Emrys had ample experience in how to infiltrate the lower hive and join a gang.
After all, he was originally from the lower hive, and even if he hadn't truly experienced the inner workings of gangs, he had certainly been exposed to them.
After bidding farewell to Magos Galahad, Emrys didn't linger and returned to the lower hive.
The Arbites guarding the entrance to the hive capital were already familiar with him, and after handing out a few low-quality cigarettes, he successfully returned to the lower hive.
Returning to the lower hive, looking at the dome shrouded in radiation and industrial waste, Emrys' mindset had undergone a drastic change compared to the previous two times.
The change wasn't just due to his strength; it was also a firm resolve born from anticipating a terrifying future.
To successfully infiltrate a gang, Emrys had two paths before him.
First, he could pretend to be an ordinary scavenger, join the Iron Crows gang, and seize the opportunity to investigate evidence related to the cult.
However, the drawback of this method was that it was too slow, so Emrys immediately rejected it.
The main reason was that in seven days, it would be the annual 'Emperor's Ascension Festival,' a holiday commemorating His Majesty the Great God-Emperor for ascending the Golden Throne for all of humanity.
It was somewhat similar to New Year's in his previous life, so the entire hive capital would be bustling with activity.
But at the same time, the hive capital's defenses would be in an unprecedented state of tension and weakness, and it also happened to be the day the Governor of Galarion world would announce his successor.
With these two major events coinciding on the same day, Emrys could guess with his toes that the cult would undoubtedly make a big move!
That's why Magos Galahad had repeatedly cautioned him.
Regardless of whether he found evidence or not, he had to return to the middle-hive before the 'Emperor's Ascension Festival.'
The second option was the simplest but riskiest method.
Find a high-ranking member of the Iron Crows gang, replace him, and directly infiltrate the Iron Crows gang's upper echelons.
Although the risk of being exposed was high, it was undeniable that the reward would absolutely be the greatest.
To find definitive evidence confirming the Iron Crows gang's connection to the cult within a mere seven days, this was undoubtedly the only way. Iron Crows gang and cult.
"Too bad I'm not a 'psyker' of the 'Psychic' type," Emrys pinched his brow, feeling a slight regret.
Psykers were mainly divided into five categories: Biomorphic, Divination, Pyromancy, Psychic, and Telekinetic.
Psychic Psykers could control others' minds unknowingly, making them perfectly suited for infiltration, intelligence gathering, and control.
But unfortunately, Emrys belonged to the 'Telekinetic' type and couldn't directly extract information from others' minds like Psychics.
"It's alright, though it will take a little more effort, there's always a way."
As the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way, and Emrys strongly agreed with this. Even if he wasn't a Psychic, who said there was no solution?
Putting on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'Electrostatic Veil' and changing to an unfamiliar face.
Then, Emrys disguised himself as a scavenger and used the complex terrain of the lower hive to quietly follow several members of the Iron Crows gang.
His target was not these small fry, but the high-ranking members of the Iron Crows gang.
After completing their daily task of distributing supplies, several people went together to a low-rise house with a hammer flag hanging at the entrance, clearly a stronghold.
Emrys quietly muffled his footsteps and gently pressed himself against the wall, listening to the sounds inside.
"Lord Tohte, a total of seventeen people signed up today."
"Not bad. At this rate, you'll soon gather enough people and become senior members."
"Thank you, Lord Tohte, thank you, Lord Tohte!"
"Once you become senior members, I will personally recommend you to the boss."
"Lord Tohte, rest assured, we will work hard to gather 100 people as soon as possible!"
"Good, very spirited!"
The conversation in the bar ended, and those small-time thugs were overjoyed, clearly immersed in the grand promises made by 'Tohte.'
"Tohte. He should be the high-ranking member in charge of this area." Through the simple conversation, Tohte was undoubtedly the target. Emrys squinted his eyes, and his figure quietly retreated into the shadow.
The man called 'Tohte' had a rough stubble on his jaw and a scar that horizontally bisected his entire face, making him look somewhat fierce.
"Hmph, a bunch of idiots, free distribution of supplies, ridiculous. Do they really think there's such a good thing?"
Tohte flipped through a stack of documents that had been delivered, picked up the cup next to him, and guzzled a mouthful, unable to stop his sneer: "Those few people just now, send them over when they're done too."
Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped slightly, feeling a bit cold.
The somewhat tipsy Tohte saw a layer of frost condensing on the walls and the floor.
The invisible chill seemed to penetrate to the bone, freezing the soul. So much so that Tohte's keen intuition, honed over many years in the lower hive, sent out a dangerous warning like daggers in his back!
Tohte's reaction was extremely fast. The moment he sensed something was wrong, his right hand had already reached for the firearm at his waist.
However, his movements were still half a step too slow.
The air from all directions became extremely viscous, and Tohte's pupils suddenly constricted sharply. He felt as if he had fallen into an abyss, enveloped by an indescribable terrifying pressure.
Not to mention drawing the firearm from his waist, not even a single finger could move, like rusted, stiff gears.
At this moment, an unfamiliar middle-aged man appeared silently before him, like a ghost from nowhere.
Crack!
The middle-aged man immediately broke one of his fingers without a word.
The excruciating pain made Tohte sweat profusely, wanting to scream, but his throat felt clogged, unable to make a sound.
Then came the second, third, fourth—until all ten fingers were broken!
Tohte's face turned pale from the pain, his features twisted and ferocious, his pupils filled with fear, but unable to make a sound, he could only convey his plea with his eyes.
"Now, I ask, you answer."
Emrys sat on the table, his cold voice devoid of any emotion: "If I find any concealment or deception, I will break your bones one by one, then peel off your skin, and I won't let you die until all your flesh is scraped clean, understand?"
Tohte nodded frantically, terrified, not daring to hesitate in the slightest.
"Very good, trust is the foundation of our relationship, and I believe you understand."
Emrys released his psyker control, allowing Tohte to regain the ability to speak: "What is your name, and what is your position in the Iron Crows gang?"
"To-Tohte, my name is Tohte!"
Tohte endured the excruciating pain of his broken fingers and stammered, "I'm responsible for recruiting people in the East District, I'm a small boss in the Iron Crows gang."
"What's the purpose of recruiting so many people?"
Emrys continued to interrogate him.
"To-to be used..."
However, Tohte hesitated, seemingly afraid to speak.
And so, the immense pressure formed by Telekinesis directly crushed Tohte's shin bone.
Tohte's pupils constricted to pinpricks. He desperately wanted to scream loudly, but his throat was clogged again, and he could only emit faint 'ho-ho' gasps.
"I don't like to waste time, Lord Tohte."
Emrys leaned forward slightly, imbued with immense oppressive force. The psyker energy brewing around him made his image resemble a twisted 'devil.'
Just as he had promised Tohte, he slowly crushed his bones with Telekinesis.
From his shin bones, all the way to between his thighs, after crushing both of his testicles, the excruciating, bone-gnawing pain made Tohte wish he could faint.
But how could Emrys grant his wish?
If he fainted, he would simply be reawakened with psyker energy, a cycle that repeated. After a few simple rounds, Tohte's psychological defenses completely collapsed.
"Those scavengers newly joined to the gang will be assigned different uses based on their aptitude."
Tohte cried and sniffled from the pain, completely forgetting the boss' threats, and screamed hoarsely: "People with poorer aptitude will be specifically sent outside the hive capital, to a place called Ironvault."
"And then?"
Emrys remained impassive, continuing to press him.
"I don't know, I really don't know!"
Tohte dared not hide anything. To prove that everything he said was true, he even swore: "I'm only responsible for sending them there, but what those people do in Ironvault, I truly know nothing. Please believe me, I'm not lying to you!"
The interrogation lasted a long time, emptying Tohte of everything, even down to which hand he preferred to use when going to the bathroom, all clearly understood by Emrys.
"Kill me, please, just kill me."
The dying Tohte no longer sought to live; he only wished for a quick death.
to live was too painful!
"Thank you for your cooperation, Tohte."
Emrys squeezed slightly, crushing Tohte's neck: "Sweet dreams, goodnight."
He was a kind person and couldn't bear to see others suffer.
So, after extracting everything from Tohte's mind, Emrys ended his pain.
After using psychic power to erase the residual bloodstains in the room, he casually tossed Tohte's body into the fertile soil of the backyard, which could be considered recycling.
Next, Emrys reconfigured the 'Static Veil' to disguise himself as 'Tohte'.
From that moment on, he was Tohte; even if the person who knew Tohte best appeared there now, it would be impossible to tell the difference between the two.
To make the disguise as flawless as possible, Emrys put in a great deal of effort, asking about everything from which hand Tohte used to wipe himself to which leg he stepped with when walking, getting every detail clear.
Their body shapes were also quite similar, and with a thorough understanding, he should not be exposed in a short time.
He reviewed the documents in the room and the information that had just been delivered.
Emrys glanced at them and immediately noticed something amiss: almost everyone sent to Ironvault had striking similarities.
The Iron Crows gang attracted lower hive residents to join the gang by distributing free supplies, and they would categorize them into two types based on three criteria: age, physical fitness, and whether they were disabled.
Young and strong individuals with good physical fitness, aged between twelve and forty, and without disabilities, would be screened and admitted to the gang, given the status of 'member.' Gawain was a typical example.
Those who were not selected were either too old or too young, and most of them had disabilities. After gathering one hundred such individuals, the small leaders of each area would collectively escort them to Ironvault outside the hive capital.
As for what those people were responsible for after being sent to Ironvault, that remained unknown.
In the area Tohte was responsible for alone, there had already been six such escorts; in other words, six hundred people had been sent to Ironvault and were never heard from again!
"Sacrifice." Emrys' emotions were somewhat out of control, as he crumpled the entire paper into a ball, veins throbbing on his forehead, trying his best to suppress an inexplicable rage: "The purpose of those people is sacrifice!"
In just one area, nearly a thousand people had been sent to Ironvault.
There were at least several hundred small leaders responsible for such areas within the Iron Crows gang's control in the lower hive.
Conservatively estimated, the number of missing people in the lower hive was at least tens of thousands. So many people being sent to Ironvault, with not a single one returning, already explained the problem.
Other than being sent for sacrifice, there could be no other possibility!
Seeing through the problem to its essence, Emrys narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured, "To be able to send so many people out of the hive capital without Arbites stopping them... it must be related to Urien."
It sounded like a question, but in his heart, he already had a guess.
Who else, besides Urien, who was currently considered the heir of the Hadley family, could control the hive capital's Arbites and make them turn a blind eye?
"Good news, at least there's a direction for investigation now."
Throwing away the crumpled paper ball, Emrys pinched his throbbing brow, a bitter smile on his lips: "The bad news is... tens of thousands have already been sacrificed, conservatively."
With such a massive number of sacrifices, who knew how far the cult had developed?
Now, he could only hope that the Emperor would have mercy.
Otherwise, if the difficulty were to be adjusted even higher, he couldn't even imagine how 'beautiful' that scene would be.
He also wondered what virtue Losel world possessed, a small world that was only missing Eldar and Orks to complete its grand species codex!
"Oh, I almost forgot, there's also the Tau." Emrys self-deprecatingly scoffed.
He reorganized the scattered data, and then it was time to wait.
"If only I could have more information about Ironvault."
Emrys couldn't help but feel a little regretful, sighing softly as he sat down again and poured himself a glass of wine.
Neither Tohte's words nor the documents in the room described what kind of place Ironvault truly was.
Currently, the only information he had pried from Tohte's mouth was that Ironvault, fifty years ago, was an important mine in Losel hive capital, but later, an unprecedented Carnage occurred there!
The PDF, under the command of the Governor of Galarion world, massacred all the residents of the Ironvault!
From then on, the Ironvault was abandoned until it once again became an Iron Crows gang stronghold.
"Did the Governor of Galarion world massacre Ironvault town to conceal something?"
"Necrons? No, impossible."
"If it were Necrons, Losel would have already been conquered."
"Besides Necrons, what else could it be?"
Following this line of thought deeper, Emrys' pupils constricted, as if an inexplicable chill swept over him: "Just how big of a vortex have I been drawn into?!"
He suddenly realized that from the start of the cult to the changes within Losel hive capital, this series of events seemed far less simple than they appeared!
The secret hidden in Ironvault might be more complex than imagined!
The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became!
Just as Emrys' mind was in turmoil, a voice suddenly entered his ears.
"Don't move!"
Immediately after, Emrys felt a hard object pressed against his lower back; judging by the feel, it was most likely a firearm.
"Friend, calm down!"
Emrys spoke in a deep voice, raising his hands to show that he was not a threat.
The ability to silently infiltrate the room was enough to prove one thing: the other party was no ordinary person.
"I ask, you answer, understand?"
At this moment, the person behind him, pressing a gun against Emrys, said in a cold tone: "If you dare to conceal even a little, in the name of the Emperor, I promise I will make you taste the Empire's most cruel punishments. Now tell me your name and identity!"
It seemed the tables had turned. Was this karma?
Emrys was momentarily speechless for half a second, but then he caught a familiar scent of incense.
Wait, this smell... He paused for half a second, until the person behind him pressed harder, the gun barrel against his spine: "Answer my question!"
Emrys' expression immediately became somewhat complex, because this extremely unique incense was similar to the scent of incense used by Ecclesiarchy priests.
Coincidentally, he had smelled it on someone in the middle-hive not long ago!
"That... is that Inquisitor Winnie Winslet, Your Excellency?"
Emrys tried to appear as harmless as possible, then asked in a probing tone.
Click!
It was the sound of a bolter being cocked!
He was all too familiar with that sound. Cocking a bolter without a word, were all Inquisitors so decisive?
Infiltrating for an investigation, only to be shot by his own people—Emrys did not want to experience such an utterly foolish death, and he hastily spoke, frightened: "Wait, Your Excellency Inquisitor, please don't shoot, I am Merlin Emrys , I'm one of us!"
"What?"
The person behind him stopped moving, seemingly quite shaken by the news.
"Didn't we meet in the middle-hive this morning?" Emrys spoke in a rapid-fire manner, fearing that if he spoke too slowly, his head would be blown off.
Although Emrys had explained it very clearly, the Inquisitor behind him didn't seem to lower her guard.
"Slowly turn around and let me see your face and hands."
Winnie was cautious, taking half a step back slowly, but her arm holding the bolter raised, pointing at his head.
Emrys, like a prisoner, raised his hands and slowly turned around. What met his eyes was not Winnie Winslet, but another unfamiliar face. However, judging from the similar build and the familiar incense, it was likely a disguise for infiltration.
"How did you end up here? What's wrong with your face?"
Winnie frowned slightly, pointing the gun at his head, her tone filled with coldness: "And how did you recognize me?"
The bone-chilling killing intent had receded slightly, but it still made one uncomfortable.
Emrys forced a smile and explained, "This is a disguise, Inquisitor. As for how I discovered you—ahem—it was because the incense on you was too obvious."
"Incense?"
Winnie's expression was clearly a bit stiff.
She never expected that her foolproof disguise, which she believed wouldn't be exposed, was actually betrayed by 'incense'.
"Inquisitor, do you believe me now?" Emrys removed the 'electro-static veil', revealing his original appearance.
Winnie lowered her bolter, but her brows were serious, and she said with dissatisfaction, "What are you doing in the lower hive? Don't you know it's dangerous here? And disguised like this..."
"Of course I'm here to collect evidence. Am I here for a vacation?" Emrys said grumpily.
The Inquisitor seemed choked into silence, glaring at him fiercely: "Are you blaming me?"
"No, no, no, you've misunderstood, Inquisitor."
Emrys also realized he had been a bit too audacious just now, waving his hands to explain: "I want to find the evidence as soon as possible, and you can eradicate the cult to protect Losel!"
His words were spoken with such righteous indignation and integrity.
"I'm not interested in pursuing your crimes." Even Winnie, who had seen many shameless criminals, was left speechless by Emrys. She said sternly, "Now, in the name of an Imperial Inquisitor, I order you to assist in the investigation of the cult incident. You are not allowed to refuse, otherwise I have the right to shoot you directly, understand?"
"Perfectly clear, Inquisitor."
Emrys stood at attention, crossed his arms, and performed the Aquila Salute: "For the great God-Emperor, I am willing to offer my heart!"
It's back, that familiar feeling is back. This is the attitude an Inquisitor should have!
That firm gaze and tone were somewhat beyond Winnie's expectations; it felt as if she was seeing a devout follower of the Ecclesiarchy.
To encounter such a pure-hearted lower hive in such a remote world was simply a miracle!
But Winnie then thought, it must be the blessing of the great God-Emperor.
"Ahem. I need to know now what exactly happened in the Lower Hive." She had only recently infiltrated the Lower Hive and, following members of the Iron Crows gang, found this house.
Seeing that the people inside seemed to hold high positions, she planned to go in and interrogate them to see if there was any intelligence.
But unfortunately, who knew she would run into an acquaintance.
So, up to this point, Winnie was still not very clear about the connection between the Lower Hive, the cult, and the Iron Crows gang.
"Esteemed Inquisitor, the situation is like this..."
Emrys described the intelligence he had gathered in the most concise way possible.
Upon hearing that at least tens of thousands of people had been sent to 'Ironvault', Winnie's light blue eyes immediately filled with bone-chilling killing intent. She couldn't help but grip her bolter tighter: "Tens of thousands of people! What in the world is the planetary governor doing? Is Galarion blind?!"
Such a large number of Lower Hive people leaving the hive capital and being sent to a place called 'Ironvault', and the planetary governor had no reaction whatsoever?
To Winnie, this was simply unbelievable!
Since being appointed an Inquisitor, she had never faced such a complex and chaotic situation alone!
For a moment, Winnie felt a sense of bewilderment, not knowing where to start. Who was the true mastermind?
Was it the planetary governor who turned a blind eye? Was it Urien Hadley, suspected leader of the cult? Or were all the upper hive nobles of the entire Losel hive capital problematic?
Suddenly, Charles Gransoll's familiar face appeared in Winnie's mind again.
If it were Gransoll, what choice would he make in the face of the current chaotic and complex situation?
Winnie bit her lip lightly. She was unwilling to learn from her mentor, as she could not approve of that kind of behavior.
Since this young man had the courage to infiltrate the Lower Hive, it meant he must have a plan. So she turned her gaze to Emrys: "What do you plan to do next?"
"Esteemed Inquisitor, my plan is very simple."
Emrys put on the 'electro-static veil' again and slowly began, "Using the disguise of a high-ranking gang member, I'll follow the team going to Ironvault and quietly infiltrate."
Staring at that face for half a second, an idea popped into Winnie's mind: "Okay, we'll do as you say, but you need to find a way to get me in too."
"You plan to go to Ironvault with me?"
Hearing this, Emrys seemed a bit surprised, but more so, unwilling.
If it were just him, he wouldn't need to worry too much, and if he encountered any danger, he could escape smoothly.
But if an Inquisitor was added, he would definitely need to be more careful.
After all, neither Iron Man's Mark 5 armor nor psychic powers were things that could be exposed.
"You're unwilling?"
Winnie was a bit surprised. She was an Imperial Inquisitor, and someone actually disliked her?
"No, no, no, I am very willing, Inquisitor!"
At this point, Emrys couldn't be direct, so he could only bite the bullet and agree: "But it will be a bit of a hardship for you; you'll have to disguise yourself as a disabled vagrant and blend in."
"Who do you think I am?"
Who would have thought, Winnie didn't care at all. She held her head high and said proudly, "I graduated from the Schola Progenium, have undergone rigorous training, and for the God-Emperor, I would not hesitate to sacrifice this life, let alone disguise myself as a disabled vagrant?"
"Good, truly worthy of an Inquisitor!"
Emrys gave a thumbs up and praised, "Since you've said so, then it's no problem!"
However, the esteemed Inquisitor Winnie Winslet overestimated her resolve.
And greatly underestimated the 'hardship' Emrys spoke of.
The next day.
Winnie, who had successfully blended in with the disabled vagrants, was forcibly crammed into the cargo compartment of a truck.
The space in the entire cargo compartment was not large, accommodating at most about twenty people, but it was forcibly packed with over thirty people.
It's easy to imagine how crowded the space inside was.
Winnie could swear she had never encountered a mode of transport with such a deplorable environment in her life.
She was completely squeezed into a corner, with someone's foot, she didn't know whose, across her head, emitting a foul odor that almost made her faint.
Next to her, the space was packed with people emitting various odors—strange smells, putrid smells, sour smells, etc.—as if rotting corpses had been left to bake in the Sun for half a month, then thrown into a cesspool to fully absorb the odors, and then fermented to produce a unique, pungent smell.
It's no exaggeration to say that the environment in the carriage was exactly like the Magos' backyard!
Winnie pinched her nose, silently chanting in her heart that all of this was for the God-Emperor, but she still couldn't stop her physiological reactions.
But unfortunately, others couldn't hold it in. In the already crowded space, coupled with various irritating odors, the lower hive people started throwing up one after another, and the sounds of 'wah' were incessant.
The crowded carriage, already a mix of flavors, now had one more!
Winnie's eyes widened, looking at this scene in disbelief.
The entire carriage was filled with sprayed filth, and Winnie, who had been holding back, finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Achoo!"
Inside the cockpit, Emrys inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.
After much thought, he couldn't recall offending anyone recently. Could it be that Inquisitor, cursing him from the back compartment?
It shouldn't be the Inquisitor, after all, she herself said she didn't mind being 'inconvenienced' a little.
"Boss, want a cigarette?"
Falco, in charge of controlling the convoy's route, obsequiously offered a rolled cigarette. "It's colder outside than in the hive capital, but we'll be there soon."
Emrys took the cigarette, lit it, and blew out a smoke ring. "Good work. When we get back, I'll recommend you to the Big Boss."
"Thank you, Boss! You can rest assured, I will never disappoint you!"
Unbeknownst to him, Falco, once again PUA'd, happily threw himself into his work.
After leaving the hive capital, the convoy needed to travel for another eight hours.
The main reason was the rugged terrain along the way, requiring detours around several radiation zones, which caused significant delays.
"It's so damn desolate."
Gazing out the window at the vast, endless wasteland shrouded in yellow sand, Emrys sighed.
His predecessor had grown up in the lower hive and had never left the hive capital.
So, this was Emrys' first time seeing the world outside the hive capital.
It was somewhat different from what he had imagined; the entire planetary surface was incredibly desolate. The convoy traveled for several hours without seeing a single living creature.
This was the true appearance of Losel, a world whose resources had been drained, leaving behind only a desolate landscape of ruins!
"Yeah, you're right, there's nothing but sand." Once the vehicle's route was set, there wasn't much need for driving. Falco pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and said, "But I heard that it wasn't this desolate fifty years ago."
Emrys remained poker-faced and quipped, "Didn't realize you knew so much?"
"It's all hearsay, I don't know if it's true or not." Falco shook his head and said, "I heard this from a scavenger in the lower hive. He said that fifty years ago, there were many towns outside the hive capital, but then the climate worsened, and everyone moved into the hive capital."
Fifty years ago.
Emrys held the rolled cigarette, lost in thought.
The abandonment of Ironvault, the massacre of its residents, the deteriorating climate—were these events connected?
No, the most crucial link was still missing; he couldn't make a deduction yet.
A bit irritated, Emrys snuffed out his cigarette and decided to stop thinking about it. Gazing at the desolate planetary surface, he mused, 'Once I reach Ironvault, I'll probably figure it out.'
A journey of fifty kilometers wasn't too far.
Several hours later, Emrys, who had grown tired of the yellow sand wasteland, finally saw a different color.
In the vast, sand-swept wasteland, a massive factory stood tall!
Its peculiar, steel-constructed form resembled a monstrous, pitch-black beast, continuously spewing thick black smoke from above, as if dyeing the very sky with a heavy, gloomy haze!
Ironvault. Is it that big?
Gazing at the behemoth in the distance, Emrys was once again astonished.
As they got closer, he could finally make out the details of Ironvault; the factory's exterior was eroded by dust, revealing mottled rust.
Several thick chimneys spewed dense black smoke, and a heavy machinery roar emanated from the factory, as if it could pierce through clouds and even the ground, causing the nearby ground to tremble slightly!
This was absolutely the first time Emrys had truly witnessed a technological creation from the Warhammer Universe since his transmigration!
The entire exterior of the factory showcased, to the fullest extent possible, the aesthetic power of machinery, imbued with a unique, rugged style!
In short, it was a factory with very warhammer characteristics!
Ironvault was situated in a very peculiar location. In front was a bottomless abyss, and behind it leaned against a hollowed-out mountain. Below the abyss, one could vaguely see many completely abandoned machines, which were likely the original mining veins.
But what puzzled Emrys was, what was the purpose of the cult occupying such a factory?
Could it be purely for sacrificial rituals?
His intuition told him that this matter was definitely not that simple.
The cult occupying Ironvault and continuously transporting humans here must have a greater scheme!
The only way to Ironvault was the bridge built in front of the chasm.
But the road ahead no longer allowed them to proceed.
Falco and the others, carrying their worn-out lumber guns, roughly drove the confused Lower Nests, "Hurry up, all of you, get in there! Don't make me shoot!"
To demonstrate their deterrence, they simply opened fire, breaking the legs of several people.
At this, the previously unruly Lower Nests immediately recognized the reality and succumbed to Falco's tyranny, stepping onto the bridge.
Emrys stood by, smoking, saying nothing, but his gaze was fixed on the 'Inquisitor' in the crowd.
She seemed a bit weak, her face pale, her legs unsteady and powerless.
Upon noticing Emrys' gaze, Winnie managed a nod and then blended into the dense crowd.
"Boss, we can go back now."
Watching the last person enter the mine, Falco said with a fawning smile, "The rest is none of our business."
"Alright, let's go back then."
After confirming that the Inquisitor understood the meaning of his gaze, Emrys nodded slightly and got into the passenger seat.
Falco hummed a tune, happily driving the vehicle back.
His mind was already fantasizing about becoming the next small boss of the gang and living a carefree life.
When the convoy had traveled more than ten kilometers, completely out of sight of Ironvault, with only desolate plains surrounding them, Emrys turned to look at Falco, who was still humming.
Tohte, noticing the gaze from beside him, had a fawning expression. "Boss, what's wrong?"
Emrys smiled faintly, then directly used his psychic power to snap his neck!
Crack!
Amidst the crisp sound of bone breaking, Falco, with a face full of astonishment, slumped in the driver's seat.
Of course, Emrys didn't forget the other two vehicles. He simply used his psychic power to remotely crush the heads of the other two people.
After dealing with the three scum, the three vehicles were abandoned by the roadside.
Emrys didn't have time to bother with the three vehicles for now. He directly retrieved the folded Mark 5 from his personal space.
Once donned, the sleek, silver-black armor perfectly covered every part of his body.
Various systems within the helmet loaded sequentially, emitting system prompts:
"Detecting user. Confirmed as: Merlin Emrys ."
"Armor self-check successful, weapon systems intact, terrain scan successfully uploaded."
As expected of armor personally crafted by Tony Stark, it perfectly suited Emrys' usage habits in every aspect.
With almost no need for adaptation, the armor's built-in system had already adjusted to his exclusive mode.
"Ironvault, here I come!"
Fiery afterburners jetted from his feet, powerful thrust propelling Emrys like a meteor into the sky.
From above, the entire Ironvault looked like a monstrous beast perched on the mountain cliff, shrouded in shadow, constantly spewing thick black smoke towards the sky!
"Detecting a large number of heat source reactions internally."
"Warning! Warning! Warning!"
"User, please stay away, stay away, stay away!"
Suddenly, the scene before Emrys' eyes seemed to twist.
Accompanied by a piercing shriek, his entire being felt as if it was dragged into an abyss. Amidst the pungent smell of blood, he vaguely saw mountains of skulls.
Immediately after, the massive steel-constructed mine had already transformed into a twisted creation of flesh and blood.
Within it, an overwhelming malevolence flowed continuously from the distorted Immaterium, and countless corrupted symbols clung to its blasphemous spikes!
The violent danger warning made trillions of cells throughout Emrys' body shriek hysterically!
The instinct from his soul and life urged him to escape that factory!