---o---
"You can call me Tech-Priest 010 Omega."
Facing the men before him, Zhou Ye spoke with a mischievous tone. Other transmigrators might be crying like a Grot right now, but he was doing just fine. The main thing was the Warp—as long as its vileness couldn't touch him, everything was manageable.
He didn't actually need to fabricate anything; it was just a matter of exchanging the right passphrases. Besides, with the entire planet in chaos and several Iron Warrior cans having already appeared, this understrength PDF regiment was desperate to leave. As soon as they saw his credentials pass verification, they waved him through without a second look.
Now, Zhou Ye was finally going to see what this thing that made cogboys spray their oil was, and by the looks of it, it had only just been excavated.
"I wonder if the real Tech-Priests will try to fight me when they show up."
He muttered to himself but couldn't be bothered to care. For the Imperium, an STC was irreplaceable, but if he had enough materials, he could probably build one. Creating it from thin air, however, was impossible—it would consume far too much energy.
"Tech-Priest Omega, this is the STC we discovered."
The regimental colonel glanced at Zhou Ye's metal-masked face and the seemingly chubby but terrifyingly powerful automaton behind him. He instinctively swallowed. He was one of the few who knew how horrifying these machines could be.
Moreover, the iron cans that had been suppressing them moments ago hadn't even made a splash against this Tech-Priest. By the time the colonel had emerged to check, not even a trace of them remained.
Under these circumstances, it was best to be respectful.
"So this is an STC template. Looks interesting."
Looking at the strange template-like object, Zhou Ye couldn't help but scoff internally. He grabbed it, and his Authority immediately began to analyze it. A moment later, his expression turned peculiar.
Because the function of this STC template was…
Universal Printer
It could print anything, provided the necessary materials were supplied. He could even add his own designs to it; in time, he could truly print a vast array of items.
Of course, it required sufficient materials and a prototype or blueprint.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a find."
Upon seeing the template, Zhou Ye decided without a moment's hesitation to claim it for himself.
No one else was getting it. If anyone dared to touch it, he'd blast them all to bits.
"Sir, our mission is now complete. Shall we escort you back to the hive city?"
The PDF colonel's gaze turned sycophantic. Everyone knew that the tech-cultists were wealthy.
And the one before him was clearly no ordinary cogboy. At least, as far as the colonel knew, any Tech-Priest who could effortlessly crush Space Marines had to hold a very high rank.
"…"
Hearing this, Zhou Ye instinctively stiffened.
He didn't really have anything valuable on hand. Since he couldn't produce a proper reward, should he just kill them all to protect his secret?
Nah, I'm not the Dark Angels. I don't have secrets.
In that case, there was no rush to pay them. He could look for some scrap later and cobble something together. If all else failed, he could just toss them a few gene-seeds. He'd change his outfit later, and no one would recognize him.
Besides, gene-seeds were hard currency in many places and could always be traded for a good amount of resources.
A solid plan.
"We'll head back to the hive city first. I will provide you with a surprisingly generous reward."
Since the decision was made, there was nothing more to say. This area was heavily polluted, and he was temporarily trapped here.
If he was going to deal with the Chaos presence, he would need to cooperate with the authorities in the hive city. He couldn't just blow up the entire planet himself.
Well, he could, but that was a last resort. His method of planetary destruction would be far more efficient than launching a volley of cyclone torpedoes; he could just fire a blast straight into the planet's crust…
But that would be an immense drain on his energy. It was a path Zhou Ye had no desire to take.
"Hah… Everyone, withdraw immediately!"
The colonel took a deep breath and ordered his troops to prepare for departure. It was only then that Zhou Ye realized fewer than a thousand of them had survived.
It seemed those cans had killed a good number of them before he arrived. A mere Planetary Defence Force unit, not even proper Imperial Guard. If he hadn't shown up, that single squad of Iron Warriors would have likely wiped them out.
"Sir, are you…"
After seeing his men board their vehicles, the colonel looked at Zhou Ye with curiosity.
He then noticed that while they had been clearing the battlefield, Zhou Ye had fabricated a hoverbike.
"I managed to temporarily activate the STC template. Enough talk, let's move."
This, of course, was not made by the STC but was something he had built himself. Its performance was based on a Custodes jetbike, though he had naturally altered the color scheme and overall appearance. After all, he couldn't very well perform a spatial jump in front of a crowd, so this was the next best option.
Compared to this chaotic wasteland, the hive city clearly had more valuable things to offer.
Without waiting for a reply, Zhou Ye hit the accelerator and shot off into the distance.
The colonel could only shake his head and order his men to follow.
Not ten minutes after they had left, a group of figures in black robes, with flesh sprouting from their cybernetics, arrived at the site.
If Zhou Ye had been there, he would have recognized them instantly.
The Dark Mechanicum.
What would have surely followed was an academic exchange full of Warhammer character, but unfortunately, he had missed it.
"Where are they? Those fools said there was an STC template here. We already wiped out that other group, could there have been survivors?"
The leader spoke with surprise. He had rushed over as soon as he received the message from the Iron Warriors.
On the way, they had encountered another party from the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the two groups had promptly engaged in an on-the-spot academic exchange. But after the battle, they arrived to find nothing.
…
Meanwhile, led by the PDF convoy, Zhou Ye soon arrived at the magnificent hive world.
The face hidden beneath his mask revealed a trace of wonder. He knew hive cities were dens of filth and corruption, but seeing the mountain-like clusters of architecture and the deep, subterranean pipelines was still a spectacular sight. It was his first time seeing such a place.
However…
"Strange. I have a feeling that's making my skin crawl."
Muttering to himself, Zhou Ye instinctively turned his head. He then saw a group of tin cans clad in white armor adorned with red stripes.
Even through their helmets, he could feel their intense gazes fixed on him.
Fuck. White Scars.