Mars is a crimson planet. A red color as if covered in rust and blood.
This planet is always dry. Many people have never seen rain even once since they were born.
The Martian fleet occasionally extracts water from the asteroid belt of the solar system and sends it back to Mars to supply food to the countless residents.
There are innumerable residents, making it one of the most densely populated cities in the Imperium.
The majority of Martians will choose to implant mechanical prosthetics after becoming adults. This is to increase their labor capacity and to avoid being regarded as low-value humans by the Machine Cult.
They are believers of the Machine Cult, servants of the Machine God, gears and consumables in the grand machinery of Mars.
On the surface of Mars, nest-like cities stretch for kilometers. Many buildings tower high enough to reach the clouds and are built of metal and rock.
Their surfaces are covered with dense networks of pipes, cables, vents, heat-dissipation grilles, and the like.
Their foundations extend dozens of kilometers into the Martian crust. The lowest levels are embedded in the magma layer of Mars and use geothermal energy to supply power to the entire nest.
Near the equator they are surrounded by gigantic orbital factory clusters, which form one of the most spectacular landscapes on Mars.
Looking up from the ground, the factory clusters appear to be lined up in a straight line against the night sky like prayer beads.
One end of the line disappears into the shadow of Mars; the other end disappears on the terminator line of Mars.
In the central part, countless gigantic eye-like structures that shine under the starlight are dotted about.
These factories operate day and night, refining ores mined from various places in the galaxy into pure metal.
Then they forge that metal into the armor of warships, the skeletons of Titans, and the powered suits of the Astartes.
From the towering smokestacks, exhaust gas is spewed day and night, polluting the atmosphere, but the Martians pay it no mind.
They live in a world they have long been familiar with.
Mars has always played an extremely important role in human history.
Before the Industrial Revolution it was an important presence in many myths and carried diverse symbolic meanings.
In the space age Mars became the first planet conquered by humanity.
After the Age of Night arrived, the worship of the Machine God became mainstream on Mars.
That is why it became the core planet of the Mechanicum and the Imperium's greatest treasury of technological knowledge.
Martian society has a strict hierarchical structure. The lowest stratum is composed of ordinary citizens who perform simple tasks in groups.
The ruling class was composed of the clergy and Magi of the Machine Cult.
Most citizens dreamed of joining the Machine Cult, but the status of Tech-Priest was beyond their reach. Therefore many people chose as a second option to join the Skitarii.
Even for the guardians of the faith, this means a social leap that many Martians can only dream of.
Any civilian who can become a member of the Knight Guard is a lucky person.
The most understandable example is Marvin. Thanks to his excellent genes he was selected as a trainee.
His flesh is not yet qualified to receive the mechanical transformation of the god, because he himself has not yet fulfilled the qualifications.
The standard conversion surgery for Church Guardians can only be performed after the age of twenty, when the bones and nervous system are fully developed.
Before that he is merely an apprentice who must learn the teachings of the Machine God of all things and overcome trials.
The only special privilege granted to him is that he can wear the uniform and badge of a Church Guardian and own a lasgun older than his own age.
Even so, Marvin is the pride of his entire family.
On the day he was selected, his parents shed tears of joy and celebrated the event.
Marvin's mission is to perform cleaning work on the Tharsis Plateau and shoot down the ferocious thralls that try to destroy the reactors.
Normally, machines that have received irreparable damage or the consumables produced by failed cranial surgeries are simply discarded on the grey plains.
The Grey Plains is the common name used by ordinary people for the inland areas covered in toxic ash that lie between the numerous forges on Mars.
Most of them will die, but some will survive.
These snakes form packs and cross the wilderness, all eagerly trying to fulfill the mission they were born to perform.
The damaged brains have lost the ability to think and have been discarded as defective products; they are no longer of any use.
In some cases these uncontrollable thralls acquire a certain degree of fragile autonomy.
Because of a shortage of energy and spare parts they gather in large numbers, attack Mechanicum facilities, assault workers, and suck power in order to maintain survival.
Marvin's mission was to protect the reactor facilities and prevent damage from swarms of feral thralls.
His lasgun had almost no recoil and released a bright beam of light every time the trigger was pulled.
The fallen thralls struggled desperately and somehow managed to escape the gunfire of the Knight Guards.
They do not understand why they are being attacked. They just want to survive. Is that not allowed?
Marvin felt a moment of sympathy, but coldly continued to carry out orders.
Suddenly the spatial structure not far away distorted and began to emit a hazy light.
Then a spatial passage was opened.
Marvin was surprised. The first thing he thought was that the enemy had invaded.
He immediately put his finger on the trigger and prepared to fire.
Then he saw a figure wrapped in light and wearing golden armor.
Marvin's scanner suddenly beeped. Out of curiosity he picked it up and saw the identification code "Oracle" displayed on the screen.
When he clicked, a detailed introduction appeared.
[Identity confirmed: Master of Mankind. Emperor. Lord of the Throne of Terra. Earthly mouthpiece of the Machine God.]
Then another interface appeared on the scanner.
[Identity confirmed: Commander of the Imperial Guard, Constantin Valdor]
The moment Marvin saw the two interfaces, his eyes widened.
The Tech-Priest commanding these apprentice thralls crashed because of the information he received.
The Emperor and the Commander of the Imperial Guard appearing on Mars simultaneously without prior notice — what on earth does this mean? The trainee Guardians who learned the identities of the newcomers lowered their heads and took their hands off the triggers.
Even if they had ten times the courage, they would not have had the courage to commit the sin of attacking the Machine God.
Such an accusation could even involve and persecute their master, Magos Maxima.
Mars is not a merciful enemy. Political adversaries in fields such as political views and ideology will use such pretexts to attack other Magi and try to seize fragments of the knowledge and resources they possess.
Marvin followed the leading Tech-Priest and went down on one knee, welcoming the Master of Mankind with the highest respect.
The Emperor ignored the surrounding lower-ranking clergy apprentices, looked around, confirmed that this was Mars, and could not help but sigh.
"I never imagined I would come to Mars so soon."
The Nameless One's methods are truly unbelievable.
The Emperor also possesses the ability to travel the stars without needing a spaceship.
However, realizing that would require a great deal of time and effort.
The Nameless One merely waved his hand and created a passage from empty space with unbelievable efficiency.
Datch's gaze was fixed on the thralls of machines that were soaked in blood and oil and covered in wounds.
They were still desperately responding to the primitive instinct to survive, dragging their wounded bodies and struggling desperately like earthworms that had been cut in half.
He did not feel sympathy for these machine thralls; rather, exclamation marks were floating above their heads.
Repairing them can yield rewards.
Datch obtained "Golden Hammer" from the game shop, approached the broken mechs, and struck the void.
The next moment a faint "ting" sound rang out.
The moment the golden hammer was swung down, golden light burst forth from the tip of the hammer.
The golden light spread like a ring, as if life were being breathed back into corpses.
The cracked, pale skin was completely healed.
The skeleton that looked as if it had rusted and been corroded by acid was reborn as something completely new.
The severed optical-fiber cables were pulled up from the ground and reconnected.
One of the thralls stood up. Its body was no longer damaged, and the head that had been cut off by about one-third with the internal gears and circuit boards exposed had returned to its original state.
Surprise like that of a human floated in the thrall's eyes, and it muttered, "Am… am I still alive?"
At the same time the other thralls also stood up in the golden light, their eyes filled with excitement and expectation.
Marvin and the other trainees witnessed such a miracle. They were dumbfounded and speechless.
Except for the faint operating sounds of the machines and the rough breathing of the crowd, the place was completely silent.
What happened?
"Why have all the ferocious thralls recovered?"
"They seem to have regained their sanity."
"What the hell, this is a miracle!"
"..."
Cries of surprise rose and fell. The people were filled with astonishment, and the gazes directed at the Nameless One were filled with awe and reverence.
"This guy really feels like the true Machine God of all things."
"It's not just a feeling — he himself is."
"Other than the Machine God of all things, is there anyone with this much power?"
"He is the Machine God of all things. Then what on earth is the Emperor?"
"The Emperor is the earthly messenger of the Machine God of all things, and the one before our eyes is the true form of the Machine God of all things."
The Guardians' voices were extremely quiet, but the Emperor's hearing was extremely sharp, and his expression immediately turned grim.
That damned nameless bastard stole my sons!
They even stole my title of "Machine God of all things."
Will the day come when they steal my Golden Throne as well?
Ah, vast and high heavens, how can you be so cruel to me!
...
After treating the machine thralls and receiving the rewards, Datch ignored the NPCs.
He turned toward the Emperor and the others and said,
"Let's go. We must go to the Labyrinth of Eternal Night to find the Void Dragon. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can solve the problem."
The Void Dragon had been sealed by the Emperor in the Labyrinth of Eternal Night.
Those who are not authorized, once they set foot inside, will be eternally confined in a labyrinth where time and dimensions are reversed, and will ultimately meet their death inside it.
The entrance to the labyrinth is an old and ruined temple that is extremely cleverly hidden.
However, Datch had a navigation map, so he easily found the destination, leaving the Emperor completely bewildered.
It feels as if the nameless one has returned to Mars, as if he has come home.
Is he really the Machine God of all things?
Datch led the group to the temple, used the Reality Stone to break the seal left by the Emperor, and created a tunnel leading underground.
The Emperor, who until then had been pretending to be calm, widened his eyes at this sight.
Eh, is it already solved?
That was a seal I painstakingly created, yet it was broken so easily?
At that moment the Emperor felt like incompetent.
"Let's go. The Void Dragon is inside."
Datch entered the dark tunnel first, followed by Ferrus and Vitan M.
"Your Majesty." Valdor, carrying the Spear of Apollonian, called out to the Emperor who was lost in thought.
The Emperor returned to himself from doubt and shock.
He glanced at Valdor, nodded, and then stepped into the tunnel.
The interior of the cave was not completely dark; the rock itself was emitting light.
Pale green light spread along the rock layers like some unique bioelectricity.
This tunnel is also very peculiar in that it was not formed naturally.
It is characterized by winding passages composed of multicolored corridors and glittering bridges made of smooth crystal.
"This is not a natural landscape." Ferrus stretched out his hand and touched the rock beside him.
The moment his fingers touched the surface of the rock, pale green light spread around him like a startled school of fish.
A few seconds later it slowly returned and covered around his fingers.
"Was that caused by the overflowing power of the Void Dragon?"
Ferrus quickly guessed the truth.
"Yes." The Emperor's voice echoed in the Primarch's mind.
"The influence of the Void Dragon is far greater than you imagine. It is the technological foundation of the entire human civilization."
"Without its influence, humanity would probably have followed a completely different path."
Datch ignored the NPCs' conversation and walked at the head of the group, relying on the minimap to advance easily through the complex maze.
When the Emperor once suspected that the creator of this labyrinth was an unknown existence,
otherwise how could the other party be on such close terms with them?
After passing through various unique tunnel terrains, Datch and his companions arrived at a magnificent laboratory hall.
Countless pieces of equipment were scattered inside the hall.
In addition to technological products made by humans such as reactors, generators, data terminals, and logic engines, there were also many technologies that looked like Xenos creations, all of which were in operation.
Snake-thick cables crawled across the ground, connecting countless devices.
"Who are you?" A voice of surprise rang out. It was a severely hoarse, aged voice that told of the intensity of the passage of time.
When the crowd looked in the direction of the voice, there was a priest wearing a black robe and hood.
"I never expected to have guests today. It is truly a rare and delightful event."
The other person walked out into the light while speaking.
At that time the crowd could clearly see the newcomer's appearance.
His face was severely emaciated, his eyes vacant, and several bone-white strands of hair grew on his head.
His skin emitted a silver luster, as if what was flowing through his body was not blood but glittering flames.
The other person had a glossy electronic tattoo on his face. It was a gradually tightening spiral, with classical double-wing patterns on both sides.
"I had already given up on that bastard Moravec finding a replacement for me."
"I never thought that bastard still had a conscience left."
The Emperor immediately felt ashamed upon hearing these words.
Because the Moravec the other party mentioned is one of his images.
In the Middle Ages, when the Void Dragon invaded Earth, he transformed into Saint George, mounted a warhorse, defeated the enemy, and sealed it in the Labyrinth of Eternal Night.
Several warriors who served Saint George were selected as guardians of the seal and remained in the labyrinth to prevent the Void Dragon from escaping.
However, humans ultimately have limits. They cannot guard the Void Dragon forever.
Therefore the Emperor occasionally selected new guards for the Labyrinth of Eternal Night.
The last time the guards were changed, he went to Mars for research and on that occasion coincidentally deceived someone and sent them to Mars to take over the guard duty.
At that time his alias was Moravec, and the famous Vault of Moravec that countless Magi of the Mechanicum longed for was his representative work.
It contained many of his deranged works. Judging by the standards of later courts, the Emperor would have executed him first.
"Who are you?" Ferrus asked.
"I am the Dragon's Guardian. I once had another name — Simeon."
The priest said, "Moravec gave me a mission: to protect this powerful creature and, while I'm at it, to leave records and conduct investigations."
"Show me the dragon." Datch did not want to ask such questions. He had already wasted too much time on these missions.
"Why must I…" When Simeon was about to object, the Emperor's voice echoed in his mind. "Take him there??"
Simeon looked at the Emperor beside him. His pupils dilated slightly and an expression of surprise appeared on his face.
This man… could he be Moravec?!
He remembered that that bastard did not look like this. Did he get plastic surgery?
"Take him there. Don't ask questions," the Emperor said to Simeon again.
Simeon was puzzled, yet he still averted his gaze and turned toward Datch. "I'll take you to the dragon, but I hope you won't regret it."
Over long years many people wandered into this place, all of them wanting only to see the dragon, and in the end they were all eaten by the dragon.
"Hurry up and take us. Stop the nonsense," Datch said.
Simeon said nothing more and turned around to begin the conversation.
Before long the group arrived at a platform shining with silver light.
Here there was a reading desk made of old rock, and a thick book was placed on it.
The cave was enormous, like the hollowed-out center of Mars, unbelievably large.
Simeon walked up to the lectern, spread both arms, lit a cigarette, and shouted.
"Welcome here. Behold the dragon."
Except for the Emperor, everyone else showed puzzled expressions.
What they saw was not a dragon — only a vast silver light filling the space.
"Where is the dragon?" Ferrus asked in confusion.
"It is cleverly camouflaged. Look at that perspective angle and the cave."
"Geometric structure."
The Emperor's voice echoed in everyone's minds.
The Emperor's words brought a new perspective to everyone and made it possible to understand the true form of the Void Dragon.
Realizing it had been discovered, the Void Dragon stopped acting, folded its gigantic wings, revealed its enormous silver body, and roared at the fools who dared to interfere.
However, no one feared its anger. They simply watched it in silence.
This made the captive Void Dragon feel a little awkward.
Um… at least show some respect!
Pretend to be shocked or terrified.
If you do this, my face will be ruined.
I really hate people who don't know boundaries and don't understand social manners.
Datch opened the Room of Requirement and brought out the astrologer Orikan and the Zarhulash.
"Hurry up and get to work. Beat this thing down, then use the Dimension Cube to defeat it."