Twelve days after arriving at Citadel Vigilant, Arkhan, having immersed himself in the data ocean, sought out Nareth.
"My Lord, I have reviewed all materials in the database and mastered the method to activate the Doomsday Weapon."
"However, the structural diagrams are missing. Dismantling it would require four years."
"I believe the creators may not have wanted future generations to reproduce such a dangerous weapon."
Nareth frowned. The absence of the structural diagram from the data storage chamber was perplexing.
He recalled Abaddon's decision to leave the Voidclaw behind, removing only its critical components. Perhaps this too stemmed from the lack of diagrams.
"Understood. Organize the materials and send them to me. I will find a way."
"My Lord, I have prepared them." Arkhan produced a data crystal. "This contains crucial information on the Void Claw."
He then departed. If the Omnissiah said there was a way, there was.
After Arkhan left, Nareth inserted the data crystal into a playback device, rapidly reviewing it.
Even as a non-specialized diviner, he knew divination difficulty increased with obscurity and secrecy.
More information could improve the success probability.
Divining star charts required fragmentary information, but divining a Doomsday Weapon's structural diagrams differed.
After one review, the Primarch's superhuman mind memorized all information.
Nareth retrieved the Dice of Prophecy from his waist. Information on the Voidclaw flashed through his mind.
'The Voidclaw doesn't fire physical projectiles. It emits energy streams bypassing all types of fields and obstacles, causing a breach in spacetime.'
'Fragmented spacetime energy transmits to a preset coordinate point, opening a microscopic singularity, releasing destructive power akin to a black hole effect.'
'Artificially created black holes possess sufficient power to warp spacetime continuity and induce gravitational anomalies.'
'At maximum output, the Voidclaw can create phenomena mimicking black hole gravitational collapse, causing galactic-scale astronomical cataclysms.'
After mentally reciting eleven times, he tossed the Dice of Prophecy.
The tetrahedron tumbled through the air before falling, landing in Nareth's outstretched palm. A grand vision unfolded before him.
A silver machine, interconnected by a dense network of conduits.
Nareth produced a blank data crystal, recording the Voidclaw's structural diagrams.
After verification, he found Arkhan.
Machines in the control room glowed. Arkhan worked at the central console, hands flying across the panel.
Nareth approached Arkhan, handing him the data-crystal.
"Structural diagrams for the Voidclaw."
Arkhan's eyes widened, thinking:
'How is this possible!'
'It's only been six and a half hours.'
Arkhan immediately inserted the data crystal into a data machine, rapidly examining.
Seeing the flawless creation, every internal conduit, every rune, he felt as though he'd experienced a cosmic explosion.
Arkhan beheld the breathtaking perfection of the Voidclaw's exquisite structure, the ultimate embodiment of the Machine God's mysteries.
His mind reeled; knowledge boiled within him, overturning all conventional wisdom.
'How could one possibly master the blueprint of a Doomsday Weapon within six hours?'
'No one could achieve that!'
A thought like lightning cleaved Arkhan's chaotic mind.
'Lord Nareth truly is the Omnissiah!'
'Only He could accomplish this!'
Now a true "Savant," Arkhan's emotions stabilized. Opening his eyes, he gazed devoutly at Nareth.
"My Lord, through Your might, I have grasped the Voidclaw's secret key."
"I can transfer it from the fortress to the battleship."
"I believe soon, we can manufacture more Doomsday Weapons to serve You."
Nareth nodded with satisfaction. Arkhan's attitude and wording showed he had completely replaced the Emperor in his heart.
Sixty work cycles later, the people of Vigilus were astonished to see the Vhulian Swirl, raging for millennia, vanish for the first time.
Learning this, Boero Agamemnus immediately dispatched numerous agents to explore the dust storm region.
Fifteen work cycles later, he received reports.
"What? The Shadows of Order forbids entry."
"Soon after Lord Nareth's arrival, the Vhulian Swirl vanished. This must be Lord Nareth's doing."
"Such tremendous power!"
Nareth's image sharpened in Boero's mind. Previously, he knew the Primarch was undefeated, but it remained somewhat vague.
A day later, receiving the Primarch's Aide's order to submit Vigilus's production capacity to Magos Arkhan, he complied without hesitation.
With the Forge Lord's assistance, Arkhan mobilized production from Nemendghast, Vigilus, and its moon Neo-Vellum. Within five Terran months, a grand engineering project was completed.
On the Shadow's Sovereignity upper midsection, a magnificent fortress rose, the second tallest structure on the Gloriana-class battleship, its peak only surpassed by the Primarch's palace base.
Before ordering departure for Vostroya, Nareth specifically met with Arkhan.
"Arkhan, you depart for Mars tomorrow."
"No," Arkhan immediately said. "Please allow me to follow You!"
"Arkhan, I fully understand your loyalty, but I have a task for you."
Hearing the Omnissiah had a task, Arkhan's disappointment at not following the divine light subsided.
"My Lord, please command me."
"Mars holds perilous underground catacombs and techno-vaults, hiding lost Standard Templates, lost creations, and technologies. Your mission is to find them."
Calmer, Arkhan recalled his original plan: after the Squat planetary tow, he intended to return to Mars and begin excavations.
"I understand. I will accomplish the sacred task You assign."
Nareth thought of Arkhan leading a team into the Librarius Omnis on Mars, searching for functional STC databases.
This expedition became the most prolific STC recovery operation during the Great Crusade.
Arkhan not only found blueprints for the Land Raider battle tank, Land Crawler multi-purpose heavy engineering vehicle, and Mars Universal Land Engine, but also rare anti-grav plate technical data for the Land Speeder.
All these bore his surname.
Looking at the "Archaeologist," he said.
"Your first destination is the Librarius Omnis on Mars. There, you will find lost secrets."
"In this process, you will master the power I granted."
"I understand. I will not fail You." Arkhan said solemnly.
"I will dispatch a frigate and five Techmarines to accompany you."
"Report any discoveries to me via prayer."
"Your will be done." Arkhan accepted. Long isolated, he had few subordinates.
Though Techmarines couldn't access core areas through certification, their assistance would make exploration more efficient.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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