When the other side proposed a 'civilized debate', Magos Gamma knew he had already won. What kind of Tech-priest has a 'civilized debate faction'? A Tech-priest who doesn't dare to fight isn't a good Tech-priest. What cannot be gained on the battlefield cannot be regained at the negotiating table.
This was merely Metis and the others reminding him that if he didn't abide by the agreement, they weren't without a fighting chance.
Things went as Magos Gamma expected; it was just a formality. After only a few exchanges, the other side conceded, exclaiming that Magos Gamma's 'machine law' was profound and they were willing to admit defeat.
Seeing Metis and the others being so sensible, the young Tech-priest's demeanor changed again. The leaked dominance vanished without a trace, and he acted with extreme courtesy, stating that the banquet was ready and they could discuss things over a meal on his ship.
After analysis, Metis and the others, who had already humbled themselves, concluded that the probability of a 'Hongmen Banquet' was less than 1.3%. The chance of being attacked at the banquet was even lower than a Titan firing a shot at them right then. They immediately expressed their gratitude.
One meal gave Magos Gamma's people a sense of superiority, made the unfortunate souls exiled with their mentors or leaders feel envy, jealousy, and hatred, and also allowed Magos Gamma to witness the drinking culture of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
If anyone ever said 'Hawking' couldn't toast, Magos Gamma would surely spit in their face and use the scene of the Tech-priest 'toasting' to slap them hard.
"Archmagos Gamma, we have long heard of your esteemed father's name, but unfortunately, we have never had the opportunity to visit."
The voice from Metis, who personally refilled Magos Gamma's cup, was clearly a cold electronic tone, yet anyone could hear the flattery within it.
Looking at the refilled glass of juice, the young Tech-priest, feeling a bit waterlogged, burped and quickly said, not wanting to drink any more:
"That's easy to arrange. After the Necrons matter is concluded, I'll write you a letter. If you happen to pass by Thedan, I think the Archmagos would be very pleased with your visit."
"You don't know, Thedan is developing rapidly now, and there's a shortage of talent. My father often complains to me about how hard it is to find talent. He'll likely express a desire to recruit you, and I hope you, who yearn for freedom, won't mind!"
The Tech-priests who were forced into freedom couldn't bear to hear such words. Someone immediately stood up with a glass and said, "Archmagos Gamma, you must not say such things. It is our honor to gain the appreciation of Archmagos Will. My words are clumsy, it's all in the wine!"
Everyone else, including Metis, also stood up and said, "It's all in the wine!"
With the atmosphere like this, Magos Gamma had no choice but to stand up as well, raising his juice and saying, "To us."
Then, remembering something, he quickly added, "And I wish us all the best in this endeavor."
Then he frowned and drank it all in one gulp.
"Burp!"
"Archmagos Gamma has an immense capacity!"
"Archmagos Gamma has spirit!"
"Archmagos Gamma has courage!"
The young Tech-priest, who could hear the sloshing of water in his stomach with every movement, now had only one thought: he needed to find someone to drink with him in the future. His small stomach couldn't outdrink Tech-priests who had no stomachs, even with juice.
Magos Gamma's 'soft power' looked at the important figures toasting each other in the center of the banquet, then at the impoverished Tech-priests beside him, and lamented in a Versailles-esque manner:
"I never thought the exploration fleet's life would be so hard. Compared to you, we are practically bathed in honey. Archmagos Gamma's kindness is truly endless!"
The unfortunate soul in his old prosthetic body: "—"
After subduing Metis and the others with both soft and hard tactics, the obstacles and hidden dangers in front of Magos Gamma were swept away. It was time to serve the main course: the Necrons.
Magos Gamma had to handle this personally; he didn't trust anyone else. What if a Tech-priest accidentally stepped on a 'trigger' and caused the tomb owner to rise from their coffin? That would be greatly inauspicious.
After several days of collective effort, a 'archaeological plan' considering various possibilities was successfully formulated. The core of this plan had two points.
First, use force to press down any rising 'great mummies'.
Second, if things go wrong, run immediately. 'Wealth' is external; life is the most important.
This plan was circulated to every Tech-priest, making them understand that they should do exactly as Archmagos Gamma instructed, neither being too diligent nor too lazy, and certainly not greedy, otherwise they shouldn't blame the Magos for leaving them behind when he ran.
The dangers brought by the archaeology would not only affect the Tech-priests but also the humans confined to the Forbidden World for five hundred years. Magos Gamma initially had some psychological burden.
However, after thoroughly understanding the situation of the humans living on the planet, Magos Gamma's burden disappeared.
After five hundred years of not paying taxes, and with a great thunder below preventing war, the population on the Forbidden World naturally experienced explosive growth in their peaceful and comfortable lives. However, once isolated, they naturally had no access to technology or food.
In recent decades, the food crisis has become the biggest crisis facing humans on the Forbidden World, with the Necrons ranking only second. It can be said that the Forbidden World is now a powder keg, with the potential for a full-scale war to erupt at any time due to hunger.
Understanding this situation, after descending to the surface, Magos Gamma began to probe the Necron tomb below while also dispatching Tech-Priests to help the governor of the Forbidden World solve the food crisis. He was also afraid that a real fight would awaken the Necrons.
After carefully surveying the underground situation, areas with energy reactions were designated as high-risk and temporarily bypassed. Areas with no energy reactions but intact structures were designated as medium-risk and also temporarily bypassed. Magos Gamma decided to start with the most severely damaged areas.
Under the diligent work of more than a dozen modified White Ant drilling machines, a tunnel tens of kilometers long, wide enough for a Titan to pass through, was completed. For the last small distance, Magos Gamma was concerned that vibrations might disturb 'unclean' things, so he planned to excavate manually.
"Why are you all carrying shovels?" Magos Gamma asked, puzzled, looking at the assembled Tech-priests, each holding a primitive tool.
"Didn't you say we needed to dig manually?" the Tech-priest Girl retorted, holding her shovel.
—
Ignoring these fools, with castellan robots leading the way, the heavily armed young Tech-priest mounted his incredibly fast anti-gravity scooter and was the first to enter the passage, with the others quickly following.
This small scooter, which Magos Gamma specially designed for himself for this archaeological expedition, looked silly, cute, and Q-shaped on the outside, but it was powerful, flexible, durable, and fast. It had a Logic clone inside, so Magos Gamma didn't need to control it.
By the time they reached the end of the passage, Magos Gamma's preparations were complete. As the huge container in the center of the passage's end was opened, gray mist drifted out. The solid rock, after only a short contact with the mist, turned into fine sand.
Upon seeing this, Metis and the others' pupils dilated in shock, looking at the calm Magos Gamma with horror. Some Tech-priests had already begun to praise the omnissiah and the omnissiah.
The people in the Gear Fleet were much calmer. They had already seen the 'gray mist' during the fight against Gorgon. Last time it disintegrated bugs; this time it merely changed the disintegration target to inanimate rock.
Although excavating the passage with nanomachines was less efficient than drilling machines, it had the advantage of being quiet. As time passed, the disintegrated sand was transported away by a conveyor belt, and the black outer wall of the tomb was exposed to Magos Gamma and his team.
The appearance of unnatural creations made the atmosphere on site tense. The castellan robots entered combat mode, and the Tech-Priests also held their weapons. At this moment, Magos Gamma, who had been relatively still, spoke to them:
"From now on, everyone must obey my commands. Do not act on your own initiative."
After speaking, he lifted his leg and walked towards the outer wall of the tomb. Magos Lauster wanted to step forward but was stopped by Magos Gamma's outstretched hand. Magos Gamma then said:
"Don't get close. Wait until I've cleared the danger, then you can come over."
Upon reaching the outer wall, Magos Gamma observed for a while. After finding no traps, he operated the nanomachines to dismantle the outer wall, but he quickly discovered that the material forming the outer wall was extremely hard, and the nanomachines had little effect on such high-hardness material.
However, this didn't stop Magos Gamma. He summoned two castellan robots to his front. The wall that nanomachines were powerless against was torn down in blocks under the effect of the castellan robots' disintegration field, and the tomb world, which had slept for tens of millions of years, welcomed a 'visitor'.
A sneaky young Tech-priest.
Magos Gamma cautiously peered into the tomb chamber, seeing only pitch blackness. He had no choice but to repeatedly chant "It's nothing, it's nothing" while having the castellan robots turn on their searchlights.
Rows upon rows of neatly arranged metal skeletons, lying peacefully in their 'coffins', appeared before Magos Gamma. He quickly obtained relevant information from these skeletons:
Space Necron Warriors. Before they became iron lumps, they were Necrontyr commoners. Because they were neither nobles nor soldiers, no one cared about them.
They only had the most basic bodies, no identification markers, and no active abilities. Their former personalities no longer existed, and they couldn't even make any sounds other than screams at the moment of death.
Looking at the unfortunate souls from sixty million years ago, Magos Gamma swore to steal everything from the Necron Lords to avenge them. After waiting a while longer and confirming that no 'foolishly loyal' skeletons would rise and shout 'catch the thief', the slightly bolder young Tech-priest began to move towards the control center in the middle of the tomb chamber, taking a step and stopping, then another step and stopping.
Inside the passage, outside the tomb wall, the Tech-Priests who had been waiting there for dozens of hours were getting restless. The people from Metis's faction were alright, but Magos Gamma's people were already agitated, their eyes red.
"Magos Lauster, it's been so long, we—"
"No, obey Magos Gamma's command!" Magos Lauster reprimanded him. From his tone, even the most foolish person could tell that Magos Lauster was equally anxious at that moment.
"Listen!" Paul, who had been listening to the sounds inside the outer wall broken by Magos Gamma using instruments, suddenly shouted.
Magos Lauster rushed to Paul's side, snatched the headphones, and carefully distinguished the sounds coming from the instrument. As the sounds moved from far to near, becoming clearer and clearer, Magos Lauster's heart also calmed down.
Upon receiving Magos Lauster's nod of confirmation, everyone immediately cheered, their previous impatience gone, all looking at the breach with gleaming eyes.
After a while, Magos Gamma's figure appeared. The others rushed forward, wanting to ask about his situation, but before they could speak, they heard Magos Gamma wave his small hand and shout to everyone with great bravado:
"Stop talking nonsense, everyone come in! Clear out all the noodles for me, don't leave even a single bone!"
Parasites, or 'vermin,' exist within all factions—among humans, and within the Tau Empire. They are something every intelligent species detests yet cannot avoid.
As former intelligent beings, the Necrons were no exception. Vasily was a vermin. As a younger son with no inheritance rights, and having been doted on by his mother since childhood, Vasily possessed a non-mainstream set of values:
Why risk your life when you only live for a few decades?
The position of Overlord of the Szarekhan Dynasty originally had nothing to do with him. Both his father and his brothers were content with Vasily's life of idleness.
However, the Necron Empire might have been too vast, leading to the Overlords, Phaeron, and Crypteks ruling different regions of the galaxy beginning to wage war against each other. To prevent the entire race from being destroyed by their own foolishness, the Necrons' supreme ruler decided to establish an alien race as a common enemy for all, thereby diverting internal conflicts.
At first glance, it seemed quite ingenious. The chosen common enemy was the Old Ones, whom the Necrons had always envied, hated, and resented. However, they underestimated the Old Ones' strength and were thoroughly crushed by them.
Vasily's father and brothers both died in the war against the Old Ones, and fate made this decadent scion the Overlord of the Szarekhan Dynasty.
His fallen father and brothers only strengthened Vasily's conviction. After becoming Overlord, he floored the accelerator on the path of indulgence, vowing to enjoy himself to the fullest before the Old Ones destroyed the Necrons!
For some unknown reason, the Old Ones had not delivered a fatal blow, which made Overlord Vasily, who had spent over a decade in debauchery, feel that his life was truly worth it. Every extra day he lived was a bonus.
Of course, there were old retainers who earnestly advised him, but in a situation where the race faced constant existential threat, such advice seemed like nonsense to Vasily. He unceremoniously executed all ministers who dared to offer counsel.
But what Vasily never expected was that while he was playing hide-and-seek with beauties, the Silent King issued another decree. This time, the Silent King had found them a group of "masters," and declared that the Necrons should upload their consciousness into machines, abandoning their flesh (and souls) to achieve immortality on their own.
Vasily, the vermin, was unwilling to become cold, hard metal. Without soft, fragrant beauties and ultimate pleasure, what was the meaning of living?
But this did not prevent his soul from also being consumed by the C'tan. The moment he awoke in a body made of living metal, Vasily knew he was finished. He wanted to die, but he couldn't. The final control protocol in the Silent King's hands controlled him.
After becoming a Space Necron, Vasily later experienced two major events: punching the Old Ones and backstabbing the C'tan. After these, he could finally 'rest in peace.' Although it wasn't true rest, as long as he didn't wake up, it was the same as resting.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans, and Vasily's wish for eternal slumber was shattered; he still woke up.
"Szarekh, I curse you!" Vasily cursed, lying in his coffin, unwilling to get up.
If not for Szarekh's foolishness, how could he have ended up in a situation where he couldn't even die!
If not for Szarekh's foolishness, why would he force a complete conversion when there weren't enough resources? How could his beauties have turned out like that!
If not for Szarekh's foolishness... In short, in Vasily's eyes, everything was Szarekh's fault!
"Knock."
A knocking sound came from outside Vasily's coffin. Hearing the urging to get up, the Overlord of the Szarekhan Dynasty's rebellious spirit was ignited. He planned to protest by staying in bed.
"Knock."
I'm not getting up! If you're so capable, carry me to see the Phaeron! It'd be best if you killed me! The rebellious, corrupt ruler thought to himself.
"Knock."
Still not getting up! Still not getting up! Come and kill me!
"Knock."
Come on! Come on!
Vasily, once the most decadent Necron under the Phaeron, and now the most fearless Necrons Overlord under him, was already calculating in his mind how to provoke the Phaeron or that idiotic messenger to make them kill him.
"Something's not right? I should be awake now, shouldn't I?"
Hmm? What language? The Necrons thought suspiciously. It seemed something unusual was happening. Vasily decided to go out and see what was going on. Either he would kill the scoundrel who disturbed his peace, or the scoundrel would kill him. Vasily accepted either outcome.
As Vasily pushed open his coffin lid, the sight before him made him pause. What were these red-robed monsters? Although he didn't understand what was happening, it didn't stop the Necrons Overlord from becoming enraged.
"What the hell are you doing to my concubines?!"
Metis, who wanted to figure out why the Necrons Overlord was surrounded not by high-ranking units but by the lowest-ranking Necron Warriors, couldn't understand the alien language.
Metis couldn't understand why this Necrons was hostile towards him, who was furthest away from him. Magos Gamma was right next to the other party, wasn't he? Could these dozens of metal bodies hold some secret?
Thinking this, Metis pushed his tentacles deeper into the living metal bodies of the Necron Warriors. Perhaps the secret was hidden in the deepest part.
"Ahhh! Scum! Shameless! I never dared to play like this back then, and you dare to play this game with me?! Take this sword—where's my weapon?!"
Vasily, realizing his weapon was gone, frantically looked down, only to find that his weapon had somehow fallen into the invaders' hands. He lunged to snatch it back, only to be punched dozens of meters away by a castellan robots.
Anger now made Vasily forget about dying. He wanted to eliminate all these invaders who had shamed his beloved beauties, to make them realize how dangerous it was to 'X before the X-husband.'
But when Vasily tried to call his soldiers, he discovered in horror that the dynasty's control protocols had been tampered with. He couldn't connect to the control protocols at all, let alone summon soldiers.
While the Necrons Overlord was still in shock, several castellan robots had already surrounded him. The unruly castellan robots, who loved to wield weapons, battling the hedonistic Necrons Overlord, and in a group attack—the outcome was obvious.
"Gamma, why do I feel like this Necrons is a bit strange?" Tech-priest Girl asked, squatting on the ground with Gamma, studying the Overlord's weapon.
Gamma, whose attention was entirely on the hyperphase sword in front of him, said casually without looking up:
"Although the upper echelons of the Necrons have much better quality bodies than ordinary 'iron skeletons' after conversion, and their thoughts are preserved quite completely during the biotransference process, it's normal for them to become a bit strange after sleeping for so long."
"Oh."
Five years had passed since Magos Gamma first stepped into the Necrons' tomb world. In these five years, Magos Gamma had proceeded cautiously, moving from low-risk to medium-risk, then to high-risk, taking every step with extreme care.
Fortunately, this Necrons tomb was much more damaged than he had imagined—so much so that Magos Gamma even suspected whether the Overlord of this dynasty had self-destructive tendencies, as the self-repair function of the entire tomb world was shockingly rudimentary.
Few of the Canoptek Spyders, originally used to defend against invaders and maintain the tomb world's structure, were still operational. However, this also made Magos Gamma's archaeological expedition much less dangerous.
If these Canoptek Spyders were all functioning normally, just dealing with these automated drones and their command of Scarab swarms and Canoptek Wraiths would have caused Magos Gamma no small amount of trouble.
If they were to awaken the Necrons, Magos Gamma would have no choice but to engage in a real battle with them.
Of course, Magos Gamma's greatest reliance in reaching the Necrons Overlord's coffin lid without alerting him was his own talent. His talent inherently countered the Necrons. If he were to create a Necrons living metal body for himself, with his plagiarized technology, impersonating a Cryptek would be no problem at all.
Watching the Necron lord and his subjects gathered in the detention room, Magos Gamma realized that these Fearful Dead's 'remains' were truly insane. For instance, the four in front of him, despite being disarmed and having their consciousness transfer ability restricted, were on the verge of death, yet they started 'playing' within ten minutes of meeting.
In those ten minutes, they spent nine minutes cursing Szarekh, and the remaining minute clamoring for Magos Gamma to kill them.
Then they started gambling with parts from their own bodies as dice, with the loser performing a comical dance.
To obtain information from these four Necrons, the only ones remaining with complete individual wills, Magos Gamma made a compromise.
"Ahem, gentlemen, please pause for a moment. Let's talk frankly and openly. After our conversation, I will provide you with entertainment tools."
The translator in the detention room broadcast Magos Gamma's words. The Necrons, who had previously ignored the small Tech-priest, stopped rolling their dice. The lord and his Lichguard exchanged glances with their hollow eyes, then turned together to look at Magos Gamma outside.
"Human, what do you wish to ask the great Lord Vasily?" the Necron lord asked with an arrogant posture.
The Necrons' reaction brought a surge of joy to Magos Gamma, who had only intended to test them, but it also significantly lowered his expectations.
However, he wouldn't give up until he got what he wanted from the Necron's mouth.
"Does your dynasty have any other tombs?"
"No!" the lord answered directly...
Seeing Magos Gamma remain silent, the Necron lord impatiently said, "Is there anything else you want to ask? If not, return my beloved concubines and beauties."
A Lichguard beside him quickly added, "And my concubines too."
"I want mine too."
"Me too. Return my trinkets from the stasis coffin as well."
"Yes, yes, the trinkets in the coffin too."
The small Tech-priest's face was not looking good. Five years of effort, yet the final harvest did not satisfy Magos Gamma. He had originally thought the lord had hidden treasures or similar things that hadn't been discovered. Now he understood that this Necron lord was merely a good-for-nothing who only knew how to eat, drink, and play, and the formidable Lichguard were nothing more than sycophants who shared the lord's rotten tastes.
"Don't you feel ashamed that your dynasty has fallen into such disrepair?" Magos Gamma said with a tone of disappointment, as if scolding for not meeting expectations.
Unexpectedly, the Necrons showed no shame whatsoever. The lord even said with disdain and arrogance, "None of your business. If I were still alive, I'd chop down every moralizing fellow like you I met. Zepha, tell him how many annoying people you've chopped down."
"Heh heh, quite a lot, I haven't counted."
One of the three Lichguard answered the lord, and the remaining two also chimed in, saying they had chopped down many as well.
"Alright then, you're useless."
"You—"
Before the Necron could finish speaking, four mechanical arms extended from the ceiling of the detention room, grabbing them and sending them to the prison Magos Gamma had built for them.
"Hmph, what a nuisance! Wasting this Archmagos's time!"
Magos Gamma huffed and left the interrogation room. If he had known this, he would have just started fighting from the beginning; it would have been more efficient.
He made his way to his laboratory, the small Tech-priest unhappily plopping down to look at the collection displayed in the lab.
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Necron Warriors, who only follow instinctual reactions and programmed attack patterns, without the ability to reflect or use their own intelligence. The living metal limbs of these unfortunate Fearful Dead commoners, while appearing robust and smooth from a distance, are riddled with pits and corrosion up close, with oily liquid seeping from their joints.
Magos Gamma, now their master, had tried to command them and concluded that, apart from their living metal bodies and Gauss weapons, the Necron Warrior's mechanical bodies were terribly crude. If humans were the Emperor's currency, tools like currency, then these Necron Warriors were currency in the eyes of the Necron nobility.
Immortals, with better body structures and armor than the smaller Necron Warriors, stronger self-repair capabilities, and equipped with more advanced weapons, retained some of their individuality and could engage in some dialogue, even deciding tactics based on their current situation.
But that was the extent of it. The consciousness of these former Fearful Dead soldiers had been completely altered by the 'biotransference ritual,' leaving them with almost no independent thought. They only obeyed their masters. For example, even though Magos Gamma was not a Space Necron, they still obeyed his commands and regarded him as their master after he tampered with their control protocols.
Necron Warriors and Immortals were the most abundant, yet least useful, finds from Magos Gamma's archaeological expedition. Their technology was even inferior to the weapons they carried.
In Magos Gamma's eyes, the most useful discovery was precisely the Canoptek Scarabs, which had the least presence in the tomb world. Although other Space Necron automated constructs had some unique technologies, their utility was not as great as the Canoptek Scarabs.
Canoptek Scarabs can break down organic and inorganic matter into raw energy, which can then be fabricated into entirely new objects under the manipulation of the Scarab controller.
With the Scarabs, these versatile industrial mother machines, Magos Gamma not only solved the long-standing problem of materials but also resolved the energy supply and self-replication issues of the 'Grey Mist.' He now had the ability to become the Empire's number one terrorist.
Furthermore, they are essentially unconscious, self-replicating machines of various sizes and functions, possessing astonishing construction capabilities while also having astonishing destructive power.
"Hmph, truly miraculous. With this, who needs a bicycle?" Magos Gamma grinned, watching the mechanical dung beetles crawling in front of him.
As for other gains, such as Gauss weapons that can decompose enemies layer by layer at the atomic level, living lightning that can jump from one enemy to another, feeding on released energy to intensify its power, and particle weapons that fire a stream of tiny antimatter particles, exploding upon contact with other matter, annihilating targets with a violent chain reaction, and so on.
Their power was immense, but Magos Gamma was not a warrior, nor a commander; he was a scientist, a creator, and he had no interest in weapons.
"It's a pity that the Necrons' inertia-less drives and instantaneous teleportation are for their metal bodies; living beings die upon using them. Otherwise, interstellar travel would be solved in an instant."
"Forget it, I won't think about it. Let's focus on the task at hand."
Outside Magos Gamma's laboratory, a mix of joy and bitterness enveloped the minds of all the Tech-priests. Each of them received spoils of war based on their contributions, and the great and generous Magos Gamma even took a portion from his own gains to reward them.
But facing the high technology of the Necrons, the Tech-priests were utterly stumped, completely unable to understand how these metal xenos achieved what they did. The feeling of finding a mountain of gold but being unable to take it away was more painful than being beaten.
When Magos Gamma emerged from the laboratory, he was startled to see Tech-priests with dark circles under their eyes, thinking the fleet had encountered something unclean.
"Don't overthink it. If it were that easy, others would have done it long ago. Have you ever heard of anyone cracking the secrets of the Necrons?" Magos Gamma lied without batting an eye.
....
"Magos Gamma, I have something I wish to ask you," Metis respectfully said. Five years of interaction were enough for Magos Gamma to win over the wandering Tech-priests with his knowledge and technology. Their respect for the small Tech-priest now came from the heart.
"Hmm, what is it?"
"You once said that Necrons were originally organic life, so then they—"
"You mean, can we also convert, so we can get closer to the omnissiah, right?"
"Yes."
"No. They are merely remnants left after death, and without souls, they are tormented by emptiness every moment. That's why those four conscious Necrons behaved so wildly; their actions were merely a repetition of their obsessions from life."
At this point, Magos Gamma paused, scanned the room, and asked, "Can anyone tell me which doctrine explicitly states that the higher the degree of physical modification, the closer one is to the omnissiah?"
The Tech-Priests present all looked at Magos Gamma in confusion. They tried to recall the Adeptus Mechanicus scriptures in their minds and found that there truly seemed to be no such doctrine. Then Magos Gamma continued:
"All doctrines speak of 'Knowledge is sacred,' and machines are products of knowledge, thus also sacred because they contain knowledge. 'Quest for Omniscience' clearly states that mastering knowledge is the only way to approach the omnissiah. Even if one already has a mechanical body like the Necrons, if they don't understand the knowledge contained within it, how can they approach the omnissiah!"
"In other words, one who masters the knowledge of creating a mechanical body and understands its principles, even without modification, is closer to the omnissiah than one who has not mastered it."
"The idea that higher modification brings one closer is merely a self-deceiving opportunism. Don't lie to yourselves!"
Those who had similar thoughts to Metis bowed their heads in shame after hearing Magos Gamma's words. Seeing this, Magos Gamma breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that when Tech-priests saw the lively Necrons, someone would surely have such an idea.
By reviewing Archmagos Will's library and the Inquisition's data, Magos Gamma had long known that many heretical Tech-priests regarded the Necrons as messengers of the omnissiah. He had prepared this speech for a long time, merely taking this opportunity to deliver it.
As Magos Gamma's words spread, the atmosphere within the fleet eased considerably, and the Tech-priests' attitude towards Space Necron creations also changed. They no longer devoted all their energy to them, instead treating these Necron creations more as valuable xenos artifacts.
Although Magos Gamma had already taken control of the Space Necron tomb world, he hadn't completely plundered it. These ancient artifacts from tens of millions of years ago, even if they lacked advanced technology, could still fetch a considerable sum of money and should not be overlooked.
This meant Magos Gamma and his team would have to stay in this soon-to-be-unsealed Forbidden World for a while longer. Magos Gamma also took advantage of this time to organize his gains, planning to find a secluded, uninhabited planet after leaving to give the fleet a major upgrade. Then, he'd see who dared to speak loudly to him.
While the small Tech-priest was wiggling his butt and envisioning the future in the laboratory, in a remote canyon within the Forbidden World, after a flash of dim light, several slender Aeldari emerged from the rock face.
"Farseer, is the elusive phantom that stirs fate, as the Supreme Seer mentioned, truly here?" asked the Aeldari wearing a Banshee mask.
"We'll know once we bring the suspicious target back."
If Tech-priests were to choose their favorite natural landscape, most would pick 'volcanoes.' A place with volcanoes signifies abundant geothermal energy and rare elements brought up from the deep mantle by magma.
Coincidentally, the Forbidden World where the Gear Fleet was staying had an active volcano, a famous resort. Gamma, who had been working tirelessly to finalize the Gear Fleet's upgrade plan, decided to take a vacation and reward himself.
Thus, there was a scene of a naked little Tech-priest splashing around in the hot spring. Perhaps because Tech-priests are associated with the element of fire, Gamma splashed for a long time but couldn't learn any swimming stroke other than the dog paddle.
"Gamma, maybe you should stop. If you keep swimming in the hot spring, you'll get heatstroke," Ed reminded the frolicking little Tech-priest.
Gamma hadn't felt anything originally, but as soon as Ed said that, he felt a bit dizzy, so he paddled back to the shore.
"Phew, I need to lie down."
After swimming to the shore, the little Tech-priest, completely naked, lay down on the volcanic rock by the hot spring, shamelessly exposing his little 'thingy' to Ed and the others.
Jacob and the others smiled at this sight. They were quite envious of Gamma's youthful body; unlike them, they had to wrap uncomfortable bath towels around their waists, otherwise it would be quite unsightly.
"Boss, are you really planning to build a forging ark?" Paul seized the opportunity to lean closer to Gamma and asked curiously.
The dizzy little Tech-priest replied weakly, "Yes. You've been a Forgemaster for a few years now. Do you have any ideas?"
"My skills can't compare to yours, Boss."
"It's fine, think boldly. Jacob, Louis, same for you. If you have any ideas, speak them out. Whether you design it yourselves or find someone to help, this time I plan to give each of you a ship," Gamma said the most generous words in the weakest voice.
Jacob and the others were stunned by the sudden surprise. As the people who had been with Gamma the longest in this world, they could immediately tell whether Gamma was joking or serious. They also knew very well that in Gamma's words, only vessels the size of Gear Boy were called 'ships'; everything else was called 'small boards.'
The eldest, Jacob, was the first to snap out of his surprise and advised, "This... of course, we're happy to have our own warships, but Gamma, isn't this too extravagant? And we haven't achieved any great merits. This might cause dissatisfaction among others in the fleet."
"Right, right, Boss, I wouldn't dare accept it. And no matter how good a ship is, can it be better than your forging ark?"
"Jacob is right. Things are different now; we need to consider the others in the fleet."
"Gamma, if you really want to give a gift, you should give it to Magos Lauster, not us."
Tilting his head to look at Jacob and the others, the little Tech-priest understood that they were considering his interests, so he had no choice but to say, "Alright, but I'll tell Leia about this later and say you guys lost her ship."
"However, the scale of this fleet expansion is much larger than you imagine. If you want any ships with special functions, you can tell me. Louis, if you want a ship in the fleet specifically for raising animals, that's fine too."
As soon as Gamma finished speaking, Louis and the others understood that Gamma had found some incredible technology from the Necrons this time, otherwise, there wouldn't be such a big move.
"Boss, you..."
"It's good that you know. These technologies are unsafe, and exposure will cause us a lot of trouble. Don't forget that there are more and more signs of Necrons awakening these years."
"Understood!"
"Hmm, I—"
Just as Gamma was about to say something more, a humanoid creature dressed in red, black, and white armor appeared out of thin air on the rock he was lying on. Before Jacob and the others could react, several star-marks had already struck them down, and blood instantly stained the nearby spring water.
Gamma instinctively widened his eyes at the sight before him, but before he could react further, a sharp hand chop struck directly at the back of his neck.
The Dimensional Spider's seemingly foolproof strike, when still a dozen centimeters from Gamma, felt a huge force. His hand chop was like hitting an invisible diamond wall.
Hearing the sound behind his head, Gamma ignored everything else and rolled into the hot spring. The moment he left the rock and distanced himself from the Aeldari, Gamma's guard attacked the sneaking Aeldari, but the opponent instantly vanished without a trace.
Gamma, his mind blank, instinctively used the dog paddle to get away from the assassin, but before he could swim a few meters, the assassin reappeared in front of him. This time, the opponent raised a hand and shot out a capture net, entangling him.
"Humans, stop, or I will shred your master with the capture net!" The Aeldari warned the Wyrdblade Rust Stalker, who was only a short distance away, in High Gothic.
Seeing Gamma, who was bleeding from the capture net, the guards had no choice but to abandon their plan to kill the assassin and surrounded him. The castellan robots, who were on remote guard duty, also shattered and broke through all obstacles in their way to arrive.
"Quick, go see how Jacob and the others are!" Gamma shouted from inside the capture net.
But none of the guard acted. Gamma, seeing this, had to shout again, "Go! That's an order! Are you disobeying my orders?!"
Only then did one of them act. At this point, the Aeldari who had kidnapped Gamma began to speak, "You can rest assured, I did not aim for their vital points; I merely rendered them unconscious and incapacitated."
"I have no dealings with you. Why attack me?"
"To invite you as a guest to our world."
"..."
Are they crazy?! Gamma couldn't understand the thought processes of these xenos, but now his life was in the opponent's hands, so he had no choice but to follow the Aeldari's words:
"Since it's an invitation, could you use a more polite method, like letting me put on some clothes first?"
"Put away your petty cleverness. Do not imagine taking back your crude weapons."
"..."
Gamma, not giving up, said again, "There's no benefit for you in a stalemate now. How about you let me go, and I'll let you leave safely?"
The Aeldari did not answer, merely moved a finger to tighten the capture net. Gamma, contorted into a strange shape by the constriction, couldn't help but cry out in pain.
"Ow, ow, ow! You're killing me!"
Gamma yelled and twisted his body incessantly, blood flowing from the wounds caused by the capture net into the hot spring.
"Stop, you foolish monkey. Struggling will only cause you more pain."
"You're killing me!"
"It hurts so much!"
"I'm going to die!"
Gamma seemed not to hear the Aeldari's warning, like a child who only knew how to cry. A look of disgust appeared on the Aeldari's face beneath the mask, but remembering that the opponent might be the 'Shadowless Ghost' that the Supreme Seer was looking for, he had no choice but to loosen the grip of the capture net.
But the moment the capture net was loosened, Gamma, whose hands were free, directly tore open the net lines that could cut through rock and adamantium. At the same time, a thin layer of gray mist rose from the spring water, stained red by Gamma's blood, and rushed towards the Aeldari.
The nanomachines hidden in his blood were Gamma's last resort, an idea he had on a whim, and it unexpectedly saved him this time.
The moment Gamma was free, his guards rushed towards him. Several precise, lethal beams shot from the castellan robots' weapons towards the Aeldari who had lost his hostage.
This time, the Dimensional Spider was not as lucky. The Dimensional Spider's warp jump device on the back of his armor was destroyed by the Wyrdblade Rust Stalker's overcharged blade before it could even activate. If the castellan robots hadn't been unwilling to affect Gamma and only used the lowest power of their weapons, allowing his shield to block most of the damage, this assassin would surely have died. But even with the shield, he was severely wounded by the castellan robots and lost the ability to resist.
The little Tech-priest, only concerned with escaping, was unaware of the changes that had occurred behind him in those few short seconds. He merely pushed his body to its limits, making himself run faster.
Only when the guards appeared in front of him and stopped him did Gamma calm down, cease his escape, and look back at the Aeldari's position.
"Alright, alright, you brought this upon yourself! Capture him alive!" Gamma commanded his guards.
"Phew!!"
Feeling that he had escaped death, the little Tech-priest let out a long breath. Looking down at the bloody wounds on his body, a piercing pain made him cry out.
"You just wait! This is the first time I've been so seriously hurt in my life! It hurts so much!"
But Gamma had forgotten one thing: the Aeldari had said 'we,' which meant there was more than one assassin. Sure enough, while he was still crying and complaining about the pain, another Dimensional Spider flashed into existence in front of him. This time, the Aeldari did not attack anyone. The moment it appeared, it grabbed Gamma's arm, and with another flash, disappeared from the spot, taking Gamma with him.
Several consecutive short-distance flashes and teleports created distance from the guards. Carrying the still-naked little Tech-priest, he rushed towards a nearby cliff gorge, and without a moment's hesitation, he leaped directly from the cliff top.
"Ah ah ah ah ah—"
The little Tech-priest, forced to jump off the cliff, let out a miserable scream. He just wanted to ask these Aeldari what grudge they had against him that they had to drag him along even to death.
Just as Gamma thought he was doomed this time and his life was flashing before his eyes, an Aeldari flying vehicle caught them.
Aeldari are sick! Very sick! Otherwise, they wouldn't design such anti-human creations—Magos Gamma "streaking" on an Aeldari Jetbike.
Magos Gamma, whose face was distorted by the wind resistance, couldn't understand the meaning of this two-person flying motorcycle design: a driver in front and an exposed gunner behind. Weren't they afraid of the gunner being thrown off during acceleration or deceleration?
"I… I… I think we can talk," said Magos Gamma, shivering from the oncoming wind.
But the Aeldari who kidnapped him ignored him. Just then, a drone, whose design utterly defied aerodynamics, zipped past the Aeldari Jetbike. The turbulent air it generated caused the high-speed Aeldari vehicle to violently shake. The Aeldari, holding Magos Gamma with one hand and operating a Shuriken Cannon with the other, futilely fired at the drone, but the drone dodged every shot with a sharp right-angle turn.
The intense turbulence forced the Jetbike to slow down and regain balance. If the perspective were zoomed out, it would be seen that hundreds of similar drones surrounded them. These drones, under the operation of Logic, completely encircled the Aeldari flying vehicle. As soon as the Aeldari attempted to accelerate or break through the blockade, a drone would immediately perform a similar maneuver, forcing the Aeldari to slow down.
When the Dimensional Spider's palm strike was blocked by the barrier necklace Magos Gamma wore around his neck, the security protocol Magos Gamma designed for himself was triggered.
The artificial intelligence Logic directly took over the entire fleet. The teleportation devices within some of the castellan robots, which had been on standby, were activated, and the teleportation beacon in Magos Gamma's clothing also began continuously sending coordinate signals.
On the Gear Boy, several torpedo tubes, which had always been loaded and ready, launched landing pods carrying Necron Portals directly from low orbit towards the volcanic hot springs where Magos Gamma was located. All Titan castellan robots entered war mode, ready to rush out through the portals in front of them and eliminate all threats to Magos Gamma.
Swarms of drones flew out from the Gear Fleet with an acceleration sufficient to tear a Space Marine's body apart, descending from space into the atmosphere to blockade the sky over the area where Magos Gamma was located.
How could the little Tech-priest, who was always afraid of death, not put great effort into his own life? With human jump-mobility methods combined with Necron teleportation technology, as long as Magos Gamma was under the watchful eye of the Gear Fleet, all the fleet's drone forces could be teleported to his side within one or two minutes to crush all threats. With the amount of armor and shields on his body, Magos Gamma was confident he could even withstand an orbital bombardment.
Hurting and cold, the little Tech-priest, who had never suffered such a great ordeal in two lifetimes, admitted he had been careless this time. These Aeldari who ambushed him also chose a good time, striking when he was most vulnerable (when he was naked).
Little Magos Gamma swore that if he survived this time, he would never let his accessories leave his body again and would also patch his security protocol with an anti-teleportation/blink update.
The most important thing was that he wasn't done with these crazy Aeldari!!
Seizing the opportunity as the Jetbike slowed down, Magos Gamma quickly blurted out what he wanted to say: "You no longer have the chance to abduct me and leave.
Think about your companion; he's still alive! Are you going to abandon him?"
"Have you considered what kind of torment he will suffer from my followers after you kidnap me? I can't even imagine it. I think you must have seen Servitors. I…"
Magos Gamma's words had an effect. The Dimensional Spider who kidnapped him rebuked, "Shut up, you barbaric and cruel monkeys!"
"You're being hypocritical! You kidnapped me without cause, and you have the nerve to call us cruel!" Magos Gamma retorted impolitely.
"We only kidnapped you, and you want to torture him? What else is that but cruel?!"
"You motherf—"
The little Tech-priest, who rarely swore, couldn't help but curse when he heard such a reply. He was once again certain that these Aeldari were sick!
Reason wouldn't work, and Magos Gamma didn't intend to reason with a madman anymore. A slap would be more effective, so he said:
"I don't know who gave you the confidence to provoke me with just a few people, but I'm also telling you that if I disappear or die, your Craftworld will be destroyed!"
"I'm not threatening you; I'm just stating a fact!"
"Heh—" The Dimensional Spider let out a scoff, but Magos Gamma's next words wiped the smile off his face.
"I am the legal heir of the Forge World Thedan. If I die, whether for face or for revenge, Thedan will use all its power, and the power of its allies, to retaliate against you, and even against all Aeldari that can be found!"
"My father is a confidant of Guilliman, the Imperial Regent. I believe the name of this Lord is also very well-known among the Aeldari, and Thedan is directly under his command, and his only Forge World."
"The Chapter Master of the Ultramarines is my friend. Grand Inquisitor Gayss is also my friend. The Penitent, Dorn's Hammer, Iron Knights, and Fire Covenant—these Space Marine Chapters all owe me favors."
"I have saved countless members of the Imperium of Man's Navy and Astra Militarum. Several Orders of the Adepta Sororitas have intersected with me, and Medical Sisters revere me as a living saint."
"Even within the Tau Empire, I have good connections."
"Most importantly, the exploration fleet currently docked in this star system was founded by me. Every Tech-Priest on board was personally promoted and guided by me, and every crew member was saved by me from the Tyranid. They revere me as a god. Even if everyone else stops seeking revenge for me, they will not stop. This hatred will continue until the end of their lives, and then be inherited by their descendants and students."
"Now tell me, are you ready to pay the price?"
"Now tell me, how many innocent Aeldari will die because of your actions, and how many Aeldari Craftworlds and savage Aeldari worlds will be destroyed?"
"I'm very curious, when you and they reunite in the belly of the Ruinous Powers, will they ask you why you provoked me? Or will they ask why you implicated them?"
"Thinking about the scene of xenos being slaughtered, I'm actually a little excited. How about I just jump off now? You see…"
"Enough! Shut up! Arrogant, savage, ignorant monkey, how could you know the greatness of the Aeldari? The only outcome for offending us is your self-destruction!"
Heh, arrogant stray dog, why are you barking? Don't fall into this Wise One's hands, or I'll definitely let you witness the "craftsmanship" of the Gear Fleet in training Orks.
The little Tech-priest, who had been yelled at, thought unhappily. At the same time, he gave himself a big thumbs up in his mind. This meant that the Aeldari who kidnapped him had already been affected by his words. So, with a sarcastic smile on his face, he looked at the surrounding drones and said flippantly:
"Great?! With your current performance, that's hard to convince me."
After speaking, Magos Gamma waved towards the sky. A drone quickly approached the jetbike, stopping at a distance from the motorcycle, then followed alongside it. Then, to the Aeldari who aimed at the drone intending to shoot, he said:
"If you want to shoot, shoot. I can build as many of these as I want. Your jetbike can't even withstand the air currents generated by its maximum speed, let alone the weapons it carries. Logic, give our guests a demonstration!"
Logic, having analyzed Magos Gamma's command through the drone's optical lens, immediately directed another drone to come over. The two drones engaged in an intense aerial battle around the Aeldari jetbike, with white plasma and green gauss decomposition rays streaking across the sky.
Magos Gamma couldn't clearly see the drone's maneuvers; his eyes couldn't keep up with the drones that used Necron "dimensional repulsion engines." Gravity and friction had almost no effect on the drones. No flesh-and-blood pilot could endure such a flight style, constantly changing vectors and altitudes.
But the Aeldari's vision, hearing, touch, and intuition are many times stronger than humans. It was enough for the Aeldari to see.
The two drones went back and forth, pushing their performance to the limit in an aerial battle, causing the Aeldari piloting the jetbike to feel their heart sink to rock bottom. The Dimensional Spider, who maintained a psychic link with him, felt the same.
(Dimensional Spider)
"Now do you understand? If it weren't for the armor you're wearing, which allows for continuous, precise teleportation and blinking, and which was truly beyond my expectations, you would have had no hope of succeeding from the start. But succeeding doesn't mean you have the ability to take me out of here."
The little Tech-priest believed that his verbal threats combined with a display of power—two slaps—would be enough to awaken the madmen and make them see reality. But the Aeldari said something that made Magos Gamma lose his composure:
"If you weren't naked, the way you speak would be quite convincing."
(Blood): FUCKYOU!
Although most Aeldari have not formally developed their psychic abilities, they all communicate using telepathy and empathy. While Magos Gamma was trash-talking, these two Aeldari had actually been communicating the whole time.
"What do you think of what this monkey just said?"
"I don't think he's lying. What about you?"
"This monkey is not normal. Short-range Warp jumps, while convenient, are also very dangerous. Being exposed unprotected in the Warp for a short time, yet he showed no abnormality. I think he might very well be that phantom."
"But this could also be due to his low psychic ability. Not even the Farseer has confirmed whether the phantom truly exists. The Farseer only found that the fate threads of a large number of living beings were changed but couldn't find what changed their fate, which led to the suspicion of such an existence."
"We followed similar signs to search. The number of humans and Titan Star people brought back to the Craftworld over the years is not small, but none of them were it."
"You mean, taking such a big risk for a possibility isn't worth it?"
"Yes."
"But don't forget that all members of the Farseer Council have prophesied the destruction of our world. If we don't find that phantom who can influence fate, the outcome for us will be the same!"
…
The little Tech-priest didn't know about the Aeldari's conversation. If he had, he would have told them not to invite trouble and not to underestimate the destructive power of Magos Gamma. When he goes crazy now, even he is afraid. Their Craftworld could also be destroyed because they kidnapped him.
In a hidden cave very far from the aerial battle, a meditating Aeldari opened his eyes. As a Warpspider who had walked the Path of the Warrior and later studied the Path of the Seer, he had already used his psychic abilities to understand the entire process of Magos Gamma's kidnapping.
"The plan has failed. Our compatriots have also fallen into the human encirclement. We need to change the plan to rescue our compatriots and complete the mission given to us by the Farseer."
The little Tech-priest, whose two slaps didn't land, silently cursed the Aeldari before deciding to try a third slap. He still had so many plans to implement, so much more fun to have; how could he give up on self-preservation just because of a madman's words?
"Further stalemate won't yield results. As long as I'm alive, everything can be salvaged. Since you didn't kill me immediately, it means you weren't lying. If it's an 'invitation' for me to be a guest in your world, then there must be something you need my help with. I think I can help with that!"
Hearing the little Tech-priest speak, the Dimensional Spider who kidnapped him said, "Then let these weapons leave."
"Okay, but I have a condition!"
"What condition?"
"Descend to the ground. The premise of cooperation is that we both take a step back, right?"
"Agree to him," the voice of a Warlock echoed in the minds of the two Aeldari souls on the grav-tank.
"Good!"
As the Aeldari jetbike slowly descended, the drone swarm gradually pulled away from them. When the jetbike finally landed on the ground, the last drone in the sky, before flying away, launched a beacon at the landing spot of the jetbike, then accelerated and disappeared without a trace.
The beacon, which crashed near Gamma's location, startled the Aeldari and the little Tech-priest. Gamma, gripped by the neck by an Aeldari, cried out in pain:
"Let go! Ow, ow, ow!"
After realizing it was just a false alarm, the Aeldari pointed at Gamma's neck and said, "Remove the shield from your neck!"
Rubbing the back of his neck, the little Tech-priest retorted unhappily, "I can't undo it, I can't take it off. It requires a special unlocking tool. But you don't need to worry; if the speed doesn't reach the warning line preset in the shield, the barrier won't be triggered. Otherwise, could you have caught me?"
The Dimensional Spider clearly didn't believe Gamma's explanation. He extended the warblade from his wrist, intending to cut the necklace. At this moment, a furious shout interrupted his action.
"What are you doing, you cursed xeno!?"
The little Tech-priest heard Magos Lauster's voice and quickly looked in the direction it came from. Seeing the Magos with bloodshot eyes and bulging veins on his forehead, looking as if he was angry enough to devour someone, Gamma suddenly felt like crying from grievance.
The Tech-Priests who teleported with Magos Lauster also angrily pointed their weapons at the Aeldari, but the blade pressed against Gamma's neck prevented them from making any offensive moves.
"Step back, or I'll kill him now!" the Dimensional Spider threatened.
Invisible, intangible sparks appeared between the tense Aeldari and humans. At this moment, the little Tech-priest's voice broke the imminent standoff.
"Magos Lauster, you all put your weapons down first, and also, find me some clothes," Gamma said, covering his little 'pecker' with a flushed face.
Looking at the naked little Tech-priest, covered in net-like wounds, his face flushed and his body writhing in embarrassment, the Tech-priests of the Gamma faction present felt so ashamed they wanted to commit suicide. What an utter blasphemy!
"No! No clothes allowed!" the Dimensional Spider refused Gamma's request.
I'll kill him too! This was the thought of all the Tech-priests, including Gamma, at that moment.
"Aeldari, don't you think this is too much?! Is this how you treat a guest who might help you?" Gamma questioned indignantly.
"Who knows if you'll tamper with the clothing."
"Do you seriously intend for me to go to your Craftworld naked!?"
...
"Of course, we wouldn't treat a guest so impolitely."
A strange voice suddenly appeared. Gamma turned his head and saw a strange Aeldari, dressed in a robe with a power sword and shuriken pistol at his waist, appear on the scene. Beside him were several Howling Banshees in tight battle suits and snarling masks.
(They are very form-fitting)
The little Tech-priest didn't know what path the leading male Aeldari was on, but he was quite familiar with the 'Howling Banshees' whose armor was very... form-fitting. They were the favorite subjects of 'hentai demons'. If Gamma hadn't later learned that there didn't seem to be a rule stating that male Aeldari couldn't join the Banshees, and that most males were rejected due to their physiological and psychological capabilities, but there were indeed a very small number of males who would walk the path of the Howling Banshee, and thus became 'de-fanned', only then did Gamma in his previous life escape the temptation of the xenos and firmly commit to the Emperor's loyalty.
The Warlock walked to Gamma's side, took out a cloak, draped it over the little Tech-priest's naked body, and then said, "Inviting you in this manner was not our desire, but we also have our own unavoidable difficulties."
Gamma raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. Injuring Jacob and the others so badly, and making him so disheveled, and then trying to gloss it over with a mere "unavoidable difficulties"? How arrogant!!!
"I understand. The galaxy is too cruel, and all living beings are struggling. I suppose you must have encountered some great trouble to be forced to do this," Gamma said very understandingly.
"Thank you for your understanding," the Warlock replied with a smile.
"I once saw a sentence in an ancient book passed down from Ancient Terra. Although this human ancient book has existed for a very short time in your Aeldari eyes, that sentence is most suitable to describe the current situation of our two sides."
Gamma deliberately paused. The pretentious Aeldari, under the little Tech-priest's self-deprecating flattery, were indeed piqued with curiosity and asked:
"What kind of sentence is it?"
"'No discord, no concord,' meaning that two parties who were originally strangers come to understand each other and become friends after a conflict or confrontation."
The Warlock nodded after hearing this and said, "Hmm, a very wise saying."
"It seems we have a consensus on this point. Then, why don't we be more frank? Can you tell me the reason for 'inviting' me?"
Gamma's question made the Warlock fall silent. After a moment of thought, he spoke:
"The Farseer has prophesied the destruction of our world, and we are searching for the 'Shadowless Phantom' that can change destiny."
The moment the word "Shadowless Phantom" came out of the Warlock's mouth, Gamma's heart skipped a beat. He was eighty percent sure that the Aeldari were looking for him. At the same time, the little Tech-priest worried that if the Aeldari could decipher his "stealth passive" through prophecy, wouldn't it be even easier for demons and Chaos Gods to find him? Would the long-dusty "Emperor's Edicts" have to make a comeback?
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Gamma asked with a curious expression, "Shadowless Phantom? What is that? I'm afraid I cannot comprehend such a heaven-defying ability to change destiny. I am a Tech-Priest. If you need any equipment, I can help, but this—"
The little Tech-Priest didn't finish his sentence. He wanted the Aeldari to elaborate further. Then he heard the Aeldari Warlock say:
"You have no psychic abilities, so it's difficult for me to explain, but in this star system, the destinies of many living beings have changed. The High Farseer discovered this phenomenon, so we want to find the power that causes these changes in destiny to save our doomed fate."
"This power is the 'Phantom' you speak of, but I truly don't possess such an ability. How are you so sure that I am the 'Phantom'?" Gamma asked the question he was most concerned about.
But this time, the Aeldari remained silent for a long time without answering. Gamma had no choice but to add fuel to the fire, so he spoke:
"I understand you, and you should understand me. Without a reasonable explanation, we cannot possibly cooperate. I told your companion when I was in the sky that my identity is far more special than you imagine. How can you be sure that kidnapping me won't be the fuse that leads to the destruction of your world!"
Upon hearing the little Tech-priest's words, which were both an inquiry and a threat, the Warlock's face showed anger. However, he was much older than his younger compatriots beside him and had dealt with the barbaric human race for many years. He clearly knew that Gamma was speaking the truth. After a moment of hesitation, he said:
"We do not know what the Phantom is. It could be a living being, or it could be a divine artifact. We can only bring all suspicious targets back for the Farseer to discern."
The little Tech-priest, letting out a long sigh of relief in his heart, had already made up his mind: he absolutely could not go to the Aeldari Craftworld. Once it was confirmed that he was the "Shadowless Phantom" the Aeldari spoke of, all sorts of monsters and demons would come looking for him, and the demons and Chaos Gods in the Warp would certainly not let him go.
But Gamma also understood that these sick Aeldari were determined to take him. They were like drowning people, who would desperately grasp at anything that looked like a lifesaver around them.
"Thank you for the explanation. What should I call you?"
"Ulthwe," the Warlock replied.
"Ulthwe, you used kidnapping to try and take me away. The fundamental reason is that you don't trust us humans, and you don't believe I would willingly help you. But have you ever considered that we also don't trust you? What guarantee do you offer for my safety and freedom?"
Gamma questioned. The little Tech-priest, who hadn't figured out a way to escape for a while, could only pretend to show the possibility of cooperation while throwing the point of conflict back to the other party, thereby stalling for more time for himself.
However, the cowardly Gamma forgot one thing: these Aeldari dared to kidnap him, which meant they weren't afraid of death at all. Upon hearing Gamma's question, the Warlock Ulthwe immediately said:
"If you are willing to go, I can stay as a hostage."
I hate individualism, why are you so brave, xeno? The little Tech-priest, outmaneuvered by Ulthwe, was a little flustered.
If he didn't agree, it would directly escalate the conflict, and his life was still in the Aeldari's hands!
If he agreed and went to the Aeldari Craftworld, would anything good come of it? Having obtained this treasure, "Gamma," it was debatable whether the Aeldari would be willing to let him go. What if the Aeldari were tempted by his charm and talent, and simply kept him under house arrest, only bringing him out when needed, and then claiming they had kept their promise by letting him go? The future would be full of endless trouble!
As the little Tech-priest found himself in a dilemma, a savior appeared. He heard Magos Lauster angrily shout at Ulthwe:
"Xeno, don't dream! Your life is worthless. Release our leader, or no one can prevent your destruction!"
Well done! Magos Lauster! I love you! The little Tech-priest cheered in his heart, but his mouth uttered the most hypocritical words:
"Magos, calm down. Ulthwe and his people have no choice. Ulthwe, you see, your proposal cannot gain our trust."
"Then what do you want?" the Warlock asked with a furrowed brow.
Gamma feigned contemplation, rubbing his chin for a while before speaking, "How about this: I'll go with you to your Craftworld, but not as a kidnapping. I need to bring my people. Even if I am the person you're looking for, I can't do anything without help."
"At the same time, you must compensate me. I am interested in your technology. Most importantly, you must use a heavy treasure as collateral and hand it over to us. With collateral, we can trust that you won't easily break your word. What do you think?"
After saying this, the little Tech-priest then said to Magos Lauster, "Magos, follow my idea."
Upon hearing Gamma's proposal, Ulthwe's brow furrowed even more deeply. The first two conditions were fine, but the "heavy treasure" was not something he could decide on. Every artifact was a trump card of the Craftworld, and it was impossible to hand it over to humans without the consent of the Farseer Council and the bishops of each branch.
The little Tech-priest, seeing the Aeldari's difficulty, "kindly" said, "Don't rush to make a decision. You can think about it slowly, or you can send someone back to ask your Farseer's opinion. If we can resolve this peacefully, that would be for the best. To show our sincerity, I can have someone release your captured compatriots first."
Hearing the little Tech-priest say this, the Dimensional Spider, whose blade had been pressed against Gamma's neck, trembled slightly.
Oh, so there is a connection. Don't worry, no rush, you'll be reunited! Thinking this, Gamma smiled at the Aeldari beside him, though his gaze was somewhat unlike that of someone looking at a living being.
Time slightly rewinded. As Gamma seemingly casually rubbed his chin, his action was captured by Logic, which had already taken over the fleet.
A cold electronic voice echoed in the empty array room of the Thinker, "Instruction received. Initiator: Magos Gamma. Instruction confirmed. Restriction lifted. Activating Unit 7. Extermination Weapon. Codename: Plague of Poison. Target: Aeldari. Execute immediately."
Back to the present, seeing Ulthwe remain silent, Gamma, who had been waiting for his answer, broke the quiet and said, "Magos Lauster, you all should return first. I am safe."
"No..."
Gamma raised a hand to stop Magos Lauster from speaking and continued, "It seems my conditions require some time for our Aeldari friends to consider. Since Ulthwe personally appeared and is willing to stay as a hostage, we should also show our sincerity."
"If each takes a step back, the world will be wide open. It wouldn't hurt to give them more time."
Then, he turned to the still-thinking Aeldari Farseer and said, "Ulthwe, if you truly want to save your world, don't act rashly or irrationally. I can tell you very clearly, unless you can instantly take me from here off this planet, nothing will change, except for me being once again shivering in the cold wind."
After speaking, he pointed to the visible warships above his head and continued, "My people will leave this place. You have more than enough time to think. Besides, the end of the world isn't happening immediately."
"Thank you." The Farseer nodded in gratitude.
"Alright, Magos Lauster, you all may leave. This is my command. Send that Aeldari prisoner over."
"Oh, and send some food. I'm hungry."
Magos Lauster stared at the battered Gamma, draped in an Aeldari cloak, his teeth grinding. He glared at the Aeldari with eyes that could melt them for a long time before roaring in a voice as shrill as a wounded beast:
"Aeldari, if anything happens to Gamma, I will make you, including your families, your kin, your kind, regret coming into this world!"
Aeldari possess a broader range of emotions than humans. Imagine the saddest moment of your life, then double it—that's what they feel.
Their additional senses allowed them to perceive the memory of the dead forest carved into the dusty furniture in the palace, as well as the world's own sickness.
At this very moment, surrounded and watched by thousands of furious Tech-Priests and the machine spirits within countless castellan robots and Titans, what would they feel? Even Ulthwe, who had foreknowledge, felt as if he were in the midst of a cleansing inferno.
After Magos Lauster and the others left, all the Aeldari present let out a long sigh of relief. Seeing their synchronized actions,
Gamma, unaware of the full story, inwardly curled his lip in disdain:
With such low psychological resilience, how can they be considered fierce bandits? No wonder they are bullied by the dark elves every day.
Before long, a transport plane landed. Leia and a castellan robot emerged, pushing a large dining cart. Seeing the Tech-priest Girl, Gamma eagerly asked the question he hadn't asked earlier:
"Leia, are Jacob and the others all right?"
The Tech-priest Girl glared fiercely at the Aeldari inspecting the food, then forced a smile and said, "They are fine. They've woken up.
Because they were too excited, we had to use tranquilizers to 'calm' them down."
"Uh, tell them I'm safe." Gamma's mouth twitched, understanding what the Tech-priest Girl meant by 'calm down.'
At this moment, the Dimensional Spider, who had been by Gamma's side, eagerly spoke, "Where is my companion?"
The young Tech-priest and the Aeldari looked at the Tech-priest Girl. Leia, her face full of reluctance, reached out and patted the castellan robot beside her. The castellan robot emitted a string of silent binary gibberish, turned around, and walked back into the transport plane. Then, it emerged carrying an unconscious Aeldari. At a considerable distance from the Aeldari, it directly threw the Aeldari in its hand.
The Howling Banshees on guard, seeing this, had to use each other for leverage, allowing one companion to leap into the air to catch the other. They adjusted their posture in mid-air and, upon landing, rolled several times to dissipate the force.
"You!"
"What about me!" the Tech-priest Girl shouted aggressively.
The young Tech-priest guessed that the previous action must have been done by an unruly machine spirit, and quickly stepped in as a mediator, saying, "Alright, alright, Leia, you should also hurry back."
Hearing Gamma say this, the Tech-priest Girl glared at the Aeldari a few more times, unwillingly, before leaving.
After the Aeldari confirmed that the food was normal, Gamma finally ate his long-awaited "feast." Looking at the dozen or so of his favorite dishes on the dining cart, the young Tech-priest ate and muttered quietly:
"This is too lavish. It doesn't fit my frugal style at all. It's like eating a last meal."
"Ulthwe, would you like some too?"
Watching the young Tech-priest invite them with a mouth full of food, the Aeldari's eyes flashed with disdain. However, Ulthwe, who was invited, generously sat opposite Gamma, but he did not touch the food in front of him, only saying:
"Thank you for your invitation, but although we can consume your human food, the taste is too strong for us."
"Oh, I see. It seems your Aeldari senses are many times more sensitive than ours. But how do you solve the problem of eating and drinking when you are out on missions like this?" Gamma asked curiously.
Gamma had already shown goodwill, so Ulthwe naturally did not hesitate to explain this trivial matter. The Farseer took out a small flask from his waist and said, "The Bonesingers prepare water flasks for us. They can capture hydrogen and oxygen atoms from the air to generate water that meets our drinking standards."
"Ultrapure water! Your food standards are really high. Are Bonesingers the engineers in your society?"
"You could say that, but unlike you, each of us can use psychic energy to shape matter, refining simple artifacts from raw materials. Bonesingers are particularly skilled at this. They possess the unique ability to shape wraithbone, which they can form into the desired shape by blowing on it like a flute."
"Can I see the flask?"
"Of course."
Pfft, what kind of bizarre technology is this? It just grows into this shape by psychic flute-blowing? The whole thing doesn't even have a seam, and its structure is as simple as an ordinary flask. It all relies on the Bonesingers shaping the wraithbone that makes up the flask into a material that can absorb hydrogen and oxygen atoms and convert them into water. You shortcut-taking evil cultivators!
Touching the wraithbone—a material that can form solid shapes under psychic pressure, in some ways more like living tissue than inorganic matter, growing in a plant-like manner and reacting to the environment, possessing complex and varied magical plasticity—Gamma was so jealous that his food lost its flavor.
The young Tech-priest, feeling frustrated like someone who understood a martial arts manual but couldn't practice it, casually poured out the water in the cup in front of him and filled himself a cup of super "ultrapure water" to taste.
"Pfft, ultrapure water tastes strange when you drink it." Gamma smacked his lips and said.
Seeing Gamma so boldly try something unfamiliar, especially something from an enemy, Ulthwe inwardly marveled at his broad-mindedness. This also gave him more confidence in resolving the matter peacefully. His nearly thousand years of experience as a Farseer taught him a truth:
Broad-minded beings are easier to deal with than narrow-minded ones.
But what Ulthwe didn't know was that if his eyes could observe at a microscopic level, he would find that as Gamma ate, invisible spores entered his body. Upon contact with his genetic sequence, the previously dormant, seemingly lifeless spores were awakened as if by an electric shock, beginning to rapidly divide and replicate.
As Gamma continued to eat, more and more spores became dissatisfied with merely remaining in his body. Carried by his bloodstream, they diffused into the surrounding air through his pores, mouth, and nose.
"Plague of Poison"—Gamma's "nanobioweapon," created using the Tyranid spores of the Gorgon Hive Fleet as a blueprint and his mastery of nanotechnology as building blocks. It was both a microorganism and a nanomechanism.
The "Plague of Poison" diffusing into the air seemed to have a consciousness, slowly drifting towards the Aeldari. This was the instinct Gamma had imbued it with:
It would be attracted by the biological magnetic fields emitted by living beings, burrowing into their mouths and noses, entering their bodies, or directly adhering to their skin and armor.
Ulthwe, being closest to Gamma, was the first to be infected. The spores active within Gamma's body immediately seemed to turn lifeless upon entering Ulthwe's body. They released no toxins, attacked no cells. If not for their slow division and replication, one would assume the "Plague of Poison" spores had re-entered a state of suspended animation.
Putting aside Nurgle's metaphysical plagues, what kind of infectious disease is most dangerous? The answer is: highly contagious, long incubation period, rapid onset, high fatality rate, and lack of effective treatment.
The ability to be attracted by biological magnetic fields gives "Plague of Poison" unparalleled infectivity.
As a nanomechanism, how long "Plague of Poison" lies dormant is entirely controlled by Gamma.
The spores, inheriting the biological characteristics of Gorgon, can release targeted instant-death toxins, mutagenic toxins, and other substances based on the infected person's genetic characteristics.
Even if immune to toxins, "Plague of Poison" as a nanomechanism will turn the host into a puddle of blood.
The nature of a living microorganism allows "Plague of Poison" to blend into the billions of microorganisms in nature without being detected by detection instruments.
This was the first time Gamma had such strong killing intent. Not only did he want to kill the Aeldari in front of him, but he also wanted to destroy their world and exterminate the living beings on it. He could not let these Aeldari continue searching, otherwise, one day his secret would be exposed. If he didn't want to be the fish, he could only be the knife!
Gamma, who had never eaten so much, gasped for breath with a distended belly. His gluttonous, overindulgent appearance only deepened the contempt in the hearts of the Craftworld Aeldari, who advocated self-control and suppression of desires and already viewed humans as a lower species. As for whether there was envy and jealousy in that "contempt," only they themselves knew.
"Ulthwe, why do your companions always wear 'ornate' helmets? I don't see them having very strong defensive capabilities. Do they have any special functions?" the young Tech-priest asked with childlike curiosity.
The Farseer did not conceal the answer to this question, as he also wished to bridge the distance between them through conversation. He began:
"For us, it is more than just a helmet. The universe is a dark and violent place, and not fighting means death.
Our senses make us particularly susceptible to strong emotions. To avoid this, every warrior learns to craft their own War Mask under the guidance of the Shrine Priests."
"Before battle, they enter their respective Warrior Shrines for the ritual of donning armor. Each piece of armor reinforces their War Mask until their original personality is safely hidden behind an alternative persona, entering a dormant state, with the war-self taking control of their actions."
"So it's not just a helmet, but also a medium for a second personality you intentionally create?!" the young Tech-priest said, eyes wide.
The Farseer nodded and said, "You could say that. Compassion or kindness are weaknesses in war. Once the bloody work is done, the War Mask is removed, and the normal self is restored, because those battle memories are also safely locked within the War Mask."
Hearing this, the young Tech-priest looked strangely at the Dimensional Spider, who was wearing a helmet and carefully tending to a wounded companion. From his previous conversation with the Dimensional Spider, Gamma had gathered that the other party should be a male Aeldari, and the injured one was also a male Aeldari. Yet, the actions of the helmeted Dimensional Spider were gentle and careful, like someone caring for his lover—
They play it really wild! Two people, four personalities, what kind of PLAY is this? How do you ship this CP?
The young Tech-priest, who hadn't expected to stumble upon such gossip while chatting idly, shook off the abstract images that popped into his mind. Ulthwe's answer dashed the black-hearted young Tech-priest's hope of making the Aeldari remove their helmets.
One plan having failed, Gamma could only roll his eyes and ponder another.