Identity Arrangements

"So you're currently a Planetary Governor who's also serving as an Inquisitor, but there's a Necron tomb buried beneath your planet, and the only forces you can use are ten regiments of the Planetary Defense Force?" After listening to Chen Xi's introduction, Twilight looked as constipated as he confirmed this with Chen Xi.

Ten regiments of the Planetary Defense Force sounded like a lot, but using them to fight Necrons? Sorry, they probably would not even last three days before being wiped out.

Note, it would not be ten Planetary Defense Force regiments being wiped out—it would be the entire planet being slaughtered by the Necrons within three days.

In the official storyline, after the Great Rift opened, those metal skeletons had deployed an energy field called the Nullifying Death Field in the Imperium's Nephilim Sector. Within areas enveloped by this negatively polarized Blackstone energy field, every soul would be torn apart.

The vicious energy radiated by the Nullifying Death Field would gradually spread through a network formed by Blackstone Obelisks, eventually shrouding the entire galaxy in soul-shattering energy.

Put simply, those metal skeletons had launched a plan capable of slaughtering every living being with a soul throughout the galaxy.

And for the Necrons, it was merely a grand plan that required some time to carry out. Compared with the ruthless things they had done before, this barely counted as anything.

After all, the Cadian Gate, which the Imperium relied on to block the Great Rift, was actually part of the Blackstone Obelisk array left behind by the Necrons long ago.

It was precisely through the power of the Blackstone Obelisks that Cadia could stand like a sluice gate against the Warp energy pouring out of the Eye of Terror.

The Necrons only needed to activate the Blackstone Obelisk arrays that had once been scattered across the galaxy and unleash one of their true functions to kill every life-form with a soul in the galaxy.

If Cadia had not been destroyed by Abaddon, taking many of the Blackstone Obelisk arrays down with it, the Imperium would likely have found it difficult to withstand the Necrons' Nullifying Death Field plan.

Even if what was buried beneath Rostov II was not something so dangerous, it was still not something ten Planetary Defense Force infantry regiments could handle.

This was an enemy that required Space Marines, Sisters of Battle, and Knight Houses to confront head-on. At the very least, it would require the Adeptus Ministorum and Astra Militarum. The Planetary Defense Force truly was not enough.

"That's the situation for now. But I've already started organizing Sisters of Battle. I expect the convent to be completed within three to five years, after which we can train Bolter Babes in batches." Chen Xi did not seem particularly concerned by the situation. He merely spread his hands and said, "I've already gone down to confirm it. The skeletons are still sleeping. I made a little noise, but I probably didn't wake them.

"The main problem now is dealing with the Flayed Ones that have wandered into the city sewers. Everyone knows how dangerous those things can be."

"By the way, there aren't any servitors in your sewers, right?" the shop owner asked Chen Xi with a very serious expression.

"Don't worry. I had the Chancellor confirm it—there aren't any servitors or robots in the sewers." Chen Xi understood what the shop owner meant. The Flayer Curse did not spread only among Necrons; official novels explicitly recorded cases of servitors infected with the Flayer Curse. "But the Flayed Ones had already infiltrated the city before I transmigrated, so I don't know how many there are now.

"Besides, they've already killed quite a few people. I have no intelligence on whether those victims were taken away for biotransference."

"Have you called the Space Marines?" Mai Mai asked somewhat nervously. He did not want to be dragged off as cannon fodder just after transmigrating into the Warhammer world.

"Not yet. I only just discovered all this, and according to the Chancellor's reports, the situation is still within controllable limits." Chen Xi naturally wanted to call in Space Marines to solve the problem, but the vastness of the Imperium and the limited number of Space Marines before the Great Rift opened meant that even if he called for them, it would likely take decades or even centuries before reinforcements arrived.

And by Imperial standards, that would already count as highly efficient. Under normal circumstances, no one might respond for several centuries.

"Based on what you've said, the situation really is controllable, so while the Necron problem is important, it isn't the most urgent matter." The four people involved in the discussion all knew the Warhammer world well enough to quickly reach a conclusion. "The first priority right now is actually increasing our strength. As long as we have troops and commanders, nothing will be a problem.

"But that Tech-Sage from the Adeptus Mechanicus... she's a serious problem! We all understand that the Adeptus Mechanicus is just like that, but if your dealings with them are influenced or monopolized through her connections, it'll become a huge issue."

"That's also what concerns me at the moment. As Dora Caur's student, Ovilia will definitely reclaim the forge Dora Caur left behind. Who knows, there might even be a group of Primaris Marines buried beneath it! But we need a way to keep her in check as well. Otherwise, once she recovers, it'll be difficult for us to influence her anymore." Chen Xi frankly voiced his greatest concern.

For now, Ovilia had indeed been of considerable help to Rostov II, and she would even play an important role in the future.

But the inherent problems of the Adeptus Mechanicus made it difficult for Chen Xi to place sufficient trust in Ovilia. After all, even exploring a tomb could cause so much trouble. Chen Xi found it hard to believe she would not stir up other complications.

Even though that was merely a common trait among Tech-priests, and working with them often meant putting up with all sorts of their flaws.

But Chen Xi was a transmigrator, and one capable of bringing companions along. Naturally, he needed to find a way to restrain Ovilia.

"So we need to introduce forces capable of counterbalancing her, such as Space Marines, the Imperial Creed, or other powers that can stand against the Adeptus Mechanicus." The shop owner summarized Chen Xi's meaning, then stated his position. "Native 40K factions might refrain from placing too many restrictions on the Adeptus Mechanicus for the sake of the bigger picture, but we're different. If someone can transmigrate as a Tech-Sage, a Chapter Forge Sergeant, or even a Forge Master, then an exiled heretical sage like her will be easy enough to restrain."

"That's exactly what I wanted to say. Since transmigration lets us choose our identities, we should naturally choose identities that maximize our benefits." Chen Xi looked at the three of them with some anticipation and asked, "So what identities are you planning to choose?"

"I wanted to choose Rogue Trader. Somebody has to handle the grunt work for the territory, right?" Mai Mai was the first to state his position. He was not very familiar with the Adeptus Mechanicus, nor did he have any related pieces.

"Seventeen, you know me. I've wanted to command a warship for a long time." Twilight also looked troubled. He could not say he was unfamiliar with the Adeptus Mechanicus, but he had no related pieces either.

The shop owner beside them, however, spoke up. "I have a Deadbeat Forge Master I modified myself. I wonder if I can use it?"