Exterminatus is truly addictive!
Emrys smacked his lips, feeling a lingering sense of unfulfillment. It was his first time directly experiencing the shock brought by an Exterminatus!
An entire world incinerated!
"Tsk, no wonder Stellaris players are so keen on 'glassing' worlds." Emrys stroked his chin, muttering, "This feeling, I have to say, is indeed incredibly satisfying!"
"You—" Winnie, standing nearby, looked at him with a suddenly complex expression. After much thought, she felt it was necessary to remind him, "Exterminatus is not something fun. Every time it's signed, it means the annihilation of billions of lives.
Your idea sounds a bit like Khorne."
"...You make me sound like a war criminal."
Emrys' mouth twitched. He said, exasperated, "Do I look like that kind of daemon?"
"Yes."
Winnie's simple answer dealt Emrys the greatest critical damage.
Emrys was left speechless.
He couldn't help but start to self-reflect: Was he really that extreme?
After a long while, the farce ended.
Emrys regained his composure, clearing his throat twice. "Tell Alfonso to take his men to the surface to confirm the extinction of the organism, and to look for adamantium veins while they're at it."
The cleanup naturally had to be handed over to the Dark Angels, who were best at dealing with xenos.
After all, they had the experience, didn't they?
From the time of Terra until now, they had seen all sorts of monstrous things. A mere collective consciousness organism was truly no big deal in the ancient history of the Dark Angels.
After the planetary atmospheric temperature dropped, Alfonso led his tactical squad and the subsequent exploration team members to CV-7721.
The world's entire atmosphere was almost completely incinerated. The high temperature evaporated the vast oceans, revealing a dry, cracked crust.
Following the fractured rock layers and the flowing lava, Alfonso's team quickly found the wreckage of the mechanicus ark that had fallen deep into the world.
"As expected of a product of the Mechanicus; it even withstood the Atmospheric Incineration Torpedoes." Seeing the remaining parts of the mechanicus ark wreckage in the detection footage, even Emrys was surprised.
"That's not strange, Lord." Carol observed the wreckage and explained, "Julius was once the most valued Sage of the Martian Mechanicum. This 'Furnace Covenant' was also produced on a Martian Forge world, and the destructive power of Atmospheric Incineration Torpedoes primarily acts on the atmosphere through high-temperature incineration, making it difficult to completely destroy it. But this is also good news for us."
"You mean we might find Sage Julius' relics here?" Emrys immediately understood, guessing Carol's meaning.
"Precisely, Lord Emrys."
Carol nodded, "Judging from the remaining wreckage, this should be the engine room of the Furnace Covenant, which is also its most robust part. It's not out of the question that Sage Julius might have hidden STC templates here."
"Heh heh, I hope so."
Emrys didn't hold too much hope. After all, eight Atmospheric Incineration Torpedoes had been dropped. Even if the damage wasn't direct, it was hard to guarantee anything intact.
Soon, the dispatched exploration team brought good news: they had found an adamantium vein!
Moreover, the entire vein was perfectly preserved, with hardly any significant damage. The only problem was that due to the collapse of the rock layers,
the difficulty of mining had increased considerably, requiring the excavation of thicker rock layers to extract adamantium ore!
What pleased Emrys most was that, according to the Tech-Priests' survey, the estimated adamantium reserves in this vein were about thirty thousand tons.
Not much, but this was adamantium!
What did thirty thousand tons of adamantium mean?
From now on, at least in the short term, he would be the largest supplier of "adamantium"; even the production of the Martian Mechanicum couldn't match his!
In fact, no exaggeration, with these thirty thousand tons of adamantium, he could even arm a private "Custodes" force!
Of course, this idea only circulated in Emrys' mind. The main reason was that he didn't have the adamantium smelting methods, nor the manufacturing methods for Custodes armor and weapons.
"Wait, I don't have it—but that doesn't mean others don't!" Emrys suddenly thought of an "Old friend," rubbed his chin, and showed a mischievous smile, "I suppose the Dark Mechanicum should have them, right?"
He thought of Rosales, the Arch-Magos who had given him his first pot of gold during his time in Roselle.
But unfortunately, since their parting at Vigilus, he hadn't seen the Arch-Magos again, and he didn't know what had become of that chess move.
Alfonso, who had entered the wreckage of the mechanicus ark, also found something useful.
A palm-sized pink gelatinous mass was curled up, clinging to the engine core, with extending vascular networks reaching into the deepest parts of the engine, as if drawing faint energy from within.
Clearly, the 'Cocoon of the Omnissiah' had managed to survive the terrifying Atmospheric Incineration Torpedoes by relying on the robustness of the mechanicus ark's engine core chamber.
But, it had only barely survived.
Most of its body was incinerated, and its vast collective consciousness was lost. Now, it only possessed the simplest biological consciousness, much like a plant.
The accompanying Tech-Priests collected a sample, and after analysis, concluded, "It no longer possesses a complete self-consciousness. Does it need to be completely annihilated?"
"What do you think, Sage Carol?"
Emrys asked the authority beside him.
Personally, the thing was highly dangerous, and complete annihilation was the best option.
"I believe we can keep it, Lord." But Carol didn't think so and elaborated on his idea, "According to Sage Julius' research, it can make machines operate more efficiently, combining both biological and mechanical characteristics to act like a 'lubricant.' I believe it's worth studying."
"But this thing is very dangerous."
Emrys frowned, still a little worried.
"Lord, any new thing comes with danger, but we cannot give up on understanding and exploring it simply because it is dangerous." Carol smiled, "Just like the T-virus, it is indeed very dangerous, but after continuous iterations, it has also created higher, new value for us."
Ultimately, Emrys was persuaded by Carol.
"Alright, you're right." He nodded and said, "But the research on this thing must not be conducted on our fleet. I will find you a suitable and safe research facility."
Since this thing belonged to the biological realm, it was perfect for the Alien universe engineers to collaborate with Carol to research the 'Cocoon of the Omnissiah.'
Who knew, there might even be a surprise.
Due to the adamantium vein, the fleet needed to temporarily rest and wait for the entire vein to be mined before resuming its voyage, which provided ample time for Carol's research.
The only regret was that no STC templates were found in the wreckage of the mechanicus ark. Perhaps they were destroyed by the Atmospheric Incineration Torpedoes, or perhaps they were already damaged, which left Emrys a little disappointed.
Fortunately, the engine of the Furnace Covenant mechanicus ark was preserved intact due to the robustness of its compartment. Emrys took it back, intending to exchange it for some benefits with the Martian Mechanicum in the future.
Sage Carol was quite pleased because he found Julius Davenport's research log, which detailed the research process of the 'Cocoon of the Omnissiah,' including experimental data.
Their biggest gain on world CV-7721 might not be Adamantium.
Carol hurried over, and from the flashing red light and movements of the Archmagos Mechanicus, it seemed he had made a significant discovery.
"What is it, Archmagos Carol?" Emrys asked with considerable curiosity.
"It's a huge discovery, Lord." Carol took a deep breath, as if controlling his excited emotions.
"You must come and see it with me. Believe me, this is very important for us!"
Although Emrys was a little puzzled, he still trusted the Archmagos, so he got up and came down from the bridge's command.
"I hope it's a pleasant surprise, not a fright," he joked with a smile.
"I swear to you in the name of the Omnissiah," Carol's hoarse voice sounded like grinding gears, usually showing little fluctuation, but even Emrys could hear the excitement in his tone.
This made Emrys increasingly curious. What kind of discovery could make Carol so excited?
The two took the elevator directly to the laboratory.
This area was located on the middle deck of the "Excalibur," a space specifically designated for the Tech-Priests, serving various purposes such as maintenance and construction.
Carol's colossal laboratory was also situated on this deck.
This was Emrys' first time visiting Carol's laboratory, where bottles, jars, and experimental equipment were visible everywhere.
Viruses from Resident Evil, alien eggs, and even Asgardian corpses—these were all "Treasures" Emrys had brought from other Worlds and entrusted to the Archmagos Biologis for research.
The security level of this laboratory was very high, almost identical to that of his own captain's quarters.
The reason was simple: over ninety percent of the items Carol was researching here were extremely dangerous. If any of it leaked, it would be a disaster in minutes, and that's absolutely no exaggeration!
"This is...?" Suddenly, Emrys' gaze was drawn to a person sleeping in a stasis pod.
The person's physique was extremely burly and strong, and a black carapace had already been implanted. His height was estimated to be about three meters, far exceeding that of a typical Space Marine, almost on par with a Primaris Space Marine.
But, if it was just a Primaris Space Marine, there probably wouldn't be a need for special research, would there?
Under Emrys' questioning gaze, Carol smiled mysteriously.
"This is a 'gift' I prepared for Lord, but unfortunately... so far, it cannot be formally applied, and there are still flaws that need to be perfected."
"A gift?" Emrys' interest was piqued, his eyes showing a hint of fire.
"Can you give me a sneak peek?"
"Please allow me to keep the specific details confidential for now."
Carol shook his head, only saying.
"But I can tell you one thing: once this research is completed, we will be etched into the history of the Imperium, and it will be the most significant entry, a value no less than the Primaris Space Marine technology."
A brand new gene-modifying technology, huh... Emrys had already guessed a little upon hearing this.
Since Carol insisted on secrecy, he didn't press for details.
"We've arrived, Lord." Carol stopped in front of a door and entered his authentication information.
Accompanied by the dull sound of mechanical shafts turning, what was inside the door came into Emrys' sight.
It was a gigantic 'heart' composed of precise gears and machinery, with multiple pump ports, its outer wall inscribed with Mechanicus runes, appearing full of mystery and sci-fi atmosphere, and possessing a strong Warhammer-style Gothic aesthetic.
"Isn't this the engine of that Mechanicum Ark?" Emrys had naturally seen this item before, and a hint of confusion appeared on his face. "Yes, it is the engine of the 'Forge Covenant'."
Carol gazed at the damaged engine, his tone tinged with reverence.
"Omnissiah Forge Covenant-01 is an engine unearthed by the Martian Mechanicum, a fragment of a Standard Template Construct from the Dark Age of Technology!"
Upon hearing this, Emrys' pupils constricted slightly, and he looked back at the seemingly damaged engine.
"You mean, it's a product of the Dark Age of Technology?"
"Yes, Lord Emrys."
Carol nodded and continued, "I had the good fortune to see this engine once when I was studying at the Martian Mechanicum."
"Those Archmagos Mechanicus defined it as a 'Semi-Living Dimensional Forge,' containing several 'forbidden technologies' that even the Martian Mechanicum cannot replicate. It is a genuine 'treasure'!"
"Its primary reactor, the 'Covenant Forge,' can directly convert stars and asteroids into fuel by decomposing, capturing, and devouring them, utilizing antimatter-catalyzed chain reactions to power the colossal Mechanicum Ark."
"And the secondary template mounted on the engine, the 'Dimensional Siphon Array,' can generate a miniature black hole at the bow of the ship."
"When entering Warp jumps, there's no need to select a specific entry point, and it can draw energy from the void, providing power to the Mechanicum Ark at critical moments, ensuring the ship's normal operation."
At this point, Carol's tone paused, and the red light in his eyes grew more urgent.
Emrys knew that the real highlight was yet to come!
After all, if an engine from the Dark Age of Humanity only had these functions, it probably wouldn't be enough to be astounding.
"Lord Emrys, the most valuable aspect of this engine is its triune 'Machine Spirit' control unit."
Carol finished in one breath, his face filled with ecstasy.
"Do you know? These are 'Machine Spirits' from the Dark Age of Technology; each of them possesses extreme intelligence and knowledge that we can hardly imagine today. This is our greatest gain!"
"Wait, you mean the Machine Spirits weren't destroyed?" Emrys was a little surprised.
"No, the form of existence of Machine Spirits is still difficult for us to explain," Carol shook his head and said, "But when I inspected this engine, I found them. Although they fell into slumber after the Mechanicum Ark was destroyed, their functions are still perfectly preserved!"
"I understand your excitement, Archmagos Carol," Emrys said, calming the agitated Carol, "But... besides what you've mentioned, I also want to know what these three Machine Spirits can bring us? And do they pose any danger?"
These were the questions he was most concerned about.
"All right, allow me to introduce you to the engine's triune Machine Spirit control unit."
Carol calmed down a little, then began to introduce.
"They are: the Spirit of Logic, the Spirit of Wrath, and the Spirit of Compassion."
"Among them, the Spirit of Logic is responsible for calculating engine operations, including navigation trajectories; the Spirit of Wrath controls weapon systems and war data computations; and the Spirit of Compassion maintains crew life and various internal ship devices."
"When all three operate simultaneously, they can activate the highest classified protocol... the Causality Buffer."
"It pre-loads over one hundred thousand 'time slices' about current war forms and scenarios for the fleet's commander. When attacked, it can forcibly control surrounding spatio-temporal particles, causing time and space to rewind 5 to 10 seconds."
"As well as the Entropy Reversal Field, which locally reverses the current state of a certain area, restoring damage suffered by the hull."
"Hmm... sounds pretty good."
Emrys, already accustomed to such things, wasn't overly excited. Instead, he looked at Carol.
"So... what's the cost?"
Powerful things always come with a price; he was well aware of this.
The triune "Machine Spirits" were indeed powerful, but he wanted to know what price such immense power required.
Otherwise, how did Julius and his fleet crash back then?
"Each activation requires a living silicon-based lifeform to be sacrificed into the forge," Carol paused and said, "At the same time, at least one thousand Tech-Priests are needed to perform cyclical binary code chanting to appease the volatile Machine Spirits."
"There's also a hidden threat, which was the reason for Julius' fleet crash back then."
He sighed and said, "The highest protocol, the 'Causality Buffer,' requires the sacrifice of a Titan for each activation."
"And the greatest taboo is that the three consciousnesses of the Machine Spirits must always remain in disagreement. If they reach a consensus... it will cause unimaginable disaster. Julius encountered this very situation, which prevented him from rewinding time promptly, leading to the final crash."