My Life as A Death Guard (Warhammer 30K Male MC)

At the time, Korklan was just an ordinary Tech-Priest.

Even though he had climbed to this position thanks to his pre-programmed genes, he was merely an insignificant figure within the many intricate factions of Mars.

He needed resources and access.

Some higher-ranking Tech-Priests approached him. They were either believers who distrusted deception or beneficiaries dissatisfied with the division of power.

Though he was of little use initially, the knowledge he possessed gave him significance.

Ultimately, he would dedicate himself to knowledge and truth.

He calculated, explored, and climbed. Korklan vowed to use truth to expose lies.

He had set foot on xenos worlds teeming with foreign technologies. He had encountered techniques that rendered most of his body components nonfunctional.

Finally, in a long-lost ruin, he discovered a document that recorded the "Cursed Ones."

They were entities even more restrictive of psychic energy than the untouchables.

These beings were extremely rare, and their fate was often to be killed by psychics during their childhood.

At the altar of the ruins, the scene of the Cursed Ones being sacrificed by psychic shamans seemed to still be unfolding.

The subtle marks left in the river of time declared the psychic void that had occurred here.

These beings could devour all psychic energy.

He needed a sample.

There was no way he could let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away.

"Thank you for the reminder, but due to personal reasons, I'm unwilling to cooperate with Terra's direct departments. This would hinder my research."

"So, you'll just take it by force?"

Korklan paused, and then his voice synthesizer creaked.

"I apologize deeply, my lord, but your constitution is an exceedingly rare sample. Simply becoming an Astartes would be a great waste."

"I would hate to see such a situation, which is why I acted rather hastily."

"If you are willing to forsake your identity as an Astartes and join me in researching anti-psychic phenomena, we could achieve far more brilliant accomplishments than being an Astartes ever could."

"I can guarantee no harm to your body."

"I advise you to stop trying to deceive me under the guise of cooperation. If you truly want research data, I suggest you propose it from my perspective."

Hades impatiently thrust his scythe into the ground.

"Time is running out."

If this Tech-Priest truly intended to cooperate, Hades would be delighted.

But for now, it seemed the Tech-Priest still intended to knock him out and take him away.

Hades pondered briefly. In the Tech-Priest's eyes, he was merely a uniquely gifted Astartes, without other discernible value.

He decided to lay some bait.

"Let's put it this way. I'm interested in your anti-psychic research because my Primarch hopes to establish an anti-psychic division within the Legion and to develop anti-psychic weaponry."

"Collaborating with a Legion, providing related technology, without interfering in your research—what do you think?"

Let's see if the bait works.

The Tech-Priest's form swayed slightly, and two pendants on his robe jingled.

Collaborating with a Legion—how was that any different from collaborating with the Imperium?

"I appreciate your offer, but I, as a Tech-Priest, do not wish to collaborate with a Legion."

"This conversation cannot proceed if you think like that."

The Tech-Priest's idea of cooperation involved Hades leaving his organization and participating as an individual, but Hades had no such intention.

"We provide funding. You only need to supply the technology. You could even just provide anti-psychic equipment—wouldn't that suffice?"

"And I'm willing to participate in your experiments."

Korklan fell silent again.

It seemed Hades was uninterested in his own proposals but was very persistent about acquiring the research results.

Likewise, Korklan couldn't agree to research for the Imperium.

He decided to feign agreement with Hades, obtain some basic information, and then delete the data stream and flee Mars as soon as Hades returned.

After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly.

"Your offer is indeed tempting,"

"So my answer is, yes,"

"But discussing cooperation at this moment would be too hasty, especially since I cannot ascertain how much authority you truly hold within your Legion."

"Why not choose another time for a detailed discussion? Meanwhile, I will return and make more thorough preparations."

He's planning to run.

Do you think you can escape after exposing your lair?

If Hades returned unharmed and this Tech-Priest never contacted him again, he would immediately inform Malcador (unfortunately, he didn't have the female Tech-Priest's contact) and send over this Tech-Priest's location.

If the Tech-Priest did contact him later for detailed talks, then Hades could bide his time.

Time was running out, and Hades didn't want his pre-written distress signal to land directly on Magos Yordan's desk.

"I hope you make the right choice, Tech-Priest Lanzer."

Hades watched the Tech-Priest closely, but Korklan remained as stoic as ever. His mechanical face revealed nothing of his thoughts.

It was an unpleasant conversation, with neither side achieving their goals.

Hades sighed inwardly and gestured for the Tech-Priest to leave.

However, a glimmer flashed in Korklan's eyes.

"Lord Hades, as an apology, I will give you the control rights and codes for Jin-306."

"And to further express my regret, I also have a stasis grenade here. I hope to present it to you."

"And so, my lord, could you—"

Could he what?

"Could you use your anti-psychic field to envelop me?"

Hades fell silent.

Then, he raised the Obituary and placed it directly on the Tech-Priest's shoulder.

Realizing what Hades was doing, the Tech-Priest didn't resist at all.

As the Black Domain coursed through the Tech-Priest, flashes began appearing across his body—some electronic devices failed outright.

When Hades exasperatedly removed his scythe, a long, sigh-like electronic burst emanated from the other side.

"That's it!"

<+>

Dust erupted in all directions as Hades stood still, watching a massive garbage truck slowly roll away.

The two harbored their own schemes.

The Tech-Priest, forced to release Hades after obtaining surface-level data, had little choice—otherwise, Hades' prewritten distress signal would have been transmitted.

Even so, the Tech-Priest, having feigned agreement, planned to leave Mars for a time.

Meanwhile, Hades, who had already secured the Tech-Priest's location, decided to report it immediately upon his return.

The only thing both parties could likely agree on was the stasis grenade now in Hades' possession.

As the roar of engines filled the air, a feral wolf roared to life and sped toward him.

Manning whistled. "I've been watching you chat with that hunk of machinery from afar. Finally done!"

"So, no fight in the end, huh?"

Hades chuckled and climbed into the vehicle.

"Let's go!"

<+>

The female Tech-Priest from before emerged slowly from the shadows, glancing at Hades, who had just returned to his quarters.

"You really managed to lure him out."

Behind her, mechanical arms extended, bearing the unmistakable sigils of Malcador.

Hades removed his helmet with a resigned expression. The moment he saw the sigils, he sent the Tech-Priest's location to her without hesitation.

The woman raised an eyebrow—she had been unable to intercept this information herself.

"You cracked his encryption keys too?"

Hades nodded.

"We couldn't come to terms, so he tried to take me by force."

"You should've cooperated with him as an individual."

Tech-Priest Collier Zexi interjected, causing Hades to pause briefly.

"I'm not particularly keen on being dragged off as a test subject."

"Hmm, that man is a staunch extremist, deeply loathing Terra's Emperor. His motivations stem entirely from that."

"How was I supposed to know? I thought he might have a flexible bottom line when it came to personal gain."

Hearing this, Collier Zexi chuckled, a faint smile appearing briefly on her lips.

"That's refreshingly honest."

But her expression quickly vanished.

"Collaborating with a Legion is, in his eyes, no different from collaborating with the Emperor."

"Lord Malcador has always admired the Tech-Priest research, but it's a shame he refuses to show himself."

"We hoped you might succeed, but it seems he truly detests the Emperor."

"What's the plan now?"

"Arrest."

"After this failure, no one will shield him. Proceed as usual."

"His research will be evaluated, and you'll likely receive a portion, though after a typical arrest, not much tends to remain intact."

Tech-Priests often destroyed their work, deleted data, and revoked encryption keys on the spot.

"By the way, Lord Malcador and Lord Mortarion are expected to arrive on Mars soon."

After conveying this information, Collier Zexi prepared to leave but was suddenly stopped by Hades.

His conversation with "Lanzer" made him realize that the man's anti-psychic research capabilities were extraordinary. Letting them go to waste felt like a huge loss.

Could this be purely emotional—a personal loathing of the Emperor rather than a matter of politics or personal gain?

"Would it be possible to let him negotiate with the Death Guard Legion instead? I think there's still hope."

Collier Zexi gave Hades a curious look, then nodded and left once more.

<+>

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