Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 169 [Noisy One]

The experiment was over, and most of the onlookers slowly dispersed and went about their own business.

The results of this experiment were really unbelievable. No one expected that the rituals of the Mechanical Temple would be linked to the Machine Soul, but at least they still gained something - the pollution could finally be burned.

Although it is hard to say whether this method is good or bad.

The banshees discussed frantically in the mind link for a long time, and the speed of the screen refresh made it difficult for Zeus to see clearly. He only knew that most of the banshees still supported his ideas, and only a few of them were more worried.

After all, the banshees are not afraid of pollution at all thanks to the symbiotic contract they have with him. Even if there is a problem with the steam engine, it will not pose much threat to them. The banshees guarding the steam engine are not too worried about this.

Those who opposed the banshees were primarily concerned that the industrial products produced by this "evil god steam engine" might have problems, such as inherently polluting steel. Hughes had no good way to avoid this, so he could only try it out in small batches.

The Fire Moths were very unanimous in their support. They were obviously more afraid of pollution, but their nature of pursuing knowledge made it impossible for them to reject such a strange thing. They only made one suggestion: to give the "Evil God Steam Engine" a new name.

This name is indeed a bit stupid. After a war of words, the name [Noisier] that Gaia came up with successfully won the support of most people. This description is quite vivid. When it is running, it will keep whispering something, mixed with the sound of boilers and pistons, with a strange and noisy feeling.

Zeus listened for a long time. Although this kind of whispering did not cause pollution, it became noisy after listening for a long time. He didn't know what it was saying, and why it kept chattering.

It is worth mentioning that after Zeus approached, the noise of the noisy person became much louder, as if it had something to say to Zeus. Unfortunately, Zeus did not intend to get closer. If the connection was established, he would definitely purify it again.

Sure enough, since the war began, the technological lock has gradually faded, and the scientific research and development that had been stagnant has begun to progress again. Monica and others had studied the machine soul for so long without any results, but recently they successfully created the "Noisier", which made it hard not to be suspicious of Zeus.

Perhaps this world really is restricting pure technological progress, and the only way out is to combine with extraordinary powers.

It's not just the steam engine part. I heard from the laboratory that there has been a breakthrough in the research and development of smokeless gunpowder, and it is only a little bit away from completion.

These are all changes brought about after the preparations for war began. Perhaps when the real war comes, Castel will be able to achieve a technological boom.

This world uses technological locks to constrain technological progress, encourages war, and requires experimentation to overcome cognitive interference.
It seems to be malicious towards civilization.

Several banshees brought barrels of pollution and placed them near the Noisier. When the pollution got close to the Noisier, it would gradually calm down and its state would become much more stable, as if it had really turned into ordinary fuel. Only after leaving here would it regain its living properties.

There is still a lot of pollution accumulated when cognitive interference came last time. The pollution is very burn-resistant and it is estimated that it can last for a long time.

At least dealing with the current crisis shouldn't be a problem.

Thinking of those strange sea urchins in the deep sea, Zeus' eyes were covered with a layer of haze. Those things had strong attack power and stood on the side of the fishmen. He didn't know if Caster could withstand it.

The Banshees have rarely gone to the sea recently. They are sure that the pollution snake is gradually expanding northwards and will definitely reach Castel, and the range of the sea urchins' patrols is getting larger and larger.

The construction of the tunnel leading to the seabed was temporarily suspended, and the banshees began to dig tunnels underground on the island. Zeus planned to dig an entire network underground connecting to Castel, which could be used to transport dangerous goods and prepare for the battle with sea urchins.

He planned to put the battlefield on the island. The only living force for fighting in the sea was the Banshees, and on land he could build a large number of reinforced concrete fortifications to block those giant sea urchins in the shallows.

The underground passages were the blood vessels connecting these fortifications, allowing him to easily dispatch combatants and turn Castel into a huge fortress.

Hughes called it the "Webway Project."

Hughes said goodbye to the banshees and rode back to the manor. After a moment's thought, he asked Connor to fetch Alexi. He had recently assigned some of the research work to the Fire Moth, while Chloe was temporarily managing the new factories like the steel mill. Gaia and the advanced students were in charge of the nitroglycerin production line, and Zoe had also handed over the school. But Alexi, far from having some free time, had become even busier.

The reason is simple. After going through so many twists and turns, he finally successfully took over his original duty - training the army.

Castel has already started the general mobilization. The recruitment plan was put on the agenda a long time ago, and now it is just speeding up the process.

It's not just about recruiting soldiers. Under the orders signed by Hughes one by one, the huge and sophisticated machine of Castel is slowly starting to move, and the organizational system that Hughes spent a long time to build is finally beginning to show its effect.

Zoe wrote many articles, ranging from the friendship between sirens and humans to the strange sea urchin monsters in the sea. Under Zeus's deliberate setting and guidance, the people of Caster gradually became united in their hatred of the enemy. Moreover, they were already defending their homes. Sea urchins and polluting snakes were invaders to Caster, so the propaganda and mobilization work did not encounter many obstacles.

Zeus was waiting, waiting for the atmosphere to get more heated. It wouldn't be long before the Banshees could walk in the sun and reveal their identities in Castel.

In addition to the identity issues of the banshees, the transformation of the factory is nearing completion.

Nitroglycerin does not consume much glycerin itself, and the previous inventory is basically sufficient, so Hughes temporarily stopped the soap factory and the olive oil factory was also in a semi-operational state. The new steam engine has been delivered and will be installed soon. At that time, all the factories on the island will be fully switched to steam power.

There must be enough workers to operate the steam engine. Although most people took the initiative to understand the principles of the steam engine, some workers refused to continue learning.

Zeus did not force them. Not everyone was talented in mechanics, and Castel was short of manpower everywhere.

Most of these people participated in the construction team. After the steel plant started operating, the cement production line also started operating. Although the current output is not high, the production capacity is rising rapidly. The first batch of steel produced by the steel plant was processed into rebar for use - the quality of this batch of steel is not very stable, but it is more than enough as a construction material.

Hughes designed a three-layer defense for Castel. The first layer was the most core and critical position, centered on the Eastern Experimental Factory. Most of the personnel would be stationed here in the future. The second layer was various important factories. As long as this layer of the front line was not lost, various war materials could be manufactured and transported continuously.

The third layer is the outskirts of Castel. Hughes has planned densely packed fortresses and strongholds like stars on all possible landing coasts. If they are all completed, Castel will become an iron fortress that will never fall.

However, judging by the speed at which the pollution is spreading, it is unrealistic to complete all the construction.

The newly recruited engineering team is trying to build a second line of defense. Civil engineering also requires a lot of practical experience, and the cement production capacity is still insufficient, so they are mainly in the process of running-in and practicing.

The real main force of the construction was the Banshees. Under the leadership of Una, they began to build a fortress in the eastern test site. The Banshees used fossils as mud, melted stones instead of cement, and used steel bars to make the skeleton to build fortifications.

Zeus has tested it specifically and found that this kind of rock + steel fortification is extremely strong, even stronger than concrete. If the banshees were not so short-handed, he would have wanted to use this thing to directly replace cement pouring.

After reviewing Caster's preparations, Hughes heard a knock on the door.

"Come in, Alexi. How's your recruitment plan going?"

"Um, your Alexi will probably have to wait a while." Chloe pushed open the door and sat down in the armchair across from the table under Hughes' surprised gaze. "There's something I need to tell you."

"What's wrong? Didn't you just go back?" Xius looked at her in surprise. They had just separated at the test site not long ago, so why did she suddenly come back?

"We're in trouble." Chloe sighed. "I just tried the Candlelight Society's contact channels from the church, but there was no response at all. We're completely cut off from the outside world."

(End of this chapter)