Entering the Bottom Hold

"Take the fallen soldiers away and grant them the honor they deserve. Increase the food and living rations for their families!"

"Your mercy will be remembered by all!"

"Veil, I have a list of traitors within the Enforcer Squad. Send someone to arrest them."

From his memories, Gao Yi also knew many names. To pull off such an orderly rebellion, Scott wasn't the only insider—many others had been secretly turned by him.

"Veil, have Pavian prepare a set of Marauder Combat Suit for me. I'm going to the Bottom Hold myself."

"I'm afraid that's not a wise choice! Your safety is the top priority!"

Veil's first reaction to Gao Yi's proposal was refusal.

"Follow orders, Veil. I have reasons I must go. This is good for all of us, and especially important for the entire Dynasty."

"This... very well! But please allow me to accompany you! I cannot let another Captain face danger alone."

"Fine. Go put on a combat suit too."

"I'll see to it at once!"

Taking the elevator, Gao Yi and Veil arrived at the Lower Deck.

When the soldiers saw Gao Yi, they all performed the Aquila Gesture in salute.

"Look... it's the Captain! The Captain has come to the Lower Deck! I heard all this gear we're wearing was provided by him!"

"Praise the God-Emperor. Without this equipment, many of us would have died."

Seeing the fervent, adoring expressions on their faces, Gao Yi felt a bit uncomfortable.

But he forced himself to stay calm.

He nodded to acknowledge them.

"Captain, your combat suit has been prepared!" Pavian was already waiting for Gao Yi.

Hearing that the great Captain Gao Yi needed a set of equipment, he had immediately brought the Servitor here himself.

"Forgive me, my Captain. When I heard this suit was for you, I and the other Tech-Priests made some small modifications. I believe only this can ensure your safety!"

"Modifications? What do you mean?"

Pavian excitedly ordered the Servitor to push forward the Marauder suit meant for Gao Yi.

The originally pitch-black CMC-660 combat suit had become extraordinarily ornate.

A golden Aquila was emblazoned on the chest, and prayers to the God-Emperor were carved as inscriptions into the armor.

On each shoulder guard hung a Purity Seal.

Gao Yi knew Pavian intended this to grant him some immunity to psionic threats, but to Gao Yi, it was somewhat redundant.

"Thank you for your kindness, Pavian. But this weapon... isn't there something off?"

"I retrieved a small conversion field from the Dynasty's War Spoils vault and added it to the suit.

And please forgive me—I selected two relics left by past Rogue Traders. I believe your ancestors would also be willing to entrust these to your use."

The relics Pavian mentioned were a master-crafted Power Sword and a master-crafted heavy bolter.

"Pavian! You sneaked into the family vault and even dared to take the Holy Relics of our forebears!"

Veil loudly rebuked Pavian, but Pavian remained kneeling before Gao Yi.

Gao Yi stepped forward and touched the Power Sword. As he pressed the switch on the grip, a pale blue disruption field instantly enveloped the blade.

"A Power Sword..."

Gao Yi was very satisfied! This was a Power Sword—capable of cutting down even Greater Daemons, and a rare treasure even in the Imperium.

He swung it a few times and found it surprisingly well-balanced!

As for the bolter, Gao Yi wasn't particularly interested. Shooting things to bits was fun, but holy melee combat was even more satisfying!

"Alright, Veil. Pavian's punishment for opening the vault and taking relics without permission can wait until after this matter is settled."

"Very well... Pavian, there must be no next time. After this is over, you will accept your due punishment."

"Everything for the Captain, Steward Veil! Isn't his safety the most important thing? The Omnissiah be with you, my Captain!"

Though he spoke of punishing Pavian, Gao Yi was quite pleased with his actions.

Gao Yi's psionic resistance was terrifyingly high, but physically, he was still just flesh and blood. The conversion field would greatly improve his survivability against physical attacks.

Relics or Holy Relics—what did it matter? Rather than enshrining these things, Gao Yi preferred to put them to use. He didn't care about any taboos!

With Pavian's help, Gao Yi donned the equipment and armor.

Surrounded and protected by a group of soldiers, he advanced toward the Bottom Hold.

Damon's squad, as the vanguard, pushed forward relentlessly. The soldiers who joined later bolstered their assault force. Under overwhelming firepower, the traitors fell back step by step, with no effective countermeasures against the high-speed mobile Reapers.

Damon and the soldiers cleared a safe path for Gao Yi. The remaining rabble weren't dealt with immediately—those madmen were too busy hiding. By the time the purge was complete, Gao Yi's Psionic Crystal deposits had reached nearly thirty thousand. Those thirty thousand crystals represented the lives of nearly ten thousand traitors.

Gao Yi then summoned another fifty Rangers to reinforce his forces.

The next phase of the operation was not suitable for bringing humans from the Warhammer universe.

Arriving at the entrance to the Deep Hold, the squad had already assembled in the corridor, waiting for Gao Yi's arrival.

"Damon! Rally all Rangers—you're coming with me on a mission! Have some of them switch to Firebats!"

"Your soldiers are already assembled! I had them re-equip ahead of time. We're ready to move at any moment!"

"Veil, you and the crew stay outside. This mission doesn't require you!"

"No! We had an agreement, sir! I will not let you go in alone! Please let me stay by your side and protect you!"

Seeing Veil's expression—one that clearly said he'd follow regardless—Gao Yi could only relent with a helpless sigh.

"Veil, then swear by your loyalty to the Dynasty that you will never reveal anything you see inside."

"I, Veil Rodrigo, swear by the Dynasty and my family that I will never disclose anything I witness within!"

"Good. Then let's move. It's time to end this riot—enough sacrifices have been made. Every extra second in the Warp adds to the danger."

Leading the soldiers, Gao Yi stepped into the deepest part of the warship.

Drawing on Scott's memories, Gao Yi knew where the so-called ritual was taking place. The moment he entered the Bottom Hold, he felt a dense concentration of Warp energy.

Compared to the Lower Deck, the influence of the Warp here was several times stronger. The normal lighting systems throughout the Bottom Hold had been cut off, forcing the group to rely on the tactical flashlights on their Combat Suits to find their way.

Gao Yi had already formed some mental image of this so-called Bottom Hold, but when he actually saw the scene before him, he was still stunned.

Desolate and decayed, countless broken and abandoned instruments and compartments littered the area.

Exposed conduits, pipes leading to unknown destinations—without Scott's memories, he might never have found the right location in a lifetime.

"Veil... how did you people even find your way around here?"

"Every so often, a Tech-Priest brings people in to map the area, but those maps only cover the vicinity of the entrance. The complex terrain here makes a full survey nearly impossible. Some of the mutants hiding here even deliberately alter the layout."

"You people really don't worry enough..."

By the light of the flashlights, Gao Yi noticed ripples spreading through the surrounding space.

Even translucent humanoid figures drifted and moved about in all directions.

"Don't shoot! These are illusions caused by the Warp's influence—they're not real entities. The grudges of those who died horribly here have formed these ghost-like presences!"

All sorts of bizarre phenomena that shouldn't exist in the physical universe kept appearing. An ordinary person left here would likely go mad within minutes. But Gao Yi acted like an absorber and purifier of Warp energy.

While cleansing the surrounding Warp energy, he also shielded the soldiers beside him from its effects.

1, 2, 3, 4—the balance of Psionic Crystals was actually rising slowly just from standing here.

Everyone felt as though countless eyes were watching them from every direction.