Warhammer Survival Guide

Chapter 113 Astral Ruler

At this moment, in the heavy loading area below the D-4 landing platform.

Father Alpha is extremely busy.

His red mechanical robe was stained with black oil.

A robotic arm, holding a still-smoking brass incense burner, sways it continuously above a conveyor belt bearing, sprinkling pungent, holy incense.

The other robotic arm, holding a hydraulic wrench, is tightening a loose bolt.

The remaining two are connected to the portable Thinker array, which is rapidly reading the crane soul's angry readings.

"Appease them, we must appease them!"

While operating the machine, Father Alpha yelled at the bewildered servitude beside him, "You idiots, didn't you hear hydraulic pump number three crying out? Its piston is screaming in agony, both in terms of temperature and vibration frequency!"

"Quickly, apply the holy oil. Use the high-viscosity 'Tears of the God of Machines.' Not the cheap, watered-down kind!"

A servant awkwardly handed over a bucket of thick, black grease.

The priest snatched the brush, dipped it in holy oil, and smeared it on the scorching hot bearing surface, chanting a binary prayer: "01001 — Calm your anger, soul of steel —"

"0110————For the sacred.—tax, please hold firm.—one more cycle————Praise Omnisaya————"

9

As the holy oil seeped in, the sharp metallic friction sound gradually softened.

The priest's robotic arm finally relaxed.

To ensure the grain could be loaded onto the ship on time, he had been working continuously for half a day, pushing the performance of this old crane to its limit of 120%.

Just as he was about to check the next node, Rowe's figure appeared in the noisy dust.

"Alpha," Rowe shouted.

Lo Wei explained the reason.

After hearing the instructions relayed by Lowe, the priest dropped the brush from his hand with a "thud" to the ground.

"Recruit them? Bring the whole set of data interfaces?" The priest was surprised. "Could it be—could it be that they've discovered us? The Martian Overseers have arrived? Or the Inquisition?"

Lowe grabbed the priest's trembling mechanical arm.

"Calm down, Alpha. If they find out, what you're hearing right now isn't my voice, but the sound of a Tribunal explosives being cocked."

Although Lowe said this, his unease was no less than that of the priest.

"Marquez only said to bring the data interface. If it's a trial, you don't need the data interface, just the handcuffs. Straighten your appearance, don't let anyone see that you're guilty."

With trepidation, the two walked through the busy loading and unloading area and returned to platform D-4.

However, the scene before him made Luo Wei feel nervous.

A squad of fully armed soldiers had appeared beside Márquez at some point.

They wore dark blue armor plates, fully enclosed breathing helmets, and carried short, powerful hell guns.

This firearm is powered by a high-energy battery pack carried on its back, making it capable of penetrating the armor of light vehicles at close range.

This is by no means an ordinary planetary defense force, nor is it an arbitrator from the Ministry of Justice.

This is an armed boarding squad of the Imperial Navy.

Upon seeing Father Alpha appear, the soldiers immediately stepped forward and surrounded him in unison.

"Target confirmed. Alpha 0-7 Tech Priest. Follow us."

The leading officer's voice was icy, and his gun was slightly lowered—a standard escort posture.

Father Alpha's servo prosthetic arm made a scraping sound, and he looked at Rowe for help.

Luo Wei steeled himself and took a step forward.

"I am Lovi, the agricultural consultant. His Excellency Márquez has instructed me to—"

"Let him come along," Márquez said coldly from a distance. "He needs to be an assistant to help with data recording."

.

With two soldiers sandwiched between him, Rowe followed Father Alpha toward the massive "Terra Nexus".

As the hydraulic ramp rose, the noise from the outside world disappeared.

What reached Lowe's ears was the deep roar of the spaceship's engines.

Gravity seemed to have shifted here, making each step feel somewhat heavy.

They traversed the labyrinthine cargo area and entered the core area of ​​the spaceship.

The walls here are covered with thick brass panels.

Immediately afterwards, Lowe smelled a strange odor.

Loewe recognized the smell; it was the smell of hospitals and morgues.

However, the smell of alcohol and incense here is stronger and more sacred.

At the end of the passage is a heavy explosion-proof door engraved with a double-headed eagle emblem.

Two naval soldiers stepped forward and turned the winch.

With a heavy metallic scraping sound, the door slowly opened.

A chill swept over me.

Luo Wei followed the group inside.

This is a cabin that resembles a medical temple.

The surrounding area was filled with sophisticated instruments, all of which Rowe had never seen before.

The array of thinkers with brass trim is running at high speed, and complex genetic sequence maps are scrolling across the holographic screen like a waterfall.

In the middle of the cabin, with his back to them, stood a giant.

At that moment, Lo Wei's breathing completely stopped.

It was a colossal creature that was over two and a half meters tall.

Even without his signature powered backpack and heavy shoulder armor, wearing only a tight-fitting white shell liner and a simple medical exoskeleton to assist with precise operations, his size was enough to suffocate any mortal.

He was like a tower, simply standing there, arrogantly occupying most of the space in Rowe's field of vision and all his sense of security.

A chainsaw sword, not yet activated, hung at the giant's waist.

On his left arm, he is equipped with a complex arm protector containing a monomolecular drill, a laser scalpel, and a syringe.

This is the Space Marine Apothecary's Scepter.

It is also the key to their life and death.

Astartes!

The Emperor's Angel of Death!!!

Lowe felt his knees begin to buckle uncontrollably, and his stomach cramped.

This is more than just simple fear.

Rather, it is the trembling and suffocation that surges from the depths of the soul when a mortal body faces the majesty of a demigod.

He clenched his fists tightly, forcing his mind to stay clear, and struggled to maintain his standing posture.

He never imagined that he would see the legendary demigod of the human empire up close under these circumstances!

Even the usually cold and arrogant Márquez stopped in his tracks.

The tax official bowed slightly, respectfully tucking the mechanical claws that symbolized his power to his side, showing great reverence.

"Sir, the technical priest you were looking for has been brought."

Upon hearing this, the giant slowly turned around.

The servo motor emitted a deep, smooth hum, like the growl of a wild beast.

He has a resolute face.

His skin appeared pale from being constantly covered by a helmet.

Three golden service studs are embedded in his forehead, representing three centuries of loyal service.

His eyes were cold and deep, filled with the light of reason, as if he were looking down on a group of busy ants.

However, when the giant's gaze fell upon the bewildered Father Alpha, the suffocating sense of oppression lessened slightly.

The giant's voice was deep and resonant: "Long time no see, Instructor Alpha. Although your appearance has undergone extensive mechanical modifications, I still remember your bioelectrical signal characteristics."

Father Alpha raised his head, the light in his red electronic eyes contracting sharply, and asked in confusion, "You—you are—"

The giant bowed slightly, clenched his right fist, and lightly tapped his chest, making a standard, respectful warband salute.

"I am Galan, the Chief Apothecary of the Third Company of the Astral Archon Chapter."

Upon hearing this name, Luo Wei's heart skipped a beat.

Astral Ruler!

This is a sub-group of Ultramarines active on the edge of the hazy star field, known for its iron-blooded discipline and perfect logistical operations.

It is said that they inherited the purest genes and tactical skills from the original Robert Guilliman.

Just like their mother group, they are the most solid foundation of order for the Empire in that star system!

"Back in the Holy Terra, during the progress of the Primal Forging Project, at the 'Astartes Biomechanical Rejection' symposium chaired by the Great Sage Belisarius Caul—as one of the teaching assistants at the time—you guided me."

Galan's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable reverence: "Your proposed 'secondary bridging of neural bundles' is still considered a core doctrine and is enshrined in our warband's 'Medical Bible'."

"Those few lines of sacred code have saved the lives of countless recruits over the past century."

Luo Wei stood in the shadows of the corner, his heart pounding.

He knew beforehand that Father Alpha was no ordinary person.

But that was still too conservative a thinking.

This old priest, who spent his days repairing tractors in the basement, conducting heretical research, and reeking of engine oil, actually mentored Astartes!

What qualifications!

If it weren't for that damned accusation of "heresy research," Alpha's current status would probably be enough to make Márquez kneel down and kiss his toes.

This is the cruelty of empires.

Knowledge is power, but also a curse.

"I... I remember, it was more than a hundred years ago—back then, you were just a newly promoted pharmacist apprentice."

Father Alpha's voice was dry.

The electronic eye flashed with complex lights.

In that instant, he seemed to transform back into the spirited Martian scholar, rather than the humble agricultural technician exiled on Plenty II.

"I'm just a junior priest now, mainly responsible for repairing harvesters and tractors, sir."

The apothecary, Garan, gazed at him and nodded slightly, saying, "Identities may change, but knowledge will not. You will always be my mentor, Father Alpha."

He didn't say anything more and went straight to the point: "Right now, I need your help."

He turned to the side, revealing the operating table behind him.

A young body lay on the platform, covered in tubes, in a deep coma.

The young man's chest had been cut open, revealing his beating, reinforced heart.

"We were recruiting in a nearby hive world, and this recruit's gene seed implanted caused a severe rejection reaction."

"His nervous system is rejecting the connection from the 'black shell.' Our ship's priest is helpless."

"I checked the Ministry of the Interior's roster and found that you are serving in this system. Therefore, I request that Tax Officer Marcus invite you here."

Galan looked at him earnestly and said, "Please help me see where the problem lies in his neural circuits."

"Every recruit is a valuable asset to the chapter, a currency of the emperor. I cannot let him die in vain."

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