As the elevator stabilized, Luka and Olivia entered the mine tunnel. His servo skull projected task notifications:
"Enter the alien ruins and activate a series of tasks"
"Task 1: Explore the current ruins"
Content: Alien ruins hold dangers and rewards. Investigate their current state.
"Task 2: Clear the aliens in the ruins"
Content: Traces of aliens remain. Eliminate them to protect the Imperium.
"Task 3: Destroy the current alien ruins (optional)"
Content: The ruins threaten planetary stability. You may choose to destroy them.
"Task 4: Unknown"
Content: Explore to unlock further details.
Luka nodded, relieved to have direction for raising authority and earning points.
He eyed the θ-level psychic talent exchange, a stable mid-tier power allowing controlled psychic use, common among Inquisition and Astronomican psykers. Higher levels risked instability, requiring oversight, while α-level psykers could tear planets apart, a power unfit for humans unless Primarchs or Immortals.
With α-level power, Luka wouldn't need to explore in person; he could divine or unearth the ruins psychically.
"Are these blackstones natural or alien-made?" Olivia asked, eyeing the obsidian-like deposits in the tunnel.
The Imperium's research on blackstone was nascent; even the Mechanicus barely understood it.
"It's unclear if they're natural or alien-crafted," Luka replied, touching a cut deposit. "But all known blackstone comes from Necron structures—tombs or ships."
"We're demolishing their houses?" Olivia quipped.
"More like digging their graves," Luka said, pointing ahead. "Is that the ruins' entrance?"
A collapsed gap in the wall, adorned with strange inscriptions, was guarded by defense turrets.
"Yes," Olivia confirmed, sending armed servitors through first. "I never explored it for safety."
"Good call," Luka said, examining Necron inscriptions. "These are Necron writings. We can't translate them, but they confirm Necrons are buried here."
He and Olivia recorded the inscriptions with their servo skulls for future analysis.
They crawled through the gap into a dilapidated stone chamber, marked by combat traces and wall scratches. Metal beetles littered the floor.
Luka picked up a beetle, handing it to Olivia. "Necron Scarab, used for tomb maintenance. Were these here last time?"
"No," Olivia said, checking her records. "They weren't."