Chapter Ninety-One: The Chaos Demon

The AI observed the madness gripping these humans and pondered what to do. Their bodies and minds were clearly afflicted, and the invaders evidently realized this, choosing to kill them. The crew members in the AI control room grew ever more frenzied, a force the AI could not comprehend began to influence them. Using the blood and flesh of themselves or their companions, they drew symbols and scripts upon the pristine white floor—marks the AI’s database had never recorded.

As these blood-drawn symbols and letters grew clearer, a type of energy the AI had catalogued as psychic began to emanate from Colonel Gore’s body, suffusing the control room. With the emergence of psychic power, a layer of frost formed over the room’s walls and equipment.

The instant the psychic force appeared, all humans within the control room were reduced to fragments of flesh, floating in the air. Under the influence of the psychic power, these fragments gradually coalesced into a humanoid entity: a robust crimson figure standing five meters tall, with two horn-like protrusions on its head and a reptilian tail extending from its spine.

“Thank you, foolish humans. At last, I am free. At last, I can manifest in the real universe. That artifact is mine!”

The demon’s name was Onekahiam. It was a wandering entity of the subspace, uncertain of its origins, suspecting it had sprung from a moment of malice by some powerful being, though it had no connection to the four supreme entities. From the moment the Starry Sky entered subspace, the demon had watched the crew and a particular item aboard. The ship’s prolonged drift in subspace had given it an opportunity; over fifty years, it had continually corrupted the Starry Sky’s crew with its power.

It sought to make the Starry Sky its congregation, to be worshipped and offered sacrifices, so that it could descend into the material universe and claim the coveted artifact. Though the process took fifty long years, it had succeeded. Gazing at the runes drawn in blood upon the floor, it laughed and strode towards the control room doors, ignoring the AI—a technological construct of little use to it, not worth squandering its precious time in this reality.

The AI regarded this monster, reminiscent of the demons from human mythology, and now understood why the traversers had sought to kill all the crew: these crew members had summoned a being from legend using their own bodies.

Having grasped the situation, the AI immediately ceased the battle robots’ attacks on the traversers and linked to one, preparing to initiate communication.

In the planetary drop force storage bay, Xiao Wang and several traversers were besieging a battle robot. Just after dodging a slash, the robot suddenly froze, motionless. Sensing an opportunity, Xiao Wang quickly swung his power sword at the robot’s head. As the blade was about to connect, the robot suddenly emitted a sound, though Wang’s momentum was too great to halt.

“You—”

Before the AI-controlled robot could finish its message, Wang’s power sword cleaved it in half.

“Was it trying to say something?” Wang asked his companions, eyeing the fallen robot remains. He thought he’d heard something from its speaker.

“Did it?” replied one of the traversers, prodding the wreckage with a power sword.

“Wait, I surrender! Stop attacking! Captain Wang Ming, I need to speak with you!” As the traversers prepared to finish off the immobilized robot, all robots’ speakers suddenly broadcast this message.

The traversers dropped their power swords, stunned by the robots’ words.

“See, I told you it was speaking,” Wang said to the others, affirming he’d heard correctly. He then activated his communicator, contacting Wang Ming, who was lounging outside the warehouse as a respawn point, and briefed him on what had happened.

Upon hearing the report, Wang Ming tossed aside his “Happy” brand item, flexed his newly grown arm, and headed for the warehouse. Entering, he saw a battle robot approach; he gripped his power armor’s weapon, prepared to cleave the robot in two if it made any hostile move.

“Captain Wang Ming, greetings. I am Lostin, the AI of the Starry Sky. I understand your mission—the crew has become compromised, and your task is to eliminate them. Am I correct?”

The robot introduced itself and stated its deduction.

“How did you know I was Wang Ming?” Wang asked, curious rather than confirming the AI’s guess. He recalled never removing his helmet since boarding.

“When I previously infiltrated your power armor, I accessed your helmet’s internal camera and learned your appearance. During your video call with Captain Darcy Oak, I observed from the sidelines,” the AI explained.

“Captain Wang Ming, now is not the time for such discussions. Please, look at this.”

The AI-controlled robot activated its tactical projection, displaying a holographic screen before Wang Ming. The traversers gathered around, watching the scene unfold.

The screen showed a corridor where numerous security robots battled a colossal creature five meters tall. Their laser weapons appeared ineffective against it, leaving only faint scorch marks on its body.

“Is that a Khornate demon?” Xiao Wang remarked at the red-skinned monster.

“No, not a Khornate demon. Though it looks similar, see the psychic energy around it? Do you think a Khornate demon would bother with psychic power?” Wang Lei replied, noting the shimmering psychic glow beside the demon.

“Where is it now?” Wang Ming asked the AI, observing the demon tear apart security robots with psychic force.

“It is presently in the corridor outside the ship’s cargo bay, engaged in combat with my security robots. It seems intent on obtaining certain items from the warehouse,” the AI responded, displaying the ship's internal map on the holographic screen, marking the demon’s position with a crimson dot.

“This demon, akin to those of human myth, was summoned by crew members in my control room. They suddenly began attacking others in a frenzy, using blood and flesh to draw runes across the floor,” the AI narrated, simultaneously showing footage of the summoning to Wang Ming and the traversers.

Wang Ming and the others watched, pointing and discussing the scene—images that would have prompted an Inquisition or Grey Knight response had ordinary warriors or mortals witnessed them.

“Looks like some of the crew are psykers. Did you know this before?” Wang Ming asked Lostin, seeing Colonel Gore’s psychic power on screen.

“I had no knowledge of Colonel Gore being a psyker. All Federation psykers are required to register, and he had never displayed any aptitude,” Lostin replied.

“Alright, open a path for us. We’ll take care of the demon,” Wang Ming said, having learned the full story. Now he needed the AI to use its ship authority to guide them to the demon, dispatch it, and then sell the Starry Sky’s AI to the figurine king.

Wang Ming had no intention of destroying the AI outright—it would be a waste. Better to trade it for something useful.

“Understood. I will direct combat robots to guide you,” the AI-controlled robot replied, leading all battle robots toward the warehouse exit.

Wang Ming and the traversers followed, guided by the battle robots. All doors along the route opened, and they encountered no obstacles, quickly reaching the demon’s location.

Rounding the corridor’s corner, the sounds of explosions signaled their arrival near the demon. The battle robots charged ahead, joining the fight between the security robots and the demon, with Wang Ming and the traversers close behind.

Robot parts littered the frost-covered floor, the psychic reaction lending a chill to air meant to be heated by lasers and blasts. Most security robots had been destroyed by the demon’s psychic attacks; only about fifty remained, still engaging it, though their technological weapons inflicted little harm.

The demon steadily approached the warehouse, relentlessly tearing apart any robot in its path with psychic power. The robots were nearly overwhelmed.

The AI-operated battle robot joined the fray as soon as it entered the corridor. From its prior exchange with Wang Ming, the AI understood that melee combat was the most effective strategy.

The AI immediately deployed the battle robot’s power blade and charged at the demon. Yet the demon was not easily approached—it watched the incoming robot, its red-scaled hand clenching in the air, and the robot suddenly collapsed, its internal circuits destroyed by psychic force.

With that robot eliminated, Wang Ming and the traversers arrived, joining the battle.

The traversers rushed at the demon with power swords. The demon recognized these Imperial space warriors, aware of their strength, and had no desire to waste time in prolonged combat.

It prepared to use psychic power, intending to dash into the warehouse and seize the chaos artifact it had long coveted.

Psychic light gathered around it, forming a glowing shield over its body—a psychic barrier to withstand heavy assault, enabling it to ignore the traversers and charge directly into the warehouse.

This chapter is a bit short; tomorrow I’ll see if I can hit ten thousand words.

Also, I made a mistake in the chapter title and can’t change it.