Nimrod knew Vostonia would not hold out for much longer. He had already decided to conquer Oceanic Movement as soon as possible.
After settling the framework of the deal, Nimrod further confirmed every detail of his battlecruiser with Kivior-9.
He did not want to receive a ship that merely looked impressive. He questioned Rosicky to determine the most advanced technologies currently mastered by the Adeptus Mechanicus, from hull plating materials to engines, Lances, Void Shields, and every other module.
In addition to the broadside guns, its artillery included elevated Aether Cannons mounted on both wings.
Naturally, there were also facilities personally designed for him, such as quarters and an armory. Nimrod laid out his own requirements for all of them.
After all, this warship would be his flagship before he returned to the Imperium.
Throughout the process, he kept Spirit Sight active, observing the auras of the two men.
Once all the details had been finalized, Nimrod and Kivior-9 signed the <Agreement on Technological Development and Trade Between Monarch Nimrod and Mars>.
He did not use the title of hive ruler—king—but replaced it with a new Low Gothic word.
The political implication was that he would become the Monarch who united Vostonia.
The Magos discussed the word "Monarch" with Nimrod. Once he learned that it was merely a special title Nimrod had given himself because he controlled four Hive Cities, he did not investigate further.
Rosicky was thoughtful. During his time at Nimrod's side, he had come to understand this giant somewhat. Nimrod never did anything meaningless.
As he stamped the agreement, Nimrod considered briefly and decided to use the symbolic emblem of the "Black Emperor" path as his personal seal.
He swiftly sketched an image on the Data Slate: chaotic black arcs, surrounded by wings and spikes, with an abstract crown above them.
Following the image, Wojciech quickly created the electronic seal.
After signing the agreement, Nimrod ordered the 4th Regiment to withdraw, taking all the spoils they had found, including the Flao Glass Blade and Force Staff.
On the bridge, he listened to Szczesny's report.
"My lord, after contacting Fender and House Kournikova, I devised a plan to lure Robert out with the spoils. I then led an assault team to seize the ship. He has been captured alive."
"Good work." Nimrod nodded in satisfaction. Szczesny's growth proved that his judgment had been correct. "Detain him. Hand him over to Bukayo after we return to Vostonia."
As Nimrod's fleet headed for Oceanic Movement, in the Novgorod Dome of the Lower Hive in Lukpo Hive, Vostonia—
A scrawny child in tattered clothes, covered from head to toe in mud, asked anxiously.
"Mikhailovsky, you said there's Corpse-starch to eat here. Is that true?"
"Look at all these youths gathered here—tens of thousands of them. Would anyone really give Corpse-starch to burdens like us, little brats without adults to support us?"
A youth wearing trousers stitched together from scraps of cloth and oversized boots riddled with holes gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
"Grzegorz, don't worry. You can trust what I say."
"I heard this lord is also a youth. He already held an event like this in another dome."
"But there are conditions if you want food. I heard you have to pass brutal trials. Last time, thousands of youths from more than a dozen domes took the test, but only a little over three hundred passed."
Light gleamed in Mikhailovsky's brown eyes. "As long as you pass, you'll be able to eat your fill at every meal from then on."
Grzegorz swallowed instinctively. "If I can really eat my fill, then no matter how hard the test is, I'll pass it."
As the youths chatted in small groups, a brown-skinned youth with azure eyes emerged from the darkness.
Beside him, a youth of about fourteen or fifteen slammed the sheathed Chainsword in his hand against the iron frame of the platform.
The youths were all startled and turned to look.
Everyone looked toward the youth on the stage, who wore tailored Carapace Armor.
Bukayo looked down at them and spoke.
"Not long ago, I was just like you—a Lower Hive street urchin who could never eat his fill. But now, I can eat whatever I want at every meal."
"You have a chance too. As long as you complete my two assessments, you will become members of Vostonia's 3rd Regiment."
"Look over there."
Following the direction of his finger, the crowd looked toward the pitch-black gates that opened with a rumble.
"Inside that factory, every light source has been extinguished. There are one thousand black stones within, each giving off a faint glow like the one in my hand."
"With no obstruction, you can spot them from within one meter. Anyone who finds one will receive a Corpse-starch ration equivalent to the standard allowance for an Upper Hive technical worker today."
"There are no restrictions on the methods you use. So long as you get one, anything goes. You can steal, rob, cooperate, or work alone. If you're lucky, you can even find a stone, hide it to cover its faint glow, and bring it out."
Bukayo clapped his hands, drawing the attention of those staring at the factory gates back to himself.
"The important rule is this: if you leave the factory carrying a stone through any of the other three exits, you will pass the first assessment."
"You may not snatch stones from anyone who has already left the factory!"
His azure eyes swept sharply across the crowd.
"The rules are that simple. The assessment begins now!"
Bukayo watched as the youths rushed toward the factory, each scrambling to be first, and a smile tugged at his lips.
The old, weak, sick, and disabled were the most miserable people in the Lower Hive. From his own experience, he knew how desperately these youths struggled to survive.
Most youths in the Lower Hive died before reaching adulthood. Those who survived to adulthood were ruthless characters. Even those fortunate enough to be chosen by gangs, like he once had been, could only be said to be barely surviving.
As long as they were given a way to live, they would become the most loyal subordinates. Compared with adults who harbored their own schemes and looked down on him for his age and physique, these youths had far greater potential.
Moreover, the youths who passed the two assessments he had set would either excel in physical strength, intelligence, and other areas, or possess a particular specialty.
Like the youth holding the Chainsword: he was physically strong, quick-witted, and highly skilled in close combat. With nothing but a steel pipe, he had fought through three checkpoints and, in only three Work Cycles, learned the first form of "Osberkh-Vaya."
One standard hour later, the first youth ran out of the factory.
Grzegorz clutched a stone and ran with all his might. His clothes had been torn to shreds, and his shoes were gone, but when he stumbled out and felt the Lumen Lamps overhead, he knew he had succeeded.
Bukayo's second assessment tested endurance. Each youth had to walk through a long, narrow passageway, and the three hundred who lasted the longest would pass.
While Bukayo's second assessment was underway, Nimrod's fleet arrived in orbit above Cradle of the Sea.
After connecting the Data Slate to the Cogitator, Rosicky began introducing the situation of this world.
"Cradle of the Sea has a total area of 702 million square kilometers, of which 594 million square kilometers are ocean, accounting for 84.62 percent."
"The land area consists of 7,381 islands of varying sizes. More than 1,672 of those islands are inhabited, and before the xenos invasion, the total population was approximately 17.5 million."
"More than 17 million people are spread across forty-nine islands. Their seafood and grain production sustained Vostonia's development. The Magi hope you can resolve the invading xenos on those islands."
Before you continue