61: For the first date, remember to bring a gift that originally belonged to your partner.

[Mars High Orbit - Bridge of the 'sword of truth']

"Scan complete."

Following the cold data stream report of a Tech-Priest, a holographic star map presenting a sickly dark red color unfolded in Li Cang's field of vision.

This was no ordinary planetary map.

In the eyes of the ['Argos' Class Over-the-Horizon Sensor Array], which had just cost 2,000 GP to upgrade, the surface of Mars was peeled away layer by layer, revealing the awe-inspiring and chilling mechanical skeleton beneath.

What Li Cang saw was a metal hive that had been completely hollowed out, modified, and filled.

The surface was a factory city covering the entire planet, with chimneys like forests and magma like rivers. Underground were data corridors thousands of kilometers deep, geothermal forges, and Servitor breeding farms.

But beneath all these glorious industrial miracles, deep within the Noctis Labyrinth—the giant rift valley near the Martian equator—there was a pitch-black "blind zone."

Even for a top-tier T2 sensor, scanning that area yielded only a void. All signals were swallowed up, as if a black hole existed there.

"As expected, it's there."

Li Cang narrowed his eyes. He knew what was there.

The C'tan sealed by the Emperor, the source of all the dark technology bestowed upon the Adeptus Mechanicus—the Void Dragon.

"This is my 'stepping stone'."

Li Cang's finger lightly tapped on that black blind zone.

"And the knee that will make you iron-heads kneel."

... [Mars Surface - Olympus Mons - Third Landing Platform]

The shuttle landed in air thick with the smell of sulfur and metallic dust. The hatch opened.

C-19 was the first to walk down the ramp.

Greeting him was neither a red carpet nor flowers.

It was a sea of red.

Thousands of Skitarii were lined up as neatly as statues.

They wore heavy red robes, their faces covered by gas masks or replaced by bionic eyes, while the Radium Rifles and Arc Mauls in their hands emitted a dangerous blue light.

Behind them were two Imperial Knight Mechs over ten meters tall, their massive Melta Cannons lowered, as if scrutinizing these tiny visitors.

Binary hymns broadcast from loudspeakers permeated the air:

01001001... [The flesh is weak]

01010011... [The omnissiah]

01000001... [Praise the omnissiah]

This was a silent form of intimidation.

This was Mars telling Terra: This is our domain, put away your pitiful pride.

C-19 was not intimidated.

An Astartes knows no fear.

He led his honor guard—ten Space Marines clad in brand-new Mk II power armor and wielding Bolters—striding down the steel boulevard.

Their steps were heavy and powerful, the sound of their ceramite boots striking the ground cutting forcefully into the noisy binary hymns, disrupting the rhythm of the opposition.

At the end of the boulevard, beneath a massive archway, stood a group of high-ranking priests in crimson robes, numerous mechanical tentacles extending from their backs.

The leader was bloated and massive, his lower body a hovering anti-gravity base, his face bearing only three green optical lenses arranged in a triangle.

Scan Result: Archmagos of Mars - Kelpo - Envoy of the Fabricator-General

"Messenger of Terra."

Kelpo's voice did not travel through the air but was instead forcibly inserted into C-19's communication channel via an encrypted frequency.

It was a pure data stream, accompanied by headache-inducing static.

"You have brought... the treaty."

"But logic circuits indicate that your ship's technology is... primitive. Inefficient. A patchwork of profanity."

One of the Archmagos's mechanical tentacles pointed toward the 'sword of truth' in the sky.

"Based on this level of technology, on what grounds do you request an alliance with Mars? On what grounds do you claim 'Truth'?"

This was a show of dominance. If they didn't show enough bargaining chips, this diplomatic mission would be dismantled into parts and thrown into the forge for recycling... [Holographic Operations Cabin]

Li Cang looked at the aggressive hunk of iron on the screen, his gaze cold.

"Think my ship is junk?"

"Very well."

He opened his inventory and selected the legendary item—[Noctis Labyrinth Star Map (Decrypted Version · First Layer)].

"C-19," Li Cang issued his divine decree.

"Tell him, what we bring is not technology."

"What we bring is... memory. The truth you have forgotten."

... [Mars - Landing Platform]

C-19 came to a halt.

Faced with the questioning of one of Mars's highest rulers, he offered no defense and showed no anger.

He simply raised his hand slowly and took out a seemingly ordinary data storage core from a compartment at his waist.

But on this core was engraved an ancient symbol, one even older than the Adeptus Mechanicus—the emblem of the Human Federation from the Golden Age.

"Archmagos," C-19's voice echoed clearly across the plaza through external speakers.

"Our ship may be crude."

"But recorded within this chip is what you have been searching for for five thousand years."

He did not throw the chip. Instead, he stepped forward, intending to hand it over personally.

One of Kelpo's mechanical tentacles shot out, blocking his path.

"Sacrilege! Sacred data must not be defiled by organics!"

C-19 stopped. He looked at the mechanical claw inches away and slowly returned the chip to the storage compartment.

"Since you do not need it," C-19's voice turned cold.

"Then we shall proceed to the next lost Forge World. Perhaps the machine spirits there are more eager to hear the gospel of the omnissiah."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Wait!"

For the first time, a hint of urgency appeared in Kelpo's voice.

One of his mechanical tentacles shot out but stopped mid-air, finally slowing down in an extremely awkward gesture, as if extending an invitation.

Only then did C-19 turn back and place the chip on the mechanical claw's tray.

Kelpo inserted the chip into his data port.

A second of dead silence.

"Screeech—!!!"

White steam erupted simultaneously from all the heat dissipation vents on the Archmagos's body.

His massive mechanical frame shuddered violently, his three optical lenses flashing frantically, their brightness instantly reaching the limit.

Within his logic core, a data storm was raging.

Analyzing... Error! Unknown encryption protocol! Forced decryption... Failed! Gene-lock detected! Forced decryption will lead to data self-destruction! Attempting to match underlying logic... Match successful: Golden Age - Deep Protocol - Maximum Authority! Identifying content: Noctis Labyrinth... Underlying access protocol... Void Dragon... "This... this is impossible..."

Kelpo's voice changed. That lofty arrogance vanished, replaced by a near-short-circuiting feverishness and... fear.

"This is the underlying logic of an STC!" "This is... the fingerprint of the omnissiah!"

The surrounding Skitarii and low-level priests did not know what was happening, but seeing their supreme leader lose composure so completely, they all ceased their chanting and looked on in confusion.

C-19 took a step forward, the shadow cast by his black silhouette looming over the trembling Archmagos.

"Now." "Are we qualified to speak of 'Truth'?"

Kelpo slowly raised his head. His logic core was calculating frantically, but the final conclusion was singular: No matter how broken their ship was, these people held the lifeblood of Mars in their hands.

The massive mechanical body slowly retreated, yielding the path toward the gates of the Forge Temple.

"Access request... granted." "Welcome to Mars, Envoy of the God."

... [Holographic Operations Cabin]

Watching this scene, Li Cang leaned back comfortably in his chair.

System Prompt: Diplomatic Breakthrough. Martian Favorability: Neutral -> Awe. New Quest Unlocked: Signing of the Olympus Treaty.

Li Cang looked at the red planet on the star map.

Now, the gates were open.

Next, he would completely bind this massive war machine to his chariot.