"This is hard to deal with.
I can't exactly create brand-new souls for the Necrons, can I?"
Eden frowned, genuinely puzzled. "If I did that, would the new soul count as a brand-new life, or the original one?
Besides, I don't even know how."
Everyone knew the Necrons had no souls.
Back when the Necrontyr followed the Silent King and submitted to the C'tan in pursuit of immortality, they underwent mass biotransference.
Their souls were devoured by the C'tan, leaving only consciousness stuffed into necrodermis bodies.
In other words, Necrons were basically programs of awareness driving metal shells. Nobody could say for sure whether they were dead or alive.
Worse than a brain in a jar.
The only "benefit" was that Necrons became insulated against the warp. No more reflection, no more projection.
They were essentially closed out of the warp entirely, and the Chaos Gods could not do much to their living metal the way they did to true living souls.
"So do Necrons have emotions, or not?"
Eden mulled it over until his head buzzed.
If Necrons had lost their souls, then as living beings they should have lost emotions too, things like joy, anger, sorrow, desire, and so on.
But in reality, they still wanted to restore themselves, revive their dynasties, and they still got furious and made war on enemies. Those were unmistakably living traits.
Not to mention the Flayed Ones, those Necron lunatics with an intense hunger for flesh.
Logically, it did not add up.
If the Necrons had truly lost all emotion and desire, they should have gone completely limp, just laid down and stayed there. Why fight wars at all?
Maybe Necrons were more like top-tier artificial intelligences carrying Necrontyr memories, relying on old recollections and internal routines to simulate reactions.
And those "broken" Necrons, like the Kalozasa Dynasty, had internal code corruption.
Their cognition went wrong. Some even categorized themselves as allies of humanity.
"No matter how you look at it, high-ranking Necrons can communicate normally, and their intelligence is high, higher than most humans.
Even if they develop faulty conclusions, once they notice something is off, they can correct themselves through logic. They're not that easy to fool."
Eden knew the Kalozasa Dynasty's soul problem was a massive headache.
Handle it badly, and there could be a rebellion down the line.
Of course, while the Necrodermis Governor and Phaeron Zhabok were still loyal, he could lure them into a prepared trap and wipe them out early.
Snag their ships and tech, and it would not be a loss.
But the cost would be huge.
Unless there was truly no other way, Eden did not want to do that.
The meat was already in the pot. How could he bear to dump it out? According to the prior plan, this Phaeron was going to be a key figure in dealing with the Silent King.
But Eden had already sold the Kalozasa Dynasty a dream, promising he could cure their "strange illness." The soul issue had to be addressed.
At the very least, he needed to give Zhabok and the other high-tier beings a sliver of hope, so they would not start getting ideas.
Eden thought for a long time and still found no clear answer.
He possessed many warp authorities, and several touched on souls, but those powers required the corresponding knowledge and understanding to wield.
They also had different specialties.
Even Khorne could not do Nurgle's work, and neither of them could casually coax a flower into bloom the way the Goddess of Life Isha could.
Maybe the Changer of Ways could use knowledge and indirect methods to imitate the authorities of other gods.
But it would only be imitation, and limited.
Thankfully, Eden's Hope Sun was more of a universal tool, and comparatively gentle. It could do things the other Chaos Gods could not.
What he needed now was to understand the Necrons thoroughly and find a workable path.
"Let the professionals handle professional problems."
Eden decided to consult the grease-stained geniuses of the Xenos Research Institute, the Goddess of Life Isha, and his precious "daughter," the Machine-Goddess Webby, to see if they had any ideas.
Too bad the Changer of Ways had blocked him completely. Otherwise, another trip to the Black Library might have produced more answers.
But with the current situation, even if the Changer of Ways invited him, Eden did not really dare to go.
His status had changed. He had officially stepped onto the stage of the Great Game, and he was a threat to the Chaos Gods on the same level as the Emperor.
Simply put, he was now a direct competitor, and he was even stealing market share with knockoff faith systems.
They were absolutely plotting day and night, thinking about how to cut off the Emperor's support and then focus fire on Eden.
It was entirely possible that the moment he entered the Crystal Labyrinth, the four warp scum would be waiting at the door, ready with whips, pepper spray, and all the worst kinds of "hospitality."
"Even without the so-called Black Library, the knowledge my research institutes can obtain isn't much worse…"
Eden did not feel too regretful. The Black Library's knowledge was, in the end, information that daemons had collected from the galaxy and the warp.
That was hoarding, not research.
His own institutes were doing something else: continuously absorbing knowledge, then creating new knowledge and new systems.
By that measure, the Changer of Ways probably did not have a solution to the Necron soul problem. If it did, it would have given the Necrons "a bit of soul" ages ago, just for entertainment.
"Maybe the Flayer Virus was one attempt."
As he thought, Eden sent a message to the sages of the Xenos Research Institute, ordering them to assemble a structured body of relevant knowledge.
Then he rose from his chair and walked out onto the balcony.
The moment Eden crossed the shielding field and stepped outside, he heard the noisy rumble and saw dust rising in the distance.
Countless engineer Titans were coordinating with heavy machinery to excavate precious blackstone, a vital human resource that carried hope for the future.
Soon, humanity would be able to manufacture facilities designed to suppress the warp, and forge powerful blackstone weapons.
They could also use it to expand Webway routes further.
Now that the Vigilus campaign was entering its final phase, xenos and heretic uprisings across the Imperium were also easing. The Departmento Munitorum was organizing new crusade fleets to reclaim lost regions across different sectors.
The Imperium was more united than ever. With Webway routes and strong logistical support, reclaiming lost territory should be swift and unstoppable.
The only concern was that traitors like Erebus and Horus would look for openings to cause trouble, but compared to the start of the Great Rift, the situation was better by orders of magnitude.
No big deal. Push development forward.
"What a thriving, booming scene," Eden said with his hands behind his back.
The Imperium was becoming great again. Prosperity was close.
…
Several days later.
Vigilus.
Outside the palace of Port Sanctus.
Crack.
Several blue-skinned figures knelt on the ground as whips struck their faces, leaving deep marks.
They were T'au commanders. An Ethereal Guard was whipping them as discipline.
"You dare show disrespect to the great Savior. Are you trying to defy the Greater Good?"
The Ethereal Guard lashed harder, voice stern, as if these senior Fire Caste commanders from the Vigilus region had committed an unforgivable crime.
When they saw the Savior's icon, they had not bowed quickly enough, and the Ethereals had reprimanded them.
"Honored one, we would never defy the Greater Good. We were simply not used to it for a moment…"
The Fire Caste commander did not dare show any resentment while being whipped, because the one punishing him was an incomparably exalted high-ranking Ethereal.
Punishment aside, even if that Ethereal killed him on the spot, it would not be a big deal.
The T'au caste system had long since been carved into their bones.
The high-ranking Ethereal said nothing, only gave a slight nod, meaning: I have heard you.
It was a common way for Ethereals to communicate with other castes. It left no room for debate. Lower castes existed to obey.
They represented the Greater Good. Once they made a decision, no second explanation was necessary.
Even though the Fire Caste commanders had fully submitted, the Ethereal Guard did not stop, because the exalted Ethereal was not yet satisfied.
In truth, this Ethereal treated the castes better than the old regime had.
But these Fire Caste actions had offended the Savior, and that was difficult to forgive.
"These Fire Caste need to learn a lesson, so they understand how to obey the Greater Good…"
The high-ranking Ethereal maintained an elegant posture and did not even glance at the commanders receiving lashes. Arrogant to the bone.
Then, in the next second, the Ethereal's expression changed. Elegance and pride turned into reverence, even a hint of ingratiating eagerness.
"By the stars. It's His Majesty's carriage!"
The Ethereal saw the luxurious dark-gold grav-car, hurriedly adjusted their clothing, and trotted over to greet that existence.
As for the other T'au, they knelt halfway to the ground, lacking even the right to approach.
"What's going on?" Eden asked from the grav-car, glancing at the battered Fire Caste commanders.
"Your Majesty, these Fire Caste commanders defied the Greater Good. I was administering discipline."
The high-ranking Ethereal bent as low as possible, lowering their head beneath Eden's seated height. "Do you have further instructions?"
Eden understood. This Ethereal was teaching the T'au from other regions to obey the "new" Greater Good.
Two hundred years ago, after Eden conquered the T'au Empire, he dismantled their original power structure completely. The T'au Empire no longer existed.
Only the T'au remained, as a client species of the human Imperium.
More importantly, Eden had sent every Ethereal child into the Loyal Scions Academy to receive "Savior loyalty education."
Once that cohort graduated, they grasped T'au society from top to bottom. The seeds planted back then had finally borne fruit.
These Ethereals, shaped by that education, promoted a new version of the Greater Good among their people.
The Greater Good was the core of T'au society and faith: all intelligent life should pursue the "best good."
In other words, encourage virtue, promote unity and expansion among intelligent species, and strive without end toward that goal.
The new Greater Good did not overturn that foundation. It simply added something new.
The Savior was the "best good," and only he could unite all intelligent life. The happiness of the T'au and all intelligent species under his rule was the Greater Good.
That belief was easy to spread.
Partly because the T'au were completely under the Savior's control, and partly because it was not entirely false. The Savior did unite intelligent life.
He treated the T'au and other client species well.
Compared to the past, the T'au now lived far more securely. Their mortality rates had plummeted.
Of course, the biggest reason was simple: the Imperium was no longer beating them up. Instead, the T'au got to sip the soup, taking on the role of continuously absorbing smaller xenos client species.
"Aun'Vesa, you're a graduate of the Loyal Scions Academy, fourth cohort, right? I remember you."
Eden vaguely recalled the Ethereal's name.
Back at the graduation ceremony, this one had stood the straightest, leaving an impression. Otherwise Eden would not have remembered.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I personally received the Academy Honor Badge from your hand!"
The Ethereal could not suppress their smile, saluted again, eyes reddening.
"Carry out your mission well.
But sometimes, don't be too harsh with your own people. Keep the scale reasonable," Eden said.
The T'au caste structure was not easy to change, and he did not have the energy to reshape it. As long as it remained within reasonable bounds and did not undermine unity and goodwill in the new Imperium, it was fine.
It also made it easier for the T'au to manage other minor xenos client species.
"Yes. I will reflect deeply!" The high-ranking Ethereal bowed again, then watched Eden's grav-car depart, staring after it until it disappeared beyond the horizon.
Only then did they finally allow the kneeling Ethereal Guard and Fire Caste commanders to rise, ending the punishment.
Inside the dark-gold grav-car, Eden did not pay much more attention to T'au affairs. He closed his eyes again, thinking.
He was on his way to meet the great sages who studied xenos, to review the latest findings on the Necrons, and ideally to form a special project team.
To study the ancient technology of Fanes, several Mechanicus great sages had arrived here.
When the Savior's vehicle entered the temporary Mechanicus base, the sages were still submerged in their academic work.
"Machine-Goddess.
What a level of technique, utterly beyond my experience…"
Mechanicus Arch-Savant Saru stared at the recorded footage of the Æonic Orb's strike and muttered under his breath.
He was desperate to study it all, especially ancient xenos artifacts.
The Mechanicus possessed forbidden technologies capable of destroying a star.
But collecting stellar fragments at extreme heat, maintaining that temperature, and launching them as a weapon to achieve annihilating impact, that was a different level entirely.
It involved higher-dimensional applications of space.
"This is a new research direction. Enough for me to publish several papers and earn an Honor Badge, and with results I can qualify for the rank of Honor Arch-Savant!"
Data streams crawled nonstop across the spider-like lenses of Saru's augmetic eyes as he analyzed parameters without pause.
He wanted to compile the data into a study and post it to the Mechanicus forums.
Claim the slot first, then apply for funding later.
Right now, the most favored people inside the Mechanicus were those working on warp suppression devices. They could ask for any budget they wanted and get it.
After that came the biologis sages who had been building clone bodies for the Savior. They also had ample funding.
Saru, working on xenos weapons without a major breakthrough yet, was third tier.
Within the Mechanicus he was more of an old-school researcher, steady and conventional. He was not rich. He had a large group of tech-priests under him who needed resources to do research.
Funding was still tight.
But with this new project, he did not need to worry.
Saru was delighted.
At least he did not have to be like the xeno-biologis institute, running nonsense to scam the Departmento Research for budget, things like: a treatise on same-sex reproduction among Aeldari, why Orks prefer big butts, the feasibility of brewing Tyranid flesh into fuel-drink, or how to awaken a Necron's sex drive.
Those great sages would do anything for funding. They had no shame left at all.
(End of Chapter)
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