The Creators: From Night City

Page 476

The armor made a continuous series of crisp clanging sounds as it moved. The apostles scattered on the spot, not rushing to knock on the door, but instead forming a standard defensive formation around the square to guard against possible demon attacks.

The black-armored killing squad did not approach the unknown, golden warband first, but instead tried to get closer to the mechanical temple.

But even though all the demons had been slain, their corpses littered the square, and their blood stained the earth, the Void Shield of the Mechanical Temple remained open.

In fact, the newly emerged Astartes Chapter was considered a suspect by the Archsage of Mechanism from the moment it appeared.

The treacherous retinue is perfectly capable of carrying out a self-inflicted injury at the cost of these demons.

Therefore, the identity of this strange reinforcement, who was odd from head to toe, was questionable to him.

Therefore, although the killing squad quickly made contact with the mechanical sage in the hall, they were not immediately accepted, but instead quickly received a new mission.

They need to assist the other party in further verifying the identity of this combat group.

The commander of the "Stay Alert" kill squad warned over the communications channel.

He decided to personally contact the other party to test their identity.

Swords were sheathed, guns were locked, and it seemed like the battle had ended, but every member of the killing squad could guarantee to fire within milliseconds.

They loosened their formation and slowly followed their commander toward the 'Apostles' who were building their positions, but in reality, they never relaxed their pace for a moment.

The commander walked at the front, not only because he carried a shield but also because he was equipped with an iron aura. In the event of a sudden attack, his survivability was the highest among them.

"Those flames are an unknown application of psionic energy, Commander. I'm sure I've never seen anything like it before," Black Shield Intelligence explained its findings in an encrypted communication channel.

[Their equipment does indeed have some elements of the Imperial power armor concept, but the overall design concept is quite different from the mainstream.] The technical sergeant Galian, who was following behind the commander, got closer and also noticed some clues from the equipment on the other side.

Most of the glittering 'Apostles' were busy, but two small teams were also lined up to wait.

As the commander in black armor approached, several 'Apostles' seemed to receive internal instructions, slightly shifting to the sides and making way for a golden-armored 'Apostle' from the army formation.

Needless to say, the other party was the commander of this legion.

"May the Emperor bestow honor upon us." The commander voluntarily removed his helmet, revealing a resolute face, with two gold and one silver service badges on his forehead gleaming under the lights.

Under his gaze, the other person removed the helmet decorated with some kind of feathers, revealing an equally pure human face.

'The skull is not deformed, and its appearance conforms to human purity standards,' the commander thought to himself.

"The Black King is watching you and me." Flying Eagle certainly couldn't shout "Emperor above!" After all, if a 'familiar' of his level dared to shout that, the Emperor would really dare to 'look down' from above.

[The Imperial doctrine does not record any title related to the 'Black King,' and none of the Imperial Chapters have a Primarch referred to by this name.] The Black Shield Think Tank added this information in the communications channel as needed.

However, I did not sense any chaotic or corrupting influence. It would be best to remain vigilant and continue probing.

The commander listened to his comrade's assessment without revealing any emotion on his face. When it comes to acting skills, the Astartes are also masters of performance when needed.

The blood-stained gauntlets tapped lightly against his chest, producing a crisp metallic clanging sound. After the commander performed the Eagle Salute first, he cunningly introduced himself.

“Deathwatch Kill Squad Commander Cassius Valkan, from the Fist of the Empire.”

According to the understanding among the Astartes Chapters, being the first to identify oneself is a way of expressing recognition and praise to the other side. In return, as long as there is no intention to make enemies, the other side should give an equal response.

Although Flying Eagle was unaware of these conventions, he could guess the other party's general intentions.

He wasn't guilty at all, and returned the salute in a very proper manner.

"Flying Eagle, First Company Captain of the Anti-Entropy Battle Group"

'【Anti-Entropy】? Which warband is this?' The commander glanced subtly at the unique '∞' symbol on the opponent's shoulder armor, his mind racing.

'Or are they a branch chapter of some founding legion?' A new speculation arose in the commander's mind.

'But aren't those chapter emblems, which signify identity, a bit too unfamiliar?'

Every Space Marine is an expert in heraldry. They will compare the heraldry they observe with the heraldry of known loyalists of the Imperium to determine whether the heraldry belongs to a known loyal chapter or to the enemies of Chaos.

But the strange thing is that the inscription on the other side's shoulder armor can neither be matched with the known information of the Imperial loyalist chapters nor with the emblems of the Chaos traitors.

Moreover, the emblem could be counterfeited, or the other party could be an extremely rare, unknown, newly established sub-band.

Normally, when two unfamiliar Astartes factions meet, they will verify each other's identities through heraldry, communication protocols and sector passwords, the power armor and equipment they are equipped with, and their behavior and speech.

However, the irony is that heraldry can only be used as a reference. The Killing Squad does not belong to this star sector, so naturally there is no corresponding communication protocol or star sector password. Although the armor and equipment they are equipped with are strange, it is still possible to see that they have inherited a lot of the Imperial design style.

No obvious flaws were found in the initial conversations and actions of either party.

In such cases, if both parties still have doubts about each other's identities, they will resort to methods such as genetic seed verification, mind-reading by think tanks, or seeking arbitration by a higher authority.

Putting aside the possibility that their idea might be seen as an insult, they currently lack both pharmacists capable of verifying genetic seeds and think tanks capable of conducting mind detection, as well as reliable superiors for cooperation.

Commander Cassius Valkan was having a headache.

Unknown prayers, unfamiliar chapter crests, and disparate equipment styles—all of this raises many questions.

Of course, what is even more suspicious is the information that the great sage Erdron-44 Stroika just exchanged with him.

The great sage, who was trapped in the Temple of Mechanism, told the commander of Deathwatch with certainty that it was impossible for such a number of Astartes to be stationed in the nearby sector, and there had never been any official records of it.

The other party's identity was shrouded in mystery, but the commander could not declare them a heretic or traitor on the spot; this was clearly not something a sentient being could do.

He could only try to probe further, even if it meant using more radical methods.

“Combat brothers, I don’t know why you are here. As far as I know, there shouldn’t be any warbands stationed near this industrial planet.”

“We are not a nearby stationed combat group, and as for why we are here, I can only say that I have no comment.” Although Flying Eagle’s tone was soft, the meaning behind it was extremely firm.

Surrounded by several shield-wielding Arbiters, Flying Eagle nodded slightly to the commander before passing by and standing directly in front of the entrance to the Mechanical Temple.

The crystal-clear stance physically separated the two sides, but it could not block their voices or sights.

“By order of the ‘Black King,’ we will take over the defense of this place. Now, I demand that you open the passage immediately.”

Chapter 966 Imperial Traditional Arts

"I'm sorry, I can't comply."

A cold, stiff response came from behind the void shield, followed by an unnatural but precise series of tapping sounds.

The Great Sage Erdron-44 Stroika emerged from inside the Mechanical Temple for the first time, revealing his true form.

His torso was unusually tall, nearly three meters high, but this body was not made of flesh and blood, but of machinery.

Four backward-curving, spider-like adamantine mechanical legs supported his body, while his slightly bulky core was wrapped in a faded red robe.

This robe, a symbol of the Mechanicus, is embroidered with binary prayers, the pi of a gear, and the Mechanicus's gear and skull emblem in silver thread.

Beneath the robe was not a body of flesh and blood; as the other party moved, numerous pipes, servo motors, and heat dissipation holes were vaguely visible.

A huge, multi-jointed power claw serves as the Great Sage's right hand, his main weapon, and his exquisite tool for exploring 'truth'. The fine gold fingertip is the most delicate probe and welding head, capable of performing micron-level precision operations and releasing high-voltage electric shocks instantly.

The other hand is a hot-swappable platform that allows for quick switching between a rotary laser saw, a multi-purpose mechanical tentacle, and dissecting tools with syringes via a set of composite tools.

The great sage also had a pair of even longer, servo-driven mechanical arms extending from his back, which danced in the air like venomous snakes, and were currently gripping a precision plasma pistol and a mechanical claw drill with a decomposition force field.

In addition, every inch of his metal shell was etched with dense binary code and mechanical incantations, and numerous small gear and skull incense burners hung around him, constantly emitting smoke.

"Database entry 7-34-Alpha records show that the nearest Astartes Chapter is located near a fortress planet 0.12 light-years away, and the last recorded communication was 2.98 Terra years before the fall of Vessos."

"At this moment, the warp storm is blocking interstellar communication. You have appeared so 'coincidentally' outside the temple where I am trapped. You have no identification code, no Imperial authorized communication channel, and no known past records. The probability of passing the logical verification is infinitely close to 0. I hereby request that you provide detailed information about your chapter, about the 'Black King,' about the source of your equipment, about your mission details, and about more verifiable data."

The mechanical sage's synthesized voice was completely flat, but the huge composite optical lenses on his face, which replaced his eyes and emitted a single red light, were fixed on the armor on the 'Apostles'.

In his view, although the other party's identity was questionable, these machines were simply too beautiful, each one like a masterpiece of Om Messiah.

Under the watchful eyes of the Great Sage, hundreds of Guardians of the Faith, and the entire Killing Squad, Flying Eagle turned his gaze to the 'inhuman being' standing on the temple steps and slowly but firmly responded.

"No comment!"

His harsh tone struck right into the great sage's metallic lungs.

These words immediately created a tense atmosphere, and even the members of the killing squad on the sidelines involuntarily prepared for battle.

The great sage Erdron-44 Stroika raised his head to express his attitude.

The excessive movement exposed his face, which was covered by a hood, and dozens of thick data cables were connected to his spinal interface like nerve bundles, with the other end connected to a floating servo skull.

The grid-like breathing mask hissed with the Great Sage's panting breaths.

Anger was suppressed by cold reason, and the mechanical sages continued: "Trust must be based on verifiable data. Article 17 of the Astartes Code concerning cooperation with the Mechanicus under warp interference stipulates that I have the right to request you to provide the first three digits of the chapter's genetic marker sequence and the corresponding verification sample."

The Great Sage can perform gene seed verification that the Killing Squad Commander cannot.

But how could Flying Eagle possibly produce what the other party requested? Besides, they don't have any gene seeds in their bodies. Are they going to dig out a 'life furnace'?

Therefore, when faced with the sage's reasonable verification request, Flying Eagle still uttered the same word verbatim.

"No comment!"

“I have the right to demand absolute censorship. The traitors of the Empire are just as adept at disguise as demons. There are 14,387 recorded cases of tricks that fit the current situation in my database. A false identity verification is more destructive than ten thousand Chaos Demons.”

"Report the serial number!" The Great Sage raised his voice and demanded loudly.

"No comment!"

Flying Eagle's expression was extremely cold and stern. The 'Apostles' behind him, who were setting up a defensive position, all stopped what they were doing and looked at both sides.

Under the command of the Great Sage, the Guardians of the Faith decisively raised their weapons and aimed them at the 'Apostles' outside the door, and a large number of servo combat robots instantly went into battle standby mode.

The large, adamantine shields firmly shielded the 'Flying Eagle' from both sides, and the invisible defensive force field also began to operate, constructing a solid, invisible cover.

Hundreds of apostles and dozens of heavily armored warriors raised their guns and quickly moved into a semi-circle, surrounding the mechanical temple.

Of course, the entire killing squad was also surrounded.

They undoubtedly chose to stand with the Great Sage, after all, this suddenly appearing team was indeed too suspicious in every aspect.

"The safety of the empire is paramount, Great Sage. You have no choice but to cooperate."

Flying Eagle emphasized this with a cold expression.

"According to the Code of Self-Government of the Mechanicus, when it comes to core secrets, the Archsages have the right to refuse all external instructions, including those from the Order of Astartes; this is a sacred and inviolable right." The Archsages' Code clearly refutes this.

"Since you cannot produce any information to prove your identity, in order to ensure that the sacred knowledge of Om Messiah is not tainted by Chaos, I will have the right to fire in self-defense without limit."

However, he simply did not understand the significance of the 'Black King's' orders to the 'Apostles'.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Flying Eagle slowly raised his right arm.

The crisp sound of guns being cocked echoed throughout the square, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

Despite this, the great sage dared not fire the first shot, thus igniting the stalemate.

He was no fool to have risen to the position of Great Sage; on the contrary, the Cult of Machines placed great emphasis on reason and wisdom.

He had already assessed the strength of the 'Apostles,' so his actions this time were merely to express his stance, seek self-preservation, and try to expel them.

If a real fight breaks out, they, including the killing squad outside, will be 100% certain to die.

The eagle's right arm ultimately did not swing down.

Jiang Bing, who had been working remotely, naturally couldn't allow the two sides, both belonging to the human forces, to engage in a passionate brawl in an environment surrounded by demons. Although infighting is a common human problem, it has to be done at the right time.

The members of the killing squad had their fingers on the triggers of their bomb guns, but they noticed that the enemy commander seemed to have received some unseen command, and slowly lowered his right hand, instead picking up a lantern from his waist.

[The situation has changed. Do not fire. Remain vigilant.] The commander emphasized in the communications channel.

At the same time, he activated the focusing function of the faceplate, synchronizing the image of the tiny lantern to all team members.

This is a lantern the size of a baby's fist, entirely green, shaped like a coiled dragon, with some kind of golden flame burning inside.

The moment the Black Shield Think Tank saw the lantern, their scattered spiritual senses were suddenly touched by something invisible.

Following its boss's remote command, Flying Eagle swiftly activated the 'beacon' in its hand.

[Be careful, that's a witchcraft item!] The think tank mobilized its psionic energy to prepare, while simultaneously issuing a warning aloud over the communication channel.

But just as his consciousness was immersed in the subspace, he vaguely sensed a huge, unknowable, and bizarre entity gliding past him.

A chilling feeling gripped his consciousness, and out of self-preservation, he subconsciously blurred and ignored it.

He had only experienced this kind of situation when he faced a chaotic demon that could not be expressed in words or writing during a mission.

The feeling from that time was nowhere near as subtle as this one.

The think tank managed to stay upright thanks to his power armor, but he was nearly suffocating. Before he could even utter a warning, a spatial rift suddenly opened in front of the mechanical temple.

Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of observation devices, a simple metal cane, devoid of any embossed patterns, pierced through the crack and touched the metal floor of the plaza in front of the mechanical temple, producing a soft sound.

'clatter'

Chapter 967 Jiang-style Communication