Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 566 Contradictions
The death countdown revealed by "The Watcher" and the cold exchange made the air in the sealed room feel unusually heavy.

117 hours—a devastating threat hanging overhead, emitting a piercing scream.

The inhuman geometric light and shadow floated above the energy-depleted crystal core, and every faint pulsation tugged at the taut nerves of those present.

The air was stagnant, a mixture of dust from ancient ruins, the pungent smell of metallic coolant, the scorching heat of ozone, and a chilling aura from the subspace that could freeze the soul. Every breath carried the scent of rust and decay.

The brief silence was broken, not by discussion, but by the undeniable will to act of that silver-gray figure.

Felus Manus stepped forward, raising his arm, covered in the living metal "Gorgon Skin," and pointing precisely at the core of the geometric projection.

Her voice echoed in the confined space, cold and clear, carrying the decisiveness of someone forging the core of a world: "Core demand: Acquire the technology to stabilize the backlash field of the psionic knights. The solution must be safe, efficient, and free of psionic pollution."

Includes complete schematic diagrams, resonant field construction parameters, a list of core materials, and manufacturing processes. Immediate delivery.

Her request was directed at the Holy Grail, which the Rostov and even the entire Imperial Mechanic Order coveted.

This is also a silent confirmation of the passive scan results from the Stardust Probe – the resonant field that complements the mirror image of the recoil ripples of the Ciricrux Anima is the ultimate goal of this mission.

The core of the "Watcher" seems to light up slightly because of this demand for efficiency and precision. The geometric lines that make up it instantly flow and recombine like a turbulent river of data, and the dying logic engine emits a buzzing sound at the limit deep in the core.

"Request... complies with... 'Technical Assistance'... sub-agreement... priority: highest..."

"Accept...the deal..."

"Prepare to transmit...data stream...to...designated...receive port..."

A ray of pure light emerged from the phantom, like a physical cable woven from logic and contracts, ignoring the constraints of space, and precisely pierced the "Eye of Truth of Om Messiah" analyzer in the hands of the sage Oregana, which was flashing with a ghostly blue data stream.

"Stop! Blasphemy!!!" Inquisitor Warren's roar shattered the fragile balance in the secret chamber.

He took a sudden step, and the adamantine hell gun in his hand, wrapped with penance scriptures and inlaid with the remains of suffering saints, instantly rose. The dark muzzle trembled violently, and the destructive threat locked onto the floating "Watcher" projection and the sphere core connected to the depleted crystal below it!
"Trading with the Abomination Intelligence?! You... creation desecrated by metal!" Warren's voice was hoarse from the agony of his faith being desecrated. He could not accept the inhuman existence of Feralus, regarding it as a twisted product of the forbidden technology of the Mechanicus.

“You have defiled the sacred form bestowed upon humanity by the Emperor! You have further defiled the eternal oath of the Astartes! This is an undeniable and ultimate heresy! The most utter betrayal of the will of Om Messiah!” His eyes, bloodshot behind his helmet visor, were fixed on Feralus’s silver-gray figure. “The opening lines of the *Mechanical Codex* state: ‘Thought is the mirror of the soul, and the soul is the prison of thought. Only a pure soul, undisturbed by polluted thoughts, can serve the god of machines!’”

What is before us is the purest form of 'polluted thought'! It is a product of humanity's arrogance during the Golden Age, which led it into an abyss of eternal damnation!

Its words are venomous twisted logic! A meticulously woven trap of chaos!

Threatening us with destruction? That's just the trick of evil gods to bewitch souls!

It is weakening? This is precisely the sacred moment that the Emperor has bestowed upon us to completely purify it!

"Burn it with the holy fire! Let this twisted creation, along with its blasphemous 'gifts,' vanish into nothingness! This is the only way to purify! This is the greatest loyalty to the Empire, to the eternal glory of the Golden Throne!" The squad of battle nuns behind him seemed to be infused with divine rage.

The safety catch of the bomb gun was released instantly, emitting a uniform, crisp metallic sound; the energy coil of the incinerator hummed as it began to charge, and the blazing energy beams traced dangerous trajectories in the dimly lit chamber, all muzzles pointing at the "Watcher".

Beneath each nun's helmet, their faces were tense, their eyes burning with the flames of martyrs, their fingers gripping the trigger guards so tightly that their knuckles turned white.

Sister Eliza, the head nun, began to chant the Purification Prayer aloud, and the sisters behind her immediately echoed in unison. The somber hymn reverberated in the secret room, adding to the somber atmosphere.

However, Eliza's gaze beneath her helmet swung violently between Warren's fanatical commands and Feralus's unshakeable, mountain-like silver-grey figure.

A surge of fervent faith, but the natural pressure of that inhuman being, like a tangible gravitational field, suppressed their instinctive actions.

The disciplined firing formation showed a barely perceptible fluctuation, and several nuns hesitated very slightly as they locked onto their targets.

“My lord!” Captain Eliza suddenly stepped forward, her voice clear and filled with the fervor of a martyr, drowning out the hymn behind her: “Inquisitor Warren! Think twice! No betrayal is too insignificant to be tolerated!”

Any contact with this abhorrent intelligence, even if it is just the exchange of a single byte of information, is a defilement of the sacred human soul!
The Emperor's teachings are absolute! The flame of purity is not to be compromised!

No sacrifice is too great to be unacceptable! If, in order to purify such ultimate evil, our bodies along with the billions of souls in this galaxy are reduced to ashes, we will have achieved eternal redemption in the Emperor's Holy Flame!

This brief destruction is far better than allowing this blasphemous thing to defile the Empire, pollute sacred technology, and ultimately drag countless souls into the eternal abyss of chaos! Command purification! We are willing to offer our lives for the Emperor, to ignite this final sacred fire!

Eliza's words acted as fuel, igniting Warren's raging fury.

His knuckles turned white from gripping the gun so tightly that he raised the muzzle again, his aim dangerously shifting between the core of the Watcher and Feralas.

The nuns' weapons were pointed more firmly at their target because of the captain's declaration. The energy coils of the incinerators emitted a piercing charging sound, and the light from the muzzles became even more intense.

Their chanting suddenly rose in unison, filled with a determination to perish together.

Felus slowly turned her silver-grey head, her icy gaze locking onto Warren's soul, consumed by fanaticism. Her rebuttal, though not loud, carried an aura powerful enough to crush even the strongest will of mortals: "Destroying the core, Inquisitor, is tantamount to personally initiating its internal destruction protocol."

This ruin, along with the warships outside and all life on board, will become the first victims of the agreement.

What followed was the annihilation of galaxies, with billions of imperial subjects turning into stardust in their ignorance.

Is this what you call 'purification'? Is this your loyalty to the imperial domain and your people? This is a blatant betrayal of your duty to life.

(End of this chapter)