The Emperor’s Expedition (Part Two)

After leaving Malcador’s workplace, Raven directly opened a spacetime portal and went to speak with the Emperor about Number Eleven.

The Emperor was neither in the throne room nor in the laboratory.

Instead, he was alone in a vast, luxurious hall.

Massive floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded the hall, but heavy curtains blocked all light from outside, leaving the interior quite dim.

Only the light emitted by the projection platform provided a little illumination.

The holographic projector was enormous, installed beneath the dome.

Its indicator lights flickered constantly as it continued to hum.

Countless beams of light intertwined in the air, forming a vast projection.

The brilliant image floated in the air.

It outlined the entire galaxy.

The radiance reflected over the Emperor’s face. His deep eyes gazed upon the stars like a creator who held all things in his grasp.

"Wait outside. If that little girl named Petra Lani arrives, remember to inform me."

Raven gave the order to the accompanying Adeptus Custodes.

They nodded, then turned and walked out.

"Big Guy."

Raven flapped his wings and landed beside the control console.

His voice echoed through the empty hall, as though seeking somewhere to settle.

Yet it never found a resting place and eventually vanished without a sound.

Lost amid the lofty dome and the hall’s vast expanse.

The Emperor raised his head to look at Raven. Those eyes seemed to contain the entire universe, deep and boundless.

"Have you finished speaking with Number Eleven?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, we’re done. The situation isn’t too bad."

"What do you mean?" The Emperor looked toward the holographic console again, seemingly lost in thought.

"Tynanmus is loyal to humanity and places humanity’s interests first. You don’t need to worry about that, Big Guy."

"How is Number Eleven’s situation? Did you communicate with him?"

"Tynanmus is currently guided primarily by Number Eleven’s will. After all, he is a Primarch. His will and power are enough to overwhelm the others and become the dominant force within the Gestalt Consciousness."

The Emperor fell silent in thought. Only after a long while did he speak again.

"How likely is he to rebel?"

"Higher than the other Primarchs, but still within a very low range. Less than thirteen percent."

"So there is still a risk."

"Nothing comes without risk, Big Guy," Raven said. "Number Eleven represents another possible path of evolution. We cannot restrict him."

"That path is fraught with danger. If one is corrupted, it means the entire collective is corrupted." The Emperor pointed out the weakness of Gestalt civilizations. "This universe is no benevolent place. Beyond the Chaos Gods, there are also those terrifying sources of corruption outside the universe."

"You have seen those corrupted universes with your own eyes. Even incarnations of greater Cosmic Consciousness were helpless before those contaminations, let alone a mere collective consciousness. Individual entities increase the cost of governance, but they also increase the possibilities for a civilization’s development."

Raven agreed with the Emperor. "You make a lot of sense, but Number Eleven is stubborn. He does not believe that choosing the Gestalt path was wrong."

"By the time he realizes his mistake, everything will be over," the Emperor said. "Still, so long as he does not harm humanity’s interests at this stage, let him continue. I will send people to monitor him."

The Emperor reached out and enlarged a certain region of the projection.

"The galactic war is coming to an end. The Dark Eldar, Necrons, and Greenskins can no longer threaten us. The only trouble left is that shadow trying to enter the galaxy."

Raven looked at the shadow the Emperor had mentioned. "The Tyranid Swarm?"

"The Tyranid Swarm?" The Emperor sounded somewhat surprised. "You know where that shadow came from?"

"I learned it while reading universal information. The Tyranid Swarm, the Great Devourer, eternal hunger. They exist only to devour, evolve, and expand their numbers."

"The Tyranid Swarm’s evolutionary ability is terrifying. By devouring other species, they can alter their own biology or modify the structure and expression of their genomes, continuously increasing their combat power and survivability."

"They can consume all organic matter on an entire planet, not even sparing bacteria or viruses, turning the world into a bare rock riddled with holes."

"Their numbers are endless. They drift through the universe, and once they confirm that a star system contains enough life, they come over and seek to devour everything."

"To date, no one knows how many star systems they have already gnawed clean."

"That sounds like a major problem." The Emperor frowned.

"The Tyranid Swarm is indeed a major problem. Their scale is immense; the part approaching the galaxy is merely one of their tendrils," Raven said. "If all of them poured in, even the galaxy would not have room for them."

"I plan to have Horus, Fulgrim, and Leman Russ handle the threat posed by the Tyranid Swarm. Vulcan will be responsible for clearing out the alien forces within the galaxy, then repairing the Eye of Terror."

"What about the other Primarchs?" Raven asked.

"They will accompany me to the Other Universe," the Emperor said. "Primal Heavenly Venerate of the Transformers Universe has asked the Empire for aid. He wishes to join forces with us to defeat Unicron."

"The situation in the Transformers Universe is simpler than ours. There are only the mechanical lifeforms created by Supreme Lord Taijun. Once Unicron is defeated, that entire universe will fall under Imperial rule."

Raven said, "If you are certain that you will join Primal Heavenly Venerate against Unicron, there is one thing you must pay attention to: gaining control of the Cosmic Consciousness."

"The Cosmic Consciousness can alter rules and reject lifeforms from other universes, restricting outsiders to the greatest possible extent. When we previously traveled through spacetime, you could not exert your power because the Cosmic Consciousness was restraining you to prevent excessive destruction."

"After defeating Unicron, Supreme Lord Taijun and Primal Heavenly Venerate may turn against us and unilaterally close universal passage, preventing us from entering the Transformers Universe again. If that happens, we will have to fight another war."

"They can do that?" The Emperor clearly had not considered that possibility. "Why do they not use the Cosmic Consciousness against Unicron? Or why does Unicron not use it against Supreme Lord Taijun and Primal Heavenly Venerate?"

"They are all part of the Transformers Universe. Most of the Transformers Universe was created by them, so how could they use the Cosmic Consciousness to reject one another?" Raven explained the complexity to the Emperor. "The struggle between Unicron, Supreme Lord Taijun, and Primal Heavenly Venerate is an internal conflict. Whoever wins becomes the true ruler. But we are different. We are outsiders and can easily be regarded as invaders."

"Internal conflict is internal conflict. Invasion is invasion. They are two entirely different concepts."

"Then how do we gain control over the will of a universe?" the Emperor asked.

Raven said, "Defeat those who are important Destiny Nodes, defeat the Guardians of universal order, spread Imperial ideals, or massacre those who stubbornly refuse to submit to the Empire. Greatly increasing the Empire’s population and territory can also improve control over the will of a universe."

"I understand." The Emperor nodded. "It appears conquering Other Universes is not as simple as I imagined."

"The first time is unfamiliar, the second time becomes easier. Once you’ve conquered enough, it will naturally become second nature."

Tap! Tap!

Footsteps came from the doorway.

Raven turned and saw Waldo.

"What is it, Big Corn Cob?"

"The little girl from the Capinus Family has arrived," Waldo said.

"I know. Take her to the reception room next door. I’ll be there shortly." Raven nodded.

"The Capinus Family?" The Emperor looked puzzled.

"Malcador arranged it. He said that family is very loyal, and that little girl is also its final descendant. Perhaps because she was impressed by my extraordinary wisdom, she wants to conduct an interview with me."

"Is that really so?" The Emperor rubbed his chin.

Raven rolled his eyes. "Are my achievements not enough to warrant an interview from a little girl? Big Corn Cob, wouldn’t you agree?"

"Of course! Mr. Raven’s contributions to the Empire are unparalleled in history and will never be surpassed. That little girl from the Capinus Family has good judgment, and she is fortunate indeed to receive an audience with Mr. Raven," Waldo said with a fawning expression.

Raven nodded in satisfaction. "Very good, Waldo. You’ve grown a lot."

"Thank you for your praise, Mr. Raven."

Waldo’s words made even the Emperor want to roll his eyes.

How had his commander of the Adeptus Custodes, the King in Yellow, become like this?

"All right, I’m going to meet that little girl," Raven said. "Handle the expedition yourself. Either way, you have my support."

With that, Raven tore open space, leaped inside, and vanished.

Petra Lani, waiting in the reception room, was extremely nervous.

She could neither sit nor stand still, pacing back and forth as she considered what questions she should ask later.

This was a very important meeting.

If she performed poorly, everything would be over.

She checked her attire again.

Several servants and designers had run themselves ragged helping her try on multiple dresses.

In the end, she chose an elegant, dignified outfit—a creamy white gown paired with an ivory corset that emphasized her breasts, along with a rose-gold mesh necklace.

The jewelry wound upward from her neck, covering her forehead beneath a cluster of pearls and sapphires that resembled falling raindrops.

"You look very nervous."

A voice sounded out of nowhere. Raven stepped out of an opened spatial passage and appeared before the table.

"Honorable Mr. Raven, great Lord of Wisdom." Petra Lani was startled, then hurriedly bowed to Raven.

"I smell something delicious. Did you bring me a gift?"

Raven’s voice was gentle, easing Petra Lani’s nerves considerably.

She took out the fries and ketchup prepared by the family chef from beside her.

"Very good. That was thoughtful of you."

Raven’s evaluation after tasting one fry made Petra Lani breathe a sigh of relief.

It was good that Mr. Raven liked her gift.

"Tell me, what do you want to know?" Raven said. "Your time is limited."

Such an important figure was always so busy, laboring for humanity’s welfare, Petra Lani thought. The thought nearly brought tears to her eyes. Mr. Raven truly worked far too hard.

Where should I go for a nap later? No, that won’t do. I should visit the other laboratories. Maybe there are some new flavors that haven’t been reported yet!

"I want to know the story between you and the Emperor." Petra Lani did not dare waste time. She intended to make use of every second.

"The story between the Emperor and me? That is a long story, beginning with the Unification Era. The Emperor heard that I possessed world-shaking wisdom capable of saving all humanity, so he brought Malcador and Waldo and searched the entire world for me."

"At the time, I was still asleep, wandering through the spiritual ocean of endless worlds in search of the origin of all things and the meaning of existence."

The truth about their first meeting on the Navia Peninsula definitely could not be told. It needed some embellishment.

Otherwise, it would sound like a story about a Warp demon deceiving a blond little boy.

"The first time, they heard that I was sleeping in the treasury of Karagan, ruler of the Ursh Alliance. They decisively launched a war and destroyed the Ursh Alliance, but found nothing. Later, they heard that I had appeared within the territory of the King of Unspeakable, so they dispatched troops again and annihilated the King of Unspeakable."

"After many wars, the Emperor finally found the statue I had become while sleeping on the Navia Peninsula and awakened me."

"He pleaded with me, hoping that I would help him save humanity from peril and rebuild its former glory. I saw his boundless love for humanity, and coupled with his sincere plea, I decided to help him build the Human Empire."

Never believe the autobiography of a great figure.

Raven silently told himself.

"A story like this needs no embellishment. Simply recounting it would make it a legendary tale known and cherished by every household."

Petra Lani did not doubt him in the slightest. Her eyes practically sparkled with stars.

"What happened next? What did you experience together afterward?"

"…"

Raven began telling Petra Lani the tale of his adventures with the Emperor.

He described how he had guided the Emperor to other universes in search of wisdom and power.

He also recounted the many dangers they had faced in Other Universes and how they had resolved those crises.

Of course, many stories could only be recorded for now and could not yet be made public.

They would have to wait until the Primarchs led humanity into other universes before those stories could be declassified and published in major media outlets such as the Imperial Daily.

Petra Lani listened with rapt attention, her golden memory pen racing across the data slate in her hand, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.

She had never imagined that so many things had happened behind the Emperor and Raven’s story.

While Raven was being interviewed and recounting those unknown stories, the Emperor summoned Malcador and had him arrange the expedition.

"My Immortal King, are you going on campaign again?" Malcador asked in surprise.

"Yes. I had only wished to conquer the galaxy, but Raven showed me the even vaster realms of countless heavens. I want to give humanity an incomparable gift. I want them to truly rule the countless heavens," the Emperor said. "My old friend, I will leave Terra for a long time. The Empire is in your hands."

The relevant orders were swiftly transmitted to the fleets where the Primarchs were stationed.

Apart from Vulcan, Leman Russ, Horus, and Fulgrim, the other Primarchs led their sons to Terra in answer to the Emperor’s summons.

A grand expedition was launched. The news spread through the Imperial network at astonishing speed, causing a tremendous stir.

Vast armies were recruited, their magnificent momentum setting the entire Empire ablaze with fervor.

Mighty War Engines emerged, and the tide of conquest became unstoppable. Every Imperial soldier burned with passion, eagerly awaiting the chance to expand humanity’s territory.

The entire Empire would unite as one, its blades pointed directly at other universes.

Wherever the Imperial fleets went, the banners of the Double-headed Eagle would fly.