After sending the two guests off, Rhodes said goodbye to Lelith as well and activated his teleportation ability to return to his spaceship. Looking at the golden throne's data panel in his hand, Rhodes couldn't help but sigh at the unpredictability of life. Who would have thought that the person tasked with fixing the Emperor's toilet would end up being him?
Wait—no! He couldn't fix it at all. The only ones capable of repairing such a thing were Balt.
"Let's hope you don't disappoint me!" Rhodes muttered as he brought the golden throne's data panel and headed straight to Balt's laboratory located underground.
Balt had been holed up in this lab for days, even eating and sleeping there. Despite having undergone gigantification and becoming a super lifeform, there was still a significant gap compared to beings like Ultraman, who could replenish their energy just from starlight. Baltan, like many other cosmic beings, needed food to sustain themselves.
This indirectly highlighted just how formidable those silver giants from the Land of Light were.
"Balt, you should also take care to rest. Working 8 to 10 hours a day should be enough," Rhodes said as he walked over.
"Master, I must work as quickly as possible. Our current situation is still very dangerous. Over the past few days, I've been gathering a little more information about this world.
This world is far less safe than our original universe. We must have the power to protect ourselves. I need to quickly complete the creation of Zetton and also handle the monster capsule project," Balt said as he put down his tools and walked up to Rhodes.
"That's why you need to rest properly. After all, health is the foundation of revolution. I'll be relying on you for many things in the future," Rhodes said.
"Understood. Thank you for your concern, Master! I'll make sure to rest 8 to 10 hours a day," Balt replied.
As a super lifeform, even if he worked tirelessly for an entire month, he wouldn't feel much fatigue. However, taking appropriate rest could indeed bring new inspiration and help relax the brain.
"Master, is there something you need from me this time?" Balt asked. He knew Rhodes wouldn't come to his lab lightly—there was almost always a specific purpose.
"Yes, there are two things. First, take a look at this blueprint for me," Rhodes said as he handed over the golden throne's schematic to Balt.
Having been summoned to this world for just over a week, Balt, as a super lifeform, had already learned many of this world's languages. Reading the digital records of the golden throne provided by the empire was a breeze for him.
Balt nodded, took the data panel, and began reviewing it. Half an hour later, he put it down.
"This seems to be a device for enhancing spiritual energy connections. It can amplify one's psychic power—or energy—and create something like a barrier for defense or obstruction.
It also has a special time-dilation field that slows time for the person sitting on it, almost to a standstill.
In addition, there seems to be a projection capability, or perhaps a drilling capability. This machine is well-designed, and the concept is excellent," Balt explained.
"It's a device used to block Chaos daemons from invading and to project the Light of the Astronomican—a kind of signal beacon," Rhodes explained the golden throne's purpose to Balt.
"Master, I can also tell that many of its components have been replaced and that its repairs are completely mismatched. It's a miracle this thing has been running for so many years.
Also, the mummified figure sitting on it is extremely strange," said Balt.
As a top-tier scientist at the cosmic level, even though mechanical engineering wasn't his strongest suit, he could still understand the device and spot numerous issues. The mummified figure sitting on the throne gave him an eerie feeling.
Even in their original universe, beings capable of surviving in such a mummified state were exceedingly rare. From the electronic parameters and images alone, Balt could tell that this mummified figure was extraordinarily powerful.
Hearing this, Rhodes nodded but didn't elaborate. The Emperor's current state was indeed bizarre.
After Roboute Guilliman's awakening, he had discussed the matter with some of the empire's top officials, including Custodes Captain-General Trajann Valoris and Belisarius Cawl.
The mummified Emperor on the throne appeared weak as if he could die at any moment.
But the truth was that this mummified body was incomprehensibly strong—stronger than anyone could imagine.
Though his physical form had decayed, the Emperor's soul had undergone an ultimate evolution, ascending toward true godhood.
However, the Emperor's humanity had mostly been lost. What remained was a sheer will—an unyielding determination to protect humanity.
His rational mind, which belonged to humanity, was being consumed by a powerful dark force—a chaotic energy from the Warp.
The Emperor was born in a primitive tribe around 8000 BCE, though there are many conflicting accounts about his birth. What is certain is that the shamans of the tribe at that time were capable of harnessing the psychic powers of the Warp. These shamans also discovered the Chaos Gods within the Warp, who began interfering with certain humans on Earth.
The shamans resisted valiantly, but their efforts were futile, akin to moths flying into flames or ants trying to stop a cart. In the end, this resistance led to the mass deaths of the shamans. In their final act, the surviving shamans combined their remaining power to create an immortal being, and this being was the Emperor.
The Emperor's soul was entirely different from that of ordinary humans. He was a true immortal, born to stand against the Chaos Gods of the Warp. Some say his soul was the culmination of the shamans' collective will, formed to resist the Chaos Gods. Another theory suggests that the shamans performed an ancient ritual in which they sacrificed their souls together. This tore open a Warp portal and lured the nascent Chaos God of Destruction, the Dark King, into the material universe. They sealed the essence of this god within a human infant, imbuing him with a mandate to protect humanity and a deep love for all humankind.
Over the subsequent millennia, the Emperor grew stronger, with psychic powers far beyond human comprehension. After ascending to the Golden Throne, he received the worship of the Imperium's citizens for ten thousand years. The faith, prayers, and devotion of countless humans across the Imperium's million worlds and quadrillions of people created an unimaginably powerful force of belief. This faith-based power gave the Emperor the potential to ascend as the fifth Chaos God.
Does this mean humanity should rejoice and encourage the Emperor's ascension to Chaos Godhood, ushering in an era of unprecedented prosperity for the species? Would having the Emperor as the fifth Chaos God protect humanity, giving them a deity of their own within the Warp to rely on?
The answer is a resounding no. It is a completely misguided notion. If the Emperor were to rise from the Golden Throne and ascend as the fifth Chaos God, his first cry would annihilate all of humanity. Every human soul would become fuel for the birth of this new Chaos God. Humanity would meet a fate worse than that of the Eldar, who at least had a slim chance to escape into the Webway. Humanity, by contrast, would have no such refuge.
Once the Emperor became the fifth Chaos God, all aspects of him tied to humanity would be utterly erased. He would become just like Khorne, Nurgle, Slaanesh, and Tzeentch—a Chaos God devoid of love or attachment to the human race. Even now, as he sits on the Golden Throne, the Emperor is irreversibly transforming into the fifth Chaos God.
The Adepta Sororitas, often referred to as the Sisters of Battle, can be seen as a form of Chaos corruption. The Living Saints resemble Daemon Princes, and the Legiones Maledictae (Cursed Legions) are akin to demonic legions. If the Emperor were to rise, it would mark the true end of humanity. Therefore, repairing the Golden Throne is essential, but the Emperor himself must never leave it.
Even the Emperor's human consciousness resists leaving the Throne, as he does not wish to become the fifth Chaos God. He has been suppressing this transformation for millennia; otherwise, he could have risen from the Throne long ago.
Rhodes explained all of this to Balt in simple terms.
"If you were sent to repair the Golden Throne, do you have the confidence to fix it?" Rhodes asked.
"Master, if what you say is true, then unless we have the strength to face this fifth Chaos God, you'd best not let him rise," Balt replied, clearly shaken. "The power of these Chaos Gods is on a multiversal level. They aren't weaker than beings like Ultraman King or Ultraman Noah, are they? But at least there's good news—they are isolated from the material universe. They cannot manifest here, only interfere. In that sense, they might be a tier lower than Ultraman King and Noah, who can appear anywhere."
"Repairs still need to happen," Rhodes said. "Fixing the Golden Throne doesn't mean the Emperor will rise from it. If he wanted to rise, he would have done so already. We just need to repair it enough to keep it functioning, slightly better than its current state."
"If it's just a basic repair to restore functionality, that's not too difficult," Balt replied.
"Good. Take these blueprints and study them when you have time. Tomorrow, prepare yourself to accompany me to the capital city of the Dark Eldar. I'll buy you some equipment, and you can choose whatever you like. I've saved up quite a bit of money this time," Rhodes said.
Rhodes had made a fortune selling genetic modification serums for monsters, as well as failed but enhanced creations like the ancient Melba. He had even secured sponsorship from an arena queen, who brought her backers into the mix.
PS: The Emperor is the goat!
PS2: Next Chapter is lemon.