Raski's mouth gaped open.
His logic module and auxiliary brain stopped functioning at that moment.
His mind was blank, unable to think of any words to respond to the current situation.
That figure floated in the air, a pair of pure white wings gently flapping behind him.
He stepped through the air as if walking on solid ground, coming before Raski and meeting the Fabricator-General's electronic bionic eye.
The Fabricator-General's body was bloated and massive due to the excessive number of mechanical prosthetics implanted, resembling a moving mountain of steel rather than a living being.
Even an Astartes would appear tiny before the Fabricator-General, unable to converse on equal terms.
Raski stared dumbfounded at the golden figure before him.
He possessed a tall physique, clad in golden armor, and in his powerful hand, he tightly gripped a scepter adorned with an eagle at its tip.
He wore no helmet, revealing a handsome face amidst the radiance—it was the Guide.
Even though Raski had little organic matter left,
and he scoffed at the aesthetics of ordinary people, believing that accumulated flesh held no beauty, only revering the beauty of machinery and code.
Yet at this moment, he was still deeply shaken.
This shock was not merely on a philosophical level, but also of the soul.
"Guide," Raski bowed with all his might.
"Are you going to betray the great Lord of Myriad Machines, betray the omnissiah who holds all truth?"
Alex calmly scrutinized the Lord of Mars before him.
"No!" Raski shook his head. "I will never abandon the teachings of the Lord of Myriad Machines, nor will I abandon the omnissiah."
"Then are you dissatisfied with me?"
"Please forgive my foolishness and ignorance, Guide." Raski's voice took on a hint of a sob. "All praise belongs to the Lord of Myriad Machines, and all praise belongs to you."
"May He bless you."
The holy voice entered the ears of the Lord of Mars, injecting new vitality into every cell of his body, a fusion of flesh and steel.
An indescribable warm current surged through every cable, hydraulic pipe, and energy conduit.
The machine spirits hidden deep within the data sea cheered with joy because of this power.
The bulky mechanical components had never been as flexible as they were today.
Fortunately, Raski had long since removed his tear ducts,
otherwise, the world would have witnessed how the Lord of Mars, who held the fate of billions of lives, wept profusely.
Raski's body trembled; he realized what a foolish thing he had done!
He had dared to question the messenger of the omnissiah.
Alex smiled faintly, seeing the worship in the eyes of the Lord of Mars.
He had to admit, this machine god avatar was truly effective.
When he first comprehended this skill, he had thought that if he used it on Mars, it would surely make those little machine oil guys kneel en masse.
Now, looking at it, hehe, it was as expected.
Cawl, standing by, was also stunned.
He knew the Guide was powerful, wielding various inconceivable authorities, and even had an ancient Star God as his servant.
Old Bird and the other players also widened their eyes.
A few guys took the opportunity to snap photos and upload them to the regional chat channel.
The chat channel, which had been quiet, instantly surged to 999+ messages.
"The Guide is so handsome."
"I'm so angry and cold, why is it always the Guide showing off??
"Wuwuwu, we want wings too, we want a flashy entrance too."
"I'm increasingly feeling that we are just the Guide's NPCs, part of his gaming experience."
"..."
Alex turned to look at Old Bird and his group, who were scarred and had not yet been treated, having been captured by Raski.
"Machine, heal your bodies."
As the words fell, Alex gently waved his hand.
Golden radiance poured down, entering their bodies.
In an instant, their scarred power armor was restored to its original state, as if it had just come off the assembly line.
"Om… omnissiah…" Raski was stammering now.
"All glory to the Lord of Myriad Machines." Cawl bowed his head, humbly saluting.
Inside the Hall of Omniscience, numerous Skitariis and priests simultaneously let out joyful cries,
"Praise the omnissiah, praise the Lord of Myriad Machines."
"..."
Subsequently, a tsunami-like cheer erupted from outside.
The diligent workers, Adeptus Mechanicus members, and children all spontaneously cheered in unison.
Similar slogans appeared on projections and displays suspended everywhere.
The chorus of mechanical sounds formed a beautiful song, spreading through the network and echoing throughout Mars.
"Then will you offer your loyalty to me, Lord of Mars, Ud Udia Raski?"
"Are you willing to pledge allegiance to the eternal cause, willing to make humanity great again, and control the Hall of Truth?"
Alex extended a hand, palm open, revealing a golden eagle medal.
This was an ancient ritual of loyalty.
A loyal knight who swore allegiance with life and soul would receive the emblem of the monarch he served.
Raski extended his mechanical arm, using slender metal fingers to take the eagle medal, which was pitifully small to him.
"With the greatest pleasure, my Lord. Mars will offer everything to you—life, soul, thoughts; whatever you desire, you may take."
Alex smiled.
Gaining Mars's loyalty was much simpler than fooling those Custodians.
Old Bird, Wu Mou, and other players were live-streaming this scene.
At this moment, the chat channel was filled with comments about this event.
Warmaster: "Warhammer 40K version of the Dragon King, domineering, immediately bowing down and offering up family assets and beautiful women??"
Zigman: "Are there beautiful women on Mars too?"
Little Alpaca: "Is mechanical beauty not beauty?"
Brother Pian: "What's up, is the Guide an Indian Ah San, ramming exhaust pipes??"
Gabe: "With the Adeptus Mechanicus's technology, creating a realistic simulation shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
Desert: "You guys, always talking about such things. You've even corrupted a good man like me."
"..."
Raski was a typical conservative. During the fall of Cadia, he strongly opposed the Custodians leaving the Imperial Palace and abolishing ancient prohibitions.
Before Iltutmish Hitmoen, the former Minister of Interior, and other conservative forces attempted to act,
he even specifically contacted him, asking him to suppress the reformist forces on Mars to avoid further complications.
But with Alex's arrival and Raski's pledge of allegiance,
the plans of Iltutmish Hitmoen and others were half-ruined.
Unfortunately, they did not know this.
Alex had Raski continue to pretend to be an ally of the conservatives, informing Iltutmish Hitmoen and others that the reformist forces on Mars had been suppressed.
Meanwhile, on Terra,
the news that the Guide had been attacked by assassins and was injured and unconscious spread rapidly, fueled by the Custodians and the Inquisition.
Cortana even created false images, disseminating them through certain undercover agents or operatives.
The image quality was very blurry, making it easy for people to mistakenly believe it was due to interference from protective devices, which to some extent increased its persuasiveness.
The current Minister of Interior, Violeta Roskavler, and Speaker Jack,
rushed to see the injured Guide as soon as they received the news,
however, they were blocked outside.
"The Guide's injuries are very serious; no one can see him now. If anything else goes wrong, it's over."
The guard's words sent Roskavler and Jack's hearts sinking.
During the Battle of Lion's Gate, the Guide's combat power was evident to all.
He fought several Khorne Greater Daemons single-handedly.
Apart from the Primarchs being slightly superior, no one could compare to him.
Now, he was severely wounded and unable to be seen.
What kind of exaggerated attack could cause such injuries?
"The Guide's assassination is probably not simple."
Roskavler was formerly the head of the Departmento Munitorum. She was not a Terra native but came from the icy world of Invicta.
Invicta was a planet few paid attention to.
Most people, upon hearing the name, would dismiss it as one of the Empire's unremarkable million worlds.
But this world was not simple; it was the homeworld of the Imperial Fists.
To this day, it remains the Imperial Fists' recruiting world and spiritual home.
During her tenure in the Departmento Munitorum, Roskavler was hailed as a logistics genius.
She was chosen to serve as the Minister of Interior,
by the Primarch to ensure that the Indomitus Crusade would receive adequate supplies.
Her ability to wield such great power inherently proved that Roskavler was no ordinary person.
"What are your thoughts?" Speaker Jack looked worried; she also realized that this matter was not simple.
"The only ones on all of Terra who could assassinate the Guide and injure him are the Officio Assassinorum." Roskavler said, "A storm is coming."
"Are you saying the Officio Assassinorum betrayed the Imperium?" Jack's eyes widened.
"I'm not sure, but they are the most suspicious." Roskavler said, "Next, the enemy will definitely make more moves."
"Getting the Guide away from us is the first step of their plan; there will definitely be a second step."
"What will they do?" Jack scrutinized Roskavler.
She was very beautiful, with short ice-white hair and light blue eyes, wearing an ivory gown, her skin smooth and delicate.
Jack could not determine her age.
As someone at the pinnacle of the Imperium's power structure, she did not lack means to prolong life and maintain youth.
Roskavler was a staunch reformist.
She wholeheartedly pushed for Guilliman and the Guide's reforms, committed to changing the dire status quo.
"Their goal is not to kill the Guide, but to sabotage the reforms."
"Recently, there have been many issues: first, the Charter Captains attempting to strike in protest, and frequent unrest in various districts."
"These incidents have created a lot of panic, making people distrust the reforms."
"I imagine a large-scale unrest will follow, and those hidden behind the scenes will step forward to stop it, finally using this as an excuse to demand an end to the reforms."
Roscavler had a very sharp political eye.
From the existing intelligence, she vaguely grasped the enemy's intentions.
"We must stop them," Jack said. "I will seek the help of the Army and Navy, requesting them to prevent the rebellion before things get completely out of hand."
"No matter what, we must first stabilize the situation on Terra, and wait until the Saint awakens before making further decisions."
"That's all we can do," Roscavler said.
After their conversation ended, Jack, as the Speaker, took action.
She immediately went to see the Astra Militarum Supreme Commander, Ma'av Ashaliel, to request his assistance.
However, her request was ruthlessly rejected by him.
Ashaliel claimed he needed to protect more worlds, not just Terra alone.
A frustrated Jack could only seek the help of the Navy's Supreme Admiral, Mereda Perris.
However, this was a mistake.
When the Speaker took a transport vessel and left the surface to head for Perris's flagship—the *Supreme Bloodline*—
Perris greeted her warmly, and then placed her under house arrest.
"You're involved in the rebellion?" Jack looked at Perris in disbelief. "You already wield so much power, why would you do something like this?"
"We serve the Golden Throne and that is the sole motivation," Perris said. "The Imperium's sacred right to rule was bestowed upon us by the Emperor who sits on the Golden Throne, not by Guilliman or that Saint."
"But that Saint is the Emperor's envoy, and He has manifested divine miracles through the Saint many times." Jack could not understand his line of reasoning.
Isn't the Saint the Emperor's incarnation?
He sent His envoy to carry out His will,
so how can you still intend to incite rebellion in the name of the Golden Throne??
"He was deceived, or it's not the Emperor's will at all."
"Before falling into eternal silence, the laws left by the Emperor were perfect enough, and needed no changes. Yet Guilliman and that Saint presumptuously attempted to alter this in the Emperor's name. This is lies and deceit."
Perris's words made Jack frown.
She refuted his words,
"You are just twisting facts, Perris. Anyone can see that the Saint is the Emperor's incarnation, the executor of His will. The Emperor is dissatisfied with the current state, which is why He sent him."
Perris stared intently at Jack.
"The Council of Twelve has ruled for countless generations. Why has the Emperor never sent a Saint or a Primarch to rule? This proves that He approves of the High Lord."
"Who knows if Guilliman and the Saint truly received the Emperor's decree? Perhaps the Emperor only intended for them to assist the Council, but they twisted His holy will, intending to seize all power for themselves."
"Such things have happened countless times throughout history."
"Furthermore, you know about that dark period in history. What happens once the Astartes are no longer our servants, but our masters?
"No!!" Jack shook her head. "Everything you're saying is just an excuse. You are merely greedy and selfish, only wanting to seize more power."
"Cadia has fallen, the galaxy has plunged into a long night of darkness, and there are messages of despair and pleas for help everywhere. You have made a mess of the Imperium."
"If not for the Primarch and the Saint, during the Battle of Lion's Gate, Terra would have fallen by now."
"Furthermore, the Astartes have always been merely servants of the Imperium. It was they who sacrificed themselves during the Great Crusade to establish the Imperium."
"After the Horus Heresy ended, it was Lord Guilliman who voluntarily proposed the Council of Twelve, allowing mortals to rule mortals."
"To some extent, the legitimacy of the High Lord of Terra was granted by him."
Jack's words left Perris speechless.
For a moment, he didn't know how to refute her.
After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.
"No matter what, Primarchs and the Saint must obey the orders of the Council of Twelve. This is the foundation of the Imperium's existence."
"They can wage war, they can strike down the enemies of Chaos, but it must be under the Council's command."
Having said that, he ordered his men to imprison Jack, and not allow her to escape.
After imprisoning the Speaker, and communicating with Mars, confirming that Raski had suppressed the reformists, Iltutmish Hitmoen immediately ordered his men to take action.
They had always secretly supported the rebel forces, helping those individuals evade the purges of the Inquisition and the Adeptus Arbites.
The purpose of this was to make the populace lose faith in the new council and the reforms, thereby fostering the idea of restoring the old order.
Just as the current Head of the Departmento Munitorum, Roscavler, had guessed,
a large-scale rebellion erupted, with rebel forces surging across various regions.
It had the momentum of 'the Golden Throne for the taking, this year it's ours'.
But the rebellion did not last long before it was declared over.
Iltutmish Hitmoen, leading the Minotaurs Chapter, Astra Militarum regiments, and naval fleets, easily suppressed the rebellion, and delivered a speech to all citizens via civilian channels.
"During this period, you have suffered greatly, but I can tell you, it is all over."
"The Emperor's laws are flawless; they require no reforms. We only need to implement them systematically to ensure the continued survival of human civilization."
"Reform is an extremely wrong decision, a betrayal of the Emperor Himself."
"Those who devise reform plans hide in safe places, living in luxury, telling the ragged and precarious how to live. They bear no risks, yet take all the benefits."
"Terra is under threat, yet they squabble for their own selfish desires, allowing innocent people to die."
"I never intended to gain command this way, but I had no other choice. I cannot stand idly by while innocent citizens suffer deeply."
"My heart is tormented, so I have decided to step forward, to fight for the protection of ancient and sacred laws, to fight for tradition, and to fight for the people of Terra."
"Fortunately, I am not alone. Several High Lord and many like-minded individuals have provided me with assistance. We will restore the old order and sacred laws, and return everything to its rightful course."
Iltutmish Hitmoen's speech spread across the entire planet via the network, quickly causing a sensation.
This was an open declaration of war against the Primarch and the Saint, aiming to abolish their reform policies.
Those who supported the reforms were indignant, but helpless.
Meanwhile, the powerful nobles who resisted the reforms cheered.
Currently, the Primarch was away on crusade, the Saint had been attacked and injured, and was still unconscious.
Iltutmish Hitmoen and others had the support of the Minotaurs Chapter, the Astra Militarum, the Navy, and Mars.
The reformist faction, however, was scattered and weak, utterly unable to resist.
But the Custodes had always been neutral,
As long as the Imperial Palace was not involved, they generally wouldn't intervene.
Iltutmish Hitmoen's scheme was undoubtedly successful; the reforms had effectively been aborted.
"Now, that the situation is under our control, why don't we have the major families sign a petition, to build momentum, and force the other council members to resign?"
Fadix, who was usually aloof, proposed an idea that could be described as brilliant.
Upon hearing this, Iltutmish Hitmoen's eyes immediately lit up.
"This proposal is truly brilliant. Let's do it. Anyone who signs the petition will be our friend, and those who insist on opposing us should be prepared to pay the price."
A massive petition campaign was quickly launched.
Many families signed it, hoping to 'return governance to the people'.
Alex stayed on Mars, and through Cortana, monitored the situation on Terra in real-time.
He maintained constant contact with Senior General Tura, Fadix, Garen, and other Imperial heroes, sharing intelligence.
While communicating with Fadix, he learned about the many families signing the petition, and immediately broke into a smile.
"I've always been troubled about how to ascertain the loyalty of those families. Now it seems the enemy has perfectly solved this problem for us."
"Fadix, you've done it perfectly."
"This is all as it should be, Saint," Fadix said humbly, taking no credit.
He had only given a small push.
The main reason was that Iltutmish Hitmoen and others were overly confident, believing everything was under their control.
"Cortana, help me establish a private communication channel with the Custodes Commander."
"Understood," Cortana replied.
The projection device hummed, and static-like beams of light flickered, outlining Senior General Tura's form beside Fadix.
"Saint." He saluted respectfully.
"The time has come, Senior General Tura. In the Emperor's name, prepare to purge those damned traitors."
"The Inquisition will also act in concert, arresting members of those families according to the names on the petition."
Alex paused for a moment, before continuing.
"Remember, don't let a single one escape."