Warhammer: The Worst Start There Is (40k) - Chapter 8: The Road of Technology

Guilliman contemplated his next steps and assessed the current situation.

Given the nature of this universe’s development, the gods had likely been watching him from the moment he awakened.

The Traitor Primarchs would soon unveil their plans against him as well.

The first to strike among them would probably be Fulgrim, the Daemon Primarch of the Emperor’s Children Legion. If he remembered correctly, this guy was the one who killed Ferrus Manus, the Primarch of the Iron Hands Legion, ten thousand years ago, becoming the first of the Traitor Primarch to kill his own brother.

After Horus’ rebellion failed, he had severely wounded himself in a pursuit battle on Saralla.

Most importantly, Fulgrim had become the Daemon Primarch of the Chaos God Slaanesh, treating torment as an art form.

As for the Daemons and followers under Slaanesh, well, let’s just say they were quite indulgent, unrestricted, and had no taboos. They would do anything for pleasure.

Many young men might think they’d be a good fit for this Chaos God, especially since the Daemonesses under Slaanesh were quite attractive. They might believe they could handle it.

In reality, no one could endure the horrors of Slaanesh’s followers.

They would rather be killed by their fearsome tormentors than survive under the Daemons and followers of Slaanesh. This was an undeniable truth.

Fear simply wanted people dead, Curiosity liked to toy with people’s fates, and Lust aimed to give those people twisted love. Slaanesh truly wanted everyone to experience a life worse than death.

The threat level of Fulgrim: off the charts.

He could not afford to fall into that guy’s hands.

Besides him, there was also Magnus, the Traitor Primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion, nicknamed “The Red.” This guy had also ascended to daemonhood and become the Daemon Primarch of the Chaos God Tzeentch, wielding unparalleled psychic powers. His greatest achievement was shifting an entire planet across half the galaxy.

Thinking about this, Guilliman felt somewhat irritated. Shifting an entire planet and traversing tens of thousands of light-years – that would easily make him a godlike figure in fantasy novels.

The more he thought about it, the more speechless he became. This world was beyond comprehension; there was technology and there were psychic powers.

What did it mean to combine technology with psychic powers?

Magnus was incredibly powerful, and he had mastered the ultimate secrets of Tzeentch. He enjoyed plotting and scheming, and he could outwit anyone without breaking a sweat.

Moreover, there was the Primarch of the Prophets of the Word Bearers Legion, Lorgar, also known as the “Urizen.” Apart from the ongoing struggle between Chaos and humanity, he and Guilliman had a personal vendetta. This vendetta wouldn’t rest until one of them fell.

The cause of this enmity stemmed from Guilliman’s mission, ordered by the Emperor, to burn down the City of Belief. The Emperor had also forced the entire Word Bearers Legion to kneel and apologize, which had sowed the seeds of hatred.

During the early stages of Horus’ betrayal, the Word Bearers had orchestrated the Battle of Calth, turning an entire planet into glass when the Space Marines of the Ultramarines Legion were caught off guard. Guilliman had also been stabbed by the Word Bearers’ First Captain, Kor Phaeron, in the same spot. This wound had become a vulnerability, and later, Fulgrim had stabbed him in the same location.

One could say that Guilliman had been manipulated by the Word Bearers from start to finish.

In the Battle of Calth, the Space Marines of the Ultramarines Legion were caught off guard and badly damaged. The Imperial Auxiliary Forces and civilians suffered countless casualties. The radiation in the entire star system had gone off the charts, making the surface uninhabitable. This had sown the seeds of a deep-seated grudge.

Guilliman contemplated the balance of power between him and his enemies and felt a chilling sensation.

The Traitor Primarchs were all still alive, and the 4 Chaos Gods were watching him closely.

On his side, it was just him all alone.

The Loyalist Primarchs were all gone, the Emperor was barely alive, and the Terra Council was corrupt. The Ecclesiarchy was fanatical, and the Custodian was like a group of shut-in nerds who wouldn’t follow orders. Currently, the Imperium had been torn apart by the Great Rift and had lost contact with the Emperor’s Astronomican.

The Imperium was like a severely bleeding patient on the verge of death.

Most importantly, the Imperium’s enemies were not limited to Chaos. Besides Chaos, there were also the Tyranid Hive Fleets from beyond the galaxy, the awakened Necrons, the rising Tau Empire, and the Eldar who were on the verge of extinction.

Guilliman couldn’t help but wonder if he could just surrender and concede half the territory!

With so many forces and considering the current state of the Imperium, humanity was in deep trouble.

If it weren’t for the Sovereign Template and the database, Guilliman would have seriously considered running away.

If you can’t win, why stay?

“Assistant Spirit,” Guilliman called out in his mind.

[Here, may I assist you with something?]

“My rewards?”

[The Level 1 database access has already been granted to you; you just need to open the database.]

“Then open the database.”

[Of course, Assistant Spirit will help you access the database.]

As the Assistant Spirit spoke, a holographic screen appeared in front of Guilliman. He reached out to touch it and found that it was not physically tangible but rather an illusion. As he focused, the contents on the screen began to change.

The database was indeed vast and rich in knowledge, even bordering on the terrifying.

“Is this the knowledge that can be obtained with Level 1 permission?” Guilliman inquired.

[Yes, Host. This is the knowledge available with Level 1 permission.]

Guilliman glanced at the Death Star and the technology for the creation of super soldiers, pondering for a moment before asking, “How many levels of permissions are there for the database?”

[There are a total of ten levels, each with its own certification task. Once all tasks are completed, you will gain access to the database with all permissions.]

“Just Level 1 already has the Death Star and super soldier technology. What about Levels 2 and 3? Are they even more terrifying, filled with advanced technology, or do the higher levels contain more mysterious things?” Guilliman voiced his confusion.

Level 1 was already so formidable, so what about Levels 2 and 3? What would they contain?

And by Levels 4 and 5, perhaps there would be technologies like Void Calculation Engines and Temporal Annihilation Bombs.

What could be in Levels 7 and 8?

Guilliman speculated that they might contain truly mystical and powerful items, such as artifacts that granted immortality or profound martial arts techniques.

[The database contains only knowledge related to civilization development and does not include irrelevant information.]

Hearing this, Guilliman paused. “So, what’s in the Level 10 database? Interuniversal engines, universal concept weapons, or cosmic reset devices?”

[The path of technology is endless. Host, do not speculate too much.]

Guilliman chuckled at the Assistant Spirit’s words. Merely surviving was already a blessing, let alone seeking transcendence.

Since he couldn’t obtain answers about the Level 10 database’s contents, Guilliman decided not to dwell on it further. He would take things one step at a time, and one day, he would unlock Level 10 and discover its secrets.

With a calm mind, Guilliman began to explore the knowledge in the database. This knowledge would be crucial for rebuilding the Imperium and restoring humanity’s fighting capabilities.

Using his formidable computational abilities, Guilliman quickly selected the most important and helpful pieces of technological knowledge.

“Summon the Archmagos Dominus, the Saint, the Chapter Masters, and the others. I need to convene a meeting,” Guilliman ordered through the communication device in the room, instructing his guards who were waiting outside.

He needed to hold a meeting to set the tone for development and prepare the fleet to cleanse the remnants of chaos on five hundred worlds. With these worlds as a foundation, they would sweep across the entire Imperium, eliminating chaos and xenomorphs, bringing an end to the bloodshed.