Rhodes could already tell that AsanethAyu must have some confidence in what she was saying, which is why she had Balt help her speak to him.
Since that's the case, he might as well listen.
"Lord Rhodes, our entire Necron race has gone down the wrong path. The original Necrons weren't like this. Even though we waged war against the Old Ones, we were not evil invaders.
We interacted with many lesser civilizations. We were a peace-loving and friendly people, until we were transformed into Necrons. Only then did our entire race become insane and bloodthirsty.
Our race was once beyond saving!
No, I should say the original Necron race was already completely extinct. The Necrons are nothing more than a group of the dead!
But it wasn't until you appeared that I realized—there is someone in this dark universe who might be able to save our people," AsanethAyu said, visibly emotional.
Rhodes might be the only one in the universe capable of saving their people—not the Silent King, nor the so-called Crypteks, nor the so-called C'tan, but the man standing before her.
Rhodes possessed immense power, had the Eldar Goddess of Life as his companion, could freely manipulate the powers of life and death, and most importantly, could grant their race souls, allowing them to become Necrons once more.
Now that she had finally found a lifeline, how could she possibly let go?
She wanted to save the entire race, to accomplish something even greater than the Silent King.
"I understand. Since you've followed me, you've worked hard on my behalf—I've seen it all. So, I accept your request," Rhodes said.
Isn't this exactly what I was hoping for? I also want to reclaim the Necron race, and if someone with mastery over time magic can help, all the better.
"Thank you, Lord Rhodes! If you can cure the problems of our race, if you can restore our bodies, souls, and lives, then all of my people will willingly serve you," AsanethAyu said earnestly.
The Necrons actually have severe problems. They are cold, emotionless, and subject to a unique electronic virus.
This virus erodes their memories, drives them mad, and makes them crave the flesh and blood of living beings.
They will desire to kill these living beings, then strip their skin, flesh, and organs to drape over their own metal shells.
This unique virus is spreading among the Necrons, threatening their entire species and could one day truly destroy them.
The only likely cure for this virus is Rhodes's reincarnation ritual.
"There are actually quite a few Necron prisoners being held by the Imperial Inquisition—Crypteks, Lychguards, Deathmarks.
I'll bring them all here, grant them new souls and new lives," Rhodes said.
Any Necron captured alive by the Imperium is usually sealed away, not destroyed directly.
If destroyed, their resurrection protocols would trigger, allowing them to awaken in their tomb worlds—unless their dynasty has been completely wiped out, all Necrons can be resurrected with this protocol.
"Lord Rhodes! You are the savior of our race. Once my people regain their sanity and are freed from their cold Necron bodies, believe me—they will surely serve you," AsanethAyu declared.
"Right. By the way, AsanethAyu, do you think you would awaken in your own dynasty's tomb world?" Rhodes suddenly asked a philosophical question.
The female Necron before him froze, unable to understand why Rhodes would ask. Haven't I already been resurrected? I'm standing right in front of you alive—why ask if I would awaken in a tomb world?
"Lord Rhodes! I… I've already been resurrected!
I am right before you. How could I possibly awaken in the Necron tomb world?" AsanethAyu asked.
"Think carefully—are you really AsanethAyu?" Rhodes narrowed his eyes.
"I… Lord Rhodes, what do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. AsanethAyu died a long time ago," Rhodes said, squatting to lift her chin.
The real AsanethAyu should have died completely, her soul devoured by the C'tan when she was first transformed into a Necron sixty million years ago.
The living Necron is just a piece of digital programming. Later, using the power of the Cosmic Beasts, I created a brand new soul and injected her memories, thus forming today's AsanethAyu.
Soon, Rhodes would join the Primarchs to hunt the shard of the Void Dragon on Mars, letting his Cosmic Beasts absorb more C'tan power.
With this power, Rhodes could mass-resurrect Necrons, creating new souls for them and giving them life.
But this is essentially creating a new Necron race—albeit with their previous memories—but new lives.
For the Necrons, though, this counts as true resurrection; after all, they are just programs now.
"L-Lord Rhodes! Please, don't joke with me like this!" AsanethAyu knelt, sweating and trembling in fear.
"Haven't you already guessed the truth? Why deny it?
See yourself clearly, accept your new self, accept your true self—isn't that a good thing?" Rhodes said.
"No! This… this can't be… I'm… I'm already dead! This can't be…"
As a Cryptek and Chronomancer, her wisdom was unmatched in the galaxy, but Rhodes's words made everything clear—and left her shaken.
"You've never died. Only the AsanethAyu from sixty million years ago died, at the moment your kind completed the transformation.
All Necrons died then, and the Necron race was born.
Why do you think you're dead? You were only born a little over a year ago!
Your body is AsanethAyu's, but your soul is brand new—created by me," Rhodes said.
Previously, it was necessary to use Tartarus's temporal reversal to recreate a Necron body.
Because by now, there was not a single living Necron cell left anywhere in the galaxy.
Sixty million years had erased all traces of Necron flesh.
So, Tartarus had to use time reversal to obtain a body, then blood could be extracted and used for cloning.
In the future, as Rhodes captures more Necrons, he can upload their consciousness data into cloned bodies, then use the Cosmic Beasts' power to give them a soul—essentially rebirth.
The Cosmic Beasts' power, combined with some super-beast technology, could extend the race's lifespan, not just a few decades.
"So, Lord Rhodes, you're like my father! Am I your daughter, then?" AsanethAyu asked.
By her logic, that's what she was—her soul was a gift from Rhodes.
Rhodes nodded. If he didn't give her something to hold on to, she'd fall apart emotionally.
And as his adopted daughter, she would be absolutely loyal, and in the future, the reborn Necron race would worship him too.
"Father! I understand! According to you, as a Necron, there's a high chance I've already awakened in the tomb world.
But even if I did, I wouldn't have these memories—not even of being captured," AsanethAyu said after a pause.
When a Necron body is destroyed, the tomb world senses it and begins resurrection—provided the consciousness is transmitted back.
If not, a memory backup is restored and a new body is made according to the resurrection protocol.
Only high-ranking Necrons with preserved will and intellect have access to the resurrection protocol.
Ordinary Necrons, if not approved by a Phaeron, Overlord, or Cryptek, cannot be revived.
Because her body wasn't destroyed but reversed in time, her history data wouldn't be sent back.
Even if resurrected in the tomb world, she'd have no memory of meeting Rhodes.
As long as that key memory is missing, there's no problem.
"Right. If you perform well in the future, I'll let you become a super lifeform.
I'll perform super-beast modifications so you can live for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years," Rhodes said.
With this promise, Rhodes felt relieved. Necron tech is truly overpowered.
He'd worried that his unique secrets might leak to the Necrons and cause them to attack him.
If they ever put aside their differences and attacked him with everything, even Rhodes would be in trouble.
Necron combat strength isn't to be underestimated.
But AsanethAyu had followed him for a year, and the Necrons hadn't made a move—clearly, he hadn't been exposed yet.
"Thank you, Father!
I will give my all for you. I must become a super lifeform and make you proud," AsanethAyu said, kneeling excitedly.
After a year with Rhodes, she knew what being a super lifeform meant: becoming gigantic, sailing through space freely, destroying whole civilizations.
She would become the strongest, most perfect Necron.
"Father! When do we start saving more of our people?" AsanethAyu asked.
"No rush. Wait a bit longer. I'll order the Inquisition to bring all captive Necrons here, and we'll screen them one by one," Rhodes said.
To revive Necrons, he needed more power from the Cosmic Beasts—by absorbing more C'tan shards.
After chatting a bit more with his scientists, Rhodes left the secret lab.
Back at his palace, he separated from the Cosmic Fire Phoenix Baton, then fused with the Cosmic Vermilion Bird.
This fusion made him even stronger—the Vermilion Bird was far more powerful than Baton, and even had resurrection power.
Even if Rhodes was killed, with the Vermilion Bird's help he could return—so long as his soul survived.
Back in the Imperial Palace on Terra, Rhodes summoned the Life Goddess Isha and brought the cloned Sanguinius body.
Sanguinius was already waiting, greeted Rhodes, and eagerly entered his new cloned body.
Isha infused the body with life energy, helping Sanguinius merge with it.
In moments, the process was complete. Sanguinius stood up, now with a golden pair of wings.
"Incredible! I've really been resurrected!" Sanguinius exclaimed.
"Your body can barely contain your soul for now. Next, you'll need to fuse with a Cosmic Beast to fully upgrade it," Rhodes said.