"We have initiated the Time Reversal, but there is no response."
The Necron Overlord's fury caused the Time Technician to look terrified.
The synthesized voice from his metal throat was thick with fear.
The Tomb Scarabs working near the console also instinctively slowed down their movements, fearing to anger the Necron Overlord.
"How can it be ineffective?"
Kobuesa stepped towards the control panel and personally operated it.
His obsidian-like eyes projected green beams, intertwining to form a spherical holographic screen.
A large amount of data mixed with ancient runes surged across the screen.
Kobuesa quickly locked onto the damaged warships.
After inputting the activation command, the Time Reversal device started, stirring up special spatiotemporal fluctuations.
Kobuesa's sensory system detected these special fluctuations.
After confirming that the time device was fully activated, he pressed the confirmation button.
Several beams of time light flew out, landing on the shattered Necrons warships.
However, this time, the burning Necrons warships still did not revert to their original state under the power of time, unlike before.
"What is going on?"
Kobuesa tried again, but the result was the same.
The expression on his metal face grew more grim; it shouldn't be like this.
What exactly went wrong?
At this moment, the Imperial Glory also locked onto the eternal lord.
The Fleet Commander, Xia, calmly commanded the Imperial Glory.
This warship, relying on its powerful firepower, traversed the entire battlefield directly towards its target.
Xia stared intently at the eternal lord on the other side of the battlefield, his expression eager and full of anticipation for slaughter.
The enemy's Time Reversal tactic had thrown the Imperial commanders into temporary disarray.
This method was too unfair.
If the opponent kept reversing, they would have no chance of winning.
Fortunately, Cortana, as a Machine Spirit, quickly found a way to break it.
That was to use the energy of the Warp to destroy the time anchor points of the enemy's ships.
And Cortana, who was highly bound to Alex, could just happen to use the power of the Warp.
Thus, she applied Warp blessings to all the cannons.
This was also the reason why the Necrons ships destroyed by the Imperial Glory could not recover using their Time Reversal ability.
The Imperial Glory's firepower was extremely formidable.
All Necrons ships attempting to block its advance along the way were destroyed one by one, turning into burning wreckage in the void.
"What exactly is going on?"
Kobuesa tried several more times, but it still didn't work.
His tone no longer held its previous confidence.
When he spoke, it was with trepidation.
"Perhaps the time anchor points have been destroyed by the enemy."
A Time Technician answered tremblingly.
"How could those lower beings master time technology? Something must be wrong!!"
Kobuesa raised his voice.
He did not believe that humans could master time technology.
A Tomb Technician said, "The power of that mysterious space can also do this."
This answer made Kobuesa's face turn ugly.
The power of that mysterious dimension could twist the laws of Reality.
For the Necrons race, it was no secret.
Sixty million years ago, they had fought against the Old Ones, who were proficient in magic.
They had witnessed the power of those strange and bizarre magics.
Their time technology had no advantage in front of the Old Ones.
"Another race inheriting the talents of the Old Ones." Kobuesa was somewhat discouraged.
Ever since Pharaoh Setka used the power of the Infinity Key to make them reappear in this universe, they had learned the news that the Spirit Race Empire had been destroyed.
The remaining Spirit Race were scattered across the galaxy and could no longer pose a threat to the Necrons race.
Without this major enemy, Kobuesa had initially believed that the Hexos Dynasty would be invincible with its time technology and rule the galaxy.
However, now, they had discovered another race inheriting the talents of the Old Ones was rising, which deeply frustrated him.
"We no longer have an advantage." The Necrons commander beside him said, "Overlord, perhaps we should retreat and regroup."
"The Infinity Key is right there." Kobuesa pointed to the control panel, where the Solomon Hive World projection was slowly rotating.
They were just one step away from completing the mission.
If they gave up now, everything they had done before would be in vain.
"We must never give up…"
Kobuesa's tone was firm, wanting to encourage the other commanders with it.
But before he could finish, he was interrupted by the Tomb Technician.
"Our database has been infiltrated, and the defensive protocols have failed."
"The enemy is stealing our data and information."
Kobuesa looked at the Tomb Technician.
"What are you talking about?"
He could understand that those lower races inherited the talents of the Old Ones and used their magic to destroy the time anchor points.
But how could something like their database being infiltrated and defensive protocols failing possibly happen!
Even the Spirit Race, the heirs of the Old Ones, couldn't infiltrate their system.
It wasn't until the data report was submitted to Kobuesa that the Necron Overlord had to admit that this impossible thing had truly happened.
"How did those lower beings do it!!"
Kobuesa felt that ever since this human reinforcement arrived, the situation had suddenly turned unfavorable for them.
The opponent could not only counter their Time Reversal but also infiltrate their database.
Could it be that this race simultaneously possessed the talents of the Old Ones and the recognition of the C'tan?
Thus mastering technology no less inferior to the Necrons race?
Such a thing seemed highly unlikely to even think about.
First: The C'tan deeply abhorred the Old Ones, and even more so their former creations, wishing to utterly exterminate them. How could they possibly give recognition?
Second: The C'tan had long been shattered into fragments, with little self-awareness remaining. Even if they gave recognition, how much technology could they provide to these lower beings??
Just as the Necron Overlord was racking his brains trying to figure out how these lower beings, humans, had infiltrated their database.
A Tomb Technician shouted in a terrified voice.
"That human flagship, a suspected C'tan energy signal has been detected. And it's not a fragment, it's complete."
"That human flagship has a complete C'tan."
The Tomb Technician's voice caused the Necrons commanders on the Bridge to instantly crash.
Their powerful logical core stopped thinking due to fear.
How could there be a complete C'tan?
Shouldn't they all have been blasted into fragments and imprisoned in hyper-dimensional labyrinths?
Kobuesa recovered and took three steps in two to reach the Tomb Technician, pushing him aside and personally operating the control panel to verify the truth.
"It's true, it's the energy signal of a C'tan."
Kobuesa's voice was filled with fear.
He had once felt the aura of those beings up close.
Even if they were ground to dust, he could skillfully identify these stellar vampires.
There really was a C'tan in the human flagship.
This lower race, possessing the talents of the Old Ones, had somehow gained the recognition of a C'tan.
No wonder they could infiltrate their database.
With the help of a C'tan, everything made sense.
"Which C'tan is it?" a Necrons commander inquired.
"The database has no information on the opponent; it should be a C'tan we have never seen before."
Kobuesa's voice was trembling.
At the end of the Paradise War, the Silent King Szarekh led many dynasties to backstab the C'tan race.
He shattered the surviving C'tan into countless fragments and imprisoned the fragments to use as energy.
This kind of hatred was absolutely irreconcilable.
"This human fleet is very likely the C'tan's servants. We should leave first." A Necrons commander suggested to Kobuesa.
"What about the Infinity Key?" Kobuesa's metal face showed hesitation.
"Leave first. No matter what, if we stay, we might be completely annihilated before we even figure out what the enemy is about."
"The enemy flagship is approaching us. If we don't leave now, we'll truly lose our chance."
"The defensive protocols have been breached again! The enemy wants to gain control of our combat units!"
"…"
The other Necrons commanders looked terrified and urged the Necron Overlord to retreat.
No one knew what the situation with that C'tan was.
The only thing that could be confirmed was that the other party certainly had no good feelings towards the Necrons race, even disgust and hatred.
The words of his guards and generals made Kobuesa suppress the anger in his heart and follow the advice.
"Evacuate the battlefield."
As the order was given, the Necrons warships initiated their Warp jumps, departing from the battlefield.
"Damn it, those scoundrels got away."
"Just a bit more, and we could have controlled their warships."
"Infuriating, absolutely infuriating."
On the Imperial Glory,
Cortana, the loli angel projection, puffed out her cheeks and repeatedly waved her fists, expressing her displeasure.
"It's alright, there will be other opportunities in the future."
Alex smiled and comforted Cortana.
"Oh, right, Master, although I couldn't successfully control their warships, I did manage to steal a lot of information."
"This fleet belongs to the Hexos Dynasty, and they are here to capture Ahriman."
Hearing Cortana's words, Alex frowned slightly, "Why do they want to capture Ahriman?"
"It seems Ahriman stole their dynasty's Time Artifact — the Infinity Key."
As Cortana's voice faded,
a golden light screen appeared before Alex.
"I knew this would happen!"
Alex muttered to himself.
He had now figured out the Emperor's pattern for issuing missions:
as long as something was determined to be beneficial to humanity, He would issue a mission.
He always felt like the one on the Golden Throne had turned into a golden hamster, wanting to hoard all the good things for himself.
"Master, your Players have sent a request."
Cortana's words brought Alex back to reality.
A projection interface popped up, showing a request from the MC Dynasty to acquire the Necrons warship wreckage.
Following that were Dora Workshop and several other Player organizations keen on farming.
They all wanted to dismantle the Necrons warship wreckage to see if they could get new technology.
At this time, the regional chat channel was also discussing the wreckage.
MC Myth: "The game being too realistic isn't necessarily a good thing. Why can't it be like Stellaris, where you just click and investigate ship wreckage?"
Bald Donkey: "After a battle, researching enemy ship wreckage to acquire enemy technology—no need to say, the game developer must be Paradox."
Old Thirteen: "Paradox? Where's the starfish? Where's the starfish?"
"..."
After a moment of thought, Alex rejected the Players' requests,
and instead instructed the Adeptus Mechanicus to salvage the wreckage first.
This wreckage was valuable and should be considered spoils of war.
He would auction it off later, giving it to the highest bidder, and the money earned would be used to replenish the treasury.
It was also time to seize the opportunity to heavily extract gold from the farming Players.
Currently, they were the wealthiest.
With the Necrons fleet having warped away, there was no longer any threat in the void.
Alex decided to personally lead a team to capture Ahriman and, while he was at it, obtain the Infinity Key from him.
At that time, he would also conveniently say to Ahriman,
"Thanks, old friend, for sending the divine artifact from a thousand miles away. Let's all give this 'Ahriman' old friend a 666 in the public chat."
He guaranteed that the fellow would be so enraged his mouth would twist.
Upon learning of Alex's plan, Inquisitor Kadin stepped forward to dissuade him.
"Ahriman is an extremely cunning Chaos traitor, Saint."
"His choice of the Solomon Hive World definitely has another purpose; it's highly possible he has set a trap specifically for you."
"Solomon was once a prosperous world alongside Syntilla, but now it has declined to such a dilapidated state."
"This is because this world has always had many inexplicable and unsolvable strange phenomena."
Kadin paused before continuing, "Leave the matter of arresting that Chaos traitor Ahriman to us. The Inquisition will not disappoint you, Saint."
"Thank you for your reminder and warning, Kadin."
Alex smiled, thanking Kadin for his warning,
but he did not intend to listen to Kadin.
"Too much blood has already been shed for my will; I cannot always avoid war."
"The Light of the Emperor shines upon me; whatever Ahriman's conspiracy, he will fail."
As the chief chosen of Tzeentch and Magnus, Ahriman was certainly no ordinary individual.
But Alex was confident he could defeat him and obtain the Infinity Key from him.
As the supreme artifact of the Hexos Dynasty,
the Infinity Key possessed the power to manipulate time.
If Cortana could analyze the manufacturing process and principles of the Infinity Key,
humanity's mastery of the Way of Time would advance to a new level.
At least they wouldn't be mocked by individuals like Orikan the Diviner with time technology.
Alex issued a mission, recruiting Players to join him in apprehending Ahriman.
Soon, a team was ready.
They boarded gunships and headed for the surface.
The Solomon Hive World was shrouded in a gray haze due to industrial pollution,
with dilapidated and aged magnificent buildings everywhere.
The opponent did not seem to intend to hide his tracks,
that psychic glow was so dazzling that anyone with even a slight psychic talent could perceive it.
The Imperium pinpointed Ahriman's location,
dozens of gunships roared down,
their hatches opened, and Players and Imperial heroes poured out,
surrounding Ahriman.
Then, Alex stepped out of his exclusive gunship.
Seeing Alex, clad in golden armor, with pure white wings on his back, and wearing a weeping mask,
Ahriman's face showed shock,
"You're becoming more and more like Sanguinius. It seems the Emperor is betting more and more on you."
"You didn't immediately flee; you dared to remain here?"
Alex looked at Ahriman, showing a look of approval.
As expected of a figure from the 30K era, he remained so composed and at ease even when surrounded by the Imperial army.
"Because everything is within my grasp."
"From your arrival in this star system, your defeat of the Necrons fleet, to your appearance before me, everything has been part of my plan."
Ahriman said faintly,
"Emperor Saint, facing me personally will be the last foolish thing you do, because you will have no further opportunity to do other foolish things."
"Arrogance!" Kadin shouted, "You have nowhere to run, Heretic."
"Run?"
"Why would I run?" Ahriman retorted mockingly.
The Inquisition members led by Kadin did not hesitate and immediately pulled the triggers of their boltguns.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bolter rounds froze before Ahriman,
this was not the power of psychic energy, but time itself had stopped.
A regular crystal appeared in Ahriman's palm,
slowly rotating, emitting a hazy glow.
"This is the power of time, ignorant mortals, you cannot harm me."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ahriman recited an ancient incantation,
and the surrounding space-time twisted with it. In just an instant, the Imperial army surrounding Ahriman was completely pulled into a gray, hazy space.
This place seemed like the end of time, or perhaps another side of the Solomon World.
Magnificent yet dilapidated Hive City buildings stood at the horizon's edge, white ash drifted in the air,
accumulating in a thick layer on the ground.
The smell of fire mixed in the air, and breathing caused a burning sensation in the throat.
"This place is the Realm of Dust and Ash, a reflection of Reality, left by an ancient race of this star sector, a world independent of the Warp and Reality."
"Here, you will be unable to draw upon the Emperor's power."
Ahriman looked at Alex, a look of everything being under control on his face.
"In this place, you will never escape."