I've Got the Astra Militarum, General-Wait, What Did You Say?

Alvin, hiding in the shadows, nearly choked to death.

His eyes were bloodshot, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, and he rubbed his eyes hard.

"It's fake, it must be a hallucination!"

"By the Emperor, I must have seen wrong!"

Unfortunately... things didn't go as planned.

Even though Alvin practically rubbed his eyes to pieces, the enormous machine that resembled a scorpion didn't disappear; instead, it became even clearer.

At this moment, Alvin's face turned ashen.

If you had to use one word to describe his feelings right now, it would definitely be... spicy!!!

"Ah, no wonder... I understand now, I understand everything!"

My anxious heart finally died.

Good news, cults do not perform sacrifices.

Bad news: the cult is creating Daemon Engine.

Even worse news: the creation of the Daemon Engine requires a powerful Psyker and a Dark Tech-Priests!

"What on earth is in this godforsaken place? That a cult would bring the Daemon Engine here?!" Enraged, Alvin cursed inwardly with the most vicious language.

The Daemon Engine, in essence, is Daemon forcibly extracted from the Warp inserted into a mechanical construct as its core, similar to the "driver" in a tank, but with the difference that... it can never leave the "vehicle"!

Daemon that are forced into "vehicles" are usually not there voluntarily.

Imagine you're Daemon, enjoying a hotpot and singing in the Warp, when suddenly someone drags you out and, without a word, shoves you into a metal shell. Would you be in a good mood?

That's what Daemon are like.

Therefore, the process of creating Daemon Engine is fraught with unpredictable risks, and even with Psyker and Dark Tech-Priests involved, the success rate is not high.

But if successful, the Daemon bound to the killing machine will be filled with malice and rage, indulging in a frenzied bloodlust, becoming a terrifying presence on the battlefield, capable of destroying cities and capturing strongholds without a second thought!

Moreover, driving the Daemon Engine requires the tormented souls of a large number of innocent people, so that the Daemon at the engine's core cannot escape this iron shell.

Even at every step of the manufacturing process, a large number of innocent souls need to be sacrificed to ensure that the evil Chaos Sorcery can "press" the Daemon into the "iron shell" that was prepared in advance and forged from the spines and flesh of sinful people!

In some ways, the Daemon Engine and the Dreadnought Armour are very similar, since they were both forcibly inserted into the design.

"Therefore, those who were captured were not meant for sacrifice, but for forging the Daemon Engine!"

Thinking of the iron cage above the "boiler" and the people who had just been thrown in, Alvin gritted his teeth in anger.

Despite its seemingly bulky appearance, the "Brass Scorpion" Daemon Engine is actually an extremely agile heavy-duty destructive vehicle.

Its thick armor is enough to sweep through the entire Hive City!

Whether it's their powerful melee capabilities or their terrifying long-range firepower, they can easily wipe out the Planetary Defense Force!

Even... the well-trained Astra Militarum are no different from mortals when facing this thing.

The Daemon Engine isn't like PDD; you can't just kill it piece by piece just because you have a lot of people.

In short... invincible!

Powerful!

Strength!

Dominate!

Unless they bring in a whole regiment of Astartes, with their current strength, the probability of destroying a complete Daemon Engine is not entirely nonexistent, but it is infinitely close to zero.

Or perhaps it was the Emperor Lord rose from the dead to bestow blessings.

But clearly, both of these paths are nothing short of a pipe dream for Alvin right now.

If he knew even one Astartes, he would have packed his bags and run away from this godforsaken place long ago. Who would want to stay here and wait to die?

"This is absolutely outrageous!!!"

Alvin was speechless. What kind of "paradise" was Losel that could attract so many powerful figures?

Honestly... even Alert Star wouldn't have this much of a show of force!

"We absolutely cannot let this cult succeed!" Alvin glared fiercely at the enormous, blasphemous, twisted creation, his eyes bloodshot and veins throbbing on his forehead. "Fuck you! I'll fight to the death! If we don't destroy this thing, we'll all die!"

Although it needs to be dismantled, it's not something that can be done by recklessly rushing in and taking down such a large lump of iron; it requires careful planning.

Otherwise, let's not even talk about whether we can smash that lump of iron.

As long as the factory's system isn't destroyed, even if this lump of iron is smashed, the cult will still have the ability to rebuild a Daemon Engine afterward; it will just take a little more effort.

"By the way, Inquisitor!"

At that moment, Alvin suddenly realized that the Inquisitor was still in the iron cell. If he were to be "sacrificed," wouldn't that be the end for them?!

He hurriedly turned back.

Boom!

It was another enormous iron cage, plunged into molten steel, and the wails of agony, originating from the soul, echoed throughout the factory.

"Well..."

Alvin paused briefly for half a second, then gave an Eagle Salute: "Emperor protect you, Inquisitor... you shouldn't die so easily, right?"

Of the twelve hanging iron cages, two have already been thrown into the furnace—a one-in-twelve chance... surely I can't be that unlucky?

Alvin called the system to retrieve the ten remaining iron cages.

"Beep beep beep, target person found!"

After a tense wait, the armored vehicle finally located its target.

"Huh? Not in the iron cage?"

Looking at the target information displayed, Alvin was somewhat taken aback, then looked down at the enormous "boiler".

In the magnified image, you can see the Inquisitor cautiously emerging from the lower level, gripping Bolter, warily surveying his surroundings, and slowly approaching the boiler.

At this moment, Alvin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness the Emperor Lord, the Inquisitor was not dead!

But after looking at the armor on his body, Alvin hesitated.

Will I arouse suspicion if I wear this to meet the Inquisitor?

Taking off the armor in this godforsaken place would be tantamount to suicide. After much deliberation, Alvin decided to keep it on; his life was the most important thing, and he would explain everything else later.

Winnie was about to sneak in when suddenly someone covered her mouth and dragged her to a dark corner.

Oh no, we've been exposed?!

"Don't get excited, it's me, Alvin."

Hearing the voice, Winnie relaxed, but when she turned around and saw Alvin in his silver-black armor, she frowned slightly.

After a moment's thought, he concluded that it was armor specially given to Alvin by the technical genius to protect his life. Although it looked quite luxurious, the materials were... well, let's just say they were questionable.

Otherwise, why would an Underhive come to the cult's lair?

"I was just looking for you up there..." Alvin rubbed his nose and said, "I was worried you might have been thrown in, but it seems the Emperor really did protect you."

Winnie stared at him, a forced smile on her face, and said, "By the time you came to rescue me, I would have been melted in this furnace long ago!"

Alvin was speechless.

Actually, you can't entirely blame him; after all, they found a Daemon Engine inside.

"Ahem, let me explain."

Alvin touched his nose, somewhat guiltily, and said, "I found evidence inside that absolutely proves there's a cult on this planet. Come with me."

What evidence?

Winnie frowned, pointed at the enormous cauldron, and said in a deep voice, "This thing is a creation of Chaos. If it's evidence, I can mobilize the Astra Militarum just from this."

"Well..."

Alvin paused for half a second, then said, "The Astra Militarum... maybe, probably, likely, perhaps... not quite right."

"The Astra Militarum, not quite up to par?"

Winnie, already harboring immense resentment towards Alvin for shoving her into the carriage and then nearly throwing her into the stove, was even more irritated now. "The Astra Militarum is His Emperor Emperor's most loyal army. They're a force to be reckoned with, not only for eradicating cults, but also for fighting Chaos and Xenos. What makes you think you can look down on them?"

"It contains Daemon Engine."

Alvin said calmly.

"Ridiculous, what Daemon induction... Daemon Engine?!"

Winnie's eyes widened, her voice suddenly rising several octaves, her sea-blue eyes filled with shock and horror!

"Um, Winnie..."

"Do I know you that well? Call me by my title!"

"It's a position... oh, no, Your Honor, Inquisitor."

Thank you everyone for your monthly tickets, and thank you to "World Daoist" and "Book Friend 20230410180228858" for their generous donations!