I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

Faced with Rhodes's refusal, the leading steam infantryman did not waste any words, nor did he show any signs of anger.

He raised his right arm, and the chainsaw sword emitted a piercing roar as the miniature steam engine inside instantly pushed its speed to the limit.

Perform cleanup.

With this monotonous command, the three modified soldiers started up simultaneously.

The boilers behind them spewed out two plumes of hot white steam, propelling their heavy bodies toward Rhodes.

Despite wearing heavy brass armor, they were not slow.

Steam-powered exoskeletons endow them with explosive power far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Rod did not retreat. The moment the opponent started moving, he took a step to the left and slid past a load-bearing column of the abandoned factory.

The chainsaw sword, carrying a foul stench, slashed at the concrete pillar, sending sparks flying and debris scattering.

The hard concrete was cut open like tofu, leaving a gap half a meter deep.

Taking advantage of this brief delay, Rhodes raised his shotgun and aimed the muzzle at the knee of the soldier on the far left.

boom!

The specially designed armor-piercing bullet struck the joint of the brass knee pad.

A metallic twisting sound rang out, and the soldier's left leg suddenly buckled, causing him to lose his balance.

But it did not break.

The joints of the opponent are made of multi-layered composite alloy and have a hydraulic cushioning device.

The shot only damaged the outer transmission rod; it did not completely disable his mobility.

The soldier staggered for a moment, then immediately adjusted his posture, sweeping his chainsaw sword horizontally to force back Rhodes, who was trying to finish off the soldier.

"The armor thickness exceeded expectations, and the weak points have been reinforced."

Rhodes calmly assessed the situation in his mind.

He quickly retreated, creating distance between himself and the other two soldiers.

These steam infantrymen were the military's elite, specifically designed to deal with heretics possessing superhuman strength.

Their masks have built-in infrared vision and motion capture systems, rendering ordinary illusions ineffective against them.

Their armor lining is engraved with runes that block spiritual energy, which can weaken most spells that directly affect the body.

In a conventional battle, Rhodes would need to use expensive alchemical bombs or powerful sealing artifacts to defeat them.

But right now, he happens to have a key in his hand.

As Rhode weaved through the abandoned machinery, dodging the chainsaw sword's strikes, he channeled his spiritual energy into the dark blue crystal in his left hand.

The drop of dark golden blood inside the crystal began to boil, and fine ripples appeared on the surface of the originally solidified dark blue crystal.

Rod recalled the frequency that Cassandra had recorded.

That was not a sound, but a vibration that acted directly on the spirit.

He abruptly stopped and turned to face the three steam infantrymen who were hot on his heels.

Upon seeing this, the lead soldier opened the exhaust valve on his back to its full extent, and charged forward like a cannonball, raising his chainsaw sword high in an attempt to cleave Rhodes in two.

Rhodes did not dodge; he raised the crystal and activated the power within.

hum-

There was no actual sound in the air, but everyone present, including Rhodes himself, felt a violent bulging sensation in their eardrums.

It was a high-frequency spiritual shriek.

The captain, who was at the forefront, suddenly froze.

The steam boiler behind him trembled abnormally, and the normally regular exhaust sound became chaotic.

Immediately afterwards, a sickening metallic scraping sound came from inside his armor.

"Mental interference detected..."

The captain's synthesized voice became intermittent, like a radio with a faulty connection.

His chainsaw sword, held high, froze in mid-air, his body convulsing uncontrollably.

The other two soldiers were in even worse shape.

The soldier with the injured knee fell to his knees, clutching his helmet with both hands, and let out a painful roar.

The whispers of the Warren family were not merely a simple psychological attack.

It is a forced resonance targeting the soul's frequency.

Although these steam infantrymen underwent mechanical modifications and had most of their emotions removed, their brains and parts of their nervous systems remained active in order to maintain their combat instincts and reaction speed.

Their souls are imprisoned in cyborg bodies, in a state of extreme repression and instability.

The frequency provided by Cassandra is precisely the deconstruction instruction for this unstable state.

Rhodes saw that the soldiers' exposed skin was beginning to swell with blood, and their veins were bulging.

Their souls are struggling violently within their bodies, trying to break free from the shackles of flesh and machinery.

This conflict between the mind and body leads to disordered nerve signals, which in turn paralyzes the exoskeleton's control system.

"The results were better than expected."

Rhodes put away the crystal.

The dark golden blood had faded slightly, indicating that the resonance had depleted its power.

He drew his revolver from his waist and calmly walked toward the captain, who was still convulsing.

At this point, the steam infantry captain had completely lost his ability to defend himself.

Heavy breathing came from beneath his mask, and his red electronic eyes flickered.

Rhodes walked up to him and pressed the muzzle of his gun against the gap in the armor on the other man's chin.

This is the weak point connecting the helmet and torso, and also the convergence point of oxygen tubes and nerve bundles.

"For the glory of the empire..." The captain was still mechanically repeating the slogan etched into his subconscious.

boom!

Rod pulled the trigger.

The bullet pierced his throat, severed his spinal cord, and finally exited through the back of his head.

The heavy body crashed to the ground.

Without pausing, Rhodes turned and walked toward the other two soldiers.

boom!boom!

After two gunshots, the abandoned factory fell silent once more.

Rhodes stood beside the corpse, not leaving immediately.

He crouched down and began to inspect the soldiers' equipment.

He skillfully removed the armor plate on the captain's chest, revealing the core power reactor inside.

On the side of the power furnace, there is a small number and a special badge—a sword with interlocking gears.

"Third Special Operations Team"

Rhodes recognized the badge. It belonged to a secret unit belonging to the radical faction of the military, usually responsible for shady missions such as purging uncontrolled extraordinary individuals or retrieving certain forbidden objects.

It seems Cassandra was right; the military is determined to acquire the Warren family's inheritance.

Rhodes found a sealed metal cylinder in the captain's belt.

Opening the lid revealed a rolled-up parchment map with several red dots marked on it, one of which was Whispering Manor, and another red dot marked an abandoned shipyard downstream of the Blackwater River.

Rhodes was very familiar with the location of that shipyard.

It had been reported in the news as a smuggling den, but it was abandoned six months ago due to a mysterious fire.

Rhodes put the map into his pocket.

He initially thought he was just looking for a tool to stabilize his mind, but he ended up getting caught up in a much bigger vortex.

The biological beacon the military is looking for is clearly not just a simple ancient alchemical artifact.

He stood up and took one last look at the three corpses on the ground.

If the scene isn't dealt with, even more people will come knocking on our door soon.

Rod pulled a glass bottle from his trench coat pocket; it contained a dark green liquid.

He poured the liquid on the corpse's face, badge, and key parts of the power unit.

hiss hiss hiss—

Accompanied by pungent white smoke and a nauseating odor, the surface of the corpse rapidly decomposed and dissolved, and the writing on the metal nameplate became blurred.

Having done all this, Rod lowered the brim of his hat, turned, and disappeared into the shadows deep within the factory.