Morgan went on a trip to Nukedia.

Let's just go for a trip.

She was still a little uneasy: although her blood relatives of Otrama had repeatedly assured her envoys of trust, she did have a different trust in Killiman than her other brothers.

But encouraged by her innate and increasingly spectacular cautiousness, the Spider Queen felt that only the clear truth, as she saw it with her own eyes, could dispel her deep uneasiness.

Under the manipulation of this mentality, when the large fleets of Daybreakers and Ultramarines flocked to the edge of the Storm Star Field, desperately searching for the whereabouts of the Osiris psionics, a small fleet directly belonging to the Lord of the Second Legion carried a mortal mission to Nukedia's system in a low-key manner.

The size of the mission was small, with only a dozen envoys, a squad of Daybreaker escorts, and a few small warships, but they were covered with the Spider Queen's psionic vision, allowing her to see everything on Nukedia as much as possible.

Of course, it is impossible for the Genomorph to leave behind her blood relatives and fleet, and go to an obscure marginal galaxy for the sake of a glimmer of uneasiness in her heart: this mission is all she can do now.

Perhaps because they had already been in contact with the Ultramarines' envoys before this, Nukedia's slave owners hospitably entertained Morgan's envoy team, even holding a grand gladiatorial banquet for which hundreds of lives were lost.

Although these overlords were still shy about joining the Human Empire, they showed great interest in the extravagant gifts carried by the envoys, and in the friendship that these gifts bringed, they led Morgan's envoys to visit every corner of their world without hindrance.

In this way, Morgan observed the world quite carefully through the psionic vision placed on each envoy, and she even used one of the psykers in the mission as a base station to unleash a large-scale probe across Nukhedia.

And the result: nothing.

The slave owners weren't lying, there were no miracle children from the sky on Nuckadia, no people gifted enough to stir things up, and the Spider Queen didn't find any breath of her blood relatives in the barren sands of this world.

This can't help but make Morgan start to doubt her instinctive perception, could it be that her instinct is wrong? This has never happened before.

Or is she just coming early? Maybe in the future, one of her blood relatives is already destined to have a connection with this world, but now......

He hasn't landed yet?

……

It's not impossible.

After a brief period of confusion, the Queen of Genes had no choice but to give up, she still had too much to think about and master, and she couldn't invest more in a conjecture in front of her, but despite this, the actions of the envoys themselves were still bringing about some unexpected changes.

Although they were always reluctant to join the system of the human empire, these slave owners with their treacherous wisdom on Nukedia still saw the power of this powerful regime in several visits to the empire, and they did not want to fight against the emperor's legions, and they had heard of the bloody massacres that took place far beyond the stars.

So, when Morgan's envoys returned to the Genogens to report on their work, they also brought with them a terrible gift of goodwill belonging to the Nukedian slave owners, and an ambiguous statement full of language traps and the art of lies.

The statement was used by the genogen to wipe the water stains on the side of the teacup, but it was the gift that made her look at it more: and quickly furrowed her brow.

In the words of the slave owners, this gift was the culmination of their wisdom and culture.

……

[So, the group of slaves who are in charge of the crystallization of their society, called the Butcher's Nail? 】

[I think I can already imagine what kind of society this is. 】

In between work, when the Spider Queen had some free time, she took out the disgusting gift and threw it on the table in front of her.

Butcher's Nails: The history and sophistication of this creation is far greater than the original genogenes imagined, and although the Spider Queen scoffs at this bloody creation, she has to admit that this psychic surgical implant made up of a large number of rope-like cables, like the long hair of a terrible ghost, has a level of sophistication and academic value that she admires.

In this stupid gift, the genetic queen may learn a lot, and may even use it as an opportunity to light up some research routes that have been blocked in the past: this is the only reason why Morgan can tolerate such a creation.

After all, for the Spider Queen, who likes to make careful plans and careful systems, this kind of thing used to cause blood, madness, and irretrievable organizational collapse is the most hated thing in the galaxy.

[Judging from the memories of my lost brother, this so-called butcher's nail is most likely one of the derivative technologies used to manipulate cyborgs in the Age of Dark Technology: it's just that in the Age of Crazy Strife, this technology was reversed to humans.] 】

The Spider Queen's psionic powers turned into invisible palms, playing with dozens of vicious cables in mid-air, while the long-recovered Virgo stood beside her, recording the ominous ancient artifact in her memory array.

"Do you have any thoughts on this creation that need to be recorded, my lord?"

[There is one, very shallow. 】

Morgan snorted softly, and as a response to the maid, she slouched on the soft couch, leaned close to the butcher's nail, and looked at the fine structure of the device, and sighed in vain at the rough craftsmanship of the workmanship.

[Can you imagine that such a small creature can destroy the greatest scholar in an instant: just nail it into the brain, and you can erase all emotions except anger. 】

[What's more, this Butcher's Nail from Nuczedia is not even the finest version of it, but a crude imitation from the hands of the slave owners: even I cannot imagine the pain and madness that this thing can cause at its peak. 】

[It even has a charm: whenever I see it, I think of the things I hate, and I'll gladly nail them to their heads.] 】

"Are you going to do that?"

[No, I have a better idea.] 】

[While I was sorting out the souls of the spirit mongrels who dared to sneak up on me at the Yemenga Monument, I was unexpectedly able to obtain a copy of the complete technology from the Comoros, and quickly restored it. 】

"Have you been able to restore the Elven technology in its entirety?"

[No, because this technology itself does not belong to the Comoros, but they have stolen it and taken it for themselves: it is very likely that it is also a product of the dark technology era.] 】

[This technique is called: Chant of the Enslavers, a technique that is unpopular in the Comoros, and is only passed down to a very small number of dark spirits, one of whom is now in my belly.] 】

[To put it simply, this is a technique specially created for sadomasochism in the upper echelons, which can completely transfer the pain of one individual to other individuals through some kind of sensory interaction based on the instrument: in the study of blood lings, this is a primary technique, so it is not valued by the Comoros.] 】

“…… What is the use of this technique? ”

[According to the memories of the dark spirits, when some high-ranking people want to punish their subordinates for mistakes, they will place this technology on their subordinates, and change the identity of the pain bearer at any time, as well as obscure who the real victims are, so as to appreciate the distorted faces that have fallen into the waiting. 】

[Of course, there are some high-level people who just want to keep their brains awake to cope with various situations during body modification surgery, and in the case of refusing anesthetics, this pain transfer is an excellent panacea. 】

“……”

"What a race like a other."

Virgo blinked and took note of the words of her Creator.

"Does this technique have any connection to the butcher's nail in your hand?"

[No, but I'm wondering if I can fuse them together: based on the Butcher's Nail, I can design a pair of nails that have a master-servant relationship, and let the Minion Nail bear all the pain for the Nail of Juggernaut.] 】

[Then, on the basis of this technique, I can further develop other techniques for the senses of pain, and eventually use the harmless results to strengthen my legion.] 】

“……”

"There's a question, sir."

"If the damage inflicted by the Nail of Domination is too severe, wouldn't the bearer of the Nail of the Minion easily die of pain? This is a bit too wasteful. ”

【…… Reasonable. 】

[That's it, it's just an idea, you can record it, my Aniah, when we really come across an occasion about the Butcher's Nail, you can remind me of the relevant things and thoughts.] 】

"Understood, sir."

The Spider Queen, who received a firm answer, stroked the maid's hair with satisfaction, and rubbed her soft cheeks, although Virgo remained almost eternal indifference from the moment of her birth, but as her creator, the Spider Empress naturally had the power to demand and take away her own maids.

The Butcher's Nail was casually tossed on a nearby shelf, and the Queen of Genes stretched out on the couch with no grace, her hair disheveled, looking at the maid making hot tea.

[Is there anything important to report lately, Aniah?] 】

"There are a few, my lord, but none of them are an emergency."

[One by one. 】

"Yes, sir."

"First of all, Lord Marshall, who is in charge of staying in the Avalon Star Sector and overseeing the garrison, recently sent a message: he claimed that there seems to be some kind of latent resistance in the Peditus system in the Gulgrad Protectorate region, and that the inhabitants there seem to be mentally controlled by some kind of being, but he has not made any further rebellion."

[Is it very large?] 】

"Several companies may need to be deployed."

[Then let him leave it alone, and when I go back, I will personally be in charge of the command.] 】

"Understood."

"Article 2: It is reported that your Father of Genes has returned from the void southeast of Avalon, and that he is currently reorganizing his forces in the Salamas Sector and is about to launch an expedition against the extraterritorial darkness."

Let him go. 】

Morgan yawned lazily, a hint of displeasure in his tone.

[I can already think of the result: my father will make a big fuss in the outer darkness and exterminate a lot of terrible beings, but he can't get rid of all the ghosts, snakes, and gods in it, because there are too many. 】

By the time he has received the honor and the praise of the people, left the extraterritorial darkness, and returned to the center of his Great Expedition, the monsters who survived still need my Far Eastern Frontier as the first line of defense? 】

"Come to think of it, my lord, at least he has announced that the Salamas Star Sector will be within your jurisdiction, and not that he has planted a nail in your Far Eastern Frontier: from Avalon to Salamas, your realm alone is enough to rival five hundred worlds."

[Yes, but in a core world like the Five Hundred Worlds, I may not even have a hundred under my command, so how can I close the gap between my national strength and Killiman?] 】

"Hmmm......"

"Beat Otlama to only a hundred worlds?"

【…… That's a great idea. 】

Virgo wagged her loose ponytail, a hint of confusion.

"Do you want to be the enemy of Killiman's Five Hundred Worlds in the future? My lord? ”

[I don't want to be his enemy, but my power can't be much weaker than his: these two things are not contradictory, are they? 】

[Okay, what's the matter?] 】

"There are also some trivia."

"The main fleet of the Ultramarines is gradually moving closer to the Blame Sector, and Lord Killiman speculates that the main force of the Osiris psionic species is most likely hiding there, and it is very likely that he will call you in the near future."

"General Erwin's mortal army encountered an army of greenskins forty times his size near the Adanse system, and he managed to decapitate the greenskins and defeat them by airdropping a special version of the poison blade tank at low altitudes."

"In addition, it is said that the Sons of the Emperor, the Iron Hand, the Shadow Moon Wolves, and the Salamanders have all started to organize experimental think tank forces in recent times, and it is rumored that His Excellency Riemanlus has persuaded his rune priests to read your think tank manual, and the response has been quite good."

"Moreover, the Think Tank unit of the Imperial Fists Legion has been engaged in actual combat on the battlefield, and it is said that the response has been very good, and it has become a regular military organization of the Seventh Legion: after hearing this news, experimental think tank units have quickly appeared among the Iron Warrior Legion."

[What about the Thousand Sons Legion? 】

"It is said that the Chagatai Khan, after receiving the think tank manual, traveled to Prospero in Magnus, but we do not yet know the reaction of the Thousand Sons to this."

"In addition, it is said that the Chagatai Khan once gathered his Storm Prophets and held a meeting with a high level of secrecy, the contents of which are unknown, but after the meeting, the Think Tank Handbook you wrote was recommended as a must-read for the think tank troops of the Fifth Legion."

What about Ahriman? 】

"According to the feedback provided by Company Commander Hecht, His Excellency Ahriman is not very interested in the Think Tank Manual, but he has no more bad feelings: he just thinks that it is too conservative and pediatric, and does not reflect the profound psionic knowledge and advanced arcane skills that you have mastered."

【…… Interesting. 】

Morgan stroked his cheek and smiled with emotion.

[At the beginning, this was just a random initiative of mine, but I didn't expect it to cause such a huge response, and it spread faster than I thought. 】

Virgo tilted her head, no more surprised by this.

"It's normal, my lord: after all, the [Psyker Awakening] that broke out in the Age of Strife has made the proliferation of psionics a very real problem, and each legion has to face the fact that some of its warriors have uncontrollable psionic potential: at this time, this manual of yours can be said to be a product of the time."

[But it will also be a big project.] 】

The Queen of Genes laughed and tapped her maid's forehead.

[Think about it, my Aniah: Will the Think Tank troops needed by the Iron Hand be exactly the same as the Think Tank troops needed by White Scar? Such an overly simplistic think tank manual would allow them to start their own think tank organization, but when the organization was to be integrated with the Legion's own identity and culture, it was bound to create a lot of problems. 】

"The problem of localization of imported products?"

[That's right, and there are two ways to solve this problem: Or, their legion will be lucky enough to produce a figure who can solve this contradiction, and there may be no more than ten psionic masters like this in the whole galaxy.] 】

[Either ......]

[I'm about to get a lot of letters from readers, or think tank exchange students from various legions.] 】

"Is this good for you?"

[Not in the short term, but who wouldn't want to have a little more say? And in a sense, it was a great opportunity for me to climb the heights and spread the word. 】

"That seems to be a bit countering to your low-key intentions, my lord."

[Low-key doesn't mean you don't need friends, my Virgo, you have to realize that in this era of the Great Expedition, the Astarte Legion means absolute strength and support, and the Genoplasma can absolutely represent its own legion.] 】

[In other words, I only need to get a few blood relatives, and then accumulate a certain amount of criticism through means such as the think tank manual, and I can gather enough support and strength: I don't even need to use them to do anything, just their existence is enough.] 】

[When I have enough interests and friendship with a few genetic protogens and a few Astarte legions, this friendship network alone is enough to repel those secretly hateful eyes. 】

“…… Why do you have such a sense of crisis, sir? ”

[You must know, in the final analysis, I am a psionic primordial, an outlier among the emperor's heirs, and although my father is the most powerful psionic in the galaxy, I can feel that his attitude towards psionic energy is not friendly, and among my brothers, there is no lack of existence that hates psionic energy. 】

[Maybe one day, my psionic brothers will attack the psionic power I possess, I don't think the emperor will be on my side at that time, he may be silent, but he will definitely not take my side and speak for me. 】

[So, I need friends, I need support, I need other legions that have also benefited from psionic power, I need someone who may not be dazzling in the Empire, but is good enough: to prepare for the troubles that may come in the future.] 】

“……”

Virgo frowned.

"However, my lord, even if they get the benefits, they may not be able to stand with you at that time, and psionic energy is an extra power for them, even if they are abandoned under the emperor's orders, it is not enough to make people despair."

[I know, and I've never expected them to stand with me, but at least I can prevent them from being my enemy, smiling at me, and actually falling into the trap.] 】

[For the sake of my former friendships, or for the sake of my reputation, as long as they maintain a neutral attitude, it will be the greatest help to me: I may not be able to make my friends more, but I can make my enemies fewer. 】

[Just like now: I can at least guarantee that as long as I maintain the cautious posture I have now, my brother Riemanrus will hardly speak ill of me, and without his wild declaration, I am left alone with Motarian to worry about.] 】

[Isn't that much easier?] 】

[From one-to-two to heads-up, it can be called a leap in quality. 】

Virgo nodded, but she had one last question.

"Then why don't you discuss this with Lord Magnus? If you were to distinguish between the offspring of your genetic father from a psionic point of view, Lord Magnus might be your only companion and comrade-in-arms. ”

[Yes, that's what gives me the most headache: I'd rather fight alone and defend my psychic reputation with Magnus, just as I fought with Killiman and Johnson to help the people.] 】

"You're not going to inform him?"

[Why should I be informed, Magnus's current state is the best help for me: when everyone compares his attitude towards psionic energy with mine, they will find that what I am doing is completely bearable.] 】

“……”

"Makes sense."

"But are you using Lord Magnus as a target for fire?"

[Can you think of a better use for him?] 】

“……”

"I can't."

Virgo shook her head honestly, and then she found herself in the sequence of operations connected to the ship's central system, and a message was being fed back.

She blinked, her pupils flickering with a flash of data and electronics, and her voice temporarily changed to some kind of muffled grinding like the friction of gears.

"The battleship is about to arrive at its designated destination, my lord, it has been discovered that the target fleet is staying in low-earth orbit, and it has been determined that it is: Zhao-Akada Casting World Sage."

[Very good.] 】

Morgan laughed, brushing her long hair lightly, the flickering psionic energy of her fingertips curling the loose strands of hair in an instant, returning the Queen of Genes to her noble original appearance.

[Let's see, this southernmost casting world of the galaxy, this casting world that claims to be on a unique path, is in vain. 】

——————

【……】

I'm not sure if they're in name only. 】

[But I'm pretty sure: something doesn't seem quite right in the world.] 】

The first second she stepped onto this desert world called [Antagonis], the Queen of Genes slowly spat out this conclusion, her voice was so low that only the Virgo who followed her could barely catch the broken whisper.

But on the surface, the Spider Empress was nothing out of the ordinary, and with a small and modest convoy, she arrived on the ground of Antagonis, landing on the hard stone plaza crushed by the Mechanic Sect, and the mechanical priest who came to greet her maintained a perfect smile and proper communication.

If it weren't for Virgo's ability to clearly perceive that her Creator had activated all the firing mechanisms on her body the moment he landed, she would probably have been like the Dawnbreakers behind Morgan, unaware of the problems in this world.

For there is nothing wrong with this world, if anything, it is that the mechanical priests, cathars, and servants who greet them are so indifferent and mechanical, that even the necessary words are only monotonously relaxed like cogs: but for the followers of Omni Niesaiah, this seems to be a normal [feature].

Only Rana's brow furrowed with some unease, but until the group reached the gate of the stone hall on the high mountain, they did not encounter a more strange state of affairs.

"The sage is inside, he is guarding the important cargo you have designated, please forgive me."

The priest's voice was like an ancient machine being forcibly moved, but it didn't shake the Spider Queen, who placed her hand on the stone door and whispered a spell until her psionic vision could see what was inside.

Then, Morgan smiled.

She turned her head and ordered her Praetorian guards to stand guard before the stone gate, and she would lead her handmaidens to the sage's counsel: Rana did not retort further, knowing the purpose of the trip, but only took a closer look at the gate, making sure that it was just an ordinary door that could not be closed again.

So, Morgan stood still, adjusted his breathing, and straightened his appearance, and easily pushed open the door and entered the vast stone hall inside.

The moment the door closed, a golden flame seemed to flash in her pupils.

——————

The main hall was like the hall of any Omnisaiah devotee, and although it was not more ornately decorated, it was a little crowded and uniquely organized.

The sage of the Casting World Zhao-Arcada sat at a round table in the center of the hall, opposite him an empty seat, and on the wide table were boxes of strange materials that Morgan had never seen before, exuding an aura of psionic energy.

The sage lowered his head, as if he was sleeping, and even the unconcealed footsteps of the genetic prototype did not make its metal body react for the halfest.

On Morgan's side, Virgo was already quietly calling for his firepower wings, but it was at this time that this creature who had been trained by Morgan and Perturabo suddenly had a strange feeling.

It was a feeling she had never felt before, first she felt her limbs stiffen, the logic seemed to fail for a moment, and then, like an invisible hand rewriting her running code, some instructions that had never appeared before appeared out of thin air, and began to impact and wash away the old data logic in her mind.

She felt it, she heard it, and it seemed like she should have done it......

Enable Firepower Permissions, Activate Psionic Energy Permissions, Turn on Firepower Wings, Approve Unlimited Destruction Mode, Approve Extermination Order Mode......

No...... No! No! No!

This is not allowed!

Damn it!

Everything seemed to happen in a split second, and when Virgo's most sensitive computational mind kicked in, she found herself opening half of the force device in the left arm area, and the target was the silver-haired figure on the side.

“……”

Virgo was silent for a moment: maybe not, but in the next moment, before the order to open fire, her supreme authority had forcibly regained control, and when this authority was rapidly eroded by unknown data, Virgo carried out the unshakable order.

She pointed her gun at her head.

She has threatened the ontology: to open self-destruction.

[Enough! 】

Before the first lethal suicide bullet was fired, Virgo's consciousness caught a cold tone with a hint of anger, and she felt the hand on top of her head, and the next moment, the virus code that was making waves in her logic receded like a docile tide.

There were Morgan's words in my ears.

[If you want to talk about it, just use the body you prepared honestly, and don't do anything with my things.] 】

The cold voice wandered through the main hall, and did not receive a timely response, but just a few breaths, as the static noise in the air turned into some kind of roar, the seemingly sleeping sage's body also began to emerge intermittently mechanical binary crypts and screams, it quickly stood up, and the already layered metal structure seemed to grow a lot larger out of thin air, dragging streamers of steam and arc-like energy beams, a sound like a combination of blood and metal, It began to reverberate in every steel creation around the main hall.

"Hats off."

"I am the Temple of the Ark, Vashtor, Lord of the Forge of Souls, the Creator, Your Opposite and Mutual Achiever, the Ruler of Skill, and the Chief Prince of the Realm of the East."

"Here, I salute you."

"My Mirror Image."

"My kind."

"The Cage of Destruction."

"The fickle prince."

"Greedy nightmare."

"The master of both worlds."

"The prince of the three kingdoms."

"The one who eats relatives, the minister who kills the king."

"The king of the west, the king of the south."

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."

(End of chapter)