"Since you value me so much, I will gladly accept this task."
"Don't worry, I will oversee the evacuation work and absolutely ensure that the Imperial citizens in the various worlds of the Nakmund Corridor do not suffer any unwarranted disaster."
Guilliman smiled, quite pleased with Alex's praise.
"Saint, what's my task??" Sanguinius asked.
Though the The Great Angel is merely a remnant soul now, his strategy and power far exceed those of an ordinary warrior.
"As for you, have Dante take your body to Vigil and prepare for your resurrection. As long as we can retrieve your soul, even if full resurrection isn't possible, we'll immediately reunite you two."
"Whether it's using the power of the Death God or seeking the Emperor's might, your physical body is needed. If possible, resurrect directly on Vigil; there's no need to rush back to Baal."
"I will convince the Chapter Master," Mefiston, who was standing nearby, interjected.
"That's good. The rest can wait until you're resurrected," Alex said to Sanguinius.
After assigning the tasks for the three Primarchs of the Imperium of Man on the Vigil battlefield,
Alex turned to look at the Avatar of the Laughing God and Eldrad.
"The protection of the Webway still requires the help of the Aeldari."
"Magnus's mastery of Warp mysteries is unparalleled among the Primarchs. During the The Battle of Terra, he repeatedly attacked the Emperor within the Webway, preventing the Emperor from protecting Terra and allowing the demons to successfully land."
In the early stages of the The Battle of Terra, demons couldn't enter Reality because the Emperor used his power to staunchly defend, suppressing the Chaos Gods.
It wasn't until Typhus tore open the defenses with plague tactics, combined with Magnus's continuous attacks on the Emperor from behind, that the Warp defense line collapsed, allowing demons to descend into Reality on a large scale.
Vulkan, the Lord of the Fire Dragons, received the order to enter the Webway and clashed with Magnus.
Vulkan was repeatedly slaughtered by Magnus, but ultimately, with his tenacious willpower and immortal traits, he counter-killed and protected the Emperor.
After that battle, Malcador was heartbroken seeing Vulkan's tragic state.
He had no good flesh on his entire body, burned alive into a charred corpse.
With every step he took towards Terra, the charred flesh would crumble and fall, a desolate sight.
"Although the Nakmund Corridor is a great temptation, Magnus can use the Warp demons to obtain intelligence, and it's highly possible he already knows about our secret construction of the Webway."
Alex waved his hand, and the projection in front of everyone changed again, showing the intricate Webway.
"We need to be doubly prepared. First, we must constantly monitor the Vigil campaign, enticing Chaos forces to commit more troops and lure out the Vengeful Spirit."
"Second, we must defend the Webway, reinforcing defensive fortifications at all important nodes to prevent any insidious tricks Magnus might use."
"When it comes to the Webway, the Aeldari are the most familiar with it. The task of protecting the Webway is entrusted to you."
"The Webway is also the foundation of the Aeldari's existence; protecting the Webway is protecting yourselves."
The Aeldari did not speak but looked at the Avatar of the Laughing God, waiting for his decision.
After a long wait, the Avatar of the Laughing God finally spoke.
"We will assist you in defending the Webway, but we need to gain command of the Imperial forces. The number of Aeldari citizens is already very scarce; they cannot afford any attrition."
"You mean humans can afford attrition?" Trazyn interjected abruptly.
Alex almost gave this guy a thumbs up.
He played the villain perfectly.
He said everything Alex wanted to say.
Alex finally understood why so-called leaders prefer subordinates with high emotional intelligence—it's mainly because they can help resolve some awkward situations. "This doesn't concern you," Eldrad said, having no patience for the metallic skeleton-like Trazyn.
Their two races were originally adversaries. If not for the growing power of Chaos and the Saint mediating between them, they might still be fighting!
"I am an Imperial advisor." Trazyn's oily green eyes glared at the Great Prophet for a few moments, and his metallic face showed a human-like disdain.
"Do you know what an advisor is? What you can't say, I can say. What you can't criticize, I can criticize. I'm chosen by the Saint; you'll just have to deal with it."
"You—" Eldrad's face turned crimson with anger.
"Alright, Trazyn." Alex stopped the situation from escalating further, then looked at the Avatar of the Laughing God. "Your request to command Imperial troops is too much."
"However, I can appoint you as Imperial military strategists. You only need to help offer suggestions and formulate plans; your race does not need to participate in the fighting."
"That can work," the Avatar of the Laughing God said, seemingly unsurprised by Alex's decision, and accepted it readily.
The so-called demand for command authority was likely just a bargaining chip, making it easier for Alex to negotiate.
Don't think that just because Cegorach always appears as a clown that he is truly a clown.
As an entity capable of outmaneuvering Chaos Gods,
Cegorach should still possess immense power over trickery, conspiracies, and the like. Anyone who thinks he is a clown will pay a heavy price.
"Now that the entire campaign has been arranged, are there any other questions?" Alex surveyed the crowd.
Not a single person spoke, all remaining calm.
"Since that's the case, proceed according to the plan."
Alex declared the meeting adjourned, and everyone dispersed.
On the Rock, Azrael stood aside, observing the entire inter-stellar war council.
When the communication ended, he was somewhat displeased.
"As the Emperor's own son and the First Primarch, you should have presided over this meeting. Why was it the Saint who presided?"
Even if the Emperor truly met with misfortune, Lion El'Jonson, as the First Primarch, would be the most legitimate successor.
Azrael did not deny the Saint's outstanding contributions,
but such matters needed to be clarified beforehand.
Otherwise, a new civil war could very likely erupt.
Zabriel and the Fallen Angels, along with Ezekiel and other Dark Angels high-ranking officers, exchanged glances.
Azrael's words had seriously crossed a line.
They dared not respond, silently standing aside, waiting for Lion El'Jonson to reply to the Grand Master.
Lion El'Jonson stared at Azrael, his gaze sharp, as if to thoroughly dissect the flesh and soul of his audacious son.
Azrael felt somewhat uneasy under the gaze.
He realized he had said something very foolish.
But he didn't feel he was wrong.
During the Great Crusade, many things were left unclear, which led to the Great Heresy.
Concealing things now would only lead to a new civil war when contradictions fully erupted later.
"The Saint is an incarnation of my father. If possible, he will also be the Imperium's most legitimate second Emperor."
Lion El'Jonson's words made Azrael's eyes widen.
The Lion actually acknowledged the other's right of succession.
"That's illogical," Azrael said.
"The burden of the Imperium is too heavy. In the past, I would have considered myself the rightful choice. But now, I feel I am not at all suited to be a ruler."
Lion El'Jonson's tone was calm. If it were his old self, Azrael would have been beaten down long ago.
But now, he didn't intend to punish his son with his fists, but rather to reason with him.
"We made a mess of things. The Horus Heresy is the best proof. My father was the biggest instigator of the Horus Heresy,
and we were the driving force behind it."
"As Primarchs, we are not noble; we crave power and vanity, and constantly fight for them. This is also why Horus felt pressure—pressure from his Primarch brothers and the Emperor—which led him astray."
"After becoming Warmaster, Horus dared not deny any decision he made, because once he was wrong, he would be questioned, his authority would be shaken, and we would all turn on him."
"Horus was isolated and helpless, which is why the Chaos Gods were able to tear open his defenses so easily."
"This time, we must truly fight for humanity, not for honor and power."
Lion El'Jonson looked at Azrael. "Therefore, I will not contend with the Saint for rulership. He is doing very well now; there's no need to make any changes."
"Do not mention this topic again in the future. Our most important task now is to set sail and head for Vigil."
"A new great war awaits us."
Ghomorra,
Inside a newly constructed Aeldari temple,
The Avatar of the Laughing God, Eldrad, and other Aeldari were gathered there.
This was their private territory; humans would not come here, so whatever they discussed, no human would know.
A Webway projection, cast by a crystal, appeared before the Aeldari.
"Just maintain this, and humans will become our greatest enforcers."
Eldrad scrolled through the projection. "To achieve Aeldari resurgence, first, we must eliminate the God of Pleasure, and second, rebuild the Webway."
"Currently, humans are unwilling to wage war against the God of Pleasure, so we cannot obtain the last Sword of the Old Ones to fully awaken the Death God."
"Without the Death God's help, killing the God of Pleasure is an extremely difficult task."
"For now, we must focus our main efforts on rebuilding the Webway."
"We must use this opportunity to reclaim some important node cities and have humans build the Webway connecting the various Craftworlds."
"Humans won't find out, will they?" Shadowseer Hilandri, the Veilwalker, asked with some concern.
"No," the Avatar of the Laughing God said. "We will secretly push this under the guise of protecting the Webway, mixing truth with falsehoods. They won't discover it."
"Moreover, even if they did discover it, that Saint wouldn't break ties over such a matter. He knows very well that, at this stage, the Imperium needs the Aeldari."
On the Vengeful Spirit.
Magnus, Fulgrim, and Lorgar were discussing how to attack Vigil in the Wolf God's Court.
Abaddon and other Chaos warriors stood by.
He was unwilling but helpless.
Even with the blessings of the Gods, he was no match for the three Daemon Primarchs.
One day, I will make you repay today's humiliation a hundredfold.
"That Saint has already repaired the Webway. Simply destroying the Nakmund Corridor is not enough to cut off communication between Terra and the Imperium's dark side. We must use a two-pronged approach: destroy the Nakmund Corridor while launching a new Webway war."
Magnus had obtained a lot of intelligence from the demons, and he was well aware of the Imperium's movements.
"Our current forces are insufficient to support a two-front war," Lorgar said. "It's not too late to destroy the Webway after dealing with the Nakmund Corridor."
"The three of us are busy, but someone else isn't," Fulgrim said with a sinister smile. "Isn't Mortarion always free?"
"Mortarion? That guy isn't easy to summon," Lorgar shook his head, indicating difficulty.
"If we can't call Mortarion, then call the Death Guard's true Chapter Master—Typhus. I'm sure he'd be happy to disrupt the Webway," Fulgrim said.
Magnus nodded. "Let Ahriman make the trip; he can definitely convince Typhus."
"Moreover, Ahriman possesses a lot of knowledge about the Webway and can guide Typhus into it."
After discussing the Webway, the three Daemon Primarchs turned their attention to Vigil.
As their discussion grew lively,
several Chaos sorcerers entered. The one leading them held a transparent crystal ball containing the soul of a woman in a sky-blue uniform.
The three Daemon Primarchs immediately recognized this soul as Lady Yudon, Guilliman's foster mother.
There was no way around it; the impression was too deep.
When Guilliman first returned, he constantly mentioned Lady Yudon, as if afraid others wouldn't know he had a foster mother.
Konrad Curze and Angron had, at one point, wanted to dismember Guilliman over this matter.
"If Guilliman knew his foster mother was in our hands, he would go mad."
"I can't wait."
"Execute the plan immediately. Let's hear the desperate roar of our Primarch brother."
Magnus and the three Daemon Primarchs acted swiftly. They organized warbands to launch successive assaults on Vigil, intending to reverse Vigil's Blackstone field and completely destroy the Nakmund Corridor.
The Imperial forces on Vigil quickly launched a counterattack, and fierce battles erupted between the two sides.
At this moment, the Orks' fleet also appeared on the Vigil battlefield and, without a word, joined the melee, making the situation even more chaotic.
Lion El'Jonson and Guilliman also followed the pre-arranged plan: one went to Vigil to take charge and resist the Daemon Primarchs' assaults, while the other was responsible for evacuating Imperial citizens from the various worlds of the Nakmund Corridor.
However, plans never keep up with changes.
As soon as Lion El'Jonson arrived at Vigil, a Astropath received an enigmatic message about Lady Yudon being in Lorgar's hands.
This intelligence was quickly reported to Alex by Cortana.
"What did you say?" Alex, upon hearing the news, instantly stood up.
"You said Lorgar is using Lady Yudon's soul as a sacrifice to initiate a large-scale Chaos ritual?"
"Yes," Cortana nodded.
"This has become complicated. Immediately assemble the troops; I'm going to Vigil."
Alex had originally intended to remain in Ghomorra,
but upon hearing Cortana's report, he immediately couldn't sit still.
Guilliman would absolutely not allow Lady Yudon's soul to suffer in Lorgar's hands.
Even if Lorgar set a trap, Guilliman would unhesitatingly walk right into it.