"Could you please give me a live demonstration?" Reddito's voice held an unprecedented urgency, his optical lenses locked onto Robert.
Robert's mind stirred, and he purchased a standard-issue lasgun from the system store.
Reddito then saw Robert's hand make a grabbing motion in the air, and then, a brand new, Imperial standard-issue lasgun, complete with factory markings, appeared out of thin air in his hand, its body still carrying a faint, as if newly formed, glow.
Reddito supported his head with a bionic arm, emitting a low hum. He felt all the logical circuits in his body used for thought begin to shriek and burn, the hydraulic pressure rapidly reaching its limit, producing a piercing hiss. This was beyond the scope of all his known knowledge; this was simply... a miracle!
Reddito used all his strength to suppress his abnormal state, allowing his body, trembling from overload, to return to normal. After barely recovering, what followed was a tsunami of thirst for knowledge, possessiveness, and a hint of ambition hidden deep within his heart.
This secret, the principle behind it... only he would know, only he could research! Reddito firmly decided. As for whether it might be related to the warp? What in this universe isn't related to the warp? Even if it truly involved taboos, Reddito's current thirst for knowledge would still prompt him to ignore it.
Reddito's synthesized voice carried an unprecedented solemnity: "From now on, when you do such things, do them inside." As he spoke, he pointed to the magnificent Trinity Foundry Workshop behind him.
Reddito emphasized, "Especially after the Inquisitor of the Order of the Holy Hammer arrives with the Adeptus Arbites."
"An Inquisitor of the Order of the Holy Hammer?" Robert immediately became serious, and he quickly pressed, "There's an Inquisitor on this planet?!"
"No," Reddito shook his head, his mechanized face expressionless, but his tone was firm, "There isn't."
"Has the warp storm dissipated, and have you contacted him, Your Excellency?" Robert asked again.
"While the warp storm is indeed gradually weakening, it's not yet at the point where information can be transmitted," Reddito replied.
Robert was puzzled: "Then how are you certain, Your Excellency, that an Inquisitor with the Adeptus Arbites is on their way?"
"Because Perditia is a major taxpayer in the Akterrey system," Reddito said as a matter of course, "Now, due to the warp storm, contact has been lost, and no taxes have been paid for thirty years. The Imperial Administratum must be frantic. As soon as the warp storm dissipates, the Inquisitor will arrive immediately."
Robert choked. This reason... was indeed irrefutable. Thirty years without paying taxes, given the Imperium's obsession with the tithe, an Inquisitor arriving seemed perfectly reasonable. He thought for a moment and then asked, "Then why are you certain it's the Holy Hammer, and not the Ordo Hereticus or Ordo Xenos?"
"It's simple logical deduction," Reddito explained, "What caused Perditia to lose contact with the Imperium was the warp storm, and before contact was lost, no news of ork or genestealers had been transmitted, nor was there any news of Imperial army rebellion. Of course, only an Inquisitor of the Order of the Holy Hammer would come."
"I see," Robert understood, nodding, "I will inform the warriors about this. We will try our best not to provoke conflict with that Inquisitor."
Reddito could, of course, tell that Robert didn't really care about this matter, probably thinking that if the Inquisitor intended to cause trouble, they would just learn from the excellent experience of the Catachan Jungle Fighters and simply use melta-bombs as pillows.
And Reddito's attitude towards this was... "Remember to prepare the overdue tithes," Reddito reminded him.
Robert sighed: "We'll take it one step at a time."
Neither of them had the slightest worry about whether the Imperium would pursue accountability later. In Reddito's view, as long as the taxes were paid, the death of a single Inquisitor would immediately be pushed to the lowest priority among the Imperium's mountain of files. By the time a new Inquisitor was assigned to investigate, that would likely be hundreds of years later, and these mortals would all have died of old age if not in battle.
And Robert thought the same. Anyway, players could revive, and after reviving, they would appear as completely new individuals to others, so what was there to fear? Just use melta-bombs as pillows and be done with it.
After speaking, Reddito's mechanized body turned slightly, signaling Robert to follow. As the giant gates emitted another dull roar and slowly closed, the players were led into the interior of the Trinity Foundry Workshop.
This was an industrial behemoth beyond imagination. Countless massive mechanical arms swung in the air, sparks flying, hot metal vapor pervasive, and the deafening clang of hammers and the roar of chainswords rose and fell, forming the most sacred hymn of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The Skitarii of the Legio Cybernetica, well-trained, guided the ordinary players to designated resting areas. Those players excitedly looked around, filled with curiosity about everything before them, and some even began to examine the Skitarii, wondering when they too could acquire a set of bionic limbs.
Robert, however, was led by Reddito in another direction. They passed through corridors filled with pipes and cables, occasionally encountering servitors or lower-ranking Adeptus Mechanicus hurrying by, casting respectful glances at Reddito. Finally, they arrived at a relatively quiet room.
This room was not luxurious, but filled with a utilitarian style. In the center of the room, a large holographic projection device emitted a faint blue light. Reddito lightly touched the control panel with his fingertip, and an incredibly detailed sandbox map instantly unfolded before Robert.
It was a three-dimensional and detailed map of the Mid-Hive, with every pipe, every ruin, every corrupted building clearly visible. Even more alarming, the sandbox map was densely marked with countless red light points and areas, spreading like cancerous tumors, which were the lairs and various strongholds of the genestealer cult.
"The matter of the Inquisitor can be discussed later," Reddito's synthesized voice echoed in the hall, "but the matter of the genestealer cult cannot be delayed. Its threat must be eliminated as quickly as possible, even if temporarily."
Robert's gaze swept across the sandbox map, the dense red markings making him frown.
"At this density, a frontal assault would take at least a year," Robert analyzed in a deep voice, "The best method is a decapitation strike."
He raised his hand and pointed to several red light points on the sandbox map that were prominently marked and located in the core area of the cult: "Directly destroy their high-ranking members, causing them to lose command and fall into chaos."
He then helplessly spread his hands: "Unfortunately, as you can see, the current situation of our company is that our firepower is far from enough."
Reddito's optical lenses looked directly at Robert, the cold red light seemingly able to penetrate all disguises. He asked, "What do you want?"
"I hope you can be responsible for supplying us with the necessary armaments..." It was simple to talk to a smart person, Robert's tone became solemn, and he said word by word, "and for the bionic modification of the Helldivers."