Warhammer: Saving Humanity Begins with the Resurrection of Horus

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Lynch took the data panel from Asford's hand and looked at the recruit's information displayed on it. He was surprised to find that this recruit was the child of the middle-aged man he had met when he was disguised at the Nest City Tavern that day.

At that time, Horus told himself that the middle-aged man's child had a high compatibility with his genetic seed, and perhaps he could consider recruiting him and having his child join the Claws of the Stars.

Lynch did the same, having the man send his child to the selection process. However, he never expected that the man's child would not only pass the selection and become a new recruit in the battle group, but would also encounter problems during the surgery, forcing him to make the decision himself.

Have you tried any drugs that can forcibly awaken bodily functions?

“I gave it to him,” Cafu said. “I even prepared a higher dose, but it still couldn’t wake him up.”

“My lord.” Cafu hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, leaned closer to Lynch, and whispered, “Could it be related to the improvements in the surgery…?”

“What’s the connection?” Lynch looked at Cafu and sighed helplessly. “The new surgery follows the same procedure as the old one, except for a few extra steps. If it were really related to the current surgery, then all the recruits would be experiencing problems by now.”

Kafu remained silent, and Lynch knew what they were thinking—a few months ago, when he had just returned to Badab, he had sent a message to the Great Sage Kaul in Star Language, to let him know he was safe and not to worry, and also to ask for the recruit transformation process for the Primal Cast Astartes surgery.

Compared to regular Astartes, the original Astartes are not only larger and stronger, but also have unprecedented improvements in resistance to chaos.

Lynch is not Robert Guilliman; he cannot get all the chapters of the Empire to use the original Astartes, nor can he imagine all those countless "frozen meats" that the Caul had accumulated over thousands of years.

However, he can enhance the strength of his own battle group by performing original-casting surgical modifications on new recruits within his own battle group.

Furthermore, through this action, he could ensure that, after the Primarch of the Empire returns, those chapters that have joined the Maelstrom Alliance will all receive the new Primarch Astartes.

This is called "first casting drives subsequent casting," achieving common casting.

However, quite a few problems have arisen in this process.

Could it be that Kaul hasn't perfected the surgery yet? No, it should have been perfected a long time ago, otherwise how could he have created me and the original leader?

Lynch was puzzled, and just then, Horus suddenly appeared and told Lynch the reason why the recruit was unconscious.

“Psionic energy,” Horus said succinctly. “I sensed a very strange psionic energy… but this energy feels very different. Its possessor, while possessing considerable psionic power, is limited to this level…”

"How to deal with it?"

“I don’t know.” Horus shook his head, but still offered a solution. “Perhaps you could try contacting the think tanks within the chapter and have them investigate the child’s soul with you. Although I haven’t sensed any chaotic energy, it’s always better to be cautious.”

“I know,” Lin Qi replied, looking at the young boy lying on the cold iron bed, and finally, he slowly exhaled.

"This strange recruit...give me more work."

Lynch turned around and gave the order to Asford.

"Afu, go find Bell and tell them to come here immediately. I need their guards, and I want to investigate this recruit's situation myself."

Asford received orders and immediately headed towards the library, where the think tanks were located, outside the infirmary.

what is going on actually?

Meanwhile, Horus, who was spying on the boy, frowned. For some reason, he felt a strong sense of familiarity from the boy's psychic energy.

but.........

Who is it?

Horus thought to himself, and at the same time made a decision in his heart.

No matter who you are, if you dare to harm my soldiers and children, I will definitely find you.

Chapter 144, The Zeroth Surgery

The chilling feeling returned, and when Caesar opened his eyes, he found himself standing in front of a church that was both strange and familiar.

A thick fog spread around him, and the water beneath his ankles was icy cold. Caesar took a deep breath, and a hidden memory was awakened at this moment—this was not the first time he had come here, but the last time, he had come in a dream, and for some reason, he had forgotten that memory after opening his eyes and waking up.

But now, he's back.

So, during the transformation surgery, you might fall into a deep sleep and then dream?

Caesar pondered this to himself, then he lifted one leg, stepped onto the steps in front of him, and just like last time, pushed open the tightly closed doors of the church.

The interior was the same simple, the same empty stone chairs. Everything before him was not much different from when Caesar had last returned here.

But for some reason, this time, Caesar felt something different.

He looked at the empty stone chair in front of him and, for some reason, suddenly felt a strong attraction. At the same time, it was as if someone began to whisper in his ear, like a young mother murmuring in her child's ear, urging him to walk forward and sit on the stone chair.

Without realizing it, Caesar took a step, followed by a second and a third.

The boy got closer and closer to the stone bench, until finally, the distance between them was only an arm's length. Now, all the boy had to do was turn around and let his body fall naturally, and he could sit on the simple, obviously uncomfortable stone bench.

But just before he was about to do so, a voice called out to him.

I advise you not to do that.

A familiar voice, or rather, anyone who has joined Star Claws will recognize this voice.

Caesar's mind returned in an instant. He stopped what he was doing and gasped for breath like a drowning person who had just escaped from the water.

However, he still forced himself to turn around and looked at the giant behind him, who was wearing pearl-white power armor and whose height far exceeded that of an ordinary Astartes. His face was filled with undisguised shock and excitement.

"You...it really is you, Lord Lynch!"

Lin Qi looked at the child in front of him and nodded slightly.

"You were aware that there were some unexpected complications during your surgery."

"Ah...unexpected?"

"Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with your body. The surgery was a success, or rather, a great success. Your second heart is beating strongly."

"Ah...that's good." Caesar was momentarily lost in thought. He looked at Lin Qi, blinked, and the tension he had felt at the beginning dissipated considerably without him realizing it.

“Lord Lynch,” Caesar began. “And the unexpected situation I encountered…”

"Hmm." Lin Qi nodded, while constantly looking around at his surroundings. "This is it, this church."

From the moment he entered the church, Lin Qi immediately sensed something unusual about the place.

That's because this place is just too normal.

It's important to understand that at this moment, Lynch is directly communicating with Caesar's soul using his own. In other words, their conversation is taking place entirely within the Warp.

In the subspace, is there anything that is completely normal?

The answer is no. As the other side of the material world, the subspace is a sea of ​​souls that gathers countless living beings. It is a chaotic ocean. Talking about normal things with it is not like playing music to a cow, but like playing music to a stone.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Qi pulled Caesar behind him. Caesar also realized the seriousness of the situation, and a deep tension appeared on his young face.

"Don't be nervous," Lin Qi said, reassuringly. "I'm here."

The words were brief, but for some reason, upon hearing them, Caesar felt a profound sense of peace. Like a child returning to its mother's embrace, the tension dissipated, replaced by an inexplicable ease.

"Your name is Julius Caesar, isn't it?"

"Sir, do you know my name?"

“I know the name of every Star Claw warrior, from the company commander to the veterans, and to you all. I have personally reviewed the files of each and every one of you. I can even call on the mortals in the Thorn Court, not just Astartes.”

Lynch spoke casually, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

But Caesar behind him stared wide-eyed, as if he had heard something unbelievable.

No, perhaps it's just unbelievable.

After all, there are countless mortals, big and small, within the entire Star Claw, including the Thorn Royal Court. Normally, only a large-scale thinker could remember the names of so many people.

“This is my duty as Chapter Master.” Lynch said without turning his head, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings. “Everyone who has fought for the cause I carry out deserves to be remembered, child. You will understand when you become an Astartes. Whether mortal or Astartes, as long as they give their lives for a cause, their names deserve to be remembered, even if they were just an Astral Army soldier, or even a worker or a vagrant in Hive City.”

"Alright, enough chit-chat." After confirming several times that there was no danger around, Lynch led Caesar to a corner. Here, he could ensure the operation of his psionic energy at any time and act the moment danger appeared. "What do you know about this place? I was busy with vigilance and reconnaissance earlier and didn't ask. Now tell me everything you know."

After understanding Lynch's request, Caesar did not hesitate and told him everything he knew.

When he heard a giant wearing pearl-white power armor insert a ball of light into Caesar's body and mutter something about the zeroth operation, Lynch frowned deeply. He thought of something, but felt that such a thing was too unlikely.

Horus, what do you think?

There was no response; Lynch's calls went unanswered. This made him even more serious, and his confusion about the church and the so-called "zeroth operation" deepened.

Forget it, the most important thing right now is to get Caesar out of here.

Having made the decision, the next steps were actually quite simple. Lynch led Caesar to the church doors, pushed them open, and then, looking at the thick white fog billowing outside, stepped inside without hesitation.

"Master Lynch."

Caesar's voice carried a hint of worry.

Are we just leaving like this?

"Well, that's how I left."

Lynch said, leading Caesar forward through the fog.

Their path forward appeared to be aimless, but in reality, Lynch was leading Caesar towards a psionic beacon he had left behind. In the material world, the Star Claws' intelligence network was prepared to use this beacon to forcibly pull anyone who came into contact with it back into reality, allowing their souls to return to their bodies.

They quickly arrived at the beacon, a deep blue that looked like a pillar of light shooting into the sky, shimmering with a magnificent and mysterious light.

It was at this moment that Lin Qi suddenly sensed something.

He felt faint whispers beginning to appear in his ears, as if someone was wailing and crying in his ear. But when he listened carefully, he heard nothing at all.

The mist began to swirl, blowing across the power armor manifested on his soul, like gentle hands holding him back, unwilling to let him leave this place.

The zeroth surgery.

A sudden inspiration flashed through Lynch's mind. He took a deep breath, then reached out and gently nudged Caesar's back.

"Caesar, you go back first."

Caesar looked at Lynch and blinked.

"After you leave, some veterans will surround you. Don't worry. Find Bell—the chief think tank—and tell him what's going on here. Also, you can only tell Bell what's going on here, at least until I leave."

Caesar nodded obediently. Lynch patted him on the shoulder one last time, watching the recruit, whose soul was still that of a child, walk into the pillar of light and then disappear from this subspace.

Okay, now it's time to find the truth.

Lynch turned around and went back to the church he had just left. He pushed open the door, walked to the center, and reached out to gently stroke the stone bench.

The chilling sensation seeped into Lin Qi's soul from the point of touch, making him feel an unprecedented discomfort.

It's like... it's like...

It felt as if something was being slowly pulled away from my body, like silk being drawn out.

Lin Qi quickly raised his hand, his expression somewhat grim. He looked at the chair in front of him, took a deep breath, and spoke softly.