Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor-Chapter 233 - 234 – The Ancient Eldar Ruins in the Webway

Right now, Eden could feel a nearly irresistible allure emanating from the Goddess of Life standing before him.

He hesitated, wondering if he should do something.

Ah, well. I'm already here.

Summoning his resolve, Eden reached out with what he called his "evil hand," aiming for the captivating figure in front of him.

But just before he could make contact, a gentle voice rang out: "You require healing..."

At the same time, she noticed his outstretched hand hovering near her chest and froze, momentarily caught off guard.

A glimmer of confusion flickered across her clear gaze.

A moment later, understanding dawned on her face, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.

For a second, the air seemed to turn awkwardly still.

So embarrassing!

Eden felt utterly mortified.

He took a deep breath and pretended nothing had happened. "Ahem, I was just thinking, uh, this hand of mine also needs some healing..."

Inside, however, he raged at himself: So she was here to heal me...

Damn it all, it's Slaanesh's fault, corrupting everyone's minds and poisoning the ideals of good, honest youth!

Yet Eden wasn't entirely in the wrong, either. This dream was woven by Slaanesh's power, which inevitably tugged at his thoughts and desires.

Besides, he'd once been Slaanesh's chosen champion, so it wouldn't do to pretend he was entirely immune.

Even at the Spire Estate, he would occasionally "play around" with the maids and his secretary team.

Fortunately, Isha didn't reproach Eden. Instead, she gently took hold of his other hand as well.

She focused her senses for a moment before lifting her gaze; an apologetic look shone in those clear eyes:

"I'm sorry. I've caused you trouble. The Plague God's forces and the pleasures of Slaanesh have both latched onto you. My power can only remove the plague side of things..."

"That's fine, that's fine," Eden replied quickly. "Just do whatever you can."

Right now, his urge to misbehave had all but vanished.

If the figure before him had merely been an illusory version of the Goddess, conjured by Slaanesh, he might have indulged without restraint—treated it like mooching off Slaanesh's creations for free.

But this was clearly the real Goddess of Life.

Among all the goddesses, Isha was perhaps the most universally caring, the gentlest, the one who might be called the ultimate "saintly mother figure"—the genuine article. She was also known to cry a lot.

Back in ancient times, in order to protect her people, the Eldar, she had tearfully begged Asuryan, King of the Eldar Gods, for help. Asuryan had initially refused, but then Isha literally cried a river in the divine palace, finally receiving his assistance.

Sadly, even then the Eldar and their gods were nearly exterminated.

Being the Goddess of Life, Isha's benevolence extended to all living things; she'd saved countless souls.

Whenever she drank Nurgle's plague-broth, she always managed to heal herself—and even found ways to sneak cures to those suffering on plague-ravaged worlds.

Honestly, if Eden still insisted on manhandling her after all that, he'd truly be acting like Slaanesh's champion. Maybe he'd ascend right on the spot to Slaanesh's Palace—and then be punished unrelentingly by that Dark Prince.

Of course, given his current power, it wasn't even certain he could succeed in assaulting Isha if he tried.

Isha bowed her head and cupped Eden's hands gently. A soft, verdant glow radiated from her entire being.

Eden sensed a tremendous, pure force of life flooding into him.

Within moments, all traces of Nurgle's plague were swept away.

When the healing finished, Eden drew his hands back, feeling utterly refreshed, like he was in the midst of some blissful natural paradise.

Whoa...No doubt about it—Life power really did top any spa treatment out there.

Finally, Eden snapped back to reality and turned to Isha, asking, "You didn't just come to see me for small talk, right? You want me to help you get out of there, don't you?"

Isha nodded softly, her eyes brimming with hope. "Yes. Should you ever have the chance in the future...please save me."

Eden had half expected it, yet he still inhaled sharply.

Rescuing the Goddess of Life from Nurgle? Now that was a hell-level quest.

Even the other three Chaos Gods wouldn't dare guarantee success if they tried to break her out of the Plague God's Garden.

If the Emperor were truly unrestricted, He might pull it off—but He was trapped on the Golden Throne.

He couldn't help her, not personally.

It was like some hopeless mission, reminiscent of sending a random henchman off to eliminate an unstoppable threat.

He almost wanted to say "Sure, next time for sure."

But the earnestness in Isha's hopeful gaze made it difficult to brush her off.

Ugh, guess I'm too kind for this universe.

Anyway, she only said "if the chance arises in the future," so Eden figured he'd just agree to it now. If that day came, he'd see what was possible. If it never came, well, there wasn't much to be done.

Having thought it through, Eden gave a solemn nod. "Please rest assured, Lady Isha. I stand opposed to Chaos. If ever I get the chance, I'll storm Nurgle's Garden, disinfect and cleanse it, and get you out of there..."

Seeing his assent, Isha's face lit with hope and joy. A faint shine of tears graced her clear eyes as she said, "Thank you!"

Isha had been locked in Nurgle's Garden for tens of thousands of years, enduring relentless torment.

During that time, she had pleaded with countless gods for help, receiving nothing but silence. Her despair had run deep indeed.

To be honest, it wasn't hard to see why the other gods had steered clear.

They all existed in the Warp, where Nurgle was one of the top powers. And it was all on account of love for Isha that Nurgle had once marched unafraid into Slaanesh's realm to deliver a savage beating.

Under such circumstances, who would dare risk Nurgle's wrath by aiding Isha? Most sought to avoid that trouble entirely.

As of now, only Eden was bold enough to say yes.

After all, he wasn't stuck in the Warp full-time—he was under the Emperor's protection, giving him at least some leeway to maneuver.

Besides, as part of the human race, as well as one of the Emperor's followers, Eden inherently bore deep enmity toward the forces of Chaos.

Human vs. Chaos—it was war to the death, and eventually, a colossal showdown was inevitable.

Eden thought back to what might lie ahead.

Once Roboute Guilliman awakened, rumors had it he would charge into Nurgle's Garden, only to be temporarily possessed by the Emperor, who would then torch the place.

Maybe there'd be a chance to rescue her at that time?

Hmm...But Isha was probably kept in some hidden lair deep within the Garden. Fire might not reach that far.

Oh well, I'll just see when the time comes.

At minimum, Eden needed a major power boost if he wanted to accompany Guilliman in braving Nurgle's Garden.

He turned back to Isha, curiosity in his voice. "But why do you think I'm capable of saving you?"

"Because you are the Devourer of Daemons..."

Her gaze was gentle. She had heard demons in Nurgle's Garden whispering of a terrifying being who consumed daemons. She had sensed their fear.

The Daemon Devourer—a nightmare existence that could devour even Greater Daemons of Chaos. Naturally, that would strike fear into their hearts.

In the known galaxy, the ones capable of truly killing high-level daemons were exceptionally few—chief among them, the Emperor in all His unimaginable might.

Now here was a second figure who had done it, the first favorite of the Emperor Himself.

To Isha, that spark of hope was everything.

After all, power dynamics in the Warp weren't set in stone. Even a weaker deity could ascend to unimaginable might if they absorbed enough faith or emotional energy at the right time.

Over her endless lifespan, Isha had personally witnessed the rise of numerous divine beings, including Slaanesh.

That particular memory made her shudder.

She had watched, helpless, as the Eldar gods fought among themselves while the Eldar Empire fell to excess and depravity. The entire species' swirling mass of tormented, indulgent psychic energy eventually tore a rift in reality, leading to the birth of the fourth Chaos God—Slaanesh.

The catastrophic Warp rift, the Eye of Terror, instantly obliterated most of the Eldar Empire.

Slaanesh devoured the souls of nearly all the Eldar, seizing overwhelming power and a stolen godhood in the process.

Empowered so greatly, Slaanesh all but exterminated the Eldar pantheon, taking Isha captive for torture.

Later, she was abducted again—this time by Nurgle—and had remained imprisoned in His Garden ever since.

A more recent example was that of the human Emperor. In a mere ten thousand years, He had harnessed the faith of countless humans and risen to near-invincibility in the Warp.

So why not beg the Emperor to save her, then?

She had tried...once, secretly.

It hadn't gone well.

She'd barely begun to speak before receiving a brutal psychic blow that sent her consciousness reeling.

The Emperor, now a staunch champion of humanity, had become extremely intolerant of xenos. In fact, He regarded humanity as the sole rightful master of the galaxy and believed all other species needed to be purged.

To Him, Isha was just an alien goddess. A single bitc- I mean psychic slap—while arguably mild by His standards—had been more than enough to send her packing.

So Isha, having suffered that psychic strike, sank into renewed despair, until she learned of the Devourer of Daemons.

Here was someone unafraid of confronting the Four Ruinous Powers. Someone who might stand a chance of freeing her.

If he continued to grow, there was a real possibility he could succeed one day.

And Isha had near-infinite patience—she'd already spent tens of thousands of years in Nurgle's Garden.

Her lifespan dwarfed even Slaanesh's and the Emperor's. She was simply...weaker in raw power.

Even if she had to wait another ten thousand years—or longer—she would.

Her only challenge was how to locate the Devourer of Daemons and secure his promise.

She did worry a bit: she had seen images of this Devourer—so imposing, so fearsome.

What if he treated her with the same hostility as the Emperor or, worse yet, tormented her as Slaanesh did?

Filled with a swirl of hope and anxiety, Isha covertly searched the Warp for the Devourer of Daemons' presence.

By sheer luck, Nurgle hadn't restricted her freedom too heavily; otherwise, she never would have had the chance.

When at last she discovered the Devourer's Warp essence, she was surprised to see it so close to that blazing golden sun.

That radiant sun then warned her not to approach the Devourer, blocking her from making contact!

Devastated, Isha withdrew her consciousness and cried alone in Nurgle's Garden for quite some time, causing Nurgle to fret and brew her multiple fresh pots of plague-broth in an attempt to cheer her up.

Then, not long ago—

Amid her tears, Isha sensed a faint hint of a divine presence from the Eldar ruins. It reminded her vaguely of the Devourer of Daemons' power signature.

Though hesitant, Isha seized her chance and reached out to him in the dream state.

Much to her shock, the moment she arrived, she found the Devourer...hugging her.

Even more alarming, he carried the distinct aura of Slaanesh's "pleasure" power.

That terrified her.

Would the Devourer hate her as the Emperor had? Or would he torture her, like Slaanesh?

Thankfully, none of these fears materialized.

He didn't mind that she was an alien goddess, and he even agreed to help her one day.

The truth was that Eden cared little about species distinctions.

He did not share the Emperor's philosophy of "humanity at all costs.

His principle was simple: as long as it didn't harm humans, he'd do whatever was in his best interest.

He leaned toward lawful good. If he had the power to help humankind, he would.

But he wasn't just xenophobic.

(One could ask any random resident under Eden's rule whether their "Savior" was a benevolent protector, and they'd likely sing his praises.)

Isha's memories flickered back again to that single psychic blow she'd received from the Emperor, and she couldn't help trembling a little.

So terrifying!

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In comparison, this "Devourer," so notorious for violence, was treating her with gentle kindness. It moved her deeply. In her clear eyes shimmered star-like lights, mixed with the hint of tears.

Her voice quivered like a nightingale's: "Devourer... thank you for not hurting me. You're far kinder than I ever imagined..."

Huh?

Eden was a bit bewildered by her gratitude.

Devourer of Daemons?

Where's that coming from? She's thanking me for not hitting her?

Could it be she'd been abused for so long, so starved for kindness, that the slightest friendly gesture overwhelmed her with gratitude?

Well, it did make sense. Isha had first been tormented by Slaanesh, then forced to endure tens of thousands of years of Nurgle's "plague-broth."

She was lucky to remain sane. In this universe, many souls had lost their minds under far less.

To Eden's understanding, virtually none of the major powers—Imperium or Warp alike—were what you'd call stable. They were all twisted in one way or another. Even the Emperor had multiple personalities due to the overwhelming psychic faith forced upon Him, risking corruption if He ever lost control.

For Isha to have stayed kind after undergoing such extreme suffering—like a gentle, pure-white blossom amid the horror of the galaxy—was truly extraordinary.

Eden paused.

Now that she was so touched by his kindness, maybe he should "capitalize" on the sentiment? She was a long-established deity; she might have a treasure or two worth sharing.

After all, saving her from Nurgle's clutches—well, that was a job on the highest difficulty setting. Even if it was just words for now, he might ask for an advance fee or deposit, right?

At length, he cleared his throat: "Um, Lady Isha..."

Just as Eden was about to "negotiate" and see if she'd provide any immediate benefits, a massive surge of life essence suddenly poured into him, merging with his Little Sun—expanding it by nearly half again.

It was an indescribable power—an aspect of the dominion of Life itself!

...What?!

The Goddess of Life was handing him a portion of her divine authority?

Genuine divine authority was priceless.

But Isha's face went pale, and her form—already just a projection—grew even more translucent, on the verge of vanishing.

She lifted her gaze toward Eden, continuing to channel her power: "Devourer, you also wield a measure of Life's dominion within you. This should help..."

Whoa, hey, that's way too generous!

Eden said one thing yet did another, swiftly absorbing the divine power that Isha offered.

His Little Sun already possessed a sliver of life-based power. Isha's gift of authority was unbelievably valuable.

Faced with her unconditional trust, Eden couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt: only moments before, he'd been scheming about how to "cash in."

Ugh, I'm such a jerk sometimes...

After a while, he finished absorbing the power Isha bestowed.

He could sense the Little Sun's energy had grown significantly stronger, now infused with richer life attributes.

This had been an incredibly profitable turn of events!

Filled with excitement, Eden gripped Isha's hands tightly. "Lady Isha, we're all on the same side here—no need for more words. I promise I'll get you out of there!"

She'd simply given him too much. If there were drinks around, he'd have raised a toast in gratitude.

Isha's eyes shone with warmth and relief. "Devourer... I trust you!"

To her, the Devourer was her sole hope, and his attitude toward her was nothing like the other gods'.

She firmly believed that one day, he would set her free.

"Oh, by the way, there's something that's been nagging me..." Eden couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. "Why do you keep calling me 'Devourer of Daemons'?"

It was odd. Usually, everyone called him the "Savior."

A look of puzzlement flickered across Isha's face."You really don't know? In the Warp, you—"

She never got to finish. A sudden, overpowering wave of cool energy slammed into Eden's mind.

It felt like someone had poured several pints of hyper-pungent, mint-scented machine oil into his brain and stirred like crazy.

"Savior, wake up!" The voice boomed as if echoing from outside the cosmos.

"Gah—!"

Before he could react, the dream collapsed into shards.

...

Aboard the Expedition Vessel

"Damn!"

Eden jolted upright from his seat, practically leaping in alarm.

A metallic face was uncomfortably close—Kaul, that guy!

Kaul seemed a bit agitated:"You're finally awake. We couldn't get you up no matter what we tried. Fortunately, I had a potent stim injector. One shot, and here you are!"

Good grief, it's you again. I was just reaching the critical part of the plot, and you had to ruin it!

Eden glared at Kaul, half-tempted to lash out at this oil-scented nuisance. Then he glanced around at Carter, Duke, and the others, who all appeared worried.

He sighed. They must have been concerned about him not waking up for so long, so Kaul had used the injection.

Indeed, he'd let his guard down by falling asleep inside the Webway. If no one had tried to wake him, he might have been stuck in Slaanesh's nightmare illusions indefinitely.

Still, it turned out quite well in the end. Not only had he encountered the Goddess of Life, he had even obtained part of her authority.

He'd have to see about busting her out of Nurgle's clutches someday.

Little did Eden know: the moment he and the Goddess of Life had left the dream, Slaanesh had arrived in a rush—dressed in an outrageous outfit and equipped with tens of thousands of instruments for delivering both euphoria and agony.

Slaanesh had planned on giving that Devourer of Daemons a "grand party" of ultimate delight and torment for freeloading on His illusions.

But the Dark Prince found only empty space.

Since the Devourer had returned to reality, there was nothing Slaanesh could do without sending a Greater Daemon or Daemon Prince to physically track him down in the real world.

Seething with pent-up desire and fury, Slaanesh had no choice but to stomp off to lavish "rewards" on Fulgrim instead.

In a way, Eden's ordeal had been a blessing in disguise.

Seeing the displeased look on Eden's face, Kaul gave an awkward laugh:"Don't worry, my Lord Savior. The stim is a bit intense, but there are no side effects. I've also fortified it with loads of vitamins.

"Right...there's some good news I wanted to share..."

This "stim" was what Kaul used to power through all-night research, inspired by Eden's concept of "health supplements." Now he made half his formulas as if they were vitamin boosters.

Eden let out a sigh. "All right, what's the good news?"

"We found the ruins of the ancient Eldar civilization—an incredibly old city!"

Kaul's excitement was palpable. He almost danced in place.

"What?"

They'd found an ancient Eldar ruin? That might be linked to the presence of the Goddess Isha he'd encountered.

Eden perked up.

Aside from exploring the Webway, one of his main goals here was to uncover advanced relics of lost civilizations. If they had discovered Eldar ruins, that meant potential relics, technologies—treasures to bolster his domain.

These alien technologies would hold immense appeal for the gearheads on Forge World Stygies-VIII, letting Eden keep them firmly under his thumb.

It was indeed a double triumph!

(End of Chapter)

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