The Demon Engine
I understand now, I understand everything!
After seeing the Xenos, twisted, non-human remains, the mystery that had been troubling Alvin finally had an answer.
Fifty years ago, the Ironstone Town mines were infected by the Tyranid Swarm, which spawned Genestealer. Although it is unclear which generation it was, it is certain that after the Planetary Governor Garken discovered it, he immediately ordered the Planetary Defense Force to eliminate the Genestealer in the Ironstone Town mines.
Furthermore, to prevent the recurrence of infections, the Ironstone Town mine was abandoned!
"No wonder the Planetary Governor Garken massacred the entire mine's inhabitants."
Alvin's expression was somewhat complicated. He had previously suspected the Planetary Governor Garken, but now it seemed that he had completely wronged him.
If it were him, he would probably make the same decision.
Genestealer are an advance team sent by the Tyranid Swarm to conquer a certain planet.
Typically, seeds containing Tyranid Swarm genes are inserted into the host's body, silently distorting and altering the host's consciousness and cognition.
Therefore, many Genestealer often hold large-scale infection rituals while shouting for the "Emperor".
But those Genestealer are unaware that their perceptions have already been distorted and altered by the Tyran genes within their bodies.
In the eyes of the Genestealer, the radiant "Emperor" is actually a blasphemous statue with four arms!
However, the infected and infiltrated Genestealer will not notice anything unusual, will not feel that there is any problem at all, and will behave like model citizens, or even be more "devout".
The Tyranid Swarm' infiltration and infection speed is extremely alarming. If left unchecked, it will soon spread widely throughout the Nest City, much like a virus.
Until it completely replaces Nest City, or at the right moment, the Tyran Hive Mind, upon receiving the signal, descends upon this planet and utterly devours all Biomass, including the Genestealer!
So, the Ironstone Town mines were once the hideout of Genestealer, which explains why they were later taken over by a cult.
"Alright, alright, now I'm even more curious. Just how many secrets are hidden inside this mine!"
Alvin suddenly felt an increasing anticipation for the truth hidden within the Ironstone Town mine.
Then he turned and headed deeper into the pipe, but as he passed the blasphemous four-armed statue, he stared at it for a few seconds and felt a deep sense of disgust.
He immediately raised his armored arm, and a beam of crimson laser shot out, instantly shredding the statue.
What blasphemous nonsense! Die!
"That feels much better."
Looking at the shards scattered on the ground, Alvin nodded in satisfaction and silently performed the Eagle Salute: "Emperor Lord bless me, I am your most loyal subject!"
After the ceremony, he walked deeper into the pipe.
But the closer you get to the pipe outlet, the higher the air temperature becomes, and a wave of heat washes over you!
Furthermore, the armored filtration system detected a large amount of toxic substances in the air, which appeared to be waste gas produced during smelting!
What exactly is inside?
Filled with deep doubt, Alvin quickened his pace.
When he emerged from the abandoned pipe, he was immediately shocked by the scene before him.
Inside the Ironstone Town mine is a completely hollowed-out mountain, and he is located right in the center of it.
Looking up, the hollowed-out mountainside is now covered by abandoned factory facilities.
The entire interior of the mountain has been completely transformed by the cult into a Forge Factory, with pipes of all sizes leading to unknown destinations.
The dense network of pipes, beams, and mechanical structures resembles predators lurking in a spider's web.
What is the cult planning to do here?
Alvin frowned, then his gaze swept over the strange creations that resembled cages, suspended in mid-air by thick chains.
"Are all those people who were brought here locked up here?"
Upon closer inspection, it turned out they were people who had been specially escorted there.
They were imprisoned in a welded iron cell, suspended from the center of a hollowed-out mountain by thick chains.
Moreover, it wasn't just people from the area Tote was in charge of; people from other areas were also there.
He roughly counted them and found there were twelve cages in total. He estimated that there were at least a thousand people imprisoned inside!
Each cell was crammed with people, as crowded as the Tokyo subway at 8 a. m.
"Tsk, this is just making things harder!"
This situation gave Alvin, who was hiding, a headache.
Finding the Inquisitor among so many heads is far too difficult.
Putting aside his thoughts of finding the Inquisitor, Alvin followed the source of the heat and saw directly beneath the cages where people were suspended, a huge, boiling "boiler"!
The "boiler" has a dual nature of both machinery and flesh, and is covered with blasphemous brass ornaments and inscribed with intricate twisted runes.
At first glance, Alvin felt an endless stream of malice emanating from his mind!
That enormous "boiler," forged from flesh and steel, seemed to possess characteristics of some living beings!
Inside the "boiler," filled with molten steel at high temperatures, mechanical constructs moving along the crossbeam tracks continuously dumped some kind of metal into the boiling "boiler."
Then, the melted golden liquid flowed along a specific path towards the deeper core area of the Forge Factory!
"Aren't cults going to great lengths to capture people for sacrifice?"
This scene left Alvin somewhat confused.
The people sent by the Iron Hammer Gang were not sacrificed, but instead imprisoned in iron cages. What exactly is this cult planning to do?
But, in the very next second!
The cult showed Alvin the answer through its actions.
The thick iron chains rattled loudly, and to his horrified gaze, one of the cages suspended in mid-air suddenly plummeted towards the boiling "boiler"!
"Help!"
"No, no! Someone please save me!"
"Aaaaaah!"
The people inside the iron cage emitted chaotic screams.
Soon, the entire iron cage plunged into the "boiler," where molten steel at thousands of degrees Celsius splashed out, emitting a chilling sizzling sound!
Flesh and bones melted in the high temperature, and shrill screams echoed Second Company, but in just a few seconds, they were completely submerged in the boiling molten steel!
At this moment, the boiling molten steel overflowing from that "boiler," which contained the lives of a hundred people, emitted an even more piercing wail!
That was a wail from the very soul!
Thick smoke billowed from the "boiler," and within it seemed to be countless twisted faces, struggling and screaming as they surged upwards.
Perhaps because he was Psyker, Alvin could sense it clearly.
The thick, black smoke contained a variety of negative emotions, such as hatred, pain, and resentment, which instantly chilled him to the bone, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar!
"Could it be..."
Alvin's pupils suddenly contracted, as if he had imagined some terrible outcome.
He didn't even care whether there was Inquisitor in the cage he was thrown into; he flew straight towards the molten steel track pouring from the "boiler".
The armor's built-in stealth mode was indeed impressive, completely evading detection by mechanical constructs along the way.
Soon, Alvin reached the end of the track. Looking at the massive assembly line factory, he suddenly felt as if his throat was being choked, filled with a suffocating feeling!
The blasphemous factory, a blend of flesh and machine, is covered with twisted symbols and spreads endless malice from the High Heavens!
Tens of thousands of creatures, almost completely devoid of human form and possessing a blasphemous and distorted appearance, are formed by combining flesh and machine. They are like industrious and tireless worker ants in a nest, endlessly repeating the production work on an assembly line.
But at this moment, Alvin had no interest in paying attention to those creations corrupted by Chaos.
Because at the end of the production line, he saw a gigantic creation!
Its shape resembles an ancient scorpion, its appearance a mixture of flesh and machine, with vein-like tubes wrapped around its blood-red metal shell!
The two enormous scorpion pincers are covered with sharp serrations, leaving no doubt about their destructive power; they can easily tear apart tens of inches of steel defenses!
At its tail, the upward-curving scorpion tail is an enormous cannon of exaggerated size!
Just gazing at that blasphemous and twisted creation, Alvin could deeply understand what it meant to fall into an abyss!
"Daemon. Engine - Brass Scorpion?!"
Including the two chapters I updated in the early morning, I've already updated six chapters today! Please subscribe, please, for my sake... I glanced at the subscriptions earlier, and it's less than 200, and the collection count is down by more than half. My heart is sinking... I'm so upset.