Chapter 165: Warhammer: What Do You Mean You Conquered the Bug Race

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

Lena fell silent for a short while.

In those eyes carried on the shell of a Tearing Worm, complex emotions flickered.

It was something she had only recently begun to understand.

Called admiration.

"You always come up with things I can't think of, Lin En is amazing."

She said, her voice carrying praise she herself hadn't noticed.

What could be happier than being praised by someone you like?

Lin En excitedly reached out and rubbed the Tearing Worm's head.

The little guy comfortably narrowed his compound eyes, and several pink bubbles appeared above his head.

"Because I'm Lin En!" he said with a laugh.

Lena laughed along with him.

The laugh was soft, but in her usually clear-and-cold emotions, it seemed especially warm.

Lin En stroked the Tearing Worm and looked out the window.

In the direction of Saint Saint Galus City Castle, lights blazed.

He revealed a wicked smile.

"Next, let's see how Luna responds."

Simultaneously, Saint Saint Galus City Castle, Machine Cult underground branch temple.

Luna stood in a Mishishi, before her a holographic projection of a fleet diagram.

Five cruisers, twenty escort ships, and countless transport and support ships—this was all she could mobilize now.

Not enough, far from enough.

She needed more.

Faster speed, stronger firepower, a more perfect plan.

But just as Lin En expected, Lei Ou had indeed dragged her down considerably.

The Holy Knights and retainers who had defected to Lei Ou were causing all sorts of trouble within the clan.

Troop mobilization applications were rejected, ship departure filings delayed, everything much slower than expected.

What gave her more of a headache was the Machine Cult.

Those oil monkeys were all holed up in the STC research lab now, impossible to summon.

She had worn her lips raw before prying these resources from their hands.

Want more? No way.

She had to rely on herself.

Fortunately, she still had a smart brain.

Luna stared at the holographic image, her brain operating at high speed.

Lin En's relationship with the Bug Race, she had long learned through His guidance.

The pink Tearing Worm on Lin En's body, that Governor's Wife named Isud, and those so-called Frost Dragon Kin on the Ice Plains.

How this relationship came to be was also the secret He most wanted to know.

But she didn't make an issue of this at the meeting.

Why?

Because she wasn't a fool; the other side surely knew her dirty business too.

Her unspeakable relationship with the Lord of Change, and her deep binding with the Machine Cult.

Who doesn't have a few little secrets?

Just like her and Calum back then.

Both sides knew the other had problems, yet they still worked together well for several years?

Some things don't need to be brought to the table.

Most interestingly, Lin En hadn't chosen to launch a calamity-like Bug Swarm attack on Brevis.

Instead, like her, he played "cosplay."

Playing Governor and Divine Chosen, becoming the hero who saved Brevis.

This made Luna develop a strong interest in Lin En.

What exactly did he want to do?

Whatever he wanted to do, one thing was certain: he was a thorough "Old Coin."

Luna, who had looked through some of Lin En's past experiences through the Lord of Change's great power.

Knew Lin En's methods weren't as upright as they appeared on the surface.

So, she had to guard against the underhanded tricks the other side might play.

Luna pulled up another holographic image—the fleet data the Servitors had just scanned for her.

She had long expected Lin En would use Genestealer infiltration to penetrate her ships.

Those Gene Thieves were everywhere—they could even control the Inquisition Army, let alone ordinary crewmen.

So she ordered that the servitors with the lowest possibility of infection be used.

Those pure flesh-and-machine machines whose brains had been castrated, whose bodies were highly mechanized, and against whom gene pollution had no purchase.

Using the Bird Divination Device to screen several key cruisers one by one.

As expected, they discovered quite a few Genestealers mixed in.

Luna gave a cold smile.

He was too naive; how could such a petty trick possibly work against a Champion of the Lord of Change like her?

At her command, all the Genestealers were purged; the greatest hidden danger had been removed.

Three days later.

Spaceport, Precept Ruler.

This was the most elite Tyrant-class Cruiser in Luna's hands, and one of the Zhu Liang Ji she intended to use as her flagship.

The Tyrant-class Cruiser was equipped with a Hyper-combustion Plasma Macro Cannon Array, possessing the longest range among its class.

Its tactical position was that of a long-range sniper; it could rely on its extreme range to strike first at places the enemy could not reach.

To the enemy fleet, it was an invisible god of death.

After three days of screening and purging, all suspicious Genestealers had been removed.

The ship was in good condition and could depart at any time.

Luna stood on the Bridge, gazing at the vast starry sky outside the Porthole.

"Prepare for test flight," she ordered.

The engines of the Precept Ruler began to warm up.

Blue radiance surged from the thruster nozzles, and the whole warship began to move.

With a deafening roar, it broke away from the Spaceport and headed toward the Orbit of Brevis.

The gray-blue planet behind gradually shrank, like a beautiful eye.

The Precept Ruler easily circled Brevis three times.

Fast speed, stable posture, all systems operating normally.

A satisfied smile appeared on Luna's face.

"That's enough," she said to the captain, "return to the Spaceport and prepare for official departure."

The Precept Ruler turned direction and headed toward the Spaceport.

Just then, a problem appeared.

The ship's speed suddenly began to drop.

Not the abrupt halt of engine paralysis, but a gradual slowing, as if something were dragging it.

The engine's sound began to become unstable, rising and falling, like an asthmatic's breathing, intermittent.

"What's happening?!" Luna rushed to the control console.

The Technicians frantically hammered the keyboards, and the Bird Divination Device's data jumped wildly.

"Engine output power down fifteen percent, fifteen percent..."

Until it stopped at thirty percent.

"Energy supply unstable, suspected unknown interference!"

"All systems are fluctuating! We, we can't control it!"

The Precept Ruler's speed grew slower and slower; it was like an injured Giant Beast, struggling forward slowly in the starry sky.

Luna's face turned ashen.

She knew what this meant.

If this were in battle, such a speed drop caused by engine instability would be enough to turn the whole warship into a sitting duck.

The enemy's Torpedoes could easily catch up to it, and Cannon Fire could precisely hit it.

It would become a pile of Debris within minutes.

"Return," she squeezed out two words from between her teeth, "full speed return."

The Precept Ruler, using its remaining power, made its way toward the Spaceport with difficulty.

But after traveling for over ten minutes, the engine output power returned to normal levels.

As if the malfunction just now had never existed.

Half an hour later, it smoothly returned to the port.

But when Luna stepped down from the Bridge, her face was already black as the bottom of a pot.

"Investigate," she said to the Technicians who came up to meet her.

"Find out for me exactly where the problem lies."

The Priests responsible for inspection exchanged glances, not daring to speak.

They had already checked three times before takeoff.

The Genestealers had all been cleared; all systems were normal.

Theoretically, this ship should be perfect.

But just now an accident had truly happened, and the leader was on the ship herself, experiencing it personally.

Where exactly did the problem lie?