The Birth of Machine Spirit Xi Ling

The mausoleum was magnificent, constructed from basalt and plasteel, cold and silent.

A bronze ossuary was placed in the center of the burial chamber.

Embedded in the wall behind the ossuary was a stasis field platform radiating a faint glow.

Inside the field sat a cubic metal device, its surface inscribed with Adeptus Mechanicus prayers and xenos runes.

"This is the tomb of my ancestors," Von said, his tone filled with reverence.

Qin Yun placed a hand on Von's shoulder.

"I apologize once again for disturbing the eternal rest of the Valancius Family ancestors."

"But the C'tan Shard is of vital importance; even if it is an offense, I must act."

Von said sincerely, "Lord Guide, there is no need for such words. If they knew a Living Saint of the God-Emperor had come to visit, they would surely be overjoyed."

Qin Yun laughed, "The God-Emperor is gratified by the loyalty of the Valancius Family."

Having said this, Qin Yun looked toward Magos Casca at his side.

"I ask that you examine the stasis field, Magos."

Magos Casca bowed to Qin Yun.

"Praise the Omnissiah, I obey your will."

He then stepped forward with several Tech-Priests to inspect the stasis field.

"Although it has been running for a long time, the Machine Spirit is content, and the gears have not been damaged."

"The device is still functioning normally; my assessment is that there are no issues. This is a manifestation of the Omnissiah's great power."

"Deactivate the stasis field and retrieve the object," Qin Yun commanded.

"Is that metal cube the C'tan Shard?"

Warmaster watched without blinking as Magos Casca and the others deactivated the stasis field.

They retrieved the metal cube and held it out to Qin Yun with both hands.

Ten-Timer shook his head, "It shouldn't be the shard itself; the metal cube is a hyper-dimensional prison used to contain the C'tan."

"The xenos runes on the surface of the cube, I suspect they are the language of the Necrons."

Strategist, who was traveling with them, looked at Warmaster and asked.

"Do you know how this thing ended up in the hands of the Valancius Family?"

Warmaster shared the information he had gathered.

"It was found during an exploration expedition. To obtain this thing, the exploration fleet engaged in a battle with a Necron fleet, which led to their total annihilation."

At this moment, a mechanical humming sound suddenly echoed through the burial chamber.

Static-like beams of light appeared out of thin air, dancing across the room to outline the figure of a man.

"Ancestor?" Von widened his eyes, his face full of astonishment.

The man in the projection did not respond to Von in any way.

After all, this was merely a recorded message left by the deceased for his descendants.

"Direct descendants of the Valancius Family, when you arrive here and activate this recording, it means the secret of the C'tan Shard has been revealed to you."

"I apologize for the disaster caused by my past actions. Had it not been for my stubbornness, the Valancius Family would never have fallen into such a predicament."

"I do not know what your current situation is, but regardless, you must guard the C'tan Shard well; never let it fall into the hands of the enemies of the Imperium."

"You must be wary of the Colin Family; those vampires will do anything if there is profit to be made."

"Even if it means selling the Imperium of Man to those damned xenos, they would not hesitate."

"The destruction of the exploration fleet was 'thanks' to the Colin Family—those damned vampires attempted to sell the C'tan Shard to the Necrons, ignoring the catastrophe this might bring upon the Imperium."

"."

The appearance of the projection filled in the details that Warmaster had failed to uncover.

Back then, the exploration fleet had traveled to the Koronus Expanse to explore, and things had gone smoothly at first.

That was until they accidentally discovered the C'tan Shard on a dead world.

They had intended to secure it and hand it over to Terra to decide its fate.

But a Necron fleet suddenly appeared, intending to seize the C'tan Shard from the exploration fleet.

A fierce void battle erupted between the two sides.

Because the Necron warships were far too powerful, the exploration fleet suffered defeat after defeat, sustaining heavy losses.

Seeing that the situation was dire, the representative of the Colin Family secretly contacted the Necron commander.

They wanted to bundle the exploration fleet and the C'tan Shard together to sell them for a high price.

They betrayed a vast amount of information.

This led to the total destruction of the already disadvantaged exploration fleet.

The vast majority of the warships and barges were destroyed.

The accompanying Inquisitor Lord Alaric prevented this disgraceful betrayal.

He even utilized the released power of the C'tan to slay the Necron commander.

However, this noble Inquisitor perished as a result.

He failed to transmit the news of the Colin Family's betrayal back to the Inquisition.

Only the ancestor of the Valancius Family managed to escape.

Entrusted by the dying Inquisitor, he took away the tesseract containing the C'tan.

Upon his return, he was framed by the Colin Family as the culprit responsible for the total annihilation of the exploration fleet.

The various factions, having suffered heavy losses, joined forces to apply pressure, forcing the Valancius Family to pay reparations.

He had intended to explain the full sequence of events, but considering the Calixis Sector was a melting pot of chaos where heretical forces were rampant and Craftworld Aeldari roamed, he hesitated.

More critically, the Colin Family, who played the villain in this story, was already the most powerful family in the Calixis Sector at the time.

Faced with accusations of betrayal, they would certainly never admit to it.

Instead, they would use the opportunity to start a war, seize the C'tan Shard, and plunge the entire sector into flames.

After weighing the options, the ancestor of the Valancius Family ultimately chose not to go public.

He paid out the entire wealth of his family and secretly contacted Terra, hoping they would send someone to take custody of the tesseract and transport it to a secure world.

Yet, until his dying day, he never received a reply from Terra.

Fearing that his descendants might cause a catastrophe that would lead to the loss of the C'tan Shard, he did not reveal the truth directly, but instead left behind a projection.

If one day someone from Terra were to arrive to take the C'tan Shard, the projection would be activated, bringing the truth to light and ensuring the Colin Family faced punishment.

The great deeds of Inquisitor Alaric would also be known to the world, allowing this noble hero to receive the honor and respect he deserved.

"The vile sit high in the halls, enjoying flowers and applause, while the loyal suffer doubt and slander, bearing everything in solitude."

"This game developer is truly conscientious; such narrative details are crafted to perfection."

Upon learning the truth of the entire affair, the Warmaster could not help but sigh with emotion.

Players like the Strategist and the Ten-Timer also silently gave their respect to the Valancius Family in their hearts.

They were truly worthy of a family granted a charter by the Emperor; their loyalty was beyond words.

Even at the cost of generations of accumulated family wealth, they were unwilling to let the Imperium bear the risk.

The other party could have chosen to reveal the truth, letting the various factions of the Calixis Sector tear each other apart.

Even in the worst-case scenario, it would just mean centuries of war, with the C'tan Shard being stolen by xenos or heretics.

But the Valancius Family would certainly have maintained their original status and position, or even advanced further.

Yet, the ancestor of the Valancius Family chose to conceal it.

He did so only to maintain the stability of the Calixis Sector, ensure that Terra could successfully retrieve the C'tan Shard, and maximize the interests of the Imperium.

The price for this was heavy; the once-prosperous Valancius Family fell into decline, and today, only a single planet remains.

They were also squeezed and ostracized by other factions at every turn.

Even when beaten to the brink of extinction by traitors, no one was willing to come to their aid.

If not for the fact that Qin Yun had arrived here by sheer coincidence, the Valancius Family would surely have been completely erased alongside the fall of Planet Automata.

This was also the reason why Von was willing to pledge his loyalty to Qin Yun.

The Valancius Family had run out of options.

Pledging loyalty to another and becoming a vassal was better than being completely wiped out.

Qin Yun looked at Von and made him a promise.

"The Valancius Family will soon reclaim everything they have lost, and even more; this is the reward for the loyal."

"Thank you, Guide. Being able to serve you is already a supreme honor. No matter what the future holds, the Valancius Family will never betray their oath," Von reaffirmed his vow.

Qin Yun took the metal tesseract and led the group out of the tomb.

Once outside, he boarded the Valkyrie to return to the Imperial Glory, heading straight for the Chapel of Prayers.

He placed the C'tan Seed before the statue of the Emperor.

A radiance emerged from thin air, swallowing the metal tesseract.

[Mission: Obtain the C'tan Shard from Planet Automata. Completed]

[Rewards will be available shortly]

A moment later, a hole of light manifested out of thin air.

A flapping Cherub flew out and handed a sphere radiating a milky-white glow to Qin Yun.

"Chosen one, my master is very satisfied with your performance. Continue your efforts."

After leaving these words behind, the Cherub flew back through the hole of light.

During this process, Qin Yun noticed that the appearance of the Cherub had become slightly more normal than before.

He wondered if it was because the power of the Emperor had increased, or if its sanity was gradually returning!

He lowered his head to examine the sphere of light in his hands.

A light screen emerged, introducing the information about the sphere.

[Item: C'tan Seed

The C'tan are ancient lifeforms possessing unparalleled wisdom and power.

Before you lies a newly born C'tan infant that has yet to gain a self-personality but possesses infinite wisdom.

What it becomes depends on how you choose to nurture it.

"First, find it a vessel; this Imperial Glory seems quite suitable.

"Work hard, young man, and strive to be a good master to a god."

]

"Young man? Become the master of a god!!"

Qin Yun frowned slightly; he always felt that these words from the Emperor were a bit improper.

Could he have been corrupted by Slaanesh!!

Could the proverb "Slaanesh above, God-Emperor below" actually come true!!

That is far too blasphemous!

Dare not think, dare not think!

Qin Yun put away his improper thoughts.

He picked up the sphere and, following the prompts, placed it into the console of the Imperial Glory.

The sphere sank into the console.

The entire Lunar-class Cruiser underwent a peculiar change, giving one the feeling that it had suddenly come to life.

Subsequently, a projection appeared before Qin Yun.

[Please set the appearance of the Machine Spirit and confirm its name]

"Good heavens, I can even customize its face!!"

After thinking for a long while, Qin Yun sculpted a cute little angel loli and named her Xi Ling.

Once the appearance and name were confirmed, a small angel projection appeared before Qin Yun.

"Master, Xi Ling greets you. Are there any tasks you need to assign?"

PS: Necrons: Are you treating my lair like a supermarket??

Thank you all for following along. This chapter is three thousand words, which is quite a lot for a new book period. May I ask for some votes??