"This structural flaw is incomprehensibly large! In a duel of Titans, it would undoubtedly become a significant weakness. This is criminal—it's outright criminal! If I catch that sinner, he must face the death penalty, the death penalty!"
After Zhang Ge responded, before he could say another word, the Magos began ranting to himself again. Fortunately, Zhang Ge had anticipated this and stood back slightly, so he wasn't splattered by the black oil being spat out.
"Um... So you called me here for...?"
"Wait."
The Magos, initially lost in his scathing rebuke of that unknown sinner, had endlessly insulted the technical aspects and even attacked their character. Just as he was about to ramble on about family lineage, he abruptly paused, fixing his gaze on the Valkyrie that had brought Zhang Ge and his companions.
He stood there, dazed, observing for a while, before suddenly looking down at Zhang Ge and asking:
"Would you be willing to transfer that Valkyrie to me? I could offer you a hundred—no, two hundred Valkyries in exchange."
"?"
Wait, what?
I came all this way, haven't even heard why you called me here, and now you want to put me at a disadvantage?
Two hundred Valkyries—how did that cold number come out of your mouth? Do you think it's as easy as handing out cookies?
Does the Adeptus Mechanicus have a talent for giving away money, too?
However, Zhang Ge quickly found a reason to refuse and said, "That won't be necessary; it would attract the attention of the Military Department."
Hearing this, the Magos scoffed, "If those fools at the Military Department want to investigate you, whether it's two hundred or two, it'll raise suspicions. And if they don't want to pursue it, two thousand is just a matter of two sentences."
But he didn't press the issue further and continued with the main point, saying, "We can discuss that later. The reason I called you here is to take you and the machine to the fortress in the Hongbei Sector. Once the reinforcements arrive, we can transfer you to Huangquan VIII. We can leave at any time—the moment you're ready, just let me know."
"?"
Just a few minutes into our meeting, and your demands keep escalating?
And going to Huangquan VIII? Once there, I might only be hoping you blow up the planet to create some danger for me.
"Magos, I must decline your offer because I still prefer to fight on the front lines against humanity's enemies."
"Oh, well, once we arrive, I could allocate a squad of Skitarii for you to command, if you prefer."
Crap, this guy is not easy to deal with.
No... It's not just about deceiving him; his words connect back to the previous statement.
Zhang Ge maintained a calm exterior, while inwardly he thought to himself that this visitor was not benevolent.
What he truly meant to express was that if he wanted to take Zhang Ge away, it didn't matter what reason was given; it would happen. If he didn't intend to take him, there wouldn't be all this hassle.
Conventional reasons, however reasonable, wouldn't fool him. Zhang Ge guessed that even if he claimed he wanted to be the Forge Master of Huangquan VIII, this Magos would kindly agree—only to complicate matters further once they actually arrived.
A decisive reason had to be found.
"Okay, but my opinion is secondary; the Titan's opinion is what matters, Magos. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, the Magos sported a satisfied, self-assured expression... Although it was challenging to imagine how such a mechanical face could convey that feeling, Zhang Ge genuinely felt that emotion radiating from him.
He fiddled with the mass of data cables spilling from his collar and said, "Of course, why don't we ask for the Titan's opinion now?"
With that, he turned without hesitation and walked toward the Titan—towering like a mountain—amidst the mechanical hum and slight tremors of the ground.
?
Feeling this confident?
Now I'm feeling a bit unconfident myself.
Then he witnessed the Adeptus Mechanicus's might.
A large number of elite Titan Guards emerged from both sides of the building... or more accurately, the Titan Custodians.
While Titan Guard might refer merely to the elite Skitarii working in unison with Titans, the Titan Custodians are specifically the units born solely to assist Titans.
If one were to identify the most lavishly-equipped mass-produced force among mortals, the Titan Custodians would undoubtedly deserve a top spot.
Their armaments were so extravagant that every infantryman was equipped with an Aegis Pattern Force Shield, which not only provided protection to the individual but also allowed the resonance of each Titan Guard's shield to converge, creating an invisible wall on the battlefield that was virtually insurmountable against individual firepower.
And this was merely one aspect of the Titan Custodians' equipment. For heavy weaponry, they utilized transport vehicles that had been in service since the Great Crusade—so advanced that even the Space Marines had yet to touch them. The Tartarus Pattern Transport vehicles, heavy tanks, and Cybernetica Cohorts were all standard issue, not to mention the numerous Knight Armigers among the Titan Custodians.
Even the Chaos Space Marines would think twice before facing an ironclad wall formed by a formation of Titan Custodians.
Now, as these Custodians gathered around the Titan in synchronized steps, there appeared to be at least five to six hundred of them, followed by a large number of lighter and heavier vehicles, including the Knight Mechanica affiliated with the Adeptus Mechanicus.
What are they doing? A military parade?
Just as Zhang Ge was trying to understand their reasoning, with a command from the Magos, these elite warriors outfitted with myriad cutting-edge weapons began... having a collective seizure while standing still?
Seeing the Magos's solemn and serious demeanor, Zhang Ge initially hesitated to interrupt. However, his curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped over to inquire, "Magos, I'm somewhat uninformed—what exactly are they doing?"
The Magos appeared to be in good spirits and took the opportunity to enlighten Zhang Ge, "They are communicating with the Titan's Machine Spirit. You don't need to understand it too deeply; just know that this is a ritual, a language of communication with the machine."
Oh? So you're communicating with Olivia? I thought you were just trying to impress her to boost her affection.
Though Zhang Ge wanted to ask further about the efficacy of this interaction, seeing the Magos's unwavering confidence, he decided that such a question might come off as rude, so he restrained himself and waited for their results.
Ten Terra minutes passed.
The Magos remained confident and even grew more excited as time went on; talking for this long suggested that the machine spirit was in good spirits—a promising start.
Thirty Terra minutes passed.
The Magos began to show signs of doubt: could they really talk for this long? Had they broken records in his database? Yet, it could be understood that this particular machine spirit was a bit more special.
An hour passed.
The Magos started to appear frustrated; Zhang Ge discreetly moved a bit farther away to avoid another unexpected wave of black oil.
An hour and a half passed.
Seeing the Axial Guard Commander, nearly at the point of executing the Titan Guards, Zhang Ge sighed and waved his hand to the Magos, saying, "Let me handle this."
Brother, you guys really aren't cutting it with all this showy nonsense.
Leaving his entourage behind, Zhang Ge leisurely walked toward the formation composed of Skitarii and Titan Custodians, approaching Olivia directly.
The Titan, which had not budged an inch in ages, finally responded to Zhang Ge's presence. Its electronic eye locked onto him as he moved until he stopped in front of it.
Beneath the Titan, gazing up at Olivia, Zhang Ge didn't even greet her beforehand—he trusted the tacit understanding between them, believing they didn't need prior communication to fully comprehend each other's intentions.
He raised his hand, waving it toward the Warlord Titan.
This was an indication for her to lower her weapon so he could stand atop it as he had during the earlier ritual.
However, to his surprise, while Olivia comprehended his gesture, she didn't entirely understand it.
She did indeed lower her weapon, but not in the way Zhang Ge had envisioned.
With a resonant sound, the metallic components clicked together in a melodic harmony. As Zhang Ge's gesture ended, the Warlord Titan slowly knelt on one knee.
The colossal form of the machine gradually descended until the armored knee met the ground, sending tremors that reverberated outward.
As the Titan's head bowed, silence began to spread outward from Zhang Ge, as if time froze in that moment.
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