Terrifying gravitational forces tugged at the Reaver-class Titan standing on the ground.
Even though the crew had deployed the Titan's foot anchors deep into the ground, it still struggled to slow its movement.
This type of conceptual weapon from the Necrons was simply that unreasonable.
Conversely, the Tech-Priests, familiar with Necron methods, had their own ways of responding.
Over a dozen scrawny Combat Servitors rolled forward on their treads, stopping just outside the range of the gravitational influence.
Then, the Warp-field Cannons and Gravity Cannons fired simultaneously.
The former operated on a principle similar to the Necrons' Singularity Generator, creating gravitational anomalies at the target location.
The latter could alter the target's own weight.
Both were genuine pieces of high-tech weaponry.
The Warp-field Cannons struck around the gravitational core created by the Seraphim, generating several gravitational anomalies that quickly neutralized the core's pulling effect.
Instead, the Graviton Beams fired by the Gravity Cannons hit the Reaver-class Titan and other high-value targets, instantly increasing their weight and pinning them firmly in place.
With little effort, the Singularity Generator equipped on the Seraphim heavy construct was rendered useless.
"Damn it! Damn it!!"
Seeing this, the Necron Lord abandoned all pretense of aristocratic poise.
He directly removed all limiters, sending the Seraphim into a berserk state.
Its head, which had been emitting an eerie green light, suddenly turned blood-red as the construct's power reached its maximum.
The other two devastating weapons mounted on the chassis also roared to life.
The Trans-dimensional Cannon, capable of tearing through the material universe to hurl targets into a pocket dimension before annihilating the dimension and everything within it.
And the Neural Shredder Matrix, which emitted specific electromagnetic frequencies to disrupt or burn the brains and nervous systems of biological targets over a wide area, causing all their senses to collapse instantly.
The former banished four Warhound-class Titans and two Reaver-class Titans in an instant.
The latter scorched the brains of every biological entity within several square kilometers—be they Skitarii, Combat Servitors, Tyrants, Pursuers, or even the Titan crews.
With the Seraphim at the center, a vast area fell into a deathly silence, appearing jarringly out of place amidst the intense crossfire of other zones.
"It's not equipped with an Atomic Annihilation Cannon? That's still manageable then."
Watching the destruction torn open by the Trans-dimensional Cannon on the battlefield, the Adeptus Mechanicus Priest did not seem panicked.
"All units, prioritize focusing fire on the Seraphim."
The Skitarii, Combat Servitors, and even the remaining Titans that hadn't been hit by the Seraphim turned their guns and cannons, unleashing terrifying firepower upon it with reckless abandon.
However, the Seraphim was a unit even larger than a Reaver-class Titan, and its armor thickness was truly terrifying.
"Hehe, perish! You vermin!!!"
The Necron Lord let out a hearty laugh, his emotion-simulating mind matrix operating at high speed.
Braving the horrific concentrated fire, the Seraphim stepped forward like an unstoppable wall, continuing its advance.
Along the way, armored vehicles and even larger Warhound-class Titans—rendered immobile because their operators' brains had been fried—were crushed by the Seraphim's two giant forelegs.
Watching this, the Universal Union Commander retreated to the temporary command post, contacted the small detachment of troops left on the surface, and gave them several coordinates.
"Have your Titans lure the Seraphim to these locations. We have a way to deal with it quickly!"
The Commander shouted to the Adeptus Mechanicus Priest.
The latter didn't say much and immediately ordered several melee-specialized Titans, equipped with giant chainswords and Power Fists, to charge forward and engage the Seraphim.
The Adeptus Mechanicus forces would eventually destroy the Seraphim with their overwhelming firepower, but since their ally claimed to have a faster solution, there was no need to waste more time and manpower.
Under the control of the Titan crews, the giant chainswords and Power Fists slammed into the Seraphim's sturdy chassis, forged from living metal, creating deafening crashes.
Successfully, the Seraphim altered its original course, drawn away by the melee-specialized Reavers toward another direction.
Just as the behemoths were about to reach the area beneath a giant tunnel, the Universal Union Commander shouted.
"Have those Titans disperse! Don't let them get caught in the friendly fire!"
The connection between the Adeptus Mechanicus Priest and his subordinates was extremely tight; in an instant, the order reached the minds of the Reaver Titan crews.
The plasma reactors at the Titans' cores surged with terrifying power, allowing the machines to instantly distance themselves from the Seraphim.
And the latter had just stepped directly beneath that giant tunnel.
"Boom! Rumble!!!"
The entire rock ceiling trembled.
In the next instant, a terrifying torrent of Destructive Laser beams poured down, engulfing the entire Seraphim.
The torrent, powerful enough to pierce through nearly a thousand kilometers of rock, slammed into the Seraphim's living metal armor.
If it had been a unit of the Nether Engineer Doomsday Walker's level, it would have been obliterated in an instant.
But the Seraphim's resilience was enough to surprise even the Universal Union Commander.
One must realize that such a Destructive Laser could likely pierce through even a starship!
This showed just how terrifying a unit the Seraphim was, and how much high-tech the Nether Engineer Technicians who built it had packed into it.
"Focus fire!"
Neither the Commander nor the Priest hesitated, immediately ordering the rest of the troops to focus fire on the Seraphim once more.
In an instant, the Seraphim was completely submerged in a sea of firepower.
Under such an assault, even a Warlord-class Titan would likely struggle to survive.
Sure enough, before everyone's eyes, the indestructible armor of the Canoptek Construct suddenly developed massive cracks.
Under the endless bombardment, these cracks continued to widen.
"No!!!"
The Necron Lord let out a scream of indignation and rage.
"You vermin, how dare you!"
The Seraphim was the Lord's final trump card; once it was destroyed, it would mean the Tomb World Ruins had lost its last line of defense!
Furthermore, the Seraphim was now completely immobilized by the suppression of the Destructive Laser from the tunnel above, and the internal device that would have teleported it back to the Tomb World Ruins for the Reanimation Protocol was already damaged.
The remaining Necron forces and Necron Constructs were also suppressed and unable to provide support.
The Necron Lord could only watch in despair as the Seraphim was destroyed bit by bit, powerless to stop it.
"Oh? The Seraphim has already been destroyed?"
Inside the Tomb World Ruins, the Technician, who had been leisurely watching the Space Sharks below being besieged by Necron Constructs, Deathmark Snipers, and Flesh Tearers, seemed to sense something.
Instantly, he split off a portion of his sub-mind matrix and possessed the body of an Immortal on the battlefield.
With just one look, the Technician saw the Seraphim heavy construct, now reduced to a mass of semi-molten wreckage, and the Titan Machines continuing to advance past it.
"What a useless Lord, wasting a precious Seraphim for nothing."
For reading Taiwan novels, Suishixiang is the first choice.
The Technician thought to himself, not showing even a hint of the etiquette expected when dealing with nobility.
The Lord, who was floating in mid-air, was furious yet helpless, and he also noticed this Immortal who was not moving but just standing dazed on the spot.
He knew that this body was being occupied by the Technician.
One after another, mind communications were sent into this body; without exception, they were all signals for help.
The Lord even demanded that the Technician fully release those Flesh Tearers in the tomb and commit them to the front lines, completely disregarding the agreements between the various dynasties regarding the isolation of Flesh Tearers.
The Technician ignored all of the Lord's pleas for help, and the mind matrix possessing this Immortal was quickly departing.
"Technician!!!"
Leaving only the Lord behind, still in a state of impotent rage.
Returning his gaze to the tomb gate in front of the core area of the Tomb World Ruins, the Space Sharks were still fighting a bloody battle, trying to break out.
The surrounding floor was already covered with various wrecks and corpses, including those of Flesh Tearers, Necron Constructs, and fallen Mako Shark warriors.
"These precious research materials must not be wasted."
The Technician muttered to himself, commanding several Canoptek Wraiths to begin collecting the bodies of the Mako Shark warriors under the cover of the chaotic situation.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye, the Lychguard that had originally carried the Lord's sub-mind had been blasted into a pile of scrap metal by the Space Sharks' attacks at some point and was slowly executing its repair protocols.
"Saves me some effort."
After collecting enough research material, the Technician retreated into the Tomb Portal behind him and arrived at the core area of the Tomb World Ruins.
The decor here was clearly more magnificent than outside, better reflecting the style of the Ogdobekh Dynasty.
Rows of standing Reanimation Protocol devices were continuously receiving damaged Necrons teleported in, repairing them, and then teleporting them back to the battlefield to continue fighting.
But the Technician could see that the operational efficiency of these devices had long since reached its limit.
This tomb wouldn't last much longer.
And the Technician had already prepared an escape route for himself.
He had no desire to be buried deep within this remote planet along with that foolish Lord.
After many twists and turns, he arrived at an extremely hidden secret chamber that even the Lord didn't know existed.
The Technician opened a communication device that hadn't been touched for tens of thousands of years.
After a short while, a sigil completely different from that of the Ogdobekh Dynasty was projected in front of the Technician.
The sigil twisted and changed, finally condensing into the face of another Tomb Technician, Hamanet the Relentless.
"Respected Relentless One, I request to terminate the mission early."
Unlike his disdainful attitude toward the Lord, the Technician was much more respectful when facing Hamanet the Relentless.
"Reason, Technician? According to the plan, you should be in stasis right now, waiting to coordinate with the Dynasty's next move."
The voice of Hamanet the Relentless crossed an unknown distance to reach the Technician's audio reception system.
"A group of humans has invaded Nelvokov, and that incompetent Lord is being routed. I'm afraid the mission cannot continue."
The Technician briefly explained the current situation.
"Humans?"
Hamanet the Relentless was somewhat surprised.
"How did these lesser species come to Nelvokov?"
"From what I've observed, they seem to have come to mine Blackstone."
The Technician replied.
"Hmph, grave robbers."
Hamanet said dismissively.
"In that case, you are permitted to end the mission early. Don't forget to wipe away all traces related to our Charkakura Dynasty."
"As you will."
The Technician bowed his head in agreement.
The communication cut off, and the sigil of the Charkakura Dynasty vanished.
The Technician then summoned a Canoptek Sentinel Centipede. After a brief charge, the Exile Cannon banished everything in this secret chamber into a sub-dimension, completely annihilating it without leaving a single trace.
"Finally, I can leave this place."
The Technician continued to mutter to himself as he walked deeper into the core area.
Soon, he arrived at the true core of the ruins, in front of a massive central crystal emitting a ghostly green light.
The central crystal was inscribed with complex runes that only a Tomb Technician could understand; this was the Technician's final objective.
That was the precious technology of the Ogdobekh Dynasty contained within the central crystal.
Although it was an incredibly remote Tomb World, because Nelvokov had a special duty, the Ogdobekh Dynasty had still packed plenty of good tech into this central crystal.
After skillfully severing the connection between the central crystal and the Tomb World Ruins, the Technician pulled out a precious Tesseract Vault and placed the central crystal inside.
Without the regulation of the central crystal, the entire Tomb World Ruins began to tremble.
All the machines that had been running, whether it was the Reanimation Protocols or the Necron Constructs, began to fail.
Slipping into a phased state, the Technician flew toward the top of the Tomb World Ruins.
Secretly parked within the rock strata directly above the ruins was a Dirge-class Raider.
Neither the Universal Union that had just arrived at Nelvokov, the Tech-Priests, nor the Lord had discovered this deeply hidden warship.
Boarding the warship, the engines started.
"Bang! Boom boom boom!!!"
Accompanied by a deafening roar, the rock dome above the Tomb World Ruins began to collapse and disintegrate.
Billions of tons of falling rocks plummeted down, smashing heavily onto the Tomb World Ruins below.
This sudden turn of events instantly disrupted the original battlefield.
The Titan Machines and other units stopped their advance and instead retreated.
In front of them, countless boulders had already buried nearly half of the Tomb World Ruins.
Under the influence of gravity, rocks of various sizes became potent weapons, damaging one metal skeleton after another.
Seeing this, the Necron Lord immediately looked up.
Advanced targeting equipment disguised as eyeballs peered through the dust and instantly locked onto the Dirge-class Raider floating in the air.
"Damn Technician! I will—"
Before he could finish his sentence, an extremely thick arc of lightning suddenly struck down, completely annihilating the Lord into an atomic state.
The Charakula Dynasty is located in the Pacific Segmentum, its sphere of influence sandwiched precisely between three other powerful Necron dynasties: the Ogdobekh, the Sarnikh, and the Sokote.
This dynasty is not particularly large in scale, but it is extremely ambitious.
The fundamental reason for this is that those currently ruling the Charakula Dynasty are no longer nobles like the Phaeron or the Overlords.
Instead, it is an organization of Tomb Technicians known as the "Technocracy Accord."
During the sixty-million-year Great Sleep, the Tomb Technicians of the Technocracy Accord secretly infiltrated the stasis crypts of the Overlords and even the Phaeron, usurping control of the dynasty.
Because the Charakula Dynasty has a sparse population and cannot afford to lose even Necron Warriors, these Tomb Technicians often use various special means to steal technology from the three neighboring dynasties to strengthen themselves.
The Technician on Nelvokov was one of the pawns planted by Hamanet the Unresting.
"This should clear all traces."
Inside the dirge-class assault ship, the Technician nodded with satisfaction as he watched the lightning arcs annihilate the Lord.
He had already taken the central crystal of the Tomb World Ruins; even without those humans below, those low-level Necrons would eventually fall back into slumber.
As for the traces of the Charakula Dynasty, he had completely erased them.
The only variable left was that Lord. He couldn't leave that fellow alone; if the guy escaped from the humans and reported to the Ogdobekh Dynasty, they might eventually trace it back to the Charakula Dynasty.
Now that everything was complete, the Technician looked at the research materials placed in the cabin, his thought matrix already formulating countless research protocols.
Before returning to the Charakula Dynasty, he could freely indulge the inspirations he had accumulated over these tens of millions of years on these research materials.
The crescent-shaped dirge-class assault ship did not soar upwards; instead, it turned downwards, diving into a hidden passage that was now slowly opening—one the Technician had surreptitiously excavated during his numerous awakenings in the past.
He only needed to slightly adjust the flight orientation of the dirge-class assault ship, turning its flat flight into a vertical one.
By the time the rock dome stopped trembling and no more massive rocks fell, the dirge-class ship had long since vanished.
the Universal Union Commander, coming to his senses, immediately contacted the fleet in orbit, ordering them to intercept that crescent warship.
However, he only received this message from the communication channel.
"Uh, Commander, the ship you mentioned just burst out from the surface at sub-light speed, then rapidly accelerated to superluminal speed and disappeared. We had no time to intercept it at all."
A Deputy Commander responsible for the orbiting fleet said awkwardly.
If it could be said that the Universal Union could still compete with various Necron units on the ground battlefield...
...then in terms of space warships, the Necrons were leagues ahead of the Universal Union.
In terms of speed, it was nearly impossible for Union ships to catch a Necron vessel using an inertialess drive for FTL flight, let alone intercepting one.
"Enter combat readiness and defend against any possible attacks."
The Commander ordered immediately.
He had no idea who was sitting in that warship, and even less about the intricacies between the Ogdobekh Dynasty and the Charakula Dynasty.
Closing the communication, the Commander stepped back out of the temporary command post.
Looking around, the battlefield that had already been ravaged once by both forces was now even more of a mess due to the massive rockfalls.
Scorched wreckage was everywhere, belonging to the Necrons, the Universal Union forces, and the Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii.
The once incredibly fierce battlefield had grown quiet due to the sudden death of the Necron Lord and the disappearance of the Tomb World Ruins' central crystal.
The Necrons and Canoptek Constructs that were still capable of fighting had all fallen back into a state of slumber.
And this time, the slumber would likely last for eternity.
"Immediately send men into the ruins to search for the whereabouts of those Space Sharks!"
Before the Commander could breathe a sigh of relief, he issued a new order.
However, because the central crystal had been taken by the Technician, the portals that had directly connected to the interior of the Tomb World Ruins had disappeared.
As a result, the Universal Union forces could only use normal exploration methods, feeling their way from the outside in, step by step.
At the same time, they had to be wary of those Flesh Tearers who were unaffected by the central crystal and could still move frantically.
After issuing the final orders to clear the battlefield, the Commander, finally able to rest for a moment, approached the Adeptus Mechanicus Magos.
"The war is over, the Necrons have been routed. I believe your mission is complete, and you may leave."
The Commander's tone carried a hint of dismissal.
Although the other party had just helped the Universal Union win this underground war, before receiving instructions from above, the Commander did not intend to let these Tech-Priests, who were so skilled at grave-robbing, remain near a Necron Tomb World Ruins.
From now on, Nelvokov would belong to the Universal Union, including everything within these Tomb World Ruins.
The Magos turned around, his mind pondering unknown thoughts.
After a moment, he gave his answer.
"Some titan engines were damaged or even destroyed. We need to collect all scattered parts and perform on-site maintenance. We will leave once that is completed."
The Commander nodded, his expression softening slightly.
"We will provide as much assistance as possible."
Although this war did not last long, the Universal Union's losses were not small.
To minimize losses, all the frontline units were B.O.W.s like Tyrants and Pursuers, with very few Union Soldiers.
However, to avoid Necron data intrusion, vehicles like tanks still required human pilots.
And in the recent battle, the losses among these crew members were significant.
Even the viking fighters dogfighting with the Night Scythes had lost many units, and many pilots who parachuted out died under the Necrons' Gauss beams.
Casualty reports were submitted and finally calculated and summarized.
After seeing the numbers on the final report, the Commander breathed a slight sigh of relief; the casualty count was within an acceptable range.
At least this way, he wouldn't be held accountable by his superiors later.
However, besides all this, there was one more key issue: those Space Sharks who hadn't been found yet.
"Our troops entering the Tomb World Ruins have encountered a large number of Flesh Tearers, and the advance speed has inevitably slowed down."
A lower-ranking NCO reported.
"Then send more troops in!"
"Thump! Thump!"
Hicadi could clearly sense his two enhanced superhuman hearts thumping.
But he could also hear that in such a long struggle, his superhuman organs were gradually fatiguing.
The gray power armor on his body had shattered, leaving half of his body exposed.
This was the masterpiece of several Flesh Tearers and a Deathmark working in coordination.
The special cells released by the Larraman's Organ to stop bleeding were already nearing depletion.
Mottled bloodstains stained the other half of the power armor that was still relatively intact.
In his past several hundred years of combat career, Hicadi, a Techmarine who spent most of his time repairing vehicles and equipment for the Chapter, had never suffered such heavy injuries.
After once again using his Omnissian Axe to shatter a charging Flesh Tearer, the expected Neural Shredder Ray from the Deathmark that should have followed did not arrive as scheduled.
Having gained a rare moment to catch his breath, Hicadi looked up and discovered a strange sign.
The Necron Constructs that were originally coordinating with the Flesh Tearers' attack had, at some point, gradually slowed down until they were motionless.
Even those Deathmarks hiding in the shadows, constantly shifting positions, were no longer firing.
Although the reason was unknown, the Space Sharks obviously could not pass up this opportunity.
The original three-way encirclement suddenly turned into a one-sided charge by the Flesh Tearers.
Now, the Space Sharks could finally release all their firepower to their heart's content upon these monsters known as Flesh Tearers.
In this kind of pure close-quarters combat, the Space Sharks feared no species in the galaxy.
Tyranids, Orks, Dark Aeldari, and even Chaos Daemons would not gain any advantage in front of the Space Sharks.
The final battle lasted for an unknown amount of time until the last crazed Flesh Tearer was torn to pieces by Chainswords, and even the living metal could no longer recover due to fatigue.
"Thump!"
Hicadi propped his Omnissian Axe on the ground, rapidly recovering his exhausted physical strength.
Space Marines who have undergone more than twenty physical modifications are indeed known as "demigods," but this does not mean their energy is infinite.
Scanning the surroundings, the countless metal remains were enough to submerge the Space Sharks' ankles.
The gunpowder smoke from the Bolters was still drifting, and the scorching sensation caused by the firing of Plasma rifles had not yet dissipated.
Using the physical strength he had slightly recovered, Hicadi came before a Canoptek Spider that was hovering in mid-air and no longer moving.
And he extended his axe to poke the metal pincers of this Canoptek Spider.
As a result, nothing happened.
"Strange—"
Hicadi walked around the Canoptek Spider twice, muttering to himself.
"Continue advancing, enter the Tomb Portal."
Tyberos's voice rang out in the communication channel.
Hicadi withdrew his desire to study it, stepped forward, and followed the rest of the Space Sharks.
But before they could reach the originally towering Tomb Portal.
The portal that had originally glowed with a ghostly green light had completely dissipated, leaving only the gate itself still standing.
"What's the situation!?"
The irritable Shaar couldn't help but want to hack at the gate in front of him with the Combat Knife in his hand.
They had fought desperately for so long; wasn't it just to enter the core area through the Tomb Portal?
"Sergeant, find out what happened."
Tyberos's voice, devoid of any panic, continued to ring in every Mako Shark's ear.
"Remaining wounded, rest and reorganize on the spot, receive treatment from the Apothecary; the rest of you, continue looking for a way into the core area."
As his voice fell, the Space Sharks were about to start dispersing according to orders.
"Boom! Rumble!!!"
Then they heard the loud sound of a collapse coming from overhead.
This happened to be the moment the Technician activated the dirge-class assault ship, and countless boulders smashed into the Tomb World Ruins.
The entire Tomb World Ruins shook slightly.
"What's happening outside? Making such a big commotion?"
Shaar couldn't help but say.
"Focus on the task at hand."
Tyberos's figure did not sway in the slightest due to the tremors of the Tomb World Ruins.
Time passed bit by bit, and the casualty report from the Apothecary was presented to Tyberos.
Of the original two hundred men, two full companies of Space Sharks, after the long battle, only one hundred and twenty remained.
Many of them also suffered injuries on the level of severed arms and legs, significantly reducing their combat power.
"In addition, we also discovered that some remains have mysteriously disappeared. We didn't find any fragments on the Flesh Tearers either; it's very likely they were secretly stolen and defiled by that Xenos Technician."
The Apothecary added.
These casualties could be said to be the largest the Space Sharks had encountered recently.
The theft of the Mako Shark warriors' remains meant that the gene-seed within their bodies had also fallen into the hands of Xenos!
What a sacrilegious defilement!
But Tyberos's voice still had no fluctuations, only calmly instructing.
"Prioritize treating the seriously wounded."
The Apothecary quickly left and restarted the treatment work using the medical equipment and biochemical agents in his hands.
Tyberos then came before Hicadi, who had been circling around the tomb gate and the motionless Necron Constructs to conduct research.
Before Tyberos could ask first, Hicadi took the lead in explaining.
"These Necron Constructs, as well as this tomb gate, have lost the energy supply and control of the central crystal."
Speaking of this, Hicadi also picked up a motionless Deathmark body, which other Space Sharks had discovered during their exploration.
"Not just the Necron Constructs, these low-level Necrons will also fall back into slumber because of the loss of the central crystal. If there is no new central crystal, these metal Xenos will sleep until they completely die."
Although I don't know why the central crystal disappeared, if this is the case, on the battlefield outside, the Union forces have most likely achieved a complete victory."
Hicadi paused slightly and looked into the eyes of his Chapter Master.
"Our goal itself was to destroy the Reanimation Protocol and the central crystal. Now it seems we don't need to do it ourselves."
The implication was clear; Hicadi suggested that his Chapter Master temporarily stop going deeper into the core area.
They only needed to wait for the main Union force outside to enter the ruins and then rendezvous with them.
After a moment of silence, Tyberos slowly nodded.
"Then organize a defensive posture and continue to rest and reorganize on the spot."
The Space Sharks were the kind of Chapter that would charge to the end when they should be reckless and could stay steady when they should be steady.
Ultimately, this was because of their Chapter Master, Tyberos.
"However, some people still need to continue looking for a way into the core area."
Although this war had already ended, the Space Sharks could not completely stop and do nothing.
"The war on Nelvokov is over; the expeditionary fleet has emerged victorious."
In the top-floor office of Avarax's Central Hive, Alexia was reporting to Marcus.
"However, according to the intelligence sent back, the situation there seems somewhat complicated."
Opening his eyes, Marcus concluded his Psychokinesis training.
Beside him, over a dozen pieces of ultra-high-density alloy, each over two meters tall, crashed to the floor.
Had the office floor not been specially reinforced, it likely would have collapsed long ago.
Taking the report and opening his rig terminal, Marcus soon saw the scene where a dirge-class assault ship's lightning arc struck down the Necron Lord.
"The Necrons are not united internally; the Engrammatic Circuits within these metal skeletons' minds are sufficient to mimic and inherit the infighting habits from their time as Necron."
Marcus gave his assessment.
"Perhaps it was an assassination from another Dynasty, or perhaps political infighting within Nelvokov's own Dynasty; it's likely one of those two possibilities."
"However, we don't need to worry about this. The Necrons' sense of time is extremely slow. By the time they realize Nelvokov is out of their control, it might already be a century later."
"The Necron once cherished time because of their short lifespans, but since Biotransference, the Necrons with their near-immortal mechanical bodies are entirely different."
"For instance, the famous Trazyn The Infinite and Orikan The Diviner can spend nearly ten thousand years bickering and fighting just to find a legendary Necron Phaeron with special genes and a normal lifespan."
"The result was laughable: that Phaeron, known as 'The Untouchable,' was actually played by a fused shard of the C'tan known as 'The Deceiver,' who had once deceived the entire Necron race into undergoing Biotransference."
"In short, for the current Union, the Necrons aren't a major problem."
"Those metal skeletons, more arrogant than the Eldar and viewing other species as vermin, are currently busy with their so-called 'Day of Awakening' and internal schisms; they won't go out of their way to find the remotely located Union."
"Since the expedition is over, arrange for the Blackstone mining mission as soon as possible."
A fragment of Blackstone that had just been delivered sat on the desk in front of Marcus.
The reason the Union ventured to the even more remote Nelvokov was that they had their eyes on the Blackstone deposits there, wanting to study them to close the two Warp storms that had been raging in the Sabbath Star Cluster for who knows how long.
"However, don't mine too aggressively. A planet buried with such a large amount of Blackstone might have its own special purpose."
Marcus added as an afterthought.
"Understood, I'll arrange it now."
Alexia nodded in response and left the office.
"Blackstone... Blackstone..."
Marcus muttered to himself.
This ancient material from sixty million years ago would be the key for the Union to combat the demons and monsters of the Warp.
In the subterranean caverns of Nelvokov, the Union troops had mostly cleared the chaotic battlefield.
At least the ground was no longer littered with the burning wrecks of damaged vehicles.
Part of the reason for the rapid cleanup was that infantry units killed by Necron Gauss Weapons would be vaporized instantly, leaving nothing behind.
The red-robed Tech-Priests from Ata-Median had collected the precious parts dropped by the titan engines during the battle and were performing repairs on the spot amidst Binary Canticles.
Union engineers stood nearby, recording this valuable scene.
—
Ordinarily, the Adeptus Mechanicus would not allow such precious knowledge to be exposed, but Ata-Median had received a significant amount of technology from the Union recently, so they didn't mind such minor matters.
Outside the battlefield, more and more excavation equipment was being dropped through tunnels.
Since the Necrons had been completely defeated, the Union no longer had to be cautious and could use equipment equipped with artificial intelligence programs.
The mining of Blackstone was proceeding steadily; blocks of Blackstone inscribed with special runes were piled together and eventually sent to the surface.
Some scientists had arrived at Nelvokov via Wormhole to study the mysteries of Blackstone as quickly as possible.
Of course, the time required for such scientific research would be immeasurably long.
"Commander, we've found the Space Sharks; they're just outside the core area of the Tomb World Ruins."
The voice in the communication channel caused the Commander, who had been resting with his eyes closed, to open them again.
"Casualties?"
"There are one hundred and twenty Space Sharks left. According to them, many bodies were stolen by a Technician, and the gene-seed within them could not be recovered."
Hearing this, the Commander felt a slight sense of helplessness.
The good news was that the Space Sharks were not completely wiped out.
But the bad news was that the already vital gene-seed was now even scarcer.
Inside the Tomb World Ruins.
The Space Sharks resting on-site finally saw the main Union force arrive and learned about the situation outside.
Meanwhile, the remaining Space Sharks organized ten squads to assist the Union troops in exploring the core area.
Along the way, no more Necron Constructs or Necrons attacked them.
Even the Flesh Tearers no longer appeared in swarms, only launching attacks from remote corners.
Soon, everything outside the core area was completely purged.
The exploration team then arrived before a grand Tomb Gate, hundreds of meters high.
Unlike those portals, this Tomb Gate was directly connected to the core area.
The Tomb Gate was forged entirely of Blackstone and inscribed with special Necron runes.
As expected, the heavy Tomb Gate was closed.
However, according to scans, the Tomb Gate did not appear to be locked.
The Space Sharks were about to plant bombs on the Tomb Gate to enter the core area through direct brute force, but they were persuaded to stop by the Union engineering personnel.
"Let's use a gentler approach."
The accompanying engineer wiped away cold sweat.
The Space Sharks' method of blowing things up was a bit too brutal.
"There's no need for gentle measures when dealing with Xenos ruins."
Despite saying so, Hicadi dissatisfiedly put down the melta bomb in his hand.
Giant engineering machines and piles of parts were transported to the Tomb Gate; after modification by the engineers, a complex machine seventy to eighty meters tall was assembled.
It then extended mechanical arms and pressed them against both sides of the Tomb Gate.
"Hum~"
Huge tracks were gripping the ground frantically, the engine erupting with terrifying power.
Finally, the Tomb Gate was forced open.
As soon as the tomb door opened, a decaying smell wafted out.
The core area, which had not welcomed any living beings for a full sixty million years, was now open to everyone.
Although it was inferred that there should be no more danger within the Tomb World Ruins due to the disappearance of the central crystal.
Everyone in the exploration team still silently made all preparations.
No one knew what lay in the unknown darkness ahead.
"Blasphemous xenos creations."
As soon as he stepped into the tomb door, Shaar's voice continuously rang out.
Clearly, in his view, these creations originating from the Necrons should all be destroyed.
Not just him, but most of the Space Sharks also held the same idea.
They had been doing so for the past ten thousand years.
In the void of the Outer Darkness, countless xenos ruins were completely destroyed by them, and any valuable technology within them was traded to the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Of course, the Union, which had now completely taken over this tomb, naturally would not destroy these precious ruins.
Everything here could help the Union understand as much as possible about the past and culture of the Necrons species.
Continuing forward, everyone discovered many dark sarcophagi standing on both sides of the wide corridor, all inscribed with the mark of the Ogdobekh Dynasty.
After opening one of the sarcophagi with special means, an Immortal was found sleeping within.
Evidently, due to the disappearance of the central crystal, this former Necron warrior would never awaken again.
This tomb had completely become a "dead tomb."
However, this also allowed the Union's scientists to study the Necrons' bodies forged from living metal.
Regarding xenos technology, the Union did not blindly destroy it like the Imperium of Man, but rather held an inclusive attitude.
Technology itself has no inherent superiority or inferiority, right or wrong; it only needs to be mastered and utilized.
And from the Necrons, a race dubbed the "pure technology ceiling," the Union could naturally learn a great deal.
After leaving some people to try and open more sarcophagi to excavate the Necrons in eternal slumber as research material.
The rest continued deeper into the core area.
Due to the disappearance of the central crystal, all Necron facilities that could originally block all scans were now offline.
The exploration team was able to use devices such as Auspex in their hands to find hidden secret rooms.
From huge rooms filled with numerous statues of Necron figures, whose purpose was unknown.
To the location of the Necron Reanimation Protocol devices, where many Necron units were in the process of repair but were now stuck.
At the same time, the exploration team quickly discovered the small room that the Technician had completely destroyed before leaving.
"Strange, the traces here seem to be caused by a Constructor Sentinel Centipede's Exile Cannon, which means it was done by the Necrons themselves."
Techmarine Hicadi immediately noticed something was amiss.
Shaar on the side curled his lips in disdain.
"No need to care what xenos are thinking.
Hicadi ignored Shaar's words and observed carefully.
Unfortunately, due to the thorough destruction by the Exile Cannon, not a single trace was left here.
After marking this area as important, everyone continued forward.
At this point, they had arrived at the core of the core area.
It was precisely in the center of the Tomb World Ruins.
Countless dark sarcophagi were embedded in the walls all around, and the Ogdobekh Dynasty marks on their surfaces all pointed to the same location.
A huge stone platform stood there, its material entirely composed of Blackstone.
And on the platform, a large green central crystal should have been placed.
But now it was empty.
"Indeed, the central crystal is gone."
Hicadi leaned closer, using his instrument to check the not-yet-dissipated energy radiation.
"The time the central crystal disappeared and the time the dirge-class assault ship appeared are not far apart. It seems we know the whereabouts of the central crystal."
Combining the Necron Lord killed by lightning arcs and the missing Technician.
The Space Sharks had more or less deduced the truth of the matter.
"It seems that while we were fighting the Necrons, these metal xenos were also fighting amongst themselves."
The exploration concluded, and the Union had completely taken over this Tomb World Ruins.
To maintain the original appearance of the Tomb World Ruins as much as possible, research facilities were directly established within the Tomb World Ruins.
Beginning research on Blackstone and the Necrons' living metal bodies.
"It seems our mission is completely over."
Shaar unenthusiastically turned off the chainsaw axe's drive belt.
He hadn't had his fill of chopping yet.
"Return to the leviathan for further rest and recuperation."
Tyberos immediately ordered.
Hicadi, however, made another request.
"Chapter Master, I wish to stay here and assist with the research."
"Granted."
The Space Sharks left, leaving only Hicadi in the Tomb World Ruins to work with the Union's scientists on research.
Passing through the tunnel, returning to the surface, boarding the transport ship, the Space Sharks returned to the battle barge "the leviathan."
Sharks, after a hunt, always need some time to lick their wounds.
Upon returning to the battle barge, the Apothecaries could finally provide further treatment for the severely wounded Space Sharks.
Especially with the help of the Union, various biochemical agents were directly supplied in abundance for injury recovery.
As for the Space Sharks with severed limbs, that was a bit more troublesome.
Even the superhuman regenerative abilities of a Space Marine could not grow new limbs.
Especially during intense battles with the Necrons, severed limbs were difficult to recover, and even if recovered, they were often severely damaged.
In such cases, to quickly restore valuable combat effectiveness, Apothecaries would usually choose to fit Mako Shark warriors who had lost limbs with bionic prosthetics.
Warhammer is a world with extremely advanced bionic prosthetic technology, and the Adeptus Mechanicus are absolute masters in this field.
Even an ordinary person, if willing to spend money and endure a certain amount of pain, could possess physical qualities comparable to or even exceeding those of a Space Marine after undergoing extensive bionic prosthetic modification.
Therefore, installing bionic prosthetics would not significantly reduce the combat effectiveness of the Space Sharks.
However, the Union had another solution for this.
"We can try to cultivate a new, original limb; we just need you to provide the genetic sample of the injured person."
The Union scientist stationed on the leviathan was conversing with the Apothecary.
For the Union, which inherited the advanced biotechnology of the Precursor Civilization, this was not a difficult task.
"It just takes a bit longer than directly installing a bionic prosthetic.
Most Space Sharks still chose the Union's solution, as according to those Space Sharks who had received bionic prosthetics, the experience was indeed not very pleasant.
In the pitch-black void, the equally pitch-black dirge-class assault ship blended perfectly into the background.
Originally, this ship, personally piloted by the Technician, should have been in an inertialess faster-than-light travel state, continuing until it reached the territory of the Dynasty of Szarekh.
But now, ahead of the dirge-class assault ship.
A much larger, equally pitch-black shroud-class light cruiser was silently floating.
The Technician recognized the dynasty insignia on the opposing ship; it was the symbol of the Nihilakh Dynasty!
This was very unusual. The territory of the Nihilakh Dynasty was far in the eastern fringes of the Ultima Segmentum, a full galaxy away from the Sabbath Star Cluster located in the Pacific Segmentum.
Even with the Necrons' faster-than-light travel technology, crossing such a vast distance would require an immense amount of time.
"Why have these wealth-plundering misers come here?"
The Technician set aside his blasphemous research on the Mako Shark corpse and approached the ship's control console, sending a communication request to the shroud-class light cruiser ahead.
His own dirge-class warship bore no insignia, so the opposing Nihilakh Dynasty shouldn't suddenly launch an attack.
The communication request was instantly accepted, and a virtual image appeared above the control console.
It was a hunched, silver, staff-wielding figure.
The Technician recognized the other party. It was the Overlord of the Nihilakh Dynasty, the Master of Solemnace, the Infinite One, Trazyn!
Before the entire Necrontyr underwent biotransference, Trazyn had been a Necrontyr scribe and chief archivist, responsible for overseeing the Necron transformation of the Necrontyr Phaeron.
Even back then, Trazyn held a high status and was widely renowned.
After the biotransference and the ensuing millions of years of slumber, Trazyn, among the first to awaken, was exceptionally rare in having suffered no damage whatsoever to his memory or cognitive processes.
"Overlord of the Nihilakh Dynasty, the esteemed Infinite One, Trazyn, why have you intercepted my ship?"
The Technician's tone was humble. In terms of status, a mere Tomb Technician like him was far inferior to a proper Overlord.
"Which dynasty do you hail from, little Tomb Technician?"
Trazyn's voice was brimming with interest.
As an entity of his Overlord status, his physical form was highly advanced, and the thought matrix within his mind could simulate nearly all complex emotions perfectly.
Upon hearing Trazyn's inquiry, the thought matrix in the Technician's mind began operating at high speed.
This, of course, did not escape Trazyn's notice.
The situation was very complicated.
If the Technician claimed he was from the Ogdobekh Dynasty, Trazyn would immediately see the problem.
Because the dirge-class assault ship's flight path wasn't heading towards any Ogdobekh Dynasty world at all.
And if the Technician claimed he was from the Dynasty of Szarekh, Trazyn could also detect something amiss; the other party could easily hack into the ship's data to find out where it had launched from.
For a moment, the Tomb Technician was at a loss for how to respond and could only frantically reinforce the ship's data defenses.
"Oh, it seems you are a Tomb Technician with a story."
Trazyn became even more interested.
He had simply come to the Sabbath Star Cluster to find some collectible items and happened upon this unmarked dirge-class warship.
Now it seemed his luck was quite good, having stumbled upon an interesting situation.
In Trazyn's view, his fellow Necrons were far too dull.
The vast majority of them were still mired in the various grudges and past glories of the Necrontyr era.
Trazyn, however, believed that after biotransference, in a lifespan approaching infinity, one must find a hobby to anchor one's personality.
The hobby Trazyn found was a continuation of his work during his Necrontyr days: collecting.
From a six-million-year-old Necrontyr clay pot to a Custodian Guard, even an entire Ultramarines company from the era of the Great Crusade, all fell within Trazyn's collection scope.
Trazyn would even recreate famous historical scenes, such as the final council before the fall of an Eldar craftworld, or the chaotic battlefield of a fierce battle between Space Marines and Orks, and so on.
In short, to the present Trazyn, this stammering Technician unwilling to answer his questions might possess hidden secrets that could provide him with some excellent collectibles.
The ship Trazyn was aboard was named 'Master of Relics.' Naturally, a ship this large couldn't have only him on board.
As an Overlord, Trazyn also commanded numerous Tomb Technicians specializing in various skills.
"Invade that dirge-class assault ship's database. Find everything that Technician is trying to hide."
An order from an Overlord would be carried out without question.
Several Tomb Technicians began jointly hacking into the dirge-class assault ship's database.
The defenses the Technician had just set up crumbled instantly.
Trazyn allocated a portion of his consciousness to wander through the dirge-class warship's database.
Soon, he learned everything that had happened on Nelvokov.
And the covert conflict between the Dynasty of Szarekh and the Ogdobekh Dynasty.
More importantly, the true, vital purpose of the remote tomb world, Nelvokov.
"Hehehe."
Trazyn let out a hearty laugh.
"Ogdobekh Dynasty, your 'Black Star' Phaeron is truly insane."
Seeing the laughing Infinite One before him, the Technician knew all his secrets had been exposed.
There was no helping it; the methods of an Overlord like Trazyn far surpassed those of a mere Tomb Technician like him.
"No! Trazyn! This is a declaration of war against the Dynasty of Szarekh!"
Since things had come to this, the Technician no longer concealed his identity and roared.
"Heh."
Trazyn chuckled.
"The Dynasty of Szarekh? Merely a bunch of power-usurping thieves."
The Technician was momentarily speechless. Indeed, the current rulers of Szarekh were not legitimate Overlords or Phaerons, but a group of Tomb Technicians who had secretly seized power.
Broadly speaking, other Necron dynasties could justifiably launch an attack on the Dynasty of Szarekh, simply under the banner of 'helping to uphold legitimacy.'
"You'd better obediently guide the way for me, little Technician."
Trazyn's voice rang out.
The shroud-class light cruiser instantly released a large number of Night Scythes and Doom Scythes, charging towards the dirge-class assault ship.
The latter had absolutely no means to fight back.
Squads of Immortals and even higher-ranking Necrons teleported onto the ship, beginning the takeover.
The Technician's Tomb Servitors and Necron Constructs were utterly powerless to resist.
Soon, even the Technician himself had the blades of several Lychguard pressed against his head.
The Sabbath Star Cluster, the former Hive City world, Vegast.
After the Union's long period of environmental management, Vegast's originally murky yellow, toxic atmosphere was basically purified.
In the wilderness outside the Magnificent Hive City, there were already signs of animals specially bred and released by the Union.
These animals from different worlds were living in the lush forests.
If an average Imperial Citizen came here, they would definitely mistake Vegast for a paradise world.
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In the middle level of a Hive City, a flock of Lizard Birds gathered around a cafe, hopping and darting across the antique cobblestone road, searching for food.
"Cafe"—this name shouldn't have fit the middle levels of a Hive City at all.
But under the Union's efficient coordination and planning, the Hive City had long since changed drastically.
The giant factories that produced various goods were slowly dismantled, and more comfortable residential areas were planned and constructed.
All factories were uniformly relocated to several moons orbiting Vegast.
Workers could easily travel between the Hive City and the factories via Orbital Elevators and medium-to-small spacecraft.
Eight hours of work (including commute time), eight hours of entertainment, and eight hours of rest.
In just a few years, the Union had transformed Vegast into a truly civilized world.
Outside the cafe.
More and more birds came to forage. Seeing this, a waitress waved a menu to drive the flock away, and they retreated, seemingly accustomed to this "tactical withdrawal."
But subsequently, this repetitive foraging behavior was interrupted.
The Lizard Birds suddenly chirped in alarm, spreading their wings and flying into the sky, as if some invisible presence had passed through the flock.
No one paid attention to the Lizard Birds. It was evening, and the recently clocked-out workers, dressed in clean clothes, were chatting and socializing in the cafe.
Musicians played songs praising the Union on various instruments.
Everything was so orderly.
When the Technician returned to Trazyn's side, the latter had already been standing there admiring the scene for half an hour.
This was rare. Although Trazyn was a Necron, he seldom engaged in such seemingly time-wasting activities.
"I'm glad you didn't try to slip away, Tomb Technician."
Trazyn withdrew his gaze and looked at the Technician beside him.
Around them, the workers were laughing due to their conversation, completely oblivious to the Metal Skeletons right beside them.
"It seems my collectible is still functioning normally."
Trazyn tapped a device on the metal neck: a Phantasm Generator.
This device could interfere with the perceptions of surrounding primates, distort light, and dampen sound, achieving an effect close to invisibility.
Furthermore, in this state, Trazyn could still interact normally with various objects.
For example, Trazyn was currently holding a violin, stroking it carefully.
"I never intended to escape, The Endless."
There was no fluctuation in the Technician's tone, but internally, he was already gnashing his teeth.
On his chest, a Mind-Trap Scarab was firmly affixed.
Mind-Trap Scarabs were originally used on lower-level Flesh-and-blood Creatures to control their minds.
But Trazyn had modified this Mind-Trap Scarab, giving it a powerful self-destruct function. Furthermore, Trazyn had restrained the Technician's Mind Matrix, preventing it from leaving the body.
Trazyn could kill the other party completely whenever he wished.
"How did the reconnaissance go?"
Trazyn paid no attention to the Technician's inner thoughts, asking casually instead.
The Technician nodded helplessly.
"We have found the Governing Body of this world. It is in the Spire directly above us. They call themselves the Union, and their sphere of influence covers almost the entire southern part of the Sabbath Star Cluster."
Hearing this term, which was completely different from the Imperium of Man, a light flashed in Trazyn's eyes.
"Oh, the Pacific Segmentum truly is a wondrous place; it never lacks novelty."
Trazyn recalled the collectibles related to "Nova Terra" stored in his Solemnace Museum.
In Trazyn's view, humanity was an excellent species. They had a long history, were extremely accomplished culturally, and, more importantly, they always provided him with valuable collectibles.
"However, you seem to have withheld some information from me, Technician."
The Mind-Trap Scarab on the Technician's chest emitted lethal radiation inward, scorching the Technician's metal body.
Around the two Metal Skeletons, the people in the cafe only felt the ambient temperature slowly rising and began complaining about whether the Proprietress had turned off the air conditioning.
The shadow of death enveloped the Technician, forcing him to speak quickly.
"Teleportation Gates! Three Teleportation Gates exist on this world!"
The radiation stopped. Nearly half of the Technician's body had been melted, and the living metal was slowly repairing it.
"Damn it, you cannot toy with me so casually! This is an insult to a Tomb Technician!"
The Technician cursed Trazyn angrily.
The latter was completely unconcerned; Trazyn was more interested in the "Teleportation Gates" mentioned by the other party.
"Have humans also developed stable long-distance teleportation technology?"
Trazyn muttered.
"Or perhaps, these guys who call themselves the Union unearthed Ancient Technological Facilities from somewhere?"
Either way, it seems I can add a few more items to my collection.
"
Trazyn's collecting urge had flared up again.
The Technician obediently led the way, while Trazyn followed leisurely, admiring the scenery of Vegast Hive City, which was completely different from other Imperium of Man Hive Cities.
"Tomb Technician, how long did you sleep in Nelvokov? And how long has it been since you interacted with the outside world?"
"Sixty million years. My slumber has always been intermittent."
The Technician answered honestly.
"It seems Nelvokov truly is important. Intermittent slumber like that carries a high probability of damaging the Mind Matrix."
Just as Trazyn said, perhaps this Tomb Technician's personality had been damaged during countless cycles of waking and sleeping, though he himself was unaware of it.
"I am who I am."
The leading Technician was in no mood to chat with Trazyn.
Trazyn didn't mind, though; he was a talker.
"Do you know, Technician, this is a civilized world—a rarity among rarities in the current Galaxy, especially within the sphere of influence of the Imperium of Man."
Light emanated from Trazyn's eyes.
Trazyn secretly harbored the idea of collecting the entire world of Vegast.
However, even for him, a Necron Overlord, collecting an entire planet was excessively difficult.
Moreover, Trazyn understood the concept of not alerting the enemy and playing the long game to catch a big fish.
"Perhaps this Union will bring me more surprises."