Warhammer 40k: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 150: The God-Emperor: "Absorb Me!"

Lucan's warp projection was now vastly different from what it had been two years ago. The infusion of a massive amount of Psy-crystals, combined with the continuous devouring of surrounding warp energy, had caused his projection to grow immensely. Most importantly, the worship of him by the people of his dynasty was being converted into a purer and more powerful energy, making his Xel'Naga form even stronger. In the world of Warhammer, misplaced worship could truly bring things into existence.

The technology from StarCraft also caused his mastery over his technological domain to develop at a rapid pace. With the fusion of these multiple powers, Lucan himself didn't know what level his warp projection had reached. He had no direct comparison, but he could feel that the psychic energy unconsciously released by the God-Emperor was no longer enough to easily sate him.

This meant that even with the Emperor by his side helping to hide his projection's existence, the ever-growing Xel'Naga form, with its unconscious devouring and purifying of warp energy, had created a relative vacuum in the surrounding warp. Although this area was insignificant in the boundless expanse of the immaterium, when combined with the existence of the demon-killing Night Sentinels, it allowed the Chaos Gods to connect the dots.

Within this region, the effects of chaos and negativity ceased to exist, as if it had returned to the calm era when the Old Ones still lived and the dark gods had not yet been born.

The Emperor's sun shielded Lucan's projection, preventing the Four Gods from directly observing his existence. The convergence of the Four caused the surrounding warp to churn violently. The gods would not easily leave their own domains, but when the avatars they had凝聚ed with great amounts of their power gathered together, their strength was perhaps no less than that of a Chaos God's true form.

If they couldn't deal with Lucan in realspace, then they would deal with him directly in the warp—their home turf.

They circled the Emperor's brilliant sun, not daring to get closer. The eternal war between the Four, combined with the terrifying balance of power they had reached, meant that none of them wanted to be the first to stick their neck out. If any one of them were to suffer too much damage in a direct conflict with the Emperor, the other three would not hesitate to strike the unlucky one and plunder their power.

At this moment, the scrutiny of the Four Gods made Lucan extremely nervous. He couldn't help but feel that the entire situation on Malfi was a trap designed to lure him here. Malfi was strong, but as long as he was willing to accept losses, it was far from being able to stop the advance of his dynasty.

Lucan sent a psychic message to the Emperor, asking what was happening.

The Emperor told Lucan that the Four Gods knew his name, but they believed Lucan was a tool secretly created and cultivated by the Emperor to combat Chaos, much like the Primarchs of old. Even the newly appeared Zerg were just another biological weapon. The creation of Lucan and the Zerg was like the creation of the Primarchs.

The Emperor had not only changed the Imperium with his own unparalleled combat prowess but also with the vast scientific and warp knowledge he possessed. How could the matter of using the Swarm to cleanse the underhive of their followers escape the notice of the Four Gods? These Chaos cultists were the eyes and ears of the Four in realspace.

The Four Gods, including the Emperor, did not understand what the Zerg truly were, but the characteristics they had displayed so far were enough to attract their attention. The Tyranids were a disaster for every race in the galaxy, and not even the Chaos Gods could ignore the Great Devourer. What had arrived in the galaxy so far were just a few tendrils; no one knew how vast the true Tyranid race was. These creatures treated all life with the same predatory indifference, making them one of the few common enemies of both Chaos and humanity.

But the Tyranids did not belong to any side. The Hive Mind was completely neutral, controlled by no one... whereas the StarCraft Zerg were controlled by Lucan. Other than Lucan himself, no one wanted another terrifying species to appear in the galaxy.

The Emperor was also questioning Lucan about the true nature of the Zerg.

"Emperor," Lucan projected, "they are not like the Tyranids, beings that only know how to plunder and destroy everything. They can be completely controlled by me. Since you are aware of the Tyranids' combat power, you can imagine how much help it would be to the Imperium if a similar race could be completely controlled by humanity, can't you?

"Not all xenos are incapable of communication. You are a being who has existed since the birth of humanity. During humanity's age of exploration, alliances and peace treaties were made with countless xenos. Not all aliens are enemies, are they? My very existence does not belong to your world. You cannot use the knowledge of your world to understand them.

"I know for a fact that the Zerg race will absolutely not lose control!

"No matter what, I am on the side of humanity. If I had any malicious intent towards humanity, your projection is right beside me. You could have killed me before my projection became truly powerful, couldn't you? Even though I am stronger now than before, there is still a great gap between me and you.

"We both know very well that you have stayed by my side not only to hide me but also as a threat, have you not?!"

Lucan stated his thoughts bluntly, and the Emperor offered no rebuttal.

Lucan looked at the avatars manifested by the Four Gods, then at the Emperor. According to the lore, the Emperor, who could set fire to the Garden of Nurgle, should be able to defeat at least one Chaos God. But now, all four were here at once. Even if they were just avatars, Lucan wasn't sure if the Emperor could handle it. But with most of his power now in the warp, the Emperor was clearly stronger after the opening of the Great Rift.

"Lucan," the Emperor's voice echoed in his mind, "they are proposing a deal to me... They say that if I hand you over, or destroy you, they will grant humanity greater benefits. Khorne even says that if I just hand over that warrior you call the DOOM Slayer, he is willing to return Angron to me and even help me strike down the other three.

"The other three have also offered their own bargaining chips. Tzeentch says if I am willing to hand you over, he can provide me with many secrets of the warp, even the secrets of the other three gods. They are both trading and threatening me at the same time."

"Khorne is really willing to pay a high price," Lucan scoffed. "But would you even dare to take that madman Angron back? And Tzeentch? If you believe a word Tzeentch says, then I have nothing to say. He's the most cunning of them all, always trying to scheme against everyone. And they clearly don't know my true value, otherwise they wouldn't be trying to make a deal. Stop trying to scare me!

"I don't believe for a second that you would really hand over or kill someone with my infinite potential. Just give me the bottom line. Can you handle these four?"

"These are just their avatars. I can. But then I would no longer be able to protect you. There's no guarantee they wouldn't bypass me and kill you directly. However, if you help me, perhaps I can do it."

The voice in his head shocked Lucan to his core. Had his own power level reached a point where he could intervene in a war between gods?

"Bro, don't joke with me. Don't tell me you want me to hold off one of them for you. And if you want me to summon the DOOM Slayer, I don't think he can change the current situation. Given enough time, the Slayer could probably kill all four of them. But it's impossible to decide the outcome in a short time. His methods mean that if any one of them is willing to take losses, they can just use the lives of their Greater Daemons to slow him down. I don't have the ability to keep him in this world indefinitely."

Lucan still didn't understand the Emperor's true intention.

"I do not need you to fight for me," the Emperor clarified. "I need you to use the power of your warp projection to share my burden."

"Share?"

"Absorb my excess power!"

"Huh?!"

"If you are truly as you say—a being from a higher dimension who understands this world—then you should know that I have always been suppressing my own power. The Golden Throne, while maintaining my life, is also constantly absorbing my psychic energy. While it prevents me from leaving the Throne, it also stops me from fully ascending to godhood.

"But the Imperium now is not what I wanted. The people's worship and faith in me, while constantly strengthening my power, are also pushing me down the so-called path to godhood. The Golden Throne can no longer completely suppress it. Once I cross that critical point, it will be a disaster for all of humanity.

"If I am to repel or destroy the avatars of all four gods at once, I will have to use more of this power of faith. And once I use it, even I cannot fully control it. I need you, when I make my move, to use your ability to devour psychic energy to absorb my excess power, to prevent me from further transforming into the 'god' that people speak of."

"So you're telling me to suck you?!"

Lucan finally understood. The Emperor wanted him to be his tool, through and through.

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