Delta Sector Outpost 7, Imperial Periphery
The air inside Waste Reclamation Chute 14 was thick with the stench of decay – chemical residue, decomposing organic matter, stagnant water. Valerius descended cautiously, his armored boots finding purchase on corroded rungs slick with grime. His helmet's environmental filters worked overtime, scrubbing the worst of the contaminants, but the oppressive atmosphere remained. This route bypassed the main sensor grids, but it carried its own risks.
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Valerius adjusted his descent, relying more on his upper body strength, keeping pressure off the suspect section. The System's guidance was invaluable, turning this hazardous descent from a blind gamble into a calculated risk. Darkness pressed in, broken only by the narrow beam of his helmet light cutting through the filth-laden air. Dripping sounds echoed from below, accompanied by the faint skittering of unseen vermin adapted to the outpost's underbelly.
After descending nearly fifty meters, he reached the connection point to the Sub-Level 4 emergency drainage system – a wide, low tunnel half-filled with stagnant, sludge-like water. The stench intensified.
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Wading into the viscous liquid, Valerius pushed forward, following the System's navigation overlay. The tunnel twisted and turned, occasionally blocked by drifts of solidified waste or collapsed piping. He used the compact kinetic pulse tool sparingly, its sharp thump echoing unnervingly in the confined space, clearing obstructions just enough to pass.
His Spatial Sense, though still rudimentary, helped navigate the oppressive darkness, giving him a 'feel' for the tunnel's dimensions and upcoming bends beyond the reach of his light. It also picked up faint energy signatures – dormant machinery within the walls, residual energy from the outpost above, and, growing steadily stronger, the familiar thrum of the geothermal vein.
He finally reached a junction marked on the System map – an auxiliary drainage conduit that led directly towards Tunnel 7C. As he turned into the narrower passage, the System flashed an alert.
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The unknown energy signature from deeper within the sublevels was pulsing more strongly tonight. Valerius paused, extending his senses. He felt… nothing concrete, just a faint, discordant wrongness at the edge of his perception, like static interfering with his nascent Spatial Sense. He filed the information. Still a mystery for another time.
He reached the exterior of Tunnel 7C, approaching it from a different angle this time. The makeshift entrance he'd created in the debris pile was still there, seemingly undisturbed. He slipped through, entering the tunnel leading to the geothermal cavern.
The cavern pulsed with its eerie green light, the energy radiating from the fissure feeling even more intense than before.
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Valerius didn't hesitate. He moved to his previous position near the fissure, the System already deploying the Nanite Energy Siphon Field. 'Maximum absorption. Prioritize Wargod consolidation and advancement towards Mid-Level threshold.'
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The familiar torrent surged through him, vastly more powerful than the ambient energy topside. He felt his Wargod foundation solidifying, the structure of his genetic energy becoming denser, more resilient. The System overlay showed rapid progress.
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One hundred fifty hours of this level of input. It was still a significant duration, meaning multiple return trips, but the path was clear. He soaked in the energy, feeling his power grow, his connection to the spatial laws deepening fractionally.
Suddenly, the anomalous energy signature pulsed again, much stronger this time. The System Interface flickered violently, alien glyphs momentarily replacing the standard readouts. Valerius felt a wave of disorientation, his Spatial Sense dissolving into static, the green light of the cavern seeming to waver.
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The warning was stark. Whatever that deeper energy source was, it was powerful enough to interfere with the ancient technology integrated into his very being. Lingering was too dangerous.
Valerius instantly cut the siphon field, ignoring the craving for more power. He turned to leave, but another pulse washed over the cavern, stronger still. This time, he felt a distinct pressure against his Wargod senses, accompanied by a fleeting, nonsensical whisper at the edge of his hearing. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Something down there was active.
He scrambled back through the debris into the main drainage tunnel, his heart pounding harder than the physical exertion warranted. The interference lessened as he put distance between himself and the cavern, the System Interface stabilizing, though it still logged residual energy fluctuations.
'System, analyze interference signature. Any known correlations?'
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Psionic resonance? Spatial warping? This was far beyond standard physics or cultivation as understood by the Imperium. It hinted at forces aligned more with the near-mythical Ancient Ones or something equally unknown and dangerous.
Valerius pushed the unsettling thoughts aside, focusing on extraction. He retraced his path through the sludge-filled drainage system, cleared the final blockage below the waste chute, and began the filthy ascent. He emerged back into the Sector Beta Maintenance Bay just as the System indicated the optimal window was closing, cleaning his armor as best he could with integrated sonic cleansers.
Back in his quarters, the door sealed, he ran a full diagnostic.
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He had made significant progress, solidifying his current level and taking the first steps towards the next. But the encounter with the interference was deeply troubling. The depths of Delta-7 held more than just geothermal energy; they held an active, unknown power source potentially far more significant, and dangerous, than the Red Scorpions waiting in the void.
A quick check on the tactical situation showed no change. The Scorpions remained entrenched. The Sector Command fleet was still nearly two days out. He caught sight of his reflection – grimy, tired, but his eyes held a new depth, a Wargod's awareness tempered by the chilling knowledge of deeper, older shadows lurking beneath the outpost. The risks were escalating, both outside and within.