Seeing that he had received many useful items, Aurélien felt less stressed. Before him were all the items he had received, deposited in his garage. Unfortunately, unlike many stories he had read, his system did not include spatial storage linked to a sub-dimension.
The technological knowledge of a Tech-Priest Magos was particularly appealing to him. He had already read about the Warhammer universe and knew how terrifying such beings could be. Not to mention all the materials he had just received—acquiring such a quantity of minerals through trade would have cost thousands of dollars. The Ark Forge would allow him to easily smelt the ores. Its usage was much simpler than that of an industrial forge from his world—so simple, in fact, that only one person was needed to operate it. Furthermore, the 3D printer was at least two centuries ahead technologically, capable of producing complementary accessories for his future creations.
The Tech-Priest's knowledge appeared to be stored in a tarot card depicting a human clad in a red religious robe, hiding all their features except for metallic cables protruding from their back. Aurélien didn't hesitate to take it.
Aurélien: System, send me the Tech-Priest's knowledge.
[Request received. I also recommend installing the cortical implant. This object will be very useful for handling the various technologies related to Tech-Priests.]
Taking note of this advice, Aurélien soon saw the tarot card turn into golden dust, which entered his body through his ears, nose, and mouth.
[This fusion will test your mental capabilities. [%€¢|√π$#] wishes you good luck, and regrets that this cooperation will be so brief if your mind succumbs.]
Aurélien, feeling tricked: What the he—
The young man couldn't even finish his sentence before his senses were overwhelmed by the data overload. He saw worlds literally burning, heard screams of horror and rage echoing in his ears, and the stench of death was so intense he could taste it. This was just a minuscule fraction of the information he was receiving. A desperate humanity clinging to faith as its only salvation; billions of humans fighting the horrors threatening their extinction; Tech-Priests building the machines and equipment that ensure humanity's survival, not hesitating to use lower-ranked humans as test subjects. A decaying corpse, sustained by advanced technology, sat on a golden throne—its mind battling indescribable threats. Several times, Aurélien felt his sanity waver—perhaps it already had, without him realizing it.
Eventually, his nightmare came to a close. He saw a Magos Tech-Priest leading a legion of Skitarii against demons screaming their hatred of existence and their joy in adding to the carnage. The Magos was powerful, killing dozens of Khorne's demons with his halberd and bolter. His mechanical enhancements allowed him to be agile while delivering devastating blows. Yet, faced with an unending enemy, his legion could only fall back—until eventually, all retreat was impossible. Surrounded and cornered, the Magos sensed his end, yet that didn't stop him from continuing to harvest the lives of the Machine God's enemies. Thus, he vanished into the flames of battle, becoming just another victim in a conflict where human lives were consumed by the millions each day.
As Aurélien felt his consciousness slowly return, he noticed he was in a dark space. In front of him stood the Magos he had just seen. The two individuals observed each other carefully. Just as Aurélien had seen the life of the Magos, the Magos had done the same with the young man.
He felt nostalgia seeing a boy who, like himself, sought to understand the universe and surpass the natural limitations of the human body. The young man's mind had been tempered by the death of his father and by a solitary youth caused by his eccentricity. Honestly, under other circumstances, he might have taken him as a disciple—but he wasn't here for that. The Omnissiah had told him he could serve the Mechanicum one last time by judging whether the boy was worthy of receiving his knowledge. Finally, he broke the silence.
Magos: Kid, I won't drag this out. I have only one question for you. If you obtained the same power as the Mechanicum you saw through my eyes, how would you use it?
Aurélien pondered the question seriously. What he had just experienced had changed him. Seeing madness, hatred, and terror incarnate with his own eyes had turned him into someone else. Barely a few hours ago, he was worried about the upcoming apocalypse his world would face—now it seemed like a drop in the ocean of horrors that the universe held. Rather than feeling afraid, he felt he had to oppose that grim future. If not for himself, then at least to protect those he cared about. He had to prepare his world for the threat posed by the Chaos gods.
The Imperium had shown him that, although corrupt and failing, humanity possessed many redeeming qualities. Under an iron hand, it could even stand against gods and all who sought to drive it to extinction. Yet the Magos' life had also shown him that humanity's greatest enemy is itself. Revolts within the Imperium—or within any nation, really—were not launched with evil intent, but with the aim of achieving better living conditions, whether by the masses or those manipulating the revolutions. Yet this simple desire to slightly alter the system of the Imperium had great potential to trigger a chain reaction leading to ruin and death. One of the flaws he saw in the Mechanicum was that it had overly restricted access to technology for the non-military parts of the Imperium, which only deepened the need for better living conditions. He had understood that machines and technology must support humanity in its battles—both against others and itself.
Aurélien: If I had the same power as the Mechanicum, I would use it as a cog ensuring that the machine that is humanity keeps running long after my death—even if that means replacing the parts that have become dysfunctional.
The Magos revealed a slight smile.
Magos: Well said, kid. I will leave you the knowledge I accumulated during my lifetime. I hope you'll serve humanity as I did. Glory to the Machine God!
The Tech-Priest dispersed into dust that entered Aurélien's body. A moment later, he woke up lying on the garage floor.
[Congratulations, host. You have merged with the Tech-Priest Magos.]
One hundred and forty years of knowledge from a man who had lived in another universe was now in his brain. It had changed him. He could no longer see the world the same way as he had just a day ago. He felt as though this knowledge placed a responsibility on his shoulders—not just for himself, but for his world.
Aurélien thought: It's time to get to work.