Warhammer 40k : Starting as a Primarch

Human beings are creatures that will fight to survive as long as they still have hope.

Although Dukel was not good at socializing, he still did not stay away from the reveling crowd, because for the people who were suffering in the dark ages, he was hope itself at this moment.

Although he is serious, even an encouraging look can make a weathered man regain his confidence in life; a pat on the shoulder can make a soldier who survived the war feel the belated glory.

It's just a piece of cake.

Dukel could chop off the heads of countless creatures without mercy, but he really couldn't bear to deprive mankind of hope.

Finally, night fell, and the fanatical crowd finally left reluctantly after being evacuated by the Astra Militarum.

Dukel returned to the temple, where the State Church had prepared a room specifically for him.

"Your Highness Dukel, I think you should rush to Terra as soon as possible. Only in the center of the empire can you once again demonstrate your greatness."

The Primarch was still accompanied by Sister Efilar.

At this moment, the nun who walked off the battlefield showed her wise side and gave Dukel many useful suggestions.

"Terra?" Dukel murmured, hesitation flickering in his voice.

As a Primarch erased from history, his name stricken from all records, the notion of returning to Terra weighed heavily upon him. Yet, deep down, he knew—Terra must be his destination.

The Emperor, now silent and entombed upon the Golden Throne, awaited him. Despite His condition, Dukel felt the pull of duty. A meeting with the Master of Mankind was inevitable.

But not yet.

"Now is not the time," Dukel said, his voice steadying. "There are preparations to be made."

He paused, his thoughts racing. Terra was no longer just the seat of the Emperor's rule—it had become the dominion of the High Lords of Terra, the Inquisition, the Adeptus Ministorum, and the Mechanicus. Layers of bureaucracy and dogma entangled the sacred world like chains.

"Now is definitely not the time to return," Dukel concluded, his tone resolute.

Then Efilar started talking to Dukel about other things. Most of the time, the elder nun kept telling him, like praying, how miserable the empire had been over the past ten thousand years and how much humanity hoped to be saved by him.

And Dukel listened carefully.

A few hours later, Efilal reluctantly left his quarters.

After ensuring the other had gone, Dukel approached his desk. Picking up a pen, he began scrawling calculations across a draft, his mind consumed with planning.

Terra must be his destination. But before setting foot on the Throneworld, he had to make meticulous preparations.

—Above all, he had to safeguard his mind.

The warning echoed in his thoughts, a grim reminder of his confrontation with Kabanha, the Great Daemon of Khorne. The words of his adversary lingered:

"If the Chaos Gods could drive the Second Primarch to madness once, they can do so again."

Even now, Dukel had no clear understanding of how the Second Primarch had fallen. Was it an assault on his will? A flaw buried in the genetic makeup of the Primarchs themselves?

Whatever the cause, the schemes of the Ruinous Powers loomed ever-present, their manipulations a constant threat. The possibility of losing control again hung over him like the blade of Damocles, poised to strike at any moment.

Before returning to Terra, Dukel would ensure every precaution was in place. Failure was not an option.

Dukel knew he had to strengthen his mind and will without delay.

Fortunately, he possessed an advantage few others could claim: the memories of two lives. As a time traveler, his broader perspective allowed him to approach problems with an ingenuity that far exceeded the scope of ordinary individuals.

"In this Warhammer universe, meditation and mental training are common methods for tempering the spirit and will. Psykers, for example, rely on prolonged meditation to stave off the dangers of losing control," Dukel mused aloud. "In my previous life, I recall that in ancient Jingchu, Wuyue, and Bashu regions of Daxia (China), Taoist practitioners used visualization techniques to cultivate their spirits."

Pausing to gather his thoughts, Dukel's pen scratched furiously across the draft paper. "Perhaps I can adapt these methods—improving them using extrapolation and visualization. It's worth a try."

He leaned forward, calculation after calculation spilling across the page.

The effectiveness of these past-life visualization techniques was irrelevant. Dukel knew that the Prototype Primarch's mind was a marvel of bioengineering, its computational ability rivaling that of the most advanced biological supercomputers. With its unparalleled processing power, any idea could be swiftly tested and refined into a practical solution.

"Visualization Method 001... failed."

"Visualization Method 002... failed."

"Visualization Method 003... failed."

By the time he reached the 165th iteration, Dukel's relentless experimentation continued unabated, his expression unfaltering despite repeated setbacks. Each failure only served as a step closer to success.

The night passed in a flash, and the light of morning sun shone through the window.

In the golden sunlight, Dukel stared with bloodshot eyes and rubbed his hair in annoyance.

The stacked and scattered drafts almost covered the entire desktop.

"This theory is indeed feasible, why did it fail?"

"It's because the computing power is not enough. I thought too simply about computing power. The system of strengthening the mind and will is more complicated than I thought. It requires too much consideration."

"I alone cannot come up with a feasible solution."

"Just me? Hmm?"

"One person?"

In that instant, Dukel's thoughts surged like a bolt of lightning through the Warp. His mind expanded, and it was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing the boundless possibilities before him.

"If my own computing power is insufficient," he mused, his voice growing firmer, "then I'll harness the power of hundreds, thousands—no, the entire Imperium of Man!"

As his mind opened to this revelation, inspirations sprouted like weeds in fertile soil. One after another, bold and audacious ideas flooded his consciousness, each more daring than the last.

"If I'm to integrate the cognitive power of others, the first step is to construct something akin to a 'mind network,' a system that links their consciousness to mine…"

His thoughts paused for a moment as the gravity of the challenge became clear. "But such a feat is impossible through psychic energy alone. Attempting to connect the minds of so many would burn my soul to ash and leave my body a withered husk."

A spark of realization ignited his expression. "But I have the system! I can use faith as the foundation—a network built on belief, stronger and more enduring than mere psychic connections. Faith is infinite and self-sustaining."

He tapped the desk in rhythmic thought, each strike punctuating his ideas. "I could even use the system itself as a central node, a transit station, or a server to handle the burden. That way, the strain wouldn't fall on me at all."

Dukel's eyes gleamed with determination. "This network cannot be a simple tool. It must evolve—grow on its own. To truly unlock the potential of others' minds, they must become reliant on the network, bound to it inextricably."

"Only mutual benefit can maximize value."

"I also need to set up a firewall. Although I need computing power, the target who enters the network must be loyal. Only with strong faith can we keep the heart network pure and establish a solid connection with the system."

Dukel carefully perfected his idea.

Carefully implement each seemingly bold and crazy idea one by one.

Dukel used the system's ability to absorb and transform beliefs to construct the spiritual network in his mind. In essence, this is like using a chicken to lay eggs, and is much simpler than the method of inference and visualization.

It can be regarded as developing new uses based on the basic functions of the system.

But even so, it still took him a whole day to turn all his ideas into reality.

"It's done!"

Night fell again, and Dukel's eyes shone brightly in the darkness.

Inside the simple legion dormitory.

A Battle Sister had just finished a long day of grueling practice and fervent prayer. Exhausted, she lay down on her cot, hoping for a brief reprieve in the form of sleep.

Suddenly—

[Bite!—]

A sharp, melodic chime echoed in her mind, breaking the silence without warning.

Startled, she bolted upright. Before she could react further, a translucent panel materialized before her eyes, its faint glow casting eerie shadows in the dimly lit room.

[Humanity has spent millennia mired in ignorance and darkness. Countless warriors have ventured into the vast expanse of the galaxy with loyalty and honor, only to find their final resting places on alien soil.

Will you rise to save the Imperium from the encroaching shadows?]

Beneath the message, a single, emphatic option blinked in rapid succession:

[Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes]

The panel lingered for a moment, awaiting her response.

[Warriors of the Imperium, please make your choice.]

The Battle Sister blinked, her expression unreadable.

"...What in the Emperor's name?"

As a soldier who survived the battlefield, her mental state was pretty good and she was not frightened by this sudden abnormality.

She looked around suspiciously and found that the panel also moved according to her field of vision.

In the dormitory, the other sisters have fallen asleep.

Looking at the dazzling golden font on the panel, the battle sister's eyes gradually became firm.

"This must be the opportunity and test bestowed upon me by the Divine Emperor."

"Praise the Emperor!"