Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 168 The Evil God Steam Engine, start!

Gaia's idea seems a bit outrageous at first glance. The Mechanical Temple has no connection with the Rhine and Castel. How can their prayers react to the machine spirit?

But if you think about it carefully, this is actually the most likely option. After all, Chloe completely replicated the ritual of the Mechanical Temple. The only variable here is the machine soul.

Besides, the cost of giving it a try is not high. Didn’t Zeus successfully purify the evil god’s steam engine just now? At worst, he can purify it again.

The steam engine is already available. Recently, Castel has begun preparing for war, and Nini has been working overtime to madly expand the steam engine's production capacity. She can now use it to turn fossils into mud while she sleeps.
Gaia also often comes to the test site here. She knows that there is a newly assembled Type II machine in the warehouse, so she can try it on site.

"Then let's try again. Please, the three of you, please perform the ritual again."

Chloe and Monica nodded in unison, "No problem."

"Wait, wait!" Gaia opened her eyes wide. "Do I want to participate too?"

"Of course, we have to control the variables. It was you three who successfully performed the ritual together just now, and you are familiar with the process. It's up to you!" Zeus patted Gaia's shoulder.

The expression on Gaia's face fell. She actually had to perform the ritual in front of so many people. When she thought about having to follow the rhythm while swaying to apply oil on the machine and being watched by onlookers, she felt terrible.

“This is too shameful!”

"A small sacrifice for science."

Soon, several banshees brought a new steam engine from the warehouse, along with a can of pollution. It seems that the steam engine with the machine soul can burn pollution stably, but communicating with the machine soul is still a bit troublesome.

Zeus commanded the banshee to place the steam engine on the other side of the factory, and then everyone stepped back to give space to Chloe and the other two.

Monica started dancing with the parts again, while Chloe chanted the prayer in a serious manner - in the dim firelight, she was dressed in a nun's uniform and looked solemn, which added a sense of sacredness to the ceremony.

Only Gaia tapped her toes awkwardly. She hoped that there wouldn't be so many people watching, but Zeus refused with a very reasonable reason. After all, they had just watched the ceremony, and this was just a control variable.

She was just a fisherman's daughter, and performing in front of so many people made her face turn red.

Fortunately, the ceremony went smoothly. Soon, Chloe opened her eyes again, and her orange-red hair rose slowly and rhythmically.

"Light the sacred cauldron and awaken the soul in the steel!"

She suddenly raised her voice and chanted to the steam engine.

Monica and Gaia also stopped what they were doing, and they all looked towards the combustion chamber of the steam engine with anticipation.

It was filled with fuel, exactly the same as the one in the old man's room just now, but the steam engine in front of him just stood there quietly, with no sign of burning at all.

After a long while, Xius asked tentatively, "Failed?"

"It seems so." Chloe sighed. "I felt a vague sense of connection after the ceremony, but now I don't feel it. I can't be mistaken."

Monica and Gaia also nodded, they both felt the same way.

The banshees discussed in low voices. Zeus smacked his lips, a headache coming on. Could it be that the success of this ritual was truly due to the Machine Spirit?

In other words, an organization thousands of miles away designed a half-finished ritual that could not be successful if used alone because an important condition required was something Castel had only recently researched?
This is really too absurd. The key point is that the unsuccessful ritual has been passed down like this. It can only be said that it is worthy of being the Mechanical Temple. They probably couldn't imagine that their ritual could actually summon the evil god from the steam engine.

No, it should be said that it was a good thing that their ritual did not succeed. If they really summoned the evil god, it would not be easy for a mortal organization alone to deal with it, especially in the Rhine, the capital city at the core of the empire.

"Monica, summon another machine spirit from the steam engine and let's try again."

"Oh, is it possible? Really!?"

Monica's eyes lit up immediately. She had long wanted to recruit a few more steam engine spirits, but Zeus had always forbade her to do so. After all, Castel had not yet mastered the method of pleasing the spirits, and these machines that might strike were somewhat of a hidden danger.

"Go ahead. At worst, I can move my office here and maintain these two machines. I can communicate with the Machine Soul anyway." Xius waved his hand. The relationship between the Machine Soul and the Evil God was still too important to him. It might not be a bad thing to figure it out one day earlier.

"Great!" Monica cheered and rushed towards the steam engine.

"Light the sacred cauldron and awaken the soul in the steel!"

A raging fire ignited in the combustion chamber, and a wonderful sense of connection was born from the cold steel machine, spreading along the light of the flames to the three people who had completed the ceremony.

Chloe, Gaia, and Monica exchanged a glance, all three of them expressing surprise. "It actually worked! The Mechanical Temple's prayers combined with the Machine Soul can actually summon an evil god?!"

"No, it's not an evil god. At most, it's just a projection of a certain existence. It doesn't pose any great danger. It's really strange that the condition for its birth is that there is a soul already living in the steel." Chloe walked to the steam engine and carefully felt the contents inside.

“Is this thing safe?”

"I think it's safe. It hasn't actually descended, but exists here with the aid of a machine spirit. Even listening to its whispers won't bring contamination—this is the biggest difference from the Heretic God."

"Evil gods can also whisper?"

"Yes, and prolonged listening can gain some knowledge, but of course it also brings more pollution. As for this steam engine, I feel like it's not talking about knowledge, but something else." Chloe closed her eyes, carefully sensing for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I can't hear it clearly. It's too blurry."

Monica held the canister filled with pollution, opened the furnace door and poured the pollution into it. The pollution went smoothly into the combustion chamber as if there was no burning flame inside.

Hughes rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes.

"Let's put it here and observe it for a while. If it really doesn't cause any harm and can operate stably, it might be of great use."

Chloe looked at Hughes in surprise: "You mean..."

"We are so short of fuel now. If we can't rely on physical pollution, the steel mill will soon stop operating." Hughes spread his hands.

"Even if it's an evil god, if it's willing to work for Castel, that's acceptable."

(End of this chapter)