I summoned the Fourth Scourge in Warhammer

Chapter 47 Matter Decays, the Soul Remains Immortal

After regrouping, the team continued forward. Based on the intelligence relayed by Nguyen Van Bo, the two scouts at the front soon spotted the huge, rusted three-way intersection at the end of the dimly lit passage. In the very center of the intersection, above a heavy blast door, a large "Gear-Alpha" symbol gleamed coldly under the emergency lights.

Without hesitation, they ignored the other two roads leading to the residential area and chose the middle one. Considering Nguyen Van Bo's emphasis on the "traps" and "distress," the two scouts moved with extreme caution, making sure each step was secure before daring to move, their laser guns constantly aimed at the darkness ahead.

However, after walking for a while, the two players became puzzled. As players acting as scouts, they both possessed a keen eye for detail. Ruan Wenbo had clearly stated that the information given by the mechanical priest included "the road has been in disrepair for many years." But the passage beneath their feet had obviously been repaired. Although the repairs were quite crude, with welds and patches lacking any aesthetic appeal, it felt extremely sturdy both on and off the ground.

"Strange, the information is wrong," one of the scouts with the ID [Fluttering Moth] muttered under his breath. "Could that priest be an Allied intelligence agent? Or is there an error in our company commander's relay?"

“It’s also possible there are enemies ahead,” [Name? Not decided yet] replied. “They’ve repaired the road. Be on guard.”

"Ah."

Sure enough, after advancing cautiously for about a hundred meters, they spotted people. Turning a corner filled with steam pipes, the space opened up into a small gathering square. Dozens of people were gathered there, and to the two players' surprise, at first glance, they all appeared to be normal humans, without any obvious physical mutations.

It's worth noting that the cultists they primarily targeted in Lower Nest all exhibited some degree of skin ulceration and limb deformities. Upon learning of Ruan Wenbo's speculation that their main enemy in Middle Nest was the Genestealer cult, the two players had expected to witness even more horrific and twisted limb mutations than in Lower Nest.

"Strange, could it be that this place hasn't been infiltrated by cunning people yet?" Moth wondered.

"I'm not so sure..." The name's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on a wall opposite the square. There, a huge pagan symbol was crudely painted on with red paint. The pattern was roughly circular, with a ferocious, snake-like beast occupying two-thirds of the pattern, its jaws wide open, as if about to devour the remaining third—a decaying, broken gear.

Just when they thought they had gathered enough information and were preparing to retreat and report, a gentle voice suddenly rang out behind them.

"Brothers, why don't you join us?"

The two players froze instantly, but being seasoned veterans, they quickly regained their composure. Since they'd been discovered, they figured they might as well go along with what the other side was saying and maybe extract some more information. After all, they could respawn; they weren't afraid to die.

"Join what?" The name slowly turned around and asked.

A person dressed in a large black robe, with most of their skin shrouded in shadow, was smiling at them. His smile was genuine, but it seemed particularly eerie in the dim light.

“Join this event,” he said, opening his arms as if embracing the entire square, “to celebrate our working brothers’ discovery of the truth, to celebrate freedom, to celebrate liberation—to celebrate the immortality and eternity of the soul.”

“We are the Astral Army,” Moth said straightforwardly, pointing to her distinctive uniform and bulletproof armor.

"So what?" the other party retorted, his smile undiminished. "Aren't the Astral Army just workers who take up arms? You are just like us, serving the Lord of the Void. What's the difference?"

"The Emperor does not have the title of 'Lord of the Void'," Moth retorted, frowning.

"He has it!" The other person's tone suddenly became firm.

"He doesn't!" "He does!"

"he……"

“We’re in.” The name stopped the pointless theological debate in time.

The other party immediately became happy: "That's great! I'll lead the way for you and explain our doctrines to you while I'm at it!"

Then, led by the man in black robes, they made their way through the crowd. Along the way, the man in black robes explained his doctrines to them in a long, drawn-out manner. He first denounced the corruption and inaction of the upper-class nobles, and condemned how they, for the sake of meaningless enjoyment and bottomless greed, plunged the workers, who were also subjects of the emperor, into endless torment and suffering.

As he spoke, he extended his hand from his black robe. The sight caused the two players' pupils to shrink instantly—although they had spent so many days in this game and become accustomed to the bloodshed of the battlefield, seeing hands worn smooth and pale from overwork still shocked these 21st-century people.

"Even so, we remain loyal to the God-Emperor!" The other party's tone was resolute, full of pride and determination. "The upper class has embarked on a path of betrayal for the sake of pleasure, while we have become even more steadfast in our faith amidst our suffering!"

"The upper-class nobles denounce us as a cult and heretics out of fear... How laughable! How could they possibly understand our will?" the man in black sneered. "Whether it's those chaotic cults or gangs, they are all birds of a feather with the nobles. They are also human beings, yet they are extremely eager to get rid of their humble origins as soon as possible, but we are proud of it."

His voice gradually became louder and more fervent: "The material wealth they crave will eventually decay, and even this universe will eventually be annihilated by entropy! Only by being embraced and reshaped, by having our bodies and souls absorbed by that magnificent and extraordinary being, can we attain true eternity—at that time, there will be no more distinction between superior and inferior, and every human being will be as close as brothers, advancing for the great and glorious cause of liberation of all races in the universe!"

The two players were jolted awake by the sound! They realized that their thoughts had unknowingly fallen into chaos, and a strange sense of disorientation enveloped them. Undoubtedly, this was something only psionic abilities could accomplish.

They looked around and realized that, without anyone noticing, they were now completely surrounded by everyone in the square. Each person was staring at them with eyes that were a mixture of pity and fanaticism.

Immediately afterwards, everyone spoke at once, their voices converging into a chilling torrent:

“You rich people! Cry out and lament the calamity that is about to befall you! Your possessions are decaying, your clothes are eaten by moths, your gold and silver are rusted, and that rust will accuse you and devour your bodies like fire. In the last days, you will only know how to accumulate and destroy your treasures!”

"The workers harvested your crops, yet you withheld their wages. Those wages are crying out for justice; the workers' grievances have reached the ears of the Lord of the Void!"

The man sighed and said, "There are sectarian wizards... This is going to be difficult."

The moth nodded: "Let's self-destruct."

The next second, two high-explosive grenades were activated simultaneously in the center of the crowd.

boom--!
The violent explosion engulfed everything; the flames and shockwaves tore the fanatical believers to pieces and completely annihilated the grand chanting.

(End of this chapter)