Warhammer: Starting as a Planetary Governor

Chapter 216 - 217 – Eden: Why Am I Suddenly Stronger?

"What's going on?"

Eden was feeling a little off—not sick, but clearly noticing some changes in his body.

Did his body mutate after that trip to the Warp?

Surely not...

Could Tzeentch have done something?

As Eden wondered, he sensed someone's gaze upon him. Turning, he saw it was Big Barrel (大桶). Right now, Big Barrel was staring this way with a puzzled look. When Eden turned his head, Big Barrel hurriedly shifted his gaze away, feigning innocence.

Could Big Barrel have noticed my changes too?

After a moment's thought, Eden raised his voice and called out: "Big Barrel, come over here."

"Right away!"

Big Barrel trotted up eagerly: "Is there anything you'd like, sir? How about I stir-fry another plate of braised bronze bull's...er...'specialty cut'?"

Eden waved him off, pointing to himself. "Take a look at me—do you notice anything different?"

"I actually did! You've definitely changed."

At Eden's request, Big Barrel stroked his chin, studying him carefully.

Putting on a "let me think" expression, he continued, "And it's a big change..."

Hearing that, Eden's brow furrowed slightly.

Had Tzeentch left some warped mutation, causing something to sprout in...places it shouldn't? He had this sense of a thick barrier between his spirit and his body, making his psychic perception strangely fuzzy. That was never a good sign.

The last time he'd felt something like this was right after he'd escaped from Slaanesh's palace.

Eventually, Big Barrel finished his analysis. Looking at Eden, he solemnly announced,"From my observation, you've gotten...handsomer—by at least 106%!"

"???"

Eden was even more confused. So, it was a change in his appearance?At that moment, he felt a subtle pop, as though the barrier around him had burst. The disconnected feeling vanished, and his body and spirit were once again seamlessly one—indeed, more smoothly fused than before.

It seemed the transformation had ended, and once again he could use his psychic senses.

Better see for myself.

Eden employed his psychic sense to examine his body. Sure enough, changes had occurred.

Big Barrel wasn't wrong, but his figure was off. Eden had become at least 120% more handsome!

This time his height and physique had advanced another notch, from about 2.2 meters up to 2.5. His muscles were more honed and angular, his overall build streamlined, without any unwieldy bulk. Beneath his thick black hair, his features were now even more striking—cool and handsome, and deep in those dark eyes shimmered a commanding intensity.

He looked not just more attractive, but somehow fiercer. Compared to his previous vibe—almost a carefree playboy—a certain powerful majesty had now been woven in. One might say it was like a fusion of "roguish charmer" and "imperious ruler."

Whoa...Eden drew a sharp breath.

I'm...struck speechless by my own good looks. What now?

Beyond appearance, his physique felt much stronger. Before, Eden's body was about on par (or slightly weaker) than an ordinary Thunder Guardian.

Most of his combat power relied on psychic might and the boon of faith. Now, though, he sensed his base physical strength had soared far beyond that level.

Boom!

Gathering his energy, Eden struck a half-wrecked heavy tank with a bare-fisted punch. Amid the thunderous impact, the tank's armored shell shattered and parts went flying. And that was pure muscle power, with no power armor assisting!

One word—savage.

Eden nodded in satisfaction. Not only had he avoided some horrid Warp mutation, he'd gotten stronger. This was undoubtedly a good thing.

Before long, he found the cause of these bodily changes: a sort of "feedback" from the "little sun" inside him.

"Did the little sun upgrade somehow? Maybe it's because we took Matila, and the surge in faith caused a massive uptick in energy?"

Probing deeper, Eden saw that the little sun had indeed evolved further, picking up some new qualities. After taking a closer look, he couldn't help drawing another sharp breath.

In short, the new upgrade was...overpowered.

New Battle Traits

Before, the little sun's energies were primarily supportive or healing—a "cleric" style buff, so to speak, that strengthened allies.

Now, there was also an offensive edge. It was still gentle, yet faintly carried a certain "violent" undertone. On top of that, there was a minor devouring property, able to consume certain matter or energy and convert it into fuel for itself. Like...some smaller version of Big Barrel's "I'll eat anything!" gene.

Indeed, Eden could sense the little sun faintly devouring energies from both the Warp and the golden sun (the Emperor's presence). Although it was a minuscule amount, it was still "devouring."

No matter how slight, that's still a devour effect!

A frightening ability indeed. At the moment, it doesn't do much. But what about the future?

As the little sun's might grows, that devouring trait might one day be terrifying—"Daemon-Eater" might not just be a title for Eden alone.

Moreover, with this devouring aspect, the little sun's "cleansing" function was enhanced. Its energy was like a detergent, able to wash away contamination, devouring and eliminating pollutants.

So far, it still seemed more like a supporting role...

Examining further, Eden concluded the deeper cause of this transformation wasn't simply the new faith from his territory. It was power that had come from the Warp. Massive amounts of chaotic energy had come flowing in, fueling the little sun's metamorphosis.

Which was...odd.

Eden couldn't figure it out but eventually shrugged it off as probably Tzeentch's doing. After all, a Chaos God's avatar had just been obliterated near him—some leftover energy was bound to have some effect.

At least no bigger harm had resulted. If anything, it was a sweet deal. Thanks, "Brother Tzeentch."

Though Eden's bodily changes had settled, the little sun was still evolving, continuing to absorb residual Warp energies. Seeing no immediate danger, he left it alone. He'd always let the little sun roam freely in the Warp anyway.

What he didn't know was that the real reason for this new upgrade was the rapid spread of the "Savior" and "Daemon-Eater" legends throughout the Warp.

The Warp is the psychic reflection of all living minds. Whether it's the four Chaos Gods, the Emperor, or some lesser godlings, all exist in and through the Warp, shaped by the emotions and beliefs of mortals.

In turn, gods often reshape or subtly guide their followers' minds or faith—like the four Ruinous Powers do, or as the Emperor does in gathering and uniting humanity. It's a two-way influence.

That extends to daemons shaping the Emperor's presence and so forth. The more they fear or focus on him, the more he becomes the fearful being they imagine—a self-reinforcing cycle.

Now, with so many daemons spreading rumors about the Savior, the Daemon-Eater, the "little sun" was quietly morphing, gradually conforming to that collective image. Thankfully, this influence remained modest for now—still under control.

Eden, lacking insight into such deep metaphysical truths, remained in the dark. In his previous life, he was just a casual Warhammer fan who got flamed regularly on the forums—how deep could his knowledge go?

Once Eden concluded there was no threat, his worries disappeared. Not only had he driven off the daemons, but he had also grown stronger: two victories at once.

Suddenly, a craving stirred in Eden's heart, a hunger he couldn't easily suppress. He snapped his head up:

"Big Barrel, roast me some bronze bull tendons—make them medium-well!"

(End of Chapter)

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