Warhammer: Starting with Industrial Revolution

What troubled Luo Ning was nothing more than the fact that he had personally entered the Forest of Death, but he had not gone too deep.

It is now clear that the creatures here are more threatening than imagined, and as the expedition continues to venture deeper, they will inevitably face even fiercer attacks.

He hesitated, wondering whether to further increase the number of guards or to start all over again.

"Lord Victor, how many servo skulls do we still have that are not yet in use?" He turned to look at Victor beside him. The chief priest of the Mechanicus was intently looking out the window. Even from a distance, the rows of felled trees in the Death Forest could be easily seen from the command center.

Upon hearing Luo Ning's question, he thought for a moment and replied, "There should be a dozen or so left in the warehouse."

As always, Viktor maintained his usual sparing use of words, but Ronin was already used to it.

"I would also like to request that Lord Viktor bring these servo skulls here as well, and recall the servo skulls responsible for long-range surveillance, to fully guard the dense forest surrounding the expedition team," Ronin said respectfully. Although he had a deep relationship with Viktor, he always spoke to him with genuine respect.

Viktor did not answer, but simply nodded slightly. Soon after, several servo skulls flew away from the hive at high speed and disappeared into the dense forest. On the holographic projection in the combat command center, more light spots representing servo skulls appeared.

Battles occur from time to time, but with more servo skull scans, even large-scale beast attacks can be dealt with by the defenders in advance by setting up lines in advance.

But the unexpected crisis came from the plants in the Death Forest.

As the expedition team advanced, the closer they got to the central area of ​​the Death Forest, the more bizarre the situation became.

The dangers of mutant plants are far more insidious and deadly than imagined.

The seemingly harmless towering tree bursts open with a dark green corrosive liquid the moment it is cut down. The migrant worker's light protective clothing is instantly corroded and penetrated, and his skin rots at a visible speed. He dies a few seconds later with a horrifying scream.

Ordinary vines by the roadside can suddenly sprout and entangle the limbs of those who approach, their instantaneous contraction capable of crushing bones and dragging people into the depths of the dense forest where they disappear.

An inconspicuous flowerbed can suddenly erupt with bone spikes powerful enough to pierce light armor, leaving many soldiers unable to dodge and pinned to the ground, struggling in agony.

Even seemingly harmless mushrooms can release highly poisonous spores when someone gets close. Those who inhale them will convulse and collapse on the spot, with black blood gushing from their mouth and nose.

The damage to the team was more severe than expected; even the mechanical church's engineering vehicles suffered varying degrees of damage and were forced to stop operating several times.

The workers' enthusiasm was completely extinguished. They were not afraid of death, but seeing those around them die in such a tragic way made even the most desperate men feel fear.

Especially when they saw that even fully armed defense soldiers were often powerless against these mutated plants, and some even disappeared without a trace, fear spread like a plague.

The pioneering team, which had suffered heavy casualties, had long lost the spirit it had when it set out, and many of them began to clamor to escape back.

Meanwhile, the defensive troops responsible for covering the rear blocked the retreat route as ordered.

The workers roared and cursed, their emotions running high, and a conflict was imminent.

Just then, a roar came from the sky, and the transport plane came to a steady stop on the wide road that the pioneering team had repaired.

Ronin jumped down from above, ordered the troops blocking the laborers to move aside, and faced the terrified conscripts alone.

"If anyone wants to leave, then go ahead! The Governor's Office won't blame you. All the promised benefits will be provided in full; you can rest assured! That's what you deserve. You've already contributed to the capital and the empire!"

Luo Ning shouted loudly at the workers, his voice attracting everyone's attention. Thousands of eyes instantly focused on him, and the restless crowd gradually quieted down.

"Workers, what I want to say is, are you really willing to give up the fruits of your labor?"

"Thanks to your efforts, you have already covered a distance of 42 kilometers, reaching the deepest part of the Death Forest! Your achievements will be forever recorded in the history of this planet! Now that you have overcome the greatest difficulty, are you planning to give up at this crucial juncture?"

"For those who want to leave, this transport plane is prepared for you. No one has the right to blame you. Humans are born with a fear of death; this is not cowardice!"

He paused, then changed the subject, his tone becoming extremely solemn.

"But to those who are willing to stay and persevere, I, Ronin, in my capacity as Assistant Governor of Vatos VII, will make you a promise!"

"All workers who wish to stay and continue working will have the opportunity to learn in the factory. You can start as apprentices, and once you become qualified workers, you will obtain official citizenship of the Empire! You will also become middle-class citizens of the hive city! Your families will move into new homes with you and enjoy full food rations and medical care!"

"This is my promise to you, Ronnin, Assistant Governor of Vatos VII!"

Hearing Luo Ning's words, the workers' expressions clearly showed hesitation. Luo Ning knew that they were having their final internal struggle.

At the same time, he knew best that these people in the Xiachao District, living in hardship, longed for the day when they could turn their lives around.

Therefore, he increased the rewards, as the saying goes, "a generous reward will surely bring forth brave men."

Although a few people eventually chose to leave safely, most others had a more determined look on their faces.

Ronin ordered the guards to unload new equipment from the transport plane: a mechanical church thermoplastic logging machine, modified from a factory cutting machine. The mechanical priests had already begun the modification work during the preparation of the expeditionary force, and now it was finally completed. Ronin delivered it over immediately.

With these thermoplastic logging machines, the efficiency of logging will be increased many times over.

At the same time, the workers can also cut down trees a little further away from the forest, which effectively reduces the potential threat of these mutated plants.

Luo Ning returned to the transport plane. The laborers who had backed out at the last minute dared not look him in the eye, but Luo Ning didn't care at all. All he cared about was the smooth progress of the project.

As the transport plane slowly took off, Luo Ning stood at the window, looking down at the Death Forest.

The path pioneered by the team is like a rift, tearing the Death Forest in two.

This road, paved with blood and sweat, is not only a passage to ancient ruins, but also a path of hope for the future of the planet Vatos VII.