Korax's Gift

"Budelin, go to the military department on the lower levels. A company's worth of retired equipment will be more than enough to deal with these slaves," Agamemnon said, revealing his confidence in crushing the miners to his confidant.

He also handed over a token to Budelin. With this token, he could requisition these weapons and equipment.

It would be incredibly simple for Giava's company to blast open the stone fortress with their weaponry. Even the power unleashed by the lightest Griffon-class Heavy Mortar was something a fortress made of stone couldn't withstand.

What Agamemnon truly valued was the Heavy Howitzer from the heavy weapons team that this exchange would bring.

"Master, according to the plan, the Second Dome is about to be put into use. Agamemnon is already preparing to clear out the disobedient slaves in the First Dome. However, this will inevitably affect production on Giava," the old butler, who looked ten years younger, reported to the Master of the High Tower, dressed in simple butler attire.

Just thinking about that unlucky fellow Agamemnon made his heart leap with joy. He had helped Agamemnon smooth over many issues, and his accumulated wealth had visibly increased by a third.

The old butler's greatest realization during this period was that it was good for people below to make mistakes. How else would his wealth increase? If they didn't make mistakes, how could he advance?

"Once those troublemakers are dealt with, everything will naturally return to normal. For the shortfall, the slaves in the Second Dome will have to endure a bit more hardship," Akalin said indifferently.

The management of miners in the Second Dome was different. All miners would be separated and imprisoned individually. Once the High Tower finished dealing with the troublemakers, the First Dome would also undergo this transformation.

It was less of an uprising and more of a final frenzy driven by starvation, causing them to lose their minds. Hunger devoured all courage, reason, and anger.

This unprecedented strike had slapped the Master of the High Tower across the face. Coupled with Giava's increasing demand for minerals, the Second Dome was born.

Constructing a brand-new dome was no simple task; it required the combined strength of all of Giava to complete this colossal project.

The only benefit of the 30K era was that highly advanced technology compressed the time for such massive projects to a few years.

Given that the primary function of a dome was merely to provide breathable air and gravity for the slaves, along with the vast amounts of water needed for mining, there was no need to focus on comfort, beautiful environments, or the myriad of complex functions required in a Hive City. Noble lords wouldn't be living there. In about half a year, Giava could construct this Second Dome.

"Does Master require the deployment of garrison troops for assistance?" the old butler asked, concerned about the combat effectiveness of the Overseers, seeking instructions from the Master of the High Tower.

"If I give Agamemnon a company's worth of weapons and he still can't take this camp, I'll make him suffer by sending him to mine after it's done," Akalin said, putting down his work and narrowing his eyes.

"It is Agamemnon's honor to be personally ordered by Master to mine," the old butler respectfully served Akalin a cup of sleep tea and then withdrew.

Over the long years, he had become very familiar with his master's various living habits. At this hour, it was time for the Master of the High Tower to rest.

The tall wooden door slowly closed under the butler's careful movements, cutting off contact with the outside world. The indoor lighting gradually shifted from bright illumination to a warm and comfortable hue.

Within the warmly lit room, a dark shadow, as if strolling leisurely, slowly slipped out through the crack of the closed door.

Neither Akalin, who was already emitting faint snores, nor the various detection devices in the room noticed this bizarre scene.

Korax maintained its shadow form, drifting through the shadows of the High Tower's various corners. As long as it was in a shadowed area, maintaining its shadow form required very little Psionic Energy.

Of course, Korax's shadow ability was not infallible. If an area without shadows were created, its stealth would be quickly exposed. Such tactics could be employed to ambush Korax, but the Primarch would soon use his actions to make the enemy understand reality – what was meant by the violent aesthetics of a Primarch.

"A company's worth of weapons. How can I utilize them to maximize efficiency?" Korax mused as it moved through the darkness.

It couldn't move them all; even as a Primarch, Korax was too large to carry so much weaponry. At this juncture, Agamemnon would also send people to inspect these weapons periodically.

"Setting traps, remote detonation, or an ambush en route?" Korax considered these options.

Each option had its own advantages and disadvantages. Traps could be triggered prematurely, exposing the plan. Remote detonation could be discovered during inspections. An ambush en route carried the highest risk but offered the greatest reward.

After a moment of thought, Korax decided to first assess the available weaponry before making a decision.

How it would proceed depended on the damage these weapons could inflict on the camp and which plan was the safest.

"Put some effort into it! Push this big guy in!" Four burly Overseers, shirtless, were pushing a large piece of equipment into the armory.

This behemoth, measuring 4.6 meters long, 3.3 meters high, and 2.3 meters wide, weighing a full 3.5 tons, slowly but surely rolled over every inch of ground.

It was a Heavy Howitzer, Giava's infantry regiment's heavy firepower, essentially an ultra-heavy mortar. The High Tower's army's primary duty was to defend the High Tower. If they were tasked with offensive operations, this weapon, with minor modifications to a Chimera chassis, could transform into a Griffon Self-Propelled Gun.

The massive steel wheels were successfully pushed into the warehouse with the cooperation of the four men. The previously empty warehouse became incredibly cramped after the Heavy Howitzer and 10 shells were stored inside.

After a thorough inspection, a group of trained Overseers closed the armory door.

"They're treating the Heavy Howitzer like this? Shouldn't they inspect the shells?" Korax emerged from the darkness after confirming it was safe, looking puzzled...

The reason was simple: the Overseers merely brought the items in and placed them, then left them be.

While the Heavy Howitzer wasn't a particularly valuable weapon, a single high-explosive round would be enough to blast open the miners' meager stone fortress. Any of the remaining shells landing on the camp could cause horrific casualties.