Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor-Chapter 236 - 237: Eden: God-Emperor, There’s Something I’d Like to Mention

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Huh?

When the greater demon realized it was alone, it froze.

Eden had long since arranged a heavy defensive perimeter around the Blackstone Gate for just such an emergency.

Seeing the warriors closing in, the greater demon gulped hard as fear spread through its pupils.

As a high-level being with considerable intellect, it could picture what came next.

Moreover, these humans showed no fear of demons; on the contrary, they exuded malice.

Especially that bloated, fiery-red figure among them—he looked like he wanted to eat the demon alive.

The demon even had a hunch that these humans had a way to kill it permanently!

The greater demon quickly made up its mind and spun around, charging for the teleportation gate.

It was too dangerous here—it wanted to go back.

But the next moment, it slammed into the golden energy field covering the gate, unable to pass through.

The path was sealed?

Now thoroughly panicked, the demon turned again and asked weakly, "Can we negotiate?"

"What do you think?"

Barrel cracked his knuckles, already drooling over the big demon. Such a fine "high-grade ingredient" wouldn't be let off so easily.

With a roar, he rushed forward. "Take it down!"

Dozens of Space Marines surrounded the greater demon and began a merciless beating, drawing pained howls from it.

Even the newest recruits, who had never fought demons before, came over and kicked it a few times.

"Hey, hey, hey, guys, ease up. Don't kill it!"

Eden, piloting his clone body, stepped out to restore order, stopping the chaotic scene.

"You're right, Savior!"

A voice rang out from the crowd. Magea Ma'ou from the Demon Research Institute eagerly hurried over. "What a wonderful specimen—we can't just waste it like this."

He felt lucky to have come for the Blackstone Gate symposium.

The Demon Research Institute had been around for years but never had many solid research achievements—mainly due to a lack of quality demon subjects. Without them, most projects couldn't proceed.

That had made Ma'ou quite anxious. With no projects, there was no funding, and even student recruitment was difficult.

When he tried to recruit from the Loyal Mechanicus Academy, none of the top students wanted to join the Demon Research Institute.

Especially the excellent tech-priests—they all went to other institutes!

So how could his institute improve?

Watching other research institutes thrive while his was struggling made him furious.

Finally, he had stumbled upon the perfect experimental material—a high-level demon.

How could this not be great?

Ma'ou wasted no time, jumping onto his eight-legged walker and scurrying to Eden's side.

His gaze overflowed with anticipation. "Savior, can we have this greater demon for our research institute?"

Eden felt uneasy under his stare, as if he'd be a villain if he said no.

He could only nod. "Sure…"

After all, they would be fighting demons more often in the future. Studying demons was necessary.

Soon, the Ministry of Internal Affairs would likely invest more heavily in the Demon Research Institute, and the military would collaborate with it for specialized weaponry.

"Praise the Omnissiah, praise the Savior!"

With permission granted, Ma'ou turned toward the battered greater demon pinned to the ground, his eyes shining with excitement."What a perfect experimental subject…"

At that moment, the demon was barely clinging to life. But when it saw Ma'ou's gaze, it shuddered with fear.

It began thrashing violently. "What do you want, human?!"

Realizing it couldn't break free, the demon steeled itself to self-destruct and return to the Warp.

Whatever this human intended was far too terrifying.

It would rather "kill" itself here to return to the Warp and wait the long centuries for revival than remain in this wretched place!

But that wasn't the end.

Inside, the demon snickered coldly.

The spatial breach was now revealed. Once it reawakened, it would spread this information to many entities in the Warp.

Then an endless Chaos tide would sweep through here—blood would flow like rivers, and bones would pile up like mountains!

The greater demon snapped its head up, eyes hateful. "You fools! Once I—"

"Shut your mouth!"

Before it could finish, Barrel's size-200 boot smashed into its face. "You damned heretical demon!"

Roar—

Having chosen self-destruction, the demon was fearless. It roared, "Pathetic humans, you can't hold a mighty high-level being like me. I shall return, and you'll face endless—"

Click!

The demon suddenly froze as a large special collar was snapped around its neck.

When activated, a strange frequency rippled out.

The demon realized it was now anchored to the material realm, unable to leave.

It was dumbfounded. "What is this…"

Click, click.

An instant later—

Mechanical locks clamped its jaw shut, forcing its mouth closed, while its limbs and wings were bound by metal restraints.

"Couldn't you let me finish talking?!" the demon screamed inwardly, raging in despair.

Ma'ou eyed the demon, still struggling but now fully restrained, and nodded in satisfaction.

Perfect.

This anti-psyker collar was a project he had worked on for years, similar to the null fields used by the Sisters of Silence.

In fact, it was basically a portable null field, powered by energy drawn from a pariah.

To access a pariah, Ma'ou had filed requests hundreds of times before finally getting approval to study this field.

Using that, he developed an early version of the collar.

It was with this project that Ma'ou officially became a "Sage" and formed the Demon Research Institute.

The Mechanicus had funded Ma'ou heavily, hoping the anti-psyker field would be an effective weapon against demons and psykers, placing it in the top ten priority research projects.

Back then, Ma'ou's future looked bright.

After all, if the device were successful, it would be a powerful new tool against demons and psykers.

But once the field collar was completed and tested, it fell short of expectations in actual combat.

It had a long activation time, was easily destroyed, and thus was impractical. To make use of it, you first had to restrain the demon so it couldn't break the collar, then activate it.Which was about as useful as "taking off your pants to fart."

Because of these huge flaws, the collar's value plummeted.

A massive research investment had produced little more than a novelty, making Ma'ou a laughingstock among his peers.

Since then, in any argument, he dared not raise his voice, afraid someone would mock him with this fiasco.

Now, though, he had a greater demon to study.

"This collar is actually pretty good…"

Ma'ou couldn't help but still feel some bitterness. He resolved that once funding was available, he would upgrade this device and redeem himself!

"Hey, let's talk this over," Barrel said, eyeing the demon's wings. Maybe he could take one back?

"No!"

Ma'ou knew exactly what he was after.

He immediately commanded a few machines to bundle up the greater demon and load it into a hover transport.

He was terrified someone might snatch his prized subject.

"Savior, I'm heading back. I promise this time we'll produce outstanding results!" Ma'ou couldn't wait to start experimenting, hurrying off toward the landing pad.

"Savior?"

Inside the floating container, the bound demon froze in fear.

It recalled a terrifying legend circulating within the Warp about a demon-devouring entity also called the "Savior."

Could it be that it had wandered into the Devourer's domain—and these humans were that entity's followers?

"They're not planning to eat me, are they?"

Terror overwhelmed the demon. The Devourer was simply...too horrifying!

Once the demon was taken away, Eden told the warriors to return to their stations, while he returned to the survey ship to head for the Star Tower spaceport.

Those precious Eldar devices would be transported from the spaceport to dozens of research institutes in Mech City for thorough study.

Before long, Eden received a list of what they had found. In total, the expedition had recovered hundreds of Eldar devices, most largely intact.

They ranged from weapons to vehicles, production equipment, entertainment machinery, power systems—almost everything.

The Mechanicus planned to unite multiple research institutes to study Eldar technology in a systematic way, with a focus on Warp and psyker-related technologies.

Eden was pleased.

He believed that for humanity to thrive in the galaxy, it must master the Warp and psychic technologies.

That was likely the God-Emperor's thinking as well.

He leveraged Warp energies extensively, establishing the Adeptus Astra Telepathica and the Astronomican.

Telepaths from the Astra Telepathica let messages travel across star systems, effectively serving as living communication tools.

Meanwhile, the Astronomican lit beacons across sectors to guide Warp-traveling ships.

In short, human prosperity was tied to how well they harnessed Warp and psychic power.

Other species did likewise.

Even Orks rely heavily on what they call the "Waaaagh field," a unique psyker domain.

But the current Imperium dreaded these technologies. Unless absolutely necessary, they refused to use or develop them.

It was a complicated mix of reasons, from external Chaos invasion to internal ideological shackles.

All of which hammered a rigid mindset into the Imperium, crippling its capacity for innovation.

As a result, humanity has been running on the scraps the Emperor left behind ten thousand years ago, with almost no new developments in technology.

Because of that, even a slight surge in the Warp can extinguish the old Astronomican beacons, causing a catastrophic blow.

Urth itself experienced such a crisis.

In such circumstances, humanity has no future—just a slow decline.

Without changes, it would continue bleeding until extinction.

Fortunately, researchers within Eden's realm had no such mindset. They were eager to probe the Warp and psyker powers, pushing new developments.

This was the environment Eden had painstakingly nurtured.

It was the realm's advantage.

After all, no other region had the protection of the Little Sun.

Researching new technologies often led to Warp corruption or cataclysm. But here, the Little Sun's protection mitigated those risks.

Hence, the realm's technological research had broken free from the Imperium's dogma, fusing multiple xenos technologies to develop a system of its own.

The core of that system was the use of Warp and psychic energies, especially energy from the Little Sun.

Eventually, the realm's technology would largely be powered by the Little Sun's psyker energies.

Though the Little Sun was nowhere near as powerful as the Golden Sun, it was more than enough to supply a sector.

This was relatively safe.

In this way, the realm and the Little Sun were intertwined, growing together.

Put simply, the stronger the realm became, the stronger the Little Sun would grow, which in turn fed back to the realm.

A cycle of sustainable development.

This had always been his guiding principle.

Eden instructed the Mechanicus to prioritize research on automated psychic production equipment, aiming to bring it to industrial use as soon as possible.

That way, the realm could break free from production bottlenecks and accelerate troop buildup and expansion.

Beyond that, one more issue mattered most:

The Webway!

After giving orders about the new technologies, Eden returned to the Blackstone Gate. He gazed at the portal, worried.

Right now, the demon attacks on the portal were relentless.

Fortunately, it wasn't the four Chaos Gods behind it. Otherwise, the Blackstone "toilet" would have exploded outright.

That would have spelled the end.

Eden could sense that to stop the demons, the Blackstone Throne's psyker drain was steadily rising.

The extraction level was already twice normal.

While sitting on the throne, his body endured extreme pain.

And because he possessed only one consciousness, even using a clone didn't spare him from it.

He could still bear it for now.

But according to Kaul's calculations, once the extraction level surpassed 3.5 times, he might be trapped in the throne like the God-Emperor, unable to leave—unless he gave up on the Webway and destroyed the Blackstone Gate entirely.

But that was unthinkable. He would never abandon the Webway!

Eden had studied humanity's history.

Humanity's success or failure was inextricably linked to Warp travel.

Every major Warp storm had signaled a decline in human civilization.

Humans rely heavily on interstellar transportation, and when a Warp storm cuts off trade routes on a massive scale, countless star systems become isolated.

That shatters centralized rule, making them each an independent kingdom.

Civilization then fractures. Isolated industrial worlds starve as they lose agricultural imports, and billions die.

Meanwhile, Chaos and xenos invasions pick them off one by one.

Not even the grandest human empire can withstand such devastation.

The God-Emperor recognized this deeply—hence his constant lament that time was short.

He never knew when the next great Warp storm might strike.

Thus, the Imperium had to gain control of the Webway as soon as possible, so it would no longer be shackled by Warp travel.

Humanity could then have a safe, instant transportation network anytime.

Though the Emperor once failed, Eden would not fail this time!

…

At the Space Elevator Plaza

It was large enough to hold nearly ten million people, and now, a colossal army was assembling. One glance couldn't take it all in.

The soldiers were excited.

Several days ago, the Savior had issued a mobilization order.

They were finally going to fight for him.

No fear of death, no retreat!

All the forces in Eden's domain were brimming with fervor.

Apart from their indoctrinated loyalty, there were tangible rewards.

Everyone knew the Savior was generous. People's faith and service were always rewarded.

Under the realm's civic ranking system, there was a detailed military merit path.

A soldier's training results, combat attitude, and achievements were meticulously recorded.

Any loyal, courageous fighter could quickly move up ranks on the battlefield.

Moreover, the realm was expanding fast, making every bit of merit incredibly valuable.

Many ceremonies had shown them how quickly their peers could rise. Some had even become planetary defense commanders of small worlds.

How could that not inspire others?

Hence, the realm never lacked enthusiasm for training or battle.

Millions upon millions of troops and a huge array of war equipment headed via space elevator to the starport, then on to the Blackstone Gate.

…

Blackstone Gate Platform

Eden raised his head, gazing at the night sky and the gathering starships.

According to the Ministry of War's findings:

Warp energies in the Webway were too strong for humans to stay long.

Ordinary troops could only remain there a month before they had to withdraw.

So their plan was blitz warfare, quickly deploying elite forces to exterminate as many demons as possible within a month.

They assembled ten million elite Storm Troopers, twenty million Gen..."chickens," two thousand Space Marines, and various support units.

They would use the fastest push possible, eliminating demons wherever found, then pull out when their time was up—no lingering.

Eden, connected to the Blackstone Throne, opened the portal. He watched the warships enter, anxiety creeping in.

If this assault didn't produce good results, the future would be grim.

…

Half a month later—

The portal reopened, and damaged ships emerged one by one.

Standing on the platform of the Blackstone Gate, Eden watched the returning forces and sighed.

The anti-demon Webway campaign had failed.

According to the reports, at first things went smoothly. They advanced deep into the Webway and built fortifications.

But there were simply too many demons.

Every time they wiped out one wave, more gathered from all over. Worse, new demons kept streaming through the crack.

It was never-ending.

Prolonged exposure to Warp energy sapped the troops' strength. Many were corrupted.

In the end, they had to withdraw.

The Ministry of War proposed a new plan: long-term operations with a rotating garrison.

The realm currently had twenty-five armies—about 150 million soldiers.

They would build a permanent defense line in the Webway, rotating armies inside along with Space Marines to fight demons indefinitely.

Meanwhile, new recruits would be raised to fill the gaps.

It could contain the demon threat effectively.

But the downside was it required a permanent, enormous manpower drain—tens of millions per year, all prime soldiers.

Ordinary civilians couldn't fight demons.

And we haven't even factored in the economic costs. Sustained warfare demands vast supplies and logistics.

It would be a crushing burden.

Even with a population of tens of billions, with enormous war potential, that ongoing loss of population would erode future development.

For the Little Sun, population is everything!

So Eden vetoed the long-war plan.

He issued orders to the Ministry of War to halt demon-clearing operations for now.

He needed a different solution.

Hiss—

Suddenly, Eden convulsed from renewed agony. The demons were attacking the portal again.

Then, Kaul's latest research report delivered another brutal blow.

"Dammit…"

Eden's hands shook as he held the dataslate.

According to Kaul's estimates, Eden could last about two and a half years.

But with the increasing demon presence, the Webway's Warp energy was nearing a critical point.

If he couldn't resolve the demon problem in two and a half years, the Blackstone "toilet" would blow.

Then he'd be stuck to it, just like the Emperor—never able to leave the throne.

Worse yet, Kaul's new findings showed that ever since the gate reactivated, it had merged with this space.

If destroyed, the demons in the Webway might escape anyway.

Which meant he had only two choices:

Pour countless troops in to contain the demons, then figure out how to fix the Webway.End up like the Emperor, stuck on a throne.

As for the technology to repair the crack, they were still working on it—who knew how many years it might take?

In two and a half years, he'd likely be stuck on that throne!

This was a catastrophe.

…

Within the Warp

Eden used the Little Sun to reach out, intending to ask the God-Emperor for help.

???

The Golden Sun seemed puzzled because the Little Sun's energy wave was off.

From a human perspective, one could say the Little Sun was forcing a smile, which looked more like crying.

Eden sounded hesitant. "God-Emperor, there's something I'd like to talk to you about…"

He wondered how to broach the topic.

Should he just say: "The throne on my side is about to blow. Care to share double the pain?"

Would the Emperor unleash some monstrous psychic blow on him for messing up the Webway?

Hopefully not…

But since he had come this far…

Eden steeled himself. Just as he was about to come clean—

He noticed the Golden Sun trembling.

What was happening?

Eden mustered his courage, trying to sense it with psychic power.

In a flash, he was engulfed by absolute horror.

The torment the Emperor was suffering within the Golden Throne was beyond imagination—like the most hellish torture in the galaxy.

It nearly crushed Eden's will to live.

It was…that terrifying?

Eden fell silent.

For the first time, he truly understood what the Emperor had endured for humanity over the last ten millennia.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

If it were him, he wouldn't have lasted nearly as long.

And now he wanted the Emperor to help, possibly doubling that burden?

After a moment, the Golden Sun stopped trembling. Its gaze refocused on the Little Sun.

???

Its psychic waves hinted at confusion.

It seemed to be wondering: Where'd that kid go?

…

Back at the Blackstone Throne, Eden's Main Body

His consciousness returned from the Warp, arcs of powerful psychic lightning crackling around him, causing his body to twitch.

He endured the pain, face resolute.

He had decided to solve this Webway crisis himself. He couldn't just dump another load onto the Emperor.

He still had time!

Eden weighed his options carefully.

Nothing was yet beyond hope.

Right now, the key issue was that he lacked a large army capable of permanently residing in the Webway.

If he had such a force, the demon threat could be solved.

He did have heavy-armored Gen…"chicken thieves" that could survive in the Webway to hunt demons.

But they were too few in number. Once they died, they were gone, and their reproduction required human hosts.

He absolutely could not allow that. It would be no different from xenos infiltration. The Emperor would destroy him first.

So the heavy chicken-thieves were out.

He needed a permanent Webway army, tough enough to fight demons indefinitely, able to replenish swiftly.

A force that adapted to Warp energies, possessed great combat power, and reproduced rapidly…

Eden's mind flashed with inspiration. He stiffened.

"Isn't that basically the Orks?"

If he could enslave Orks just like he did the Genestealers—dominate their neural network—he would gain a powerful, fast-breeding army that could fight anywhere.

They wouldn't care about the Webway. Orks could roll around in the Warp if they wanted.

He pondered the possibility. It just might work.

Both Orks and Genestealers had those collective networks. If he could hack into the Ork "network" by beating them up, he might be able to control them.

The problem was that a mature Ork horde is extremely formidable, capable of razing a whole sector.

His current forces stood little chance.

He'd have to find some "baby Orks," crush them quickly, then take control and funnel vast resources into them—finally sending them into the Webway.

But where on earth would he find a horde of newbie Orks?

(End of Chapter)

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