Magos Ovilia

Through the starport's orbital elevator, Chen Xi and Rachel descended together to the city on the planet's surface.

Because Rostov II had only been developed recently, no Hive City had been built there yet. Thus, the city was filled with high-rises and looked somewhat like a normal city.

Its people did not have to live like the unfortunate souls in Hive Cities, unable to see sunlight for generations.

Although ordinary people might assume, based on the works and settings they had encountered, that Imperial Worlds were all Hive Worlds, Hive Cities were actually not common among Imperial Worlds.

Building a Hive City alone usually took hundreds or even thousands of years, and required astronomical resources. Even just constructing one required a planet to spend centuries preparing and applying for approval.

Every Hive City was carefully designed and planned; none sprang up overnight.

Moreover, every Hive City was not merely a massive vertical residential city capable of housing hundreds of millions or even billions of inhabitants—it was also an enormous factory, fortress, and stronghold.

When a planet came under attack, a Hive City's energy facilities even had to power the Planetary Shield, city-scale Void Shields, and a whole series of other equipment.

Generally speaking, a Hive World required the resources of an entire star system, or even an entire Sub-sector, to sustain it. Otherwise, it simply could not function normally.

"What a beautiful planet. I rarely see green on Imperial Worlds," Chen Xi sincerely praised the scenery before him.

Though the city beneath his feet was densely packed with buildings, green plants could still be seen between many of them. There were even enormous canals running through the city, leaving Chen Xi astonished.

Canals in a city in the interstellar age? Which little genius came up with that idea?

"These were all requirements made by Magos Ovilia. She likes plants very much, and nearly all the plants in the city were personally requested by her. She also provided us with a complete set of maintenance techniques and facilities," Rachel explained to Chen Xi, proud that the city could boast such scenery.

Yet Chen Xi found that even stranger. A tech-priest who liked green plants? Why did that sound so unsettling?

Weren't tech-priests supposed to chop off all the bits and pieces on their bodies and replace them with gears and machinery? What was this nonsense about liking green plants?

"It seems this Magos is quite extraordinary. This is the first time I've heard of a Tech-Priest who likes green plants," Chen Xi remarked. Then, guided by Rachel, he boarded a special vehicle and arrived at the Governor's Office.

Though it would be more accurate to call it an estate, looking at the enormous Gothic structure before him, Chen Xi found it difficult to describe a colossal building occupying at least ten football fields and standing over a hundred meters tall as merely an estate.

Although it was not only the Planetary Governor's residence but also served as the planetary government's administrative headquarters, it still seemed somewhat excessive.

"Rostov II has been built for too short a time, and the Governor's Office is rather crude. I hope you will not mind, my lord." Yet a trace of shame crossed Rachel's face, as though she truly believed the Governor's Office was very modest.

Chen Xi could only take a deep breath before saying, "It is of no consequence. As subjects of the Emperor, we should cast aside all extravagance and indulgence."

Only then did he, accompanied by Rachel, step onto the marble stairs engraved with exquisite patterns and the Imperial Truth, entering the Governor's Office.

Upon entering the palace, Chen Xi immediately saw a Tech-Priest draped in red Holy Robes. However, she was vastly different from the Tech-Priests he knew. Aside from a bionic eye on her face, the medicinal canisters on her back, and the two mechanical arms commonly found on Tech-Priests, there were surprisingly few visible signs of augmentation.

Her face was even quite beautiful, and despite the cover of her Holy Robes, her figure still appeared graceful and curvaceous. She looked even more feminine than Rachel, who stood beside Chen Xi at that moment.

Damn, was this really a tech-priest? I didn't remember installing a feminization mod!

Chen Xi grumbled inwardly, but he still politely stepped forward and bowed to the Tech-Priest holding a Forged Great-Axe. "You must be Magos Ovilia, I presume? Miss Rachel just introduced you to me. As expected, meeting you is better than hearing of you."

"An Inquisitor capable of becoming a Planetary Governor—clearly, you are no simple man either." Ovilia looked at the Inquisitorial Rosette on Chen Xi's body with interest.

"We are all merely coins in the Emperor's hand, to be spent anywhere in the Imperium." Chen Xi gave a perfunctory reply, revealing nothing. Then he asked Ovilia, "I am curious: what drew an Adeptus Mechanicus Sage to such a frontier Imperial World? An ancient ruin, perhaps?"

"As expected of an Inquisitor. Your instincts are indeed sharp. There truly is an ancient ruin left behind by some xenos civilization on this planet." Ovilia did not conceal it, or perhaps she did not consider it worth concealing. "Under orders from the Forge World in this sector, I came to mine the Blackstone contained on this planet. During the mining process, we discovered an ancient xenos ruin, and preliminary excavation is currently underway.

If Governor, you can assign some manpower to me, it will greatly accelerate the excavation. I will pay sufficient compensation for it.

The previous Governor signed a cooperation agreement with me, but I must admit that excavating the ruins requires more manpower than I expected. I hope Governor can meet my needs."

Hearing Ovilia's words, Chen Xi's scalp went numb. He had already guessed what the ruins on this planet were.

So he asked Ovilia, "Magos Ovilia, do you know of the Necrons?"

"Some xenos civilization? My apologies, I have not researched them." Magos Ovilia searched her database but found no corresponding information.

Hearing Magos Ovilia say that, Chen Xi had the urge to slap himself across the head. At the same time, he felt a headache coming on over the beginner mission Big E had prepared for him.

Translate for me what the fucking 'surprise' means!

A surprise was having a Necron Dynasty buried beneath your ass.

With that thought, Chen Xi could only show Ovilia a regretful expression. "I am afraid I cannot grant your request, Magos Ovilia."

As he spoke, Chen Xi raised his Inquisitorial Rosette and solemnly said to Ovilia, "In the name of an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, I must ask you to suspend the excavation of the xenos ruins, lest irreparable consequences result."