to die?"