Underhive, Acid Swamps.
The mist still carried that distinct sulfurous stench, but the local topography had been completely transformed.
The iron cages once used to imprison flesh golems and the massive cauldrons used for brewing Nurgle's "little soups" had all been leveled by bulldozers. A ring of reinforced concrete walls, eight meters high, had been completed and closed off two days prior.
The top of the wall was coiled with high-voltage electrified concertina wire, and dual-linked automated sentry turrets were stationed every fifty meters. Red laser scanning beams swept back and forth through the fog; if the radar detected any biological entity approaching without an identification code—be it a mutant crocodile or a lost scavenger—the turrets would instantly saturate the area with fire.
This was no longer a plague doctor's illicit pharmaceutical den; it was now Andy's Second Base. Or, more accurately, a pure heavy-industrial military fortress!
Andy stood inside the core climate-controlled workshop, gazing at a behemoth that had just finished assembly and was undergoing final self-tests: an automated machining center over thirty meters long.
Its shell was unpainted, exposing the raw colors of various metals—some pale, some grey—giving it a somewhat unrefined look. But this machine was Andy's most valuable treasure, bar none. To "scratch-build" this thing, Andy had nearly run Sisyphron to death.
While Andy had achieved "material freedom," precision industrial products require extremely complex processing techniques and lithography; having the raw materials alone isn't enough. Therefore, Andy adopted a very simple, brute-force method: Barter.
He ran the Reconstructor at full power to produce dozens of tons of high-grade alloys and rare earth materials that were extremely scarce even in the Mid-hive. He then sent Sisyphron with this "hard currency" to find Priest Zor and his ilk in the Mid-hive.
A batch of aerospace-grade aluminum-titanium alloy was traded for a batch of high-precision ball screws.
A crate of high-purity monocrystalline silicon was traded for a set of military-grade optical aiming components...
Like ants moving a mountain, he slowly siphoned away the industrial accumulation gathered by the Mid-hive over centuries. Finally, using blueprints from the STC database, Andy assembled these traded parts and his own custom frames into the "Universal Precision Processing Line" before him.
By the standards of the Golden Age, this production line was a "budget version of a budget version" that even a field maintenance station might look down upon. The processing precision could barely reach the micron level, and the yield rate was only 91%.
But it was enough. It could cut perfect rifling, grind bearings without error, and weld circuit boards with gaps invisible to the naked eye. With it, Andy had finally bridged his last weakness: total freedom of precision manufacturing.
The production line began to operate, emitting a faint, rhythmic hum.
A few days later, Andy arrived at the finished goods area. The first batch of high-tier military hardware was stacked here.
1. Stealth Servo-Spider (Codename: "Black Spirit")
Row upon row of black metal spheres, about the size of a fist, sat with six slender mechanical legs folded beneath them.
Role: Reconnaissance and Intelligence.
Features: Wave-absorbing material shell for stealth, high-sensitivity acoustic pickups, and thermal imaging cameras.
Mobility: Micro-suction cups on its legs allow it to walk silently on vertical walls, ventilation ducts, and ceilings.
Quantity: 500 units, intended for the sewers and vents of the Mid-hive, specifically the sealed District 9.
2. "Raptor" Class Combat Drones
A heavily modified version of the engineering drones from the Black Box.
Armament: A lightweight dual-linked bolt autocannon and two underslung micro-high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) missiles.
Performance: Though only the size of a washbasin, they possess ferocious firepower and extreme maneuverability, capable of weaving through complex ruins at supersonic speeds.
3. Advanced Munitions
Crates of newly sealed rocket warheads radiated a sense of danger. These featured a funnel-shaped copper liner at the tip: Shaped Charge Warheads.
Principle: Utilizing a metal jet created by the explosion to generate millions of atmospheres of pressure at a single point.
Potency: Combined with Andy's custom triple-base high explosives, a single hit can punch through Space Marine power armor—provided no refraction field is active.
Deployment: Fully integrated into XPG rocket launchers and CBS high-explosive crossbows.
4. T-9000 Heavy Exoskeleton
Upgraded from the previous light version, this model sacrifices some flexibility for significantly increased load-bearing and armor protection.
Design: Composite armor plates cover the chest and limbs, with an auxiliary power pack on the back.
Capability: Allows an ordinary human soldier to single-handedly operate a heavy dual-linked stubber. It is essentially a "lite" version of power armor.
5. "Iron Ostrich" All-Terrain Self-Propelled Artillery
Deep in the workshop sat two bizarre vehicles. Lacking wheels or tracks, they stood on two thick, reverse-jointed mechanical legs.
Armament: A 150mm long-barrel cannon with an anti-recoil system and basic fire control. One shot can level half a city block.
.....
Andy looked at these heavy weapons, and his sense of security finally ticked upward. In a universe where there is only war, people only listen when your weapons are fierce and your armor is thick.
"Archmagos," Gamma-9 approached, holding a data terminal. "The first batch of Black Spirit spiders has infiltrated. We have real-time footage from District 9."
Andy took the terminal. The image flickered with static and electromagnetic interference. It showed a massive underground cavern—the entrance to the Forbidden Zone of District 9. It was currently a sea of fire.
The Helios Group's mercenaries were attacking. They had clearly spared no expense, hiring the Mid-hive's famous "Iron Skull" mercenary company. Several Leman Russ Main Battle Tanks were firing into the depths of the zone.
But it was futile. Before the shells could land, they were detonated mid-air by a sudden laser interception grid. Seconds later, unidentified missiles streaked out of the darkness.
Boom! Boom!
Two Leman Russ tanks suffered immediate catastrophic ammunition cook-offs, their turrets tossed dozens of meters into the air.
"Tsk, tsk..." Andy shook his head. "These Helios people never learn. The main control AI of that ship has clearly awakened and taken over the shipboard defense systems. You try to charge that kind of defensive fire with a few tanks?"
On screen, the attacking forces began to rout, leaving behind a field of wreckage and corpses. In the shadows, something was stirring. Andy saw blurred figures moving quickly through the ruins. They weren't human, nor were they standard combat servitors; they were a type of mechanical construct Andy had never seen before.
"Hiss... it seems that ship is hiding quite a few goodies."
Andy shut off the terminal. Over the past few days, Helios had failed to dig the ship out, but they had effectively stress-tested its fire configurations and blind spots for Andy.
"Notify Sisyphron ," Andy turned to Gamma-9. "Cease all external trade. Recall all transport vehicles. Our entire production capacity must pivot to ammunition manufacturing. Also, have the Storm Squad and the Heavy Guard assemble for outfitting!"
Would you like me to translate another chapter or perhaps summarize the key military upgrades Andy has implemented so far?