A vast sea of data swirled before Guilliman's mind.
[The database contains extensive human scientific and technological knowledge. The host may gain access after completing relevant authentication tasks.]
[The Lord of Dominion template allows the host to gather faith. The more beings who acknowledge the host, the stronger the blessings they will receive. The host can view the individual data of those who approve them, but cannot see their loyalty to other Chaos Gods. Please proceed with caution.]
[The assistant system is here to answer your questions and provide database knowledge you have unlocked.]
Guilliman's face darkened.
"No marketplace? No ten consecutive draws?" he muttered, his heart sinking.
Without an overpowered cheat function, how was he supposed to deal with his rebellious Primarch brothers? How would he fight against the Four Chaos Gods? Was this supposed to be a joke?
The forces of Chaos were overwhelming, the Imperium was fractured by endless civil wars and xenos invasions, and traitors lurked in every shadow. And this system expected him to win without some game-breaking advantage?
[This support system is serious and does not include such 'messy' functions.]
Guilliman clenched his fists. "Are you serious? In this day and age, even trash-tier transmigration stories have cheat systems that work around the rules. And you're telling me I have to fight fair?!"
The system remained silent.
His frustration boiled over. If the God-Emperor himself, with all his unmatched power and vision, ended up trapped on the Golden Throne, what chance did Guilliman have? The Emperor wasn't just a ruler—he was the protagonist of humanity's history.
A being of unparalleled psychic might, capable of extinguishing stars. A master strategist who unified Terra, crushed all opposition, and built the Imperium. An ideological force who engineered transhuman warriors and even sought to elevate all mankind.
And yet, even he had fallen. Betrayed. Enthroned upon a decaying machine, his mind locked in an eternal struggle to prevent Chaos from consuming mankind.
Guilliman exhaled sharply. His situation was bleak. Without the Emperor's presence, the Imperium had deteriorated over ten millennia. Civil war, bureaucratic stagnation, corruption, and heresy festered in every corner.
Even if he delayed defeat, victory? That was a fantasy.
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"My Lord."
Guilliman turned. The speaker was Saint Celestine.
Her voice carried a holy resonance, a magnetic pull that made one instinctively want to listen.
She stood before him, her armor battle-worn and drenched in blood. The wounds across her body were ghastly, yet her regenerative abilities kept her standing, even as fresh blood seeped from her injuries.
Celestine was one of the reasons Guilliman had returned.
It was through her influence that the Black Templars and other loyalist forces had agreed to protect Belisarius Cawl, the Mechanicus sage responsible for his resurrection.
Through Celestine's guidance, a coalition of Imperial warriors had fought their way across the war-torn Cadia System, escorting Cawl safely to Macragge, where Guilliman's resurrection had finally been completed.
Guilliman met her gaze, silent but questioning.
She bowed her head slightly, despite her wounds.
"Thank the Emperor," she said, voice trembling with reverence. "You have returned to us."
For those who still believed in the Emperor's light, a Primarch's return was more than a strategic advantage—it was a miracle. A sign that the Imperium was not yet doomed.
The saints were the Emperor's chosen, his divine instruments. Their existence was proof that his will still shaped reality.
Celestine was one of the few.
Her loyalty was absolute, unwavering. To her, Guilliman was not just a leader, but the Emperor's own blood—a demigod returned to guide humanity through the abyss.
From the side, another voice spoke.
"Father."
Chapter Master Marneus Calgar of the Ultramarines stepped forward, his face composed but his eyes glistening with emotion.
For ten thousand years, the Ultramarines had fought to uphold their Primarch's legacy. They had defended Macragge, led countless campaigns, and upheld the ideals Guilliman had once embodied.
And now, he had returned.
His gene-sons—his descendants—stood before him, waiting for his words.
Guilliman placed a hand on Calgar's armored shoulder.
"I am proud," he said, voice firm, "that after ten thousand years, my sons still stand for humanity."
Though his soul came from another world, Guilliman had inherited all the original's memories, his instincts, and his power. He knew what these warriors had endured.
More figures approached.
Belisarius Cawl.
High Marshal Helbrecht of the Black Templars.
Lord Inquisitor Greyfax.
Others—leaders of the Imperium, figures of faith and power—stood before him, awaiting his decree.
"Regent."
Cawl was the first to speak. "It is good to see you again."
Guilliman studied them all. Ten thousand years ago, after the Horus Heresy, his dying father—the Emperor—had named him Regent of the Imperium.
And now, once again, he was expected to lead.
Celestine's gaze burned with conviction.
"The Imperium needs your guidance," she whispered. "Son of the Emperor."
Guilliman exhaled slowly. So be it.
"That is why I have returned."
His words resonated through the chamber.
A Primarch stood before them.
A being crafted by the Emperor himself.
Not just a general. Not just a ruler. But a symbol—of humanity's hope, of its defiance against extinction.
The tension in the room shifted. The Imperium was no longer leaderless.
Guilliman looked at his gathered followers.
"My return will make our enemies tremble," he declared. "And the people of the Imperium will know hope once more. The light of mankind shall shine upon this dark galaxy once again."
His voice carried a powerful certainty, a promise forged from both memory and will.
"The invaders who defile our worlds will pay for what they have done."
A Primarch's promise was not to be doubted.
At that moment, the system chimed again.
[Host has successfully triggered an authentication task: Expel the forces of Chaos from Macragge.]
[Completion will unlock Level 1 database access.]
[Unlocked knowledge includes: First-generation Dark Matter Engines, Star-Destroying Weapons, and additional technological innovations to revitalize the Imperium.]
Guilliman's eyes flickered.
Dark Matter Engines?
Star-Destroying Weapons?
He immersed himself in the database, scanning the mission rewards.
If he could manufacture more of these weapons, humanity would no longer have to fight defensive wars.
Instead, they would bring the war to the xenos and demons, burning their worlds to ash.
Wasn't this the true joy of war?
The art of planetary annihilation?
Guilliman allowed himself a small smirk.
Perhaps this was a cheat system after all.