Chapter 79

Although Winnie still harbored doubts about Alvin’s claims, the more pressing issue was verifying whether they were true!

If this truly was a “Demon Engine,” she would have to consider whether to use her mentor “Granthor’s” connections to send a distress signal to the Astartes Chapters.

A Demon Engine… is not something the Imperial Guard can handle!

But then another grave problem confronted Winnie.

How was she supposed to get there?

The path to the foundry housing the Demon Engine was littered with countless Chaos-corrupted servitors.

It was nearly impossible for a single person to infiltrate the core of the foundry undetected without alerting the cultists.

“Can your armor fly me over?”

Winnie turned her thoughts to Alvin—since he hadn’t been spotted by the Chaos servitors, carrying one more person shouldn’t be a problem, right?

“Sure, as long as you don’t mind.”

Alvin didn’t care either way.

“Why would I mind?”

Winnie shot him a scornful glance. “You don’t think I, as a warrior of the God-Emperor, would care about gender like some commoner? That’s the act of a coward!”

She graduated from the Zhongsi Academy, born into the noble Winslet family, raised from childhood to devote everything to the Emperor.

Moreover, the Inquisitorial Code forbids acting on emotion.

As long as the Emperor’s mission is accomplished—eradicating heretics—personal feelings must be cast aside!

Alvin gave a self-deprecating laugh.

He’d almost forgotten: though Winnie was beautiful, she was fundamentally… an Imperial Inquisitor!

After hoisting Winnie onto his back, Alvin reminded her: “Inquisitor, hold tight. If you fall, don’t blame me.”

Winnie wrapped her arms around his neck and clamped her legs awkwardly around his waist like a crab. “I’ve got hold.”

No wonder she was an Inquisitor!

Alvin silently praised her, then followed their original route, carefully avoiding the Chaos servitors.

Soon, the two infiltrated the core of the foundry.

There, a colossal, twisted, blasphemous creation—resembling an ancient scorpion—was slowly completing its outer casing and piping under the ceaseless labor of its slave workers.

“It really is a Demon Engine!”

The moment she saw the construct, Winnie was certain: it was a demonic artifact, and by its form, it was a Predator of the Blood God… the “Brass Scorpion!”

According to the Inquisition’s records, it should be called the “Supreme Brass Scorpion” or the “Scorpion Colossus”—one of the largest Demon Engines ever recorded in Imperial history!

At nearly thirty meters tall, even among known Imperial demonic data, it was enormous. According to records, such Demon Engines moved swiftly and nimbly, excelling at assaulting static defensive positions!

Its crimson metallic shell was inscribed with twisted Chaos runes—blessings from the Warp Gods—that not only repelled psychic energy but could even withstand a Leman Russ tank’s main cannon without sustaining a single scratch!

And from Winnie’s professional perspective, she understood far more than Alvin did.

This “Supreme Brass Scorpion” Demon Engine was only one step away from completion: the imprisoned demonic core that would serve as its power source.

Once the imprisoned demonic core was embedded, it would become a war machine that struck terror into the hearts of all who heard of it!

“This is a serious problem…”

Winnie bit her lip, a flicker of regret flashing in her eyes.

She suddenly wondered if she truly… should have followed her mentor’s methods.

If Mentor Granthor were here, he would have sent a distress signal to nearby Imperial Guard and Astartes Chapters the moment the Mechanicus reported this, wouldn’t he?

No, it’s not too late yet!

Winnie reaffirmed her wavering resolve.

“Inquisitor, what’s our next move?”

Alvin asked for her opinion from his back.

Winnie lowered her voice. “Don’t alert them. I’ve already recorded everything here with the Rose Chronometer. Retreat—I’ll send a distress call to surrounding star systems in the name of the Inquisition.”

“Distress call?”

Alvin frowned, unconvinced this was the best choice. “Forgive my impertinence, Inquisitor, but shouldn’t we destroy this Demon Engine now?”

“Do you think I don’t want to?!”

Winnie rolled her eyes, irritated. “Do you even know what a ‘Demon Engine’ is? Its shell can’t even be pierced by a Leman Russ—what do you think we can use to destroy it?”

“But if we don’t destroy it now, by the time reinforcements arrive, the hive will be wiped out by the cult!”

Alvin shook his head, voicing his objection.

Even with an Inquisitor’s direct order, Imperial reinforcements took at least a month, sometimes months.

Right now, they didn’t even have a month—maybe only half a month, or even a few days—before the cult launched a full-scale assault on the hive. They had no time!

Winnie nearly laughed in fury at this damn lower hive scum. She pointed at the Chaos construct and hissed: “Open your eyes and look closely! Those blasphemous runes on its shell are the Blood God’s blessing—do you really think you can destroy it?”

“I know—it’s the Blood God’s blessing.”

Alvin licked his lips. Not a trace of fear showed on his face—instead, he seemed almost excited, his eyes flickering with a chilling, mad gleam.

“You… you actually have a plan?”

Winnie’s eyes widened. A sliver of hope stirred within her.

Could this man truly be blessed by the God-Emperor?

“Yes—but this plan… carries a bit of risk.”

Alvin knew perfectly well how tough a Demon Engine’s defenses were—but he already had a solution.

“A bit? You’re sure?”

Past experiences had left Winnie with a lingering fear—once bitten, twice shy.

“Inquisitor, do we have any other choice?” Alvin’s calm tone carried an undercurrent of chilling madness: “Either destroy the Demon Engine here, or wait until it’s complete—and then the entire hive will fall before reinforcements arrive!”

“You’re right. We’re out of time.”

Winnie bit her lip and nodded reluctantly, convinced: “If we destroy the Demon Engine, at least we buy the reinforcements some time!”

Alvin no longer hesitated. From his personal space, he retrieved a flat, semicircular, dark green metal disc.

“You plan to destroy the Demon Engine with this?”

Seeing Alvin handle it with such care, Winnie grew furious. “Alvin, are you joking with me?”

“Regrettably, I’m not joking, Inquisitor.”

Alvin glanced at the irritated Inquisitor and spoke with unprecedented gravity: “I can’t tell you the origin of this device yet—but I can assure you, even if it doesn’t destroy the Demon Engine, it will give the cult a serious headache!”

Seeing his solemn expression was genuine, Winnie finally realized this device might not be as simple as it looked.

Gazing at the flat, dark green metal disc in her hand, Alvin exhaled deeply, his eyes filled with complex emotion.

The Necron Metallica Sacred Scarab.

If he could have avoided it, he would never have brought it out!

But who could have foreseen the cult secretly forging a Demon Engine? Since they started it, let him finish it.

If it comes to ruin, we all die together!

Unleash the Necrons—and no one gets to walk away unscathed!

“I hope it works.”

Alvin directly injected a pre-prepared energy module into the metal disc.

Then, as if discarding a burning hot potato—afraid even a half-second delay might engulf him—he hurled it straight toward the Demon Engine.

“That’s it?”

Winnie, watching from the side, wore a look of deep suspicion.

That was a “Demon Engine”—a creation of the Chaos Gods! If it could be so easily destroyed, she’d swallow it whole right now!

“Yes. That’s all it takes.”

Alvin nodded calmly.

Would the technology of the ancient Galactic overlords—the Necrons—sixty-five million years ago, not live up to his expectations?

I’ll try my best to get another chapter out. Please, dear lords, support me—don’t just leave it on hold, or I’ll starve to death~ Please!