Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 320 Industry is the True Extraordinary

"It takes decades to cultivate a superhuman. It requires selecting the best from hundreds or thousands of people, those whose willpower alone can shake reality. It also requires mastering superhuman abilities to the point of combat, and a large amount of superhuman materials for practice. It takes so much time and effort to cultivate a superhuman—"

The old woman pointed to the bolt-action rifle on the back of the missionary.

"It only takes one bullet to kill them."

"Young man, how long have you been a member of the Guardians of the Order? How long did it take you to learn how to use a bolt-action rifle?"

The friar was taken aback, and stammered, "I've been a friar for about two months, and I learned to use a bolt-action rifle in about a morning."

Erwin's eyes flickered, and he nodded silently.

The old woman casually picked up the silver teacup from the table, squeezed it tightly, rubbed it, and when she opened her hand, only a metal ball remained.

“You may think this power is great, but it is nothing compared to firearms. There’s no need to compare it to Castel’s gun. The firearms used by the Imperial Army are something that even superhumans cannot withstand.”

"The Imperial Army is fighting on all fronts, and apart from the monsters of the Silent Sanctuary, no superhuman can stand up to bullets head-on on the battlefield."

"In deep-sea warfare, the enemy is a mindless monster. Even so, the greatest role we, the extraordinary beings who chase the fire, play is merely to provide a higher perspective. Airships in the sky can almost replace us in most of our work."

"As for the banshees, when are they at their strongest? Is it when they charge in heavy armor? No, it's when they throw explosives."

"Among its peers, the Banshee is basically the strongest in head-on combat."

Erwin opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

When the banshee charged into battle in heavy armor, she was as tall as a wall, and killing enemies was as easy as killing chickens.

However, in terms of actual effectiveness, it is far less efficient at killing enemies than throwing explosive packs.

However, if Castel were to invent a throwing tool, even if its efficiency were only one-sixth that of the Banshees, the Banshees would be immediately eliminated from the ranks of throwers.

There are only one hundred banshees in total, but if a few more production lines are opened in the factory, the production capacity in just one morning will be more than that.

Erwin's discovery that powerful, enigmatic superhumans could play a negligible role in combat.

Even the banshees' telepathic links, the lord has said, can be replaced by radio.

The Christian Guards looked at their own hands, at their comrades, and at the bolt-action rifles on each of them.

Extraordinary beings have always been synonymous with power, mystery, and invincibility. But why, according to the old woman's description, are they simply unable to contend with industrial creations and have become a useless existence?
How can superhumans be like this?
weak?
No, perhaps it's not that the superhumans have become weaker, but rather that they haven't realized just how powerful [Industry] truly is.

Knights wielding longswords and infantrymen clad in heavy armor—these professions, once synonymous with strength, vanished without a trace, leaving not a ripple.

Their resistance, their tragic heroism, went unnoticed and uncared for.

The extraordinary are simply more powerful and mysterious, which gives them the right to be crushed by [industry].

Did the ancient knights ever charge against a line of musketeers?
Nobody remembers.

All people can remember is the priest of the Silent Sanctuary charging through the barrage of bullets and smashing his flail on the musketeer's head—that was the last fleeting moment of the extraordinary.

The old woman was a superhuman; she knew the era of superhumans was long gone, and Zoe and Erwin were mortals, so they still harbored illusions about superhumans. "That's why the major churches have sealed off supernatural knowledge, and superhumans only deal with the anomalies caused by supernatural powers."

The mother-in-law smiled and shook her head, but sighed inwardly.

In fact, even dealing with mutations is becoming increasingly difficult for superhumans. Decades ago, during the mutation on the continent, almost all of the Candlelight Society's investigators died. In the end, it was only by the Mechanical Sanctuary using some forbidden technology that the problem was solved.

In this deep-sea war in Castel, the superhumans have been completely relegated to a supporting role, while mortals are the main force on the battlefield.

The idea of ​​mortals fighting against the extraordinary is something no one dared to imagine before, but it is gradually becoming a reality.

Actually, when we were on the island, my mother-in-law was initially quite puzzled:
Despite having a band of banshees, Hughes did not build an army around them.

These are over a hundred extraordinary beings, all of them banshees skilled in direct combat. With them, Hughes could even contend with the Pirate King's Court for control of the Storm Ocean.

However, Hughes only sent them to help Castel advance technology and develop industry, without any intention of using them for external warfare.

It wasn't until the Deep Sea War that the old woman realized Hughes was actually right.

Even though the old woman was a moth drawn to knowledge, she never imagined that industry possessed such power. Monsters that even the superhumans could not defeat were held back by ordinary people.

The mother-in-law sighed, her eyes softening with kindness.

"So there's no need to fear those cultists. They'll never amount to anything. The weapons you have are far more powerful than theirs."

Erwin and the Defenders nodded unconsciously.

Zoe asked with some curiosity, "Grandma, did you discover any cults during your investigation in Blood Harbor?"

The old woman nodded, her expression turning serious: "We've discovered them, and most of them are quite troublesome. There are Mother Goddess followers in Blood Harbor."

"Mother Goddess believers?"

Zoe's eyes cleared, and she scratched her head, looking somewhat confused. "Are they... dangerous?"

Erwin and the Guardians of the Faith also pricked up their ears. They knew almost nothing about the supernatural world. Castells was isolated overseas, and no cultists had ever come here to eliminate the Moths of Fire.

"The Church of Mother of Life is one of the most dangerous cults. They may not be the strongest, but the damage they cause, especially the casualties, is often the most horrific."

"The followers of the Mother Goddess may not be strong in combat, but they are numerous and fearless. By the time they are discovered, they are often everywhere, making them quite difficult to deal with."

"A huge number of people? Why are there so many? Is it because their extraordinary paths are easier to succeed at and more powerful?" Zoe asked.

The old woman gave her a deep look: "No, the extraordinary path of the Church of the Mother Goddess of Life is the weakest. They have almost no extraordinary abilities and their lifespan is extremely short. Most Mother Goddess priests do not live for more than a month."

"Then why would anyone join this cult?"

This time, the mother-in-law didn't say anything, but just sighed and silently looked out the window.

(End of this chapter)