Zeus's grace is higher than the sky

"Damn it, I've been wanting to get rid of this crappy alarm for ages! Those guys up there are living the high life in command post, while we can't even get a hot meal. Why should we risk our lives for them?"

The other sentry nodded, his eyes sweeping over the city defense map in Hank's hand, and he smiled knowingly.

"You guys are here to shut down the electric fence, right? The brothers over at the west gate have already discussed it. When the greens come, we'll pretend to put up a fight and open the gate—we'll starve to death anyway if we follow the higher-ups, so we might as well try out the 'enslavement' that greens are talking about!"

Hank and the others were stunned for a moment, then their faces lit up with ecstasy. Tom pulled the lever sharply, and the hissing sound of the electric grid disappeared instantly.

In this darkness, countless eyes lit up, all reflecting their anticipation for a new life.

This "betrayal" was no longer a conspiracy of a few people, but a tacit understanding among the soldiers at the bottom of the entire city.

Chapter 280 Green-skinned Japanese Inspector, Please Come In (Part Two)

At noon, the scorching sun made the gravel outside the city walls scorching hot, and a series of chaotic tremors came from the ground.

The soldiers guarding the city wall peeked out and immediately spotted the "green tide" surging towards the horizon—

Leading the way were a dozen or so modified "bouncing cars," their bodies welded with spikes, their engines spewing black smoke, and green-skinned boys in the truck beds roaring while brandishing chainsaw swords, sparks flying as the saw teeth spun at high speed.

Following closely behind was the "Farting Tank," with its twin-barreled explosive guns firing rapidly, leaving spent cartridges piled up on the ground.

In the middle of the procession were three "skull chariots," their front ends made of enemy skulls forming grotesque faces. As the wheels rolled over the ground, even hard rocks were crushed into dust. On top of the chariots stood green-skinned bosses wielding power axes taller than a person, shouting incomprehensible war cries.

At the very end of the procession was the massive, hairy steed, bearing the iconic banner of Ironskull Crusher.

Ironskull Shatterer walked at the front of the group. He didn't ride in a car; he was shirtless and carried his iconic power warhammer, which was still covered in scabs from the previous battle.

Behind him followed a dense swarm of green-skinned lads, some wielding grenade launchers, others carrying machetes, and still others with bombs strapped to their waists. The shouts of "Waaaagh!" rose and fell like waves, each louder than the last, causing the tiles on the city wall to tremble slightly.

In the sky, several "green-skinned aerial combat beasts" spread their bat-like wings and circled above the formation. Bombs hung from their claws, and they occasionally let out sharp screechs.

The sunlight shone on the green skin of the green-skinned men, and the reflected light also shone on their various weapons: blades, gun barrels, and bomb casings.

The soldiers on the city wall were stunned—they had seen many green-skinned soldiers, but they had never seen such a well-organized and imposing army of them.

No one was afraid. On the contrary, some soldiers quietly gripped their guns, their eyes shining with anticipation: when the city gates opened, they could finally switch to an "8-hour workday".

Ironskull Shatterer drew closer, gazing at the city walls in the distance. He grinned, revealing sharp teeth, and slammed his warhammer into the ground: "You little bastards! Are you ready to get beaten up? Today's Waaaagh! I'll make sure the entire star system hears it!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the Greenskins camp erupted in uproar.

The bouncing car was the first to rush out, its engine roaring louder than anything else, followed by the skeleton chariot, its wheels grinding as it charged toward the city gate.

Before the green-skinned bomb gun could even unleash its fire, the sight on the city wall stunned Ironskull Shatterer.

The city defense cannons, which should have been firing a barrage of bullets, were pointing crookedly at the sky; the defenders who had been peeking around earlier were now throwing down their weapons, some tearing off their helmets and throwing them on the ground, others simply sitting on the battlements, too lazy to even assume a guarded posture.

"Why...why aren't these shrimps attacking?"

A green-skinned boy, holding a chainsaw sword, looked blankly at his companion. Just as he finished speaking, the west gate suddenly creaked open.

Several humans in garrison uniforms ran out, holding white towels. Leading them was Hank—who clutched a city defense map and waved it vigorously towards the green-skinned army, shouting without even lowering his voice: "Don't shoot! We surrender! We're willing to be 'enslaved'!"

What followed was even more outrageous: soldiers poured out of the city gates one after another, some carrying their own luggage, others carrying leftover compressed rations from the mess hall. Their faces showed no signs of defeat or panic, but rather were full of anticipation.

The soldiers who were previously in charge of controlling the city's electric fence even came over to give directions to the green-skinned soldiers.

"Sir! This way, the command post is in the city center, and there are still a lot of canned goods inside!" A young soldier couldn't help but ask a green-skinned boy.

"Hey green-skinned Japanese soldiers, is the 8-hour workday you're talking about true? Do you give extra snacks for overtime?"

The greens were completely dumbfounded—they had anticipated that the shrimps would put up a fight, that they would hide in the fortifications and take sniper shots, or even that they would use explosives to blow up the road, but they had never seen such "resistance".

No bullets flew, no explosives roared, only a group of humans eager to be "enslaved," as enthusiastic as if they were welcoming reinforcements.

Ironskull Shatterer stood there, carrying his warhammer, looking at the chaotic yet peaceful "surrender scene" before him. He was speechless for a long time, and finally could only scratch his head and mutter to the boys behind him.

"This...this is Waaaagh! Why is this not what I expected?"

Before Ironhead could sort out his thoughts, Hank had already surrounded him with a dozen soldiers, who were all talking at once and leading the way.

"Boss, let's go to the noble district first! Those gentlemen don't know the city has fallen yet; they're hiding in their mansions drinking! All the treasures on this planet are in their hands."

The green-skinned men were ushered into the city.

As we passed the barracks, a very interesting scene unfolded: dozens of guards were surrounding a few green-skinned boys. Some asked, "Where will you live after you're enslaved?" Others eagerly offered, "I know how to fix machines, can you give me an easy job?" Still others ran to the kitchen, brought out hot soup and handed it to the green-skinned boys, muttering, "Have something to eat first. After we capture the nobles, we'll have a good chat about your treatment."

Iron Skull Crusher was caught off guard by the commotion and could only let the soldiers push him forward. He even forgot to carry his hammer on his shoulder, letting it drag on the ground and leave long marks.

In front of the marble gatehouse of the noble district, two guards saw the green-skinned army and were about to draw their swords and shout when they were covered by soldiers behind them and pressed to the ground.

"Don't move!" an old soldier warned in a low voice. "The city is now under the control of the Green Guards. If you cause any more trouble, you won't even have a chance to be 'enslaved'!"

The guards instantly deflated and obediently tied themselves to the gatepost. Hank kicked open the gate and pointed to the ornately decorated mansion inside.

"Boss, the building on the left belongs to the city lord, and the three buildings on the right are where the treasurer and quartermaster live. They always have a banquet in the living room at this time every day!"

When the green-skinned boys rushed in, the city lord's living room was indeed filled with the aroma of wine—under the crystal chandelier, a dozen noblemen were drinking around the dining table, which was laden with roast meat, fruit, and expensive red wine, completely unaware of the commotion outside the window.

It wasn't until a green-skinned boy's chainsaw sword slammed onto the dining table, splattering grease all over the treasurer, that the group screamed and jumped up. Some crawled under the table, while others pulled out pistols from their waists, only to have them snatched away by soldiers surging from behind.

"You...you dare to rebel?"

The city lord pointed at Hank, his face pale, and trembled. Hank sneered and put one foot on his chair.

"Rebellion? We're working for our new masters! From now on, this city will be under the control of the green-skinned lords, and you blood-drinking lords will get a taste of bullets!"

The soldiers had been holding back their anger for a long time. When they started to tie up the nobleman, they showed no mercy. Some dragged him out the door by his hair, while others searched his pockets and threw the gold coins on the ground: "This is all our military pay. Now it's time to return it!"

In less than an afternoon, the entire noble district was completely cleared out. More than three hundred noblemen were tied up in the center of the square, their clothes disheveled, their faces stained with wine and dust, completely devoid of their former dignity.

The greenskins were invited into the city lord's mansion by the soldiers, where the table was filled with delicacies treasured by nobles. Hank even brought out paper and pen and urged Ironskull Crusher to hurry up.

"Quickly write down the rules of enslavement, and we'll start tomorrow."

Ironskull Crusher sat on a velvet-covered chair, looking at the nobles bound hand and foot before him, and then at the overly enthusiastic soldiers around him. He suddenly felt that this "conquest" was more tiring than fighting ten Waaaagh! battles.

He originally only wanted to fight a good battle, but he never expected to become the "backbone" of the human soldiers, with even his dinner being arranged in a very clear manner.

The setting sun shone through the French windows, falling on his green skin. Ironhead Crusher sighed, raised his wine glass, and mumbled something to the people in the room.

"So...so we've won? From now on...we'll do everything as we initially agreed?"

The soldiers below cheered instantly, even more enthusiastically than when the Greenskins won a battle. Even the bound nobles forgot their fear and stared wide-eyed.

"You've gone mad! You've all gone mad! This is betrayal! A shameful betrayal! You wait, the Empire will not let you get away with this!"

Chapter 281 The Gravity of Fate

Beneath the dome of the capital city of Grammer, the "Iron Cavalry Central Tower," buried deep underground in the heart of the city, glows with a cold blue light.

Inside the deepest incubation chamber of the tower, pale green nutrient solution flowed slowly. Titania, the "Empress" of the Grammer Knights, had just been awakened from a long hibernation. Her long silver hair floated gently in the liquid, and the life monitoring pipelines connected to her body were rhythmically pulsating with pale purple light.

"The activation parameters of the Iron Cavalry Project's central nervous system have been calibrated, and vital signs are stable."

Mechanical sounds rang out from outside the cabin.

Titania suddenly frowned, her fingertips unconsciously curling up in the nutrient solution.

It was a strange pull, coming from some unknown direction in the city, like an invisible thread gently tugging at her consciousness, bringing a familiar yet unfamiliar tremor.

She slowly opened her eyes, her silver-gray pupils reflecting the metal panels outside the incubation chamber, yet seemingly able to penetrate the layers of buildings and see into the distant streets.

That inexplicable gravitational force was incredibly small, yet exceptionally clear, like a response existing in the dark—like a starship lost in the vast universe finding a guiding lighthouse.

"What's this?"

Titania asked herself this question softly, the trembling in her fingertips growing more and more pronounced.

She could clearly sense that the source of that attraction was an existence with a powerful will. There was no chaotic decay or imperial strictness in its aura, only a power that made her instinctively want to get closer, as if it were her destined answer.

Meanwhile, on the street outside the Central Tower, Zeus stopped and subconsciously looked up at the towering building that seemed to reach into the clouds.

Metatron noticed his unusual behavior and tightened his grip on the weapon at his waist: "Something's wrong?"

Zeus shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the direction of the central tower—he could feel a gentle yet firm gravitational pull emanating from within the tower, drawing his senses in like a magnet attracting iron filings. It was a pure resonance, as if silently proclaiming, "I am here."

Compared to the bewildered Titania, Zeus was more clearly aware of the gravitational pull of fate.

Fanlou pulled up a map of Grammer, the capital city, on his portable terminal and pointed to the location of the building obscured on the ground of the central tower.

"That's the core of the Iron Cavalry Project. The central entity, Titania, should be down there."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zeus spoke.

“I can feel her.”

As the two drew closer, the pull of fate grew stronger and stronger. He could even vaguely sense the confusion and curiosity in Titania's consciousness, as if he could see her probing gaze through a thin veil.

Inside the incubation chamber, Titania slowly raised her hand, palm facing the chamber wall, her silver-gray pupils shimmering with tiny lights.

Compared to the passively awakened "Iron Cavalry Central," she was more like a pathfinder who had found her way. The gravitational pull from Zeus was gradually dispelling her confusion after awakening, causing her long-dormant consciousness to begin to boil.

She didn't know who the other person was, or what the source of this attraction was, but she instinctively knew that this person's appearance would completely change Grammer, and even change everything about herself.

"An abnormally high level of mental fluctuations was detected."

The mechanical sound rang out again, and the warning lights outside the incubation chamber began to flash.

Titania, however, paid no heed to this, focusing solely on feeling the ever-approaching gravitational pull. Despite having no knowledge of what a "smile" was, a faint curve slowly appeared at the corner of her lips.

She was waiting for the person who could resonate with her to push open the doors of the central tower and walk up to her.

......

The dome of the Grammer Capital Council Chamber gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, and the figures at both ends of the long table were fragmented into alternating light and shadow by holographic projections.

A star map and resource allocation table floated in the projection. Grammer's senior executives slid their fingertips through the particles of light, their tone deliberately composed.

"If the Empire agrees to open the eastern trade routes, we can provide Zerg swarm monitoring data in the border star systems. This information will be of great value to you in dealing with the breeding Zerg swarms."

The members of the Imperial delegation nodded slightly, some of them looking down at their terminals to record information. The air in the hall was filled with the caution typical of diplomatic occasions.

Their previous understanding of Grammer was limited to "an independent human interstellar nation" and "possessing technology to fight the Zerg swarm." They had never heard any rumors about "special projects," let alone knew that deep within this city lay an existence capable of upending the entire Grammer.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm shattered the tranquility of the council chamber, and red warning lights flashed wildly at the edge of the dome.

The expressions on the faces of the Grammer executives changed instantly. The man in the main seat clenched his fist, and a rapid red alert popped up on his personal terminal. The moment he glanced down at the screen, his breath caught in his throat.

The adjutant beside him leaned closer, his voice low but trembling: "It's the highest-level alarm from the central tower. The vital signs of the person in the incubation pod have completely exceeded the threshold, and the protection system has automatically locked down!"

"Cultivation chamber?"

Among the imperial delegation, some people noticed this unfamiliar term and frowned.

"What is that? Grammer never mentioned the facility in the conversation."

The Grammer executive's Adam's apple bobbed, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he forced a calm expression and raised his hand.

"It's just a routine equipment malfunction, it won't affect our negotiations, and it will be resolved in a moment."

But as soon as he finished speaking, the terminal emitted another piercing alarm sound. This time, even members of the Imperial delegation could vaguely see the words "abnormal mental fluctuations" and "excessive energy radiation" on the screen in the emergency report that popped up.

"Normal faults will trigger the highest level alarm."

The Imperial representative put down his terminal, his tone serious and unquestionable.

Is Grammer hiding something? Are there any critical facilities in this city that we're unaware of?

Grammer's top brass tapped their fingers unconsciously on the table, their backs soaked with cold sweat. They had never imagined that the core of Project Iron Cavalry would be disturbed at this time.

The entity that had been awakened recently and was immersed in nutrient solution was supposed to be Grammer's trump card against the Zerg swarm, but now it had become an unavoidable loophole at the negotiating table. They dared not reveal a single word about "Project Iron Cavalry," let alone admit how important the entity in the cultivation chamber was. They could only grit their teeth and argue: "It's just a minor problem with the energy system, which can be fixed soon. There's no need to overanalyze it."

The alarm didn't weaken at all; instead, it grew even more shrill. Hurried footsteps sounded outside the council chamber, and several people in white research coats rushed in, forgetting to salute the higher-ups and shouting instead.

"No! It's completely out of control! The mental fluctuations in the incubation pod are still escalating, and it's already starting to interfere with the surrounding energy network. If this continues, the entire capital's defense system could be affected!"

These words made the Imperial delegation completely uneasy. Someone stood up, their gaze sweeping over the flustered Grammer group.

"You're still saying it's just a minor issue? Grammer needs to explain clearly what's inside the incubation chamber. Does this so-called 'malfunction' threaten the safety of both sides?"

Grammer's leadership was caught in a dilemma. Admitting the existence of the incubation pods would be tantamount to exposing the core of Project Iron Cavalry. Continuing to conceal it would not quell the Empire's suspicions, nor would it resolve the emergency situation at the Central Tower.

The red warning lights kept flashing, and the originally smooth negotiations completely spiraled out of control, with suspicion and tension filling the air.

Meanwhile, the Grammer leadership prayed that the entity that had caused the disturbance in the incubation chamber would not create further chaos.

......

Outside the Grammer Iron Cavalry Central Tower, the energy shield glowed with a pale blue aura, and the sensors on the tower wall scanned the area every three seconds, triggering an alert even if a flying insect approached.

This is Grammer's proud defense system, which has withstood several attacks from breeding swarms, and ordinary forces can hardly even set foot within a hundred meters of the tower.

Zeus and his two companions stood outside the warning range of the central tower, looking at this barrier that the Grammers considered impregnable, their faces showing no emotion.

Zeus took a palm-sized black device from his pocket, tapped its surface twice with his fingertip, and a faint green light immediately appeared at the top of the device. Almost simultaneously, the sensors on the tower wall, which had been flashing regularly, paused for a moment before resuming their normal flashing rhythm, as if nothing had happened.

"The shield's energy frequency is synchronized, and the sensors will only identify us as maintenance robots inside the tower."