Chapter 151

Above the celestial canopy,

That icy question was like an unhealing scar.

Etched deep into the souls of all beings across the myriad realms.

【A civilization that regards ignorance as virtue, suffering as reward, and the withered bones of its leaders as gods to worship……】

【What kind of enemy could drive humanity to such desperate straits?】

The grand hymn cut off abruptly.

In its place came a background noise, as if from the deepest reaches of the cosmos, formed by the mingled wails, mad laughter, whispers, and sobs of countless souls.

The image brightened.

This was no longer any space in the physical sense,

but an ocean of energy, constantly surging and boiling, composed purely of emotion and thought.

【One answer: Chaos.】

【Behind the dimensional walls of the real universe lies a mirror dimension.】

【It is called the Warp, also known as the Immaterium or the Sea of Souls.】

【It is not made of matter, but woven from the soul-energy, emotions, desires, dreams, and nightmares of all sapient life.】

【Anger, hope, pride, despair, love, hatred……each emotion is a drop of water poured into this ocean.】

【Here there is no time, no logic, no causality—only pure emotional storms, eternal and unceasing.】

In the image,

a twisted light-shadow struggled in the Warp—it was a soul that had wandered in by mistake.

Instantly, millions of faces forged from pure anguish rose from the energy sea, tearing it apart and devouring it, not even allowing a single scream to escape.

【The Warp is the mirror of the real universe, the cancer of all life's souls.】

【And in the depths of this chaotic sea, when certain emotions reach absolute intensity, accumulating over eons of sedimentation, consciousness is born……】

【They are called……the Chaos Gods.】

The image plunged suddenly, sinking into the darkest vortex of the Warp.

【2. Chaos Forces】

【Origin: the Warp, an illusory realm formed by the aggregation of emotions, desires, and nightmares of all sapient beings.】

【Motto: "Let the galaxy burn!"】

The image shifted,

the camera focusing on a mountain piled high with millions of skulls,

at its peak.

stood a throne of brass.

【Khorne: God of War, Murder, and Rage.】

【He is the embodiment of all violence, anger, and hatred in the universe.】

【Every sword swing, every trigger pull, every fist clenched in rage is a prayer offered to him.】

【Khorne despises deceit and intrigue; he craves only pure violence.】

【His followers are berserk warriors who seek glorious death on the battlefield.】

【He cares not whose blood is spilled, as long as it flows in rivers.】

The figure upon the throne rose to his feet.

He was a towering daemon, clad in brass armor, muscles coiled like springs, wielding a colossal axe capable of cleaving reality itself.

His roar became a tangible wave of energy, stirring a blood-red storm in the Warp.

【His whisper: "Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!"】

The image shifted,

to a labyrinth of ever-shifting crystal.

Countless threads of fate were woven here.

Every choice, every lie, made the labyrinth's structure more complex.

【Tzeentch: God of Change, Hope, and Intrigue.】

【He is the embodiment of all who seek change, chase hope, and weave schemes in the universe. Every spark of ambition, every hope for the future, every act of deceit and betrayal adds to his power.】

【Tzeentch is the sorcerer who manipulates fate; his followers are wizards and schemers who seek forbidden knowledge and strive to glimpse the future.】

【But every answer they receive is merely the beginning of an even greater deception.】

At the heart of the labyrinth,

a great daemon with a bird's head smiled, his eyes flickering with millions of possible futures, each shifting every second.

He lightly plucked a thread of fate, and in the real universe, a planetary leader died mysteriously, sparking a civil war that lasted a century.

【His whisper: "All change is one, all things are dust."】

The image cut again,

into a garden rotting, bloated, and reeking of foul stench.

【Nurgle: God of Decay, Despair, and Renewal.】

【He is the embodiment of all fear of disease, despair in the face of death, and the stubborn will that brings new life from rot.】

【Every plague's spread, every festering wound, every surrender to despair strengthens his domain.】

【Nurgle is affectionately called "Father" by his followers; he loves every life in the universe and longs to bestow his "gifts"—plague and decay—upon all.】

【His followers feel no pain in the rot, only eternal "rebirth" and joy.】

At the garden's center,

An indescribably bloated colossal entity sat enthroned, its body constantly oozing pus, countless tiny "Nurglings" frolicking among its intestines and folds of flesh.

It let out a benevolent laugh,

casually waving a hand.

An incurable supervirus crossed dimensions, descending upon a prosperous human world.

【His Whisper: "Embrace the gifts of the kindly Father..."】

Finally, the scene arrived at a palace of utmost luxury and decadence.

Senses were amplified to the extreme here,

the boundary between pain and pleasure completely blurred.

【Slaanesh: God of excess, pleasure, and depravity.】

【He is the youngest of the Chaos Gods, "born" by the ancient Aeldari civilization at the peak of its fall.】

【He is the embodiment of all sentient beings' ultimate pursuit of pleasure, pathological obsession with perfection, and infinite craving for sensory stimulation in the universe.】

【Slaanesh's followers seek the ultimate experience, be it art, music, or... pain.】

【They would sacrifice everything for a moment of sensory stimulation. In their eyes, there is no good or evil, only "interesting" and "boring".】

In the palace depths,

a figure of indeterminate sex, beautiful enough to shatter one's mind, leaned against the throne, letting out a satisfied sigh.】

【Every breath He takes drives countless artists, nobles, and thrill-seekers in the real universe into madness.

【His Whisper: "A little more, a little more beautiful, a little more painful..."】

Land of Light.

Before the Plasma Spark Tower.

Father of Ultra's fists clenched, the energy indicator lights on his silver body flashing violently.

"Chaos Gods..."

His deep voice carried unprecedented gravity,

"Ancient legends of the Land of Light also record similar creatures, attempting to corrupt the universe."

"But... but these four from the Warhammer universe, they are clearly far more dangerous!"

Zoffy interjected, tone equally heavy:

"They originate from intelligent life itself."

"As long as anger, hope, despair, and desire exist, they will never be eradicated."

"They are ten thousand times more terrifying than the Alien Empera!"

Taro cried out involuntarily,

"Alien Empera only used Super Beasts to manufacture hatred, but these Chaos Gods, they ARE hatred itself!"

Seven's gaze locked dead onto the sky-screen.

He had seen Alien Empera's dark legions, and seen Belial's Hundred-Body Monsters.

But those were all enemies that could be physically destroyed.

"But this existence called 'the Warp'..."

Seven murmured to himself,

"It's like the universe's own cancer."

"Inoperable, because it is part of the patient. We must find... a completely new method."

Cybertron.

Optimus Prime's massive metal body remained motionless, the images of the Four Chaos Gods reflected in his blue optical sensors, their light dimmed to the nadir.

"Corruption... Depravity..."

His voice was filled with grief,

"This reminds me of those brothers infected by the Cosmic Rust."

"But Chaos Gods are conscious malice, the mortal enemy of free will. They lure life toward self-destruction."

Beside him,

Megatron let out a deafening maniacal laugh.

"Hahahaha! Khorne? I like it! Blood for the Blood God? Good slogan!"

He slammed a fist onto the iron throne, sparks flying,

"This is the truth of the universe! War! Eternal war!"

Starscream fawned beside him:

"Great Megatron, should we learn this power?"

"Shut up!"

Megatron's crimson sensors swept over him,

"I bow to no god, I will become a god myself!"

"However, this line of thinking isn't bad — decorating my throne with enemy skulls!"

Xiliens Federation Flagship.

Grand Marshal Xilien's coffee cup paused at his lips, his face dark enough to wring water from.

"So these are the enemies of humanity in the Warhammer universe?"

She set down her cup, her voice icy cold,

"A dimension of idealism constructed from negative emotions? Absurd nonsense!"

The Chief of Staff whispered a reminder from the side:

"Grand Marshal, the Heavenly Screen's displays have been real so far."

Sydney fell silent.

"Then... that charlatan sitting on the throne was gravely wounded by these things?"

Her tone carried a hint of complexity.

A leader capable of opposing such a conceptual existence... perhaps... is not as simple as she imagined.

The Wandering Earth universe.

Liu Peiqiang felt a chill rise from his spine.

"MOSS, subspace... is there any scientific basis?"

"According to existing physical models, subspace cannot be proven. Its existence violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics and causality."

MOSS's synthesized voice remained as calm as ever,

"But, Observer Liu Peiqiang, you once experienced inexplicable gravitational anomalies and hallucinations during the Jupiter gravity assist."

"Perhaps, there truly exist dimensions in the universe that transcend the current limits of human reason."

Makarov downed a large mouthful of vodka, yet the burning liquor could not dispel the chill in his heart.

"So, the helium flash, the Dark Forest... compared to this, they're practically paradise?"

The Heavenly Screen's imagery shifted, the voice once again becoming solemn and grave.

【Chaos is not humanity's only enemy. In this burning galaxy, there also teem countless xenos who harbor bone-deep hatred for humanity.】

On the screen, races of diverse forms were displayed one by one.

【3. Xenos】

【· Aeldari (Eldar)】

【An ancient and endangered race. They were once the rulers of the galaxy, possessing unmatched psychic gifts and technology.】

【But their endless decadence and hedonism ultimately birthed the Chaos God Slaanesh in the Warp. That "Fall" nearly destroyed their entire civilization.】

【Now, the survivors wander the universe like ghosts, fighting for the sins of their past, proud and sorrowful.】

【· Orks】

【A savage, warlike green-skinned species.】

【They are one of the most successful species in the universe, essentially a biological weapon.】

【Their technology appears ramshackle, yet functions because of their collective "Waaagh!" field.】

【They are born for war, die for war, their only pursuit a "good fight."】

【· T'au Empire】

【A relatively young, vibrant race. They believe in a philosophy called "The Greater Good," seeking to unite all races in the universe and build a peaceful, prosperous alliance.】

【They possess advanced long-range firepower and battlesuit technology, but in the cruel galaxy, their idealism appears out of place.】

【· Tyranids】

【The ultimate predators from beyond the galaxy. They are a vast Hive Mind composed of countless organisms, their sole purpose to devour all organic matter and turn entire galaxies into part of their gene pool.】

【They are a moving natural disaster; where they pass, not a blade of grass grows.】

【· Necrons】

【An ancient undying race of living metal. Tens of millions of years ago, to fight their arch-enemy, they sold their souls to the C'tan, transforming into emotionless killing machines.】

【Now, as their Tomb Worlds awaken one by one, they are determined to purge all "noisy" lesser life from the galaxy and bring eternal silence to the universe once more.】

The image froze on a star map of the five major xenos races locked in melee with the Imperium of Man,

The entire galaxy,

Had not a single peaceful corner.

The flames of war spread to every corner.

Father of Ultra was completely dumbfounded:

"... There are actually this many non-human civilizations?!"

"But why are they all fighting? The universe should be about diverse coexistence; different civilizations can learn from each other and progress together."

Seven shook his head: "Captain, in this universe, 'coexistence' seems to be a joke."

Optimus Prime looked at the screen.

"The tragedy of the Aeldari reminds us that unrestrained indulgence ultimately leads to ruin."

"Orks... are like an out-of-control mechanical virus whose only logic is combat."

"And the Tyranids, they remind me of those mechanical locust legions that only knew how to devour, back when we were enslaved by Quintesson."

Megatron grew excited once more:

"Orks? I like them! They're pure, violent, no scheming!"

"Starscream, take note. If we can reach this universe, I'm recruiting them to fight the Chaos Gods!"

The Xingren United Fleet flagship.

A complex expression mixed with disgust and understanding appeared in Grand Marshal Sydney's eyes for the first time.

"Xenos! How can there be so many Xenos in this universe!"

She tapped on the armrest,

"No wonder the Human Empire was forced into such a morbid state."

"Facing so many enemies, any shred of weakness could lead to extinction."

She suddenly stood up and said resolutely, "Perhaps... our Human Federation should help them fight against the Xenos."

"Humanity Supreme! In any universe, it should be so!"

Trisolaran First Fleet.

The Chairman's thought-body fluctuated violently, almost dissipating.

It saw chaos, saw endless Xenos.

"Terrifying... this is ten thousand times, a hundred million times more terrifying than the Dark Forest!"

Its thought signal was filled with lingering fear,

"Our Dark Forest, at least... at least it was calm on the surface, the establishment of the chain of suspicion also takes time."

"This universe, just as the Sky Curtain said, is an unextinguishable warfire!"

A Trisolaran scientist emitted a trembling signal:

"Chairman, we... we are fortunate."

"Yes! We are fortunate!"

The Chairman's thought signal suddenly surged, carrying a kind of wild joy after surviving a calamity,

"We encountered the Ultraman Civilization! We encountered the Land of Light!"

"If we were in the Warhammer universe,"

The Chairman's thought signal was filled with fear,

"Even if we encountered Ultraman, we would probably suspect at the first moment whether this is truly genuine light, or yet another trap of hope woven by Tzeentch the Chaos God!"

This thought plunged the entire Trisolaran Fleet into dead silence.

Indeed, in a world where even "hope" itself can turn into a Chaos God, how should one believe in hope?