The mobilization of humanity's forces was unmistakable; after the first missile‑type emperor-class battleship was completed, Noah returned to Holy Terra, where a massive concentration of troops had already gathered.
Unlike the scarce resources during the previous green‑skin expedition, Noah committed a huge force, recalling every patrol fleet of the Imperium of Man that had been on patrol.
Thirty‑six patrol fleets massed over Holy Terra,
Each patrol fleet comprised one titan warship, four battleships, eight cruisers, sixteen destroyers, and thirty‑two frigates.
Now that the thirty‑six patrol fleets have assembled, it is equivalent to having thirty‑six titan warships.
Such a force is undeniably formidable, and as the flagship of this United fleet, the second moon of war stands out.
The second moon of war is named Qu Ling.
From its name it is clear that this moon of war is specifically intended for the Necrons.
The massive fleet is concentrated within the Sol System, with thirty‑six Titans guarding a moon of war, and each Titan is further protected by four battleships.
Each battleship is defended by two cruisers, four destroyers, and eight frigates.
This fleet virtually represents the strongest naval power of the Imperium at this moment, with more than half of its elite navy gathered here.
Golden Mandala will be engulfed by the warships' flames, and this Necron world holds countless black technologies and priceless treasures.
Blasting it away so easily would be a waste; Noah cannot tolerate that, so he also brings a massive ground force.
Twelve Titan Legions, 400,000 Imperial Guard troops, 800,000 Grey Knights, 4,000,000 Space Marines, and 12,000,000 Astra Militarum have assembled.
The Astra Militarum units are all drawn from elite forces recruited from the well‑known home worlds of Cadia, Modian, Krig, Katachang, and Wen Cuili.
Once equipped with their standard gear, these ordinary Astra Militarum units can even stand toe‑to‑toe with Space Marines from the Great Crusade era.
Two Astra Militarum exchanging a can of food is no longer a saying but a real situation.
This force will be led personally by Noah. Of course, a war against the Necrons would not involve only these troops; in addition to Noah's elite units, the Imperial Navy has deployed half of its fleet and begun preparations to seal off the fringe regions where the Necrons linger.
The warships Noah commands are merely the Imperium's most powerful kinetic forces.
But what is the Imperium of Man best at?
The Imperium excels at static, fortified warfare.
In other words, a methodical advance, and in this war against the Necrons, they will certainly leverage this advantage.
On every planet and asteroid belt, the Imperium has deployed countless fortress units and heavy firepower; indeed, its naval ships find it difficult to engage the Necrons in space.
However, relying on its formidable ground‑based firepower, they can use planets as cover, hide behind asteroid belts and massive moons, and establish strong fire support.
Half of the war budget for this conflict has been spent on these fortified positions; now, along the battlefield edges defined by Noah, lie the Imperium's various defensive lines and fire support points.
After a long interval, Guilliman and Noah meet again.
With Noah's assistance, Guilliman finally steps out of the palace and stands opposite him.
Guilliman watches Noah, as well as the brother standing beside Noah,
Standing beside Noah is Angron, who has completed his Redemption Crusade.
Noah's task for him is now complete; Angron will now fight the next war for the Imperium.
'Ready to fight?' Guilliman asked first, his tone heavy with concern.
Noah shook his head, then solemnly nodded.
'To be honest, I'm not sure about the combat strength of the Sotayk Necro Dynasty, but we cannot let them strike us in the face without responding.'
'We will eventually go to war with the Necrons; although Szarekh now seems to have handed the galaxy over to us, you and I both know that this is far from secure.'
'This war is actually beneficial; it gives us a chance to probe the Necrons, test their technology, and assess their forces.'
Guilliman fell silent for a moment, then chose to nod.
'Yes, you're right; we will eventually fight them.'
'Sometimes I truly cannot imagine how formidable the Empire's enemies would be without your presence, and how the Empire would cope.'
His father's words made sense; he stopped dwelling on the matter and began to reflect.
'When I awoke, the Empire had declined beyond my imagination, and its enemies were countless…'
'First the Eldar, then the Chaos Gods, then the Orks, and finally the Starfish on the fringe—enemy after enemy, one after another. I can't imagine how I would face them alone.'
As the imperial regent, Guilliman knows better than anyone how terrifying the Imperium's foes truly are.
Without Noah, he could not fathom how he would confront this onslaught alone.
Necron technology far exceeds the Imperium's expectations, and Chaos Daemons are equally formidable; with the Eldar's aid they have even invaded reality on a massive scale.
Had their target not been the Misty Sector 108 World, what capability could the Empire possibly muster to stop them?
Although Abaddon no longer seems to launch Black Crusades, without Noah his Black Crusade would still be Guilliman's enemy.
Not to mention that several of his brothers have been retrieved, and Angron has fully recovered, standing before him like a man.
'Don't worry so much, Guilliman. I will push back each of those demons and monsters one by one; you just focus on developing the Empire, and we will fulfill humanity's radiant destiny.'
'Human will is unstoppable in this sea of stars; we will ascend to the ultimate pinnacle.'
The armies of the Imperium of Man are mobilizing, and the massive fleet has begun to be dispatched to various positions.
The Necrons are not comparable to the Greenskins or the Eldar. They possess a vast civilization and advanced technology.
As the Imperium of Man's forces began to move, dragging the blackstone fortress toward the edge of Necron territory, the Sautekh Dynasty had already detected this.
Imotekh is no fool; after acquiring souls, he became even wiser, and he easily saw the Imperium of Man's upcoming plans.
"War is about to begin!" To prepare for the impending large‑scale war with humanity, the Sautekh Dynasty did not hesitate; they began to gather troops and even convened the Noble Council.
The Sautekh Dynasty is a militaristic Necron Dynasty; in theory, it would be impossible to summon all the nobles for a meeting, but the human threat is evident to the naked eye.
Although Imotekh believes deep down that humans are merely insects who should submit to Necron rule, he cannot deny a certain fact.
Noah's existence gives humanity the ability to confront the Necrons directly; the massive human fleet is even capable of clashing with the Sautekh Dynasty.
One by one, Necron nobles teleported their forms to the noble council site of Golden Mandala.
As more and more Necron nobles arrived at the council site, until the majority were present, Imotekh spoke.
"Everyone, I regret to inform you that humanity is preparing to launch a large‑scale war against us. We have detected massive human legions mobilizing, and they have placed a so‑called moon of war into our sector."
"Humans have even prepared a net of traps around our sector; they are constructing numerous robust defenses, which proves that they are about to wage a large‑scale war against us."
"Although humans are weak, they still possess the capability to threaten us. Therefore, I ask each of you, what are your opinions?"
Imotekh queried the opinions of his military nobles, wishing to see whether their resolve was truly steadfast.
The fact that humanity will wage war against them is known to most Necron nobles, as Noah has never attempted to conceal his side's movements.
Moreover, the Necrons have laid extensive defenses along the line, which cannot go unnoticed.
Their actions are too conspicuous; since they cannot be concealed, they might as well be open about them.
"Attack! There's nothing more to say, Your Majesty the Phaeron, my opinion is to attack!" Alamak, the Necron Overlord who had just destroyed a human colony world, voiced his stance.
Having just won a war, he is now in high spirits; faced with the Imperium of Man's renewed challenge and retaliation, he chooses to meet force with force.
His words received the support of most Necron nobles.
"Support, we should strike back at humanity mercilessly!"
"We support waging war on humanity; the souls they sell are far too expensive, it's time to make them our slaves!"
The Necron nobles of the Sautekh Dynasty are unanimously in favor, supporting war with humanity and eagerly craving a large‑scale conflict.
Are Noah's souls expensive?
The answer is no; Noah's souls are certainly not pricey, and to any Necron, the souls purchased here are extremely cheap.
What do souls mean? souls mean life!
This means their lives will become longer, allowing them to exchange for more bodies. It's a very profitable deal, but every creature is greedy.
Driven by greed, even though Noah's price is already low, these Necron nobles remain dissatisfied; in their eyes, humanity should be their servants.
"Then let us go to war, let the flames of battle blaze!!"
"All forces, advance! Attack the human defenses. Since humanity initiates war, we shall strike first, shatter the defenses they have set around us, and show them what a true Infinite Empire is!"
The war has begun, but after the Sautekh Dynasty's war council concluded, the Necrons lacked any coherent tactics; they launched a full‑scale assault on the Imperium of Man's defenses.
The Imperium of Man fleet, still arranging its defenses, was caught off guard by the Necron assault and instantly lost several outposts.
However, with the aid of Space Marine Chapters and other elite Imperial forces, the line was stabilized, and the human fleet began to clash with the Necron fleet across the galactic latitude.
The engagements remain small‑scale; neither side has deployed ships larger than battleships, and they continue to bombard each other across the galaxy.
During the first four months of the war, the fire between the Infinite Empire and the Imperium of Man was extraordinarily fierce, yet both sides fought with extreme restraint.
In the first two months, the Infinite Empire launched relentless attacks on the defenses set up by the Imperium of Man.
Attempting to destroy the Imperium's developing Soul‑driving Dead Zone.
Although the Necrons do not understand the purpose of Noah's blackstone fortress and defenses, they instinctively work to thwart the Imperium's plans.
However, in the subsequent two months, they repeatedly lost the outposts they had just captured.
Noah is not easy to deal with; his massive fleet and ample legions give Noah confidence to repel the Necrons wave after wave.
Both sides continuously trade blows, engaging in frantic battles across more than a hundred front‑line outposts; the army's losses are far from minimal.
The patrol fleets under Noah's command repeatedly clashed with Necron warships in numerous skirmishes.
Over the month, the Imperium of Man and the Necrons suffered almost a 1:1 exchange of warship losses.
"..."
"Impressive, truly one of the strongest Necron dynasties, possessing such a formidable fleet."
Noah, while commanding another strike against the Necrons, continued to review various loss ratios.
In four months of fighting, the Imperium of Man lost six battleships, one titan ship, and a host of assorted support vessels.
The Necrons suffered comparable losses—about six tomb‑class battleships and one tomb‑class titan ship—but Noah was not satisfied with the outcome.
"Cawl, how much longer will it take to complete the deployment of the Soul‑driving Dead Zone? Continuing a war of attrition offers us no benefit."
Noah glanced at the casualty report and turned his head toward Cawl.
Teacher, I'm afraid I must disappoint you; for at least the next two years, we will be unable to continue deploying our Soul Drive Death Zone.
Cawl, while handling his current affairs, reported the present deployment status to Noah.
The outbreak of this war far exceeded our calculations; the Necrons' proactive strike was something you, Teacher, had not anticipated, so our Soul Drive Death Zone project has encountered severe setbacks.
Mm, I understand.
Noah gave a soft acknowledgement and once again began his contemplation.
Frankly, losing only a few warships in four months seems minor to Noah; the intensity of the war does not appear great, but this is more due to the ongoing mutual probing at this stage.
The Imperium of Man initially planned a direct strike against the Golden Mandragon, but the Necrons' response exceeded Noah's expectations.
The Sautekh Dynasty's proactive offensive gave Noah a headache.
Moreover, the greater headache is that they cannot locate the spatial coordinates of the Golden Mandragon.
The Necrons are highly proficient in spatial technology, which prevents Noah from using ordinary Imperial warships to locate the Necrons' world.
Only Titan-class warships of the Imperium of Man can scan and confirm positions; aside from that, the only vessel currently deployed is a planetary-class battleship, the moon of war Soul Drive.
In these four months of war, besides clashing with the Necrons, the Imperium of Man's foremost task has been the frantic search for the Golden Mandragon's location, yet the four months have yielded nothing.
No, we cannot continue like this; if we do, the war with the Necrons will become a war of attrition, and if the Green Skins launch a rear ambush, we will be unable to survive.
Noah slammed his hands hard onto the table.
He cannot accept this situation; it must be changed.
This time we come to crush the Tek Dynasty to death, until they are completely subdued.
We must annihilate the Sautekh Dynasty entirely; Noah had not considered this. After all, the Necrons are the Imperium's biggest source of income, and if the Space Stone Forest were fully pushed into hostile hands, humanity's resources would be severely constrained.
The Golden Mandragon must be struck, and it must be shattered there; we must never let the Necrons feel safe.
Cawl, I need to lead the attack personally; have Guilliman come over and take command of the forces.
And what of the Imperial administrative affairs?
First, entrust all administration to the High Lords Council and our Administrative Office; I trust they can manage for a period. If they truly cannot resolve matters, the duties may be transferred directly to me, and I will handle them.
We cannot continue this way; I need the Golden Mandragon's coordinates, and I will personally lead a fleet to search for them.
Noah can no longer endure the prolonged attrition war with the Necrons; he must locate the Golden Mandragon and deliver a blow to the Necrons.
This…
"That's inappropriate, Teacher." Noah had just spoken when Cawl immediately voiced opposition.
Your safety is of paramount importance; any mishap on your part would cause the entire Imperium to plunge into upheaval.
Besides you, no one can shoulder the Imperium's current burdens, not even the 13th Primarch Guilliman; without your aid, he cannot guide the Imperium out of this predicament.
I think you must not do this; your safety is the most important.
Cawl never doubted whether Noah could locate the Golden Mandragon; if Noah intends to go himself, the Golden Mandragon should be found soon.
However, the Necrons differ from other hostile forces.
The Necrons possess advanced technology; who knows if they have a way to eliminate Noah?
This is improper; Noah's safety is what the Imperium values most now; even if ten hundred thousand worlds were exchanged for Noah, the Imperium would not bat an eye.
An attrition war is still an attrition war; although the Imperium's supplies are strained, that does not justify risking the Warmaster's safety.
Do not try to persuade me on this, Cawl.
You know my stance; our battle cannot continue to be held like this, I need to resolve this issue.
Noah certainly knows what Cawl is thinking, yet even knowing it, he outright rejected it.
The war cannot proceed this way; he must address the Necrons' problem and not continue fighting them here.
Teacher, I will not consent to your action, and Guilliman would not agree either.
Even if you are the Imperial Warmaster, it is not permissible—absolutely forbidden!
Cawl responded with extraordinary firmness.
This is the first time Cawl, after so long as Noah's disciple, has directly opposed his own teacher.
Cawl, this is my order: now execute the Imperial Warmaster's command, not question me, understand?
Noah certainly knows Cawl's thoughts; he also understands his disciple's concerns are understandable, yet Noah is not prepared to obey.
The Necrons' technology is beyond the Imperium's current comprehension; thus only he himself can act to locate the Necrons' tomb worlds.
Only he can unlock the hidden spaces of the Necrons.
He must understand this Necron technology to develop counter‑tech of equal level, which is crucial for the upcoming Soul Drive Death Zone war.
He is not going out to find the Golden Mandragon; searching for the Golden Mandragon is merely secondary.
The Imperium of Man's intelligence on the Necrons is extremely scarce; the limited data offers Noah almost no reference, so he must search on the battlefield himself.
Teacher, I know I cannot stop your will, but could you wait until regent Guilliman arrives, and then consider departing?
Cawl lowered his head, his words pleading.
The Imperial Warmaster, the Omnissiah of the Adeptus Mechanicus, himself already embodies the Imperium's highest will; even Guilliman before Noah...
I understand your intent, Teacher; you wish to study Necron technology, but I need to ensure your safety. Grant me a month, and by then Guilliman will have arrived.
May I go in your stead to locate a Necron pocket‑space tomb world for you to study their technology, does that sound acceptable?
Unable to sway Noah's resolve, Cawl can only resort to this method; he intends to replace his teacher in seeking a Necron pocket‑space tomb world.
Your power is far inferior to mine; if you...
Noah looked at his disciple and uttered these words.
Then there is nothing...
Our knowledge of the Necrons is far too limited, as is our understanding of their technology; please allow me to go.
Your safety surpasses mine by thousands, hundreds, millions, even...
Cawl isn't worried about his safety; compared to his teacher, his safety is far easier to guarantee.
To survive for ten thousand years, he has heavily mechanized himself. Although his teacher later gave him a perfect mechanical body, this means he can now be like those Necrons.
Who is Cawl?
He is Noah's student; Noah has devised every possible life‑preserving measure for Cawl. If his body suffers a catastrophic blow, Cawl's primary consciousness and soul will be instantly transferred to another backup body.
Under these circumstances, Cawl doesn't really care about life or death; he believes he simply cannot die.
"Cawl, tell me your thoughts.
Do you think you can't die because I designed all those life‑preserving methods for you, making your survival odds extremely high?"
Noah instantly saw exactly what his student was thinking.
When faced with his teacher's inquiry, Cawl didn't hesitate; he answered honestly, "Yes, teacher, with your help I trust that my safety is well assured.
There's nothing more to say; after all, his teacher is the greatest Scientist in human history up to this point.
He is the Omnissiah.
Under the deity's protection, Cawl feels he will surely return safely!
Scientists shouldn't trust deities, but since deities truly exist and are his teacher, putting faith in them is acceptable.
"Then go, Cawl. Watch your safety, take two Patrol Fleets and your Forge Fleet, and head to the Necrons' core region to locate their tomb world."
"If you truly cannot find the Golden Mandragon, that's fine; just locate a Necron pocket world. I'll analyze it, and uncover their tomb world—it's only a matter of time."
Cawl's trust in himself leaves Noah at a loss for words.
Honestly, Noah doesn't think the Necrons can break his technology. In his view, if his student wants to return, it's straightforward; the tiny Necrons, given their tech level, can't stand up to him directly.
If technology didn't require time to accumulate, he would have already been punching the Tyranids of the Southern Mountains and kicking the Necrons of the Northern Sea with the Imperium of Man.
"Yes, teacher."
Cawl silently turned and performed an aquila salute toward Noah's direction.
After the salute, Cawl didn't leave immediately; instead, he knelt on both knees and bowed his head heavily to Noah.
Noah is not only his teacher but, more importantly, his master.
Cawl knows exactly how valuable these life‑preserving devices are; they're technology that would cost the entire Mars Forge World to acquire and could never be reclaimed.
Each piece of technology is beyond what the Imperium of Man can even fathom at this time.
All these items were hand‑crafted by Noah from his personal pocket‑dimension bag, using his previous collections piece by piece.
Regarding his student, Noah is truly generous—extremely so.
Noah didn't shy away from Cawl's salute; he accepted it calmly.
"When you leave, remember not to bring only your fleet and the fleet I gave you; it's also time for the Swarm Nest Tendril we raised to get to work."
"It has consumed so much of our food; if it can't contribute, it has no purpose or value."
The Swarm Tendril Ock-Riel, which Noah captured and raised during the previous war against the Tyranids, is now ready to serve humanity.
These insects have been waging a long, relentless war at the galaxy's edge against the Necrons; Noah believes this creature may have effective tactics against them.
"Yes, teacher," Cawl won't refuse Noah's order. It's just a Swarm Tendril; it must prove its worth to the Imperium of Man, or death awaits.
Three days later, a special fleet quietly slipped away from the human defenses.
It consists of Cawl's Forge Fleet, two elite Patrol Fleet groups, and a massive Swarm Nest Fleet.
Powerful Swarm combat units encircled the Imperial warships, fully shielding the human fleet at the center, while the Swarm Tendril marched alongside Cawl's forge ark.
When the Imperium of Man conducts large‑scale military mobilization, the Necrons will inevitably notice, but with only two Patrol Fleets, a forge ark fleet, and a Swarm Fleet, the Necrons won't detect them.
Moreover, Cawl's warship group is completely surrounded and protected by the Swarm's warships at the very core.
The Tyranids emit a strange ripple that tightly envelops the human legion fleet.
Consequently, the Necrons' detection equipment failed to pick up the human fleet's movement, instead spotting a Swarm Fleet advancing toward their territory.
"Report, Your Eminence Phaeron: on our battlefield with the humans, a Swarm Fleet has appeared. Its scale is massive—we estimate at least forty battleship‑class vessels, and even several Swarm Nest Motherships comparable in size to human Titans are advancing."
"They emerged directly from the Warp."
The Necrons promptly reported the Swarm Fleet's appearance to Phaeron Imotekh.
"Swarm?"
"Hmph!" Imotekh sneered lightly.
"Triarch Council, they're getting more and more absurd, letting another Swarm Fleet breach their defenses—it's a stain on the entire Infinite Empire."
"Previously, they released a massive Swarm into the galaxy in one go, which was one thing; given the Infinite Empire's troop shortage, a large Swarm assault could be understandable if some managed to break through."
"But what's the situation now? Even a small Swarm Fleet has entered the galaxy; the Silent King is truly failing."
The Necrons' pride, coupled with the fact that they know a massive Swarm Fleet has appeared at the galaxy's edge.
The Silent King has gathered the Necrons, most of the powerful Necro Dynasty and their forces, and engaged the Swarm in a large‑scale clash to prevent them from flooding the galaxy.
However, the Tyranid Swarm fleet is not the first to breach the Infinite Empire's defenses and appear in the galaxy.
Imotekh immediately classified this Tyranid Swarm incursion as another breach in the Infinite Empire's front lines under the Triarch Council's command, with a new Tyranid Swarm fleet surging into the galaxy.
"Phaeron, what about us?"
A newly awakened Necron Overlord Hurlennard of the Sautekh Dynasty asked.
"Should we dispatch a fleet to completely annihilate this Tyranid Swarm fleet and eradicate these aberrations?"
"Of course—we are not that fellow, the Silent King. I will never allow a Tyranid Swarm to sail through my realm. Destroy them, my General!"
Once a general and now a Phaeron, Imotekh's past made the Necron god of war unwilling to see a Tyranid fleet cruising through Necron space.
"By your will, my liege. I shall dispatch forces at once and wipe out that Tyranid fleet."
With elegant poise Huronenard bowed and accepted the charge.
"My general, may your opening strike bring victory."
"Let this be your early reward." A emerald flash of phase-field technology, and a tin can appeared in Imotekh's hand.
"Though humankind are vermin infesting our homeland and despoiling our worlds, one must admit their research on food is commendable."
"Savor it well, my general—this delicacy of human origin. I believe you will enjoy it."
Necron nobles who possess souls can actually taste food.
They can even feel joy while enjoying fine cuisine.
Admittedly, to the Necrons the Imperium of Man may be insects, yet these insects surpass the once-real-estate-minded Necrons in culinary arts.
"I thank Your Majesty for the gift. Be assured—I will bring you victory and annihilate that Tyranid fleet."
A reward before battle, though modest, signals political backing and acceptance as a trusted retainer among the Necrons.
Becoming a confidant of the Storm King Imotekh is the dream of every Necron Overlord—so they all believe.
Huronenard activated his phase-shift; emerald light enveloped him, and the Overlord vanished, reappearing aboard his personal world engine.
Along the human–Necron battlefront, a colossal planetoid stirred!!!
The movement instantly drew Noah's attention; commanding against the Necrons, he would hardly allow their world engine, the Spirit-Cleansing moon of war, to mobilise unopposed.
White bands rippled across the Spirit-Cleansing Moon as it prepared to warp-jump.
Only a quasar-class battleship can counter a world engine.
That was the Terran Dominion's hard-won conclusion after long wars.
Ordinary fleets can fight them, but the losses would be unbearable.
The cost in regular hulls to destroy one quasar-class battleship may exceed the value of an entire moon of war—hardly worthwhile.
Each world engine is a vast arsenal whose firepower can raze a planet—or obliterate an entire star system.
As the Necron world engine powered up for the jump, the Spirit-Cleansing moon of war materialised opposite it.
Seated aboard, Noah opened his comm-array and broadcast his voice to the Necron fleet.
"If you mean to deploy a quasar-class battleship, perfect—behold the might of our newly built quasar-class!"
The Imperium now possessed two moons of war, and a third would leave the shipyards in four months.
With two world engines, the Imperium could speak to the Necrons on equal terms.
world engine-level quasar battleships must be treasured by Necron and human alike.
Perhaps some ancient noble etiquette—or Necron custom—answered Noah's hail.
"By order of the Storm King I shall eradicate the Tyranids. Though we are at war, the Tyranids are the true foe of the galaxy. Stand aside, or face the consequences."
By now the humans had earned Necron respect; the Storm King and Imotekh's dynasty honour any foe who fights with resolve.
While the two world engine quasar battleships faced each other, Huronenard knew exactly how to reply.
"Proposal denied. We are at war; deploy a world engine and we shall do the same. Victory is the only objective."
How that Tyranid Swarm had appeared? Noah knew perfectly well.
He had bred them himself—how could he let the Necrons slaughter his swarm?
"Arrogant!" Huronenard's image flickered across the channel. "You think mere humans can bar the will of the Infinite Empire?"
Noah offered no words—only a slight wave of his hand.
The Spirit-Cleansing Moon's main cannon began to charge, bathing the sector in cerulean light.
Bursts of white radiance flashed, each heralding another warship.
Dozens of battleships and hundreds of cruisers formed an encirclement, trapping the Necron world engine at the centre.
And still their numbers grew—flash after flash of white announcing ever more hulls.
A moon of war is usually escorted by two to four Patrol Fleets; because Noah had jumped straight in, few were at hand.
Yet thanks to Necron protocol—and the brief parley—Noah's fleet swelled at furious speed.
"Do you truly believe you have me cornered? Very well—
let us begin."
The spirit-cleansing death zone was unfinished; Necron vessels winked in via phase-shift, appearing beside the human ships.
No orders were needed—human batteries opened fire the instant the Necron hulls materialised.
Tachyon lances, Cyclone missiles, Scourge missiles, proton torpedoes, mass-deconstructors—every weapon spoke at once.
The Spirit-Cleansing Moon fired first: a violet beam lanced into the Necron world engine's shields.
Four minutes later the Necron world engine replied, a green lance striking the moon's dark-matter barrier.
The titans opened their bombardment—the largest naval engagement since the Spirit-Cleansing Death War began.
Both sides committed quasar-class battleship and vast conventional fleets.
Such is the nature of high-tier warfare—little preparation is required.
Once battle is joined, hull after hull simply march into the fray.
As the first decisive clash unfolded, Noah directed his fleets and placed his hopes in Cawl.
If the pocket dimension could not be breached, the war would devolve into a grinding war of attrition.
Necron resources were dwindling, yet theirs was a civilisation with millions of years of reserves.
The Imperium had come to loathe attrition; since Noah's rise it preferred swift, decisive battles.
As the battle erupted in full, the Storm King of the Necrons began dispatching still more Necron warships into the fray.
A puny Tyranid splinter fleet could not compare to a war zone where the Imperium had already committed quasar-class battleship.
Vast Necron fleets were hurled into the fight, and humanity answered in kind; the flames of war ignited across dozens of star systems.
The Sautekh Dynasty unveiled a second world engine, and Noah wasted no time—Europa, the moon of war, likewise entered the furnace.
Even the remaining hulls from the Imperium's neighbours were streaming toward the battlefront of the Deadlight Marches.
Though their tech paled beside Necron marvels, the Imperium's monstrous macro-cannons could still smash a Necron hull flat.
Don't ask how macro-cannons manage to hurt the Necrons.
The answer is simple: Necron science is too advanced. When peer hulls duel, it works fine—but against the Imperium's crude ships, the Necrons wind up hoist by their own superiority.
The clash turned savage from the first shot; within three days four star systems had been scoured to nothing, every star and atom annihilated.
This was warfare the old Imperium could never have imagined—yet now it raged between mankind and the Necrons.
The instant the guns spoke, Cawl knew his teacher had already joined the war.
Cawl cursed himself.
He was no fool; he knew why his mentor had engaged the Necrons—his own fleet must have been spotted.
The Necrons were preparing to wipe out the Tyranid Swarm, and inside that swarm were human ships. His teacher would never stand idle, so the battle had begun ahead of schedule.
He had meant to keep his teacher safe by keeping them out of the fight.
Thanks to his meddling, that same teacher now stood besieged by the Necrons.
The war around his mentor had become the fiercest of all.
"It's all my fault—if only I hadn't tried to stop them!"
Cawl snarled the words, while the Adeptus Mechanicus adepts around him said nothing, bent over their stations, hunting.
The war had begun; their one task was to locate the Necron Tomb World—nothing else mattered.
Every second of their search was bought with hulls of the Imperial fleet trading fire with the Necrons.
They would not squander the price their comrades paid.
"All ships, flank speed!"
Cawl gave the order, then opened a channel to the Swarm Tendril.
"Ock-Riel, I'm giving you three final days. If you find nothing, you'll spend the next two years with an empty stomach.
We will keep your fleet barely alive—nothing more, nothing less!"
Cawl was no Noah; to find the Necron Tomb World and their pocket dimension he had to rely on the tendril beside him.
The Swarm Tendril was his only real path to the Necron Tomb World and pocket reality.
Time had become priceless; Cawl had no choice but to threaten the creature.
"No, no, no—"
"I don't want to starve! I want food—no hunger!"
Ock-Riel shrieked in psychic terror.
To the swarm, hunger is the cruellest torment. Every sensory tendril thrashed, scouring the Warp for the faintest ripple.
"Found it!" the tendril quivered. "In a rift of void—there's the scent of a pocket world!"
Cawl snapped his fleet onto the new heading.
Guided by Ock-Riel, they slipped through a fold almost invisible to the eye and entered a wholly different layer of reality.
No clutter—only a single Necron Tomb World hung before them.
The Adeptus Mechanicus had excavated Tomb Worlds before; Cawl knew at once what he was looking at.
????
It had gone so smoothly Cawl could scarcely believe they were inside.
Humanity had hunted for years, even after the shooting started—yet one circuit with a tendril and here it was?
"The universe really is one giant slap-dash troupe." Even Cawl's lip twitched.
He could hardly credit it: threaten to withhold food and the tendril had actually delivered.
"I found it, I found it, Cawl! You can't cut my rations—I finally get full meals. No, I want extras—seconds!"
Ock-Riel's soft feminine voice rang out; no one could fathom why a tendril sounded like a gentle woman.
"Extras are off the table. At best I won't cut your meals. If you want more, prove your worth—see that Tomb World below? Drop your swarm onto it."
"This is absurd—how did you find a Necron Tomb World when we couldn't? It's unreal. Probe them!"
Finding the place should have delighted him, yet the ease of it—after merely threatening the tendril—left Cawl furious. "Abusing the bug—abuse!"
"I protest—I protest! You can't treat me like this. I'm a hero, I found the Tomb World—hero!"
Ock-Riel wriggled in protest even while dispatching ships toward the Tomb World.
Protest came cheap; work still had to be done. At least with humans it got fed; with The Great Devourer it wouldn't even get scraps.
As long as its belly was safe, extra reward was welcome—these swarm organisms existed only to eat anyway.
Common bio-forms had no minds; keeping them only burned its own biomass, better spent flinging them into battle.
The Tyranid host bore down on the Tomb World, black swarm-ships eclipsing the planet's sky.
At last humanity could strike at the Sautekh Dynasty's very soil.
Once they confirmed this Tomb World was the dynasty's heart, his teacher's genius would turn the war in a heartbeat.
Mankind had to hit the Necrons hard—only then could the Imperium keep its place among the stars.
Just as the Tyranid Swarm's fleet was preparing to land on the Tomb World, the Necron Overlord of the local Tomb World keenly detected the enemy forces appearing on the periphery of his Tomb World.
"Huh? What's going on? Why is there a Tyranid Swarm fleet here? Are these bugs coming for me?"
The local Tomb World of the Sautekh Dynasty, Necron Overlord Izelru, couldn't understand why such a thing would appear in his Tomb pocket dimension.
"Overlord, should we activate our Tomb Fleet to launch an attack on them now?"
"These Tyranids don't seem to be a match for us. I think we can take the initiative and attack!"
The local Necrons military nobles' first reaction was to launch an attack, but this decision was directly rejected by Izelru.
"No, we don't need to take the initiative to attack at all. When they come to our Tomb World's airspace, our world's defensive firepower is enough to destroy them. There's no need to send out our precious Tomb battleships."
Although Izelru is a Necron Overlord of the Sautekh Dynasty, there are strong and weak among Necron Overlords.
His Tomb World, in most cases, only exists as a research and development base for the Necrons.
At this time, when a large number of Necrons fleets have been transferred to the main battlefield to fight, the best thing for the Necrons' Tomb World is to rely on their own original planetary breeding firepower.
"As you command." The Necron noble who asked the question chose to follow the instructions.
Thus, the Tyranid Swarm's fleet began to approach the Necrons' Tomb World without any obstacles.
In the scans of the battleships, Cawl of course discovered the Necrons' fleet, but Cawl did not launch an attack on the Necrons' fleet.
The Imperium of Man cannot let the Necrons discover that he does not have the power to drive the Tyranid Swarm, therefore, when the Swarm Tendril Ock-Riel led his fleet to advance, Cawl directly activated the emergency warp and warped the human legion away.
The mission is complete, there is no need to continue staying here, you can notify your teacher to stop the great battle over there.
Of course, before leaving, Cawl prepared a large amount of supplies and food for Ock-Riel. These supplies and food were directly thrown into the galactic void by the battleships, allowing the Tyranid Swarm to devour them.
Large quantities of high-energy, high-quality biomass floated in the galactic void, which made Ock-Riel extremely excited.
"Food, food, food, food!"
The Tyranid Swarm will never be slaves, unless they are provided with food and accommodation. Humans are now providing food and accommodation, and he is willing to offer his loyalty to humans.
Massive numbers of Tyranid Swarm units began to use their usual invasion methods, and patches of spore cysts were sprayed towards the surface of the Tomb World.
For some reason, Ock-Riel suddenly felt that this was the right way. The previous battle where humans directly sent a fleet to bombard him and then capture him should not have been normal at all.
Spore cysts slammed into the Tomb World like a rainstorm, but were evaporated by invisible energy fields thousands of meters from the surface.
Even more terrifying was that the Necron defense arrays on the surface began to activate, and countless green beams shot into the sky.
Countless Tyranid fleets near the orbit were hit, and fell straight towards the surface of the Tomb World, but Ock-Riel was not afraid of any of this.
It is right and normal for the Tyranid Swarm to suffer high losses in combat. Ock-Riel was not panicked at all, and he frantically began to devour the large amount of supplies left by Cawl for him.
A steady stream of biomass was constantly being devoured by it, and more Tyranid Swarm combat units were produced to attack the surface of the Necrons' planet.
Ock-Riel has even begun to modify his Tyranid Swarm units in response to the Necrons' current attacks on him.
This allows its Tyranid Swarm units to more effectively penetrate the Necrons' planetary surface defenses.
It can be said that the Tyranid Swarm's biotechnology is developing rapidly. They are trying to cope with the Necrons' powerful weapons by developing their own biotechnology.
The war is continuing, and at this time, Cawl has returned to Noah's battlefield with his forge ark fleet and two Patrol Fleets.
With the addition of the two Patrol Fleets, the Sautekh Dynasty was once again suppressed by humans on the main battlefield.
The wreckage of Necrons' battleships and the wreckage of human fleets can be said to have filled the entire void.
The losses of battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and frigates have reached an uncountable number.
Both sides suffered heavy losses.
The Storm King had never suffered such huge losses when conquering other Necron Dynasties.
On the battlefield, the world engine bombarded each other, and quasar-class battleship destroyed any ordinary battleships on the battlefield.
In such a scene, when Cawl arrived, he did not hesitate to command his Patrol Fleet to join the battlefield.
Two titan ship directly cut into the main battlefield from the side, which made Imotekh, the Phaeron of the Sautekh Dynasty who was directing the battle, extremely dissatisfied.
If Cawl is allowed to break through their defense line and break through from the side, then the forward troops will be in danger of being attacked from both sides.
"Huronenard, take your fleet to stop the advance of that human fleet. You must not let them continue to cut into our main line."
The two Patrol Fleets carried by Cawl had not experienced many battles, which led to them being a victorious army that was always in its peak state. Ordinary Necrons fleets were unable to resist.
"As you command!" Huronenard chose to execute the order, and separated a fleet with titan ship-class and battleship-level ships from the Necrons fleet group to meet Cawl's direction.
In the next moment, the fleets of both sides engaged again, and the light of energy shields and the attack of energy beams could be said to be mutually reflected.
Cawl's flank attack failed at this moment, but it also meant that the Necrons had invested their last reserve force on the battlefield at this stage.
From the current point of view, both humans and Necrons have mobilized the legions they can mobilize that are suitable for this battle.
The Storm King does not yet have the intention of launching a full-scale attack and fighting to the death with humans.
Although he wants to defeat humans, he must leave a main force to fight against the Silent King's condemnation.
Imotekh knows very well that if he sends more troops again, the humans on the opposite side will definitely send more troops.
The human fleet is more than just these. This fleet is just the most elite army of humans, but the size of the Imperium of Man means that they can invest more battleships to join the battlefield.
Although the Sautekh Dynasty can also do this, they have the threat of the Silent King behind them.
The reason why the Triarch Council did not send guards here to deal with him, the Storm King, is because he has a huge fleet and legion in his hands.
But if his legion suffers heavy losses in the battle with humans, the consequences will be disastrous.
After thinking it over, Imotekh made a decision. He decided to end the fleet battle here first.
"Teacher, we have discovered a pocket dimension belonging to the Necrons, along with one of their Tomb Worlds inside. Here are the coordinates of the pocket dimension."
In the midst of the great battle, Cawl used space warp to directly teleport himself to Noah's command room, and personally reported this good news to his teacher.
"Very good, Cawl. You are indeed my student. You've done well."
A hint of joy appeared on Noah's face. He praised his student without reservation. Discovering a Necrons Tomb World was a very good thing, and he was very happy.
Just as Noah was about to say something to Cawl and encourage his student, a communication from the Necrons appeared on his screen.
"Hmm?" This sudden change made Noah a little puzzled, and also interrupted what he was about to say to Cawl.
"Teacher, if I'm not mistaken, this is a communication request from the Necrons. Should we connect now?"
Noah did not speak, and Cawl did not dare to make a decision on his own at this time. He chose to ask his teacher.
But even though Cawl had already asked, Noah did not choose to connect the communication.
Instead, he said fiercely.
"Ignore this communication. Leave them hanging. Cawl, I have a mission for you. When I came out this time, I brought 149 Whirlwind Torpedoes from the empire."
"You should know what I mean, right? Take these 149 Whirlwind Torpedoes, and then take your newly rejoined fleet and use space warp to disengage from the battle."
"Your mission is very simple. Release these Whirlwind Torpedoes onto the Necrons Tomb World you discovered. Completely destroy that Tomb World for me, making sure that no Necrons can survive on it. Turn the entire world into ruins!"
?????
149 Whirlwind Torpedoes to destroy a Necrons Tomb World. That's quite a large expenditure. The price of Whirlwind Torpedoes is not cheap at all.
"As you command!" Out of obedience to his teacher, Cawl accepted the appointment, and then activated his equipment.
It wasn't until Cawl disappeared from his sight that Noah had time to start paying attention to the Necrons communication that had reached him.
But even at this time, Noah did not choose to connect. Instead, he continued to silently command his fleet to launch an attack on the Necrons.
Connect the communication?
He wouldn't connect to the Necrons communication.
The two sides are currently at war. Why should he promptly connect to the enemy's communication? Since the Necrons started contacting him first, then let them wait for a while.
Noah magnificently chose to ignore them and continued to silently command the warships under his command to destroy the Necrons fleet.
"Phaeron, the humans on the other side don't seem to have any intention of connecting the communication. Should we continue to maintain the posture of connecting the communication?"
Faced with the humans directly ignoring the Necrons communication request, and instead increasing their attacks and destroying their Tomb Fleet.
The Necron who was responsible for communication could not bear this humiliation. Feeling deeply humiliated, he chose to ask his Phaeron.
"You continue to contact them. I will command the fleet to have a good fight with that damned human!"
The war must be stopped, but regarding the war with the humans, since the humans want to fight, then he still has to fight while negotiating. This is the real negotiation in war.
Imotekh immediately mobilized more Necrons fleets to join the battlefield.
He even transferred more Tomb World battleships from other Necrons Tomb Worlds.
The battle between the two sides intensified again for a time. The bombardment between the fleets made the intensity of the war constantly escalate.
It wasn't until the humans and the Necrons had suffered the loss of several battleships and auxiliary ships that Noah chose to connect the communication.
And this battle lasted for a full 4 days.
Four days later, Storm King Imotekh's communication was finally connected by Noah.
As soon as the communication was connected, Noah sarcastically taunted the Storm King.
"Oh, isn't this the Storm King?
Didn't you blow up two of my planets?
Why did you suddenly think of contacting me now, our noble Storm King? Have you chickened out?"
Without a doubt, when Noah received the Storm King's communication, he already knew what the other party was planning. Wasn't it just chickening out and wanting to negotiate?
Negotiate?
It wasn't that easy. How could he negotiate with the Necrons so easily? Just now, Cawl told him that he had discovered a Necrons pocket dimension with a Necrons Tomb World inside.
In any case, these Necrons did destroy two of their planets.
Then, in return, at least two Necrons Tomb Worlds must be destroyed.
Noah did not intend to negotiate with the other party before he had taken his revenge.
"Human, don't be too arrogant. My fleet has not been fully committed to the battle yet. If I commit all of my fleet to the battle, even you won't be able to stop the full force of our Infinite Empire."
Imotekh was a soldier before becoming a Phaeron. As a soldier, how could he tolerate a guy who was like a bug in his eyes taunting him.
Faced with Noah's treatment of him, Imotekh did not hesitate to launch a resolute counterattack.
Noah chuckled, tapping his finger on the holographic screen of the command console. Several cruisers that had just completed energy replenishment immediately turned their guns, and a scarlet hot melt ray directly penetrated the energy shield of a Necron frigate, melting a black hole in its hull, and the wreckage splashed into fine metal debris in the void.
Imotekh's face immediately fell, and his face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
It can only be said that the Necrons mechanical technology is still too advanced.
"Is this your choice? Warmaster of the humans, do you mean that you humans want to be in an endless war with our Infinite Empire?"
"An endless war?" Noah couldn't help but laugh as if he had heard a super funny joke.
"Your Sautekh Dynasty can represent the entire Infinite Empire? Then tell me, what is your Triarch Council?"
"If I'm not mistaken, your Sautekh Dynasty is now directly violating the orders of the Triarch Council and launching a war against me, right?"
"In this situation, what qualifications do you have to say in front of me that you represent the entire Infinite Empire?"
Noah's words were like sharp swords, piercing straight into Imotekh's heart.
The Storm King's Sautekh Dynasty, although a member of the Infinite Empire, he must admit that his actions at this time violated the wishes of the Triarch Council... Seeing the other party's silence, Noah spoke again: "If you have something to say, just say it. If you don't have anything to say, I'm going to hang up the communication. I don't have time to waste time here with an enemy."
Imotekh's face flushed slightly at Noah's words, but as the Storm King, he quickly regained his composure and coldly expressed his attitude towards Noah.
"A ceasefire. My proposal is a ceasefire. Your humans have also suffered considerable losses in this war. I am willing to cease hostilities with you, as if we had never started fighting, and resume trade. What do you think?"
Although it was a negotiating tone, Imotekh's condescending attitude remained. He was like a superior victor, offering a charitable ceasefire to humanity.
"Hahahaha," Noah laughed at the other party's seemingly insane proposal.
"Imotekh, you are, after all, the Storm King of the Sautekh Dynasty. I truly don't understand how someone like you could utter such ignorant words."
Noah's expression grew stern: "The war was started by you, but whether it ends is not up to you. Our fleet has indeed suffered heavy losses, but what of it?"
"I will still let the war continue until you surrender to me. A ceasefire?"
"A ceasefire is impossible. If I agree to a ceasefire with you, how can I explain it to the people on the two Imperial Worlds?"
"I already gave your Triarch Council face by not immediately going to war with you, but you clearly didn't seize that opportunity. Now, prepare to continue facing war."
"Arrogant! Human, you are truly arrogant. Do you think the warships you see now are all the warships of our Sautekh Dynasty? I will give you one last chance: cease hostilities with me, otherwise, the intensity of the war will exceed your imagination!"
"If you are still unwilling to cease hostilities, I will mobilize more world engines. The current two world engines are already engaged with your two quasar-class battleships. Do you have more quasar-class battleships?"
Imotekh once again presented another threat he held. The Necrons, after all, had accumulated power for over 60 million years. They certainly had quasar-class battleships, and there weren't just two world engines.
Humans had built quasar-class battleships for too short a time, and thus lacked sufficient accumulation.
"You can try. If you mobilize more quasar-class battleships, will the Triarch Council not act against you?"
The other party played another card, but Noah remained unhurried. He also drew a card from his hand and slapped it onto the other's face.
"I am the Infinite Empire's Souls Supplier. All Necron Dynasties in the entire Infinite Empire need to obtain souls from me!"
"Although we have engaged in long-term trade, and even the nobles of your Sautekh Dynasty already have souls, what does that matter?"
"The vastness of the Infinite Empire, I think you know better than I do.
There are many Necron Dynasties without souls. If something happens to me, the supply of souls to the entire Infinite Empire will be completely cut off!"
"When I encounter danger, do you think I can request support from other Infinite Empire Necron Dynasties?"
souls!!
souls were Noah's biggest card. As long as the Necrons could not produce souls themselves, the other Necron Dynasties had to guarantee Noah's safety.
They even had to care about Noah's attitude towards the entire Infinite Empire, and whether he would take the opportunity to raise the price of souls later.
This was the benefit of a monopoly. The other Necron Dynasties would undoubtedly have to pay 100% attention to something that concerned their very lives.
The military forces mobilized by the Imotekh Dynasty were only enough to contend with humanity.
However, it was foreseeable that once the Imotekh Dynasty mobilized more world engines and adopted an attitude of completely eradicating humanity,
the Necron Dynasties fighting the Tyranids on the galactic periphery would, more likely than not, disregard the Silent King's orders and send troops into the galaxy.
Even if the Tyranids briefly broke through the Necron defenses, it would only pose a threat to the interior of the galaxy.
This was acceptable to the Necrons.
But if something happened to Noah, the future of the Necrons would suffer a fatal blow.
No Necron Dynasty fighting on the galactic edge could accept such a thing happening.
"You!" Imotekh also understood the seriousness of the matter, so when Noah played this card, Imotekh had to admit it was a trump card.
Noah, without a word, launched a war against him. This was a counterattack against Imotekh's Sautekh Dynasty.
But the Storm King couldn't launch a full-scale war against humanity. On one hand, the Triarch Council was watching from behind.
On the other hand, the other Necron Dynasties didn't have enough souls. If he dared to do so, it would instantly incur public wrath.
The Sautekh Dynasty was definitely the most powerful Necron Dynasty within the galaxy, but this never included the Necron commanders primarily watching the Tyranid Swarm on the galactic periphery.
With souls, those Necron Dynasties fighting on the periphery began large-scale military expansion. They had sufficient resources, abundant souls, and even enough Tomb Worlds, and could build even more Tomb Worlds.
Although the Sautekh Dynasty was not weak among the Necron Dynasties on the periphery, there were never few Necron Dynasties that could contend with them.
With a single order from Noah, a request for support, many Necron Dynasties would assemble expeditionary forces to attack him.
And at such a time, what would the Silent King do?
Which side would the Silent King stand on?
It was naturally self-evident. The Storm King constantly challenged the Silent King's authority, so it would be a simple matter for the Silent King to dispose of him.
The Storm King's face turned pale, then red, then purple, and then black.
The changes in his facial color were kaleidoscopic. What else could it be, since he was a mechanical life form? His facial changes were truly changes.
He was practically a living color palette.
"Then what exactly do you mean, human? How can we get you to agree to a ceasefire?"
"It's not that I'm afraid of you. I just want to tell you that I don't want to waste power fighting you humans."
Even now, the Storm King remained stubborn.
However, the Sautekh Dynasty indeed gave him enough reason to be stubborn; his military strength was indeed formidable.
"I don't mean anything special. Of course, you can negotiate peace, but an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. You must bear the consequences of your mistakes and crimes. I don't need compensation; I will personally destroy two of your Tomb Worlds as a warning."
"Furthermore, I will also let you know what all of this means."
"From now on, the price of souls supplied to your Infinite Empire's Necron Dynasties within the galaxy will triple!"
"Considering that the Infinite Empire's forces on the galactic edge protected the galaxy, this price increase will only be 1.5 times for the Necron Dynasties fighting on the galactic edge."
Only at this moment did Imotekh truly panic.
Noah held a monopoly on the sale of all souls within the Infinite Empire; every soul came from him, and now the price had tripled. What did that mean?
What once cost one coin now cost three. For the countless Necron dynasties inside the galaxy, this was never good news.
It would ruin the Sautekh Dynasty's reputation within the Infinite Empire and turn countless other Necron dynasties against them.
Animosity would bloom among the Necrons, yet that still wasn't the worst of it—the real blow was the next sentence Noah spoke.
"Because your Sautekh Dynasty voluntarily destroyed two of our colonial worlds, I am deeply displeased. The souls of the slain citizens keep urging me to retaliate—but business is business."
"From today onward, the Sautekh Dynasty and its vassals pay one hundred times the former price for souls. I will warn every Necron Dynasty: anyone caught selling souls to you will suffer the same hundred-fold increase!"
"I don't care whether an entire dynasty or a single Necron acts—once the deed is done, the price for that dynasty multiplies by one hundred, the whole dynasty included!"
Humans happened to be short on supplies; this move would swell their revenue and bankroll more moons of war.
Truth be told, had the Sautekh Dynasty not vaporized two Imperial colonies, irking Noah, they would have done humanity an enormous favor.
Their aggression gave Noah a legitimate excuse to hike prices and boost income.
With the surge, Noah expected at least twenty thousand eternity coins next year.
After the hike, the smaller Necron dynasties would afford fewer souls, yet the Infinite Empire boasted plenty of mighty houses.
The Imperium's annual soul output was limited; until the great dynasties were stocked, Noah had no fear of unsold stock.
He simply wasn't worried about leftover souls.
Last year the Imperium had earned a little over nine thousand eternity coins; after this stunt, this year's haul would surely exceed fifteen thousand.
Trade with the Necrons was a pillar of Imperial revenue—raising prices at the right moment felt wonderful.
Only then did Imotekh grasp the gravity: the Imperium hadn't declared a price rise at first; it had launched the spirit-cleansing death zone plan and clashed with the Necrons head-on.
To the other dynasties, this outcome was welcome.
Instead of elevating the dispute to the entire Infinite Empire, humanity fought only the Storm King. The interior dynasties rejoiced—Sautekh expansion would be checked.
For now, most houses adopted a wait-and-see stance; they only needed to keep humanity from total ruin.
They felt relatively secure.
But once war erupted, the Imperium fielded two moons of war—stellar craft the size of dwarf stars—showcasing human might.
The clash wasn't merely retaliation; it flaunted power—within a few short years humanity had added another moon of war.
After the fighting, humanity timed its price announcement so other dynasties would blame the Storm King, not mankind.
With both sides heavily armed, the Storm King became the obvious scapegoat for the rest of the Necrons.
Had humanity been weak, the other dynasties could have pressured them into lowering prices.
But humanity didn't raise prices first—they fought hard, proving their resolve.
Their ongoing war with the Sautekh showed the Imperium's military strength.
Now the galaxy knew the Sautekh were the strongest Necron Dynasty, yet even they couldn't crush or cow mankind—could lesser houses?
They could only swallow the hike... For the outer-rim dynasties, a fifty-percent rise stung, yet still better than renewed conflict.
Resource extraction was far easier for them than for the core houses.
Besides, Noah had granted them preferential treatment—proud Necrons found that easier to accept.
Noah had long planned a raise, but any hike required strength to back it; before proving power, rash increases would backfire.
When you possess what others crave yet lack the force to guard it, your profit will simply be seized.
At a fair price, they trade; once the cost offends them, they come to plunder.
But when you display strength to match theirs and give a just reason, they'll grimace—and pay.
After the first flush of rage, Imotekh cooled, maintaining the link as he stared at the smiling Noah.
Once merely a supreme commander, he had learned politics after becoming Phaeron.
Now it struck him—he had been played, used as the very instrument for humanity's price rise.
His hatred and desire to reclaim the galaxy had been exploited.
War with the Sautekh displayed human might, deterring other core dynasties from resisting the new prices.
"Warmaster of the Imperium, I admit I underestimated you."
"You win this round, but I swear this is not the end—the galaxy belongs to the Infinite Empire!"
"One day, I shall wrench the galaxy from your grasp!"
Realizing he had been thoroughly used and the hike was irreversible, Imotekh delivered his vow.
Saying it changed nothing, yet it lightened his mood a little.
Even now Imotekh never forgot the galaxy that had sparked his clash with mankind.