Upon hearing the Nameless One's clear and decisive words — "Skip it" — everything Malcador had prepared got stuck in his throat. He let out a quiet sigh in his heart.
My King of Kings, my old friend… please continue sitting upon the Golden Throne.
I did my best, but the Nameless One refused to cooperate.
"Are you really not going to reconsider?" Malcador asked again, unwilling to give up.
"Skip it," Datch said firmly.
There was nothing to think about. Completing quests, raising reputation, seizing the throne, and achieving the perfect ending — that was the correct path. Everything else flashy was meaningless.
Malcador looked helpless. The Nameless One had come here for a mission and had no interest in wasting time on unnecessary words.
He had zero interest in the Golden Throne.
"Lord Chancellor Malcador, do you have any missions for me?" Datch asked again.
Malcador took a deep breath to calm himself and put on a serious expression.
"Recently, a very interesting report was submitted from the court."
His voice was calm yet powerful, echoing through the empty audience hall.
With a light wave of his hand, a massive holographic image unfolded in the air.
"According to the report submitted by Inquisitor Greyfax and her Stormtroopers, along with the extracted memories…"
"We have obtained extremely important information. The Necron Overlord known as Trazyn the Infinite, who is obsessed with collecting all kinds of rare artifacts across the galaxy, has formed a squad of Ultra Warriors."
"And this squad of Ultramarines was protecting a high-ranking elderly woman."
Static light flickered in the air, gradually forming a clear holographic image.
The image depicted a space frozen by a static force field generated by a tesseract labyrinth.
Everything was frozen.
Dust hung in the air like insects trapped in amber. Debris floated mid-air, every fragment clearly visible.
The flames erupting from a grenade were frozen at the exact moment of explosion, the orange-red light trapped in that instant forever.
At the center were the elite warriors known as the Ultra Warriors.
Their blue power armor emitted a cold glow in the silence, and the chapter emblem on their chests was clearly visible.
Their boltguns were firing, the muzzle flashes frozen as points of light, bullets suspended in mid-air, and the violent airflow clearly visible.
Their postures were full of dynamic energy. Some were advancing, some firing sideways, others shouting back.
Their formation formed a perfect defensive circle.
At the very center of that protective ring stood an elderly woman.
She wore a form-fitting blue robe, her silver hair neatly tied at the back of her head. Though aged, her face carried a resolute expression.
Even in this moment where time seemed to have stopped, her youthful charm was still evident.
She held an ordinary laspistol in her hand, its muzzle pointed straight ahead.
There was no fear in the old woman's eyes — only acceptance of fate.
This image was frozen in an eternal instant.
When Datch's gaze fell upon the elderly woman, an information panel automatically appeared in his vision.
[Tarasha Euten — Roboute Guilliman's adoptive mother.]
[She was Konor Guilliman's Seneschal and was responsible for raising the young Roboute Guilliman, successfully educating him into an idealist.]
[The influence she had on Guilliman was far greater than anyone else's. She was one of the most important family members in Guilliman's heart.]
"Tarasha Euten… why is she in Trazyn's collection?" Datch asked, slightly surprised.
He had always believed Tarasha Euten was dead.
Who could have imagined she would be part of Trazyn's collection?
He had to tell Guilliman about this — this was unacceptable!
Malcador noticed Datch's reaction and a flash of surprise appeared in his eyes.
"You know her?"
Lady Tarasha Euten was a human from ten thousand years ago. Even Inquisitor Greyfax hadn't recognized her. If she had, she would have reported it to Guilliman long ago.
Datch nodded. "Tarasha Euten is Roboute Guilliman's adoptive mother."
Tarasha Euten and Konor Guilliman were popular figures on Warhammer forums.
This genius who raised the son of war into an idealist far surpassed the Emperor's own educational abilities by ten light-years in the field of education.
Look at how Konor and Lady Tarasha Euten raised Guilliman. They gave him a warm family environment, unconditional love, and the right values.
No matter how difficult the times were, she always stayed by his side, supporting and encouraging him, helping him grow into an ideal leader.
Even ten thousand years later, Guilliman still drew strength from the happy times he spent with his adoptive parents to heal his wounds and patiently clean up the Imperium's chaos.
Now look at what the Emperor raised — Lorgar and Horus.
After becoming a military commander, Horus was always afraid of failing and being abandoned by his father.
Even the smallest mistake plunged him into self-doubt, and Erebus exploited this weakness to send him to the Serpent Lodge.
The Four Chaos Gods cruelly toyed with him, filled him with cream puffs, and ultimately led him to fall into evil, turning him into a plaything of the gods.
Not to mention Lorgar — a typical two-faced character skilled at solving mysteries.
They were easily deceived by the teachings of the secret cult, resorting to all sorts of schemes as if they were afraid the old man would live too peacefully.
The difference was clear and obvious.
A surprised expression appeared on Malcador's face. "So you know who she is. That makes things easier."
Malcador paused for a moment, calmed himself, then slowly began explaining the situation.
"Guilliman left to pursue Fulgrim, but was ambushed on Thessala and sent back to Macragge, where he was placed in a stasis field."
"Seeing poor Guilliman's condition, Lady Tarasha Euten was heartbroken. She stayed in the temple day and night and never left his side. She became extremely thin."
"To cheer her up, someone arranged for her to travel, where she could stay for a while, enjoy the scenery, and relax."
"As a result, the spaceship malfunctioned during flight and exploded. There were no survivors."
"Lady Tarasha Euten and all her guards were killed. At least, that's what the investigation report says."
Malcador's gaze turned to the holographically projected image — the scene where time seemed to have stopped.
"But in reality, she and her guards were not dead."
He lightly tapped his finger, and the image zoomed in, revealing the details of the extreme warriors.
"This was discovered by Inquisitor Greyfax's strike team during an accidental release."
"Lady Tarasha Euten and the Ultramarines who protected her were taken by Trazyn the Infinite and sealed in a stasis field."
The Necron Overlord known as Trazyn the Infinite, a famous collector, the greatest voyeur and thief in the galaxy.
His collection contained countless treasures — from ancient saint relics to Imperial warships.
From Aeldari soulstones to ancient Ork warbosses.
He would find a way to obtain anything he deemed valuable, regardless of who it belonged to.
He had even stolen from other Necron dynasties without hesitation.
It was understandable that Trazyn would collect this elderly woman who had once raised a Primarch — she was a historically significant artifact.
"We kept the news from Guilliman because we were afraid he might do something foolish."
There was a faint trace of helplessness in Malcador's voice as he weighed the pros and cons.
"If Guilliman learned that Lady Tarasha Euten was still alive and being kept somewhere as a collectible by Trazyn, he would undoubtedly rush over without hesitation, leading as many troops as he could gather to storm Trazyn's collection."
His gaze turned to Datch with expectation.
"But if we continue to hide it, there will eventually come a day when we can no longer hide it. At that time, his anger will be even more terrifying, and his actions even more insane."
"So I hope you can find Trazyn the Infinite's collection and rescue Lady Tarasha Euten."
The moment Malcador finished speaking, a familiar mission notification appeared in Datch's vision.
[Mission: Head to the collection of Trazyn the Infinite and rescue Lady Tarasha Euten.]
Trazyn the Infinite had deliberately orchestrated the accident for the purpose of adding to his collection.
He secretly took Lady Tarasha Euten and her guards and added them to his collection.
The Ultramarines were frozen by a stasis field, and Lady Tarasha Euten was also sealed in an eternal instant.
Malcador hoped that you would rescue Lady Tarasha Euten before Guilliman found out.
[Quest Rewards: 3,500 EXP, 3,500 Points, +800 Reputation, Beast Taming Gloves ×1]
Datch's gaze fell on the item reward.
Beast Taming Gloves? What the hell is this?!
On a whim, Datch opened the item details page. The following information immediately appeared:
[Item: 100% Beast Taming Gloves]
Effect: While wearing these magical gloves, you can tame powerful beasts and creatures with a 100% success rate, making them extremely obedient.
Whether it's a ferocious xenos, a rampaging daemon, or any uncontrollable creature — a single touch will make them as obedient as a cat.
[Review: "I have a slightly evil idea, but I'm not sure if I should say it out loud."]
The corners of Datch's lips slowly curved upward.
Countless images flashed through his mind in an instant.
Touch daemons. Touch Orks. Touch Tyranids.
Hehehe… turn them all into obedient pets and get whatever I want.
This is definitely the strongest artifact of the Cult of the Despairing Wind.
With this, I could probably beat all of them, right?
"Understood. I'll rescue Lady Tarasha Euten and bring her back to Macragge."
Datch nodded and accepted the mission, then began searching for Trazyn the Infinite's hideout.
If his memory served him right, Trazyn the Infinite's museum should be on the world of Solemnus.
Datch checked the minimap but found nothing. Clearly, the other party's coordinates hadn't been activated yet — he would need to activate them himself.
Datch frowned. This job was a bit troublesome.
Trazyn the Infinite's whereabouts were elusive. Finding him wouldn't be easy.
Then, a name flashed through Datch's mind.
Orikan the Diviner — the greatest Chronomancer of the Sautekh Dynasty, the creator of time, and the last prophet of those who feared death.
Not long ago, there had been news that Orikan had been sighted in the Nephilim Sector and had participated in the war against the Dead Zone.
That man had been to Trazyn's collection before, so he definitely knew the location.
Furthermore, Trazyn and Orikan were old rivals.
It was said that Orikan had originally not wanted to undergo biotransference.
Trazyn had taken advantage of his carelessness to knock him out and throw him into the converter.
When he awakened 60 million years later, he had completely forgotten the incident and mistakenly believed that Orikan had forced biotransference on him, continuing to target him.
Even after regaining his memories, he never apologized to the other party.
Orikan didn't spoil Trazyn either.
Every few days, he would visit Trazyn's collection and steal his most valuable items in particular.
Even when caught red-handed, they would firmly refuse to confess.
Trazyn had once again filed a lawsuit in a court composed of multiple chancellors and lords.
As a result, the situation reversed — the man used a time machine to rewind time multiple times, won the case, and even exposed that Trazyn had been stealing treasures from other dynasties.
After that, the situation flipped again, and Trazyn became the one on trial, creating a comical effect.
Datch had found a way to rescue Lady Tarasha Euten.
First, meet with Orikan and ask for the location of Trazyn's collection.
Then, go to Trazyn's collection, loot it, and free all the imprisoned Imperial soldiers.
Datch raised the teleport gun in his hand, set the coordinates for Paradi Island, pulled the trigger, and opened a new green portal of light before stepping inside.
Malcador stood there, staring at the closed hole of light.
"This Nameless One is truly capable. He'll probably be able to rescue Lady Tarasha Euten very soon."
"I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of interesting expression Guilliman will make when he reunites with Lady Tarasha Euten."
…
The void space of the Paradi star system was now bustling with activity.
A massive space station floated in orbit, resembling a city of iron.
Countless spaceships moved through space — some unloading cargo, some loading, and others waiting for departure orders after completing all operations.
Warships patrolled even further out in orbit, vigilantly monitoring the direction of the exorcised Dead Zone.
That place was terrifyingly dark.
The Ghostly Realm — an evil domain created by the cosmic undead.
Any living being who entered would gradually lose their life force and turn into a soulless zombie.
When the Imperial forces advanced, they could barely move, and only those with deep faith in the Emperor could hold on.
The terrifying exorcised Dead Zone hindered humanity's progress, while humanity's powerful military strength made the cosmic undead wary, causing them to hesitate in launching attacks.
Both sides remained wary of each other, constantly probing the other's strengths and weaknesses in a stalemate.
Datch emerged from the teleport portal and arrived at the platform of the void port.
The people around him recognized him at a glance.
"The Nameless One…"
"The Nameless One has arrived at Paradi Island."
"Hurry, go inform the officials."
"..."
The workers who had been busy stopped what they were doing and shouted excitedly.
Many instinctively performed the aquila salute, and some devout believers even knelt down.
Datch ignored these people, summoned his giant rooster, and headed straight for the location of the Xenos Ordo Hereticus.
This organization specialized in targeting xenos and possessed the most comprehensive information.
Starting with them was the fastest way.
Using the minimap for navigation, Datch found Inquisitor Kyria Draxus.
He asked her about any news regarding the prophet Orikan the Diviner.
"The last time the enemy appeared, they led a force to destroy our Battle Sister fortress on Vantis III."
"..."
Kyria Draxus revealed all the information she knew.
At that moment, the planet's highest-ranking official received news of the Nameless One's arrival and hurriedly rushed over with his attendants to greet him.
He was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build, clearly a former soldier.
He had run so fast that his uniform was crooked and his hat was askew, but he didn't even bother to fix them.
He hurried over to Datch, bowed deeply, and spoke with a voice trembling with emotion.
"Welcome to Paradi Island. Your presence brings glory to the entire galaxy."
"If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask! Accommodation, meals, or any other services — anything at all."
Datch glanced at the excited NPC, set the coordinates for the planet Vantis III, pulled the trigger, and opened a new green portal of light.
Under the watchful eyes of the Inquisitor, the governor, and many others, Datch stepped into the hole of light and disappeared from everyone's sight.
The governor looked somewhat disappointed at this outcome.
He had originally thought he might be able to get close to the Nameless One and exchange a few words.
It must be because my status is too low and I have no value that the Nameless One won't speak with me.
I need to work harder and climb to the top step by step.
…
Planet Vantis III.
This world, once incredibly prosperous, had now completely turned into hell.
The sky was a sickly iron-gray, with thick clouds hanging heavily like lead blocks, blocking the starlight.
Occasionally, eerie green lightning flashed between the clouds like streaks of light — residual energy from Necron activity.
The ground was in a terrible state.
Once towering Imperial buildings were now ruins, with countless broken iron beams jutting out from the rubble like giant bones.
The walls were riddled with bullet holes and scorch marks from energy weapons. Some areas bore the eerie traces of Gauss weapon decay.
The corpses of Imperial expeditionary soldiers were scattered across the burning battlefield, their deaths horrific.
Their uniforms were stained with blood and dust, and their regimental insignia were barely distinguishable due to the smoke of battle.
Wreckage of vehicles such as Leman Russ tanks, Chimera transports, and Valkyrie gunships was scattered across open areas in the distance.
An atmosphere of despair hung over the entire battlefield.
The expeditionary force had originally planned to establish a forward base here and advance from there into the Ghostly Dead Zone.
As soon as the fortress and headquarters were completed, they came under a frenzied attack by the cosmic undead.
Most of the Imperial forces were annihilated. The remaining troops scattered and became isolated from surrounding areas.
Inside a partially collapsed church.
The few surviving Battle Sisters discussed continuing their mission. Their power armor was covered in wounds and dirt, and their ammunition was running low.
"The communicator still can't receive any signal. We can't contact the orbital fleet…" one Battle Sister said in a hoarse, despairing voice.
"They might have already been defeated and retreated," another said.
This statement caused the other Battle Sisters to fall silent. A tense atmosphere filled the air.
Their ammunition and food were nearly exhausted, and there was no word from any other allied forces.
If the cosmic undead discovered them, they were doomed to die on the battlefield.
The oldest Battle Sister broke the silence with a calm voice.
"Sisters, we may die here."
"But we will not surrender. We will not yield. We cannot allow those metal monsters to defile our faith."
She gripped her bolt pistol tightly, her expression one of acceptance.
"We will fight until the very last moment, and then return to the Emperor."
The others nodded silently, their expressions hardening.
Suddenly, green light appeared out of nowhere, and Datch emerged riding his giant rooster.
His arrival instantly drew the attention of the Battle Sisters. They all showed surprised expressions.
"Lord Nameless One, why have you come here?"
"Praise be to the Nameless One. And thank you for your kindness."
There was surprise in the elderly Battle Sister's voice.
When the Nameless One arrived, they had hope.
My Emperor, I am truly sorry. I prayed to the wrong person earlier. I won't be returning to you for a while.