Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 284 No Survivors (Sixth Update)
After removing the Ministry of Justice personnel, Judge Kelas turned his attention to Mann's team.

He walked up to Mann, his previous purely commanding tone toned down, replaced by a more cautious, official demeanor.

“Given the seriousness of the situation and the connection between this place and the Cult of Mechanics,” Inquisitor Kelas said, “the Inquisition needs your assistance to ensure that the purification operation is carried out thoroughly and to avoid any subsequent… technical issues.”

At the same time, I hope to establish direct communication with the sage behind you.

This matter is far-reaching, and I need to personally brief the Cult of Mechanics on the situation, clarifying the absolute necessity of the Inquisition's actions to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.

Mann looked at the judge, knowing that the judge was both asking for help and testing the bottom line of the Cult of Mechanics' attitude on the matter.

Without saying much, he contacted Chen Yu, who was far away in the Neksam Forging World, again via an encrypted link.

The moment the communication was connected, Mann could clearly sense the displeasure coming from the other end of the channel.

Clearly, Chen Yu's dissatisfaction stemmed from the repeated requests for instructions on the same task within a short period of time.

Mann wasted no time and immediately gave a brief report on the current situation, emphasizing the judge's intervention and his intention to demand direct dialogue.

"...Understood. Connect." Chen Yu's synthesized voice carried a hint of impatience at being interrupted, but he quickly determined that communicating directly with the judge was the most efficient solution at present.

Mann temporarily granted communication access to Judge Keras.

“Greetings, Your Excellency the Sage.” Judge Keras spoke first, maintaining the formal respect due to a sage of the Cult of Mechanics. “I am Judge Keras Walker.”

The current situation is that definitive signs of chaotic corrosion have been found within the factory you are monitoring, marked as an 'octagon'.

According to Imperial law and the duties of the Inquisition, the highest level of purification procedures must be implemented immediately to prevent any future problems.

Therefore, the court formally requests the assistance of your task force and hopes to receive your understanding and support.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communication, with only faint noise from the data stream.

Then, Chen Yu's calm yet icy voice rang out again. This time, the words were directly addressed to all members of Mann's team, the instructions so clear they sent chills down their spines: "Mann, and everyone else, listen up. The Inquisitor has the highest authority to handle such cases. Your next task is to fully cooperate with the Inquisition's actions."

Abandon your pointless sympathy and hesitation. The core of the purification process lies in 'thoroughness'.

The judge identifies the targets that need to be eliminated, and you carry out the elimination without leaving any behind or any survivors.

Any form of mercy at this moment would be the greatest betrayal of the Empire, of Omnisiah, and of your own safety. Execute the order.

Communication was abruptly and decisively cut off.

The channel fell into complete silence.

Rebecca opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end she just clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Pira twisted his long arms nervously.

Dorothy clenched and unclenched her fists. Valerie remained silent in the Iron Guard cockpit.

They all understood the resolve in Chen Yu's words and the cruel laws of the universe that this order represented.

Despite feeling immense confusion, resistance, and even a fleeting urge to disobey orders, the instinct for obedience ingrained from his long mercenary career, and the ingrained habit of following the "boss's" instructions, ultimately prevailed over his personal emotions.

They are now the sword of the Mechanicus, and wherever they point, they must cut.

Mann took a deep breath of the air thick with the smell of engine oil and blood, turned to Judge Kelas, and said in a somewhat stiff voice as he tried to suppress his emotions, “We have received clear instructions from the Sage. Mann’s squad is at your command.”

The judge nodded slightly, expressing satisfaction with the Mechanicus's "efficiency" and "rationality." He said no more, raising his hand and waving it forward. "Begin the operation. Purify all sources of contamination, leave none behind."

The heavy factory gates slowly opened again under the control of the court soldiers, revealing the darkness behind them that seemed to devour everything.

Mann's team followed the courtroom into the factory, which had already been sentenced to death, and was about to carry out a ruthless massacre that they deeply resisted but had no choice but to do.
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The heavy factory gates were flung wide open, and soldiers of the Planetary Defense Force, like a gray tide, silently and efficiently poured into the main workshop area of ​​the factory in standard skirmish lines.

The buzzing of laser guns and the occasional roar of promethium flamethrowers instantly replaced the workers' previous noisy protests.

Mann's squad, along with Inquisitor Kelas, a small elite squad of Storm Loyalists, and the silent Imperial Fist Astartes, did not participate in the "cleanup" work on the periphery.

Like a sharp spearhead, they bypassed the main area that was being turned into a slaughterhouse and rushed rapidly into the depths of the factory along a relatively secluded maintenance passage.

Judge Kelas clearly had a specific objective.

His sharp gaze swept across the corridor walls, pipe joints, and floor, as if searching for some specific trace.

Mann and the others followed behind him, only able to see the retreating figures of the Planetary Defense Force behind them, and the unsettling sounds faintly coming from the end of the passage.

"Stop." The judge suddenly raised his hand to signal.

He crouched down, ran his finger over a barely noticeable, slightly sticky, dark stain on the ground, and sniffed it.

His expression became even gloomier.

“This way.” He turned without hesitation to a branch pipe. At the entrance of this pipe, a rough, somewhat similar but more twisted and illegible scratch was etched on the metal wall.

Mann and the others felt a chill run down their spines; they had completely overlooked these details.

The team moved swiftly through the narrow pipes, with the Storm Loyalists leading the way. Their movements were precise and deadly; any panicked workers who suddenly appeared from the side maintenance compartments or vents would be instantly reduced to charred remains by Hellfire Guns or plasma weapons.

The Astartes warriors, like mobile fortresses, walked in the middle of the column, providing absolute protection for the Inquisitor. The oppressive feeling they brought as their massive bodies moved in the narrow space was unparalleled.

The judge would occasionally stop to examine certain marks that seemed meaningless to Mann—a puddle of water of an unusual color, several scratches on the wall that looked like they were left by unconscious scratching, or even a small clump of ash of unknown composition.

He was like an experienced hunting dog, closely tracking the invisible "scent" in the air.

"The source of pollution is trying to move deeper; it's looking for more complex structures to hide itself," the Inquisitor said in a low voice without turning his head, as if talking to himself, yet also explaining to Mann and the others behind him. "It's cunning; it knows how to use these ignorant mortals as cover and shield."

They eventually arrived at a heavy gate located at the bottom of the plant, marked "Core Reactor Pretreatment Area".

On the ground outside the gate, several workers' bodies lay scattered, their deaths gruesome, but not from gunshots or fire; rather, they appeared to have been torn apart by some immense force.

The air was thick with the smell of ozone and an indescribable, cloying, rotten odor.

The judge carefully examined the control panel of the gate, which showed signs of violent damage and corrosion from some kind of acidic substance.

“It’s inside. And it’s gotten stronger, or… more impatient.” Inquisitor Keras stood up, his eyes coldly fixed on Mann and the Imperial Fist warrior. “Prepare for the real battle. What’s inside can no longer be called ‘human.’”

He waved for a Storm Loyalist to step forward and place a molten metal bomb on the hydraulic lock of the gate.

A flash of scorching light appeared, and the heavy metal gate collapsed inward with a piercing tearing sound, revealing a deep darkness behind it, flickering with an unstable eerie light.

The surface cleansing of the operation continues behind them, but the real hunt has only just begun.

Mann gripped the incendiary gun tightly. He knew that what they were about to face might be the real reason why Sage Chen Yu had ordered them to "leave no survivors."

(End of this chapter)