"Lord of Ultramar."
Alex's voice pulled the shocked Guilliman back to Reality.
"Saint, you are exactly like my brother."
"Forgive my impertinence, but are you truly not Sanguinius in disguise?"
On the Macragge's Honour in low Terra orbit, Guilliman looked at the lifelike projection, suspicion in his eyes.
Alex's lips curved upwards. "What? If I admit I'm Sanguinius, are you planning to drag me along to revive the glory of the Second Empire?"
A black line appeared on Guilliman's forehead.
Of all things to say, why *that*!
If anyone else heard that, how bad would the impact be!
Especially that bunch of golden corn cobs cooped up in the Imperial Palace; wouldn't they get angry with him, the Regent?
"You mustn't let the descendants of my brother—Lion El'Jonson—hear this,"
"I've been researching lately, and I found that after Caliban was destroyed, they became quite fanatical."
"They declared their former brothers Fallen Angels and hunted them everywhere."
"Lord Cypher, whom we encountered last time, is also one of their so-called Fallen Angels, hunted for a full ten thousand years."
"A few days ago, several Dark Angels even infiltrated Terra, intending to investigate my entourage."
"It was only because they mentioned Cypher in their war diaries that we discovered them early and brought them under control in time, preventing any major crisis."
"If those unspeakable things were to be casually leaked, I fear even your status as a Saint would not be enough to deter them."
The Custodes, Inquisition, and other organizations had secretly launched investigations into various Astartes Warbands, and the Dark Angels were no exception.
In some secret files, there were veiled mentions of the Battle of Caliban, the disappearance of the First Primarch, and other secrets like the Fallen Angels.
The classification of these files was very high, and only the Captain-General of the Custodes and the highest authority of the Inquisition were qualified to access them.
Because Guilliman was a Primarch and the Imperial Regent, he was able to see such secrets.
Of course, Guilliman's understanding of these matters was not aimed at the Dark Angels.
He just wanted to know how many things had happened during the ten thousand years he had been asleep.
"It's alright, they won't be fanatical for long."
Alex revealed a smile of anticipation.
"Once they receive a backstab from their old father, they will return to normal."
"You know about Lion? Where is he?" Guilliman's tone was urgent.
"I don't know." Alex shook his head. "I can only barely see some fragments of destiny, unable to discern the true trajectory of fate."
"The only thing I can confirm is that Lion El'Jonson will return to humanity's side, just like you, and fight for the Empire once more."
"I thought you would know. At least my Father would tell you some truths that others don't know."
"Even if I knew, I couldn't tell you. Truth has its own power; if future events are spoken, that future will change accordingly."
"You're just like my Father, always speaking in riddles." Guilliman sighed.
"This Universe operates this way, Lord of Ultramar, you must learn to adapt." Alex showed a helpless expression and continued to explain,
"There are many futures, and it is always uncertain. We must choose carefully to achieve the desired future."
"Then when exactly will Lion return?" Guilliman asked.
"When humanity needs him to return, he will return."
Alex's words made Guilliman's eyelids twitch; this platitude contained no information at all.
"Humanity needs him very much right now; the Empire is already on the verge of collapse."
"Haven't you already returned?" Alex looked at Guilliman.
"But I can't handle it alone."
"The Empire is currently like a gravely ill, hemorrhaging corpse."
As Guilliman said this, he lowered his voice, afraid of being overheard.
"Don't be so pessimistic, you can stabilize the situation. Among all the Primarchs, you are the only one who can handle this mess."
Alex paused for a moment, thought, and then continued,
"Although you don't have the charisma of the Great Angel, your combat power isn't as formidable as the Lion, and you're not as resilient as the Rock."
"And when you fight your traitorous brothers, you lose nine out of ten times."
"But your operational ability is the strongest; this is your greatest advantage."
After hearing Alex's comfort, more black lines appeared on Guilliman's forehead.
"Actually, it wouldn't have mattered if you hadn't mentioned the previous examples!"
"Also, the phrase 'lose nine out of ten times' is a slander against me personally; I'm still very capable in a fight, I can win at least three out of ten times."
"Let's not dwell on how many times you can win." Alex stroked his chin, bringing the topic back.
"Did you initiate communication because you have something to discuss with me?"
Guilliman nodded. "Yes, I need your help, Saint."
"Is it about the reforms?"
Alex looked at Guilliman calmly, his tone placid.
Such a thing, even without prophetic abilities, was easy to guess.
A Primarch busy preparing for the Indomitus Crusade would never waste time on trivial matters.
Guilliman nodded frankly. "You guessed correctly, Saint."
"I have observed the development of the Calixis Sector; you transformed it in a very short time."
"Therefore, I thought I might seek your wisdom to help me overcome this difficulty."
"Tell me your current troubles," Alex said.
Guilliman looked sorrowful and began to recount the situation he had investigated during this period.
"The situation on Terra is worse than I imagined; indeed, the situation throughout the entire Empire is the same."
"Bloated and inefficient, with a complex web of interests, it has reached a point where change is imperative."
"Power has corrupted everything. Even at this critical moment when human civilization is on the verge of destruction, those parasites still cling to their power and stubbornly obstruct the Empire's reforms."
"I have examined many documents and found that over the years, there have always been farsighted individuals who attempted to push the Empire towards self-reform."
"But those people often suddenly perish after achieving some success, and their reforms all come to naught."
"You suspect that the deaths of those farsighted individuals were deliberate?" Alex pointed out the key to the Primarch's words.
"No need to suspect; this is an obvious truth." Guilliman's tone became serious.
"My Father entrusted power to a group of people, hoping they would lead humanity to better development in the stars with their wisdom and courage."
"But after a long time, everything changed. They turned power into a bloody game and were complacent, even proud of it."
"To change the Empire's predicament, a major surgery is needed, but this surgery could also cause the Empire to collapse."
"Therefore, I need someone to pressure those powerful nobles, and I will leave an opening for them so they don't turn to the enemy, thus achieving the effect of boiling a frog slowly."
"So, I am the villain, the one who pressures those powerful nobles?" Alex showed a strange smile.
Guilliman nodded, looking embarrassed.
"I apologize for making you take on such a role."
"It's alright, I'm already used to such a role. When I pushed for reforms in the Calixis Sector, I was already this character."
Alex's tone was calm, completely unconcerned.
If there had been no intervention from the Chaos Gods, with Guilliman's methods and strength, it certainly wouldn't have been this troublesome.
The problem was that the Chaos Gods would accept and exploit those who were dissatisfied with the Empire, thereby achieving the goal of harming the Empire.
Therefore, some tactics and strategies were needed to prevent those powerful nobles from jumping the gun.
"During this time, I will progressively issue reform bills and upgrade the Astronomican."
"Once the Indomitus Crusade begins, I will leave the Sol System, and at that time, I hope you can remain on Terra and continue to push for reforms with a firm hand."
Guilliman put forward a plan he had prepared long ago.
Alex stroked his chin and chuckled, "Is it to create a feeling that the Regent's original intention was good, but it was ruined by that scoundrel Saint?"
Joking aside, Alex also knew that only a Primarch could be this good person.
Because everyone knew that Roboute Guilliman was the Regent of the Human Empire, the Emperor's own son, and the designated head of the High Lord of Terra.
Only the reform decrees he issued could gain legal support and be promoted as a national policy.
After the Primarch left Terra, Alex would then be responsible for this matter.
This way, reforms could be pushed forward logically and legitimately,
while diverting the hatred onto Alex, allowing those powerful nobles to harbor unrealistic fantasies.
"You summed it up very well." Guilliman also grinned.
Alex and Guilliman seriously discussed how to rectify the bureaucracy of Terra, and even the entire Human Empire,
determined to strip these damned vermin from the Human Empire and not allow them to continue to bleed it dry.
Alex also inquired about the Indomitus Crusade from Guilliman.
Guilliman, who had been somewhat happy, turned solemn again as soon as the Indomitus Crusade was mentioned.
He planned for the first phase of the Indomitus Crusade to assemble ten massive expedition fleets.
Each fleet would be commanded by the highest-ranking officer granted the omni-rank of 'Fleet Commander.'
However, the inefficient bureaucratic system caused him immense suffering.
He had no choice but to bypass the existing bureaucracy and select elites to form a new coordinating body—the Logistics Department.
This matter caused dissatisfaction among many vested interests, who believed the Primarch was weakening their power.
At the same time, the issued mobilization orders were incomprehensible to many worlds embroiled in war.
They were unwilling to respond to the orders, insisting on fighting to the death against the horrors besieging their worlds.
This left Guilliman very helpless.
He could not blame those people, but he also did not show leniency,
because the Human Empire had to unite all its forces to resist the servants of the Chaos Gods.
On the other hand, Guilliman had to maintain a delicate balance between appeasing the conservative faction on Mars and protecting Belisarius Cawl.
Cawl's Primaris project made the conservative faction on Mars want to kill him,
to defend the purity and sanctity of the omnissiah.
All in all, the preparations for the Indomitus Crusade could be said to be fraught with difficulties.
To push the progress, he had already acted against the High Lord of Terra several times.
Some time ago, the arrogant representative of the Navigator families, Yora Rama, and the leader of the most powerful Navigator family, Horun Chester, secretly colluded,
attempting to delay the assembly of the expeditionary force by refusing to provide assistance from the Navigator Guild,
using this as a threat to demand more promises and preferential treatment from Guilliman.
Guilliman's response was swift and decisive; he immediately arrested the two,
publicly humiliated and flogged them, and dismissed them from their positions,
replacing them with others to take over their work.
He also mobilized the forces of the Inquisition, the Custodes, the Adeptus Arbites, the Ecclesiarchy, and even the Officio Assassinorum to purge the Hive City of Terra.
Hundreds of cults were uprooted, and millions of accused Heretics, Mutants, and criminals were executed.
The only thing that brought Guilliman comfort was that,
many Human Empire armies actively responded to his orders,
and swore to continue fighting under his command,
until the Chaos Gods and traitors paid their blood debt.
The two talked for several hours, discussing the difficulties of reform and the problems encountered in preparing the Indomitus Crusade fleet.
Alex promised Guilliman that he would go to Terra to preside over the reforms when he embarked on the crusade.
"Don't forget your promise, Saint."
Guilliman was somewhat reluctant to end the call.
Alex was the only person he could chat with without burden in this era.
The time spent chatting with Alex was a rare relaxation for him.
But as soon as he thought of his duties and unfinished work,
he had to suppress his personal emotions and end this several-hour-long conversation,
returning to Reality and assuming the role of Regent.
The communication closed, and the projection dimmed.
A light screen appeared before Alex.
"Task: Terra Reform
The inefficiency and corruption of Terra's bureaucratic system are shocking.
They can be said to have played a significant role in how terrible the Human Empire has become.
Please assist the Primarch in reforming the entire Terra system and rebuilding a vibrant and hopeful administrative system.
Reward: Control of the Imperial Palace, a large amount of Faith Value, unlocking Custodes Enhancement (Players must reach a certain level and have no psychic abilities to receive Custodes Enhancement after completing the task.)"
"Oh, a new task again."
"How disappointed is the Emperor with the Human Empire bureaucracy to give such a high reward?"
Alex was a little surprised to see the task content and rewards.
One must know that the Custodes were the Emperor's darlings.
He remembered the name of every Custodes clearly.
Now, He was even willing to give Custodes Enhancement.
This was enough to show how outrageous the Human Empire bureaucracy was, to the point where the Emperor no longer wanted to tolerate it.
"After dealing with the xenos invasion in the Calixis Sector and rescuing Sanguinius's sons, I'll head to Terra."
"These Terra vermin don't even fear the Primarch; I must deliver a heavy blow."
Alex estimated Guilliman's speed.
Ten expeditionary forces could not depart simultaneously.
Guilliman would have to assemble a few first, then have them depart one by one.
This process would take at least several years.
This time would be enough for Alex to sort out the troubles at hand.
After rescuing Baal, Alex would set off for Terra to deliver a heavy blow to those bureaucrats.
Once Custodes Enhancement is obtained, pure combat-oriented Players like the Warmaster will receive an epic benefit.
At this moment, the task light screen reappeared.
"Task: Repel the invaders in the Calixis Sector.
The xenos threat is escalating and may well undermine the hard-won reform achievements. Please assemble your forces and repel the xenos threat.
Reward: Large amount of Faith Value, Dark Tongue: Silence (After vocalizing, can intimidate enemies, causing them to enter a fear state, no psychic abilities required)"
"Ah! No, another task!"
"Is He recovering more of Himself now? Issuing tasks so quickly?"
Alex vaguely remembered that when he first transmigrated,
the Emperor's tasks were chaotic, lacked focus, and sometimes were even delayed.
Now, the tasks issued are closely aligned with the development of events.
It is clear that the Emperor is attempting to influence the development of the Reality Universe in this way.
"Dark Tongue skill?"
"Not bad, not bad, just what I like."
Alex had always wanted Dark Tongue skills.
Dark Tongue is the word of creation, the code language of the universe.
As long as it is fully spoken, it can take effect.
At the end of The The Battle of Terra, during the decisive battle between the Emperor and Horus, someone once used Dark Tongue to temporarily repel a full-powered Horus.
One can imagine how powerful Dark Tongue is.
The Hunter Demon Battle Group had applied to research and learn Dark Tongue some time ago, to have more demon-hunting methods.
Dark Tongue, for Players without psychic abilities, is definitely a powerful skill.
After repelling the invading xenos and obtaining the skill, he would have to try out this Dark Tongue skill thoroughly.
If it is effective, he would use it as a reward and teach it to the younger Players who want to learn.
At this moment, a soft electronic sound rang out, and the guard's voice came through,
"Saint, Inquisitor Kaiting and Inquisitor Anton Zebe of the Inquisition wish to meet with you."
Alex hesitated for a moment before responding.
"Let them come over."
...…
The Star Gate structure on the edge of the Calixis Sector.
No one knew who built these magnificent structures.
They had long been swallowed by the river of time, their names forgotten.
Old Bird and others originally wanted to investigate and understand the creators behind the Star Gate megastructures and their stories.
However, before they even started, they were attacked by the indigenous inhabitants here.
The enemies were twisted xenos, possessing features of crustaceans.
Five supporting limbs extended from their flat, gray bodies.
Their limb structure was extremely bizarre; the joints of their main limbs were higher than their horizontal torsos.
The arrangement and movement of their limbs lacked any symmetry.
The movement of each limb was also irregular and uncoordinated.
At their ends were silver calipers, with metal clasps wrapped around their joints.
They had an oval-shaped head, set on a raised, boneless column.
Their faces had no discernible mouths or eyes, only a few haphazardly arranged nostrils.
"These xenos are too much; I should have brought Titus earlier."
The Warmaster held his boltgun, firing at the monsters.
Putting aside everything else, just witnessing the way those enemies walked was enough to make one feel disoriented.
The ordinary people in the team even cried out uncontrollably, appearing to be in great pain.
"The appearance of these Zarutian is too strange!"
"The Warhammer Universe must have originated from Cthulhu; it's full of unspeakable things."
Tenjiro also started to complain.
As a Warhammer fan, the Players of the Emperor Niuma Battle Group immediately knew what the enemies were the moment they encountered these xenos.
Before the Human Empire was founded, the Zarutian had a small, ancient empire of about 40 worlds.
During the Great Crusade, their empire was destroyed by the expeditionary forces.
Their entire race was forced to wander the galaxy.
Their bodies were about two meters tall, but if you included the height supported by their limbs, they were over three meters tall.
They looked like they were walking on silver stilts.
Their blood was a gray pus.
They could also form an ice-blue energy field around their heads, firing energy beams to attack targets.
This race did not need spaceships; instead, they traveled using four-dimensional tunnels.
So, in Reality, they looked very strange.
The explosion's light illuminated the corridor.
Bolts struck the xenos, tearing their limbs apart and eliciting shrill wails.
During the fierce battle, two Zarutian used the complex corridors to pounce on the research team.
Azure electric light crackled around their swaying heads, condensing into an icy, phosphorescent energy beam.
Several War Servitors were instantly vaporized, their bodies of mixed steel and flesh melting in the incandescent light.
"Disgusting monsters."
Seeing the Zarutian up close, the Warmaster cursed.
They had gray skin, their bodies covered in spiral pores that constantly opened and closed, exuding a strange ice-blue aura.
The ends of their limbs grew strange human hands, gray palms firmly grasping silver cross-shaped spikes.
Clang! Clang!
The enemy's metallic limbs struck the roaring chainsword, producing a clangorous collision and bright sparks.
The Warmaster crouched, rolling to the side to evade the enemy's attack.
He then seized the opportunity to tear open the enemy's body with the chainsword in his hand.
Gray blood splattered, emitting a strange odor.
The monster fell, gasping for breath.
The hands and fingers on its limbs intertwined, gripping each other tightly, forming a face with a clear nose, eyes, and lips.
It was eerie and unsettling.
Then, the face spoke in a human voice.
"You destroyed our homeland; why do you come to destroy our last refuge?"
"This belongs to humanity, xenos."
The Warmaster shouted, then pulled the trigger of his boltgun.
Bang!
The bolt struck the face made of intertwined fingers, exploding.
Flesh splattered, and the xeno shrieked before dying completely.
Old Bird, wielding a gear-axe, used the firearms mounted on his body to smash the body of another Zarutian.
"These xeno creatures are quite interesting; once we're done with what we're doing, we should capture a few for study."
"You're becoming more and more like a qualified Mechanical Priest!" said Tenjiro.
"The way of the machine is the correct path; we must embrace knowledge, embrace machines, embrace ascension."
A projection popped out from the end of a mechanical tentacle connected to Old Bird's spine, displaying a 'funny' expression.
"Your game, my game, why are they different? Why can you send emojis?"
Tenjiro's eyes widened at this sight; he had never imagined that mechanical prosthetics could be used this way!
After about ten minutes of fierce fighting, the Zarutian let out strange shrieks.
The Players did not understand the xenos' language.
They didn't know if it was a threat, a warning, or a call for help.
But from their subsequent actions, it was clearly a call for their companions to retreat.
After suffering heavy casualties, the Zarutian were forced to retreat back into the darkness.
The Warmaster and the others remained vigilant for a while, only daring to relax slightly after confirming the enemies wouldn't return, then continued their journey.
The corridors inside the building were deep and complex, completely dark.
They had to rely on lighting equipment to see their surroundings.
Several hovering servitor skulls served as scouts, flying at the very front.
Their emitted beams scanned the corridor structures along the way, vigilant for any potential enemies.
Along the way, several more fierce battles erupted.
Enemies hidden in the darkness attacked the research team.
It wasn't just Zarutian, but other xenos, and even humans.
However, those humans had already gone mad.
Their twisted, mutated, hideous faces showed no trace of rationality.
The Players decisively eliminated them and continued to explore the ancient building.
Finally, they arrived at a magnificent hall with giant machinery and a wide platform.
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Star Gate's main control room."
Old Bird surveyed his surroundings, making his assessment.
"Now let's get to work and see if we can establish contact with the outside."
The Mechanical Priests carried out Old Bird's orders and began to busy themselves.
Large War Servitors, equipped with giant boltguns and melta weapons, were deployed at the corridor entrances and exits to stand guard.
This was to prevent harassment from the xenos or the insane heretical humans.
The Warmaster and the others also began to inspect the surrounding environment, eliminating hidden risks.
"Praise the omnissiah, communication has been established with the outside research vessel, and a message is being sent."
A priest, having adjusted the communication equipment, reported loudly to Old Bird.
Old Bird nodded, "Good, send the relevant data to the research vessel and seek Cortana's help to see if we can activate this ancient building."
.......
Cortana had been monitoring the research fleet.
Although they were located at the edge of the Calixis Sector, they were still within the lighthouse's coverage.
When Old Bird and the others established contact with the research vessel, Cortana quickly responded to them and allocated a thread to handle the related requests.
Under her guidance, Old Bird and the others began to attempt to activate the Star Gate.
As a switch was pressed, a roar echoed from deep within the Star Gate building; the long-dormant energy pile was activated.
Energy surged along ancient conduits, activating lights and dormant components along the way.
This ancient building began to awaken from its long slumber.