Chapter 119: Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [119]

They had switched to a new set of power armor but discovered that these armor lacked machine spirits. This realization troubled them deeply, as they had never encountered such a situation before. By tradition, when a Space Marine completes their training and leaves the scout company, they undergo a sacred armor-bestowing ceremony. The ceremony is conducted by the Tech-Priests of the Martian Mechanicus and countless servitors, who pray and help the Space Marine establish a bond with their new armor. From that point on, the armor accompanies the warrior for life. If the armor happens to be a mighty Terminator armour, it can even be passed down to the next veteran as they ascend in rank. However, power armor without a machine spirit does not last long—it becomes unusable after just a decade or so and might require major repairs within a few years. Such armor cannot last centuries or millennia, nor can it synchronize with its user to unleash its full potential in battle. Even weapons like boltguns or chainswords rely on the aid of machine spirits. Without such assistance, their effectiveness is significantly reduced. Rod nodded thoughtfully. In the Warhammer universe, the concept of the machine spirit is indeed a real and distinctive element, one that feels almost magical in nature. However, the machine spirit is not an electronic program or artificial intelligence; it is literally a soul—a soul belonging to the machine. From the grand battle barges of the Imperium, the Ark Mechanicus of the Martian Mechanicus, and the colossal Titans and Knight Armors to the smallest pieces of equipment like power armor, chainswords, or boltguns, all contain machine spirits. Even in official Warhammer comics, machine spirits have been depicted multiple times. In one comic, a Space Marine dies in battle, but his boltgun begins speaking to itself: "Master! Why can't I see you? Master, where are you? I know nothing except war! I will serve you faithfully; I am endlessly loyal! Please, do not abandon me!" Such moments vividly illustrate the existence of machine spirits. Even after Space Marines or Imperial soldiers die, their weapons and equipment may still fight back against enemies, driven by their machine spirits. In one of the latest official stories, an Imperial battle barge's machine spirit became so fed up with the crew's incompetence that it operated itself to fend off enemies. The concept of the machine spirit is unique to the Warhammer universe. While other settings include mechanical life forms, like the Transformers, none are quite like the machine spirits. The machine spirit owes its existence to the Warp, a fantastical and extra-dimensional realm beyond reality. The Warp is a psychic and spiritual dimension where the impossible becomes possible. Human prayers and beliefs can give rise to gods in the Warp. Similarly, when humans pray to and venerate machines, miracles can occur, and those machines may develop their souls—commonly referred to as machine spirits. These spirits vary in strength, with some being powerful and others weak. "Lord Rhodes, the absence of machine spirits is a very grave issue," Titus said. "I'll handle it," Rhodes replied. "It's likely that your power armors haven't yet developed machine spirits, as they've only just been manufactured. We need to conduct rituals to help them form their machine spirits." "Thank you, Lord Rhodes. Our prayers as Space Marines may not be enough to achieve this," Titus said. The method they were using was, in fact, the most rudimentary one: each Space Marine praying to their armor. It might take years—decades, or even centuries—for a machine spirit to form this way. After all, one person's prayers are limited. "I'll figure something out. Don't worry," Rhodes reassured them. Titus and Chaplain Magro both nodded, then returned to their knees and resumed praying to their power armor and weapons. "Master..." Salome approached him and whispered. "These guys are praying to their armor, saying it needs a soul, and they're trying to communicate with it. I think they're out of their minds." To her, the idea of machines having souls was absurd. She could understand artificial intelligence—after all, the Dark Cyclops she had captured before was merely an advanced AI in her eyes. But a soul? What nonsense! According to these amateurs, their firearms, their weapons, and even the armor they wear all possess self-awareness and souls! Can a piece of armor have a soul? Do those ramshackle bolt guns you use also have souls? Are you people out of your minds? Moreover, these powered armor and various weapons are all mass-produced designs. Aren't they just meant to be used for a few years, at most a couple of decades, before being retired? Who on earth uses a single weapon for hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years?! "Salome, that's where you're wrong," Rhodes said. "Machine spirits are real. They're the souls born from mechanical life. They possess self-awareness, the ability to think, fear, and even experience emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. This world isn't the same as the one you're familiar with. Some physical laws don't fully apply here. This world contains a higher-dimensional realm called the Warp, where human prayers and thoughts can trigger certain miracles. Through human prayers and praises, it's even possible to give birth to a god. So, making a machine develop its soul is quite simple. The machine spirits born from these machines protect themselves, just like living beings. They can even communicate with their owners. As time passes, the longer these machine spirits survive, the more they enhance the performance of their weapons. For example, if the maximum potential damage of a weapon is 100, with a long-lived machine spirit, it could deal 150 or even 200 damage," Rhodes explained. "Really?! Master! If what you're saying is true, does that mean the Ultra Warriors I've created also have a chance to develop their machine spirits?" Salome suddenly thought of something and looked at Rhodes with excitement. If she could solve the issue of soul capabilities, and if machine spirits are as miraculous as Rhodes described, then the Ultra Warriors she created might have a chance to gain their souls. Their combat power would skyrocket! "In theory, it's entirely possible. However, we'd need to invite some members of the Cult Mechanicus to come and perform the necessary rituals," Rhodes nodded and said. This suggestion also reminded Rhodes of the robots under his command, such as King Joe, Big Iron, and Ace Robot. In theory, they could all awaken their machine spirits! Once a machine spirit is born, the enhancement it provides to a mechanical body is unparalleled. While its computational abilities might not surpass artificial intelligence, it is the true soul of metallic life! The birth of a machine spirit requires the help of the Martian Mechanicus, as well as a large number of mechanical servitors. A grand ritual must be performed with the assistance of numerous tech-priests, burning incense, and singing hymns of praise. Only then, through fervent prayers and worship, can a machine be blessed with its soul. Moreover, the more complex and powerful the machine, the more people are needed to pray and worship it. Rhodes realized that with the people he currently had, this was impossible. For example, an Imperial Titan machine would require tens of thousands of people praying day and night, offering countless praises, for it to develop a machine spirit. Rhodes couldn't help but think that these so-called machine spirits were gods born from faith and incense! The Warp was truly incredible. "Master, if my Ultra Warriors are completed, please let them undergo the ritual to gain machine spirits! If mechanical life can truly develop souls, then my Ultra Warriors will reach perfection!" Salome said excitedly. "Hmm, it's doable! But if we're talking about Ultra Warriors, which are giant mechanical constructs, we'll need a lot of people to kneel and pray. I think we'll need at least tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands." "Why don't we start with an experiment? Master, I remember you have an Ace Robot made by the Yapool. How about summoning it back and seeing if it can develop its machine spirit?" Salome suggested. "That's a great idea. Wait here for a bit," Rhodes agreed with a nod. Not only Ace Robot but also King Joe, Big Iron, and even Ace Seven, who could soon be summoned, could all be blessed with machine spirits. However, when it came to awakening machine spirits, it was best to leave the task to the professionals. Rhodes needed the tech-priests of the Martian Mechanicus for this. Rhodes immediately returned to his captain's quarters, picked up the communicator given to him by Inquisitor Damnz of the Human Empire and the Rogue trader Kania, and contacted the Human Empire. ["Lord Loki, is there something you need from us?"] A reply quickly came through the communicator. Recently, the forces of the Human Empire had been stationed in Commorragh City, waiting to depart with Rhodes. There was still some time before the agreed departure date. "I need your help with something. How is your relationship with the Cult Mechanicus?" Rhodes asked. ["There are some tech-priests from the Cult Mechanicus aboard my ship. What do you need them for?"] Kania replied. Every Imperial freighter carries tech-priests from the Cult Mechanicus, as none of these massive machines can operate without them. The Cult Mechanicus essentially monopolizes all of humanity's technology. "I need to borrow some tech-priests. I've produced a new batch of creations, and I need their help to awaken the machine spirits. I need a group of people to perform the rituals." ["Awaken... awaken machine spirits?!"]