Soon, Amilia finished reviewing the contents. Through her and Zhang Ge's recounting, the full picture of the situation emerged.
Simply put, this device had been specifically deployed to Yarkalan by the worm-like xenos. It served as both a bio-fabricator and an elixir dispenser. The former spread the xenos' tendrils across the planet, while the latter bribed the upper nobility.
Since its discovery, the machine had long produced a "rejuvenation elixir." This substance extended the already lengthy lifespans of the nobility by another hundred to two hundred years. These elixirs were regularly and precisely distributed to Yarkalan's aristocrats, demanding no tangible payment in return.
The underhive? If the underhivers all died, would that even count as a "cost"? It'd just be another convenience.
Of course, neither side was foolish.
The nobility only consumed half of the elixirs themselves. While attempting to hide this from the xenos — though unsuccessfully — they traded the other half for vast resources.
These resources were so abundant that they not only marginalized the local Mechanicus in political struggles but also funded a well-equipped Planetary Defense Force (PDF).
Both sides were confident. The xenos trusted their millennia-spanning schemes, while the nobles believed their controlled hive and powerful PDF could handle any contingency.
Yet in the end, neither side's preparations mattered. The xenos' machine was destroyed by a "minor accident," and the nobles' PDF was thrown into the bottomless pit of resisting Chaos. Such ironic twists seemed all too common.
Soon, within the metallic chamber, Zhang Ge and Amilia found the next batch of elixirs intended for delivery.
Just as Zhang Ge raised his plasma pistol to destroy them, Amilia tapped his shoulder:
"Wait."
He paused, finger hovering over the trigger, and turned to her.
"These can't be destroyed now. Not yet, at least."
Zhang Ge pondered briefly, then grasped her logic.
Even ignoring the nobles' personal stockpiles, the elixirs sent to larger off-world factions were undoubtedly bound by contracts. If deliveries suddenly ceased, disappointing those powerful patrons would spell doom for the Yarkalan nobility. Even if the hive fell, the aristocrats could flee, but offending greater powers meant their entire bloodlines would be erased. Thus, if these elixirs vanished, the local nobles would stop at nothing to reclaim them — even sparking civil war amidst the Chaos invasion. Which was more hateful? Both, but the xenos were already dead while Chaos battered their gates. The traitorous nobles' reckoning would come later.
Zhang Ge nodded, holstering his pistol.
"Then you take them. Deliver them to the Ecclesiarchy. As long as there's hope of recovering the elixirs through negotiation, they won't resort to desperation." He didn't care either way, so long as none of that life-extending horror ended up in his veins.
Amilia stored the vials in her nearly emptied power armor compartments.
Shortly after, the high-ranking Tech-Priest arrived with Skitarii vanguards.
The scene before them — roaring flames, a slain leviathan, and the silent Titan — could've been torn from an epic saga. The Tech-Priest nearly wept (or would have, had he still possessed tear ducts). Ignoring the conspicuous chamber, they gathered at the Titan's feet, chanting prayers. At that moment, even gunfire might've failed to interrupt their devotions.
Seeing this, Zhang Ge and Amilia quietly retreated to the elevator. By the time the second Mechanicus wave arrived — more priests, Kastelan robots, and Skitarii stampeding toward the Titan as if tardiness meant execution — the pair were already ascending.
The underhive greeted them with tension.
"Standoff" described the situation perfectly.
Skitarii controlled the blockade zone. Heavy vehicles rumbled past as disarmed enforcers and PDF troops sat detained. Beyond, Mechanicus forces faced off against noble-backed reinforcements. Without the Chaos threat, bloodshed would've already erupted.
Approaching the fortified gates, they found a noble negotiating with an unmoved Tech-Priest. The aristocrat's face flushed with suppressed fury until he spotted the emerging duo.
"Colonel Zhang Ge?" The noble forced a smile, extending a hand. "An honor! We've heard much but never met. Pleasantries can wait — we mobilized reinforcements upon reports of a xenos monstrosity in the underhive, yet..." He gestured at the impasse.
Zhang Ge shook his hand. "No need. The Titan below has slain the creature. The Mechanicus will withdraw soon."
"What?" The noble's mask slipped — a flicker of terror swiftly masked by feigned delight. As he scrambled for words, Zhang Ge continued: "Within the beast, we recovered xenos artifacts. They're being transported to the Ecclesiarchy to assess contamination risks."
"Ah! In that case, let our men escort you!"
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Update recovery in progress, fellow cultivators. Could you spare some energy stones to speed it up!!