Inside the hovercar, Eden gazed up at the towering Holy Tower, a massive machine structure bathed in sacred light, standing at the heart of the Sanctuary.
Spanning several kilometers at its base and rising over ten kilometers into the sky, it was an awe-inspiring sight that could overwhelm anyone who beheld it.
This was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken in his domain.
Without access to sector-wide resources, along with technologies from humanity's Golden Age, Aeldari, Orks, and even the Old Ones, such a colossal psionic-mechanical construct would have been impossible to build.
Nowhere else in the galaxy had the freedom to develop such "heretical" technological marvels.
The Holy Tower shone with divine radiance, its light covering nearly half the Sanctuary, further deepening the holy aura of the land.
But the glow wasn't just for aesthetic or religious purposes—it provided actual defensive capabilities.
That light was the raw energy radiating from the Golden Sun, harnessed and redirected through the tower's hundreds of warp-energy siphoning devices, extracting massive amounts of psionic power from the Immaterium.
Due to the Golden Sun's overwhelming concentration of faith energy, the God-Emperor had long suffered under its crushing weight—his consciousness was fragmented, teetering on the brink of collapse.
But with the Holy Tower, large-scale energy extraction could be performed, effectively relieving some of the Emperor's immense burden.
This both alleviated the Emperor's suffering and provided the territory with a high-quality source of psionic energy.
A win-win situation!
Recently, during his trips into the Warp, Eden had noticed a subtle change—the Emperor's attitude toward him had improved.
Though He still remained silent, there was a faint sense of acknowledgment.
Eden was beginning to understand.
The Emperor's silence wasn't merely stubbornness—it was because He was constantly battling the dark personalities within His fragmented mind.
Even transmitting a single message was a monumental struggle.
This was why divine revelations and prophecies were so rare—the price of communication was too high.
Unless the situation was dire, the Emperor would not interfere directly.
The realization struck Eden.
Even under such agonizing conditions, the Emperor had repeatedly reached out to him, even providing direct assistance at crucial moments.
Not to mention, He had continually shielded the Miniature Suns that Eden deployed.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"The Emperor truly cares for me!"
This strengthened his resolve.
He had to do more to help the Emperor—draw more energy, ease His suffering.
Of course, the energy extracted from this single tower was merely a fraction of what was needed.
It barely scratched the surface of the Emperor's agony.
But it was a start.
As resources grew, more Holy Towers could be built across multiple worlds, further reducing the Emperor's suffering.
This wasn't just about helping the Emperor—it was about ensuring humanity's own survival.
After all, the Imperium relied on the Emperor to seal the Webway rift, to maintain the Astronomican, and to keep the Imperium's vast communication networks intact.
The very existence of the Imperium hinged on the Emperor's endurance.
If, one day, the strain broke Him—if He succumbed to madness, or exploded from the sheer pressure—humanity would plunge into eternal darkness.
"At least... this provides some relief, for now..."
Eden sighed deeply.
But it was only a temporary solution.
As long as the Four Chaos Gods and the Xenos threats existed, humanity would never know peace.
Humanity had always been plagued with endless suffering.
Fortunately, Roboute Guilliman had returned.
At the very least, he could slow down the Imperium's descent into total collapse.
This was the beginning of a shift.
Would humanity rise to glory, or plunge deeper into darkness—perhaps even face complete annihilation?
No one knew.
For now, all Eden could do was continue growing stronger, forging his own path forward.
To protect his people.
To give humanity a fighting chance.
As the hovercar glided to a stop at the tower's entrance, a group of figures was already waiting.
"Lord Savior~"
The Magos, along with several Tech-Priests, bowed in reverence.
They had been waiting for quite some time.
Eden composed himself, stepping out of the hovercar, following Magos into the tower's depths.
The Holy Tower was far more than a mere mechanical monument—at its core, it was a weapons manufacturing facility.
Today, Eden was here to witness an experiment.
This was one of the key technological projects of the Grand Star Zone Development Plan—a crucial piece in constructing a planetary defense network.
The sacred light radiating from the tower?
Merely a byproduct of the weapons manufacturing process.
Inside the elevator, Eden glanced at Magos.
"This time... there won't be another failure, right?"
He had reviewed the previous experiment reports.
The new weapon's trials had already failed multiple times.
Magos, his voice reverent yet mechanical, responded:
"In the Savior's name.
We have now mastered all essential components of the new technology. The chance of failure has been reduced to less than 1%.
Only with such certainty did we dare invite you to witness this trial."
The Holy Tower project had consumed massive resources.
As one of the project's chief overseers, Magos was under immense pressure—he was desperate to showcase results.
Eden nodded, reassured.
In truth, the original designer of the tower had been Belisarius Cawl.
However, after laying the initial framework, Cawl had abandoned the project, shifting his focus to other Forge World operations.
Still, if the Tech-Priests were confident, Eden couldn't help but feel a growing anticipation.
The elevator halted, arriving at four to five kilometers above ground level.
As the doors slid open, a wave of sacred energy surged outward, flooding Eden's senses.
His vision was filled with golden light.
The chamber before him was the size of a vast plaza.
At the center, multiple warp-energy siphoning devices continuously extracted golden energy, their power roaring like a storm.
The air trembled with surging heatwaves.
The red-robed Tech-Priests had their robes billowing wildly under the energy surges.
Dozens of them were busily monitoring and calibrating machinery.
Eden followed Magos into the depths of the sanctuary.
Along the way, he saw row upon row of Holy Ash Bombs.
Since the construction of the Holy Tower, the manufacturing of these relic-weapons had been relocated here.
With more space, greater energy density, and improved containment fields, the Holy Tower provided the optimal environment for crafting and storing the sacred bombs.
At present, there were three completed Holy Ash Bombs ready for deployment, with eleven more in various stages of fabrication.
That meant—aside from the two bombs expended at Matira and Macragge—there were now fourteen Holy Ash Bombs in total.
For years, Eden had been painstakingly extracting his own bone marrow and blood, stockpiling materials to create more bombs.
Yet, despite all efforts, the number of bombs had not increased.
Why?
Because Eden was hoarding materials for something far bigger.
He was building a monster.
It was truly massive.
Eden looked toward the center of the mechanical framework, where an enormous Holy Ash Missile was currently being charged.
Measuring ten meters in length and three meters in diameter, it stood as tall as a four-story building, an imposing sight to behold.
This colossal divine weapon was named "Tsar"—the ultimate among holy munitions.
However, firing it was another matter entirely.
Its deployment options were limited—ordinary Chaos incursions weren't even worthy of it.
But for Eden, this weapon wasn't meant to be used—it was meant to exist.
A strategic deterrent, a nuclear-level threat in his arsenal.
He might never fire it, but he couldn't afford not to have it.
The only downside was the excruciatingly long manufacturing process.
The energy requirements were astronomical.
Even with the Holy Tower amplifying energy extraction speeds several times over, it would still take decades to fully charge the missile.
After observing Tsar for a moment and asking a few questions about its status, Eden moved on.
Today's main focus wasn't this.
It was a new defensive weapon system.
Following Magos , Eden arrived at the sealed mechanical laboratory, its walls reinforced with powerful anti-psionic barriers.
The moment he stepped inside, a deep, guttural roar echoed through the dimly lit chamber.
A howl filled with rage and despair.
Eden followed the sound.
His eyes immediately fell upon a high-ranking daemon, bound in psionic-nullification collars and rune-inscribed chains.
Scorch marks covered its body, evidence of continuous suffering.
"Wait a second... this thing looks familiar..."
Something about the daemon's appearance rang a bell, but Eden couldn't quite place it.
After all, to him, most daemons looked the same—horned, fanged, and monstrous.
As the Tech-Priests adjusted the experiment parameters, Magos explained in a mechanical tone:
"This is Demon Test Subject No. 1. We spent considerable resources securing it from Mao, that stingy miser."
"If he hadn't recently obtained a Hell Drake daemon embryo for his research, we would've had to pay an even higher price..."
There was a slight hint of mockery in Magos 's tone.
After all, Mao's ridiculous failures were well-known within the Adeptus Mechanicus.
His Daemon Research Institute was a joke—few researchers, almost no results, and barely scraping by with funding.
His only real work was studying this one single daemon, publishing a few recycled papers just to secure more grant money.
Mockery aside, Magos remained fully focused on the energy calibrations.
Any error in power modulation could accidentally kill the daemon.
And if that happened, Mao would absolutely flip—demanding compensation for the loss.
"Oh, now I remember!"
Eden suddenly recalled the origin of this daemon.
Three or four years ago, while exploring the Webway, this unfortunate creature had stumbled out alone—only to be met by Big Barrel and his squad, who promptly beat it to a pulp.
Eventually, Mao's research team arrived, bound it in chains, and dragged it away for experiments.
And now, after all this time, it was still rotting away in a lab.
Eden gazed at the daemon, watching as it struggled violently against its bonds.
This was the threat humanity faced—an abomination born of pure malice, a corrupting force of Chaos.
Even in its weakened state, it hungered for human flesh, its hatred undying.
Despite looking fragile and battered, if freed, this single daemon could annihilate an entire city—unless confronted by a high-tier combatant.
For ordinary humans, just looking at a daemon like this could shatter their minds, inducing madness and corruption.
Luckily, the Holy Tower's new technology was specifically designed to counter Chaos.
As the final calibrations were completed, the experiment began.
Eden's gaze shifted to the mechanical sphere suspended above the laboratory, its crystalline lenses embedded in its surface.
These crystals focused and dispersed light, amplifying its divine properties.
"Lord Savior, the system is ready. You may initiate the device at any time," Magos reported.
Eden nodded and pressed the activation button.
A low hum resonated through the chamber.
Then—
A radiant holy light ignited from within the mechanical sphere.
Instantly, the room was engulfed in a blinding glow.
The daemon shrieked in agony.
Eden watched closely.
Unlike the explosive burst of Holy Ash Bombs, this holy light did not burn away instantly.
Instead, it slowly ignited, sustaining its presence over time.
As Magos fine-tuned the energy output, the scattered light was focused into a controlled beam, directly illuminating the daemon.
SSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
Black smoke billowed as the daemon's flesh sizzled under the divine light.
Its screams turned to howls of raw terror.
Under the relentless holy radiance, its form began to disintegrate.
Yet, amidst its pain-filled cries, the daemon's eyes glimmered with twisted relief.
"Curse you, humans... but at last, I am free!"
But then—
The light beam moved away from its body.
...
???
The daemon's expression instantly collapsed into despair.
Its wail turned even more pitiful, but no one paid it any attention.
Eden focused intently on the system's performance.
Meanwhile, Magos provided further explanations.
This new technology, officially named "Holy Solar Satellite", was completely different from Holy Ash Bombs.
Instead of using explosive divine energy, it functioned like an artificial sun, radiating continuous holy light over long durations.
The payload was crafted from Eden's bone marrow and other sacred materials, refined into an illumination-based munition.
Though it lacked the lethal punch of a Holy Ash Bomb, it could burn for hours—potentially even days—maintaining a perpetual divine field.
The mechanical framework also allowed light beams to be redirected, providing flexibility in targeting.
"Perfect. Exactly what I wanted!"
Eden was thrilled.
The Holy Solar Satellite experiment was a resounding success.
This marked a major advancement in planetary defense systems!
Of course, this prototype was only a small-scale test unit.
The real deal awaited above.
After concluding the experiment, Eden and Magos ascended to the Holy Tower's highest platform.
There, they beheld several fully completed Holy Solar Satellites, each two hundred meters in length.
Dozens of Tech-Priests were busy conducting final adjustments.
Unlike Holy Ash Bombs—which were purely offensive—the Holy Solar Satellites were defensive.
These massive constructs would be deployed into planetary orbits, forming a holy defense grid.
If daemons invaded, the solution was simple:
Bathe them in holy sunlight.
Of course, if Eden somehow managed to deploy these into the Chaos Gods' domains…
The results would be hilarious.
In the future, his domain would establish more Holy Towers, manufacturing even more satellites, ensuring every world under his control was protected.
These satellites, combined with turrets and force-field defense arrays, would form an impenetrable planetary defense network.
A multi-decade project aimed at fortifying the entire sector.
Eden's goal was clear:
Seal the sector like a fortress—an ironclad bastion.
A secure stronghold, from which he could expand outward freely, without fear of losing his core territories.
This was not like Holy Terra, constantly besieged and vulnerable.
No Warp rift bombs under his throne, no desperate defenses, no pleas for reinforcements.
Just stability, power, and control.
And when the time was right…
A decisive strike.
The perfect long-term strategy:
"Fortify. Accumulate. Then, strike hard."
...
Tower's Peak—Luxury Bathhouse
Wrapped in a bathrobe, Eden reclined on a lounge chair, watching a performance troupe dance.
It had been a while since he felt this relaxed.
Just then—
BZZZT.
His data panel vibrated.
He checked the message—his eyes lit up with joy.
It was from the Lunar Forge World.
The psychic-automated production lines were now fully operational!
(End of Chapter)
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