He vaguely sensed that the radiance of his soul within the Warp had grown slightly stronger.
After composing himself, Li Qinwu looked at the Silent One.
"Do you have to stay here? Can you relocate somewhere else?"
The Silent One shook his head slowly.
"No… My original stronghold was a ruined village in the forest. But the voice in my head—the daemon—kept urging me to come out and kill. So I came here… where there are more people."
His voice trembled.
"Every few days, people come to kill me. Every 888 lives I take, the daemon grants me a brief moment of peace… a sliver of silence."
Li Qinwu narrowed his eyes.
"Eight… So it really is aligned with Khorne."
In the grim reality of the Warp, numbers carried meaning. Eight—the sacred number of the Blood God. Endless slaughter. Endless bloodshed. Endless cycles of violence.
This man wasn't just a psyker—he was a tethered beast.
Li Qinwu spoke again.
"In that case, you should move. Remember the ventilation shaft I showed you? There's an underground maintenance room nearby. Stay there."
He shrugged casually.
"It's isolated. No rebels, no PDF patrols. A bit damp, sure—but you won't die from damp walls. More importantly… it's close to me."
He grinned faintly.
"If we're going to cooperate, I can deliver holy oil easily. So? Want to be neighbors?"
The Silent One froze—then nodded rapidly.
"Yes! Yes! As long as I can stay close to you—Watashi… Watashi—!"
His emotions surged again.
Li Qinwu immediately stepped back.
"Yeah… don't do that. It's disturbing."
He waved a hand.
"Pack up. We're moving."
The Silent One obeyed without hesitation.
---
While the Silent One gathered his belongings, Li Qinwu descended to the lower levels.
At the base of the station stood a heavy ferro-steel blast door—the only entrance to the underground section.
The surface was blackened, scorched by previous explosions. The rebels had clearly attempted to breach it… and failed.
Crude explosives couldn't break Imperial-grade construction.
Li Qinwu pulled out the mechanical key given to him by Renault, inserted it, and turned.
Click—whirr—clank.
Gears engaged. Ancient mechanisms groaned to life.
The door opened.
The station still had power. Dim incandescent lights flickered along the corridor, casting long, sterile shadows.
Li Qinwu stepped inside.
Now, the real work began.
---
He searched everything.
Drawers. Lockers. Containers. Hidden compartments.
Nothing was spared.
The underground level was divided into three sections: living quarters, control center, and equipment storage.
---
Living Area
Ten dorm rooms. Each fitted with six bunk beds and storage units.
After a thorough search, he recovered:
1,500 fertilizer coupons
Two mechanical watches
Five bottles of alcohol
Then, in the medical room:
8 hemostatic bandages
5 small medical kits
3 bottles of painkillers
1 large surgical kit
Li Qinwu let out a low whistle.
This was his first real stockpile of medical supplies.
For ordinary people, these were just tools.
For him—they were miracles.
With the system's mechanics, even catastrophic injuries could be reversed.
A severed limb?
Restore it.
Bleeding out?
Negated.
As long as durability remained, he could cheat death itself.
He packed them carefully.
These were no longer supplies.
They were his lifeline.
---
Supervisor's Room
A single, luxurious chamber.
After searching:
Several gold coins
One gold ring (~3500 coupons)
One crystal artifact (~2500 coupons)
One gold-threaded parchment (~4500 coupons)
One bottle of high-end perfume (~1500 coupons)
Li Qinwu actually stomped the ground in satisfaction.
This haul… was worth it.
---
Control Area (Second Basement)
A massive control room filled with outdated yet durable Imperial machinery.
Minimal loot.
But at the central console, he found it—
A palm-sized mechanical data core.
The moment he picked it up, the system responded.
Quest Item Acquired.
This small object contained data on the underground water systems of the Nest City.
Value?
At least 100,000 fertilizer coupons.
Li Qinwu's eyes gleamed.
---
Equipment Area (Third Basement)
Massive machinery fused into the structure, extending into submerged depths.
Core monitoring systems.
He salvaged:
High-end transformers
Over 30 meters of premium wiring
High-luminosity bulbs
A fully charged promethium battery
Then came the problem—
Weight.
The moment he loaded everything, the system flagged overload.
His legs trembled with each step.
Still—
He carried it all.
---
Back on the surface, the Silent One was ready.
Both of them stood burdened—one with madness, the other with loot.
Li Qinwu set his gear down briefly.
"My PDF contact will take over soon. Avoid them. Head straight to the ventilation shaft."
He paused.
"I'll visit. We'll continue… studying psionics. I'll bring more holy oil."
The Silent One clutched the bottles tightly, anxiety visible.
"You must come back… before I run out. Promise me."
Li Qinwu exhaled.
"Who else do I even have? Relax. This will last you days."
He glanced at him.
"I'll be back within three."
The Silent One lowered his head.
"…It's a promise."
Then—
He vanished.
A blur of motion, disappearing into the distance at terrifying speed.
---
Li Qinwu waited until he was gone.
Then—
He drew his pistol.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Three shots into the air.
Signal sent.
---
Obtaining the Identity of Zhongchao
Li Qinwu sat calmly on the steps outside the station.
He removed the poison hidden in his teeth and flicked it away.
Soon—
Engines roared.
Lieutenant Rudolph arrived with his troops.
Weapons ready. Cannons sweeping. Soldiers tense.
Fear of psykers ran deep.
Li Qinwu waved casually.
"Relax. He's gone. This place is yours now—thanks to your decisive leadership, Lieutenant."
He led Rudolph to the forest.
Corpses lay scattered—rotting.
"Your work," Li Qinwu said lightly.
An experienced eye would see through it instantly.
But discipline here was loose.
And connections… mattered more than truth.
Rudolph gave the order.
Gunfire erupted.
Cannons thundered.
They staged the battlefield.
Then:
Weapons collected
Bodies burned
Evidence erased
Credit secured.
---
Later, Rudolph handed him a cigarette.
"I owe you."
System prompt:
Favorability increased: Lv1 → Lv2
Unlocked:
Grenades
Flashbangs
AP explosives
Remote bombs
Advanced optics
Level 4 armor
Military helmet
Noise-canceling headset
Li Qinwu smirked.
Worth it.
---
Rudolph added:
"If you see our vehicles, you can hitch a ride. I'll inform my men."
That alone—
Was a major upgrade to mobility.
---
As they departed, Li Qinwu finally asked:
"Can you get me a Nesting identity?"
Freedom of movement.
Access to Zhongchao.
New opportunities.
Rudolph answered casually—