Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Is Kaul Turning into a Dark Mechanicus?
The great Omnissiah had truly blessed him!
Kaul could feel the connections between the synthetic synapses in his skull and his logic pathways growing tighter, his mind more active than ever.
And with it came inspiration.
An overwhelming flood of inspiration.
The surge nearly overloaded Kaul's circuits, sparks flying from his mechanical parts. Yet he didn't care in the slightest.
Kaul clutched his resting servo-skull "father" beside him, shaking it like an excited child holding a prize.
"Father, wake up! I've had a breakthrough! I know how to create the ultimate machine to house the strongest Machine Spirit!"
The Salii family had suffered immensely in their pursuit of this technology.
Kaul's father had poured his life's work into it, passing away before making any significant progress.
He had placed all his hopes in Kaul, the genius of the Salii family.
The servo-skull jolted awake, staring blankly at Kaul. Being a mere machine, it couldn't comprehend the joy of the human before it.
…
Before long, the workshop was filled with smoke, the sounds of clanging metal and sizzling electricity echoing throughout.
Meanwhile, in the governor's office at the spire residence.
Eden was reviewing confidential files on the Inquisition.
The newly established Inquisition was operating smoothly.
Under Deville's leadership, it had handled dozens of heresy cases, uncovering many hidden cultists.
Additionally, several incompetent and corrupt officials had been dealt with.
Deville had become a feared figure in the Royal District—a symbol of judgment.
Everyone understood that if the Inquisitor came to you, it meant judgment had arrived.
The outcome was likely either a bolt shell or a place on the pyre.
Eden was pleased with Deville's uncompromising approach; it was exactly what he wanted.
Eden himself wasn't particularly strict.
But lax discipline often led to incompetence and corruption among officials, and unchecked behavior among the populace could invite Chaos corruption.
Thus, proper oversight and punishment were necessary to maintain the governor's authority.
The Royal District needed someone like Deville, and he was the perfect choice for the role.
As for Eden, he only needed to play the part of the benevolent savior, showing kindness and mercy to his people.
Soon, Eden received more good news.
Kaul had successfully created the Machine Spirit core and was requesting permission to activate it.
This was an incredible surprise.
He had expected to wait six months, maybe longer, but Kaul had produced a finished product in just two months.
"Tell Kaul that we'll be activating the Machine Spirit today!"
Eden was thrilled; he'd finally be free from the burden of endless paperwork.
He had no concerns about whether the Machine Spirit would activate successfully.
The blessing's effects were evident, and Kaul wouldn't have notified him unless he was confident it would work.
Eden couldn't wait a moment longer and ordered Carter and the guards to escort him to the workshop.
Upon arrival, he was greeted by a massive, skull-shaped mechanical structure.
Dozens of floating servo-skulls worked around the structure, performing various tasks.
Huge black gears turned slowly, flames roared from furnaces, and steam veiled the area like a thin mist.
The rhythmic sound of the gears meshed together, creating a deep and powerful mechanical hum—the heartbeat of the mechanical structure.
This setup… Kaul had really outdone himself.
Eden had only just seen the resource consumption report for Kaul's workshop yesterday.
Kaul alone had consumed more than half of the Royal District's resources. And it had only come to his attention so late due to the backlog of administrative tasks.
During this period, he had been working to reform the administration, exhausted from sorting through files.
The trigger had been an outdated census report buried in the paperwork—submitted a decade ago by some unknown bureaucrat.
Upon investigation, he discovered an entire department dedicated to maintaining census data, even during the Hive's fall.
They had followed protocol for years, compiling complex data sets, and finally reporting it to the governor.
When he questioned why such a pointless task hadn't been stopped, the response was that no order had been given to halt the work.
Following this revelation, Eden launched a thorough inspection.
More idle departments were discovered, including one hidden deep within the Department of Internal Affairs, responsible for calculating an ancient tax protocol.
Under orders from years prior, the entire department had been sequestered, forbidden from leaving until their calculations were complete.
Servitors had been delivering food, and they toiled on, oblivious to the uprising or the Hive's fall.
They merely noted the deteriorating quality of their food, assuming it was punishment for unsatisfactory work.
Driven by guilt, they worked even harder, with exhausted members quietly removed by servitors.
The absurdity of it all nearly made Eden choke on his anger, yet he could do nothing about it.
These poor clerks were merely doing their jobs.
Even worse were the completely forgotten employees.
Locked in rooms with confidential documents, their superiors had died in the uprising, leaving them without instructions or supplies.
When Eden finally opened one of these offices, he found little more than a dozen skeletal remains.
Such was the consequence of inefficiency.
Managing billions on Urth required countless administrators and departments, which had become too numerous to track.
But now, finally, all of this would come to an end.
With the Machine Spirit, the Royal District would enter a new era.
As for the vast resources Kaul had used, Eden wasn't bothered.
A grand project like the Machine Spirit core would naturally consume a significant amount of resources.
If it meant a successful launch, Eden could stomach even higher costs.
Looking at the massive skull structure before him, Eden felt it was worth every resource.
This Machine Spirit core had a commanding presence!
Soon, Kaul emerged to greet him.
He stood on an anti-gravity platform, gripping a mechanical staff, floating out of the skull's eye socket. Several black servo-skulls hovered behind him.
Leading the group was his "father," equipped with heavy black armor, its mechanical eye glowing an intimidating crimson.
Kaul had outfitted this precious servo-skull with powerful weaponry and multiple layers of defenses, ensuring it could withstand an even more intense explosion than the last one.
Over the past two months, Kaul had also undergone significant modifications, his appearance now radically different.
Kaul's face was now concealed by a black skull-shaped mask with exposed fangs.
Several red mechanical eyes dotted the mask, their cold light flashing menacingly.
His crimson-black robe billowed in the wind, woven with countless cables and circuits that coiled around him like a spider's web.
These cables extended to an energy pack on his back, powering the dozens of mechanical arms equipped with various tools and weapons.
Eden felt a chill run through him as he took in Kaul's appearance.
That image was so… heretical. Could this guy be turning into a Dark Mechanicus?
(End of Chapter)
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