The metal robot, Moss, excitedly looked toward the gate, only to find it empty.
"Master?" Moss's electronic voice grew somber, filled with a strange sadness.
Ever since Green Wave Farm was established, Moss had been responsible for tending the farm, never stepping beyond its boundaries.
Yet, in all the endless years that had passed, the master had never come to check on its work.
Moss stood there in a daze, still spraying pesticide from the nozzle in its hand.
A gust of wind blew by, carrying the pesticide back towards Moss, hitting its metal body.
Zzzzt!
Sparks flew as short circuits appeared on Moss's body, but it didn't seem to notice.
If the short circuits continued, Moss would most likely "die" from component failure.
Yet, it was trapped in a strange feedback loop, unable to react.
Clang—
The sky behind Moss turned dark.
A large panel fell with a bang, revealing a cold steel wall.
"Not again! Damn 613th mimetic panel!"
Moss hastily put down the pesticide sprayer and ran towards the fallen mimetic panel, determined to repair it quickly.
It extended two slender mechanical arms from its back, beginning to work on the damaged panel.
"How many times has this 613th mimetic panel fallen?" Moss wondered as it worked.
Its mechanical brain instantly retrieved the data—4567 times!
Oh, damn 613th mimetic panel!
As the farm robot, maintaining Green Wave Farm was Moss's responsibility.
If nothing unusual happened, it would continue working on Green Wave Farm indefinitely.
Repairing the cursed mimetic panel, waiting for that unseen master to finally come and inspect its work.
In the void of Green Wave Farm, a psychic beacon pulsed slowly—it was a teleportation marker.
——
In the royal chamber of the spire.
Hiss!
Eden suddenly awoke, his head pounding!
"Ah! My lord?" A concerned voice came from the maids around him.
"What's wrong with you?"
Linda gasped in shock, urging, "Quick, call the apothecary!"
"No need, I'm fine."
Eden knew nothing was seriously wrong; it was just a side effect of withdrawing his consciousness from the Warp.
The sensation came and went quickly, and he recovered in no time.
Eden ordered the maids to leave and stepped onto the balcony, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin.
A small smile crept across his face, and the dark cloud in his heart lifted.
He had found the solution!
In the depths of the space hulk within the Warp, he had discovered a farm from the Golden Age.
Not only did the farm contain advanced agricultural techniques and seeds, but it also housed a robot from the Golden Age!
That was the true treasure!
As for the Imperial ban on AI and intelligent machinery, Eden couldn't care less—the Imperium had no control over him anymore.
As long as it was used within reason, what was there to fear?
Even if there was a risk, it would only manifest in the distant future.
Right now, his priority was to use every available method to strengthen himself—surviving was the top priority.
Although he hadn't found powerful weapons or relics on this trip to the Warp, discovering a solution to the food problem and a Golden Age robot was a huge win.
Once he brought back the Golden Age agricultural technology, along with the help of the robot, he could establish large-scale farms and solve the food shortage.
The key now was how to bring those treasures back.
Luckily, before running out of energy, Eden had left a psychic teleportation marker at the farm.
With enough Hope Energy, he could activate his miniature sun's teleportation ability, open a portal to the farm, and transport everything back!
The immediate priority was to find a place to install the psychic core, which would absorb the Hope Energy from the people.
As for the location, Eden had already made up his mind.
"Karter!" Eden called out.
"Yes, my lord!"
Karter, the captain of the guard, responded as he entered. His towering frame, nearly two and a half meters tall, was intimidating even to Eden, who stood 1.8 meters tall.
But Karter would never display any sign of disrespect. He knelt in front of Eden, awaiting his orders. "Lord Governor!"
Every time Eden saw Karter, he thought this man would make an excellent Space Marine. If there was a chance in the future, he would have to form a squad of Space Marines as his personal guard.
In the world of Warhammer 40K, Space Marines were the ultimate power.
Eden brushed aside his wandering thoughts and focused on the task at hand.
"Accompany me to the Sacred Plaza!"
"Yes, my lord!" Karter, with a determined expression, accepted the order and left to make preparations.
Every time Eden traveled, a meticulous security plan was needed to ensure his safety.
After all, the Hoffman family wanted him dead, and they had sent countless assassins to make that happen. Caution was always wise.
Soon, under Karter's arrangements, Eden boarded his hover vehicle and headed for the Sacred Plaza.
Upon arrival, Eden ordered Karter and the guards to stand watch around the perimeter, while he walked to the center of the plaza, beneath the statue of the God-Emperor.
The statue, once a symbol of holiness and dignity, was now dilapidated and weathered.
Yet, it still exuded a faint aura of authority, inspiring reverence in all who gazed upon it.
This was the place Eden had chosen to install the psychic core.
Using the statue of the God-Emperor as the focal point, the energy from the psychic core would radiate across most of the territory.
Eden placed his hand on the statue's base and reached out with his consciousness to the miniature sun in the Warp.
He would create a secret pathway between the Warp and reality, allowing the miniature sun to place the psychic core within the statue.
In the Warp, the miniature sun grew ever brighter, its energy waves intensifying, stirring a psychic storm.
The violent fluctuations of psychic energy triggered a spatial shift.
Crack!
The void in front of the miniature sun shattered like glass, revealing an irregular rift.
Through the rift, the head of the God-Emperor's statue could faintly be seen.
The path was established!
A small orb of light split from the miniature sun—that was the psychic core.
The psychic core would serve as an anchor point, stationed in reality, drawing positive emotions from the surrounding area—what Eden called Hope Energy.
The glowing psychic core quickly embedded itself in the head of the God-Emperor's statue, anchoring firmly.
Afterward, the rift between the Warp and reality closed, leaving only an invisible psychic connection between the core and the miniature sun.
Eden could faintly sense a bond forming between himself and the statue.
Not only could he absorb Hope Energy, but he could also redirect some of the people's worship of the God-Emperor toward himself.
"Finally, it's done!"
The entire process took only seconds, but Eden felt completely drained.
"Lord Governor!"
"Call for backup!"
When Eden returned to reality, he found himself surrounded by his guards. Karter had deployed his shield, completely covering Eden in an impenetrable barrier.
The moment Eden had connected to the miniature sun, Karter had sensed the danger and immediately moved to protect him.
As the Lord Governor's captain of the guard, Karter would sacrifice his own life rather than repeat any mistakes.
Fortunately, it was just a false alarm.
After a thorough inspection and confirming that everything was safe, Karter dismissed the guards and tightened security around the plaza.
Eden could still feel the thin thread linking him to the psychic core in the Warp.
Now, he could continuously absorb Hope Energy.
Once he gathered enough, he could activate the miniature sun's teleportation ability and send himself to the space hulk's farm!
Eden took a quick mental calculation: if the Hope Energy generated by an average person was 1 point, he needed 200,000 points to initiate the teleportation.
The gap was significant, but he wasn't worried—after all, there were millions of people in his territory!
Eden focused on controlling the psychic core, trying to absorb Hope Energy from his people.
144 points?
He was stunned.
Hope Energy was so scarce.
All he could sense from the people was confusion, fear, and helplessness. They were crying out in pain and despair!
Darkness was consuming them. Endless hopelessness loomed over his land—where was the hope?
What should he do now?
(End of Chapter)