To be honest, even Magnus could not understand his future self.
They were arrogant, conceited, and ignorant — and they possessed no sense of responsibility whatsoever.
Anyone who learned the truth of the matter would spit blood from rage and be seized by a sense of powerlessness, as if they could not even reach into the screen.
The Webway project the Emperor had so carefully planned was wrecked.
The Thousand Sons Legion and the Space Wolves Legion suffered enormous damage.
The Space Wolves lost their comrades; the Thousand Sons lost their homeland.
Countless people died or were wounded, and in the end nothing was achieved.
He failed to inform the Emperor of Horus's rebellion.
They tried to disarm Prospero and urge surrender, but it ended in failure.
The future Magnus knew he had committed a mistake, and that Leman Russ had been sent by the Emperor to punish him.
Envoys from the Space Wolves Legion were waiting for a reply in the square.
Do you know that your brother wants to know what happened?
They also knew that the confrontation between the Imperial fleet and the ground defense forces was gradually slipping out of control!
He knew everything, yet he took no action.
He pretended not to involve others, then hid it even from his own children, shut himself in the pyramid, and pretended to be depressed.
The Thousand Sons warriors who had worshipped him as a father were forced to fight the Space Wolves in the streets of Prospero.
They had no idea what their Primarch had done, or why the Emperor had dispatched the Space Wolves.
They understood less and less why comrades who should have been fighting side by side with them until yesterday were now so desperate to wipe them out.
To be honest, the Thousand Sons were truly unlucky to have encountered such a Primarch.
Even if they surrendered without resistance, he should at least have stated a reason so that people could understand why they died!
From the perspective of most of the Thousand Sons (in-game characters), they were extremely innocent existences.
From the moment the Emperor began the Great Crusade, they had lived and died together, fought through bloody battles, and each believed they had sworn loyalty.
They believed in the Primarch and the Emperor; they believed their sacrifices were for humanity, for the Imperium, and for a brighter future.
As a result, the Space Wolves appeared and tried to annihilate them.
Anyone with even a little courage would surely have resisted and demanded an explanation.
After a fierce battle, he learned for the first time that it was his own father who had deceived the Emperor and put him on the Golden Throne.
They also resisted the arrival of the Space Wolves who had come to enforce the law, hid themselves in the library, and refused all communication.
Under these circumstances, the Thousand Sons warriors who survived the Battle of Prospero had no choice but to rebel!
"Going back is impossible."
Datch shook his head and refused Magnus's request.
He did not have time to waste. The mission to reform the traitor Primarchs had already taken a little too long.
He was getting a bit bored and wanted to finish as quickly as possible and move on to the next job.
"That bastard is hopelessly stupid. I suspect what was sacrificed at the Well of Eternity wasn't his eye, but his brain."
Anger and helplessness seeped into Magnus's voice.
"You just have to accept it," Datch said casually, shrugging. "Don't imitate him."
"But there is a problem. How should I deal with the mutations of the Thousand Sons Legion?"
Magnus asked an important question.
In the original timeline, Magnus entered the Warp only when he had no one else to rely on and fell into a desperate situation in order to save the Thousand Sons.
Make a deal with Chaos in exchange for the water of the Well of Eternity.
After drinking the well water, the Magnus of the original timeline finally found a way to resolve the mutations.
If he does not make a deal with Chaos, how can he find a way to save the Thousand Sons Legion?
Alternatively, he could disband the Legion and find a way to recruit new soldiers and form a new Legion.
Even so, the gene-seed problem remains unsolved.
It seems he has no choice but to do it himself.
Among the missions related to Magnus, solving the mutation problem of the Thousand Sons is the most important.
"I will deal with this problem."
After finishing speaking, Datch summoned the TARDIS telephone box, set the coordinates, and set out to find the Emperor of 30K.
At this time, the Emperor had just returned to Terra together with Vitan M and Valdor.
The situation on Mars had been resolved. It had caused a great uproar, but everything was under control.
Thanks to the revised accord, a grand ceremony was held on Mars to celebrate the new freedom of research into artificial intelligence, which had until then been strictly forbidden.
At this time, Malcador, the Imperial Chancellor who had remained on Earth, was also shocked when he learned of the events that had occurred on Mars.
Weren't the Emperor and Valdor supposed to be conquering the stars?
Why did they come back without saying anything?
They also revised the Mars plan and allowed the Machine Research Foundation to research artificial intelligence.
From this, Malcador began to suspect that the Emperor might be a fake.
However, the return of the Emperor and Valdor immediately dispelled those suspicions.
Malcador would never mistake a friend for someone else, and no extra-dimensional creature would do something so foolish as to impersonate the Emperor.
It seemed something really had happened.
Thus the Emperor and Valdor completed their return and even went as far as Mars in order to review the accord and lift the AI prohibition.
...
The audience hall of the Terran Palace is simply decorated.
Malcador, accompanied by numerous officials, is waiting for the return of the Emperor and Valdor.
At this time, the Terran Palace had only just begun to take shape.
The audience hall was one of the first buildings completed inside the palace.
However, it was only "completed"; it had not yet been decorated, so it gave a very simple impression.
This was not because Malcador was indifferent.
The reason was simply that the palace was located at a very high altitude in the Himalayas, making construction extremely difficult.
The Himalayas, which the ancient Greeks called the "Roof of the World," are covered in snow and ice year-round; beneath them exist thin air and permafrost.
Of course, this decision, which seemed absurd to outsiders, was the result of the Emperor's careful consideration.
This is one of the most stable regions in the entire crust of the Earth.
It possesses a geological structure that can withstand the enormous energy load brought by the entrance to the Webway and the Golden Throne.
However, stability means hardness, and that makes carving difficult.
Even with processors running at full capacity, it took several years for the climate to stabilize.
If even a minor malfunction occurred, the situation immediately reverted to its original state, and a complete restart was required.
The gigantic environmental-modification devices provided by the Martian Mechanicum were each as large as a mountain — truly steel behemoths.
They were first transported to the Himalayas by large transport ships and then painstakingly assembled there.
They were used to excavate permafrost and rock, which were then transported by the ships to other locations on Terra.
The entire project was so complex that the progress of construction was extremely slow.
However, the rulers of the Imperium paid little attention to the progress of the palace construction.
Both the Emperor and Malcador were typical realists.
For them, the true priority was the tunnel Webway, whose construction was about to begin deep beneath the palace.
When the transport ship carrying the Emperor and Valdor landed on the runway, Malcador came out to greet them accompanied by numerous officials.
After bowing his head to him, Malcador asked out of curiosity,
"Your Highness, why did you suddenly return?"
"Is it because you found Number Two?"
"But why didn't they come back on the Imperial Dream?"
Just as the Emperor was about to open his mouth, he suddenly turned to the side as if he had sensed something.
The others showed puzzled expressions, yet they still turned in that direction.
The spatial structure of that area showed a distortion at a single point, and that distortion was expanding at an extremely rapid pace.
In the blink of an eye, the distorted space expanded to a diameter of several meters; the air rippled like mercury.
Malcador and the other officials also noticed the anomaly and looked surprised.
Under everyone's watch, an azure TARDIS-type telephone box suddenly appeared.
The paint on the telephone box was a little peeling, but the small white sign on the door that read "Police Public Call Box" was especially conspicuous.
It did not harmonize with the decorations of the audience seats; it was as if two different styles had been mixed together.
Imperial Guards clad in golden power armor and wearing tall helmets with red plumes were stationed at guard posts throughout the audience hall.
The moment they saw the TARDIS telephone box, they reacted simultaneously. When their powered halberds activated, the blades were covered in bright electric arcs.
The three Imperial Guards closest to the telephone box's position moved at the same time and spread out in a fan to surround the box.
Their footsteps and movements were astonishingly precise.
They did not block one another's attack paths, yet they could cut off every exit of the telephone box.
All of their fingers were on the triggers, ready to unleash a storm of explosives the instant an enemy appeared.
"Don't move. The other party is the nameless one."
Valdor hurriedly shouted for his subordinates to stop their foolish actions.
The Imperial Guard reacted quickly and immediately halted.
The sharp blades of the halberds still pointed at the telephone box; a low buzzing sound was emitted from the collapsing force fields.
However, they stopped advancing, kept silent, and continued to maintain the status quo.
Malcador looked at the strange telephone box and slightly furrowed his brows.
This strange work embodied the style of humanity's industrial age.
How had it broken through the palace's multiple layers of defensive nets and appeared here?
After the TARDIS telephone box came to a complete stop,
a seemingly ordinary wooden door with a small window was pushed open.
Everyone in the spacious, quiet audience hall clearly heard the sound of the door hinges turning.
Under everyone's gaze, Datch quietly came out from inside, followed by Magnus.
"Nameless one!!"
Vitan M, who was on his way back to Terra with the Emperor, let out a cry of joy.
Only a few days ago, he had still been grieving that he had been abandoned by some stranger!
Now, reunited with that Nameless One, he was extremely excited.
"Number Fifteen?"
Malcador realized at a glance that Magnus was a Primarch and identified his number.
A faint color of surprise floated in the depths of the Emperor's golden eyes.
Then it vanished so quickly that no one noticed.
The Master of Mankind stared intently at Magnus, then looked at the nameless one.
This man had kidnapped another of his sons. And it seemed that son had already been remade into someone similar to his lover.
My sons, what an incompetent father I am.
Datch walked toward the Emperor. His heavy boots landed on the stone floor of the audience hall with a dull sound.
The Emperor looked at the Nameless One approaching and was just about to open his mouth when…
"Skip, skip."
Datch kept shouting that he did not want to waste too much time with the Emperor.
Emperor: ...
The words had already reached his throat, yet the other party interrupted them with a single phrase, and he was forced to swallow them.
Forehead...
You are the nameless one, the Lord of Absurdity feared by the gods of the Warp,
but I am the Master of Mankind and the supreme ruler of the Imperium. In front of this many people, at least let me save some face!
Malcador was a little surprised to see his friend so severely irritated.
In all the years he had lived, he had never seen an Emperor so humiliated, treated so unfairly, and forced to endure it in silence.
Because of that, the corners of his mouth rose slightly.
Old friend, I never imagined you would become like this!
"This is your son. Hand over his Legion right now."
Datch made his intention extremely clear. He wanted the Emperor to hand over Magnus's Thousand Sons.
Magnus, standing to the side, was a little surprised and widened his eyes.
No, hey, are you going to say it that straight?
At least show a little more consideration, or at least provide some background information!
The Emperor widened his eyes, clearly astonished by the Nameless One's actions.
Who on earth is so blatant about wanting military power?!
After feeling a little indignant in his heart, the Emperor ordered Malcador to convene the Thousand Sons Legion that had been garrisoned on Terra.
Malcador lightly bowed his head, then turned and left the audience hall to convene the members of the Thousand Sons Legion.
The gene-seed of the Thousand Sons Legion is unstable; the success rate of the surgeries is low, and it easily causes mutations.
Therefore, their numbers are small; even now there are fewer than two thousand.
A Legion of only a few thousand, whose members could at any time during combat undergo uncontrollable mutations.
In any electoral plan, this is an unstable element that should not be taken into consideration.
This meant they could not take on expeditionary missions and could only remain on Terra and perform simple garrison duties.
Find the original entities and see whether they can be stabilized.
The members of the Fifteenth Legion were overjoyed when they learned of the Primarch's return and immediately ran out of their camp to meet the Primarch.
Because they had lost their original forms and were mutated existences, the Thousand Sons had been thoroughly despised and thoroughly humiliated.
They hoped the Primarch would improve their situation.
At that time, the company commander of the Thousand Sons Legion was Ahriman.
This figure of later ages had released two consecutive powerful spells and transformed the majority of the Thousand Sons Legion's members into powerful warriors.
He had only recently been promoted to company commander in recognition of his diligence, desire to learn, and effort.
The main reason was that there is little competition in the Thousand Sons Legion, so everyone lacks ambition.
After all, the harder you try, the higher the possibility of mutating.
As time passed, everyone gave up.
Under Ahriman's command, the Thousand Sons warriors marched to the square inside the palace and formed ranks.
Because of the Thousand Sons Legion's infamous reputation, everyone along the way looked at Ahriman and the other Thousand Sons warriors with contempt or hatred.
When the assembly was finished, the Emperor stepped forward and delivered a speech.
Under the expectant gazes of many Thousand Sons, he announced that Magnus had formally taken command of the Fifteenth Legion.
Magnus also stepped forward and spoke to his sons.
Datch ignored them and took out a magical medicine-manufacturing machine.
Throw the triangular work you found earlier into the input port and press the start button.
A triangle is the most stable structure; from it the concept of "stability" can be extracted.
This should solve the mutation problem of the Thousand Sons Legion.
The machine roared and immediately produced powder, which was thrown into a nearby fountain.
In the square where the assembled soldiers were lined up, there was a newly completed fountain.
The moment the powder touched the water's surface, it dissolved into the water without scattering a single droplet.
While Magnus was giving his speech, Datch approached and shouted, "Jump!" interrupting the Primarch's speech.
This scene enraged many members of the Thousand Sons Legion.
Is this man really that rude?
How dare he take such an insolent attitude toward our Primarch!
"Hurry up and have them drink the water," Datch said to Magnus, pointing at the fountain.
Magnus looked helpless, yet he still ordered the Thousand Sons soldiers to drink the water.
The thousand warriors led by Ahriman glared at Datch with eyes of anger.
However, following the Primarch's order, he reluctantly walked to the fountain and drank the water mixed with the medicinal powder.
The moment they drank that water, a miracle occurred.
The thousand warriors who had initially shown mild mutation symptoms gradually returned to their original human forms.
No matter how they used psychic energy, they would no longer feel the sensation of losing control as they had before.
"Does this… mean our genetic defect has been cured?"
Ahriman stared at his own hands with an expression of surprise, looking as if he could not believe it.
Is that man called the "nameless one" really that powerful?
Did he casually solve a genetic defect that even the Emperor and Malcador could not solve?
I'm sorry. I was too noisy earlier.
Please continue to humiliate our Primarch.
The Emperor, Malcador, Valdor, and the others all widened their eyes.
No — this can cure a genetic defect?
With the curing of the Thousand Sons' mutations, a terrifying cataclysm erupted deep in the Warp.
Inside the Crystal Labyrinth, Tzeentch let out a cry of pain.
The threads of fate shattered into pieces and, together with the entire past of time and space, became scattered fragments.
In the original timeline, Horus, Lorgar, and Magnus were the three most important figures.
Lorgar sided with the dark gods and corrupted the Astartes.
Only Horus, the eldest son, could gather enough military force to oppose the Emperor.
Magnus broke through the Emperor's barrier and dealt him a severe blow.
But now their fates have completely changed. Thus the foundation of the route has collapsed.
In other words, everything has changed.
It is not that the result of a specific event has changed, nor that the fate of a specific person has been reversed.
On the contrary, the entire past that should have been fixed has changed.
The original timeline was affected and completely collapsed.
Time is never a river that flows in only one direction.
It is a net, a maze, shaped simultaneously by past, present, and future.
When the future changes, the past also changes.
When an anchor point is removed, everything that was fixed there is washed away.
Until a new reference point is established, history will remain in an uncertain state.
Only when the reference point is determined will a new history take shape.
This is the unique time structure of the Warhammer world. Future and past are closely bound, mutually influencing and shaping each other.
At the same time, Datch received a notification sound informing him that the mission was complete.
Congratulations on successfully completing the mission and changing the fate of the traitor Primarchs!
[Quest Reward: 5000 EXP, 5000 Points, Reputation +1000, Soul Stone ×1]
The moment Datch thought of it, the Soul Stone — the most mysterious item in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — appeared in his hand.
It can steal, manipulate, alter, or create souls, and can also control the undead. It possesses its own soul space that can contain absorbed souls.
Datch examined it for a while, then embedded the Soul Stone into the Infinity Gauntlet.
"We thought we could change the fates of all the rebelled Primarchs, but who would have imagined that all we needed was to cause sufficient change?"
Datch muttered to himself for a while.
But on second thought, among the remaining traitor Primarchs, it seems only Alpharius and Voglime have not been remodeled.
Ah, come to think of it, Primarch XI is not here either.
That man is truly unsightly. When I have time, even without a mission, I'll thoroughly rebrand him.
Having finished the mission, Datch did not hesitate to remain on the spot. He immediately summoned the TARDIS telephone box and headed for Macragge at the 42K point.
A new golden exclamation mark appeared there, indicating that a new story mission had been added.
Magnus tried to follow Datch, but Datch used the Space Stone to pin him in place. Then Magnus opened the TARDIS telephone box and left alone.
"No…" Magnus stared at the vanished TARDIS telephone box and felt a deep disappointment.
Why did you abandon me?
Think about it — on the previous trips we got along so well, didn't we?
You were so enthusiastic toward me and answered all my questions, didn't you?
Why are you now so cold and so heartlessly leaving me behind?
"Brother, the first lesson you should learn in dealing with that Nameless One is to get used to the fact that he is a jerk."
Vitan M walked over, lightly patted Magnus's shoulder, and said seriously.
...
The TARDIS telephone box traveled through the turbulent flow of time and finally returned to Macragge at the 42K time, where it discovered Malcador with a golden exclamation mark above his head.
Is there anything I can help with?
Malcador was also skilled in this regard and said, "Yes, there is something I would like you to help with a little."
"I hope you will go to the era of the Horus Heresy and completely destroy this anchor point. That way the upheaval of the past will be able to influence the present."