However, not all "people" will be affected by the Chaos rituals.
Inside the factory's ventilation ducts, a Genestealer lurking in the shadows twitched its nostrils slightly.
Prior to this, the interference from the Nine-Sided Spirit-Sealing Barrier acted like a thick layer of haze, obscuring the network connectivity of the entire Rena Swarm.
Grassroots units can only act on instinct, and information transmission is delayed to the point of near paralysis.
But the moment the barrier on the third underground level shattered, the unimpeded Hive Mind instantly flowed back through the node, like a river that had been cut off surging again.
The next second, the scene of the nine manpower factories simultaneously undergoing mutations was rapidly transmitted to the Uptown Governor's Mansion via the Genestealer nodes scattered throughout the city.
In the governor's office on the top floor, Isolde, who had been slumped over the desk with his head down as if he had lost his soul, suddenly twitched his fingers slightly.
His purple pupils regained their luster, and his scattered consciousness instantly returned.
She propped herself up on the table and stood up, shaking her slightly dizzy head.
The information transmitted back from the swarm network flooded into her consciousness like a tidal wave.
Chaos rituals erupted simultaneously in all nine manpower camps, magical barriers sealed off the factory areas, and Warp corruption was spreading at an alarming rate.
The large-scale mutation of civilians within the region resulted in heavy losses for the garrison.
"Notify the Midtown Garrison Command that the 6th Iron Guard Infantry Regiment is to immediately deploy all personnel to seal off the surrounding streets of all recruit camps, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving."
"Order all Plague Cleansing Cult strongholds in Midtown to maintain perimeter security, intercept any mutated entities attempting to escape, and prevent any corrupted units from leaving the quarantine zone."
"Connect to the main cathedral of the Ecclesiarchy Diocese and find Archbishop Goodwin."
Isolde's voice was calm, and he issued a series of orders efficiently, instantly putting the entire governor's mansion's administrative system into high-speed operation.
She knew that for a Chaos ritual of this level, relying solely on the Vanguard and the Iron Guard Legion to force its way through would only result in heavy losses and could potentially allow the corruption to spread.
The purifying power of Ecclesiarchy must intervene to nip the plague-like mutation in the bud.
The moment the communication was established, Archbishop Goodwin's aged yet steady voice immediately came through:
"Lady Isolde, I am aware of the situation."
"Bishop Jensen of the Midtown Diocese is patrolling the area. He has extensive experience in cracking down on cults. I've instructed him to lead a team there immediately and take full charge of the cleanup operation."
"I will send the relevant secret orders to the Governor's Office simultaneously; you just need to cooperate with him."
"Thank you." Isolde nodded slightly.
"The governor is currently directing operations from within Saint Garus Castle; I will temporarily oversee ground affairs."
" The Iron Guard Legion will cooperate with all of Bishop Jensen's orders."
The communication was cut off, and she looked up at the direction of Midtown the window.
Luna's move was undeniably tricky.
The underground attracted Lynn's attention, while flowers bloomed secretly on the surface. If it weren't for the barrier breaking and restoring the insect network to normal operation...
By the time the patrol team discovers the anomaly, the entire Midtown will likely have turned into Chaos paradise.
Three blocks away from the Third Recruitment Battalion, the heavy roar of engines shattered the tranquility of the night.
A convoy of dozens of Chimera Armoured Vehicle sped along the wide industrial avenue, their tracks crushing the gravel and sending up Mars of sparks.
The vehicle is emblazoned with a hammer and gear emblem, the symbol of the Iron Guard Legion, the native armed force of Brevis Midtown.
Most of the members of this legion are descendants of industrial workers in the Midtown, who grew up in arsenals and smelters for generations, and have the tenacity of machinery and steel in their bones.
Although their numbers were not large, each soldier was clad in sophisticated Power Armour and equipped with heavy firepower, making their combat capabilities comparable to the elite units of the Astra Militarum.
"Squeak~"
The armored vehicle came to a sudden stop outside the barracks.
The hatch opened, and fully armed Iron Guard soldiers filed out.
They swiftly established a defensive line, setting up Heavy Bolter and Melta Cannon to completely surround the factory.
William, the commander of the 6th Iron Guard Infantry Regiment, jumped down from the command vehicle. He was a tall and strong middle-aged man.
His brown Power Armour was covered in dents and scratches, revealing the fierceness of someone who had been through many battles.
He looked up at the faint blue light membrane floating above the wall, and his brows furrowed.
"Commander, the reconnaissance results are in." The communications soldier ran over quickly.
" The Psychic Power is very strong; it's a magical barrier of Chaos, difficult to break through with ordinary explosives."
"The internal signals are completely blocked; we can't hear anything, and we have no idea how many people are left inside."
"If you can't hear us, then blow it up." William said decisively, pointing towards the factory's main entrance.
"Set up the three siege cannons and aim them at the main gate to blast them."
"Bring two more teams of demolition experts to bury explosives in the side wall."
"There are still nearly ten million soldiers waiting to be conscripted inside. We need to create an opening as soon as possible and get the living people out."
"If this drags on any longer, who knows what kind of mess it will become?"
The soldiers immediately sprang into action, pushing the heavy siege cannons to the front lines, their muzzles slowly raised, aimed at the rusty factory gate.
The weapon array is being tested; it will be ready to fire in two minutes.
Just as the cannon was about to be fully adjusted, a high-level communication was forcibly connected to the channel, and an aged voice rang out:
"Stop! Do not fire!"
William turned around abruptly and saw a team of Sisters of Battle in black Power Armour escorting a black armored vehicle speeding towards them.
The carriage stopped, and a middle-aged man dressed in a red bishop's robe and holding a silver staff strode over.
His hair was gray, his face was etched with deep wrinkles, a golden holy emblem hung on his chest, and the edges of his robes were embroidered with patterns of flames and holy swords. He was none other than Bishop Jensen of the Midtown Diocese.
He was followed by two thousand Ecclesiarchy fighters.
A battle priest wielding Boltgun and Chainsword, Sisters of Battle clad in rose armor and armed with Boltgun, and an exorcist acolyte specializing in breaking witchcraft.
Each person emanated a faint aura of faith, which stood out starkly against the surrounding murky Warp atmosphere.
"Bishop Jensen?" William frowned and stepped forward.
"Why are you here? It's dangerous here, you should..."
"If I hadn't come, you would have filled the Midtown with Chaos calamity."
Bishop Jensen spoke solemnly as he handed over a secret order bearing the seals of both the Governor's Office and the Ecclesiarchy.
"This is a temporary authorization order from the Governor's Office. From this moment forward, command of this battlefield is temporarily transferred to me."
William took the secret order and glanced at it; the seal and signature were correct.
His face darkened, but he didn't immediately relinquish power. "Your Excellency, there are still tens of millions of civilians inside."
"If we delay any longer, the number of survivors will only decrease. We must break down the door and rescue them as soon as possible."
"Save them?" Bishop Jensen shook his head.
His gaze fell upon the faintly visible blue barrier behind the wall, and his tone carried a slight sigh.
"Commander William, look here. There's a wall, a barrier, and the stench of corruption is suffocating."
"How many of the people inside do you think can still be considered 'ordinary civilians'?"
"The blasphemy ritual has begun; a magical barrier has sealed off the entire area."
" The Warp energy inside is constantly increasing; an ordinary person wouldn't last a minute before being completely corrupted."
"Even if he doesn't turn into a monster, he'll become a madman without a mind, who only knows how to talk nonsense."
"If we rashly blast open the breach now, the Chaos enemies inside, along with the corrupted civilians, will pour out, and the entire Midtown will be dragged down with them."
William fell silent.