NABC Chapter 2 Remain Silent
Chapter 2 Remain Silent
[System alert: Social module missing.]
Recommended solution: Remain silent.
Andy looked at the three oil enthusiasts on the ground, who were banging their heads against the ground, and he was actually terrified.
He's now just a human soul trapped in a tin can. If he opens his mouth and reveals his ignorance of those mystical prayers, these people will immediately turn hostile and pull out their guns.
In this godforsaken place called Warhammer 40, ignorance is a virtue, and silence is a form of deterrence.
So Andy, controlling his heavy metal body, didn't even look down at them, but simply pulled back the foot he had just used to kick the machine and stood there coldly.
The leading technical priest, Gamma-9, secretly raised his eyelids and glanced at it.
In his highly cybernetically modified visual sensors, Andy's smooth, unadorned metal shell, devoid of any scriptures or wax seals, is simply the pinnacle of minimalist art.
Gamma-9 instantly conjured up a 100,000-word backstory in his mind.
This unadorned style, this back-to-basics design, could it be the work of the legendary "ascetic" sages who abandoned all formalities in pursuit of ultimate efficiency?
Or is it some ancient prototype from the depths of Holy Terra, known only to the Imperial Guard?
Whatever it was, that earth-shattering "physical repair spell" was definitely a direct revelation from Om Messiah.
Only those closest to the God of Myriad Machines can soothe the machine spirits with such brutality and precision.
Gamma-9 felt even more reverence, believing that every rusty piece on Andy's body radiated divine light.
Andy had no idea what this guy was thinking; he just felt a little sore in his legs.
"rise."
A synthesized monosyllabic word popped out of Andy's speaker.
Gamma-9, feeling like he'd been granted a pardon, quickly got up with his two henchmen.
"Great sage, thank you for descending upon this forgotten wasteland." Gamma-9's voice carried an obvious obsequious tone. "Our shelter is nearby, the only place within a ten-kilometer radius where air purification units are still operating. Perhaps it can provide your sacred body with a tiny bit of energy."
Andy just happened to see the battery warning in the upper right corner of his field of vision turn yellow.
Even an Iron Man needs to eat. Although the miniature fusion reactor inside his body is powerful, it consumes a huge amount of energy to start up. He urgently needs to replenish the fuel rods or be directly connected to high-voltage electricity.
Andy nodded slightly.
Gamma-9 was overjoyed and led the way.
The group walked through the labyrinthine bottom tunnels of Casting Furnace-7.
Andy's STC interface remained open.
This is pure torture.
In the eyes of this Iron Man who possesses a database of the Golden Age, everything around him is riddled with errors.
The streetlights on the roadside were wired in reverse, resulting in a brightness of only 30% of the designed value.
The load-bearing columns in the wall have been arbitrarily drilled with holes, and the structural strength is on the verge of collapse at any moment.
Even Gamma-9 himself is a joke.
STC scans revealed that the robotic arm Gamma-9 had fitted himself with was originally intended to be the gripper of some kind of industrial automated loading machine, but he had forcibly welded it to his shoulder. The neural interface wasn't even aligned, and he was only able to endure it with painkillers.
This is the current state of technology in Warhammer 40K: a bunch of incompatible junk forcibly pieced together, and then praying it works.
After walking for about twenty minutes, they arrived at an abandoned geothermal energy station.
This is the "refuge" that Gamma-9 mentioned.
Hundreds of ragged civilians huddled in a dark corner, the air thick with a nauseating, sour stench.
In the center of the hall, a huge machine was emitting a heart-wrenching scream.
The machine was vibrating and spewing out black smoke.
The people around were coughing violently, and some of the weaker ones had coughed up blood.
Gamma-9 strode to the machine, a sorrowful expression on his face.
"My sage, this is our last resort—the sacred air purification array." Gamma-9 stroked the scorching hot outer shell of the machine. "Unfortunately, its machine spirit is already old and is emitting its dying wails. No matter how much holy oil we apply or how many fingers we sacrifice, it refuses to exhale any more fresh air."
Andy walked over.
The red warning box instantly locked onto the machine.
【Equipment Name: Imperial Type IV Environmental Circulation Machine (Remodeled)】
[Cause of failure: Missing intake valve, leading to combustion chamber pressure imbalance.]
The "Mech Soul" thing is old and worn out; it's just missing a part, causing it to burn out.
If it's not fixed quickly, this machine will turn into a dirty bomb in five minutes, sending everyone in this room to their deaths.
Andy's gaze followed STC's guidance, shifting from the machine to the Gamma-9.
To be precise, it landed on the tattered mechanical arm of the Gamma-9.
At the elbow joint of that robotic arm hung a gleaming brass ring.
Gamma-9 noticed Andy's gaze and immediately proudly displayed the ring.
"My sage, your insight is truly as sharp as a torch."
"This is a sacred relic I found deep within the ruins; it must be a ring left behind by some ancient, sacred machine. I wear it on my body and chant scriptures day and night, hoping to absorb a trace of the aura of the God of Machines."
Andy looked at the so-called "holy ring".
Judging from its diameter, threads, and material, this thing is definitely the missing air intake valve in this air purifier.
These tech enthusiasts take parts off and use them as amulets, then wail at the machines missing parts, saying the machine's spirit is about to die.
The red is warm.
The boy's blush spoke louder than any words.
Andy felt like his CPU fan was running at full speed.
He extended his cold, metallic finger and pointed to the "holy relic" on Gamma-9's arm.
"Give it to me."
Andy's voice was completely flat.
Gamma-9 paused for a moment, then touched the ring with a hint of reluctance: "Sage, this is..."
I won't say it a second time.
The blue light in Andy's eyes flickered.
The oppressive aura emanating from advanced technology instantly reminded Gamma-9 of the thrill of that kick just moments before.
He shuddered, quickly removed the "sacred object," and respectfully handed it to Andy.