Wojciech took a deep breath and adjusted his red robes. Just as he was about to press the electric chime, the airlock let out a low rumble, and the hatch opened. A deep voice came from within; it was Nareth.
"Come in."
The middle-aged man with neatly trimmed brown hair paused slightly. Considering the King's many formidable abilities, it wasn't surprising that he had sensed his arrival.
Respectfully, Wojciech stepped through the airlock and said, "My King, you summoned me."
Nareth gave a small nod. gave a slight nod. "You have performed well in the tasks I assigned you. As such, I have decided to grant you a reward."
"Serving you is my greatest honor," Wojciech said with a bow. As he spoke, he saw the giant's left palm extend, revealing a golden potion.
His brown eyes trembled. After a moment of silence, he took the potion and drank it down in one gulp.
As the potion entered his body, Wojciech began trembling all over. His mind exploded with knowledge.
"Awakening Memories."
Every word, every piece of data, every book he had ever read flooded back to him in perfect clarity. He understood and mastered them all in an instant.
Wojciech could clearly distinguish the difference: in the past, his understanding of knowledge came from the teachings of Tech-Priests, a religious form of worship and ritual. But now, he understood everything from its fundamental principles, as though he were re-experiencing his entire life with machines through a new lens.
Previously, when he selected polymer materials to make waterproof coating, he did so based on Appendix II, Litany of Materials Chapter 23 of the Omnissiah's Guide, which listed epoxy resin as the optimal choice for use in the Symphony of the Sea.
Now he understood why epoxy resins were the optimal choice: they are hard, high-molecular-weight chemical materials with high strength, durability, weather resistance, waterproof properties, and corrosion resistance, perfect for the harsh marine environment.
The sheer cognitive shock left Wojciech dazed. Only after a long moment did he realize he was floating in the air, looking down at his own red-robed body below.
"Do as I say..."
Nareth's commanding voice echoed in his ears. Wojciech instinctively followed the giant's instructions, gradually calming down.
An hour later, standard ship time, Wojciech had mastered meditation and returned to normal. But he still stared blankly at the giant before him.
'He actually granted me this kind of power... How is this possible? Could he be the incarnation of the Omnissiah?
After several seconds of silence, he finally said, "My King, thank you for your gift. I will use it wisely in your service."
Nareth sensed the turmoil in his emotions and understood the man needed time to adjust. He gave him that space.
"Go rest. Soon, I'll need you to decipher the secrets within this data-crystal."
Nareth opened his right palm, revealing a clear, finely processed crystal cylinder, twelve centimeters long, five centimeters in diameter.
Among the Fra'al, a race skilled in aetheric secrets, crystals were the primary medium for storing knowledge and data.
Nareth, who had already begun researching, also wanted to see what a "Savant" could uncover.
"As you command, my King."
Wojciech carefully accepted the crystal. His spirit lifted, rather than pondering if Nareth was the Omnissiah, he preferred returning to the comfort of technical work.
After he left, Nareth took out another data crystal and resumed his research.
At the same moment, beneath the Hantmann West Dome, Tizca.
A hunched figure in a blue robe, his spine bent forward, yet his chest unnaturally arched upward, raised a gnarled, vulture-like claw.
With a single squeeze, the foreman charging at him with a wrench suddenly gasped, his throat seized by an invisible force.
"I truly didn't expect you gutter-born rats to sacrifice yourselves for an oppressor from the upper hive."
The bald foreman gasped, "Protect... Lord Howard..."
Workers from the scorched workshop raised steel pipes and rushed forward.
The "Arbiter" had won the hearts of the workers. They no longer fought for food; they fought for their leader.
"Amazing!" the old man marveled as he rubbed his clawed hand against his tentacle-like appendages. "Howard Fender, your qualities impress me. I'll give you a chance..."
"Worship the God of Wisdom. Join the Cause of Enlightenment."
He twitched his ears, listening to voices coming from unknown directions.
"Yes… Join us, and you shall achieve greatness."
"I'll tell you now, don't count on your underlings."
Howard watched the foreman collapse. A flash of memory struck him, the simple joy of receiving tuna and water from the man.
Now, that same man had charged at a monstrous enemy with nothing but a wrench that barely qualified as a weapon; he charged at the terrifying enemy who had killed his guards, all to protect him.
He saw workers fall to the mutants' assault. Yet none of them retreated. A realization bloomed in his heart:
'This... this is the power my Lord spoke of!'
Yet Howard knew that resolve alone could not bridge the gap in strength. The psyker before him was too powerful.
He had already called for his Fifth Division backup; the time that had passed should have been enough for several round trips. Yet no one had arrived. They must have been intercepted.
'I must kill him!'
Howard raised his arm and aimed his heavy-duty logging rifle at the psyker.
Gunfire echoed. A dense stream of bullets rained towards the psyker
"Foolish choice."
The blue-robed psyker raised his staff. Telekinetic force erupted, forming an invisible barrier before him.
The bullets suddenly halted in midair. Under the influence of "mechanical manipulation," they twisted in the air.
With a violent flick, the bullets reversed course, shredding through the last four Fender family guards.
The bullets clanged against Howard's powered armor with dull thuds before falling to the ground.
Howard noticed several dents of varying depth on his chestplate.
He dropped the rifle and lunged with a whirring drill toward the psyker.
The blue-robed psyker shook his head. He raised his clawed hand. The spinning drill stopped just inches from him.
In his multicolored eyes, mockery gleamed.
But then he hesitated, he saw no fear in Howard's blue eyes.
The next moment, he felt his staff arm being grabbed tightly.
Howard had successfully deceived the psyker. At the moment the enemy thought victory was his, the "Arbiter" struck, seizing the psyker's arm.
The psyker panicked. He raised his left claw to unleash a telekinetic blast, but the Arbiter was faster. Howard yanked the psyker towards himself.
Losing balance, the psyker's spell failed. His throat was caught in a crushing grip.
"I sentence you to death!"
Howard's voice was cold as steel. He twisted hard.
Crack!
The psyker's neck snapped.
The blond noble raised his drill and pressed it into the back of the psyker's skull.
After confirming the kill, the Arbiter released his grip and let the corpse fall.
At the same time, Howard felt something inside him dissolving, merging with his mind and spirit.