The mausoleum was magnificent, a cold, silent fortress built of obsidian basalt and ceramite steel. In the center of the burial chamber lay a bronze ossuary.
Embedded in the wall behind it was a stasis field projector, emitting a brilliant, humming light. Inside the field rested a metallic cube—a Rubik's Cube of alien metal engraved with the prayers of the Mechanicus and strange xenos glyphs.
"This is the tomb of my ancestors," Fax murmured, his tone deeply reverent.
Daniel placed his hand on Fax's shoulder. "I once again offer my apologies for disturbing the rest of the Valancius family. But the C'tan fragment is mission-critical. Even if it's offensive, this is something we have to do."
Fax replied sincerely, "Sir Guide, there's no need for that. If they knew the God-Emperor's Saint was visiting, they would surely be over the moon."
Daniel chuckled. "The God-Emperor is pleased with the loyalty of the Valancius family."
After saying that, Daniel turned to Magos Theresa beside him. "Magos, please inspect the stasis field."
Magos Theresa bowed deeply to Daniel. "Praise the Omnissiah, and your will be done." She and her technical priests moved forward to assess the device.
"Though it's been running for an eon, the Machine Spirit is content and the gears are undamaged," she reported. "This device is functioning normally and is clean as a whistle. It is a testament to the Omnissiah's power."
"Deactivate the stasis field and retrieve the object," Daniel ordered.
"Is that metal cube the C'tan fragment?" Warmaster watched intently as Theresa's team safely retrieved the metallic Rubik's Cube and held it out to Daniel.
Yuji shook his head. "It's probably not the fragment itself. The metal cube is the extradimensional prison designed to hold the C'tan."
Rigby, tagging along, asked the Warmaster, "Do you have the details on how this thing ended up with the Valancius family?"
Warmaster shared what he had learned. "It was found during an exploratory expedition. An immense battle broke out between the exploratory fleet and a Necron armada over the device, leading to the utter annihilation of the human forces."
At that moment, a mechanical hum suddenly filled the tomb. Beams of static-like light appeared out of nowhere, coalescing to outline a man's figure.
"Ancestor?" Fax's eyes widened in surprise.
The man in the projection didn't respond to Fax; it was merely an informational recording left for future generations.
"Direct descendants of the Valancius family, your presence here, activating this video, means the secret of the C'tan fragment is now known to you. I apologize for the disaster caused by my past actions. If it weren't for my willful behavior, the Valancius family would never have reached this predicament.
"I don't know your current situation, but you must protect the C'tan fragment and never let it fall into the hands of the enemies of the Imperium. Be sure to be wary of the Corrin family. Those vultures will do anything for a quick buck. They wouldn't hesitate to sell the Imperium down the river to those damned xenos.
"The destruction of the Exploratory Fleet owes an 'indispensable debt' to the Corrin family—those damned vampires attempted to sell the C'tan fragments to the Necrons, ignoring the potential disaster this would bring to the Empire."
The sudden projection filled in all the blanks the Warmaster's investigation had missed.
The exploratory fleet, initially sailing smoothly into the Colonus expansion area, accidentally discovered the C'tan fragments on a dead world. They intended to take it to Terra for judgment. However, a Necron fleet suddenly appeared, intent on seizing the fragment.
A fierce void battle broke out, and the Exploratory Fleet, facing the superior power of the Necron warships, suffered heavy losses. Seeing the writing on the wall, the representative of the Corrin family secretly contacted the Necron Commander. They planned to package the entire exploratory fleet—and the C'tan fragment—and sell them for a king's ransom.
They handed over crucial intelligence. This resulted in the already outgunned exploratory fleet suffering a crushing defeat.
This shameful betrayal was ultimately prevented by the noble Inquisitor Lord Al Wake, who used the partially released C'tan power to destroy the Necron Commander.
Tragically, this noble Inquisitor fell in the line of duty and failed to bring word of the Corrin family's treachery back to the Inquisition. Only the ancestor of the Valancius family managed to escape, entrusted by the dying Inquisitor to safeguard the cube that imprisoned the C'tan.
Upon returning, he was smeared by the Corrin family as the culprit responsible for the exploratory fleet's complete destruction. The various factions that had suffered losses ganged up on the Valancius family, pressuring them to pay compensation.
The ancestor considered explaining the full story. However, he realized that the Calixis Sector was a mixed bag with rampant heretical forces and the constant threat of Ark Eldar raids.
Worse yet, the villainous Corrin family was, at the time, the most powerful family in the sector. Faced with an accusation of treason, they would undoubtedly deny it, seize the opportunity to snatch the C'tan fragments, and plunge the entire star region into war.
Weighing the pros and cons, the Valancius ancestor chose to keep a lid on it for the time being. He lost his family's entire fortune and secretly contacted Terra, hoping they would send someone to retrieve the cube and transport it to a safe world. Yet, he received no reply before his death.
Afraid that future generations might mess things up and lose the C'tan fragments, he left a cryptic message. If Terra one day sent people to take the fragments, the projection would activate, revealing the truth, punishing the Corrin family, and ensuring that Inquisitor Al Wake received the honor and respect he deserved.
"The sneaks and traitors get to sit in the palace, bathing in glory and applause. The loyal few, meanwhile, shoulder the doubt, the slander, and the entire burden alone." Warmaster couldn't help but sigh, impressed by the incredible plot depth.
Rigby, Yuji, and the other players silently praised the Valancius family. That's what you call a class act. As expected of a family certified by the Emperor, their loyalty was truly next-level.
They could have exposed the truth and triggered a civil war among the forces of the Calixis Sector.
No matter how bad the outcome, a hundred years of conflict would have ensued, and while the C'tan fragments might have been lost to xenos or heretics, the Valancius family would have preserved, or even improved, their original status.
The Valancius ancestor chose to conceal the truth solely to maintain the sector's stability, ensure Terra could safely retrieve the C'tan fragments, and maximize the Imperium's interests.
The price was heavy. The once-prosperous Valancius family declined overnight, reduced to a single planet.
They were blackballed by every other faction, and when traitors were beating them to a pulp, no one came to their aid. If Daniel hadn't arrived out of the blue, the Valancius family would have been wiped out with the fall of Planet Atomal.
This was why Fax was so willing to pledge his fealty to Daniel. The Valancius family had run out of road. Better to be completely loyal and become a strong vassal than to be completely annihilated.
Daniel looked at Fax and made a promise: "The Valancius family will soon get back everything they lost, and then some. This is the reward for true loyalty."
"Thank you, Guide. It is a great honor to serve you. No matter what the future holds, the Valancius family will never go back on our oath," Fax reiterated.
Daniel took the metal Rubik's Cube and led everyone out of the mausoleum. They took the Valkyrie back to the Imperial Glory and headed straight for the Prayer Hall.
He placed the C'tan Seed in front of the Emperor's statue. A ray of light appeared out of nowhere and swallowed up the metal cube.
Mission: Obtain the C'tan Fragment from the planet Atomal. Completed
You will get rewards later
A moment later, a hole of light appeared. A Cherubim flapped its wings and flew out, presenting Daniel with a sphere emitting a milky-white glow.
"Saint, our Lord is very pleased with your performance. Keep up the good work." With those words, the Cherubim flew back through the light-hole.
Daniel noticed that the Cherubim's appearance was slightly more put-together than before. He couldn't tell if the Emperor's power had increased, or if, somehow, His sanity was coming back to him.
He looked down at the orb of light in his hand. A light curtain appeared, introducing the item:
Item: C'tan Seed
C'tan are ancient life forms that possess unparalleled wisdom and power. What you hold is a newly born C'tan larva that has not yet acquired its own personality, but possesses endless wisdom. What it will become depends on how you cultivate it.
"Let's find a carrier for it first. The Imperial Glory is a good one. Work hard, young man, and try to be a good master of God."
"Young man? Become the master of God!!"
Daniel frowned. He felt that the Emperor's words were a little bit off the reservation.
Could it be that the Dark Prince Slaanesh had finally gotten his hooks in?! Could the proverb, "Slaanesh is above, the God-Emperor is below," be about to come true?!
Too blasphemous! I dare not think about it!
Daniel shook off his bad thoughts and placed the orb into the Imperial Glory's console as prompted. The ball of light sank into the console. The entire Gloriana-class battleship underwent a subtle shift, giving off a feeling as if it had come alive.
Then, a projection appeared in front of Daniel.
Please set the appearance of the machine spirit and determine the name
"Wow, you can even design the avatar!"
After a moment of thought, Daniel quickly rendered a cute, angelic Loli and named her Arale.
After confirming the appearance and name, the little angel projection appeared before Daniel.
"Master, Arale greets you. Is there any mission you need?"
Fax now owes Daniel a huge, generational debt of loyalty. Daniel has promised to restore the Valancius family's prestige. Do you think Daniel will make good on his promise by crushing the Corrin family next?