Datch sat on the throne, looking down at Andos. His fingers lightly tapped the armrest, and a dull sound echoed through the silent hall.
"You are merely a pitiful human. Eventually your lifespan will end. Even steel will rust in time."
Andos raised his head and met the gaze of the figure on the throne without fear, showing very human courage.
"However, I will have children, and my children will have children. Generation after generation, forever."
Andos paused, straightened his back, and spoke in a powerful voice.
"As long as our will endures, steel will never perish."
Hearing these words, Datch stopped typing and smiled at Andos.
"Please allow me to test Perturabo's creation on you," Andos said, stepping forward and making his request in a firm tone once more.
The Shepherd also stepped out from the crowd.
He had been the first person to bring people to support Perturabo.
"I would like to participate as well. Lord Perturabo has already done so much for us. As people of Lochos, we must repay that kindness."
The moment the Shepherd finished speaking, another person stepped forward.
He was a blacksmith. Iron dust and charcoal ash still clung to his apron, and his hands were rough like tree bark.
Perturabo had improved the forging process and revived many blacksmiths.
"Me too."
Another person stepped forward.
He was a farmer. His face was cracked and darkened from years of exposure to the sun.
Perturabo's irrigation system had saved countless people's crops during severe droughts.
"Me as well."
A miner also stepped forward.
Perturabo's repeated improvements to mine safety measures and ventilation systems had greatly reduced the death rate.
"Me too."
"Me too."
One by one, people stepped forward — merchants, potters, stonemasons, weavers, boatmen, and more.
They had all benefited from Perturabo and now had to return the favor.
Dammekos stood beside the throne, watching those who had stepped forward. His expression was a mixture of relief and shame.
Perturabo had proposed many plans — better irrigation systems, more efficient workshops, stronger city walls, the abolition of banquets, and improved welfare.
Dammekos had called these things foolish, wasteful, and unrealistic.
Yet he had chosen to adopt some of them — not out of faith, but to appease his proud adoptive son and stop him from constantly arguing.
Even though only part of the plans had been implemented, they had already changed the fate of countless people.
If Perturabo's plans had been fully carried out, Olympia would have long since become a prosperous world.
Dammekos realized that he was clearly unqualified as a foster father.
Perhaps Perturabo was more suited than him to rule Olympia.
Perturabo looked at the people who had stepped forward and committed their faces to memory.
He had once despised the weakness and selfishness of ordinary people, but he had forgotten their perseverance and great deeds.
The nobility of some heroes even surpasses that of the gods.
Perturabo apologized for his past prejudices and, for the first time, realized that he had never truly been alone.
The people of Lochos might be calculating and prioritize profit, judging the value of every transaction.
But they also upheld one principle: honesty begets honesty.
Perturabo had shown them goodwill, and they had responded with goodwill.
Something deep in his soul awakened.
…
Meanwhile, deep in the Warp, a terrifying storm suddenly erupted, blowing everything away.
It was no ordinary storm. It was the vibration caused by the threads of fate being torn and the structure of space-time shifting — the aftershock that resounds when causality collapses.
The Warp storm was extremely violent. Countless thirsty daemons screamed as they were torn apart within it.
Even the domains of the gods trembled continuously, as if on the verge of collapse.
The arrogant gods, who once believed they controlled fate, were filled with fear and rage, letting out terrifying roars of discontent toward the nameless ones.
Those who wielded power over the Warp naturally understood what this storm meant.
The fate of the Iron King, Perturabo, had changed drastically.
The Lord of Iron, who should have fallen into loneliness and distortion, had been freed from his predetermined fate and was now heading toward a future that no one could clearly see.
The perspectives of ordinary humans and the Chaos Gods were different.
Humans could only see the present, while the gods could see the past, present, and future simultaneously.
When the past changes, the entire future changes accordingly.
The Chaos Gods witnessed the changes in Horus, Angron, and Perturabo.
Countless new timelines appeared, trying to become new futures.
However, because the decisive battle between Horus and the Emperor had interrupted history, the current future had avoided collapse.
That rift had functioned like a sturdy dam, temporarily holding back the torrent of change.
But the dam had a limit. Once the storm exceeded a certain threshold, cracks would form in the dam and it would eventually collapse completely.
At that moment, the past would be completely destroyed and rebuilt, and the future would be reshaped into something entirely new.
The disordered space-time would attempt to repair itself, resolving all contradictions and correcting deviations from the original trajectory.
During this repair process, the foundation of the Chaos Gods would also suffer severe damage.
Yet they were powerless and could only watch…
No one dared to challenge the authority of the nameless one.
It's freezing cold! Since when has the Warp become so suffocating?!
However, in many new timelines, the Chaos Gods had found new opportunities.
If they could not corrupt Horus, they could choose to corrupt other Primarchs.
For example… Guilliman.
...
Datch stood up from the throne and looked around at Andos and the others, finally turning his gaze to Perturabo.
"This concludes today's corrective education session."
Perturabo had learned to treat the people around him as friends and family. This was a very good change.
If he starts twisting again, I'll come back and fix him.
"Alright, Perturabo. You win."
"As agreed, we will leave Olympia."
"However, before we depart, as a reward for winning the game, I'll give you a gift."
Datch opened the World Editor, locked onto the planet Olympia, and checked its parameters.
Then, using his points, he obtained the attribute "Health and Strength" and granted it to all the people of Lochos.
Next, modifications were applied to the city built by Perturabo and the others.
By setting entirely new parameters, the city was made capable of floating in the air and becoming a holy city.
After a moment of thought, Datch also created several beautiful rainbows in the sky above the city.
After making the changes, Datch selected Confirm.
In an instant, an invisible wave spread out and covered the entire planet.
The effects of the edit appeared immediately.
People noticed several changes — they had more stamina than before and were brimming with energy.
Some elderly people suddenly felt they could run and jump again.
The sick felt energetic and active, and upon examination, their previously listless condition had improved dramatically.
Newborns became more lively and healthy.
The city also rose into the air, transforming into a beautiful sky city.
Those who witnessed this scene regarded it as a miracle and could not stop voicing their amazement and praise.
"From now on, every newborn born on this planet will be extremely healthy and strong."
Datch put away the World Editor.
His words left everyone present exchanging shocked glances.
The other party had actually blessed Olympia and granted health and strength to all the people of Lochos.
Just then, surprised voices came from outside.
The people in the hall learned from those voices that the city they had built had truly risen into the sky and become a holy city in the heavens.
Clearly, this was also the work of the mysterious outsider.
This was not something ordinary people could do.
Only a true god could ignore all laws and act according to their will, reshaping the world based on their own thoughts.
What had seemed like a painful trial was not a punishment, but a test. It was a trial given to them by God.
And now, they had passed the trial.
Some believers knelt down, praising the mysterious stranger and extolling his trials and transformation of Olympia.
Datch ignored the NPCs. His mission was complete. It was time to summon the TARDIS phone booth and leave.
With a thought, space distorted and strange light erupted. An old-fashioned blue phone booth suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.
The phone booth had peeling paint and frayed edges — it looked completely ordinary.
No one would associate it with a time machine.
"Farewell, everyone."
Datch bid farewell to the NPCs, turned, and walked toward the phone booth, preparing to head to his next destination to continue his mission.
"Mysterious stranger, may I ask one final question?"
Perturabo's voice came from behind Datch. He stopped and turned to look at the Primarch.
"Who exactly are you?"
Perturabo's gaze was fixed on Datch's face, his tone filled with confusion and bewilderment.
He wanted to know the man's secret.
Datch looked at him and thought for a moment, but ultimately did not answer. He turned back and stepped into the phone booth.
Ferrus shrugged and followed him toward the phone booth. When he reached the door, he turned and looked at Perturabo.
He was very pleased with the other party's change.
Even if there had been conflicts between the Primarchs, the fact that they were brothers remained unchanged.
He sincerely hoped that the other side would not repeat the same mistakes.
"See you again, Perturabo," Ferrus said with a smile. His stern face, carved like marble, showed a rare gentleness.
"Who the hell are you people?" Perturabo took a step forward and shouted with desperate longing for an answer.
Ferrus didn't turn around. He simply waved his hand. "You'll understand eventually. We'll meet again someday."
The phone booth door slowly closed, as if separating two worlds.
Immediately afterward, a low humming sound came from the phone booth. Though not loud, it caused the entire hall to tremble slightly.
It slowly rose, lifting off the marble floor and floating into the air.
Strange light gathered around the phone booth, distorting space and time. A few seconds later, a time portal opened.
The phone booth flew into the passage, enveloped in light.
Then the passage closed, the light vanished, and the humming sound completely disappeared.
Space returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.
The devout believers believed this was God returning to His kingdom and knelt on the ground.
"We must immediately spread word about the outsider."
"Yes, I agree."
"This is a god."
People were discussing abandoning the old religion and founding a new one for the outsider.
"Who exactly are you people?"
Perturabo stared at the spot where the TARDIS phone booth had disappeared and muttered to himself.
Will we really meet again…?
...
Somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy,
the Imperator Somnium floated quietly in planetary orbit.
The planet had only recently been conquered. Smoke from war still rose from its surface.
In the cities on the ground, cheers and shouts still echoed.
But none of that mattered anymore.
What mattered was that it was now part of the Imperium and had become a cornerstone on humanity's path of development.
The Emperor stood before the massive viewport, his eyes filled with boundless wisdom gazing at the transforming planet outside. There was a satisfied light in his gaze.
Beside the Master of Mankind stood Horus.
The Wolf God looked at the conquered land, a smile also on his face.
How wonderful it would be if that nameless one were here to witness this scene.
He would surely be very happy to see that I've become able to stand on my own.
"Horus, I don't think I've given you a gift since you returned."
The Emperor turned around. His dignified face showed a rare gentleness.
He took a gift box from his pocket. It was small, golden, with an exquisite eagle emblem on the surface.
He handed it to Horus and gestured for him to open it.
Horus took the gift box and gently lifted the lid. Inside was an antique golden ring.
The ring was small and simply designed, with no extra decoration.
However, its surface emitted a soft luster. The shine polished over time spoke of a thousand years of history.
"This ring was forged in Persia one year before I was born," the Master of Mankind said in a deeply gentle voice. "Today, I give it to you."
Horus picked up the ring and examined it carefully, but his mind had once again turned to the nameless one.
They had been together for so many years, yet he had never once given a gift.
Back then, I always thought the nameless ones would always be there and that there would be endless opportunities.
Only after the other party had left did Horus realize that he had not cherished the time spent with them.
If he ever had the chance to meet them again, he would definitely give them a gift.
The Emperor saw Horus's expression and realized he was thinking about the nameless one again. His lips twitched.
My son's heart has been stolen by those villains outside. What should I do?
Horus let out a quiet sigh almost unconsciously.
Nameless one… where are you?
Will we meet again?
Horus suddenly came to his senses, looked up at the Emperor, and a slightly apologetic expression flashed across his face for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Father. I was thinking about the past and got a little distracted."
"The gift you gave me is very nice. I like it very much."
After saying that, Horus slipped the golden ring onto his pinky finger.
There was no other way. This was the only finger it fit.
The Emperor struggled to maintain his smile. "It's fine. I know the nameless one's departure has had a big impact on you."
"It's only natural that you miss him. After all, he helped you a great deal and even contributed to the unification of… well, you know."
Damn it, how long has that nameless bastard been with you? You're already this obsessed with him.
I, the Master of Mankind, am your true father.
It's freezing cold!
As a human, you should look to the future. Follow me and someday I'll make you my greatest general.
Stop thinking about that good-for-nothing who abandoned you.
Then what about the loyalty code engraved in our genes?
Shouldn't the system treat me as the most important person?
Did Eldar secretly modify the code when he tricked them into abandoning us?
But on second thought, that seems unlikely.
If Eldar had the brain capacity to think of something like that, he wouldn't have been deceived by the Chaos Gods.
The Emperor was furious in his heart while simultaneously trying to comfort Horus.
"Don't mourn the nameless one's departure. Even if he's gone, I'm still here."
"You are my Centaur. I hope that one day you will shoulder great responsibilities, become my most outstanding general, and help me accomplish the great cause of humanity's rise."
Horus nodded with a mechanical, heavy motion. "Understood, Father."
There was no excitement or thrill of recognition in his voice — nothing the Emperor had hoped to hear.
The Emperor's heart sank again.
It's really hard to endure!!
The Master of Mankind turned back and looked once more at the burning planet outside the window.
Smoke rose from the planet's surface. In the darkness, flames flickered, and the flags of the conquerors fluttered above the ruins.
He should be happy. This was a step in his plan, a cornerstone of his grand endeavor.
But he could not feel happy.
No matter how much time he spent with Horus, he could never compare to the nameless one.
Suddenly, a storm raged in the Warp. The Emperor frowned.
The source of the storm was not the Four Chaos Gods, nor any known enemy — it was time itself.
The Master of Mankind's extrasensory perception pierced the veil of reality and revealed the shattered future and the collapse of countless timelines.
Someone was trying to change history.
The Emperor suddenly felt uneasy.
It felt like another child had been forcibly taken away.
No...
The Emperor's heart erupted with grief and anger.
Damn it, nameless one — how could you do this to me?!
You're truly evil. Truly evil.
The Emperor's inner voice screamed.
They are my sons. My sons!
...
Inside the time tunnel, countless strange lights erupted.
The TARDIS phone booth moved lightly through the turbulent flow of time, completely unaffected.
Inside the phone booth, Ferrus approached Datch.
"Nameless Lord, where are we going next?"
Datch was in a good mood, staring at the phone booth's control panel while even humming a little tune.
"We're going to Colchis to turn that damned Erebus and Kor Phaeron into minced meat."
Ferrus was slightly surprised.
Colchis was Lorgar's homeworld and the mother planet of the Word Bearers.
Nameless One are planning to go back to Lorgar's teenage years to save him?
...
PS: Read at least 30 advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode