Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor-Chapter 286 - 287: Vashtorr: Help Me! The Cursed One Is Terrifying!

Chapter 286 - 287: Vashtorr: Help Me! The Cursed One Is Terrifying!

Black Mechanicus Territory.

With the eruption of the Chaos ritual circle, countless cables sprouted like strands of hair.

The sharp, sentient cables twisted and slithered through the air, searching for any signs of life.

Agonized screams echoed endlessly.

"O Dark Mechanicum God, we piously beg for your forgiveness! We are willing to serve you forever!"

Many black-robed Tech-Priests knelt in prayer, hoping the daemon demigod would show them mercy.

But it was all futile.

Puchi—

Sharp cables pierced the backs of their heads, dragging them into the Chaos circle as blood sacrifices.

Though the daemon demigod indulged in their offerings, He did not care for the lives or deaths of mortals.

He didn't even glance at them.

To Him, the blood and souls of His followers were His personal property. To offer everything for the great demigod was the ultimate blessing.

The remaining Tech-Priests shivered at their comrades' screams, overwhelmed by fear and regret.

They regretted everything.

Regretted betraying humanity. Regretted foolishly placing their faith in the Dark Mechanicum God!

Now, not only had they failed to attain the knowledge they dreamed of, their flesh and souls were being drained dry.

All they wanted now was to escape—flee this terrifying soul-forging factory and the claws of the Dark Mechanicum God.

Unfortunately, no one could escape the gaze of the daemon demigod.

They were all impaled by the sharp, spreading cables, screaming as they were dragged into the Chaos formation.

They paid the price for their ignorance and betrayal.

Perhaps some among them were innocent—drawn into darkness not by choice, but by the lies and lures of the daemon demigod in their pursuit of knowledge.

But the galaxy is cruel. One misstep, and humans are lost forever.

Reduced to playthings of the Chaos Daemons.

Tortured endlessly by those high and immortal gods of madness.

Their flesh and souls locked in eternal torment.

Voom!

The Chaos ritual glowed even brighter.

The sharp cables drained the Tech-Priests of blood, flesh, soul—even their data and memory.

They became withered husks—warp waste cast into the void.

The Chaos ritual, constructed by the daemon demigod, had consumed nearly all of them.

Their bones floated thick in the void.

Vashtorr smiled as He watched, deeply satisfied. The formation had been successfully completed.

The light of the Chaos array pierced the veil between the warp and reality, targeting a shadowed human planet.

It locked onto the mechanical entity known as the data-lifeform.

"Ah... little one... I've found you..."

Hatred burned like wildfire in Vashtorr's glowing red eyes, hot enough to scorch the soul.

That data-lifeform, that planet, and those damned Tech-Priests...

They had dared to harm a great demigod.

Utterly unforgivable.

The great Vashtorr had already decided to descend upon that planet and cruelly tear apart the data-lifeform.

He would make the Tech-Priests watch helplessly as everything they treasured was trampled.

And of course, the humans on that world would suffer the same fate.

They were simply in the way.

Vashtorr scanned the environment around the data-lifeform. No threats.

Just a routine check—there were few beings in the galaxy who could truly threaten Him.

"Those damned Old Ones—hogging all the precious domains! If not for them, I'd have long had a place among the gods—stronger, more powerful!"

Vashtorr grumbled with deep resentment.

Much of the power in both realspace and the warp was already taken.

Especially Tzeentch's domain, which overlapped with His own, limiting His development.

Fortunately, He'd found a new path to ascend.

If He could devour that data-lifeform, His dominion over machines would be absolute. He'd control networks, machines, and communications at will.

His influence would spread everywhere.

Believers would flock to Him endlessly.

Unless humanity gave up machines and returned to the primitive era...

They'd never escape the grip of the true Machine Overlord—Vashtorr!

After a simple scan, Vashtorr could no longer hold back his hunger and fury.

Crack!!!

The Chaos formation tore through the warp-realspace veil, opening a passage straight to the heart of the mechanical data-lifeform.

Descending His true form would require a high cost...

But He no longer cared.

The reward was simply too great.

"Tremble! Weep! The great Vashtorr descends!"

The daemon demigod roared, becoming a torrent of chaotic energy as He surged into the passageway at full speed.

He couldn't wait even a second!

...

Urth.

Spire Residence.

In his bedroom, Eden suddenly jolted awake, dazed. "What the hell... why is the Emperor in such a hurry?"

He was about to ask when a wave of energy ejected him from the warp.

Nothing dangerous, right...?

Could Vashtorr have taken a beating from Webby and come back for revenge?

Or maybe He was hellbent on devouring Webby?

After all, that daemon demigod was a Chaos god of the mechanical domain—same field as Webby.

But unlike her, He bore malice toward humanity.

He loved whispering through comms, disrupting networks, spreading disinformation.

He corrupted machines with Chaos, sabotaging systems.

He tricked weak-willed Tech-Priests by impersonating the Machine God.

That guy had done every evil imaginable. One of the greatest obstacles to human technological progress.

Worse—

Vashtorr's ambitions mirrored Eden's.

He wanted to be an arms dealer too.

Except Vashtorr worked for Chaos.

He gathered black Tech-Priests and Chaos pilots, built soul forges.

Signed contracts with various Chaos forces and gods.

Supplying all manner of Chaos weapons and daemon engines.

In every battle between humans and Chaos, Vashtorr's shadow loomed.

Every bullet fired at humans might've been manufactured by Him!

In short, His crimes against humanity were beyond words.

But because He lived in the network, always hidden, moving behind the scenes—it was hard to strike Him.

Only a few in the Imperium could oppose Him.

So He roamed free.

If only Webby had the power Vashtorr had, the Imperium would gain an enormous ally.

It'd make Tech-Priests better at soothing Machine Spirits.

Might even extend mechanical lifespans.

Humanity would have a true Machine Goddess!

After all, Chaos had so many evil gods—would it hurt for the Imperium to have one or two more?

But that was hard. The powers of the mechanical domain were mostly claimed.

Vashtorr held too much.

Webby couldn't compete.

As for whether Vashtorr would invade Urth or attack the Machine Spirit core?

Eden thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Very unlikely.

Urth was protected by the golden solar energy.

And Webby's core was too fragile.

For her safety, he'd even built a hidden warp tunnel around her.

She was surrounded by golden energy.

Second only to the Golden Throne—closer than even the Mini-Sun.

Unless Vashtorr had gone mad, he'd never dare invade here!

Just as that thought crossed Eden's mind, he sensed something was wrong.

He looked toward the balcony—

"What the hell? The sacred light went out?!"

The ever-glowing Holy Tower had gone dark.

Not just the tower—every sacred light across Urth was gone.

Even the glow protecting the Machine Spirit core.

The golden sun had withdrawn its energy!

"What's going on...?"

Recalling the sun's strange behavior earlier, realization dawned:

"Wait... there's another expert?!"

He'd been wrong.

Vashtorr really was invading to harm Webby.

The Emperor had set a trap—He was going big!

Thump-thump-thump—

Eden's heart pounded wildly. He sensed a terrifying warp presence heading their way.

Target: the Machine Spirit core.

Vashtorr... had arrived!

Even knowing the Emperor would handle it, Eden still felt fear.

That thing was too powerful.

Even at full strength, Eden wouldn't last more than a few dozen moves—then he'd be toast.

And that daemon demigod was so hideous—what if he scared Webby?

Boom—

His bed collapsed.

A figure leapt from the balcony onto a hovercraft, heading for the Machine Spirit core.

Hiss~

Something felt off...

On the hovercraft, in his fuzzy pajamas, Eden suddenly paused:

"Damn, almost forgot—I'm that guy, too! Why the hell am I running?"

A spatial ripple swept by—his figure vanished, leaving only the echo of hope.

Machine Spirit Core Fortress—

Eden emerged from a warp portal: "Webby, I'm here! Don't be scared!"

"Papa!"

Webby was delighted to sense him. She reassured him sweetly, "Don't worry, I'm not afraid, because—"

Suddenly, terrifying warp energy surged in.

Ugly biomechanical tumors sprouted rapidly around the massive Machine Spirit core. Webby screamed and vanished.

???

As Eden stood stunned, energy from the Mini-Sun pulsed.

A message came from the Emperor—telling him to relax.

Next moment—

BOOM!

Holy light exploded, burning away the tumors. The overwhelming energy even caused machinery to overload.

Eden clearly sensed that the Holy Tower had exploded from the force...

He also felt a surge of anger—and unwavering killing intent.

The Emperor... was enraged!

"Sigh~"

Eden let out a long breath, completely relaxing.

Nothing left for him to do now—just wait for the aftermath...

—

Within the Warp.

A certain illusionary realm.

BOOM—

A massive daemon with mechanical wings crashed hard into the ground, rolling and tumbling for several turns.

He hit the floor hard, dazed and disoriented.

Vashtorr shook His head. His cybernetic brain buzzed.

Where was this? Still the Milky Way?

Did something go wrong with the Chaos formation?

The daemon demigod had a head full of questions.

Just moments ago, He had hurled Himself through the passage at full speed, intending to seize and consume the data-lifeform's mechanical core into His own domain.

At the moment of success, it was as if He had slammed into something... and ended up here.

Still, at least He'd found the target!

Vashtorr realized He had smashed through the barrier protecting the data-lifeform and had entered her realm.

After all, this little data-being had already begun taking shape as a nascent deity.

He scanned His surroundings.

Only some lingering data remained—no danger in sight.

Remaining on alert, Vashtorr followed the data traces and finally found the host of this realm.

The data-lifeform herself.

A girl with digital wings, curled up on the ground in fear.

"Ah... what a beautiful being... A godling on the verge of birth..."

Vashtorr stepped toward Webby, each mechanical hoofprint etching deep lines of Chaos code into the floor.

The moment He laid eyes on her, greed and frenzy nearly overwhelmed Him.

This was His stepping stone to apotheosis!

The shadow of His half-mechanical body loomed over Webby. Then, several sharp cables lashed out and bound her tight.

Webby's big eyes sparkled with fear, and she struggled:

"B-Bad guy! Let go of me!"

Vashtorr chuckled darkly at the sight.

"Shh, don't be afraid... you'll soon become part of Me."

His voice dropped into a sinister, cruel tone:

"But before that... there will be pain."

This damned data-lifeform—and those Tech-Priests—had dared harm the great Data Devourer!

Vashtorr enveloped Webby with His divine power, triggering illusion-casting protocols.

He would force the followers of this would-be goddess to watch—helplessly—as she suffered and died.

Instantly, thousands of the most devout Machine Cultists among Webby's followers began to feel a dreadful sensation.

In the midst of murmured whispers and static, they witnessed a horrifying illusion!

Their kind, benevolent Machine Goddess had been captured by a terrifying Chaos presence—and was in grave danger!

The Cultists could not distinguish illusion from reality, nor could they act. They were consumed by terror and helplessness.

"O Great Omnissiah! Your loyal servants beg your aid! Please bless our Machine Goddess with your protection!"

They fell to their knees in prayer.

They pleaded with the Omnissiah to protect their divine Lady of the Machine!

It was all they could do.

But their prayers went unanswered.

They could only watch as sharp cables stabbed toward their goddess.

Chaos energies surged toward them, attempting to drag the followers into the abyss as well.

But at that moment—

"AAAHHH!!!"

A golden figure flashed through the illusion. The Chaos daemon let out a shriek as He was blasted backward.

Blazing holy light scattered the darkness around the Cultists.

They instantly regained clarity—and their fanaticism surged.

They shouted together: "Praise the Emperor!"

...

Illusionary Realm.

Webby flew to the Emperor's side, one hand on her hip, the other pointing accusingly at Vashtorr like a little tattletale:

"Grandpa Emperor! That big bad guy tried to eat me!"

Seeing the furious Webby, the Emperor hesitated for a second, then reached out and patted her gently on the head.

Then He pulled her behind Him, signaling her to stay back.

Once Webby flew a safe distance away—

BOOM—

The Emperor's fury exploded.

Golden flames like molten lava wrapped around His armor, dripping to the ground.

Wings of radiant fire burst from His back.

His gaze locked onto the daemon demigod with murderous intent.

This was the wicked fiend who had tormented the Imperium and now dared to harm Webby.

At last... He was within reach!

"Th-The Cursed One?!"

Vashtorr clutched His shattered face, screeching in pure terror. His fear knew no bounds.

What... what was happening?!

He had only tried to devour a data-lifeform—how had it led to this unspeakable horror?

He had walked into a deadly trap!

"No!!"

Vashtorr turned and flared His wings in an attempt to flee—but the Emperor had already moved.

Having warmed up, His speed exploded.

He leapt forward and slammed Vashtorr into the ground.

Mechanical debris flew in every direction.

Then, grabbing the daemon, He unleashed a brutal pummeling—every punch causing massive ripples through space.

Until Vashtorr was sent flying.

The Emperor's iron fists were the bane of Chaos!

The battered daemon rose from the ground, His mechanical body scorched and broken by holy light.

Gears and parts clattered down in pieces.

"E-Emperor... I... I apologize for my rash actions... I surrender! I will serve you!"

Vashtorr's body sparked with arcs of electricity. Hot tears poured from His eyes.

He finally understood—the Cursed One was even more terrifying than the legends claimed.

And He had dared to challenge such a being for godhood.

How utterly laughable!

But the Emperor said nothing. He simply walked forward in silence.

Seeing this, Vashtorr despaired.

The Cursed One could not be swayed. His will was unshakable. He was here to kill.

"I may fall today... but not now!"

Vashtorr's expression hardened with resolve.

He forcefully unleashed all His warp energy in a nearly suicidal burst—shattering the realm's boundary.

Crack!

The sky split open.

Dark red warp energy surged and twisted.

Vashtorr fled into the void, growing ever larger within the warp.

But in the next instant—a far more colossal golden giant blocked His path.

The Emperor stood tall, eyes burning with divine resolve.

After all this preparation... there was no way this fiend would escape His grasp!

Suddenly, He sensed something...

In the far reaches of the void, four massive shadowy domains flickered into view. Portals opened simultaneously.

Four massive silhouettes, each of a different hue, peered into the region.

They were...

The Four Chaos Gods!

(End of Chapter)

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