vncnus Chapter 20 Three Circles
Chapter 20 Three Circles
It wasn't until dawn that the last screw was tightened.
Six brand-new heavy logging guns were placed side by side on the test stand.
The cold muzzle of the gun was pointed directly at the workshop door.
Luo Wei straightened up, a sharp pain shooting through his spine.
He took the towel Buck handed him, wiped the oil off his hands, and then walked to the testing station.
"Load the ammunition."
Two machine gunners lifted the heavy ammunition box and pressed the golden ammunition belt into the feed port.
"Buck, you test fire." Rowe stepped back, making way for the firing position. "Remember, burst fire. Don't be a madman, holding the trigger down. These barrels can't withstand prolonged overheating."
"clear!"
Buck rubbed his hands together excitedly.
Like caressing a lover, holding a rough handle.
"Put-put-put."
The muffled gunshots echoed in the enclosed workshop, making one's eardrums ache.
The flames spitting from the gun muzzle were at least half a meter long.
Shell casings rained down on the ground, making a crisp, tinkling sound.
The distant target, several thick scrap steel plates, was instantly riddled with holes, sparks flying everywhere.
"stop."
Luo Wei raised his hand in a gesture of greeting.
The gunfire stopped abruptly.
The gun barrel emitted wisps of smoke and a captivating smell of gunpowder.
"No jamming, no barrel explosion." Rowe stepped forward and inspected the bolt. "The cooling is normal. It seems the machine spirit is indeed very satisfied."
Buck grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and said:
"This is true manly romance! With these weapons, even if a Chimera comes charging at me, I can take it down!"
Don't be too confident.
Lowe poured cold water on the idea, saying, "With this much firepower, we can at most suppress light infantry."
"If it's Space Marines, or something worse, these guns are no different from firewood."
He turned around and looked at the sky outside the workshop, which was gradually brightening.
A gray morning mist enveloped the entire granary.
The unsettling sense of oppression in the air did not dissipate with the sunrise; instead, it became even more intense.
"Set up the guns at the key points of the trench. Place two at the main gate, two at the entrance of the irrigation canal in the east district, and the remaining two as a mobile reserve."
Rowe gave the order, "Also, have Father Alpha modify the incendiary grenades into tripwire mines and place them in blind spots."
"But advisor, we only have fifty grenades..."
"Then use them where they're needed most," Rowe said coldly. "Remember, we're not fighting a positional war; we're defending our home. Anything that dares to set foot on this land will pay the price."
……
at the same time.
In the basement of Workshop 7.
The wet server, now known as "Case," is emitting a slight hum.
The brain that originally belonged to this obese manager was now being soaked in a glass jar filled with nutrient solution.
It was covered with all sorts of electrodes and conduits.
Freed from the constraints of the physical body and abandoning useless desires, this brain displayed astonishing computational capabilities.
Countless data streams flow into it through conduits, and are then rapidly processed and distributed.
Grain reserves, fuel consumption, personnel scheduling, trench progress...
Every detail of the entire Seventh Grain Depot is under the monitoring of this brain.
However, on this very morning...
This highly efficient brain, however, detected abnormal data fluctuations.
Those are readings from the groundwater quality monitoring system.
The water quality indicators of the irrigation canals in the eastern district are slowly changing.
It's neither a toxin nor bacteria.
It is a bizarre change that cannot be measured using conventional chemical indicators.
The viscosity of the water is increasing.
The surface tension of water is decreasing.
At certain specific frequencies, the sound of flowing water no longer seems to be the gurgling sound of flowing water.
Instead, it turned into a low, whispering conversation.
"Alert...Logical error...Unable to resolve..."
Case's brain trembled slightly in the nutrient solution.
Then it emitted a series of chaotic electronic signals.
But soon, this anomaly was suppressed by some powerful will.
It was an ancient and decaying will from the subspace.
It's like a drop of ink falling into clear water.
It seeped in and spread silently, turning everything into the color of despair.
The data stream quickly returned to normal.
This subtle, unusual fluctuation was cleverly concealed.
It's as if it never existed.
……
When Luo Wei returned to his office, it was already eight o'clock in the morning.
He had only slept for less than two hours, but he still mustered his energy and sat down at his desk.
The table was piled high with various reports and documents.
He picked up the top one.
It's about "mixed protein formulations" —
That is, the report that came back from that pot of green soup made by rats and cockroaches.
"No obvious adverse reactions were observed after consumption, and physical strength recovered well."
"Some workers have reported that the taste has improved slightly and they hope to increase the supply..."
Luo Wei looked at the report and smiled wryly.
Human beings have an amazing capacity for adaptation.
As long as they can survive, they can find advantages even in eating such things.
He picked up a quill pen and wrote a line on the report:
"Agree to increase the supply by 10%."
"At the same time, we will strengthen the water filtration to ensure that the water used for cooking soup is boiled three times."
After writing that sentence, his hand suddenly paused for a moment.
A strange feeling of palpitation welled up inside me.
He subconsciously touched the lead plate on his chest.
The amulet fragment sealed inside was neither heating up nor vibrating at this moment.
It was as quiet as a piece of ordinary scrap metal.
But this only made Lowe more uneasy.
It was like the calm before the storm.
It's too quiet.
Since the death of the man in black robes, apart from the failed poisoning attempt, the followers of Nurgle have vanished as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth, without making any further moves.
This isn't right.
Chaos never gives up easily.
They are like a persistent, intractable disease.
Once they set their sights on a target, they will fight to the death.
What are they waiting for?
Luo Wei stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the square below.
The workers were drinking thick green soup, their faces beaming with satisfaction.
The defense soldiers were wiping their newly issued weapons, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.
Everything seems normal.
It's so normal it's almost abnormal.
Just then, his gaze fell on an inconspicuous corner.
Below the administration building is a rainwater collection pool.
Because of the acid rain last night, the pool is filled with a layer of murky rainwater.
Several flies were buzzing around the water.
There's nothing strange about that in itself.
In places like agricultural planets, there are more flies than people.
but……
Luo Wei narrowed his eyes.
The flight paths of the flies seemed a little too orderly.
They are not flying around randomly.
Instead, it spirals, dives, and spirals again in a regular pattern.
They drew a pattern in the air.
Three circles.
They are arranged in a triangle.
One is on top, and two are below.
Luo Wei gasped.
This is Nurgle's mark!