Howard Offers STC Fragment

Howard took a deep breath before entering the palace. The scene he had witnessed earlier and the words of Rawlslev still echoed in his ears, and he could not help but recall the youth named Bukayo.

The image of Nimrod in his heart grew increasingly mysterious and formidable. He had already received confirmation from Tech-Priest Rosicky of the Czech clan—servants of the Omnissiah who had been allied with his family for generations—that it was impossible for a cyborg manufactured by the Adeptus Mechanicus to possess such a powerful physique and combat prowess.

[Could he truly be the God of Old Night descended into the world?]

He looked at Nimrod, who stood with his back to him, and spoke respectfully.

"My Lord, I have reached an agreement with Magos Kaminski. Please review it."

Nimrod pulled his focus away from the sword-fighting simulations in his mind and turned to walk toward Howard.

"My Lord, the Magos agrees to support your claim as King of Tezwork and is willing to perform the blessing of the Omnissiah for you."

"He demands that their current interests be maintained and, furthermore, that you resolve the xenos problem in the Oceanic Movement."

After hearing Howard's briefing, Nimrod took the data-slate, scrolled through it rapidly, and asked.

"The Oceanic Movement?"

"That is correct, My Lord."

"The Oceanic Movement is, as its name suggests, an oceanic realm. It is a beautiful world dotted with pearl-like archipelagos."

As he spoke with genuine admiration for the Oceanic Movement, Nimrod had already finished reading the 1,503-page document. His superhuman brain had processed the information at high speed, distilling the key points, which aligned perfectly with Howard's summary. He looked at the blonde noble with appreciation.

"The seafood and limited agricultural products produced by the Oceanic Movement are vital to Vostonia."

"Recently, due to the appearance of xenos pirates, the food supply has been affected, and reserves are being depleted rapidly."

"If this continues, Vostonia will fall into crisis in less than three months."

Howard's words were filled with anxiety; he could already smell the impending disaster.

"What kind of xenos are invading?"

"My Lord, there are currently no reports regarding the physiology of the xenos."

"What is noteworthy is that the xenos ships are extremely advanced. They can fire a beam of pulse energy that ignores the Adeptus Mechanicus's void shields and directly erodes the hull."

Howard's expression was grim. He had previously assumed that the Adeptus Mechanicus was synonymous with technology, but after hearing Tech-Priest Rosicky's words not long ago, he realized that even more advanced technology existed.

"It also has an annoying side effect: once an Adeptus Mechanicus ship is hit, its shields immediately overload, while the enemy warship can follow up with a barrage of lance fire after completing its attack."

Nimrod fell into deep thought upon hearing this, immediately associating it with the Dark Night Fragments and the Flao mentioned in the potion formula.

[It sounds like the xenos' artillery and attack characteristics are similar to the Aether Cannons of the Flao.]

"I accept the conditions of the Mechanicus."

Even if it were unrelated to the potion ingredients, Nimrod would not allow xenos to plunder; the Vostonia system was his territory.

"But I have requirements as well. The xenos' firepower is powerful; I will need to perform boarding actions to crush them."

"Therefore, I need weapons and armor suited to my physique that can unleash my combat power."

He was still missing two potion ingredients for the Sequence 9 "Know-it-all," and the technical capabilities of low-sequence Beyonders were inferior to the Tech-Priests of Mars. Since they were asking him to drive out the xenos, he would naturally take the opportunity to demand equipment.

"Such a request is reasonable and consistent with the logic of the followers of the Omnissiah."

Howard pondered for a moment before reaching a conclusion based on his understanding of Magos Kaminski.

Then, a look of determination appeared in his azure eyes.

"My Lord, my family possesses a Standard Template Construct discovered and copied by our ancestors."

Nimrod knew that Standard Template Constructs were abbreviated as STC, which were essentially complex analytical processing programs.

Various human technologies were preserved within STC systems; they, along with Warp engines and human mutants—the Navigators—were the primary factors that allowed humanity to expand beyond the solar system and conquer various planets.

STCs allowed human colonists to maintain a standard level of technology. Without any relevant knowledge, colonists could use whatever local materials were available to efficiently build shelters, generators, transport vehicles, and other necessities.

Users only needed to simply ask how to build a house or a drill, and the STC would provide all the necessary plans.

The technology of the future Imperium of Man also relied on STCs, and the tech-priests would even launch exploratory expeditions in search of these holy templates.

"Although the Standard Template Construct obtained by my ancestors is incomplete, the biological scanners, automated robots, and refraction fields contained within it are all manifestations of House Finde being favored by the Omnissiah."

"Aside from House Boleslaw, House Finde is the only family that has stood tall in the Hive Spire since the founding of Tezwork."

"Now, I offer you the foundation of House Finde: a copy of a holy template."

Nimrod knew that STCs could exist in various forms, from paper documents and data files to large, complete facilities.

Those lucky enough to unearth an STC usually found incomplete fragments, damaged by the passage of time or other reasons.

They would copy them to preserve them for longer.

Howard was now presenting a backup copy; naturally, even a backup was worth tens of billions in Mars Credits.

After Howard finished speaking, he pressed his finger firmly onto the golden lightning bolt of his family crest on his right breastplate.

A section on the left chest of his master-crafted power armor popped open. He reached in and took out an adamantine box. Through the glass casing, one could see a delicately crafted rectangular wafer inside, its surface covered in intricate metal circuits and tiny electronic components.

He presented it with both hands to Nimrod's large hand and bowed respectfully as he retreated.

"You are responsible for communicating with the Adeptus Mechanicus and those nobles who can be brought to heel. Determine the time for the ceremony."

"Furthermore, confirm with your subordinates which families launched the attack on the Hive Spire just now, as well as those die-hard loyalists of House Boleslaw. I want to see the list within one standard hour."

"As you wish, my lord."

Howard withdrew from the palace. Having received no boon, he felt a tinge of disappointment, but he quickly steeled himself.

I have been under the lord's command for less than one work cycle. Even if I offered up family secrets, there is always an assessment period.

In the future, I must complete every task the lord assigns me perfectly to earn a boon as soon as possible.

At the same time, Nimrod opened his communicator and switched to the channel with Bukayo.

"Bukayo, what is the situation in the Hive City?"

"My lord, all shops in the commercial district are closed, factories have ceased production, and every sector is fully armed. There have been no large-scale skirmishes between the various factions."

"Based on my deductions, the major families should be acting with caution, first dispatching intelligence agents to ascertain the identity of the force that seized House Boleslaw. Most importantly, they are observing the reaction of the Adeptus Mechanicus."

"Only a few fools who think they have found an opportunity, and those loyal to House Boleslaw, would dare launch an attack against us."

Hearing this, Nimrod found it aligned with his and Howard's speculations, and he immediately issued a new order to Bukayo.

"End your reconnaissance and head to the Arbitration Court. I want you to bring back all the gavels, each marked with the name and title of its original owner."

"By your command, my lord."

Bukayo did not know why Nimrod wanted the gavels, but he knew he should not pry into the secrets of one who served the divine, so he did not voice the doubts in his heart.