There were few ways out of the dark prison; the Gear Gate was one of them. As with the rest of the Imperium, operation of various machines in the Dark Cells depended on the Mechanicus for maintenance. The Gear Gate was a special passage for Mechanicus members to enter the Dark Cells complex. It was not a real door, but a long tunnel buried deep underground, twisting into the palace's hidden machine sector.
Cypher and his team used this route to escape the heavily guarded dark prison. The tunnel was over 20 meters wide, with the floor, walls, and vault lined with neatly arranged maglev rails. Cold, hard metal gleamed quietly in the dim light.
A fierce battle broke out in the tunnel between Cypher and Mechanicus members. When Datch arrived, chaos reigned—signs of battle everywhere. Armed slave workers' stumps and severed arms were scattered about, cables hung from broken holes, sparking, and engine oil pooled across the floor. Auto-turrets were destroyed, their remains blackened and occasionally sparking.
A massive machine body in red robes lay atop a silent maglev vehicle. Datch thought it might be a knight or servitor, but as he approached, he realized it was a tech-sage. Its head was badly damaged, though other parts still hissed with low mechanical and hydraulic sounds.
Datch noticed a green exclamation mark above the sage's head and stepped over the rubble to check its condition. The sage wasn't quite dead; its main core and thought processor were badly damaged, but the remaining vocal units intermittently chanted hymns to the Emperor, rendered in code. The sound mixed with crackling currents, echoing weirdly through the empty tunnel.
If left in such a state, it wouldn't last much longer, even if not fully shut down. Fortunately, she encountered Datch. He took out his golden hammer and tapped the sage's mangled body. Pale golden ripples, barely visible, spread rapidly through the metal, flesh, and blood. Instantly, precision components reset, severed lines reconnected, and energy circuits lit up once more. The tech-sage's huge body suddenly trembled, and her cranial optics blinked back to life.
"All praise to the Omnissiah. Thank you for your assistance, honored one..." Her synthetic voice regained stability. Though still whispery, it was clear. Datch ignored her words, put away his golden hammer, and, leaping over the battlefield stinking of burnt oil, vanished into the shadows at the other end of the tunnel.
"Sound and appearance archived," a servo-skull connected to the tech-sage clicked, recording information about Datch. Mechanicus education was known for being rational, but also for repaying debts. She logged this kindness and would surely repay it when needed.
Datch, oblivious, followed the Gear Gate, guided by the minimap to chase Cypher. Along the way, he met Custodian Hekaron, also chasing Cypher. The other had fallen on the path to the Martyrs' Throne. His golden armor-clad body was crushed under rubble, already more flesh and blood than metal. The Legion's halberd lay fallen, blade stained with blood. The air was thick with fire and psychic energy. Clearly, the Custodian had fought a fierce battle here.
Datch approached Hekaron, looking down at the fallen soldier. Though his body was scarred and shattered, he was not yet dead—just barely clinging to life. Datch took out his golden hammer and struck the body. In an instant, the wounds and broken armor healed.
Hekaron's eyes opened, seeing a brief hallucination: a noble warrior in golden armor looking down on him with disdain.
"My lord..." Hekaron reached out, wanting to touch the figure.
"Hey, is your brain not repaired yet?" Datch muttered, confused. His voice snapped Hekaron out of the vision, returning him to reality.
"Nameless Lord..." Hekaron's tone was full of respect. The Custodian was wary of most Imperial institutions, not even trusting their own organization much, except for this mysterious Nameless One, who, in their eyes, was the incarnation of humanity's master.
"Dark Angels... betrayed us..." Hekaron tried to continue, but Datch interrupted.
"Looks fixed," Datch said, rising and following the minimap's guidance to continue after Cypher. He left the heavy rubble pinning Hekaron to be dealt with by the man himself—no task reward, no work.
"They have betrayed the Imperium. The Dark Angels too have betrayed the Imperium!" Hekaron called after Datch's receding back. "Be careful!"
But Datch was already gone, and even if he'd heard, he wouldn't have cared—just an NPC; the Fourth Calamity fears nothing.
The Martyrs' Path continued deep underground, but Datch wasn't alone. Many Terrans had taken refuge here, fleeing the battlefield when the Battle of Lion's Gate began and Khorne's roar echoed across Terra. Following ancestral instinct, they sought shelter below ground, huddling in ancient temples and empty halls, waiting for peace and order to return above.
Among them were scribes' families, parents cradling babies, old and young, poor and rich. But at this moment, identity didn't matter—they clung together, relying on the group's strength to fight fear. Humanity always finds a way to survive, even in hopeless situations.
To avoid frightening these NPCs and losing reputation, Datch changed into Custodian skin. The jingling, burly man was quite popular. People along the way prayed to him, reaching out to touch his armor for a blessing.
Datch passed through the crowd, entered the inner tunnels of the palace, and noticed that the deeper he went, the fewer refugees there were. People feared encountering monsters from urban legends and dared not go too deep underground.
As Datch walked through the deserted, ruined tunnels, he saw several Genestealers covered in chitin. They didn't attack him, but instead fled into the shadows at the sight of him—utterly timid. The warp storm triggered by the Lion's Gate battle had likely cut off their psychic connection, reducing these bioweapons to mere beasts controlled by survival instinct.
Datch quickly ignored the Genestealers. Now he had one priority: find Cypher and get the mission from him. Main story missions were time-limited and would disappear if missed. Datch didn't care about dialogue; the important thing was not to let the quest slip away.
Crossing the Martyrs' Path, entering the palace's inner area, and passing the Ascension Bridge toward the throne room, Datch found himself on a wide bridge spanning a deep canyon, supported by magnificent statues below. This was the end of the Martyrs' Path; only the Ascension Bridge allowed passage.
If he wanted a different route, he'd have to return to the start and switch paths.
The bridge deck lacked major bunkers, making it a good spot for an ambush. Here, Cypher and his Fallen brothers waited for the Dark Angels led by Librarian Mordachi, ready to end this hunter-and-prey chase.
When Datch arrived, the two sides were already fighting, explosions and chainswords roaring. Both sides, inheriting the same gene-seed, seemed to have forgotten their origins, locked in deadly combat.
If Lion Johnson saw this, he'd weep like a lion in sorrow—child-slaying wasn't his intention. Of course, he deserved it.
Datch didn't want to interfere, but seeing green exclamation marks above their heads—and thinking of XP and points—he intervened. He used the Wind Catcher to release wind seeds, creating a wind field that trapped the Astartes, spinning them in midair. The Wind Catcher, a unique Genshin universe Gadget, could assist flight or, if used well, trap targets in floating wind.
Mordachi tried to use psychic power to resist the whirlwind, but realized, to his horror, that no psychic force could exist within it. No matter how strong, he couldn't break the wind field trapping him.
Datch then opened the Room of Requirement, tossing all the trapped Dark Angels inside, temporarily confining them and ending the fight. He had acquired the Room of Requirement early on—a space for items or living creatures that couldn't be stored in the game warehouse. Datch never gave it up; these Dark Angels were its first major occupants.
"Let us out!" the Fallen shouted, desperately trying every means of escape, but it was useless. All contact with the outside world was severed, undetectable even by the highest powers. Datch ignored them—they couldn't escape anyway.
"Why are you helping us?" Cypher asked, facing the Nameless disguised as a member of the Custodian, his expression solemn. The other Fallen looked the same. From the whirlwind to Terra, the Nameless' methods were endless, each shattering their understanding and making them feel like fools. The battle on the moon was even more unforgettable—Magnus, primarch daemon, was picked up like a chicken, smashed with a hammer, the ground split, then thrown deep into the network like trash. They would never forget that sight.
Wandering the galaxy for years, Cypher had never feared anything. Fate always guided him through danger to the closed loop of the end. But facing the Nameless, he lost all confidence—he felt the man stood above fate itself. If so, there was no chance of escape.
"Cypher, do you need any help?" Datch asked.
Cypher's eyes widened in disbelief. Was he hearing things?
"You really want to help? Specifically, what are you offering?"
"Skip, skip," Datch interrupted, repeating, "What do you want?"
Cypher asked again, "Say..."
"Skip, skip," Datch shouted, "What do you want from me?!"
...
If he didn't ask three questions, he'd start yelling or throwing them around. Trouble, riddler, get off Terra! Wait, maybe I like riddles too—better not go out.
"Let's go," Cypher called to his companions, turning to leave. If the man wasn't interested, then fine—so long as he didn't block his audience with the Emperor.
Datch watched Cypher, Fallen in tow, confused and scratching his head as he tried to leave. Hey! Won't you give me a quest? Is this a bug? If I can't get the task, I can't move forward. Better wait and figure things out first.
Datch tossed two Pokéballs, summoning the furious Skarbrand and the ever-laughing Shapeshifter.
"Block them," he commanded.
The two daemons dared not disobey, blocking the bridge and stopping the Fallen from leaving. Cypher instinctively gripped his bolter, the other Fallen preparing for battle. As tension mounted, Datch approached Cypher again and repeated his question.
"Cypher, do you need anything?"
The moment he said this, Cypher and the Fallen felt their brains almost go up in smoke. Oh no, bro, we have to refuse! No help needed!
Cypher's face twisted with annoyance, while Skarbrand, still under orders, had no choice but to massacre the Blood God's minions in the name of the damned. The Brass Throne's master must be furious. Believing he might never return, Skarbrand was furious but dared not act against Datch. So now Cypher took the lead, hoping to cut off Datch's head.
Even as he fought the Custodian and Dark Angels led by Mordachi, Cypher was certain: if he ever faced the Nameless—who defeated daemon primarchs and enslaved greater daemons—he'd have no chance.
After a brief hesitation, Cypher spoke. "I want to reach the throne room. Will you help me?"
A mission interface popped up before Datch:
[Mission: Escort Cypher to the Throne Room.]
After the rebellion on Caliban and the loss of Lion Johnson, Cypher has roamed the galaxy, always carrying a mysterious greatsword. He recently arrived on Terra with a pilgrimage and seeks to enter the throne room. He carries the Imperium's and Chaos' greatest secret—one only revealed by meeting the Emperor.
Please help him reach the throne room and meet the Emperor.
[Reward: 1200 XP, 1200 points, +200 Reputation, Thunderfury Power Hammer x1]
Hey! This isn't just a Gadget—it's actual equipment! Datch glanced at the Thunderfury Power Hammer's description and image. A truly beautiful warhammer, able to unleash the fury of lightning by storing electrical energy. If you connect some cables, you'd look even cooler!
Datch nodded resolutely at Cypher. "Alright, I'll lead you to the throne room."
Cypher's face was complicated—he still couldn't tell whose side this man was on. The minimap updated the optimal route to the throne room; it wasn't far. Across the Ascension Bridge, down a corridor, to a secret door of the throne room.
But as they turned the corner, Cypher's expression changed dramatically—dozens of Custodian soldiers stood at the end of the corridor, including the Custodian Chief, Watcher, and other high officials. Several powerful psykers who served the Custodian were also present.
Cypher's first thought was that he'd been tricked—never trust the Nameless. He considered drawing his gun, but at that moment, the Custodian Chief saluted Datch. "My lord, Nameless One."
The others followed suit, then stepped aside to clear the way to the throne room.
"Hurry," Datch urged Cypher to come and complete the mission.
Cypher: ...
Fallen: ...
They suddenly felt the world had gone mad!
"Hurry," Datch repeated.
With anxiety and uncertainty, Cypher walked past the Custodian soldiers. Trajann watched him but said nothing, the others likewise, only watching as they entered the throne room.
"Is this really okay?" Warden Borsa asked.
"This is His Majesty's will," answered Ancia, disaster prophetess of the Custodian's psychic support group, speaking calmly and without surprise. Each disaster prophet was among the most powerful and loyal psykers, monitoring the warp and interpreting the Emperor's revelations.
As the Emperor's power returned to Terra and cast out the servants of Chaos, they entered the realm of dreams, beheld ancient cities of glory, and received the Emperor's vision:
The wanderer of fate shall be welcomed by the King.
"Let them in," Trajann said, and neither Cypher nor the Fallen could resist.
Passing the Custodian, Cypher felt as if in a dream—the Nameless One had truly led him through, right to the throne room's final gate. With a hiss of hydraulics, the door slowly opened, and Cypher stepped into the throne room, overwhelmed by endless light.