I summoned the Fourth Scourge in Warhammer

Chapter 143 Absolutely No Spreading Rumors

As one of the few Mechanicus players who left Peditia with this legion of the dead, [Moll Levin] had just received orders to come to the quartermaster to receive the new equipment allocated to their legion. As he walked, he complained to his friends on his player panel about how tedious the logistical work was.

However, as he rounded the last massive dock support and saw the scene before him, all his complaints caught in his throat. He instinctively uttered a curse word from his hometown: "What the hell…"

Before him, on the enormous helipad, mounds of armored vehicles and various types of laser guns, packed in standard military containers, stretched as far as the eye could see. Between these "mountains" lay a steel forest—rows of brand-new Leman Rustanks, Chimera armored personnel carriers, Petrified Lizard self-propelled artillery, and other mechanized equipment and heavy weaponry platforms, all freshly painted with legion insignia, arranged in an endless array. The air was thick with the intoxicating aroma of fresh paint, holy oil, and unburnt fuel, a scent that would mesmerize any follower of the Cult of Machines.

A weary-looking military officer with dark circles under his eyes strode over, shoved a data sheet into Mor's hand, and said impatiently, "Representative of the Third Legion of the Dead from Pedidia? Quickly, sign here to confirm."

Moore took the heavy data panel, his eyes quickly scanning the list. His hands even began to tremble slightly as he could hardly believe his eyes: "This... all the equipment on this... is all going to be loaded onto our transport and supply ships?"

"Yes!" The military affairs official's tone was almost reprimanding. "You need to sign for the goods immediately and check them before boarding! These items are seriously affecting subsequent transportation scheduling!"

Even after Moore mechanically finished signing the papers and watched the massive transport planes and cranes begin to methodically move the torrent of steel away, he hadn't fully come to his senses.

"How the hell can there be so much equipment..." he muttered to himself, his mind a mess. "Just these Lemanrus alone, if I count them roughly, there must be over a thousand... We've been upgraded to a mechanized armored regiment on the spot."

Just then, a blurry image flashed through Moore's mind. He seemed to suddenly realize something, and his expression changed slightly.

"Wait...didn't the commander just get off the plane with an old man in a gorgeous robe? The old man seemed all warm and friendly, almost too enthusiastic towards the commander...could it be..."

"Fuck!"

Just as Moore's thoughts were about to form a complete narrative, a similarly shocked voice interrupted him. Moore turned to see an executive committee member, also a player, staring dumbfounded at the spectacular transport scene before him: "How come there's so much equipment? What's going on? Did we rob some forging world?"

"Ahem," Moore coughed twice, glanced around furtively to make sure no NPCs were watching them, and then leaned closer to whisper, "I have a guess, just a guess, don't go spreading it around..."

The executive committee member immediately became interested and followed suit, leaning closer and lowering his voice: "Go ahead, go ahead, I'm very tight-lipped, I absolutely won't spread rumors!"

……

Humming a little tune, Ghost Face strode into the legion's makeshift meeting room. The exhilaration brought by immense wealth and power made him feel as if he were floating on clouds.

However, the moment he pushed open the door, the cheerful humming abruptly stopped.

There was dead silence in the conference room.

This is highly unusual. Normally, even before a meeting has started, this place should be as noisy as a bustling market.

But today, these guys sat upright, eyes downcast, as if they were engaged in a solemn silent prayer. The usual lively and energetic atmosphere was replaced by an eerie and heavy silence.

"Hmm?" Ghost Face's voice, filtered through his helmet, carried a hint of doubt, but he was in a good mood and didn't think much of it. He strode to the head seat and sat down heavily, the metal chair groaning.

"Gentlemen, have you all seen those new equipment?" He looked around at the crowd with a smug expression, his voice full of boasting, expecting a wave of praise and amazement.

"I saw it."

The executive committee member closest to him looked up, exchanged a quick glance with the others, and then praised them in an extremely sincere tone, even with a hint of awe: "That's all thanks to you, Commander. Without you, our Death-Seeking Legion wouldn't be where we are today."

"Yes, yes, it's all thanks to you." The others immediately snapped out of their daze and chimed in, their synchronized movements suggesting a well-rehearsed performance.

"No, no, no, you all deserve credit too," Ghost Face waved his hand magnanimously. In his view, he was telling the truth. After all, it would take him forever to deal with the nobles of Upper Nest and the gangsters of Middle Nest by himself. Little did he expect that his modest words would stir up a hornet's nest.

"No, no, no!" Everyone present, including the most argumentative troublemakers, shook their heads in denial, their faces showing an almost panicked expression. "We didn't do anything! It's all thanks to you, Commander! It was you who turned the tide, it was you... uh... sacrifice and dedication that made all of this possible!"

"Ok?"

Ghost Face finally sensed something was wrong. He slowly scanned everyone present: "What does this mean?"

"Uh, it's nothing, nothing at all, guild leader," a player quickly said, his eyes darting around. "What were you going to say? Please continue, we're all listening."

"No, absolutely!" Ghost Face slammed his fist on the table and shouted decisively, "Jason, Michael, close the door! Nobody's leaving here until you give me a straight answer!"

As the heavy metal door slammed shut, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly plummeted. The players hung their heads, looking utterly dejected. Finally, under the oppressive gaze of the masked man, one player couldn't take it anymore. He shakily raised his hand and cautiously said:
"Commander, I've heard—just heard, I absolutely haven't spread this around—that you...you have some...special relationship with a certain cardinal of the State Church. That's why he was so pleased and generously allocated so much equipment to us..."

Before Hong Wen's demonic mask could even activate, another player interrupted, trying to "correct" the statement: "Isn't that right? The version I heard wasn't like that! I heard it was with a high priestess from the Church of England? You know, the head of the high-ranking Battle Sisters!"

"No, no!" the third person immediately retorted. "Isn't the version I heard from the female merchant ronin the most plausible? She's said to be incredibly wealthy!"

"Wasn't she said to be the judge's daughter?"

"The version I heard was with Sister Atonement! You know, the one who only wore strips of cloth and carried a giant sword!"

"You're all wrong!" a voice boomed, "The version I heard is that the leader got involved with a Titan's machine spirit! She demanded that the Cult of Mechanics give the leader special treatment, and the old man had no choice but to agree..."

"That's enough! Shut up, everyone!"

With a roar, Ghost Face silenced the entire conference room, leaving only the hum of the ventilation system.

His anger dissipated after being bombarded with questions from these guys, leaving him only with endless frustration: "Damn it, who's spreading rumors about me..."

"Could it be that guy Moore?" Ghost Face inexplicably suspected the right target. "After all, the British are all gay, so it's normal for them to judge others by their own standards... Damn it, I knew I should have brought the Chinese mechanical engineers with me, but Li Yongsi and the others said they wanted to stay in Peditia to do research..."

Ghost Face pondered for a while but couldn't figure it out, so he simply gave up on thinking about it.

"Alright," he waved his hand, "Go back and tell everyone to get their telescopes and stuff ready. The fleet is about to enter the Hylanda Sector, and we'll most likely be fighting a space naval battle. Anyone who's not ready, don't go to the bridge! Dismissed!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the players present instantly changed. Their eyes lit up, gleaming with excitement. At that moment, all the rumors were left behind.

"Holy crap! Are we finally going to have a fleet battle?!"

"After playing for so long, I can finally see warships and giant cannons clashing in real life!"

"Good, good, good! To see such a scene, even dying for it would be worth it!"

The players cheered and excitedly rushed out of the conference room, preparing to welcome this long-awaited starry feast.

(End of this chapter)