Neither Zhang Ge nor the Adeptus Mechanicus was prepared for the situation unfolding before them.
Both sides' minds raced, desperately trying to rationalize the current predicament, but unsurprisingly, they failed.
Such a scene could have appeared in the Imperial Palace on Terra, amidst countless hymns from the Ecclesiarchy, the Adeptus Mechanicus, and various dignitaries, surrounded by an abundance of flowers. It could also take place on apocalyptic battlefields, amidst hells where volcanoes and plasma fire intertwined.
But now, it was happening on this planet, on a street within a sector, with merely three to four thousand witnesses, even counting the average Skitarii.
Thus, the atmosphere that spread was not the expected commotion complementing the scene, but rather the opposite: an eerie silence.
For the Adeptus Mechanicus, this was far beyond a political issue.
They presented themselves as a massive political entity to the overwhelming majority, but first and foremost, they were a faith; secondly, they were a political force.
Moreover, unlike mere religious figures who talk about doctrine, most members of the Mechanicus genuinely believed in the existence of the "Machine God" and regarded serving the Omnissiah as the supreme purpose of their lives.
This Magos was undoubtedly among those faithful... Yet, at this moment, he found it hard to voice the customary sentiment.
The Omnissiah above? Or the Omnissiah beside?
When it felt as if some supreme being was casting its gaze upon him, each word spoken, each turn of gear within his body seemed submerged deep in an ocean of inefficacy.
The remnants of the Magos's reason tried to analyze the current situation further.
Even a common Titan represented extraordinary significance. Within the structure of the Mechanicus, the Collegia Titanica, responsible for managing various Titan legions, was at the same level as the priesthood.
In fact, the initial "Binary Succession" involved the direct participation of an Emperor-Class Titan— the Mechanicus had brought that to the face of the Council, preserving its high autonomy during the initial rift, avoiding being entirely consumed by the bureaucrats of the Imperium.
These machines, with a history longer than that of the human Imperium, possessed religious significance far beyond that of colossal warships. They were called the God Machines not merely as a compliment to their size.
And... what about a Titan that had already worked miracles?
This Warlord Titan had not only performed exceptionally beyond ordinary Titans but had, through some incomprehensible means, somehow revived several Warhound Titans that lacked repair conditions.
Its implications had long since transcended those of a common Titan, becoming a religious symbol that could place Huangquan VIII and Mars on equal footing, drawing countless Forge Worlds merely to catch a glimpse of its form.
Even in fantasy, the Magos envisioned safely returning it to Huangquan VIII, where it could be kept in the most prominent temple.
As for kneeling? The very thought made him wonder if he had been invaded while confronting some aversion to machinery.
Yet, it had indeed happened.
This was significant; it required careful study afterward... study? What rubbish.
Where does a gambler who always loses fit into this? Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl could, but I can't?
The Omnissiah placed this opportunity before him—something that rightfully belonged to him. As for the other brothers in the priesthood?
Sorry, cut them out.
Typically, trying to gather data from other Forge Worlds required coaxing and pleading; the truly secretive stuff was off-limits, and now he was expected to share such a miracle?
What a joke. He wanted to become the Archmagos, not a big fool.
Feeling like he had regained two hundred years of youth, the Magos bowed before this scene, and those around him—Skitarii, priests, and Titan Custodians—awoke from their daze, beginning to bow in unison.
Some merely imitated the Magos, their gestures respectful but not overly reverent. Others outright knelt, and naturally, this elicited no surprise from the onlookers.
Then, in the ensuing silence filled only by the mechanical ambiance, the Magos began to move forward.
He approached Zhang Ge, tapping the tail end of the Axe of the Omnissiah against the ground, retracting the long handle until it shrank to a size manageable in one hand.
Releasing it, the now smaller Axe floated toward Zhang Ge, buoyed by the Magos's anti-gravity device.
"Chosen of the Omnissiah, I do not know what endless running machinery has given you as your mission, but one truth is certain: since He allowed me to witness such a scene, I am surely included in the directive."
As Zhang Ge finally reached out to grasp the floating weapon after a prolonged pause, the Magos continued, "I have obligations that I must attend to and cannot accompany you. However, by wielding this Axe of the Omnissiah, your permissions are equivalent to mine, granting you access to all my resources."
To the Magos's surprise, Zhang Ge did not intend to keep the Axe for himself. He examined it for a moment before asking, "What is its maximum extension?"
"I cannot answer that for you. Its core is derived from the dark tech age, and the size it achieves is a direct manifestation of how much it chooses to pledge loyalty to its bearer. However, because of this, it possesses irreproducibility, serving as a proof of my authority recognition."
With a nod, Zhang Ge stepped closer to Olivia, releasing the ornamented Axe that displayed countless gears.
Immediately, a soft chime echoed through the data seas monitored by the Adeptus Mechanicus, reverberating like distant bells.
The Axe of the Omnissiah began to expand, rapidly reaching the size it had occupied in the Magos's grasp before swiftly surpassing those dimensions, eventually exceeding anything the Magos could have imagined.
The axe's point rose above the shoulder height of the Titan, while the handle stretched like a colossal column... and then, the Titan began to respond.
The Sunfury Plasma Annihilator on one of its arms began to dismantle and reconfigure, transforming into an awe-inspiring mechanical arm entangled in countless data chains.
Rising from its half-kneeling position, the Titan's head lifted once more, fixing its gaze on the Axe of the Omnissiah before it.
As its newly reconstructed arm extended forward, all eyes were drawn to it, fingers curling around the shaft of the Axe.
With a final, resonating chime, Zhang Ge's voice echoed in the material world:
"Magos, if it truly is as you say, that I have been granted some kind of mission, it will not be one of recovering a holy relic, nor will it be about the dominion held within this Axe of the Omnissiah but rather a quest for the so-called, remote and elusive, 'peace.'"
That was indeed the symbolic significance carried forth by the name "Olivia."
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