"Father Andrew, come quickly and see if this is your Squig?"
Magos Gamma, piloting his mech, squatted in front of a giant mushroom that was more than a head taller than his normal height, and called to Father Andrew behind him to come and see.
He didn't know if it was because it was his first exploration or the playful nature of the child within Magos Gamma's childlike body, but he was currently both excited and happy, feeling no tension at all.
Andrew dragged his feet, looking as if he didn't dare to face reality, until he got closer and observed carefully before letting out a sigh of relief, saying, "No, no, I told you it wasn't."
"Oh."
Andrew seemed to detect a hint of disappointment in Magos Gamma's tone, or perhaps not, and finally concluded that the events of the past two days had made him a bit neurotic, and it was his imagination.
Louis's voice then came through the comms: "Gamma, we've found traces of the Fire Scorpion here."
"Alright, we'll be right there."
Upon descending to the bottom of the well, they discovered that the "crack" at the bottom was more of a grotto. The grotto extended diagonally downwards, and the narrowest part of the grotto passage they were currently exploring was still several hundred meters wide and nearly a hundred meters high, with wider sections being several times larger than the narrow ones.
Magos Gamma and his team walked in the direction of Louis and Leia. Along the way, they could see sporadic glowing moss and glowing mushrooms, and occasionally a few plants that clearly weren't harmless. Why say that? What proper plant would "move" and grow "teeth"!
The first rule their exploration team set was: stay far away from all plants!
One unlucky fellow, out of curiosity, touched a "vine" clinging to the rock wall and was immediately wrapped like a python. If not for the monomolecular combat knife equipped by his companions, it would have been more than just a broken rib.
"Louis, what's the situation?"
"Judging by the traces, the Fire Scorpion came from this direction."
"Isn't this a riverbed left by the erosion of wastewater?"
"Yes, they originally lived downstream of this wastewater river. Our current location can be considered the upstream or source of this river."
Magos Gamma thought for a moment and began to assign tasks, telling Leia, Andrew, and half of the workers to stay here and use flamethrowers to clear all the organisms, creating a safe zone for activity.
He, Louis, and the other half of the workers would continue exploring downstream along the riverbed. Before they separated, Magos Gamma gave his Rosarius and Deflection Belt to Louis and Andrew. Leia didn't need them; her father had already armed her to the teeth.
Magos Gamma pulled out two precious pieces of defensive gear, making Andrew grimace. He had heard that Magos Gamma was quite wealthy, but he hadn't expected him to be this rich. Louis and Leia already knew, so they had no reaction. However, Louis looked at Leia's servo-skull and thought that perhaps he should also try to find some "defective" items and ask Magos Gamma for help. Based on his understanding of Magos Gamma, he would definitely not refuse.
Magos Gamma and his team, exploring downwards, were not idle along the way. Although they didn't encounter giant creatures like the Fire Scorpion, they met all sorts of bizarre plants and animals.
For example:
Plants growing on both sides of a rock pillar, looking like vines. As soon as someone passed by them, the entire vine would immediately dissolve into a mass of spores flying around in the air. Fortunately, all of them were wearing fully enclosed protective suits and air purifiers, otherwise, no one would know the consequences of being contaminated by these spores.
After this encounter, Magos Gamma ordered that any plant appearing within their line of sight be crippled from a distance with a hot-shot lasgun and then ignited up close with a flamethrower. He intended to flatten these "monsters" with firepower.
Another example:
As Magos Gamma walked past a small puddle that still contained some wastewater, he felt playful and raised his hand to fire a shot into the puddle. As a result, he saw a translucent, gelatinous substance wailing and squirming towards him. Frightened, he gave it another plasma shot. To die under anti-vehicle firepower, whatever this thing was, it was worth it.
However, after this encounter, Magos Gamma ordered that any creature appearing within their line of sight be crippled from a distance with a hot-shot lasgun and then ignited up close with a flamethrower. He intended to flatten these "monsters" with firepower. (Why does that sound so familiar!)
Grotto Ecosystem Destroyer, Human Extinction Order, Magos Gamma now profoundly understood the meaning of the phrase "All fear comes from insufficient firepower."
At the same time, he also grasped another saying: "All fear can be overcome with firepower; if it cannot be overcome, it only means your firepower is not enough."
He was very afraid now. He needed to go back and bring more firepower. He wanted to bring down all the cannons in the warehouse, bring down all the idle workers. After all, they were just sitting around. Were so many protective suits, so many guns, and so many cannons in the warehouse just going to get moldy! He had to race against time to find the hunting ground. Who had time to outwit these "little monsters"?
Magos Gamma commanded: "Everyone stop, we're going back!"
"Gamma, why? I think everyone still has plenty of energy," Louis asked, puzzled.
Magos Gamma said urgently: "The efficiency is too slow. We don't have time to outwit the creatures here."
Louis knew that until the food crisis was truly resolved, this "Sword of Damocles" would fall soon. But he was also worried that Magos Gamma might make mistakes under such pressure and put himself in danger. He knew Magos Gamma's excellence but also his naive side, so he advised:
"Gamma, you don't have to bear all this pressure yourself. It's our collective responsibility. Precisely because the ecosystem here is so dangerous, we must calm down and deal with it carefully to find a way to survive safely here!"
Magos Gamma: What did you say? What pressure did I put on myself? I just want to go back and get more cannons and people…
However, he also saw Louis's good intentions. He smiled and said, "Don't worry, I just want to go back and make more preparations first."
"That's good, I was just worried you were under too much pressure."
"No, I'm fine. But I've already found a safe and fast method."
"Really, what method?"
"Why should we explore the ecology and creatures here? What we need to do is completely destroy it!"
"Huh?"
Returning to the sewage shaft entrance without obstruction, the first thing Magos Gamma did was report his plan to Magos Lauster. There was no other way; if the Magos didn't nod, he couldn't open the warehouse gate. Fortunately, after some calculations, Magos Lauster deemed the plan feasible. Although some personnel would inevitably be lost in the process, these costs were entirely acceptable.
With Magos Lauster's approval, Magos Gamma immediately used the broadcast to gather all idle workers in the district.
"Today I've called everyone here to tell you something you all know and something you don't yet know."
"What everyone knows is that soon we will all starve to death!"
The crowd immediately began to stir. Some people who had been self-deceiving and held a glimmer of hope were almost shattered by Magos Gamma's blunt announcement. This time, Magos Gamma didn't dare to play any "first suppress, then raise" games; he was afraid of messing it up.
"But I have found a way for you to live, a dangerous way!"
"Now I ask you, do you want to live? Answer me, do you want to live?!"
"Yes!"
"I can't die! Thor is still young and can't be without a mother!"
"I want to live! I want to live!"
"Good, quiet down everyone! From now on, everyone listens to me. I don't want to hear 'why.' You just need to obey my orders, and I will lead you to live! Understand? Answer me!"
"Understood! We all listen to Magos Gamma!"
"Now, all foremen, after tallying the people under your charge, gather here with me."
Having worked and been honed for many years on the Forge World, the "most humble gears of Omnissiah," after days of standstill, began to turn in sync again under Magos Gamma's command.
Personnel were reallocated, supplies were distributed, and materials were dispatched. The entire district began to operate under Magos Gamma's coordination. Some Priests were also called upon by Magos Gamma to oversee the disassembly and assembly of machinery.
Every person was a gear, and every point of misalignment between the gears was smoothed out by Magos Gamma. Weapons were distributed from the warehouse, vehicles were disassembled, laser cannons were pulled out, energy packs were transported, the wellhead was dismantled, the passage was widened, and the ground was leveled.
Praise Omnissiah for giving Magos Gamma a brain capable of multi-threaded thinking, intelligence beyond ordinary people, and an indestructible physique. Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to handle so many things. All of this not only didn't cause him stress but made him more energetic the more he worked, as if the ignited flame of survival was drawn from the workers to him by his commands, igniting him as well.
(He took too many green pills, he's hyped!)
"Fire!" Magos Gamma waved his arm, and a hundred cannons behind him roared simultaneously.
"Lasgun volley!"
"Machine gun strafe! Clear a safe passage!"
"Flamethrower team, advance!"
After Magos Gamma led his worker "legion" underground, it could be said that they swept through everything, destroying gods and Buddhas alike.
The orders he gave to his "legion" were:
Fire at everything except humans, even if it's just a rock or a puddle of water, as long as you feel something is slightly off, immediately open fire!
The Priests who came to observe and help were stunned. They looked at Magos Gamma, who looked like a war maniac on the front lines, and felt that perhaps the opposite side of the planet would be more suitable for Magos Gamma.
"I wouldn't have guessed!"
"Who could have guessed? Father Louis, you're closest to Magos Gamma, did you guess?"
Louis spread his hands and said, "Don't ask me. When Magos Gamma told me 'it's not about adapting to the ecology but destroying the ecology,' I knew I didn't understand him enough."
"I think the 'Restorationist Cult' people must highly admire Magos Gamma. Listen to his speech to the workers before the battle: All fear comes from insufficient firepower, all fear can be overcome with firepower!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, this time has certainly been an eye-opener. I've seen lasgun volleys, but this is the first time I've seen laser cannon volleys. How many Fire Scorpions was that just now?"
"That was the twelfth, and there were over twenty Grox beasts. Now we won't just be full, we'll also have meat."
The situation was excellent; while others were fighting tooth and nail for a starch stick, under the leadership of "Legion Warmaster" Gamma, their district was already enjoying two meat-filled meals a day.
All of this was thanks to the great Grox.
Grox are large, fast, and highly aggressive reptilian creatures, originating from the Solomon System. When this system was assimilated into the Imperium of Man, people discovered that these animals possessed many desirable traits, such as being able to survive in almost any environment and even thriving on the most difficult-to-digest foods.
The Grox's digestive system is extremely efficient, capable of consuming common minerals and surviving for weeks on only rocks and soil.
Grox are large, fast, and dangerous, with muscular bodies, and adult individuals can reach a length of about 5 meters.
Grox meat itself is also very delicious and nutritious, and every part of its body can be eaten.
Due to their high value as livestock, they were subsequently introduced to other planets throughout the galaxy, so Grox are now the most common livestock within the entire Imperium.
However, wild Grox whose brain lobes have not been removed are extremely territorial, prefer solitude, and usually attack any creature that appears before them—including other Grox.
"So the Grox here bred and multiplied after being abandoned by some Tech-priest who wanted to make a fortune from farming?" Gamma asked Louis beside him, his mouth full of steak, speaking unclearly.
Louis painfully slapped his forehead. He found that ever since Gamma started calling himself "Legion Warmaster," his words and actions had begun to evolve into those of a military ruffian in the Astra Militarum.
"It's also possible it was for researching the Grox's digestive system, which allows them to grow meat even by eating minerals."
Gamma said in a ruffian-like manner, "Indeed, those who can make it in the galaxy all have some serious skills!"
"Gamma, mind your manners! You are a Priest of the Omnissiah!" Louis reminded him.
"Oh."
Seeing Gamma's indifferent attitude, Louis felt constantly exhausted. He wanted to say something more, but Gamma had already walked away with his plate, so he could only shake his head and continue with his own work.
Gamma carried his plate to the dishwashing area and handed it to the female workers who were dry-cleaning pots, bowls, and pans with sand.
A female worker took the plate and cutlery from Gamma and greeted him, "Magos Gamma, are you full?"
"Yeah, with so many people eating here, can you all manage?"
"This is nothing. Before, at the factory, it was much more..." The female worker realized she seemed to have said something she shouldn't have and nervously looked at the young Priest in front of her.
Gamma, however, didn't mind at all. He could be said to deeply detest the practice of treating people as machines, both before and after he arrived.
"It's okay, don't worry. If they can do it, why can't we talk about it? But don't say this in front of other Priests."
"Of course, we only dare to speak like this when you are here."
"Alright, I'm leaving. If you have any opinions or ideas, tell the foreman, and he will report them to me."
"Understood, Magos Gamma."
The sewage plant building and the surrounding factories were completely different from a few days ago, thanks to the power of machinery.
Without moving the existing large and small conveyor pipes, the factory walls were dismantled, and the space was re-planned into a "meat processing plant" responsible for segmentation, classification, processing, cleaning, and preservation.
A warehouse within the district was also converted by Gamma into a communal canteen, where workers and Priests in the district would receive their daily rations by presenting their ID cards.
Just as Gamma reached the entrance of the canteen, he saw Magos Lauster leading several "mechanical oddities" who were clearly Sages walking towards the canteen.
"Greetings, Magos Lauster." Gamma took the initiative to greet Magos Lauster; he still gave the Magos a lot of face in front of outsiders.
Magos Lauster did not respond to Gamma, but instead said to the Sages beside him, "This is Magos Gamma I mentioned; he is in charge of all these matters."
One of the Sages looked at Gamma and praised, "Praise the Omnissiah, to achieve such accomplishments under these circumstances, he is indeed extraordinary."
Huh? This Magos speaks so nicely, quickly tell me if you have any schemes against me!
Gamma shouted inwardly that there was a conspiracy, but on the surface, he looked like a child embarrassed by praise and said, "Haha, really? Am I that amazing? Magos Lauster taught me all of this!"
Gamma: If you have any schemes or ideas, use them on Magos Lauster; he is a Magos, he is the mastermind!
"Hmph, I knew this little brat was cunning, a little devil full of bad ideas." Magos Lauster unceremoniously exposed Gamma's true nature.
Gamma: Magos, how can you betray your comrades like this, you Traitor!
Gamma (ꐦ Ò ‸ Ó) Magos Lauster.
"Don't overthink it, these are all good friends of mine, and they are here to cooperate with us this time."
Honest child Gamma replied, "Oh, understood, Magos."
You should have said so earlier (ಠ ︵ ಠ Convex).
Magos Lauster led the Sages into the canteen, and Gamma shamelessly followed behind. He believed that he, the dignified "Legion Warmaster," was fully qualified to attend such a high-level meeting. He wanted to get "first-hand" news of the war outside at the meeting. Now the entire Thedan Forge World was "offline"; currently, only Magos Lauster could contact the outside world through his private network, while everyone else was completely clueless about the situation outside.
But no one knew what Magos Lauster did all day in the Mechanical Temple. Everyone else was working tirelessly, but he just stayed in the Temple all day like a retired old man. Not only did he not help, but he also didn't tell them any news, which made Gamma anxious. Several times during "Legion meetings," he expressed that Magos Lauster should lend him the robots in his treasury to play with.
Unfortunately, the other cowardly Priests neither supported nor opposed him, otherwise Gamma would have already raised the banner of "righteousness" and pried open Magos Lauster's treasury.
"It seems you really didn't lie to us, Lauster, you really did find food underground."
Magos Lauster retorted, "Heh, you don't believe me, so it's my fault then."
One Magos said, "Theoretically almost impossible, it seems something we don't know about is happening underground."
"Based on my many years of excavating... archaeological experience, I smell the grace of the Omnissiah!"
Gamma ⊙ ∀ ⊙! There's treasure!
"Haha, praise the Omnissiah, it seems this time it's a blessing in disguise."
"Lauster, don't tell me you didn't notice anything unusual. Since you called us all here, tell us what you found."
"I did find something unusual, but I haven't discovered anything specific. The situation underground is more complex than you think, it's not an exaggeration to call it 'Little Catachan.'"
"Oh! If you put it that way, I'm even more interested." A Tech-Priest who was likely a biological Magos said excitedly.
"There might even be Orks."
Hearing that there might be green-skinned creatures, the Tech-Priest cursed, "Electric Monk's mother! How did the green skins get in?"
"You ask yourself."
"..." The biological Tech-Priest was speechless.
Gamma interjected at this point, "Magos Lauster, the Sages must not have eaten on their journey here. Why don't we let the Sages taste our special dishes?"
"That's a good idea. That's my only hobby. I've been drinking only nutrient solution lately."
"Indulging in gluttony, how can one..."
"You haven't replaced your mouth and tongue with mechanical ones either. You can watch me eat later."
"..."
Gamma, having transformed into a welcoming junior, didn't bother listening to the Sages' verbal attacks. He dashed to the canteen's back kitchen, looking for the figure that stood out among the cooks.
"Tech-Priest Anthony, big clients are here, quickly bring out your signature dish."
Tech-Priest Anthony, a gourmand among Priests, whose hobbies were tasting and cooking delicious food and collecting various recipes. Since the workers had always eaten pre-made foods like starch sticks and nutrient porridge, no workers knew how to cook, and he was now responsible for teaching the chefs.
At the same time, due to the diverse biological species underground, in order to expand the types and range of ingredients to obtain more food, Tech-Priest Anthony also had to develop new cooking methods and dishes for the prey hunted by the "Legion" on the front lines, turning poisonous ones into non-poisonous, making unpalatable ones swallowable, and transforming indigestible ones into absorbable ones.
Tech-Priest Anthony showed extremely high enthusiasm for his second job, spending 24 hours a day either supervising and guiding workers in collecting "ingredients" on the front line or researching "ingredients" in the canteen kitchen. He even made a bed for himself in the canteen.
"Oh, are people still coming at a time like this?" Tech-Priest Anthony asked, shifting his gaze from the blind snake dissected into parts in front of him to Gamma.
"Magos Lauster's friends have arrived."
"Then we cannot be negligent, leave it to me!"
About half an hour after Gamma returned to the Sages, Tech-Priest Anthony personally pushed a dining cart out from the back kitchen, placing beautifully arranged and fragrant dishes in front of the Sages.
"Sages, please enjoy!"
"It looks really good. For a moment, I even forgot we were still in a time of war."
"Oh ho, and fresh vegetables! They look like they were just picked. I didn't even get to eat such fresh ones when there wasn't a war."
"This cannot be missed, I'll try it first. Hmm, the taste is sweet with a hint of freshness, and if you savor the juice, there's a subtle, peculiar flavor that gives my brain a wonderful sensation that doesn't belong to me. Wonderful! Truly wonderful!"
"Oh, I'll try it too. Hmm, indeed, there should be a bit of a hallucinogenic component in the juice. The creativity of this dish is very bold and innovative. Lauster, you truly have many talented people under you. Can this Priest explain how this salad was made?"
Tech-Priest Anthony was a little overwhelmed with excitement when he saw his developed dish being praised by the Sages. He said, "Of course, Magos, it is my honor to receive your praise."
"It's not praise, it's a fact."
"Thank you, Magos. The secret to the success of this salad mainly lies in the ingredients themselves."
"Ingredients? What ingredients are so magical?"
"It's brain lobes," Tech-Priest Anthony replied.