After completing the administrative tasks of reclaiming the Hoffman family's territory, Eden returned to his Spire Estate with the Imperial Guards.
"Sigh, finally I can rest properly!"
Eden threw himself onto the soft bed in his bedroom, ready for an early night of deep sleep.
Tomorrow, he would preside over the grand trial of Yusef and the other heretics.
Work was endless, and rest was precious.
Lights out! ——
Within the Immaterium (Warp Space)
Swirling vortexes of rainbow-colored blackness spun in chaotic patterns, with flashes of massive lightning bolts cutting across the sky.
This was a place beyond time, where no physical eyes were needed to perceive anything, and where the laws of reality held no sway.
Here, energies of chaos, despair, disgust, violence, and even lewdness permeated the very fabric of existence.
Insidious whispers continuously echoed in the air, driving anyone mad. Even tearing out your ears wouldn't help because these whispers penetrated directly into your soul.
Everything in this space was composed of the emotions and thoughts of intelligent beings in the real universe.
These entities were alive—nightmares that constantly sought to break into reality and give you a "loving" welcome.
Of course, there were a few friendly entities in the Warp, such as the Emperor of Mankind, who was imprisoned on Holy Terra, and Eldar gods that emerged only once every thousand years.
But most friendly entities were weak, hiding in this dangerous dimension to avoid being devoured by Chaos forces.
Even the slightest exposure to the madness of reality could cause them to fall into depravity.
In short, 99% of what inhabited the Warp wanted to devour your delicious soul!
Eden found himself in just such a predicament.
He had only just fallen asleep when the small "sun" of his soul felt a sudden surge of danger.
"Ugh, can't even sleep in peace. My consciousness still has to work!" Eden cursed as his awareness snapped back to his soul's core—his tiny sun.
This core represented his very essence, the key to becoming a god.
If his physical body in the real world were destroyed, he could still survive.
But if this little sun were devoured by some evil entity, it would be game over for Eden.
Unfortunately, his small sun was still weak, and to the denizens of the Warp, it looked like an irresistible dessert.
As his awareness fully returned to his sun, Eden realized he had been targeted by a malevolent presence.
He could "see" a massive shadow looming in the distance, rushing toward him.
The good news: it wasn't a Chaos god.
The bad news: it was still far stronger than him!
He could practically feel the entity drooling, eager to devour this tasty treat.
The evil entity moved quickly, revealing its full form as it approached.
"What the hell? A giant octopus?"
Eden gasped.
Before he could react, the monstrous being opened its massive maw, and several black tentacles lashed out, trying to ensnare his small sun.
The sheer malevolence radiating from the creature made Eden's scalp tingle.
He tried to flee, but it was too late.
The entity's speed far outmatched his, and soon, the black tendrils wrapped around his sun, immobilizing it.
In an instant, the tentacles started dragging his sun toward the creature's gaping maw.
Crushed by the overwhelming force of the creature's evil power, Eden felt like he was suffocating.
This was it. He was done for.
But Eden still had a trump card!
Controlling his tiny sun, he sent a psychic message toward a distant, cold, and powerful light within the Warp:
"Emperor, help! Your most loyal servant is about to be devoured by heretics!"
The message had barely been sent when—whoosh—a massive psychic wave emanated from that cold sun.
The entire area lit up with divine radiance, and in an instant, the black tendrils wrapped around Eden's sun began melting away, as if exposed to intense heat.
Praise the Emperor!
Eden felt a surge of joy. The Emperor was truly mighty, worthy of being called the Fifth Chaos God.
His power was overwhelming.
As the black tentacles disintegrated, the distant evil entity let out a painful, pitiful wail, begging for mercy.
The creature had always feared approaching the terrifying cold sun, but the lure of Eden's small sun had been too tempting.
It had stayed far away, thinking it could sneakily pull Eden's sun over for a quick snack.
But even this small attempt had angered the terrifying being.
The evil entity turned and tried to flee, but the holy light overtook it with far greater speed.
With one final agonized shriek, the entity was vaporized, leaving nothing behind.
Eden could sense that the Emperor had crushed the creature like a bug.
After dealing with the threat, the cold sun returned to its usual calm state, as if nothing had happened.
"Emperor?"
Eden tentatively called out, hoping to establish some rapport. He was now certain that the Emperor was conscious, aware of his existence, and had responded to his plea for help.
This meant that the Emperor cared, at least a little, for this tiny human.
After all, the Emperor had existed for countless millennia, a godlike figure who had likely grown indifferent to most things.
For him to save Eden meant he saw some value in him.
It felt like being treated almost like a son—a status akin to the Emperor's Primarchs, who commanded vast armies across the galaxy.
But even sons could be unreliable. After all, the Emperor had been betrayed by his "son," Warmaster Horus.
That betrayal had plunged the galaxy into chaos, with Horus leading a rebellion backed by the four Chaos Gods, severely wounding the Emperor in the process.
As a result, the Emperor was confined to the Golden Throne, his body rotting and immobile, unable to speak a word.
He could only communicate with his followers through dreams and visions.
Meanwhile, his soul projection in the Warp had grown ever stronger, burning like a sun for ten thousand years.
Without the Emperor's direct leadership, the vast human empire had grown increasingly backward, ignorant, and disordered.
Ironically, they now worshiped the Emperor as a god, the very thing he had despised.
He was the Emperor of Mankind, not a deity!
But now, it no longer mattered what the Emperor thought—his followers did as they pleased.
And here was Eden, calling him "God-Emperor" at every turn.
Of course, Eden had no intention of betraying the Emperor.
Eden tried calling out a few more times, but the cold sun remained silent.
Looking around at the terrifying energies swirling in the Warp and then at the distant cold sun, Eden began to feel a deep unease.
Sigh
This place was too dangerous, too terrifying.
And his little sun was still too far from the Emperor.
What if an even stronger entity showed up one day and he didn't have time to call for help?
Eden carefully guided his tiny sun and sent another psychic plea toward the cold light:
"Uh, boss, can I get a little closer to you?"
(End of Chapter)
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