harleyscars Chapter 34 The Shepherd
Chapter 34 The Shepherd
After listening to the report from the "Case" server.
Lo Wei raised his hand and turned the black ring on his ring finger.
The communication was established.
The holographic projection showed the face of the head guard, Lilith, wearing a mask.
Her background noise was filled with the cacophony of gunfire and the deafening roar of exploding shells.
It seems things aren't peaceful at the Governor's Spire either.
Luo Wei narrowed his eyes slightly.
The background noise doesn't sound like the distinctive roars and chewing sounds of a Necromancer.
Instead, it resembled standard-issue bomb guns, with crisp, explosive sounds as they fired at each other.
This means that Governor Alicia's troubles are probably not limited to the plague outside the city.
Perhaps they are political enemies who are taking advantage of the chaos to launch an attack.
Perhaps they were corrupted rebel guards.
Or perhaps it's a branch of a family that has always coveted the governorship, and they think tonight is a good time for a "change of dynasty".
In the Warhammer universe.
The change of power is never a secret; it is an unspoken norm.
Compared to the plague that slowly spreads and devours lives in the lower nests.
Usurpation and coups are more sudden and leave no room for maneuver.
The ruler who sat on the governor's throne yesterday may become a sacrifice in the game of power tonight.
The empire far away in Terra has always been indifferent to this:
As long as the new ruler continues to bow to the Golden Throne and pay the full amount of tithes on time.
The emperor's radiance will tacitly approve the winner of this annihilation.
As for the governor's crown, to whom will it fall?
To a vast empire spanning millions of worlds, it is nothing more than dust.
"I thought you'd send a distress signal or a suicide note, Advisor Lowe," Lilith said, somewhat surprised.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Captain."
Lowe sent a data packet over.
"This is the post-war audit report for the Seventh Grain Depot. We repelled the enemy and preserved our core assets. The losses were severe, but the defensive line remained intact."
Lilith paused for a few seconds, clearly glancing quickly at the report.
When she saw the data for "Gluttony Wall" and "Warp Thermal Damage".
His gaze sharpened slightly.
Even through the holographic projection, Luo Wei could feel the sharp scrutiny.
"You used some unconventional methods."
Lilith's voice lowered.
"According to the Imperial Infantry Manual, this is enough to send you to the stake. Advisor, I'd like to know, where did a scribe who spends all day buried in ledgers learn this 'knowledge'?"
This is a trap.
Knowledge about "chaos" is strictly controlled.
The lower-level clerks should not know how to utilize subspace power.
They shouldn't even know the name "Nurgle".
Luo Wei remained calm.
He was mentally prepared.
In a universe filled with superstition and ignorance, the source of knowledge is often the best cover.
"This is 'The Old Man of the Swamp's Gift,' Your Excellency, Chief Guard."
Loewi used vocabulary from local indigenous mythology.
His eyes were calm and devout.
"The old farmers on Fengrao No. 2 all know that if the mud deep in the swamp is not burned, man-eating mushrooms will grow."
"But if you cook it at high temperatures, the mud can become the most fertile fertilizer."
"I simply applied the farmers' traditional method of boiling mud to those monsters. This was based on 'on-site technical adaptations for wartime emergencies'."
He deliberately displayed a rustic cunning and pragmatism to conceal his knowledge as a time traveler.
Lilith seemed to accept this explanation, and scoffed:
"The Swamp Old Man... Hmph, you locals always like to give dirty things strange names."
She turned off the tactical map on the holographic projection.
"However, since you mentioned 'gifts,' you should also know that the sludge on this planet has never been truly burned clean."
"A hundred years ago, a great plague struck this planet, killing half the population. The Empire quickly sent new immigrants to fill the void."
"Fifty years ago, there was another plague, more deaths, and more new immigrants..."
Lilith's tone was chillingly cold.
"The dark forces... they're like shrewd ranchers. They know that as long as they don't devour the entire flock at once, as long as they leave some breeding stock, the empire will keep sending in new lambs."
"This is a distorted form of symbiosis."
Luo Wei felt a chill run down his spine.
This confirmed his conjecture.
Nurgle's influence on this planet has been entrenched for far too long.
It may have already infiltrated the planet's ecological cycle.
The Empire's rule here, in a sense, is providing the Nurgle with a continuous supply of "biomass fuel".
"Since it's a symbiotic relationship, someone has to break this cycle."
Luo Wei said calmly.
He paused for a moment, then threw out his chips.
"The Seventh Grain Depot is now the only safe haven in this area. I can receive the wounded and provide some 'specially treated' fuel. But I need more resources."
What do you want?
"Gun barrel spare parts, high-energy batteries."
Luo Wei emphasized the point.
"I also need an authorization letter from the Governor's Office for the 'Live-fire Testing of Special Experimental Weapons.' I don't want to be burned at the stake by my own people before reinforcements arrive."
Lilith's gaze darkened, and she tapped her fingers lightly on the hilt of her sword.
"Supplies will be airdropped as soon as possible."
Then.
A prompt to sign an electronic document popped up.
Much faster than Loewe had anticipated.
"Take this authorization letter."
"This is not to excuse your blasphemy, but to assert the Governor's 'jurisdiction': your knife may be dirty, but it is in the Governor's hand."
"The Mechanicus may care about the purity of technology, but the Valantius family only cares about who is in charge of this planet."
"Governor Alicia possesses the bloodline and charter of the 'Wandering Merchant' granted by Holy Terra. On this planet, if the governor says it is a legal experiment, then it is a legal experiment."
Before the communication was cut off, Lilith left behind a meaningful warning:
"Don't break the knife, advisor. If it breaks, it's just a dirty piece of scrap metal, and we don't recycle scrap metal."
Luo Wei breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair.
By using local mythology to conceal the source of his knowledge, he initially evaded Lilith's probing.
At the same time, they used this achievement to gain valuable political endorsement.
However, at that moment, the alarm sounded again throughout the entire grain warehouse.
The red color does not represent an enemy attack.
Instead, it represents yellow, which signifies uncontrollable chaos.
Luo Wei got up and walked to the lookout point.
On the horizon outside, a dark, heavy tide appeared.
That's not Nurgle's army.
That's a person.
Thousands upon thousands of people, dressed in rags and emaciated.
Those were refugees who escaped from the fourth and ninth granaries and the surrounding ruins.
Driven by the war, they surged like a flock of panicked sheep toward this only "safe haven."
The number is at least 100,000.
Behind them followed a group of hunting zombies.
As Lilith, the head of the guard, said, this was a drive for "sustainable harvesting".
The wicked shepherd is herding his scattered flock into a cage, awaiting the next slaughter.
It was a disaster.
If we accept them, the grain silos' fuel will run out within three days.
In addition, there must be countless virus carriers mixed in with the crowd.
If they don't accept them, this desperate crowd will overwhelm the defenses.
They'll either be slaughtered outside the wall.
The resulting deathly aura and despair will become Nurgle's best sacrifice.
"Advisor, they're charging!" Buck's voice trembled. "Should we open fire? We don't have lumberjack guns, but we have rifles and flamethrowers!"
Looking at the churning crowd, Luo Wei said coldly:
"No firing. Open the outer gates and set up a checkpoint on the second line of defense."
"Have Father Alpha prepare the scanner. Everyone entering must be screened."
"Those with spots on their bodies will be expelled, and those who cause trouble will be sent to the 'fermentation' facility."
"Give those who are healthy shovels and entrenching tools. Let them go and clear the battlefield and reinforce the city walls."
Having arranged everything, Luo Wei turned away, no longer looking at the hellish scene.