Aeldari

To some extent, the Thought Seal was undeniably a dark technology. Through mechanical means, it could make people firmly believe in a certain conviction.

The human brain was remarkably complex, with different neuron clusters responsible for different functions.

There were even specialized neural regions responsible for judging right and wrong.

For example, the proposition that water was poisonous.

That proposition required repeated evaluation—what kind of water was it, and what did it contain? Only then could one determine whether it was poisonous.

The process of reaching a conclusion through thought was incredibly complex.

But the Thought Seal could skip those processes and produce an answer directly. When certain information entered the brain, it could influence part of the neural network and make the brain accept that information as true without any thought.

In other words, once the Thought Seal that water was poisonous had been implanted, that person would truly regard all water as poison.

Given the Imperium's complexity and his unusual identity, Guilliman decided to use this technology.

Guilliman had no choice. He could only stand firmly on humanity's side.

The Emperor also stood on humanity's side, but he might not stand on Guilliman's side.

He was a Transmigrator, and he had a Cheat.

Once the Emperor decided he was an enemy who might threaten humanity, he might very well dispose of him.

Then, if he was on Terra and got arrested outright, wouldn't he be completely finished?

Those shut-in Adeptus Custodes had no small grudge against the Primarchs. At a word from the Emperor, they would take Guilliman down in minutes.

Some members of the Conservative Faction, the diehards—in the original timeline, they had been deeply dissatisfied with the revived Guilliman's changes to the Emperor's legacy and his reforms of the Imperium's bloated system. Some had even rebelled outright, unwilling to obey Terra's orders any longer.

Those people were all potential threats.

And beyond those threats, problems like the invasion of Chaos were equally thorny.

He couldn't let the weapons he created end up in traitors' hands and used against humanity itself!

That would be truly disastrous.

Guilliman needed a few trump cards. He could imprint the new recruits with Thought Seals.

Make them resolutely hate Chaos and everything connected to it, while placing his command authority above even the Emperor's authority. That way, even if the Emperor turned on him, he could at least retreat unscathed instead of being trapped to death on Terra.

Cawl looked at the smiling Guilliman, and even his rapidly operating cognitive core stuttered for a moment.

He had already read the contents of the data storage unit, so he naturally knew what the Thought Seal was.

"Regent, this Thought Seal technology..."

Cawl's tone was filled with confusion. Was such technology really going to be used?

"You know the Imperium of Man's current situation, Cawl. We have no path of retreat left. The Imperium has endured for ten thousand years, yet it has suffered repeated defeats against Chaos and weakened by the day. We are in a worse state than during the Great Crusade. How can we face the increasingly terrifying war like this? If this continues, humanity will inevitably be completely destroyed by Chaos.

Desperate times require desperate measures. We need an army absolutely loyal to humanity and loyal to the Imperium. This army must be dependable and completely obey our commands and ideas. You have seen the corruption of Terra's bureaucrats and the rigidity of the Adeptus Mechanicus. If we do not make changes, do you think we can defeat that terrifying Chaos?"

Guilliman had no intention of revealing his own little calculations. He would fool him first.

Cawl frowned slightly, strange light flickering in his electronic eyes. After a moment, he had reached a decision.

"I will fulfill your commission, Regent." Cawl bowed, mechanical humming accompanying the movement.

Guilliman smiled.

"Good. Go, then. Complete the task I assigned you. I hope to see this army as soon as possible. I need it to stabilize the Imperium of Man's current chaos."

After ending his conversation with the Tech-Priest Cawl,

Guilliman summoned the leaders of the Ynnari, Yvraine and Visarch, intending to have a face-to-face discussion with them.

The Imperium of Man had never liked Xenos, and the people of Ultramar would not trust Xenos to move freely through their worlds either.

Before leading his troops out to suppress the remaining Chaos forces across the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar, he had to settle the matter of this Xenos army, the Ynnari.

The Ynnari were not part of the Imperium's military structure. They were an army from the ancient Xenos race known as the Aeldari.

For certain reasons, they had chosen to help Cawl, Celestine, and the others revive Guilliman.

They had contributed greatly to his resurrection, and Guilliman could not simply kill them. That would be a little too inhuman.

The Aeldari were slender, and their appearances resembled those of humans, except that their ears were different—extremely pointed.

They were exceptionally beautiful, carrying a hint of temperament humans could never imitate.

Yvraine and Visarch entered through the doors and bowed slightly.

It was their way of showing respect to the human Regent.

Guilliman watched the two of them. Even having lived through the age of beauty filters, he had to admit that the Aeldari were truly attractive.

Their waists were unbelievably slim. Guilliman seriously doubted whether those waists could bear the weight of their armor.

"No need for such formality. Speak to me directly. I have many mysteries that require your answers."

Guilliman had them straighten up, his gaze fixed on them.

It was worth mentioning that the Aeldari had been a major factor in bringing about Slaanesh, one of the four Chaos Gods.

The Aeldari were a very ancient race, said to have participated in the War in Heaven.

During the War in Heaven, their creators were destroyed, while their enemies, the Necrons, fell into slumber.

They gained the position of overlords of the Milky Way and entered their most prosperous era.

Amid that prosperity, they gradually fell into corruption and sank into the abyss of endless desire.

Their entire race drowned in an ocean of desire, indulging themselves without restraint.

Their indulgent thoughts and souls surged through the Warp, creating an immense echo that awakened and nourished an ancient, terrifying existence.

Slaanesh's birth unleashed an incomparably horrifying soul storm, causing the vast Aeldari Empire to collapse outright.

The scream emitted by the newborn Chaos god even tore open the material universe, forming the Eye of Terror that connected the Warp and the real world.

Countless Aeldari were drained alive of their life force and Psykers, becoming nourishment for Slaanesh.

Even the gods once worshipped by the Aeldari encountered disaster in that terrible catastrophe. They were either destroyed or imprisoned.

Only those Aeldari with the foresight not to participate in the Aeldari society's decline, as well as those who had fled in advance into special spatial nodes—the Webway cities—survived.

The souls of the Aeldari were watched by Slaanesh at every moment. Once they died, they would fall into Slaanesh's grasp, suffer endless torment, and become part of its sustenance, forever on the edge of destruction.

Yet their technology and Psykers remained extremely powerful, making them a force in the Milky Way that could not be ignored.

The Ynnari led by Yvraine and Visarch had even helped Cawl and the others escape pursuit by the Chaos forces, fleeing the battlefield of Cadia and successfully reaching Macragge.

"The stars have been torn apart. The living beings of the Milky Way are about to face the most terrible catastrophe. Once the power of Chaos breaks out of the Warp, the Milky Way will enter its end days as well. I am pleased that our two races can form an alliance and resist this crisis together."

Guilliman nodded. "I am also delighted by this alliance. It is an immense honor for the Imperium to receive your aid."

"We will soon depart, but there are things I must warn you about. Cawl's technology is indeed powerful and healed your body, but your true wound lies at the level of the soul. The reason you can truly walk among the living is the power of Ynnead. If you cherish your life, then from this day onward, you must never remove your armor. There is no need for concern. This suit of armor is far sturdier than you can imagine."

"I do not wish to discuss this matter in detail, much less investigate what hides behind the power that awakened me! But I still wish to give you a warning. If you require humanity's friendship, then you must treat us sincerely. Any underhanded methods will only wear away humanity's mercy and trust in you. I do not wish for the day when we meet again to be the day we draw our swords against each other on the battlefield."

Guilliman smiled. He did not want to investigate the matter. He had already been revived, and whatever plans the Aeldari had for him no longer mattered.

With the Database and the Dominion Template, he could easily handle everything.

He merely wanted to give Yvraine a warning. If they played tricks, the Ynnari would definitely regret it in the future.

They might have saved his life, but when faced with a choice between his own life, humanity's survival, and the Aeldari, he would not hesitate in the slightest to draw his sword against them.

"We will remember your warning. I hope that when we meet again, we will still be friends rather than enemies."

After offering a formal salute, Yvraine turned and left.

"Then that is that. Lastly, I wish you victory in your first battle. Show our common enemies what you're made of."

"And I wish you great martial fortune, Roboute Guilliman," Yvraine said. "The eyes of the gods, as well as those of your traitorous brothers, are already upon you. Do your best to stay alive."

With that, she turned and walked out. Visarch, who had remained silent the entire time, offered the Primarch a warrior's salute before turning to leave as well.

Guilliman frowned, suddenly feeling utterly exhausted.

This universe was full of monsters!

Every random person was sharp as hell. None of them were easy to fool!

After dealing with the Aeldari matter, Guilliman pressed the communicator. "Let those Planetary Governors and Merchant Guild leaders who have been waiting for so long come in. I have something to tell them."