After Datch attacked the Dissonance Engine's console with the Effect Reversal Dart, the user interface also changed.
The original panel, filled with chaotic distortions and blasphemous expressions, had completely transformed. The rough metal surface became mirror-smooth, and the eerily writhing chunks of flesh disappeared.
In their place, a massive holographic projection panel floated about fifty centimeters above the control panel. The panel was a vibrant blue overall, with silver-white light flowing along its edges, displaying high-density data streams and three-dimensional images.
Countless thin beams of light appeared around the control panel. Beams shot out from the void, forming a complex grid pattern on the console. Each node in the grid displayed a small, blinking holographic icon.
When Lion touched these icons, they automatically enlarged and displayed more detailed information.
The entire console exuded an indescribable sci-fi atmosphere.
Lion stood before the control panel, staring intently at the fluctuating data streams.
He was not as skilled with machines as Ferrus, nor as proficient in dark technology as Perturabo, who had betrayed the Emperor.
However, he was ultimately a Primarch. When the Emperor created them, He had granted them wisdom and talent far surpassing ordinary people.
Thirty minutes later.
Lion had gained a basic understanding of the Dissonance Engine's operating principles and functions. His fingers slid quickly across the light screen, his movements gradually becoming more skillful.
The Primarch opened the star map interface, entered the coordinates for the Macragge system, and prepared for a jump.
Lion planned to first show the Webway Tunnel to Guilliman and bring the machine back to Macragge to plan the construction of Webway tunnels.
After setting all the parameters, a confirmation screen appeared. Without hesitation, Lion confirmed.
Buzz…
A low, resonant sound came from deep within Longrin.
The entire planet trembled. It was not an ordinary earthquake, but a pulse originating from the depths of the planet's core.
Each pulse released invisible energy waves that spread through the void like ripples, distorting the structure of space-time.
Energy readings continued to rise. The needles on the monitoring instruments fluctuated violently — a terrifying sight.
As the energy readings increased, the fluctuations were no longer invisible. They transformed into visible radiance.
Golden light erupted from the surface of Longrin, illuminating the entire void like a dazzling sun slowly rising.
Because of the intense light, Imperial warriors watching from afar narrowed their eyes or looked away.
Suddenly, a red warning message appeared in front of Lion.
[WARNING! WARNING!]
[There are numerous aircraft within the affected area!]
[To avoid being caught in the space-time vortex, evacuate immediately!]
[Time remaining: 3 minutes 47 seconds]
[3:46] [3:45]…
Lion's gaze sharpened. He turned to Azrael and issued a stern order.
"Immediately order the entire fleet to retreat to a safer distance!"
Azrael nodded and issued the order through Stone Fortress's communication system.
"All vessels, this is Boulder Fortress. Due to special circumstances, evacuate this area immediately and leave Longrin."
"Repeat. Evacuate the current area immediately and leave Longrin."
Upon receiving the order, the captains immediately started their engines and retreated to a safe distance.
The withdrawal was somewhat hurried, but the Dark Angels were well-trained, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.
Lion looked away and continued operating the console.
His fingers slid lightly across the light screen, gradually increasing the energy readings.
As he operated the machine, the energy readings kept rising until they finally reached the critical point.
Buzz—
The entire Longrin shone. The distortion of space-time structure reached its limit and then tore open.
A massive rift opened in front of Longrin. It was not a Warp portal, but something completely different.
The edges of the rift were not chaotic, eerie colors, but pure gold.
The radiance resembled molten gold, slowly flowing through the void and leaving complex trails.
Lion stared at the tunnel taking shape on the console's projection screen, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.
This was the original Webway channel.
It did not exist in a complete dimension of reality, nor was it polluted by the chaos of the Warp.
It stood apart from both — a truly safe road.
By simply reinforcing the channel with materials capable of supporting it, a permanent Webway could be created.
In an instant, Lion thought of many of his brothers and considered who would be most suited for this task.
That person was none other than Ferrus, the Primarch of the Iron Hands.
His talent in this field far surpassed his other brothers, so entrusting him with the Webway reinforcement work was undoubtedly the most appropriate choice.
Father, your dream will surely be realized by your descendants.
Of course, all of this is thanks to the power of the nameless ones.
...
While Lion was focused on operating the console, Datch had already left Longrin.
He had watched Lion's action for a while, but eventually lost interest.
He took out his teleport gun, intending to find Ferrus, bring him back to the past, and have him complete his mission.
Datch had also received another mission from Macragge — to return to the past and change the fate of the traitor Primarchs.
To dismantle the Horus Heresy from its roots and deal severe damage to the foundation of the Four Gods.
This was a very important story mission related to the ending.
When he time-traveled to the past, both Horus and Angron had already been altered.
Datch's next target for change was the twisted man — Perturabo.
The plan was to lure Dorn, bring him back to the past, and deal a heavy blow to Perturabo, making him understand that there would always be someone stronger than him.
However, considering that Perturabo and Dorn had always been very similar in their roles — both masters of defense and fortification experts —
If you take Dorn, that twisted Perturabo might become even more extreme.
After careful consideration, Datch changed his mind and brought Ferrus back instead.
He would have the Primarch of the Iron Hands use his genius in mechanical engineering to completely defeat Perturabo.
He would use pure mechanical technology to crush the arrogant Perturabo and make him realize that his talents were completely worthless.
A person had pointed out Perturabo's greatest problem — he was too arrogant and stubborn, and desperately sought the approval of others.
Perturabo's family environment had been better than most Primarchs.
He had an adoptive father and adoptive sister, and had a relatively normal childhood.
However, his personality was quite awkward. His desire for recognition was strong, yet he would never admit it.
He pretended to despise love and warmth while craving them more than anything else.
This man was like someone who constantly tested the hardness of a cup, increasing the force each time to try to break it.
Then he would tell everyone, "See? This cup is fragile."
He deliberately chose the most difficult and painful methods just so people could scream.
"Look! That's the great Perturabo! Watch how he worked tirelessly without complaint and accomplished this great feat!"
Then he would coldly deny everything and move on to the next round.
In short, he was definitely suffering from a serious illness.
To deal with this kind of yandere with a severe condition, one must take decisive and forceful measures.
Shatter the other party's arrogance and dignity, then help rebuild it.
Lion watched the nameless one depart and felt a slight disappointment.
They always appeared and disappeared like the wind.
They never explained their motives or goals to anyone, nor said goodbye to anyone.
To this day, no one had been able to figure out why the nameless one acted the way he did.
It was one thing to say he wasn't after wealth, but he was always rummaging through supply crates looking for money and handicrafts.
Yet with a single word, he could easily dispose of enormous wealth.
He might seem uninterested in fame or fortune, but his attire always made him look more stylish than anyone else present.
I don't understand. I really don't understand!!
...
The Macragge system was as lively as ever.
Large numbers of spacecraft arrived via star routes, passed through, and continued their journeys to other parts of the galaxy.
Once star routes became observable, commercial demand had risen rapidly.
Like fish drawn to the scent of fish, many traveling merchants used the star routes to peddle goods throughout the galaxy, enthusiastically ushering in an era of trade.
The sharp drop in trade costs had led to rapid development on many planets, with economic growth rates skyrocketing like rockets flying through the Warp.
Today, the Macragge system welcomed a group of guests from afar.
Several elegantly designed Aeldari ghost ships entered the Imperial port.
Eldrad, one of the most famous prophets of the Aeldari, led a delegation of lords to meet with Guilliman to discuss further cooperation between the two races.
Because of the existence of the nameless ones, the Aeldari prophets had realized something.
That is, the rise of the Imperium of Man and its dominance over the galaxy had already been predetermined by fate.
No matter how much they wished otherwise, they could not change this situation.
The Aeldari had to find their place in this era and ensure the survival of their civilization.
Otherwise, they would disappear into the endless years like a forgotten race in history.
Eldrad had always been a pragmatic prophet.
He understood well the importance of placing bets early.
By the time the Imperium of Man truly dominated the galaxy, it would be too late to seek an alliance.
As Imperial Regent, Guilliman welcomed them in the Senate's reception room.
Compared to the despicable and capricious Chaos, the Aeldari possessed reason and communication skills.
Despite the conflicts between the two races, the Craftworld Aeldari had provided significant support to humanity over the years.
For example, warning the Imperium of Chaos threats, providing information and knowledge about the Warp, and even fighting alongside the Imperium in important battles against Chaos.
If they spoke seriously, cooperation was still possible.
As for the Drukhari…
Sorry, but that evil group had to be completely eradicated.
The two parties sat in the reception room and discussed the Aeldari planets and alliances.
Although there were occasional disagreements during the negotiations, overall they remained within the realm of possible communication.
Just as the two sides were having a pleasant conversation, alarm sirens suddenly rang throughout the venue.
An unimaginable energy fluctuation affected every augur in the Macragge system, causing their monitoring needles to fluctuate violently.
Everyone was thrown into panic, fearing that the Chaos Gods or some powerful enemy was about to make a move against Macragge.
The fleet was urgently mobilized. Warships quickly entered combat readiness, and all units stood by ready to engage.
Defense systems were fully activated. Turrets were charging, and void shields were strengthened to maximum output.
The entire Macragge system entered the highest level of combat readiness.
Immediately afterward, realspace was torn open, and Longrin, shining like the sun, jumped into the material universe.
The Imperial fleet, unaware of the danger, immediately locked onto the planet and aimed countless cannons at it.
With a single order, destructive firepower would be unleashed.
Just as everyone was tense, Lion Johnson's voice came through the fleet's communication channels.
"This is Lion Johnson. Longrin is friendly. Do not attack. I repeat — Longrin is friendly. Do not attack."
The fleet commanders were shocked and hurriedly issued stand-down orders.
They did not know what Longrin was, but Lion's status and position spoke for themselves.
If they attacked a Primarch, did they still want to advance in rank?
Related reports were brought to the reception room. Eldrad's eyes widened as he stared at the image of Longrin.
"This is the Dissonance Engine left behind by the ancient sages…"
"Wasn't Vashtorr always trying to recreate it? How did it end up in the hands of a Primarch?"
The Aeldari envoys standing behind the great prophet were equally shocked and speechless.
Although the Aeldari Empire had collapsed, the Aeldari on the craftworlds had been preparing to preserve their civilization while fleeing.
They had taken numerous historical texts, technological materials, and cultural records and stored them in the safest places.
Many of the Aeldari in the delegation had studied Aeldari history and knew about the ancient War in Heaven, the previous rulers of the galaxy, and their creators — the Old Ones.
The technology mastered by the ancient saints was like magic. It was said they had been on the verge of opening doors to higher dimensions and achieving ascension.
However, at the critical moment, they encountered the War in Heaven caused by the C'Tans and the Necrons, and were ultimately defeated.
Of course, they had also left behind countless wonderful inventions and devastating weapons.
The Dissonance Engine was one such example.
It was a tool the ancient sages had used to dig Webway tunnels.
It possessed mysterious and unpredictable power and was also the key to opening the ancient holy vaults.
After the War in Heaven ended, the ancient beings perished, and the Necrons chose to enter slumber.
The Aeldari and many other races left behind by the ancient saints also implicitly chose to cease hostilities and sealed away weapons powerful enough to destroy the galaxy.
They dismantled the key Dissonance Engine and divided it into three relics, each guarded by one of the three races.
Over time, one race perished in the long war against Chaos.
The Aeldari Empire collapsed, and its remnants became the Eye of Terror.
Only the last race — the Dark Watchers — still protected the Ouroboros to this day.
After Caliban was destroyed, the Dark Watchers believed the Ouroboros had also been destroyed and headed to Stone Fortress to protect the Tuchulcha Engine.
Who could have imagined that the three relics would one day be reunited and reborn as the Dissonance Engine?
This meant that the Imperium of Man had gained the ability to open the ancient vaults.
When humanity inherited the legacy of the ancient saints, the Imperium of Man would instantly develop by leaps and bounds and become the true ruler of the galaxy.
Guilliman, who had read Lion's report, was equally shocked.
By activating the Dissonance Engine, Longrin had been able to excavate the original Webway channel. With only minor reinforcement, it could be converted into a usable Webway channel.
Most importantly, it did not require psychic maintenance to prevent the Webway from collapsing.
Back then, his old friend had expended great effort to open a short section of the Webway from the palace to the Aeldari Webway and had even built the Golden Throne specifically to protect the Webway and prevent invasions.
In the end, they had been ambushed by the enemy. The Webway army of ten thousand soldiers had suffered heavy losses, and Terra's forces had been greatly weakened.
"My friend, you were too hasty back then. You should have assessed everything properly before taking action."
Guilliman muttered to himself.
At that moment, a voice echoed in his mind.
"You didn't say that when you were planning the Great Crusade!"
"Now it's all my fault??"
...
Somewhere in the galaxy, Ferrus had just conquered a planet when he encountered the Iron Hands who had come looking for him.
After the nameless one revived Ferrus, he immediately took him away.
This incident had brought immeasurable grief and anger to the Iron Hands.
Even though their Primarch had been revived, these descendants had not even been able to see them one last time before they were taken.
Was this reasonable?
Had they considered their feelings?
...
Inside the TARDIS phone booth,
Ferrus stared blankly at the nameless one busily moving around the control panel.
What on earth was this nameless one planning?!
Ferrus looked around. First, he was surprised by how small the phone booth looked from the outside, yet how incredibly spacious the interior was.
Then he approached the nameless one, trying to guess where the man was taking him and what he intended to do.
"Nameless Lord, what are you doing?"
Upon hearing the question, Datch glanced at the NPC Ferrus but did not answer. He turned back to continue adjusting the flight path.
Ferrus: ...…
Even if this is human trafficking, at least tell me where you're selling me!
Letting the flow of time carry them, Datch quickly brought Ferrus to Olympia thirty thousand years in the past and stopped in a desolate region.
At this time, the Great Crusade had only just begun. The Emperor was conquering enemies within the Sol system and unifying humanity's birthplace.
Only two returned Primarchs existed at this point — Horus and Alpharius, who was lurking in the shadows.
Datch opened the door of the TARDIS phone booth and led Ferrus outside.
"Where on earth is this?!" Ferrus looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
Various devices implanted in his body operated at high speed while scanning the surrounding readings.
Based on observations of cosmic background radiation, Ferrus quickly realized he was under an unfamiliar starscape.
"This way."
Datch put away the TARDIS phone booth and prepared to follow the small map's guidance to find the still-young Perturabo.