"My name is Leman Russ," Alexander said, looking serious.
The moment they heard that name, all three people present couldn't help but lose their composure.
".You don't need to lie to us with such a perfunctory fake name," Mont said, shaking his head.
"It's fine if you don't want to say your real name," Marquite said with a gentle smile.
"Do you have some obsession with Leman Russ?" the winged figure in white asked.
A name that combined two of the Imperium's Primarchs, and two Primarchs who were fiercely opposed to each other at that:
Lion El'Jonson, the Primarch of the Dark Angel.
Leman Russ, the Primarch of the Space Wolves.
The name Leman Russ in 40K was as preposterous as someone being named Jesus or Mohammed.
"How is it a fake name? My parents named me according to their preferences," Alexander said, looking earnest.
"Your father revered Primarch Lion El'Jonson, and your mother revered Primarch Leman Russ?" Mont asked with some curiosity.
"No, my dad likes cats, and my mom likes dogs," Alexander said with a grin.
"Leman Russ might be very happy, but Lion El'Jonson would definitely not let you off easily" the figure said faintly.
Mont and Marquite exchanged glances. Even though Alexander couldn't see their faces beneath their hoods, he could feel their current bewilderment.
"I now feel like you're on the same path as us."
Mont turned to Alexander and said:
"Just for that one sentence you just said, you deserve to be sent to the stake and slowly roasted for three days and three nights."
"Beyond this is the PDF's garrison."
After navigating through the maze-like, dilapidated Hive City streets, Marquite and Mont led Alexander, who called himself "Leman Russ," to a ruin deep within the Hive City district.
Mont, Marquite, and Alexander hid behind a spacious building not far away, observing the scene.
Mountains of rubble were piled between the Hive City's ground and ceiling, like an insurmountable Wall of Sighs.
And at the foot of the rubble mountain, local gangs had already set up temporary strongholds.
Small generators roared, channeling electricity into the abandoned houses near this street, illuminating newly installed light bulbs.
The Old Eight District was once part of the Upper Hive, inhabited by the Hive City's middle class.
They were the bureaucrats who handled the Hive City's daily affairs, senior factory managers, and political and economic service providers required for the nobles' lives.
Their living conditions were far superior to the Lower Nest; here, the space was larger, the buildings better, and the streets wider.
There was almost no chance of sneaking in through the complex streets.
Moreover, these gang members had piled up low walls of rubble between the houses, presenting a formidable defense.
After all, the equipment within the PDF garrison beyond this rubble mountain was coveted by countless gangs.
Alexander narrowed his eyes slightly.
He noticed a small, assembled excavator parked next to the rubble mountain.
"They actually managed to get a small excavator in here?" Mont muttered quietly, squatting beside Alexander.
"It seems there's a skilled mechanic in this gang," Alexander nodded and said.
He saw two or three men dressed as Hive City workers adjusting the small excavator next to the machine.
"How did you originally plan to get in?" Alexander asked the two robed figures.
"My brother planned to corrode a tunnel in the pipe district and enter the PDF garrison from above," Mont said.
Alexander's eye twitched slightly. He glanced at the size of the rubble mountain before them, assessing the thickness between the pipe district and the PDF garrison.
"Even if the Emperor stood up from his throne, you two still wouldn't have dug through," Alexander said with a twitch of his mouth.
"I thought so too," Mont said, agreeing wholeheartedly.
"You two stop echoing each other," Marquite shook his head helplessly. "We need to be patient, very patient."
"Then I'll figure out a way to go in by myself. You two can go back and dig slowly," Alexander said, shrugging.
"You have a way in?" Mont asked Alexander.
"Preferably no one dies," Marquite said softly. "We don't want to attract too much attention."
Hearing this, Alexander couldn't help but roll his eyes. He hadn't expected his first time cooperating with cultists to involve them requesting no one dies.
How to put it? Very Nurgle follower style.
"Uh, then do you have any magical witchcraft that can make them get diarrhea or something?" Alexander asked, stroking his chin.
Mont and Marquite exchanged glances.
"My blood is toxic. If added to their water source, it should make them get diarrhea… right?"
Mont said with some uncertainty in his tone.
"Diarrhea? Just diarrhea?" Alexander was stunned for a moment, looking at Mont with a strange expression.
Your blood, as a Nurgle follower, can only cause diarrhea?
Noticing Alexander's peculiar gaze, Mont was silent for a moment before saying:
"Some unlucky ones might also get parasitic infections or something."
A Nurgle follower's blood only causes diarrhea and parasitic infections… no matter how you think about it, it's a bit…
"It's alright, Mont's blood toxicity is quite embarrassing; it has never killed anyone,"
Marquite said calmly:
"If it weren't for its corrosive properties, Mont's blood wouldn't be lethal at all."
"After being added to water, the blood is diluted, and the corrosiveness is no longer harmful either."
"Brother!" Mont said, feeling dejected.
Hearing this, Alexander's mouth twitched slightly.
How did he feel that these two cultists were a bit lame?
Marquite had such a good temper that he didn't seem like a cultist, and he was excessively patient.
As for Mont, as a Nurgle follower, his blood, aside from its corrosive nature, could only cause diarrhea and parasitic infections.
No wonder Asford hasn't had much cultist mischief; it turns out your professional level is just this low…
Alexander looked at the two cultists with a hint of pity. At this level, still being cultists in the Hive City, it wasn't easy.
"But look, there are people guarding their water source. How are you going to add Mont's blood?" Marquite said, pointing at the water source.
Six or seven gang members were patrolling there.
"Aha! I have an idea!" Alexander chuckled lightly and pointed a finger at the excavator at the foot of the rubble mountain.
The mechanical arm on his hat also extended a finger with him.
Boom-whirr
A sound of mechanical friction rang out, and the small excavator parked at the foot of the rubble mountain suddenly raised its mechanical arm high.
The Hive City workers gathered around it, who were adjusting it, were startled and quickly retreated a few steps.
"What are you doing?" a nearby gang member shouted.
"We didn't touch it!" the Hive City workers quickly explained.
Then, to the shocked gazes of the workers and gang members, the excavator slowly turned its head towards the gang members.
"Could it be the machine spirit manifesting?!" a Hive City worker, remembering tales he'd heard of the machine spirit, shouted loudly.
"The machine spirit is pleased!" another Hive City worker couldn't help but shout.
Then, the excavator's mechanical arm swung down heavily, knocking out a nearby gang member.
The faces of the Hive City workers instantly turned from excitement to horror.
"The machine spirit is displeased!"