Watching the colossal mothership depart Terra, Roboute Guilliman couldn't help but feel a lingering worry.
"Father, are you sure this is alright? After all, that guy is the most unique of the Necron Overlords—his combat power is on par with a major Necron dynasty, if not greater."
"No need to worry. Trust in Rhodes's strength, believe in his ability to accomplish this, and then wait patiently," the Emperor replied with a smile.
The Emperor wasn't particularly concerned about Rhodes going alone to subdue a Necron Overlord. Rhodes had already taken down a minor dynasty before, so this time shouldn't be much of a problem.
Rhodes's combat ability had been growing steadily. Times had changed; the Imperium itself, under Rhodes's help, had reached an unprecedented peak. Its military potential now far exceeded what it had been ten thousand years ago.
"I still think it'd be better to have the Lion, or Sanguinius, accompany him. Rhodes is far too important to the Imperium. Losing him would be disastrous beyond imagining," Guilliman said.
"I used to think like you. I never trusted you all to handle things on your own, I always wanted power in my own hands. But now I understand—sometimes, I have to let go. When I sat upon the Golden Throne, I thought the Imperium would be lucky to last a few centuries.
When one after another of you fell asleep, vanished, or went into hiding, I thought the Imperium was finished. But it survived for ten thousand years.
Time has proven me wrong. Humanity always finds a new path. Even in these darkest hours, someone will stand up for mankind."
"Let's hope so. The world, ten millennia after your era, is so much worse. When I first awoke, I was nearly in despair—I even blamed you, wishing it had been me who died instead of Sanguinius," Guilliman admitted.
Many say Roboute Guilliman thirsted for power, even secretly building a Second Imperium. But back then, when he and Sanguinius and the Lion founded it, it was under the assumption the Emperor was dead.
He never made himself Emperor, instead elevating Sanguinius to the throne. Later, they realized everything they'd done had been a joke.
If only he'd arrived at Holy Terra with his fleet a bit sooner, perhaps none of it would have happened!
"Don't overthink it. You could never have reached the battlefield in time. Anything you could think of, Horus could as well. Even under the sway of the four Chaos Gods, he was still a Warmaster.
As for Rhodes, the reason I'm letting him go alone is because his power far surpasses what Horus wielded ten thousand years ago, and he will never be tempted by Chaos."
"You really do have faith in him. Let's hope he returns victorious," Guilliman nodded.
…
Aboard the Pedan mothership, Rhodes was in his room carefully wiping his hands, taking a deep breath, and eyeing the little gift box floating in the air.
This was a gift from the Advanced System Shop—surely it had to contain something amazing. He'd even bathed and changed clothes just to open it!
"Rhodes, what on earth are you doing?" Aisha frowned, watching him.
"You don't understand. This is about luck. Doing this increases my chances!" Rhodes replied.
"You just want to boost your luck, right? You should've told me. I can help," Aisha said, rolling her eyes as she sat on the bed.
After all that, all he wanted was luck? As a Chaos God, now also wielding Order's power, she could easily cast a blessing to increase his luck.
"You can cast luck spells?" Rhodes asked.
"Of course! Don't underestimate me—I am, after all, an Eldar goddess."
"Oh! Then let's try it!" Rhodes nodded.
Aisha stood up, hands glowing with violet light, and gently touched Rhodes. Instantly, Rhodes felt invigorated, filled with an indescribable sensation.
"All done—I've boosted your luck. Right now, you're the luckiest human alive. Do whatever you want!" Aisha said.
"Alright!" Rhodes nodded, finally opening the system gift pack he'd saved from his hundred-draw.
After opening it, the system shop's chime sounded.
[Host has received: One free Advanced Shop monster of your choice. You may select any monster from the shop—basic, intermediate, or advanced—and draw it for free.]
Pick any monster at all! This was huge—worth more than a hundred draws, even two! And those didn't let you pick, while this one did.
Excited, Rhodes clenched his fist and spun Aisha around in a hug.
"Looks like your luck paid off—what did you get?" Aisha asked with a sly smile.
Having followed Rhodes for years, she knew he'd get all sorts of rewards from odd places. But this time, whatever he'd gotten was clearly exceptional.
He'd never been this excited.
"It's great stuff. This time, I can get a super-powerful subordinate," Rhodes said, clapping his hands.
"Oh? Stronger than Tartarus?" Aisha asked.
"Not quite."
Tartarus was top-tier—costing ten billion system coins to unlock the ultimate shop, then three billion more to buy him. Monsters of Tartarus' class were rare boss-level types—even among Ultraman monsters, there were only a few stronger.
In the advanced shop, only the bosses from the Gamera, some movie bosses like Ultimate Super Beast, Five Emperor Monarch, Black Mephisto, Evil Tiga, Evil Trigger, and the Ultra Ancient Dark Giants could compare.
"So, what type will you choose? Maybe I can give you some advice," Aisha said.
This Necron Overlord was just an appetizer. In the future, Rhodes would face Nurgle, who she sensed would go all out this time.
To counter Nurgle, you'd need someone with holy, light, or life powers for a perfect counter.
"This time, since it's a Necron Overlord, I'm going to summon someone with mastery over space-time abilities," Rhodes said.
Time and space talents always held the initiative—they were the ultimate all-rounders.
"You already have people like that. The Overlord isn't really a problem. What you should be thinking about is the Chaos Gods, and the first to come after you will definitely be Nurgle," Aisha reminded him. "You should be more worried about Nurgle than that Necron Overlord!"
There's no grudge greater than stealing Isha—Nurgle will be after him with everything he's got!
The news about the goddess of life was out, but Rhodes's divine offspring was still secret.
Only the Emperor and Primarchs knew in the Imperium; among the Eldar, only the Phoenix King's seers, the Death God, and the Laughing God knew.
But with so many in the know, it was only a matter of time before Nurgle found out—after all, the Chaos Gods' reach was everywhere. Rhodes may think he's hidden it well, but they know everything.
As a peer, Aisha knew full well how far Nurgle's spies extended. Full preparations were a must—this time, Nurgle might go after Rhodes, not the Emperor.
"Nurgle! You're right. Now your identity is exposed, and you're carrying my divine child—Nurgle's face will be something to see!" Rhodes laughed.
Anyway, Nurgle's face is already green; turning him even greener shouldn't matter. Besides, he's always been after Isha but never got anywhere. So picking the right monster was crucial.
"Among the Chaos Gods, Nurgle's power is second only to Khorne. To counter him, pick someone with holy, light, or life energy," Aisha advised.
With Tartarus, Rhodes's new subordinate, and herself, plus the Emperor, it would be four on one—Nurgle wouldn't stand a chance!
"Speaking of light, there is one candidate," Rhodes said.
In the system, there was a unique light monster from the Jack TV series.
But as a Showa-era monster, its value was only 100,000 points. Though it had light power, it couldn't move or fight well—not especially strong.
The only other suitable light monster was the Angel of Ruin, Zog. Though only her first form, her presence and intimidation were far beyond her second.
With Zog's power, maybe even Dark Giants could be evolved—she could recharge Gaia and Agul, after all.
Rhodes explained Zog's abilities to Aisha.
"Angel of Ruin! Power of both light and dark! She can become a tall female angel, or a fierce dragon!" Aisha said in amazement.
She'd never heard of anything wielding both light and darkness.
"Exactly! Her light is incredibly strong, and I can boost her further," Rhodes said.
"She sounds perfect. Her light power should be able to counter Nurgle," Aisha nodded.
"I have another option—a former Giant of Light whose core is still light, but who absorbed the power of the cosmic Chaos God Grimdo and sealed it inside himself," Rhodes said.
Rhodes had found something special in the advanced shop—a top researcher from the Land of Light's Blue Tribe, besides Hikari: the famous Tregear!
His research abilities matched Hikari, plus he had the Land of Light's black tech. Invaluable!
Land of Light's black tech was formidable.
Having Tregear in the shop was a happy surprise. Technically, he wasn't a Dark Giant, but a Giant of Light; he only became a Dark Giant because he sealed Grimdo, a cosmic evil god, inside himself.
Rhodes was torn: should he summon Tregear, the former Giant of Light, or the Angel of Ruin, Zog?
"A giant as well? And with free will, like Daram?" Aisha asked.
"Exactly. Though very powerful, he's not really a fighter. To restore him to being a Giant of Light, you just have to remove the Chaos God Grimdo from him," Rhodes said.
"A Chaos God-level monster? Is it as strong as the four Chaos Gods?" Aisha asked, intrigued.
"I can't say for sure—probably not," Rhodes replied.
But summoning him would be like a two-for-one!
So, which to pick—Zog or Tregear?