Warhammer: I don't want to become a stinky can!

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Hades said that Phenus saw two documents highlighted in red, one belonging to the Iron Hand and the other to the Iron Warrior. Hades waved his hand, and the red highlighting on the Iron Hand document was removed.

"Now we should turn our attention to the Fourth Army."

[…Petulabo.]

Phenus uttered the name softly.

Chapter 4.2, that's it! {Waves} (Leaves)

Chapter 396 Hades Loves Mechanical Troops Like You

"And one more thing."

Hades looked at Phenus with an innocent gaze, as if testing whether Phenus could accept this.

Phenus frowned in confusion, staring at Hades, waiting for his next words.

"Uh... well... actually, besides being a soulless being, I also have some special abilities in manipulating machines."

Phenus stared calmly at Hades's mechanical brain.

[I'm not surprised. In fact, before boarding the ship, I didn't expect the Mechanic Sage to hold a certain position in the Silent Order—I think you mean his proficiency with machines and his expertise in mechanized warfare?]

Fernus revealed his hands, encased in steel; he too was a skilled steelworker.

Hades blinked, and he slightly raised the index finger of his right hand that was resting on the armrest of the chair.

? !

Phenus suddenly leaned forward, and Medusa saw it clearly: several tiny green lightning bolts flickered between Hades's gauntlets.

In a daze, Fernus felt that his armor system seemed to resonate faintly with those electric arcs, which made the Primarch spend a little attention checking his armor system.

"Actually, it goes much deeper than that."

Hades rose and looked thoughtfully at Phenus.

"The Silent Order's mechanized army is not as large as the Iron Hand's. May I demonstrate it to the Iron Hand's legion?"

Phenus nodded slowly, still staring thoughtfully at Hades's hands, even though the lightning bolts were long gone.

--------

If Mortalian was a pragmatist, then so was Fernus, as can be seen from the two Primarchs' Glory Queens.

The Deathguard's Endurance is like a harbinger of death draped in a tattered sack, while the Iron Hand's Ironfist is even more unadorned. Unlike the Deathguards, who at least hide their pipes and engines within the walls and floors, the Iron Hand chooses to expose them directly—or rather, in Fenus's eyes, these mechanical constructs are decorations in themselves.

To outsiders, this might seem like a manifestation of the steel hand's inhumanity and eccentricity, but to Hades... the omnipresent steam, the smell of engine oil and metal permeated every corner, engines and pistons roared along the edges of the walls, and the life of machinery was everywhere.

This is simply... hot!

Hades decided to give the Iron Hand's mothership ninety-nine points, with the remaining one point used to distinguish the Iron Hand from the Death Guard.

Of course, this does not mean that Hades decided to include the Iron Hand in his "Nth spiritual homeland." The reason is simple: Phenus's home planet is just as hostile as Barbaros, and the flowers that grow from Medusa are even worse—at least Hades cannot fully appreciate them.

Although Hades, with half a metal skull, and the steel hands standing guard for them in the corridor, seem no different at first glance.

Hades' gaze swept over the warriors imperceptibly; not one of them was "in good condition"—they all showed signs of being mechanized.

Of the dozen or so legions, the Iron Hand is the most mechanized. This reverence for machinery, or rather, this disdain for the fragility of flesh and blood, has become one of the legion's tenets. Compared to their own flesh and blood, an Iron Hand member trusts machinery more. They will selectively replace their own flesh and blood with machinery, little by little—until they can no longer bear any more engines and cables.

This kind of thinking is obviously extreme, and in the Warhammer universe, the most taboo thing is extreme thinking (although those who are not extreme are unlikely to survive in the early stages). If Chaos really wanted to, this would certainly be a loophole that could corrupt the mind.

Hades would have preferred that none of you be so extreme if you had the time, but there is no time now. And since his presence can ensure that the Iron Hand will not be corroded, then... the Iron Hand, with its highest degree of mechanization, and even the bodies of Legion warriors being mechanically modified, will be the best ally to complement Hades' physical side.

Even as Hades stepped onto the Iron Fist, he could already feel the beauty of the abundant mechanical ensemble; it was welcoming him, as if welcoming a long-lost friend.

Hades remained silent, as Fernus walked beside him, forcing Hades to restrain his dark domain and the authority of the Void Dragon. Even so, each time Hades lifted his foot, pale green arcs of electricity, connecting with the metal floor, would still light up beneath his magnetic boots.

What Hades was unaware of was that the Iron Hand warriors he had trained all experienced a jolt in their spirits and metal bodies as he passed by, but these warriors attributed this to their encounter with the Primarch.

Finus strode into the training room. At Hades' request, various types of Land Raiders and Poison Blades were already on display. In an inconspicuous corner of the training room, Hades even spotted the Iron Warrior's unique Iron Spike Intelligent Control Iron Man.

The steel torrent inside the exercise room was divided into two opposing parts, waiting for the Primarch's command to ignite the smoke and fire.

Hades briefly surveyed the entire area before choosing a defensive trench point at the rear to wait.

Based on the style of the Iron Warriors, the first round will likely be indiscriminate fire suppression, without Hades needing to show his face. This can be seen from the fact that apart from a few necessary repair and mobile personnel, the rest of the soldiers are in vehicles and trenches.

"It's just a cover-up anyway," Hades chuckled, turning to look at Phenus, who was following him.

"let's start."

Hades said softly, and the next moment, a sweeping darkness descended upon the small trench along with lightning.

Fernus's words came almost simultaneously with the artillery barrage that followed a moment later. The floor of the entire training room trembled violently. Although they were all training rounds, their destructive power was not to be underestimated.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Bright flashes of light erupted as both sides began exchanging fire. Hades could sense that some vehicles had already been deemed "wrecked."

There was no simulated air combat this time. Generally speaking, the air force plays a crucial role in the first wave of bombing.

As if to prevent Hades from imagining the Iron Hand as some old-fashioned ancient or World War I army, Phenus's voice drifted through the darkness.

Fernus's eyelids twitched. He crossed his arms and stared at the shimmering emerald arcs of electricity surrounding him. Fernus was shocked; he didn't dislike the sensation, but...

Fernus clenched his fist.

I wonder if darkness and lightning are not the same kind of power?

The Lord of Medusa asked abruptly, for no other reason than that although the arc of electricity did not disgust him, he did feel nauseous and powerless as he was shrouded in darkness.

"That's it."

Within the darkest wisp of mist, several emerald green fluorescent dots flickered, and Hades' voice came from that direction; he sounded pleased.

"Darkness is a characteristic of the soulless, and these arcs of electricity..."

Hades paused, realizing he couldn't just say "Void Dragon" directly.

"It is my authority on the mechanical side."

【authority.】

Fernus frowned and repeated the word.

[I don't think you're a psychic? This looks like one.]

Hades remained silent for a moment, but quickly answered Phenus's question.

“I misused words, but you see, Finus, the physical universe can also have its own magic—of course, that’s called science.”

Fenus frowned, wanting to ask something more, but the trembling ground stopped at that moment. The rushing radio waves traveled through the channels, and a soft laugh, or perhaps a sigh, came from the darkness.

"I can't really describe it, you'll understand after you see it once."

Darkness churned,

“You can witness it.”

Hades fell silent. Phenus frowned and shifted his gaze to the bigger picture, intently watching the war between iron and iron. The Primarch's keen eyes gradually noticed something.

At first, tiny arcs of electricity crackled in the gaps between the tracks and the ground, and flashed between the triggers of the guns. Then, the metal began to resonate with them.

Fernus took a soft, almost imperceptible breath.

As if assimilating, those tiny, emerald-green arcs of electricity, like static electricity, spread like a spider web from the nearest trench points. Metal and machinery were their best conductors, and as the lightning spread, these tiny things began to shine even brighter.

Finally, those focused on the battlefield noticed the ubiquitous arcs of electricity. They looked around in bewilderment and astonishment at the metal coiled with lightning.

"To my fellow red team members, this is my ability. Do not be surprised. I will assist you in the battle."

Hades' voice came through the channel in time, but Finus knew that he saw the same arc on the blue side as well as on the red side.

After the electric arc had basically covered the entire field, the first drop of silvery-white metal dripped out from under the damaged tank's shield.

Hades closed his eyes and "saw" the two armies fighting fiercely at the first line of defense. Countless streams of binary data roared, and he heard the blue team's radio waves, the data from the metal constructs within the soldiers' bodies, and the whispers of the machines.

That's it.

Hades gripped the scythe in one hand and stretched the other forward, a vibrant green light piercing through the gloomy darkness.

An electric arc suddenly erupted!

The blue team's channel was instantly filled with violent static. The engines of the tanks at the front line emitted a dying roar, and then their tracks began to slow down. The soldiers who were steadily advancing with their guns at the ready suddenly froze and were instantly "killed" by the red team who seized the opportunity.

At that moment, Fernus felt his heart stop beating.

He stared wide-eyed at the data coming back frantically from the front lines, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The Blue Team's electronic systems were basically destroyed, which meant that the overall command was rendered useless. Even the vehicles, which relied least on the sophisticated systems, were destroyed. According to feedback from the forging masters who were still struggling on the front line, the cables and metal components at the critical points of these vehicles were melted by the silvery liquid metal.

This wasn't the end of it. Even the metal devices inside the soldiers' bodies started malfunctioning. No... no, no, this is terrifying.

People behave as if they are infected with an electronic virus, but that's not the case. What really affects them are the lightning and inexplicable silvery-white metal that exist between the machines!

If it were an electronic virus, they would have ways to defend against it, but this, this—

Why would such an outrageous ability exist?

Finus felt his brain begin to tremble. He examined the data closely, hoping to find an exception. Then, the Primarch discovered that the Blue Team's Iron Tassel and Iron Ring robots had the smallest efficiency reduction. After that, there were also a few vehicles that still maintained an efficiency of over 80%.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Red Team's Steel Masters, who were repairing the damaged vehicle, discovered that the vehicle had already been covered in silvery metal and repaired before they could fix it, leaving only pale green arcs of electricity flashing intermittently.

Finus swallowed silently; at this moment, the Red team's overall performance rating was 120% or higher than usual.

Primarch slowly dialed in his communication channel with the Blue Team commander. Unsurprisingly, he heard a rational yet incredulous voice on the other end, the progenitor's words trembling slightly at the end.

Fernus took a deep breath. Just how many secrets was his father still hiding? It was incomprehensible...

That's enough.

Phenus exhaled a breath of stale air, and he stared silently into the darkness at the other end.

Perhaps only the efficient Phenusmanus could immediately understand what this meant: to cripple the enemy's mechanized forces to below 40% in a short period of time... If done by surprise, this could be enough to directly reverse the outcome of a battle.

But deep down, Fenus realized that Hades' ability would be the best weapon against mechanized forces—and of course, the best support.

No one... no one... at least Fernus himself didn't want to be hostile to such an existence. The Primarch could already sense the despair in the hearts of some Blue Faction warriors; their proud Iron Fist had now become a burden.

Phenus heard a lighthearted question coming from the darkness.

?

The Primarch sighed loudly.

I said, "That's enough."

Fernus raised his voice, and the next moment, the darkness vanished instantly, and the lightning, like the last raindrops, splashed onto the ground and disappeared without a trace.

He saw Hades staring at him expressionlessly, his black eyes seeming to have just been struck by lightning.

Fernus swallowed almost imperceptibly.

Immediately afterwards, he saw Hades give a seemingly "simple and honest" smile, and Hades scratched his head with a smile.

"I apologize, I think I startled some of the soldiers. Perhaps I should have explained beforehand, but I haven't seen so many beautiful mechanical troops in a long time, and I couldn't help myself."

Hades smiled at him and opened his arms.

"...That's about it?"

Hades said uncertainly, blinking as if he had thought of something. Then, Hades snapped his fingers.

"Why don't you end the exercise now? I still have a little control left. I can take this opportunity to repair your vehicles or something, but they can only be silver-white. I don't have the ability to change the color."

Fernus took a deep breath, and then he took another deep breath.

Perhaps you could go and see those soldiers you frightened, and then explain in detail how to cooperate with you in combat.

"Fernus said slowly."

Although the Iron Hand upholds a brutal competitive system, any warrior who shows weakness or fear will immediately be challenged by other warriors who aspire to rise in rank, and their status will plummet.

But... after reflecting on his recent shock, the Medusa Queen decided to forgive her offspring for their mistake.

Phenus recalled Hades's earlier words. Yes, Phenus realized that his choice of words was not wrong. This was already... another kind of existence.

He stared at Hades, who was adjusting the channel and eager to try his suggestion, and for some reason, Fenus felt a strange sense of reassurance.

Although he always claimed to enjoy working with machines, at this moment, Finus wanted the other person to behave more like a human.

Long chapter, 4.2k, that's all, yay!