"Task: Seize the Infinity Key from Ahriman (Completed)
Reward: Abundant Faith Points (Issued), Infinity Key (Tier 1) (Please return the item to the Praying Sanctuary and place it before the shrine.)"
"Don't be so hasty, always so impetuous!"
"You haven't listened to Oll's advice at all. Be patient, don't rush."
"Don't you know what 'haste makes waste' means?"
Perhaps hearing Alex's inner thoughts,
the task light screen flickered, reluctantly replacing itself with the upgrade light screen.
Perhaps feeling lectured and losing face,
the light screen switched several times,
before finally stabilizing the upgrade light screen in front of Alex.
Impetuous, and a bit petty!
Alex silently labeled someone,
then refocused his attention on the upgrade light screen to check the new skills obtained.
"Divine Omen. This should be similar to the phenomena mentioned in 'The End of Death' when the Dark King ascended to godhood," Alex mused.
At the tail end of The The Battle of Terra,
the Emperor had Malcador take his place on the Golden Throne,
freeing himself to deal with the traitors.
To defeat Horus, who was empowered by the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods, the Emperor continuously devoured Warp energy,
and soon, he transformed into a black sun radiating golden light.
At that time, whispers of 'Dark King' spread throughout Terra,
and even people's dreams, hallucinations, and even demons repeatedly uttered this name.
"This skill would be perfect for acting as a divine stick."
"Hehe, Angelic Descent."
Alex imagined himself using this skill.
It would definitely be very cool.
The men, women, young maidens, uncles, and aunties in every street and alley would surely be mesmerized and prostrate themselves in worship.
When he went to Baal, he would use this skill.
He couldn't imagine what those blood-sucking brats would look like.
They would definitely cry their eyes out and wail!
Just thinking about that scene was exhilarating!
"Machine God Incarnation."
Alex looked at the next skill and read it aloud, utterly astonished.
Wasn't this the signature skill of a certain impatient, petty golden Homebody?
He had originally relied on his "Machine, Heal Thyself" to fool those Mars oil-heads beyond belief.
However, to be fair, the oil-heads really fell for that kind of thing.
When it was time to take over Guilliman's position on Terra, this would definitely come in handy.
Once Machine God Incarnation appeared,
not only would those oil-heads immediately prostrate themselves,
but with a mere flick of his little finger, they would eagerly offer up all their worldly possessions.
Fortunately, the oil-heads did not speak of love and resisted desire.
Otherwise, Alex was afraid that if he flicked his finger, several female Tech-priests as large as small mountains would be waiting for him in the room,
insisting on giving themselves to him and letting him take advantage of them.
Alex shuddered at the thought of female Tech-priests covered in oil pipes and gears, who had lived for thousands of years, their remaining flesh preserved by chemical agents.
He couldn't enjoy such a blessing, not at all.
Perhaps an Indian could, but he really couldn't.
Just thinking about it made him feel powerless.
"Master."
"They are all waiting for your command."
Cortana's call brought Alex back to his senses.
He turned to look at the people and found them all watching him.
"Sorry, I saw some fragments of the future just now and was a bit dazed."
Alex made an excuse to cover up his distraction.
"Ahriman and that demon have escaped, and the Mirror Dimension has been destroyed. There's nothing left here."
"You all return to the fleet first. We'll hold a meeting later to discuss the next military action."
Everyone left one after another, but Alex called out to Kaiting.
"Saint." Kaiting saluted Alex.
"With the Mirror Dimension shattered, there might be demons escaping into Reality. Keep a close eye on Solomon Hive World to avoid any lingering issues."
Alex gave a few instructions, and Kaiting nodded repeatedly.
"I understand, Saint. I will arrange it."
"Also," Alex added, "Thoroughly investigate the Seven Great Demons of the Calixis Sector and ascertain their locations."
"If necessary, you can seek the wisdom and knowledge of our allies. I do not wish for any more incidents in the Calixis Sector."
"Saint." Kaiting hesitated.
"Speak directly if you have something to say, don't be so hesitant." Alex looked at Kaiting, "Have we not built enough trust between us after all this?"
"Lord." Kaiting plucked up his courage, "I feel you trust those Eldar too much. They are, after all, xenos."
"There's a well-known saying from ancient Terra that goes, 'Those not of our kind are bound to have different intentions.'"
"Do you trust your weapon? Do you often maintain it, and perform machine spirit prayer rituals?" Alex asked with a half-smile.
Kaiting nodded, "I trust my weapon, I maintain it diligently, and I pray daily."
"What if the weapon becomes corrupted, loses its value, and even poses a threat to you? Would you still keep it?" Alex continued to ask.
Kaiting shook his head, "Naturally, I wouldn't keep it. I would destroy it, or dismantle it into fragments and abandon it in a place no one could find."
Alex smiled, "The Eldar are that weapon. They can help us deal with the Warp."
"While this tool is still useful, we must maintain it well, and cherish it as a companion."
"One day, when this tool loses its purpose, or even threatens us, we must abandon and eliminate it without hesitation."
Alex patted Kaiting's shoulder before continuing.
"You might find these words ruthless, or even think I also see you as a tool."
"I do not." Kaiting quickly said.
"It's alright, Kaiting." Alex's tone was gentle, a hint of sadness in his eyes,
"Because thinking that way is correct. You, everyone, even myself, are merely tools for saving humanity."
"If one day I am forced to sacrifice you to achieve victory, then I can only say I'm sorry."
"Conversely, if one day you need to shoot me to save this civilization, I hope you won't hesitate either."
"Thank you for your honesty." Kaiting performed an aquila salute, "Saint."
"You deserve it. People like you will not abandon your duty because of the harshness of Reality."
Kaiting could feel the sincerity in Alex's words,
and a strong sense of pride burned within him.
As the head of the Calixis Sector, Kaiting could understand the Saint's feelings.
In the past, to deal with demons and Heretics, his hands had also been stained with the blood of his comrades.
If the sacrifice of one person could save ten thousand, one must act without hesitation.
"Should the day come to die, I will not hesitate."
Kaiting said in a sworn tone.
"I believe you." Alex said.
...
After entrusting Kaiting, Alex also set off back to the Imperial Glory.
He went directly to the Praying Sanctuary,
and placed the Infinity Key before the Emperor's shrine to pray.
A flash of light appeared, and the Infinity Key disappeared.
A moment later, it reappeared.
When Alex looked at it,
golden text appeared, detailing its information.
"Name: Infinity Key (Tier 1)
This is a powerful artifact of time, but unfortunately, it is still an unfinished product, yet it possesses great power.
Using it can reverse time within a small area.
Acquiring more time laws or creations will allow it to be gradually perfected into a finished product.
'You have become a traveler of time, why not quickly embark on the path of adventure?'
'Of all the paths in the universe, Time is King, young man, this is your cheat. Come, take it, and conquer the world.'
"
Alex: "..."
Such chuunibyou lines could never have been self-generated.
It could only be the masterpiece of a certain Homebody.
Good heavens, lived for forty thousand years, and still hasn't changed his original intention, has he?
Just as he finished complaining, a new task light screen appeared.
"Task: Use the Infinity Key to maintain the Golden Throne's operation.
After tens of thousands of years, the Golden Throne is on the verge of collapse, with many functional components about to fail.
Please use the power of the Infinity Key to reverse the time of those components, allowing them to continue working and maintain the Golden Throne's operation.
Task Reward: Abundant Faith Points, one legendary-grade equipment.
Friendly Reminder: Time reversal cannot permanently affect the Golden Throne. Finding a repair method as soon as possible is the wise course of action."
"Truly worthy of being the Emperor, his mind is so sharp."
"To actually think of using the Infinity Key for emergencies."
Alex checked the task details,
and planned to complete this task when he took over on Terra.
"Master, everyone is in the conference room, waiting for you."
Cortana appeared beside Alex.
"Alright, I'll go now."
Alex put away the Infinity Key and walked towards the conference room.
...
In the vast, boundless void,
the crescent-shaped eternal lord floated in near-orbit above a planet.
The Necrons army remaining on the planet's surface was withdrawing to the warship through a portal.
The surviving humans hid in the dilapidated ruins, watching through cracks as the metallic xenos marched in formation through the green-glowing portal, departing.
Their hearts were filled with confusion and bewilderment.
They did not understand why these hateful enemies would abandon a planet they had already controlled.
In fact, it wasn't just them;
even many Necron Warriors did not understand such orders.
They had already defeated the armies of those lower races and occupied the entire planet, so why withdraw?
Unfortunately, they could not resist the governing protocols,
and they had to obey their commander's orders unconditionally.
And on the Bridge of the eternal lord,
the supreme commander of this operation, Kobuesa, gazed at the distant stars, a hint of sadness in his ghostly green eyes.
After a long while, he spoke softly.
"I failed. I was defeated by a group of lower beings. This is a disgrace."
"A temporary failure is nothing," Anrakir, who was both his subordinate and personal guard, comforted him.
Anrakir had not participated in the Solomon campaign.
He was responsible for staying behind and procuring resources.
He had initially believed that, with their time technology, the Hexos Dynasty could easily take over this sector controlled by lower races.
At first, it was indeed quite smooth; by using time reversal,
They routed the Human Empire, plunging them into despair.
Even though the Humans repeatedly mustered courage and launched counterattacks, the final result was merciless annihilation by the Hexos Dynasty fleet, leaving behind only burning wreckage and corpses in the void.
Just as the fleet was sweeping through the Human Empire like a storm, about to cut through them, they suffered a Waterloo defeat in the Solomon Hive World, their morale collapsing.
They even trembled with fear upon hearing news of the Human Empire's advance.
After inquiries, Anrakyr learned that during the Solomon Hive World battle, Kobuesa and other Necrons commanders had encountered a complete C'tan.
The C'tan had established a friendly relationship with the Human Empire and assisted them in defeating the Necrons fleet led by Kobuesa.
The fleet had no choice but to withdraw all its forces and prepare to leave the Calixis Sector.
Not to mention retrieving the Infinity Key, if they were slow, there was even a risk of total annihilation.
Many Necrons technologies are intricately linked with the C'tan.
With the Human Empire gaining the C'tan's help, it was as if Necrons technology and information were transparent to the Human Empire.
Even their core computing and database defense protocols were as good as non-existent to the Human Empire.
If they didn't withdraw now, they would be completely wiped out once the Human Empire counterattacked.
Kobuesa remained silent, merely gazing outside, his green eyes revealing a human-like sadness.
Anrakyr sighed lightly, steam escaping from his tightly sealed metal mouth.
He, too, turned to look at the observation window.
Besides the vast expanse of stars, he could vaguely see his current appearance reflected in the glass.
His eyes glowed with green light, and his skeletal body was forged from exquisite, wave-like living metal.
There was no longer any trace of him ever having been a flesh-and-blood creature.
The C'tan had deceived them, taking away their flesh and souls, leaving behind only a metal body with lingering memories of the past.
Anrakyr turned his head, looking elsewhere.
Bent lines and intersecting circuits shimmered with green light on the dark walls.
These were once symbols of their devotion to the C'tan, with symbols representing the names of various C'tan quietly reciting past prayers, and the titles and objects of faith that had been betrayed and shattered by the Necronss.
Anrakyr's gaze focused on the symbol for the Void Dragon.
He had once bowed and humbly offered sacrifices to this deity.
After the day of betrayal, he thought he would never again have to live under the shadow of those terrifying beings.
Who would have thought that one day, that race would make a comeback?
Once that young C'tan grew, the Necronss would surely face incredibly cruel retaliation.
They must return to the side of the Phaerakh, then abandon past hatreds and warn the other dynasties.
The Necronss must unite again, and at all costs, strangle that C'tan, exterminate the Human Empire, and eliminate future troubles forever.
The Necrons forces withdrew to the fleet in orbit and then departed without reluctance.
Their speed was so great that it took a long time for the surviving Humans to dare to believe that the Necronss had truly withdrawn.
They emerged from their hiding places, shouting, "Long live the God-Emperor!"
When the news reached the Imperial Glory fleet, which was planning to pursue, many Human Empire high-ranking officials were stunned.
They confirmed it several times before daring to believe that the Necrons had completely withdrawn.
"I thought there would be a few more fierce battles!" Xia said with some regret, "If they had run slower, I would have earned a few more merits."
"It seems the battle in the Solomon Hive World scared them out of their wits," Aying said.
...
As for the players, it goes without saying.
As soon as the news came out, the chat channel exploded.
"I haven't even played yet! They surrendered??"
"Necrons foster fathers, you can't leave! If you leave, where will I earn merits? What about my loan?"
"We are ready to fight to the death, why did you flee first??"
"Where is your pride as a higher race? Your dignity? You're even afraid of us Humans, these ants, and you still dream of being the overlords of the galaxy?"
...
The low-ranking soldiers also wailed, each one filled with sorrow.
They had been told before that fighting the Necrons would be very brutal.
Soldiers would die in groups, and bodies would pile up across the entire battlefield.
Surviving for three hours would make one an old soldier, surviving a day would earn a promotion to platoon leader, and finishing the entire battle would guarantee a promotion to lieutenant colonel.
It scared them so much that they wrote their wills for their families, broke up with their girlfriends, divorced their wives, and sent their sons to be raised by Old Wang next door.
All just to follow the Saint without worries, to defeat the Necrons at all costs, and to get promoted and raise their salaries.
The result? This?
They won without even seeing a single Necrons hair!
Now, what hurts the most is their hearts!
"I thought I'd at least get promoted to sergeant."
Harry, who had already been promoted to corporal, was also a bit unhappy.
He had been eagerly preparing, diligently studying tactics and other knowledge, just to perform well in this battle and strive for further advancement.
But those Necrons were nothing; they just scurried away, not even daring to fight.
At this rate, when would he ever get promoted?
...
Upon learning that the Necrons had withdrawn from the Calixis Sector, Alex did not order a pursuit.
Instead, he convened a meeting of military high-ranking officials to discuss the next target.
After several hours of discussion and analysis, it was finally decided to make the expulsion of the Tyranids fleet from the Hazeroth Subsector the next strategic objective.
Inquisitor Van Vegenes of the Ordo Xenos brought intelligence regarding this Tyranids fleet.
Van Vegenes is a disciple of the legendary Inquisitor Kryptman.
Kryptman was the first Inquisitor to discover and name the Tyranids, and it was through his efforts that the Human Empire became aware of the Tyranids / Tyranid threat.
Kryptman participated in all battles concerning the Tyranids / Tyranid, achieving outstanding merits, and had warned multiple worlds, minimizing casualties to the greatest extent possible.
After the Third Tyranids / Tyranid War broke out, the Leviathan Fleet headed directly for Terra.
To protect Terra and buy time for the Solar Fleet and the Storm Fleet, he ordered the creation of a blockade, implementing scorched-earth tactics on all planets within the range, thereby becoming the person who committed the most severe genocide since the Horus Heresy.
Ultimately, he was stripped of all his duties and rights.
After losing his Inquisitor status, Kryptman did not abandon his duties.
He devised another method to delay the Leviathan Fleet's advance: leading the Leviathan Fleet to the Ork Empire in the Octarius system.
Of course, this approach was merely a temporary solution; the conflict between the Orks and the Tyranids / Tyranids caused both sides to evolve.
No matter who won, the Human Empire would face a stronger enemy, but this approach also bought the Human Empire more time.
Inquisitor Van Vegenes shared his findings with everyone at the meeting: another Tyranids / Tyranid fleet, even larger than the Behemoth, Kraken, and Leviathan Fleets, was approaching the galaxy.
He named this new Tyranids / Tyranid fleet 'Cetus,' and the Tyranids / Tyranid fleet invading the Hazeroth Subsector was merely a 'tentacle' of Cetus, used to test the local resistance.
"The entire galaxy will be tested; if we fail, the Human Empire will cease to exist, humanity will cease to exist, and even the galaxy itself will cease to exist," Van Vegenes told everyone present after introducing the Cetus Tyranids / Tyranid fleet.
His solemn words dispelled the joy of repelling the Necronss, and many Imperial Glory officers looked grim.
They could all foresee the cruelty of the future, with only endless war.
After determining the operational objective and plan, the massive Imperial Glory fleet departed from the Solomon Hive World, heading directly for the main Tyranids / Tyranid force invading the Calixis Sector.
"Tyranids / Tyranid, this is a new opportunity."
In a workshop on the Imperial Glory, MC Myth, who had joined the fleet's expedition, was researching Tyranids / Tyranid data.
In the projection before him, the image and data of a Tyranids / Tyranid unit with a large head hovered.
This Tyranids / Tyranid unit is called a "Hive Tyrant."
Its head is very developed, but its body and limbs are withered, lacking the ability to walk.
It relies on psychic power to float and move.
On the battlefield, the Hive Tyrant is responsible for unleashing psychic attacks on enemies or relaying commands from the Hive Mind.
"The Tyranids / Tyranid's bio-technology is so advanced; it would be a pity not to explore it," MC Myth thought, looking at the Hive Tyrant's projection, and had a crazy idea.
At a recent auction, the wreckage of the Necrons warship was bought at a high price by his old employer, Dora Workshop.
This meant that the MC Dynasty would fall further behind in technological research.
This forced MC Myth to consider an important question: he needed to adjust his business strategy.
Dora Workshop had a first-mover advantage, having already established dominance in fields such as mechs and warships.
Since its founding, the MC Dynasty had been chasing behind them, finding it difficult to surpass them.
Continuing like this would be meaningless.
Opening up a completely new blue ocean was key.
Due to the crisis of the AI rebellion, the Human Empire was filled with distrust of silicon-based AI.
Therefore, most of the Human Empire's computers use wetware.
However, the limited capacity of the human brain leads to an extreme scarcity of computing power in the Human Empire, completely unlike a star-faring civilization.
If human brains could evolve to a level comparable to computers and then be made into wetware, it might solve the pain point of insufficient computing power.
The more MC Myth thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Since he couldn't compete with Dora Workshop in the field of physical technology, he would take the biological technology route and achieve a breakthrough.