Chapter 163: Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [163]

In front of the Golden Throne, three of Rhodes' scientists were discussing repair plans. They had brought out the regenerative metal that Rhodes had previously provided and began partial repairs to the Golden Throne. Around them, approximately 100 Custodians encircled the trio, maintaining a 360° comprehensive and impenetrable surveillance. The regenerative metal was far superior to the miscellaneous mechanical components haphazardly installed on the Golden Throne. Most of these mechanical parts had already been dismantled by the scientists. "Is this a regenerative metal? How does it differ from the living metal used by those Necron Xenos?" Trajan asked. Using this regenerative metal to repair the Golden Throne was indeed a wise choice. At the very least, this material wouldn't degrade like ordinary metals over time. He had read about such materials in some Imperial war reports. It was said that Necrons also utilized a similar living metal. However, its self-healing properties were nowhere near as impressive as the regenerative metal before him. "The difference is significant. In terms of regenerative capability, this regenerative metal developed by my family is far superior. It is the best material to repair the Golden Throne. I've shown enough sincerity this time," Rhodes replied. "I can see that. As long as you don't play any tricks, the Imperium won't go back on its word. I noticed you glancing at Belisarius Cawl earlier, almost intentionally. The major figure you mentioned who's about to return to the Imperium—what's their connection to Belisarius Cawl?" asked Trajan. As a Custodian, Trajan's sharp eyes didn't miss much. During the conversation, Rhodes had indeed been subtly observing Belisarius Cawl. Belisarius Cawl was a Magos Dominus of the Mechanicus, already on the trajectory to becoming the most prominent figure in the Mechanicus. He essentially had control over Mars and managed numerous forge worlds as his personal assets. No one truly knew how much this brilliant Magos had hidden away. "Cpatin-General Trajan, the return of a significant figure to your Imperium is good news for you. All you need to do is wait patiently. We're partners now. A stronger Imperium will attract more Chaos forces, and that's crucial for defending against the Tyranid Swarm. I'm counting on your Imperium to defeat the Tyranids," Rhodes said. The greatest crisis in the galaxy was the Tyranid Swarm. According to the lore, the main Tyranid fleet had yet to reach the galaxy. Only splinter fleets had arrived, but even they had pushed the Imperium to its limits. Even in the future, the Tyranids would force Belisarius Cawl and Roboute Guilliman into desperate situations. It was likely that only a united galaxy could truly resist the Tyranid invasion. "You're right. We're partners for now. Let's hope we can maintain a friendly relationship," Trajan replied. As an excellent Custodian Captain-General, Trajan was well aware of the risks of allowing an outsider to repair the Golden Throne. It would inevitably leave vulnerabilities and lead to restrictions in the future. But there was no choice—the Golden Throne was too important to humanity. After exchanging a few more words, Trajan excused himself and left. He had many responsibilities and couldn't stay there for long. Rhodes, meanwhile, began preparing his plan to have Daram absorb the Emperor's dark energy. ["Are you planning to deal with that despicable thief?"] asked the Emperor's voice. "Indeed! That guy has set his sights on me. If it weren't for the competence of my subordinates, I would've suffered heavy losses this time. While others might not be able to handle him, I have my ways. His lair isn't as impenetrable as he thinks," Rhodes replied telepathically to the Emperor. ["Hahaha! That's good news. It's a pity I'm stuck here. Otherwise, I'd personally lead an army to crush that despicable thief and make him pay,"] the Emperor said. The Emperor held a deep grudge against Trazyn the Infinite. During humanity's early days in the stars, Trazyn had targeted humanity multiple times. He had even tried to capture the Emperor on several occasions. Although Trazyn had failed to harm the Emperor, the Emperor couldn't retaliate against his lair either. Other immortal beings weren't so lucky—several had been captured by Trazyn. Some of humanity's top scientists from the Golden Age, along with certain Men of Gold and Iron, had also been secretly imprisoned by the Necron collector. The Emperor recounted his grievances with Trazyn to Rhodes. If there was someone the Emperor despised most, Trazyn the Infinite would undoubtedly be on the list. Perhaps Trazyn's original intentions weren't entirely malicious; he simply wanted to collect and preserve the galaxy's history. However, he had no regard for others' wishes, capturing and eternally imprisoning his targets without consent. "Well, I'll be sure to teach him a good lesson for you this time," Rhodes said. ["Don't underestimate him. That guy is powerful. Be cautious of the artifacts in his collection. When the time comes, I can send my Living Saints and the Legion of the Damned to assist you,"] the Emperor offered. Right now, the Emperor could only mobilize a limited number of forces, including the Living Saints and the Legion of the Damned. As for Celestine, the Emperor had other tasks for her. "Thank you. With your Living Saints and the Legion of the Damned, I'll have a much better chance. Their presence alone will boost the morale of humanity's armies," Rhodes replied. ["How do you plan to absorb the dark energy within me?"] the Emperor asked. "In a little while, I'll have my servant come to the area beneath your Golden Throne. You just need to inject dark energy into the past for him to absorb. Try not to let anyone notice anything unusual," said Rod. ["Are you sure? It's that simple? My dark side is far more powerful than you can imagine,"] the Emperor replied. "That's why you just need to release a small portion. We'll gradually increase the output and see what my servant's upper limit is," Rhodes explained. After the two of them discussed their plan, Rhodes commanded Daram to come to the area beneath the Golden Throne and place his hand on one of the armrests. ["I'll start releasing some darkness now. Be careful—if you can't handle it, let me know immediately, and I'll suppress it again."] ["Come on! Do it! Release the darkness! Let me be free!"] The Dark Emperor was visibly excited at this moment. A surge of intense dark energy began to flow down from beneath the Golden Throne. As soon as this dark energy appeared, Daram immediately sensed it and started absorbing it. "How is it, Daram? Are you able to absorb this energy?" Rhodes asked. "No problem, Master. This dark energy is very pure, but the amount is too small. Give me more," Daram replied, turning to Rhodes with a faint smile. This amount of dark energy wasn't even comparable to the dark energy in that sword he had absorbed before—there was no way he couldn't handle it. Upon hearing Daram's response, Rhodes nodded and signaled the Emperor to increase the output. The dried corpse on the Golden Throne continued to channel dark energy endlessly, sending it downward. The output level steadily increased, and it kept increasing! Daram, greedy for power, voraciously absorbed this potent dark energy. The feeling was simply sublime. This dark energy was even stronger than that of his former boss. Who would have thought he'd end up benefiting from this? ["Damn it! You're leaking our power! You're giving away my power to others?!"] The dark side of the Emperor roared in fury. As the Emperor channeled the dark energy, his dark side continuously tried to break free from his control, even attempting to seize the body of the person below. But to his dismay, he found that his soul was being suppressed by the Emperor. His attempts to corrupt the other person's mind with dark energy were utterly ineffective. The being below was also a lifeform of the dark attribute, and their life level was far superior to that of an ordinary human. The Emperor's dark energy couldn't corrupt him; instead, it became nourishment for the being, who absorbed it with abandon. ["Unbelievable... something that can withstand my dark energy exists,"] the Emperor remarked in surprise. The dark energy, which had been suppressed and growing stronger over time, finally found an outlet. The Emperor felt much lighter. Without the need to expend extra energy suppressing his dark side, there were many things he could now accomplish. It was worth noting that 99% of his power had previously been used to suppress the darkness within. The only one truly suffering was the Dark Emperor himself. ["You wretched mortals! How dare you steal my power?! How dare you take the power of the great Dark King?!"] The Dark Emperor roared in anger. But Rhodes and the Emperor completely ignored his outbursts, as if they hadn't heard him at all. "I told you, he can absorb your dark energy. And in the future, I'll summon more like him. When that time comes, they'll all be able to come and absorb the dark energy from you," Rhodes said. ["This is indeed a good thing. In the past, the only way I could suppress him was through the prayers of countless Imperial citizens and the daily sacrifices of thousands of psykers,"] the Emperor replied. As the Dark King's power was continuously absorbed, Daram couldn't help but let out a moan of pleasure—it felt too good. The nearby Custodes were speechless. Why the hell are you moaning while working on machinery?! Rhodes and the Emperor continued chatting here and there. After several hours of work, in the afternoon, the Captain-General Trajan entered with three thousand individuals, all wearing hoods. These were all psykers. "Lord Loki, you and your subordinates may leave now. Come back tomorrow to continue the repairs," Trajan said. The Emperor was about to begin his feeding ritual.