"Awakening Memories"

Wojciech Belik took a deep breath, straightened his red robes, and was just about to press the electric bell when the airlock roared and the hatch slid open, revealing Nimrod's deep voice.

"Enter."

The middle-aged man with neat, short brown hair paused for a moment; knowing the many formidable powers of his King, it was no surprise that he had sensed his arrival.

Respecting the protocol of the airlock, Wojciech said respectfully.

"My King, you summoned me."

Nimrod nodded slightly: "You have completed the work I assigned you well, and I have decided to grant you a reward."

"It is my honor to serve you."

Wojciech bowed as he spoke, and just as he finished, he saw the golden potion resting in the giant's open left palm.

His brown eyes trembled, and after a moment of silence, he picked up the potion and drank it in one gulp.

As the potion settled in his stomach, Wojciech's entire body shuddered, and a massive explosion of knowledge occurred within his mind.

Having "awakened his memory," he recalled every text, piece of data, and book he had ever read in his life, understanding and mastering them with lightning speed.

Wojciech clearly discerned the difference; in the past, his understanding of knowledge had come from the teachings of the Tech-Priests, a form of religious worship and ritual.

Now, however, he understood everything he had experienced from the perspective of fundamental principles, as if he were reliving his life dealing with machinery through an entirely new lens.

When Wojciech had previously selected polymers to create waterproof coatings, he had merely followed the tables listed in the appendix of Chapter 23, "Material Guidelines," of the Guide of the Omnissiah to find epoxy resins suitable for use in the Cradle of the Sea.

Now he knew that epoxy resin was the optimal choice because it was a rigid, high-polymer chemical material characterized by high strength, high toughness, waterproofing, weather resistance, and corrosion resistance, making it suitable for high-intensity, corrosive seawater environments.

Stunned by this subversive shock, Wojciech remained frozen for a long time before realizing he was floating in the air, looking down at his own body clad in red robes.

"Do as I say..."

Nimrod's majestic voice rang out, and Wojciech, influenced by it, subconsciously followed the giant's instructions, gradually calming down.

An hour of standard ship time later, Wojciech had mastered meditation and returned to a normal state, yet he still hadn't fully recovered, staring blankly at the giant before him.

To think he could bestow such power upon me—how is this even possible? Could he be the avatar of the Omnissiah?

After another dozen seconds of silence, he finally spoke.

"My King, thank you for your grace. I will certainly make good use of the power you have bestowed upon me to serve you."

Nimrod sensed the fluctuations in Wojciech's emotions and knew he needed time to adapt to this shift in his worldview; he would grant him the time to adjust.

"Go back and rest. Afterward, I want you to crack the secrets within this data crystal."

Nimrod opened his right hand, revealing a crystal-clear cylinder, twelve centimeters long and five centimeters in diameter, processed with extreme precision.

For the Flao, who were masters of the mysteries of the aether, crystals were the primary medium for storing knowledge and other information.

While Nimrod began his own research, he also wanted to let the "Know-it-all" have a try.

"As you command, my King."

Wojciech carefully took the data crystal, his spirit lifting; compared to pondering whether Nimrod was the avatar of the Omnissiah, he was much more accustomed to technical work.

After Wojciech withdrew, Nimrod also took out a data crystal and began his research.

At the same moment, at the Khanty-Mansi Dome of Tezwork.

An old man in blue robes, his body hunched and bent, yet with his chest suddenly arched upward, raised his left claw, which resembled that of a vulture.

With a forceful squeeze, the foreman, who had been charging over with a wrench from several meters away, immediately felt his throat gripped by an invisible hand.

"I truly did not expect that you scum of the lower hive would actually sacrifice yourselves for an upper-hivers who oppressed you."

The bald foreman shouted intermittently: "Protect... Lord Howard..."

The workers from the scorched workshop charged forward, brandishing the steel pipes in their hands.

The charismatic influence of the "Arbites" had won the hearts of the workers; they were no longer fighting for food, but for their leader.

"Truly admirable!"

The old man in blue robes clicked his vulture-like claws against his snake-like, swaying tentacles, marveling in a raspy voice.

"Howard Fender, the qualities you possess are admirable. I offer you a chance."

"Believe in the God of Wisdom and join the Great Cause of Enlightenment."

His ears twitched, listening to a voice coming from nowhere.

"Yes, join us, and you shall achieve great things."

"I can tell you this: do not count on your subordinates."

Howard watched the bald foreman fall and stood stunned for a moment, memories flashing through his mind of the simple joy he felt when he received tuna and water.

Now, the man was charging at the front to protect him, wielding a wrench that could hardly be called a weapon, attacking the terrifying enemy who had killed the captain of the guard.

He saw the workers of the dome falling one by one under the attacks of the mutants, yet no one retreated, and a realization dawned in his heart.

This is the power my Lord spoke of!

But Howard also knew that fighting spirit could not bridge the gap in strength; the sorcerer before him was far too terrifying.

The time elapsed since he issued the order to summon the 5th Regiment was more than enough for them to have made several round trips, yet they had still not appeared; they had undoubtedly encountered an obstruction.

I must kill the psyker!

Howard raised his arm, aiming his heavy stubber at the wizard.

The rhythmic tat-tat-tat of gunfire erupted, a dense barrage of bullets blanketing the wizard.

"A foolish choice."

The wizard raised his staff, and a burst of telekinetic energy exploded outward, forming an invisible force field before him.

The incoming rain of lead suddenly halted, then, under the manipulation of "Machine Influence," reversed direction in mid-air.

With a sharp flick of the wizard's hand, the bullets whistled back, and the four remaining guards of House Finde collapsed into pools of blood.

The bullets struck the Artificer Power Armor with dull, heavy thuds before clattering to the ground.

Howard noted that several craters of varying depths had already appeared on the chest plate of his armor.

He released the heavy stubber, swung his drill, and charged toward the wizard.

The blue-robed psyker shook his head; he raised his left claw, and the roaring, spinning drill ground to a halt just an arm's length away from him.

His multicolored pupils were filled with mockery as he looked at the foolish noble before him.

The blue-robed psyker froze; he saw not a shred of despair in Howard's azure eyes.

The next instant, he felt his right arm, which held the staff, gripped tightly.

Howard had successfully deceived the wizard, and the moment the psyker believed he had won, the "Arbites" launched a surprise attack, seizing the wizard's arm.

The blue-robed psyker was struck with panic; he raised his left claw, intending to blast the blond noble away with telekinesis, but the "Arbites" was faster—as Howard gripped the wizard's arm, he pulled it forcefully toward his chest.

The blue-robed psyker lost his balance, his spell failed, and his neck was locked tightly by the "Arbites."

"I sentence you to death!"

Howard's tone was chilling as he exerted force with his arm.

With a crisp snap, the wizard's neck was broken.

The blond noble raised his arm, and the drill slammed viciously into the back of the wizard's head.

A moment later, confirming the wizard was dead, the "Arbites" released his grip and cast the corpse aside.

At the same time, Howard felt as if something within his body was dissolving, merging with his own spirit.