Man in Warhammer, starting Primarch

Human beings are creatures that fight to survive as long as they have hope.

Although Dukel was not skilled at socializing, he did not stay away from the reveling crowd. For the people suffering in the dark ages, he represented hope itself at this moment.

Despite his seriousness, even a simple, encouraging look from him could help a weathered man regain confidence in life. A pat on the shoulder could make a soldier who had survived war feel a sense of long-awaited glory.

To him, these gestures were just a small effort.

While Dukel could mercilessly cut down countless foes, he could not bring himself to deprive humanity of its hope.

As night fell, the fervent crowd finally dispersed, reluctantly leaving after being evacuated by the Astra Militarum.

Dukel returned to the temple, where the State Church had prepared a room specifically for him.

"Your Highness Dukel, I believe you should travel to Terra as soon as possible. Only in the heart of the empire can you truly demonstrate your greatness," Sister Efilar advised.

The Primarch was still accompanied by Sister Efilar, who now revealed a wise and strategic side. She offered Dukel many useful suggestions.

"Terra?" Dukel hesitated for a moment.

As a Primarch whose name had been stricken from the records and all information about him erased, Terra was a place he knew he must return to eventually.

Even though the Emperor could no longer speak, Dukel had to meet him.

"Now is not the time. I need to prepare some things first," Dukel replied.

Terra was the domain of the High Lords Council, the Inquisition, the State Church, and the Mechanicus. It was not yet the right time to return.

Efilar shifted the conversation to other topics. She spoke at length about the empire's ten thousand years of suffering and humanity's desperate hope for salvation.

Dukel listened carefully.

A few hours later, Sister Efilar reluctantly left his room.

After watching her leave, Dukel sat at his desk, picked up a pen, and began drafting calculations.

Terra was a necessity, but before returning, he needed to make thorough preparations.

Above all, he needed to protect his mind.

This was the warning he had received when battling Kabanha, the Great Demon of Khorne.

To this day, Dukel did not fully understand how the Second Primarch had been driven to lose control. Was it a targeted attack on his will? Or perhaps a genetic flaw inherent in the Primarchs?

As Kabanha had ominously said:

"If the Chaos Gods managed to make the Second Primarch lose control once, there will surely be a second time."

The schemes of the Chaos Gods and the looming threat of losing control hung over Dukel like the sword of Damocles.

Before departing for Terra, he had to strengthen his mind and will.

Fortunately, as a time traveler, his memories of two lifetimes gave him a broader perspective than most.

"In the Warhammer universe, psykers temper their spirits and willpower through meditation. In my past life, ancient Taoist practitioners in the Jingchu, Wuyue, and Bashu regions of Daxia cultivated their spirits using visualization techniques," Dukel mused.

"It should be feasible to combine these methods. Let's start with extrapolation and visualization techniques."

Dukel began drafting rapidly.

It did not matter whether the visualization method was immediately effective. The Primarch's brain was as powerful as a biological supercomputer. With his immense computational abilities, he could quickly test and refine ideas.

"Visualization Method 001 failed."

"Visualization Method 002 failed."

"Visualization Method 003 failed."

...

"Visualization Method 165 failed."

The night passed in the blink of an eye, and golden sunlight streamed through the window.

Dukel stared at the drafts scattered across his desk, rubbing his hair in frustration.

"This theory should work. Why am I failing?"

"The problem is computational power. I underestimated the complexity of strengthening the mind and will. It requires far more resources than I anticipated."

"I can't do this alone."

A spark of inspiration suddenly struck him.

"Alone?" Dukel murmured.

"If my computational power isn't enough, I'll unite hundreds, thousands, or even the entire human empire!"

Ideas began flooding Dukel's mind, each more audacious and innovative than the last.

"If I want to harness the computing power of others, I'll need to create a structure akin to a 'mind network'—a system that connects their consciousness to mine..."

"But relying solely on psychic energy for this would be disastrous. The strain would kill me."

"Fortunately, I have the system. Faith can form a stronger, inexhaustible network."

Dukel meticulously developed his concept, refining each bold idea into actionable steps. Using the system's ability to absorb and transform faith, he constructed the mental network in his mind.

By nightfall, Dukel had finished turning his vision into reality.

"It's done," he whispered.

Elsewhere, in a simple barracks dormitory, a battle sister finished her prayers and lay down to sleep.

Suddenly—

[Ding!]

A pleasant chime sounded in her mind, followed by a translucent panel appearing in her vision.

[Humanity has endured millennia of ignorance and darkness. Countless warriors have fallen across alien worlds in loyalty and honor. Will you join the effort to save the empire?]

[Yes, Yes, Yes...]

The battle sister stared, momentarily confused, before her resolve hardened.

"This must be the Emperor's divine test," she murmured.

"Praise the Emperor!"

(End of this chapter)