Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 118 The Great Sage Overseeing the Construction (Tenth Update)

The shuttle pierced through the thick, complex clouds of pollution above the planet, and the specific details of the surface gradually became clear in the observation window.

The enormous ring-shaped casting complex now occupies most of the field of vision, making its scale even more apparent.

Dense clusters of industrial buildings spread within and around the ring, forming a unique urban landscape on this planet.

The outlines of countless factory buildings were faintly visible in the billowing smoke, and in most areas, the muffled impact sounds and continuous low-frequency humming could still be faintly heard.

The dark red glow emanating from the furnace area was still visible even in the daylight.

However, disproportionate to its enormous size, many areas clearly lack sufficient signs of activity.

A significant portion of the secondary processing areas had chimneys that did not emit exhaust gases, and the massive storage facilities had their doors tightly shut, with signs indicating that they were out of use or sealed off hanging on their surfaces.

On the freight rail network connecting various regions, there are few vehicles coming and going, and some sections of the track even show exposed, unmaintained signs of rust.

The shuttle eventually landed in the main furnace area at the geometric center of the ring.

This is the true core of Neksam, a hub where enormous flows of energy and matter converge.

The main furnace standing at the center is a colossal object, with its base extending deep underground and its upper structure constantly radiating astonishing heat and a deep roar.

This sound is not just simple noise, but a continuous vibration with physical penetrating power. Even in the well-insulated cabin of the shuttle, the almost primal force contained within can be clearly perceived through structural transmission.

Surrounding the furnace are layers of energy relay stations, control centers, and material distribution centers, forming a complex and orderly giant complex.

Inside the passageway leading to the private sanctuary of the great sage Casper Vox, the systemic dilemmas facing the forging world are presented to Chen Yu in a more concrete form.

This passage, which should have been filled only with the rhythmic footsteps of machinery and the whispers of data, now revealed an unexpected degree of chaos.

Several tech priests dressed in red robes gathered in an alcove on one side of the corridor, their data interfaces connected, exchanging highly encrypted data.

Judging from the unstable flickering frequency of their optical lenses and the occasional leaks of poorly modulated binary short tones, the discussion involved the prioritization of critical resource allocation, and its intensity went beyond the scope of a regular technical discussion.

The data display screens embedded in the corridor walls are scrolling through the real-time status of the main production lines.

Chen Yu's sensors quickly captured and analyzed these information streams.

More than 30 percent of the production units are marked as "inefficient operation" or "waiting for materials". The daily output indicators of several key weapon platform assembly lines show a continuous and unhealthy downward curve, and their values ​​have fallen below the theoretical threshold required to maintain basic production capacity.

Chen Yu calmly recorded and evaluated these phenomena at the core of her thinking.

This systemic decline in efficiency and shortage of resources is undoubtedly severely restricting the operational capacity of the entire foundry world.

In this context, the value of any factor that could potentially improve efficiency or bring new opportunities will be amplified, and its approval process may therefore be reconsidered.

He was well aware that the examination and certification of sage qualifications should, in theory, be the responsibility of the Qualification Review Board under the World Sages Council, and that the process included as many as 127 independent assessment steps, aimed at ensuring the candidates’ technical competence and loyalty to the doctrines of the Om Messiah.

However, within the Mechanicus's rigid hierarchical system, written regulations often yield to the actual power structure, especially when the world faces developmental challenges. The Grand Sage Casper Vox, as Nexus's supreme administrator, commander of the Apostolic Army, and the world's legal representative in the Martian Council, wields a will sufficient to decisively influence any internal process.

Their attitude can expedite, delay, or even substantially alter the outcome of any deliberation.

Therefore, the fact that my promotion application was able to pass the initial review so quickly and without any visible resistance is itself a strong signal.

This was by no means the result of the committee's bureaucratic process operating in an orderly manner; it is almost certain that the Great Sage Vox intervened directly, using his supreme authority to simplify or forcefully advance the process.

Chen Yu needed to know the root cause that prompted this great sage ruler to act in this way.

Is the crisis facing the world so urgent that it is necessary to promote anyone who may bring about a turnaround, regardless of background?
Or did his own report on the "core of ancient logic" touch upon a deeper plan of the Great Sage Vox?

Or does this involve more complex political considerations?

Understanding their true intentions is the foundation for all subsequent interactions and negotiations by Chen Yu.

He adjusted the operation priority of the built-in logic units in preparation for the upcoming meeting.

The doors of the sanctuary slid open silently.

The interior contrasts with the industrial hustle and bustle outside, making it more like a combination of a library, museum, and command center.

The air was filled with the smells of aged grease, old parchment, and faint electric arcs.

The four walls are made of a huge bookshelf that reaches the ceiling, filled with ancient paper books, data tablets, and replicas of STC fragments encapsulated in a static force field.

Some glass display cases contain weapon prototypes from different eras, alien technology samples, and the remains of some combat-worthy mechanical units, all carefully displayed like trophies of war.

In the center of the room, behind a massive desk forged from a single block of refined gold and inlaid with complex computational arrays along its edges, sat the overseeing sage, Casper Vox.

The Great Sage Vox was far more "traditional" and "obese" than Chen Yu.

His lower body has been completely integrated with a multi-tracked mobile platform, providing stable support and impressive mobility.

His torso was covered in thick, dark gold armor with obvious signs of upgrades over the generations, etched with dense Om Messiah's words and gear patterns.

Four main multi-jointed mechanical tentacles extended from his back. Two of them were rapidly flipping through a suspended holographic document, one was adjusting a miniature plasma reactor model on the table, and the other was in standby mode, its fingertips flickering with energy arcs.

His skull also underwent extensive modifications, retaining some of the human skull structure, but most of it was replaced by a silver metal skullcap.

His face features a deep, sharp, native human eye that seems to see right through people, while the other eye has been replaced by a multispectral prosthetic eye that constantly changes focus.

His jaw was modified into an integrated sound unit and a tiny tool interface, giving him a unique metallic resonance when he spoke.

(End of this chapter)