Guilliman, You Set Me Up!

After speaking with Uslan, Lox immediately felt somewhat unsettled.

What lay behind all this seemed somewhat different from what he had imagined, more complex and obscure.

"You need not be so anxious. The outcome on Terra has yet to be decided. That Wolf Lord blessed by the great powers of the Warp may not necessarily defeat humanity’s brilliant and formidable master," Uslan consoled him.

If Horus did not have the support of those Warp gods behind him, Uslan would not have favored those traitors at all.

On the surface, this war was a rebellion started by Horus, but in essence, it was a war between the Warp gods and the Emperor of humanity.

Humans themselves might not have had much understanding of it, but as a member of the Aeldari, Uslan knew very well just how terrifying that master of humanity was.

Though he appeared human, Uslan had once caught a veiled glimpse in the Warp of his true nature: a golden sun that continuously radiated cold ripples.

To be honest, Uslan had never seen a creature from the material universe possess such terrifying psychic power. Even the ancient Aeldari who could casually crush stars were as harmless as lambs before that man.

Perhaps only the wise among the Old Ones could compare to him?

Uslan did not even dare draw too close to that being’s presence in the Warp. To humanity, it was merely cold sunlight; to xenos life and daemons, it was the deadliest poison.

Even the terrifying Warp daemons only dared refer to him by titles such as the Cursed One—a treatment usually reserved for the four supreme Warp gods.

Of course, Uslan did not explain these scattered thoughts to Lox. They were hardly glorious, and saying them aloud would inevitably be embarrassing.

If the Aeldari had someone so brilliant and mighty, why would we fear the Thirsting Lady?

Uslan sighed inwardly. Sheltered within the Webway, he could allow himself to think about the evil god that clung so tightly to the Aeldari. Outside, that being would likely have already turned her gaze toward him.

Hearing the seer’s advice, Lox smiled as well.

"You’re right. I once advised Konrad Curze not to blindly believe in prophecies, much less be trapped by them. The one in the thick of things is confused while the bystander sees clearly. When it happens to me, I inevitably become troubled as well."

He decided to cast aside these distracting thoughts. What he needed to do now was return to Macragge, then discuss with Guilliman, the Lion, and the others how to swiftly mobilize military forces and reinforce Terra.

With Uslan’s help, they could use the Webway to move troops. That was undoubtedly a tremendous breakthrough.

As for the Terra ritual the seer had subtly hinted at, it was possible they would not all be able to reach Terra. That was not something he should be considering now. If their reinforcements truly could not reach Terra even through the Webway, then there was nothing more to say.

Man acted while Heaven watched. Lox would only do everything in his power; whether he succeeded was another matter.

"I must reiterate one point: Lox, our cooperation rests upon you still being here. I have dealt with other Imperials besides you, and without exception, they were utterly impossible to communicate with. Therefore, only you may raise the matter of using the Webway with me."

Uslan warned him solemnly. He was making a tremendous gamble: betting that humanity would still honor its agreement after gaining access to the Webway.

He understood that humanity’s current predicament was also the predicament of all things in the universe. If humanity’s master were truly killed by Horus, the forces of Chaos would completely seize control of the galaxy’s most powerful race.

The Webway beneath Terra would burst completely open, and endless Warp daemons would turn humanity’s homeworld into a dead land no different from the Eye of Terror.

With the countless humans throughout the galaxy, the evil gods would gain the most lavish feast since the War in Heaven.

Uslan did not dare imagine just how terrifyingly far the evil gods could extend the Warp’s influence under such circumstances.

By then, the scars upon the material universe—the vast, irreparable Warp rifts—would no longer be limited to the Eye of Terror and those smaller Warp vortices.

The material universe would likely be left utterly riddled with holes. Countless Warp rifts would be like tentacles extending from The Empyrean, plunging deep into the body of their universe, contaminating it and draining away its life.

For the life of the material universe, that would be an absolute dark apocalypse. The dead would never know rest, their souls toyed with and devoured by daemons and evil gods, while the living would suffer unimaginable enslavement and torment, never again finding a place of peace.

But that was a matter for later. If humanity turned hostile and directly seized the Webway, then the Aeldari would immediately find themselves in enormous trouble.

"Rest assured. So long as I am here, I will not let anyone else lay hands on the Webway," Lox promised.

Others could not be as rational and restrained as he was. Lox naturally understood what the Imperials would think: once they entered the Webway, they would immediately attack the Aeldari and seize it at any cost.

Lox did not deny that line of thought. He merely wanted to ask: what then?

The Aeldari knew how to navigate the Webway and find their bearings. They knew the precise locations of millions of Webway gates. What did humanity know?

Though the Aeldari’s understanding of the Webway had likewise diminished over time, they could at least still maintain and repair some Webway facilities. They could even create junior versions of Aeldari Webway branches. Their quality was far inferior to the Old Ones’ original works, but they were still beyond humanity’s capabilities.

Humanity only knew that the Webway was valuable, while knowing very little about its actual workings. Lox feared that humanity’s own ignorance and stubbornness would instead destroy this final legacy of the creators. In that case, it would be better for the Aeldari to retain possession of it for now.

Lox could restrain himself, and he hoped humanity could possess the Webway as well. But that was not realistic at present, nor was it the best solution.

Of course, if humanity’s understanding of the Webway could one day rival that of the Aeldari, Lox also hoped the two races could "develop it jointly and coexist harmoniously."

Time flowed differently within the Webway than it did outside. Lox felt that only a few minutes had passed when Uslan announced that they had reached their destination.

"This is a junction hub in the Webway. The Alaitoc Craftworld and Pandora’s Exodite Aeldari will part ways with us here."

"They will return to their own Craftworld and seek a new home."

The Aeldari warships that had been guiding the human fleet shot into another Webway exit with a whoosh. In the blink of an eye, the ever-changing Webway had altered its form, and a new branch appeared.

Lox blinked. It had all happened in an instant.

"Without the Aeldari guiding us, we would probably all become lost in the Webway. These higher-dimensional spaces exist neither in the material universe nor in the Warp. There is simply no way to find one’s bearings."

"In the Warp, Navigators can still guide the way. In the Webway, we would be completely blind."

Uslan remained at Lox’s side for the time being. Under Lox’s introduction, he would meet with the ruler of the Five Hundred Worlds.

Without Lox vouching for him, he could not possibly meet Guilliman, much less earn his trust.

The Red Alert passed through the Webway’s gate of light with several cruisers, returning to the material universe in an instant.

The familiar star of the Macragge system shone through the Red Alert’s viewports. A large number of destroyer squadrons immediately closed in, signals flooding in like snowflakes as those terrifying planetary defense weapons began warming up.

"This is the Red Alert. We have returned."

"I repeat, this is the Red Alert. We have returned to Macragge."

Lox immediately sent identification signals to the surrounding warships and orbital defense platforms. After all the trouble of returning to Macragge, he had no desire to be blasted out of the sky by his own people.

After both sides underwent complex identity verification and boarding inspections, the activated defense alert finally subsided.

Lox piloted the Red Alert alongside the barges to Mustafar. The precious Blackstone carried in those cruisers would immediately be put into further production.

"Deputy Governor, welcome back to Macragge." The mortal official from the Orbital Platform bowed respectfully.

"Hm?" Lox instinctively felt that something was wrong. What had they called him?

Seeing Lox’s dazed and startled expression, the mortal official immediately explained.

"You may not know, having been occupied outside all this time, but after Lord Sanguinius arrived, the three great primarchs formally announced the establishment of the Second Imperium."

His eyes were filled with fervor and excitement, yet he did not dare look directly at Lox, appearing exceptionally respectful.

"Lord Sanguinius serves as Regent of the Second Imperium. He is our new Emperor, ruling over the entire Five Hundred Worlds."

"Lord Lion El’Jonson has assumed the position of Lord Protector. He has the authority to command all military forces throughout the Five Hundred Worlds."

"The ruler of the Five Hundred Worlds, the great Lord Roboute Guilliman, has been appointed Imperial Governor and is responsible for overseeing the Imperium’s normal operations."

Lox was instantly dumbfounded. How long had he been gone? It was already the Second Imperium?

The mortal official continued, "The Imperial Governor and the Imperial Regent personally ordered that you are the new Deputy Governor, assisting Lord Guilliman in handling the Imperium’s affairs."

"Come, please follow me. They have already learned of your return."

Lox was numb inside. Guilliman, you set me up!