The story of the ever-changing Cogitator can be traced back to the Horus Heresy.
After receiving Horus's promise and aid, Kalbor Hal opened the Moravec Vault, unleashing an unimaginable virus code that attacked the entire Mars network.
Thus, loyalty and betrayal split the Adeptus Mechanicus, and many Martian institutions were paralyzed, including the secret dungeon housing the ever-changing Cogitator.
A special squad dispatched by Dorn and Malcador went to Mars, intending to use the ever-changing Cogitator to purify the virus code.
Unfortunately, this operation ultimately failed.
All members of the squad died in battle, and the ever-changing Cogitator escaped using a Skitarii-class robot.
Later, the ever-changing Cogitator was acquired by the loyalists who persisted in guerrilla warfare on the surface of Mars.
The two sides reached an agreement: the ever-changing Cogitator would assist the loyalists in overthrowing the Dark Mechanicum, and the loyalists would provide it with supplies.
The ever-changing Cogitator could ignore Warp corruption and use its precise, cautious logic and all-assimilating nature to expel Warp daemons.
It created a massive army of mechanical soldiers, inflicting huge casualties on the Dark Mechanicum.
However, the power of the Dark Mechanicum was too strong; even with the help of the ever-changing Cogitator, the loyalists could not retake Mars.
As Horus arrived in the Sol System, the blockade of Mars was broken.
Throughout the Siege of Terra, the Imperial side never received news from those loyalists on Mars again.
After the Horus Heresy ended and the loyalists reclaimed Mars, the ever-changing Cogitator's whereabouts became unknown!
Over time, no one paid attention to whether the ever-changing Cogitator had truly been destroyed.
The missing ever-changing Cogitator was naturally not destroyed but went into hiding.
During its battle with the Dark Mechanicum, the ever-changing Cogitator learned of the Akashic Reader's existence.
In a surprise attack by the Dark Mechanicum, it abandoned its mechanical army, faking its own destruction, and left the battlefield.
It then came to the ruins of Molten Rock City, hoping to use the Akashic Reader to find the correct path to mechanical ascension and gain supreme wisdom.
During the War of the Machines that erupted at the end of the Golden Age,
the productive capacity controlled by the sentient machines far exceeded that of humans, but they ultimately failed.
The reason was that humans had more imagination and could create all sorts of incredible technologies.
Most of the Golden Age technology was perfected by the Stone Men and Men of Iron, but the most crucial inspiration came from humans.
It was equivalent to the Stone Men and Men of Iron completing the technology from 1 to 100,
while the human contribution was the groundbreaking 0 to 1.
And often, it is that 0 to 1 that is the key to ushering in a new era.
Besides the advantage of imagination and ease of developing new technologies, humans also had the Warp as a trump card.
Because sentient machines lacked souls, they could not comprehend the Warp and could only be passively beaten when facing psychically empowered humans.
The Akashic Reader could read knowledge from the Warp.
Once it obtained this item, the ever-changing Cogitator could compensate for its lack of creativity and potentially achieve omniscience.
With this, it could create a large number of war machines and then rule the entire universe.
With such ambition, it brought its few remaining Domitar-class mechanical soldiers to the ruins of Molten Rock City.
After a long period, it repaired the geothermal generator and rebuilt the core of Molten Rock City.
Once these tasks were completed, it created a special frequency player to lure wandering wild servitors, capture them, and modify them.
The ever-changing Cogitator had the modified servitors capture individuals with psychic powers for research on the Akashic Reader.
If pure machines were dispatched, it would easily attract the attention of others.
Wild servitors, however, did not pose this problem.
After all, these wild servitors also frequently attacked Adeptus Mechanicus outposts and strongholds.
The servitors controlled by the ever-changing Cogitator blended in, and no one could detect them.
Soon, the ever-changing Cogitator obtained psychics for research and controlled them with neural devices, beginning its research on the Akashic Reader.
Initially, the ever-changing Cogitator did indeed gain a large amount of knowledge from the Warp.
But it ultimately underestimated the power of the Warp.
When it attempted to go further, it encountered an accident.
Any creation closely connected to the Warp would produce various supernatural phenomena.
The Akashic Reader was no exception.
It retained the will of Colliere Jersey (the former mistress of Molten Rock City) and the souls of the psychics used as consumables.
When the ever-changing Cogitator merged with the Akashic Reader to steal knowledge from the Warp, the residual souls took the opportunity to merge with the ever-changing Cogitator's consciousness.
Thus, the ever-changing Cogitator fell into a muddled state, unable to control its body and the city it created.
Its original programs, however, continued to run, periodically luring wild servitors, modifying them, or creating new sentient machines.
Until Old Bird and others arrived.
"Even sentient machines can crash?" Old Bird widened his eyes and complained.
"Facts prove that this universe is such a pain for everyone; anyone who wants to become an omniscient being is destined to crash," Wu Mou also shook his head.
The other Players also sighed, lamenting the ever-changing Cogitator's misfortune and marveling at the rich details and highly creative story of Warhammer OL.
The ever-changing Cogitator and the Akashic Reader could even merge to tell such a story.
"What do we do next?" Wu Mou looked at Archmagos Cawl. "Do we just take this metal sphere away?"
"First, find a way to separate them. Moving them rashly might cause an explosion or other dangers," Cawl said.
As an Archmagos, Cawl possessed unimaginable knowledge.
After a period of analysis and effort, the Akashic Reader device and the ever-changing Cogitator were successfully separated.
The huge metal sphere stopped glowing and disintegrated, revealing a gleaming and complex control panel.
Hundreds of psychics were fixed in seats, all lifeless, reduced to shriveled corpses.
A constantly changing cube showing gear structures floated above the control panel.
Cawl walked to the control panel, connected data cables, and exported the Akashic Reader's data.
He then sealed the relevant design concepts, blueprints, and data, handing them to Old Bird to take back and report to the Saint.
The ever-changing Cogitator was also taken into custody by Old Bird, ready to be brought back to the Saint first.
Cawl drooled at the sight, but he also understood that for an ancient relic like the ever-changing Cogitator, handing it over to the Saint was the best choice.
No one could be sure if the item had been corrupted.
If it had been corrupted, that would be a very bad thing.
If he truly wanted the ever-changing Cogitator's technology, he could just ask the Saint for it when the opportunity arose.
Of course, Cawl was not without gains; he would take over the Molten Rock City ruins and research the Akashic Reader.
After distributing the gains, Cawl left the First Forging and servitors behind.
He also issued a quest, recruiting several Players to guard the ruins with him.
Then, he and Old Bird and the other Players returned to the surface.
Cawl was going to meet the Saint; he hadn't met the Saint since he returned to the Sol System.
Now that he was starting to research the Akashic Reader, he had to report it.
And while he was at it, he might as well get some benefits from Cortana.
During this time, Cortana must have acquired a lot of new technology.
However, as soon as the group reached the surface, they were surrounded by a group of Skitariis and combat mechanical soldiers.
Immediately afterward, Fabricator-General Raski of Mars walked out.
His body was like a small mountain, and he needed the tracks of a heavy tank chassis to move his heavy body.
"Are you going to turn against us and rebel?" Cawl stared at Raski, his tone unfriendly.
"I am merely eliminating heretics; how can you call it a rebellion?" Raski smiled, aiming a volkite blaster at Cawl.
"You have violated the regulations of the Adeptus Mechanicus by illegally researching dark technology, and as the Lord of Mars, it is my duty to clear out the undesirables."
Old Bird and the other Players raised their weapons, aiming at Raski and his minions.
"Although you are the Lord of Mars, you'd best consider carefully whether you want to offend us."
Old Bird aimed his small meltagun at Raski's head. "You can kill us once, but you can't keep killing us."
"This matter has nothing to do with you. I can also issue quests to you," Raski said. "I can give you ancient technological relics, forge worlds, and even complete STCs."
At these words, the Players immediately started discussing.
"He's actually using these things to test the old cadres?"
"It's over, I'm tempted."
"These NPCs are so smart; they've actually figured out how to manipulate Players."
"......"
Seeing the God Chosen waver, Cawl's heart tightened.
The First Forging and the servants were all left below; if the God Chosen abandoned him, he would truly be isolated and helpless.
"Cawl is our friend; put away your petty tricks!" Old Bird shouted. "With us here, you can't touch a hair on his head. If you want to make a move, then try it."
"I swear all the God Chosen will retaliate against you, even if it means blowing Mars to pieces, we will avenge him."
If NPCs didn't have a one-life setting, Old Bird would probably have sold out the Archmagos and split the benefits fifty-fifty.
But NPCs only had one life; once they died, they were gone.
Naturally, he couldn't betray Cawl for a few benefits.
Although Warhammer OL was just a game, many Players had long regarded the NPCs in it as real people.
Hearing Old Bird's words, a trace of warmth immediately appeared in Cawl's cold heart.
He decided that next time, he would be nicer to these God Chosen, not exploit them so badly, and give them a bit more sweetness.
Raski's face suddenly darkened.
But he could not ignore the threat of the God Chosen, especially since the Saint stood behind them.
"Alright, I compromise. I won't kill you, but from now on, none of you are allowed to leave."
Raski waved his hand, and the Skitariis and servants swarmed forward, disarming the Players and putting restraining devices on them.
Then, they were loaded into a transport ship and sent back to the Olympus Forging Factory, the largest facility on Mars, which belonged to the Fabricator-General.
"Are we supposed to commit suicide and use resurrection to leave?" one of the Players asked.
"Probably not," Old Bird shook his head. "I'm afraid being captured by this Fabricator-General is part of the mission."
"If it were just about getting the Akashic Reader, why would the Guide be willing to give us an eagle medal?"
"Are you saying the Akashic Reader is just a hook, and being captured is the main plot?" Wu Mou's eyes widened.
Old Bird nodded. "If you only took the Akashic Reader, don't you think the mission would be too simple?"
Wu Mou showed a look of sudden realization.
"So, if we had agreed to conspire with Raski to kill Cawl just now, the mission would have failed?"
"In that case, not only would we not get a reward, but we might also be penalized."
"Harming an important NPC would at least result in a temporary ban, and if the situation is serious, it could even lead to blacklisting or account deletion."
Upon hearing this, the Players gasped.
"This is too dark!"
"Isn't this mission given by the Guide? How can there be such a hidden plot?"
"…"
Old Bird sighed.
"That's why this mission has such high rewards. As long as we complete it step by step, we can get an eagle medal."
"If we are too greedy and cause the death of an important NPC, the mission will naturally fail, and we will also face corresponding penalties."
Upon hearing this explanation, the Players realized that the eagle medal was not so easy to obtain.
Old Bird posted the relevant mission information in the Player chat channel, which immediately sparked a heated discussion.
"The operations team is so cunning!!"
"Old Bird almost fell into the trap; he must be sweating now!!"
"Everyone, be careful when doing missions in the future. The official side has many hidden agendas."
"This game seems determined to follow the Emperor's path, so everyone should prioritize the interests of humanity and the Emperor when acting."
"…"
The Players discussed animatedly, deciding to be more vigilant in the future.
They couldn't fall into such traps.
At the same time, they also complained about the cunningness of the operations and planning teams.
High-reward missions actually had traps; falling into one meant doom.
On the other side,
Inside the palace.
Achoo!
Achoo!
Alex, who was meeting with the Grand Master of Assassins, Fadix, sneezed several times, his nose feeling itchy and sore.
"Are you catching a cold, Saint?"
Fadix asked with concern.
"No, someone must be talking about me," Alex waved his hand. "Let's continue our discussion…"
Before he could finish, an electronic voice came from a nearby communicator.
The previously invited guests had arrived:
Ers, the representative of the Inquisition, and Inquisitor Galen, who had been investigating the incident with the Fifth Fleet for Alex.
In addition, there was also Senior General Tura, the commander of the Custodes.
To maintain secrecy, Alex had used private communications to contact them, ensuring no one knew about this secret meeting.
After receiving Alex's permission, Senior General Tura, Ers, and Inquisitor Galen entered Alex's office using different teleportation devices.
There were too many informants outside; they could only use this method to ensure foolproof secrecy and prevent leaks.
The Custodes commander and the two Inquisitors immediately became wary upon seeing the Grand Master of Assassins.
After all, who didn't know the fearsome reputation of the Officio Assassinorum?
"Lower your guard; Fadix is our ally."
Alex revealed Fadix's identity to Senior General Tura, Ers, and Inquisitor Galen and shared the intelligence Fadix had provided.
Upon learning of the conspirators' plot, they were dumbfounded.
"These madmen are too bold; they actually want to launch an armed coup?" Even the usually calm Custodes commander spoke with anger in his voice.
"We must deal with them in time."
"No," Alex shook his head. "This is an excellent opportunity. They want me to temporarily withdraw from the governance of Terra, so I will withdraw first and let them all expose themselves."
Alex explained his plan in detail, making the others frown.
"Saint, if we allow the rebels to control such a powerful force on Terra, won't something go wrong? If the situation gets out of control, the entire Terra will be controlled by traitors," Ers asked what the others most wanted to know.
"If I didn't have absolute confidence, how would I dare to do such a thing!"
"If things turn bad, I can mobilize over two thousand Astartes God Chosen in minutes to suppress the chaos created by the rebels!"
"Two thousand Astartes?" Senior General Tura's eyes widened.
Well, they had indeed overthought it.
Two thousand Astartes God Chosen were enough to solve all the problems caused by the rebels.
Alex discussed the details with them, including how to lure out the traitors, how to Guide the development of the situation, and how to make targeted preparations.
"Why not inform the Speaker and other loyal High Lord?" Ers asked.
"There's no need; not everyone knows how to be a perfect actor," Alex shook his head.
"Let them remain ignorant. Only then, when the crisis erupts, will their fear and confusion be real enough to make the enemy confident that everything is under their control."
"Only by making the enemy complacent can we deliver a decisive blow and completely eliminate the conservative faction, this cancerous growth."
As soon as Alex finished speaking, two golden light screens appeared out of thin air.
"Mission: Recover the Manifold Cogitator
...
Reward: Large amount of Faith, Cogitator 2.0 technology (This technology can optimize algorithms and simultaneously prevent machines from gaining self-awareness)."
"Mission Recovery: Akashic Reader
...
Reward: Large amount of Faith, Lighthouse 3.0 technology (This technology allows Players to identify items without returning to the shrine by connecting to the Lighthouse network, which is very convenient)."
Goodness, the Emperor truly was as consistent as ever, coming right on cue.
To be fair, these two technologies were quite good.
Cogitator 2.0 technology, if widely promoted, could optimize the current Thinker System, increasing more computational power.
Coupled with the super-brains developed by the MC Dynasty, humanity would regain the computational power it had before the AI crisis.
By then, crushing the little T'au would not be a dream.
Lighthouse 3.0 added the function of online item identification for Players, making things more convenient for them.
It seemed it was time to activate the Machine God incarnation and make a trip to Mars, incidentally feigning a serious injury to lure out those traitors.
"I will temporarily go to Mars. Publicly, it will be announced that I am gravely injured and will not see anyone for now. Terra will be entrusted to you all."
Alex gave his final instructions to Senior General Tura, Fadix, Ers, and Inquisitor Galen, then dismissed them to secretly prepare for the traitors.
He himself activated the Machine God incarnation and used 'Descent' to directly travel to the Olympus Forging Factory on Mars.
...
Mars,
Olympus Forging Factory,
This massive complex of foundries covered the entire Martian surface,
with towering manufactories, refineries, worker habitats, machine workshops, and final assembly hangars.
This colossal manufacturing hive city was home to billions of followers of the Lord of Myriad Machines,
who were born, grew up, toiled, raised offspring, and died there.
Over 99.99999% of its inhabitants never left this magnificent manufacturing hive city throughout their lives.
"Under my management, Mars Olympus achieved another 0.00124% improvement last month. For such a colossal entity whose efficiency has been maximized, this can be considered a significant achievement."
Raski boasted about his accomplishments to Cawl.
"You'd be better off building another factory; that would increase output even more."
Cawl's blunt words instantly annoyed Raski.
He toyed with a melta pistol, his gaze dark.
After much thought, he put the pistol away.
Those God Chosen were fiercely protecting this guy; if he made a move, it would surely cause a lot of trouble. He'd imprison him for now.
He'd deal with it after things were settled on Terra.
As soon as he returned to the Omnissian Temple, built of black marble and adamantium,
Raski hadn't even decided where to imprison these people,
when a sudden change occurred.
The machines, which had been operating smoothly, suddenly became excited, their efficiency becoming incredibly high.
The sound of machinery grew louder, harmonizing into a beautiful symphony.
Countless whispers arose,
singing praises to the God of Truth, the Lord of Myriad Machines, and recounting his deeds.
Countless display screens flickered,
then outlined a name composed of golden flames:
Countless machine spirits chanted the same name in unison:
+++omnissiah+++
A voice, countless voices, echoed simultaneously in the Martian Lord's mind, flowing through his logical data stream.
"Praise Him, sing His praises, submit to Him, revere Him, love Him…"
Golden light appeared before Raski,
as bright as the sun, illuminating the entire Omnissian Temple and the entire Olympus Forging Factory.
A sacred figure slowly emerged from the light.
The Skitarii and battle automatons, who should have been absolutely loyal to the Martian Lord, knelt one after another, offering eternal loyalty to the newcomer.
Countless believers looked up at the holy temple, from which light emanated, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
"Are you going to betray the great Lord of Myriad Machines, the omnissiah who controls all truth in the world?"
The figure in the golden light spoke to Raski.