Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Is the Underhive Really This Harmonious?
Watching the mutated creature charge towards him, Eden shouted internally:
"Don't come any closer!"
At the moment, he was pressed against the pipe wall, standing on the edge of a thick fog.
Even a slight movement could disturb the mist, potentially awakening the demon host within.
There was no way he could stop the eager, four-legged mutated beast.
Fine if you want to die, but don't drag me with you!
With the situation now inevitable, Eden braced himself, focusing on the creature with tense resolve.
When the mutated beast finally touched the eerie mist—
"Argh!!!"
With a blood-curdling scream, the demon host ignited in hellfire, breaking free of its chains and lunging at the mutated creature.
At the same time, Eden bolted forward without daring to look back.
Run, sprint at full speed!
Soon, he heard the sounds of flesh being torn and the anguished cries of the creature behind him.
Eden gave a silent moment of respect for the mutated beast.
Rest in peace, little short-legged one.
Next time, remember not to rush for food so blindly.
Fortunately, the creature bought Eden some time to escape.
With the aid of his psychic powers, Eden ran faster and faster, nearly floating just above the ground.
He dashed through the pipes for almost ten kilometers, not daring to stop even once.
After all, he was here on a reconnaissance mission, and losing this avatar too quickly would be a failure.
"At this distance, I should be safe, right?"
Eden felt exhausted, his limbs trembling and his head pounding with intense pain.
Along with the headache, he began to hallucinate, faint whispers surrounding him.
Damn, he had overused his psychic powers.
He needed to stop using them immediately, or his head might just explode!
With effort, he restrained the side effects of his powers and pushed himself a bit further.
Eventually, he arrived at a spacious, abandoned drain chamber, crisscrossed with pipes of various sizes.
This was a junction and transfer point for the pipelines.
Eden surveyed the chamber. There were no corpses, nor any signs of dangerous creatures.
It seemed safe enough for a brief rest.
He found a hidden corner in one of the pipes and tucked himself in.
Then he began to meditate, calming the backlash from his overuse of psychic energy.
After his energy finally settled, he felt weak, sleepy, and barely able to sit up.
He needed to rest—properly.
Eden adjusted his position, leaning against the pipe.
He kept his psychic sense on the lowest alert level and drifted into a deep sleep.
Log out!
In the Governor's office at the spire mansion.
Eden closed the Mechanicus forum page, shutting down his computer, and ended his work for the day.
He stretched deeply:
"Feeling a bit tired, I need a proper rest!"
Managing multiple bodies at once was mentally draining, especially in the dirty and dangerous pipes.
At that moment, Linda, the head maid, approached and whispered something in his ear.
Eden raised an eyebrow.
"Let him in…"
Soon, Linda ushered in Kaul.
"Governor, it's a pleasure to finally meet you!"
Kaul put on an ingratiating smile, retracting his mechanical arms to avoid damaging the Governor's office.
"Sit."
Eden knew exactly why Kaul was here.
He wanted his access privileges to the Mechanicus forum restored.
But Eden had been putting him off for days.
Kaul shrank back into the couch, obedient and deferential.
But Eden knew well enough that this man's heart was as dark as they came.
If left unchecked, who knew what chaos he might unleash?
"Governor…"
Kaul's electronic voice sounded almost pitiful.
Eden raised his hand to silence him, extending one finger:
"Before the Underhive reclamation campaign begins, you must produce at least two hundred Sentinel mechs."
Sentinel mechs were bipedal, all-terrain walkers about four to five meters tall, resembling large ostriches.
They balanced mobility and stability perfectly.
They could traverse terrain that would entrap tanks and armored vehicles while withstanding firepower capable of decimating an entire infantry squad.
The firepower of these mechs was formidable.
Outfitted with a variety of weapons and attachments, they could handle different combat objectives.
Common attachments included cluster lasers, heavy flamethrowers, autocannons, Hunter missiles, and plasma cannons.
They could even be equipped with chainsaws for close-quarters combat.
Given the current situation in the palace district, they would use whatever weapons were available.
In short, the Sentinel mech was the ideal weapon for urban warfare.
Upon hearing Eden's condition, Kaul swallowed nervously.
"But…"
"This is the only condition."
"I know you can accomplish it. Say one more word, and the deal's off."
Relieved, Kaul quickly agreed, fearing Eden would refuse.
"I agree! The two hundred Sentinel mechs will be delivered on time!"
"One more thing—don't falsify the accounts when building these mechs. The Inquisition will be watching."
"Of course not."
Eden waved his hand, dismissing him:
"Good. Your network access is restored. You may leave now."
"No problem!"
Kaul stood there, hesitant to leave.
Eden glanced at him. "Is there something else?"
Kaul pointed at the balcony.
"May I exit from there? It's quicker…"
He could hardly wait to log back into the network.
"Go, go!"
The words had barely left Eden's mouth before Kaul dashed to the thousand-meter-high balcony and jumped off.
"Goodbye, Governor!"
A dark anti-gravity platform caught him mid-air, accelerating rapidly toward the Mechanicus workshop.
Cough, cough, cough!
The thick black smoke from the platform's exhaust made Eden cough uncontrollably.
He'd miscalculated! But he wasn't angry.
Kaul was, after all, a true genius, deserving of some leniency.
In fact, Eden could have ordered Kaul to work without question—he had almost no way to resist.
The same went for everyone else.
But doing so would only make his subordinates resent him.
This was the last thing Eden wanted.
He had learned from the Emperor's mistakes.
He didn't want to repeat them, nor did he wish to lose his humanity.
After dealing with Kaul, Eden headed to the mansion's luxurious bathhouse for a soak and sauna.
The latest addition to the spire mansion, it had a hot spring, pool, bath, and sauna.
In the future, he planned to occasionally invite loyal subordinates for some relaxation and bonding time.
Afterward, he lay down on a plush chair, enjoying the familiar comfort.
Soon, he drifted into a deep sleep.
His psychic energy had been drained over the past few days.
He didn't know how long he had slept, but suddenly, his psychic sense detected danger.
In the pipes.
His psychic projection was in trouble!
His consciousness immediately focused on the projection.
In the sewer junction.
Eden's psychic projection jolted awake.
He saw a pair of dark green eyes staring at him.
Squeak!
It was a mutated rat, lunging at him the moment he awoke.
But Eden was faster, grabbing and crushing it instantly.
When he tossed aside the rat's corpse, he saw countless dark green eyes, almost filling the entire chamber.
He finally understood why there were no corpses here.
The rats had likely devoured every body that had made it here, leaving nothing behind.
Most likely, any scout that reached this place ended up as rat food!
Squeak—
With the rat king's howl, the mutated rats surged forward.
Eden stood up, gripping his staff, facing the oncoming swarm alone.
A rat swarm?
Then let's cleanse it!
Eden raised his staff, and countless golden psychic sparks surrounded him, radiating outwards for three meters.
The scattered sparks left charred spots on the ground.
With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a burst of psychic energy, incinerating scores of mutated rats.
Then, Eden leaped into the swarm, psychic currents flashing around him.
The slaughter had begun!
Clang—
A figure fell from the upper pipe, landing hard in a dimly lit alley.
Eden grinned.
"Whew… finally made it!"
His burlap cloak was in tatters, his staff nowhere to be seen, making him look like a true underhive refugee.
After days of fleeing and battling countless mutants, he had finally reached the Underhive!
Climbing out of the alley, he was surprised to find orderly streets filled with people.
"This Underhive… is actually quite harmonious?"
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!! For Only $5!!][[email protected]/zaelum] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]