I summoned the Fourth Scourge in Warhammer

Chapter 45 Even the air in Zhongchao smells sweet.

In the cold, hard reality, Assassin waited for a full ten hours. During those ten hours, he was like a cat on a hot tin roof, constantly refreshing the forums, watching helplessly as his teammates dominated the game while he could only stare blankly.

Finally, after repeated attempts, he successfully entered the game and eagerly chose to log in.

The torrent of data flashed by, and consciousness was pulled back into that dark world filled with engine oil, gunpowder smoke, and faith.

As soon as he entered the game, he spread his arms wide, looked up at the sky, and let out his signature, loud laugh: "Hahaha! I, Hu Hansan, am back!"

Laughter echoed loudly in the enclosed space. After he finished laughing, he began to look around. The players of the Death Squad were scattered in a huge, enclosed metal space, with constant clanging and banging of machinery coming from all around, and the floor beneath their feet vibrating slightly in rhythm.

He paused, then asked, "Huh? What's going on around here? Are we no longer at the chemical refinery?"

"Brother Sa, didn't you check the forum? Wait a minute, weren't you just posting on the forum?" A player who was wiping his laser sniper rifle looked up and said, "We're going to Zhongchao to rescue a mechanical priest, and we're already in the elevator."

"So what exactly is this game's resurrection mechanism? I still don't understand," one player said, puzzled. "Didn't Brother Sa die at the chemical refinery?"

"It looks like a squad respawn right now," another player explained. "But later, as the veil of reality thickens, it will likely become a fixed respawn point, which will make navigating the map much more difficult."

“Oh right,” one player suddenly remembered something, his expression instantly tensing up. He leaned closer to Assassin and whispered, “Brother Assassin, you absolutely mustn’t get itchy and use sulfur fire right now. This elevator looks sturdy, but if you fire it down and it explodes, we’ll really become space junk, and that won’t be fun.”

Upon hearing this, Assassin looked at everyone speechlessly: "Do you think I'm some really bad, crazy bomb-monger?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the players present, including Ruan Wenbo, nodded vigorously in unison, with perfect understanding. The synchronized movements of 99 people actually looked quite spectacular.

Just then, the elevator came to a sudden stop with a piercing metallic clang and a violent jolt.

"arrive!"

Almost simultaneously, all the players' playful expressions vanished. With a tacit understanding born of long experience, they reacted swiftly, their muscles tensing, almost subconsciously executing tactical maneuvers, assuming defensive positions, and dozens of dark gun barrels fixedly aimed at the elevator doors that were about to open.

The heavy gate slowly rose with a hydraulic hum.

There was nothing behind the door.

The anticipated cultist human wave tactics did not materialize; instead, a huge, spacious, and excessively bright platform came into view.

The players' tense nerves gradually relaxed, and after confirming it was safe, they all holstered their guns. It wasn't that they didn't want to fight, but everyone present knew very well that Ruan Wenbo was currently in the elevator with them. If they were ambushed by the cultists at the elevator entrance, a chaotic battle could result in anyone dying, but Ruan Wenbo's death was the last thing any of the players wanted at this stage.

A player stepped out of the elevator, took a deep breath, and a look of bliss appeared on his face. "...Wow, the air here is so fresh, I can even smell a hint of sweetness."

Other players nodded in approval, and some even immediately pulled up their own stats panel.

"Yeah, I just checked my lung function. Can you believe it? Down here, if I'm not careful, I lose a little bit of lung capacity with every breath; but here, even a single breath doesn't affect my lung function at all!"

"The air quality here is so good that an average person could maintain normal lung function for at least three years!" one player exclaimed.

"so long?!"

The players were momentarily surprised that the Central Nest lacked potent toxic gases and hallucinogenic substances, only filled with soot and lead- and mercury-rich air, but they didn't forget their mission. Despite their surprise, the Death Squad didn't need Nguyen Van Bo's specific orders; the players automatically formed a standard double-file marching formation, with the vanguard in front, armored vehicles at the rear, and the Assassins deliberately positioned in the center of the formation, with guards both in front and behind.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Van Bo, the company commander, took the walkie-talkie from his back, tuned it to the previous channel, and tried to see if he could contact the mysterious mechanical priest again.

After tuning the channel, he brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth and tentatively said, "This is the Death Squad. We have arrived at the Middle Nest via the Lower Nest elevator. Calling Trinity Foundry, can you hear me?"

"..." A static noise.

"This is the Company of the Dead. Repeat, we have arrived at the Zhongchao Platform. Calling the Trinity Foundry."

After being repeated twice, the other channel finally responded with a heavily synthesized, buzzing, and static-filled voice after a burst of ear-piercing static noise: "This is the Trinity Foundry! Oh, Om Messiah, you actually came! I thought you were all finished..."

Hearing this, several black lines appeared on Ruan Wenbo's forehead. This mechanical priest... doesn't sound very serious?
"Ahem," the voice on the other end seemed to clear its throat, though it might no longer have a throat at all, and its tone became slightly more formal. "Anyway, I'm glad you've arrived. Listen up, warriors of the Emperor. From your platform, go straight along the main maintenance corridor for about two kilometers. You'll see a three-way intersection. Ignore the signs on the left and right that lead to the residential areas; take the middle one. Above its entrance will be a huge 'gear-Alpha' symbol. Go through that door, and you'll enter an abandoned nutrient paste processing area. Watch your step; the steam pipes there are in disrepair. At the end, you'll see a towering black spire—that's the Trinity Foundry! This is the fastest and safest route. I've disabled most of the security systems along the way; the only thing you need to watch out for is the Genestealer Cult. Alright, I need to check out the production line now. Over!"

The communication seemed to be ending, but then a frantic, almost jumping electronic voice came through the walkie-talkie: "Oh Messiah! Don't tighten the screws like that! Divine Comfort Production Line 3 will be in pain! Damn it, my servant modification was too rushed..."

With a click, the call was abruptly disconnected.

Ruan Wenbo held the walkie-talkie, which was still emitting a slight static sound, and stared at Assassin, who had somehow appeared beside him.

"Is this mechanical priest... reliable?" Assassin's tone was full of uncertainty.

Ruan Wenbo turned off the walkie-talkie and analyzed, "Let's follow the route he gave us for now. At least he explained all the key information before hanging up. In today's games, NPCs with this kind of professionalism are rare..."

(End of this chapter)