The Bizarre Adventures of the Oil Man, but Starting with Warhammer 32K

Lifar was stunned, but after thinking it over carefully, he realized that it was indeed feasible: "Then we still need to collect some green-skinned samples..."

Leon waved his hand, and Kurland, who had been waiting behind, came forward with several warriors and neatly arranged the dozen or so different greenskins they had hunted before in front of Lifar.

"Is this enough?"

Leon asked kindly, but there was an undisguised threat in his eyes.

The warriors carrying the greenskin corpses took a step forward, their sturdy bodies casting a terrifying shadow on Lifar.

Lifar blinked and found that he seemed to have no excuse to continue to shirk.

Starting with the paralysis trap with the electronic virus, Leon's advance preparation and ability to exploit logical loopholes amazed him. He couldn't help but ask:

"Which Forge World are you from, Sage?"

Li Ang answered modestly:

"My humble name is Li Ang, from Huangquan No. 8."

"Huangquan No. 8?"

Sage Lifar's expression suddenly relaxed, and the resentment he had felt at being schemed against all before now turned into relief.

"That's not surprising..."

Chapter 54 Arrival at Maxim.

With all his escape routes cut off by Leon, Sage Lifar had no choice but to compromise with Leon and his companions. He took the specimens and boarded the Mechanicus's research vessel with Leon and his companions, then turned the ship around and returned to the Forge World Maxim.

Leon placed Armidale on the Hunter, and the Hunter, driven by Felyn, followed closely behind the research vessel.

As long as the research vessel makes any unusual movement, this ship will use its dragon head ram to ram into the research vessel, and Armidale will lead the team to board it.

Kurland and Leon boarded the research vessel together. The warriors of the Imperial Fist seized the narrow passage to the key compartment on the research vessel and imprisoned Sage Lifar in the bridge under semi-house arrest.

This arrangement completely eliminated the possibility of Sage Lifar turning against the enemy and escaping. Sage Lifar could only move forward towards Maxim with a dead heart, and take this group of Space Marines to "collect" the credit that he did not want at all.

But it wasn't just this forced "reward" that made Lifar despair the most. What made him despair was the knowledgeable Leon on board. In just the short time it took to cross the subspace, Leon had searched the entire research vessel from top to bottom.

Li Ang didn't even force him to hand over the data password. The machine soul, which was supposed to resist cracking, became like a toy when it saw Li Ang and allowed Li Ang to invade.

Lifar could only watch like a victim as Leon tinkered with the various thinker arrays on the ship. In just a few days, he had thoroughly understood all the information on the research vessel.

Li Ang didn't find anything valuable in this information, but there was one thing that interested him.

Just when the research vessel had arrived at the galaxy where Maxim was, Leon, who had mastered all the information on the research vessel, threw the data tablet recording the identity of Sage Lifar onto the conference table on the bridge.

Kurland, who was standing nearby, stretched his neck curiously to check the contents on the data pad.

"Lifar, the Biotechnology Director of the Titan Order?"

Kurland turned his head to look at Lifar who was sulking beside him: "There's actually a Titan Order on Maxim?"

"Forge Worlds are divided into four levels, from level 4 to level 1. Any Forge World above level 3 will have its own Titans, but the scale varies."

Lifar didn't say anything, and it was Leon who answered Kurland's doubts.

Kurland was very interested in this information. He had already begun to think about how to prepare a defense line against the greenskins. Naturally, a heavy firepower platform like the Titan was what he was looking for:

"Maxim is a Class 3A Forge World. Sage Leon, how many Titans do you think would be on a Forge World like this?"

"It's probably a Warhound or a Marauder class, with at best a Warlord class for show."

Kurland was slightly disappointed when he heard Leon's judgment.

Titans are also known as divine machines. These steel behemoths, ranging from fifteen to eighty meters in length, are equipped with as many advanced weapons as possible. Their powerful void shields and artillery will make countless enemies tremble.

But power doesn't guarantee invincibility, especially with the smaller Titans, whose firepower is no greater than a single heavy weapons battery. A Warlord-class Titan, nearly thirty meters tall, could be the decisive force in a battle, but against the Greenskins, who possess a Battle Moon, a single Warlord-class Titan is a drop in the bucket.

"Are you still complaining? You think these Titans are a drop in the bucket, and the Forge World is reluctant to give you these precious treasures."

Li Ang jokingly said, "You mean it, right? Director Lifar, the biological director who works for the Titan Order for free?"

Lifar's mood worsened.

"I'm going to coordinate the arrival of the research vessel."

He said this abruptly, stood up and fled away from the conference table.

Kurland looked at Lifar who left angrily, feeling a little puzzled.

"Why is he so disgusted?"

"Because working for the Titan Order for free hit a sore spot for him."

"I thought that in the Mechanicus, it was an honor for the Mechanic Priests to serve a divine machine like the Titan?"

"Yes, only for the Mechanicus."

Leon took back the data tablet from the conference table and marked the words "Biotechnology Director" and "Sage": "The Mechanical Priests are proud to serve the God's Machinery, but most Sages have their own research projects and subjects, and they have a lot of things to do. Titans don't appeal to them, as they already have enough knowledge."

Kurland understood: "So this Lifar is actually a poor fellow who was forced to work for the Titan Order?"

"Yes, the term 'Biotech Director' sounds nice, but in reality, it's just hard labor responsible for leading the team to check the physical condition of pilots who are neurally connected to Titans. Unless one can enter the management of the Titan Order, such work is meaningless no matter how much one does. This sage must have had a very unsatisfactory life on their Forge World to be entrusted with such a 'important task'."

"Will this information be of any use to us?"

"Help is just a reminder that we can't rely on this sage. We'll have to negotiate with the foundry director later, but he won't be of much help. We have to rely on ourselves for everything... Do you have anything that can prove your identity to the Empire? Give it to me."

"There is a unique code that we use to communicate with Terra."

Kurland was a little puzzled. "There are no astropaths who can transmit information across star regions right now. What do you want this for?"

"Just making preparations for both situations."

Under Leon's command, the Hunter quietly docked with the research vessel, and all the injured soldiers and some Felynx were transferred to the research vessel.

Leon only brought Sergeant Arlo as a guard, while Armidale, Lieutenant Vigan, Adjutant Aibo and a dozen soldiers stayed on the Hunter.

He left this exclusive code to the people who returned to the Hunter. The Hunter started its engine in reverse and quietly disappeared into the deep dark universe.

Just after Leon completed these handovers, the research vessel gradually approached the Forge World Spaceport and entered the port entry process.

The Thinker system on the research vessel was taken over by the Forge World, and the Forge World's port inspection procedure also conducted a comprehensive scan of the interior of the research vessel.

Soon, the Cogito system, which had detected the presence of Space Marines on board the ship, issued a shrill alarm.

"Warning, warning! Scanning detected an unauthorized species, vital signs identified as Astartes. Requesting higher authority to handle this matter. Requesting higher authority to handle this matter!"

The moment the alarm sounded, all energy supplies on the ship except for emergency energy were cut off. On the dim bridge, only the radar was hysterically issuing warnings that the ship was being targeted by hundreds of weapons.

But Leon, who was well prepared, didn't care about it. He stood beside the conference table with the Imperial Fist warriors. The only thing he had to do was to wait patiently.

Soon, the most basic lighting power was restored in the dark bridge, and a person's projection appeared on the conference table.

That figure looked more like a machine covered in flesh than a human. Although no one on Leon's side knew his name, everyone knew at a glance that he must be the planet's director of foundry work.

The Casting Director first looked at the Space Marines present, and then turned his gaze to Sage Lifar who was standing far away.

"Wrong. Sage Lifar, I asked you to bring back a few corpses of Imperial Fists."

The Casting Director's voice sounded mechanical and emotionless. He bluntly mentioned this to the Imperial Fists on board: "Perhaps your logic processor is no longer as good as a servitor. How can I trust a biological sage who can't even tell the difference between a living being and a corpse?"

"Stop talking nonsense, Augustus!"

Lifar responded angrily. He tried to straighten his back to increase his momentum, but his trembling voice still revealed his nervousness: "I completed the task you imposed on me. Don't pick on me here! Let me in!"

"Negative, Sage Lifar. Do you consider this complete?"

Forge Director Augustus' tone remained steady, yet a commanding presence emanated from him: "How will you prove your accomplishment? Kill these Imperial Fists now?"

Seeing that Lifar was no longer reliable, Leon had to take the initiative to step forward and help Lifar out of trouble.

Chapter 55: Casting Parliament.

"Sage Lifar has indeed completed his mission, Master Foundry Director."

Li Ang tried his best to appear polite.

"We are not Space Marines who attempted to enter the Forge World without permission. We are the 'evidence' of Sage Lifar. We are here to support Sage Lifar's important discovery."

Director Augustus shifted his gaze to Leon, the Mechanicus sage whom he had not paid attention to before.

His eyes swept across the sage badge on Leon's chest and recognized Leon's identity.

"Interesting. The Yomiuri Bio-Sage No. 8 who was with the Imperial Fists."

His gaze paused briefly on Leon, then looked at Lifar again.

"Question. Sage Lifar, what discovery requires you to bring these Space Marines as evidence?"

"It's an impending greenskin invasion!"

Lifar raised his hands, trying to describe the enormity of this invasion: "We must prepare early, otherwise the entire Forge World will be engulfed by the greenskin tide! In the name of the bell ringer of this crisis, the God of All Machines, let me in!"

Augustus Casting Director said nothing.

An atmosphere of silence spread, and only the chaotic jumping of binary code sounds remained on the bridge.

Leon knew that now was the time to test his patience. He soothed Kurland with his eyes, asking him and his warriors to suppress the anger caused by the contemptuous remarks made by the foundry director.

The Imperial Fists responded to Leon's expectations. Their tenacious character allowed them to bury their anger deep within their hearts. They simply stood there in silence, not making any moves that would give them any reason to criticize them.

Seeing that there was no way to expel these Space Marines, the casting director in the projection finally nodded slowly.

"Angry. Sage Lifar, my emotional processor tells me that I should be furious at your hypocrisy."

Despite this, the Casting Director's tone remained steady. In fact, having transformed himself to this degree, he had lost the right to experience human emotions. "But logically speaking, your request complies with the standards and procedures of the Mechanicus."

"Bring these lost dogs here, and we will discuss this greenskin invasion at the Forge Council."

After announcing his decision, he turned off the projection. The equipment on the research vessel was unlocked, the radar was deactivated, and the entire ship proceeded to the next stage of towing and mooring according to the original procedure.

Sage Lifar breathed a sigh of relief, his body limp as he slumped to the ground. But the sound of Kurland's fist slamming on the conference table startled him again.

He jumped up from the deck and scurried to the conference table, where he saw the projection equipment smashed to pieces by Kurland's punch. He screamed in pain, "What are you doing! This isn't my ship! You're going to have to pay for the damage..."

Kurland glared at Lifar, and the anger in his eyes made Lifar stammer.

"Your forging director dared to humiliate the honor of the Imperial Fists!"

"That doesn't make me pay for his mistakes and your anger..."

Lifar stammered as he expressed his opinion. Members of the Mechanicus were only so brave when it came to matters that concerned their own personal interests.

"The Mechanicus is a combination of selfishness and speculation, and the Forge Master, who sits at the pinnacle of the Mechanicus, is the best of all in this regard."

Leon saw it clearly: "A regiment that has suffered heavy losses, even if it is a newly established regiment, does have the capital to look down on it. Kurland, we are in need of help now."

"I understand that."

Kurland sighed: "I just don't know...how much longer I can endure this."

The responsibility of holding Terra now rests on him, and he has yet to fully recover from the destruction of his entire group. Even the sons of Dorne, as resilient as they are, have limits to their endurance.

Li Ang patted his shoulder comfortingly.

"It won't be long, trust me."

But Li Ang didn't say everything.

Indeed, it is rare indeed for a Forge Master of a Forge World to show such disdain for an Astartes Chapter.

Normally, even if a Forge World looked down on a poor beggar warband from the bottom of its heart, it would not mind making normal transactions to establish a good relationship.

For the Astartes, who value honor and commitment, a timely assistance is enough for them to incur a debt of honor, allowing a single company to obey the orders of the Forge World. Which of those oilmen with many enemies would not want a group of Astartes to work for them?

This casting director who dared to look down on the startup team must have some calculations and secrets of his own...

The research vessel officially connected to the spaceport. Guided by the servitors, the group exited the vessel and entered the spaceport's elevator. As agreed, Leon and his group would be led directly to Maxim's Foundry Council.

Maxim is not big. As a third-level forging world, Maxim only has one main hive and two sub-hives very close to the main hive.

While hives exist wherever there are large populations, the Mechanicum's hives, with their production lines, are more organized than typical hive worlds. Beyond the hives, the only places left are the mining areas that stretch across the planet.

Most buildings cannot be clearly seen from the spaceport, but the Forge Council is an exception.

It was the most imposing building on the entire planet. As a place of religious significance, all the various production lines that should have filled the entire Forge World were eliminated by the Forge Council, leaving precious space for just one Forge Council.

A massive mechanical palace stood on a desolate red sandy landscape, its cold metal exterior engraved with mysterious binary prayers. Tens of thousands of lights flickered from its hemispherical dome, casting a perpetual, dim light upon the majestic statue of the Omega Messiah before the Foundry Council, making the adamantine god of all machines appear mysterious and sacred.

Li Ang secretly clicked his tongue.

This is so luxurious that it doesn't seem like the configuration of a third-level forging world.