Warhammer [461-463] (Patreon)

Chapter 461: Manipulated in the Palm of My Hand—Trazyn, Why Not Join Me in the Future?

Whether you can accept it or not, these are all facts.

The Imperium of Man only changed so dramatically because of Rhodes existence—and in just a few short years.

Forget it, I'll let Guilliman handle this guy.

 Rhodes shook his head, intending to leave the medbay and let this Primarch rest. Once they returned to Holy Terra, the scholars could defend him in theological debates.

"Wait! I have something to discuss with you," Rogal Dorn, sitting in the med-pod, suddenly spoke up.

"What is it?"

"My injuries and the fact that I was captured—these must be kept absolutely secret. If word gets out, it'd devastate Imperial morale.

 You just said you'll soon launch a massive crusade. For that to succeed, morale must remain high. So, news of my capture by the Necrons must not leak." Dorn said.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it. As a Primarch, your return will boost morale. I'm counting on you to lead an army!" Rhodes replied.

He'd already planned for this. Dorn's return would only bring positive news for the Imperium.

"Then I'm relieved. Anyway, thank you for saving me. I owe you a favor," Dorn nodded.

Rhodes waved off the thanks and left the medbay. You owe me much more than that. I even have to prepare a cosmic beast for you!

No sooner had Rhodes stepped outside than Titus rushed over, bowed, and reported:

 "Lord Rhodes! Our radar has detected a massive planetary fortress approaching—it's the Necron fortress we attacked before."

Rhodes's battleship could travel at hundreds of times the speed of light. Unless the distance was too great, they cruised in realspace, rarely entering the Warp.

 Only Necron ships could possibly catch up to them. Human battle barges hadn't yet been mass-fitted with FTL engines—it was too vast a project, and those engines required tight security.

"Don't worry. Slow down, let them catch up," Rhodes instructed.

As he expected, Trazyn had quickly caught up after barely a day's travel. He'd clearly overestimated the so-called Silent King.

But everything was under control!

 "Lord Rhodes! Should we activate the Pedanium main cannon?" Tyberos asked.

A Necron fortress catching up was never a good thing. They had to prepare for battle—the Necron planet-fortress was the largest war-construct humanity had ever seen, even bigger than the Ork Attack Moon from the Beast War.

"No need, everything is in my plan. Return to your posts," Rhodes said.

He entered the command room. The ship was largely automated—crews just maintained systems like radar, warp drive, and void shields all modifications by Belisarius Cawl.

Once inside, Rhodes summoned AsanethAyu from the shadows.

"Father!"

"Stick to the plan," Rhodes ordered.

"Yes, Father! Your will is my purpose," AsanethAyu replied, kneeling in awe.

Rhodes nodded, slowed the ship, and even lowered the shields.

The battleship followed Rhodes's will, barely needing manual piloting. Soon, a communication channel opened.

Rhodes smiled and pressed the comms button—a familiar face appeared.

"Good day, Trazyn the Infinite! What brings you here? Is there a problem?

 Our business is done. I even gave you a special bonus gift!" Rhodes said with a grin.

He deliberately emphasized Trazyn's name. Trazyn's expression darkened, but he took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.

"You certainly gave me a surprise, all right. That gift has put me in quite a predicament!" Trazyn replied.

"Oh? Did I trouble you? But I only give gifts—things every Necron dreams of. If you don't want it, I can take it back. Shall I?" Rhodes smirked.

Trazyn's face was grim. Taking the gift back would mean his death.

But could Rhodes really take it back? If so, it meant his life was always in Rhodes's hands.

A deep fear and powerlessness gripped Trazyn. So this is what resurrection meant!

He finally realized Rhodes had done this on purpose. Even resurrected, he wasn't truly free—just enslaved in a different way. Rhodes's words were a threat: What I give, I can take away. I raised you, I can end you—simple as that.

"Lord Rhodes, I appreciate your gift—the joy of rebirth is unforgettable. But you've caused me a huge problem.

 Now the entire Necron empire, including the Silent King and all phaerons, will hunt us. Remember—not just me, but us," Trazyn said.

This was no empty threat. The news of resurrection, once spread, would cause unimaginable chaos!

Rhodes chuckled, "Are you sure? Are you sure all Necrons will hunt us and not just you?"

"I'm not joking. You underestimate Necron power. In 60 million years, we've slept and recovered.

 If we wished, we could wipe out all human civilization in an instant. Do not anger the Necrons. You made a mistake—you should have wiped those memory backups, or warned me first."

Rhodes smiled, "You mean the news is out, and all Necrons know I can revive them, right?"

"Exactly. You're in big trouble—but we can fix it if you'll work with me. Humanity and the Necrons could even form an alliance," Trazyn offered.

He phrased it gently, but Necron pride meant they'd sooner wipe out humanity and seize Rhodes's tech. At best, humans might become vassals—true alliances were reserved for beings on the C'tan's level.

Rhodes laughed, "Anything you can think of, I've already anticipated. They can spread your image, but not mine."

He wasn't afraid of playing games with the Necrons. Their tech, impressive as it was, was nothing compared to the Absolutians—a multiversal civilization to whom even Necrons were primitives.

"So you blocked all resurrection footage, even my talks with AsanethAyu?" Trazyn asked, stunned.

"Correct. No one saw my methods, no recordings, nothing to leak," Rhodes replied.

"But after you left, my backup broadcast our conversation—and it knows about you," Trazyn said.

Rhodes countered, "How's your reputation in the galaxy? Among your kin?"

Trazyn fell silent.

"As far as I know, Lord Trazyn's reputation is terrible—even among Necrons. You're known as a thief, a robber, a con artist!" AsanethAyu chimed in.

Trazyn's face flushed but he couldn't argue—it was true. Even among Necrons, he was infamous.

"That's not me! I'm a scholar, a historian, a preserver of relics—not a thief or raider. That was the Necron me—a twisted monster!" Trazyn protested.

He tried to distance himself from his own Necron self, disgusted by what he'd become.

"That's not my concern! Tell me—if you spread the news, will the phaerons or Silent King believe you? Won't they think it's a fake video to provoke war with humanity?" Rhodes asked.

The Silent King hadn't yet decided on war with humanity, and Necron unity was shaky—Imotekh was even rebelling.

Trazyn was speechless. As Rhodes said, with only his own confession, it would be hard to convince the other Necrons. More likely, they'd suspect a trick and come after him to extract his secrets.

"You should join me, Trazyn. Think about it," Rhodes grinned.

"You! You—!"

"Trazyn, remember—who resurrected you? What's given can be taken. In a sense, we're all Lord Rhodes's children. You're not who you were—we're all new beings now," AsanethAyu said, shattering Trazyn's last illusions.

"Let your Necron self suffer. Soon, all Necrons will hunt him. He's doomed," Rhodes concluded.

Chapter 462: Taming the Collectible King—Do You Want to Be a Phaeron?

Seeing Rhodes's playful smile and AsanethAyu at his side, Trazyn was furious.

 But the facts were clear: Rhodes could revive or destroy him at any moment. Trazyn realized he had no power to resist.

"Well? Want to join me? Be my subordinate?" Rhodes asked, lounging in a chair, AsanethAyu massaging his shoulders.

"The honor of the Infinite One forbids it. I cannot surrender to you," Trazyn finally said, clinging to Necron dignity.

Rhodes grinned, "Endless torment awaits you. I'll have you captured and delivered to your original body's tomb. The Necrons will be thrilled to experiment on you."

Trazyn trembled, trying to remain calm. But he knew: if that happened, he'd be tortured unimaginably, without anesthetic.

"You'll be exposed too! The Necrons will read my memories and learn about you," Trazyn said.

"Good point—thanks for the reminder. I'll have your memories wiped clean by one of my Necron experts before handing you over," Rhodes replied.

"Father, let me handle him! We'll lock him up, then hand him to the Necrons. I'm sure they'll take good care of him," AsanethAyu said with a wicked grin.

"Wait! I surrender! I'll submit to you—just help me reach my tomb's core, and I can control the planetary fortress," Trazyn finally caved.

Better to live than be dissected. He realized every step had been foreseen by Rhodes.

"Smart choice! Surrender brings rewards—I'll transform you into a super-beast, a super lifeform, with immense strength and near-immortality," Rhodes promised.

A former Necron Overlord was valuable—his surrender would make others more likely to yield, especially since he'd also bring a fortress with him.

"From now on, call me Lord Rhodes," Rhodes ordered.

He didn't force Trazyn to call him "master" or "father"—that'd be too humiliating. Trazyn wasn't as twisted as AsanethAyu, who liked calling Rhodes "father."

"Yes, Lord Rhodes. Can you help me reclaim my legacy now? I have five Necron fortresses—if I get to the tomb's core, I can activate the ultimate codes and control them all," Trazyn explained.

He sought Rhodes's help because Rhodes had advanced teleportation tech, allowing infiltration of even Necron fortresses.

"Once we deal with your other self, who'll the other Necron Overlords go after? You?" Rhodes asked.

"But Lord Rhodes, my other fortresses hold many exhibits. The rogue backup stole most of my collection—artifacts from a thousand galactic civilizations!" Trazyn lamented.

"We just need to take the most important fortress, where I left some things during my visit. Retrieve the best stuff—the rest can stay as decoys," Rhodes said.

That was key to his plan—he couldn't afford exposure now, as the Imperium couldn't withstand a full Necron assault.

Rhodes planned to upgrade Imperial arms using Necron tech—Gauss weapons were even deadlier than Pedanium beams.

He'd also obtained a star core for Trazyn to modify.

"So, which fortress will you help me seize?" Trazyn asked.

"The one in the pocket universe, southeast of the galaxy. I left some things inside," Rhodes replied.

"As you wish, Lord Rhodes—everything is under your control," Trazyn said, resigned.

Rhodes summoned Tartarus and the Angel Zog.

"You two, help him capture the fortress," Rhodes ordered.

"Yes, master!" They teleported instantly to Trazyn's fortress.

"Father, you should consider recruiting a Necron phaeron. An Overlord is prestigious, but a phaeron is a true king. If a phaeron surrenders, it's a whole new level," AsanethAyu suggested.

Overlords were powerful, but phaerons were true monarchs, able to ennoble other Overlords.

"I know. Have you picked a target?" Rhodes asked.

"Great Father, let's start with my dynasty. I know its exact location and the phaeron's resting place. With some tricks, we can contain the core backup and avoid data leaks," AsanethAyu volunteered.

"A stranger is useless to me. But you—you're already a super lifeform. I can give you a cosmic beast, upgrade your soul, and make you a new phaeron. Will you be a queen for me?" Rhodes asked.

"It would be my highest honor, Father!" AsanethAyu exclaimed, kneeling in excitement.

Chapter 463: Founding a Faith—I Want the Necrons to Worship Me as a God!

The phaeron was the highest Necron title, second only to the Triarch and the Silent King.

It was supreme glory—phaerons could ennoble Overlords and establish new dynasties.

 The ancient Necron civilization spread across the galaxy this way.

Necrons worshipped death—they lived short but burned bright, their intellect rivaling the Old Ones. If they had lived as long, they'd have surpassed even the Old Ones.

And they won the War in Heaven.

"Very good. I'll give you unimaginable power—the ability to resurrect other Necrons. Are you confident you can reclaim your dynasty and make all Overlords bow to you?" Rhodes asked AsanethAyu.

With Trazyn under control, all Necron tech was now at Rhodes's disposal.

 But a loyal female phaeron would be an even greater asset.

Rhodes considered Trazyn for the role but didn't trust him—his loyalty was forced, unlike AsanethAyu's fanatical devotion.

Fanatical faith was what Rhodes craved. Faith had created the Emperor—so it mattered for other races as well.

He planned to gather faith for himself—be worshipped as a god.

His best target: the Necrons.

 They alone could leave the galaxy en masse and explore the meta-universe.

Necrons had no psychic might, so their worship wouldn't normally create gods. But Rhodes's resurrection, infusing them with soul fragments, changed everything.

His resurrection fixed their flaw, let them use longevity methods, and enabled super-beast upgrades.

With cosmic beast power, their souls grew strong enough to project into the Warp—making them a nascent psychic species.

And they could reproduce almost as fast as humans.

 Rhodes didn't plan to revive them all—just enough to breed a new population loyal to him.

"My Lord! I will obey your every command and devote everything to you," AsanethAyu pledged, now calling him "Lord."

Rhodes was testing her resolve to subdue unruly Necron Overlords.

And she was confident—her master would grant her power far beyond any Overlord.

"Excellent, AsanethAyu. I'll grant you power, a cosmic beast, and a mighty helper.

 Besides being queen, you have one vital task," Rhodes said.

"What is it, great Lord? I'll do anything for you," AsanethAyu vowed.

"Resurrect key Necron figures—especially commoners. They are your future power base. I'll give you 100 resurrection slots for Overlords and other VIPs. After that, start reviving the people.

 Among them, spread my faith: I am your God your creator," Rhodes commanded.

"It is only right, my Lord—you are already our god, our creator. The Necrontyr had vanished, leaving only twisted Necrons behind," AsanethAyu declared fanatically.

Rhodes continued, "From now on, use cloning to create bodies, then infuse them with souls from cosmic beasts. No need to restore their original bodies—just clone new ones."

Cloning was practical—no need to revert bodies to their prime, just infuse souls into clones.

"I understand, my Lord. Many Necron civilians had their minds wiped when turned into Necrons—no consciousness left. I'll use cloning and your cosmic beasts to seed them with souls. All newborn Necrontyr will acknowledge you as the only god.

 I'll reeducate them from infancy—all will be your children," AsanethAyu explained.

She even planned to use her DNA plus Rhodes's for new Necrontyr, making them all their children.

She'd studied advanced biology from Yapool and Balt. Among super lifeforms, even different species could produce offspring.

Theoretically, she and Rhodes could do it now.

Rhodes was slightly disturbed, but recognized the efficiency—just plant a soul seed and let new Necrontyr grow up, all loyal to him.

"Very well. Your cosmic beast will be Melba—the Ultra Ancient Dragon," Rhodes said, summoning Melba, already transformed into a cosmic beast.