Zeke decided to stop being sneaky about it and began using iron ingots openly.
As the Iron Golem withstood another round of Bloodhowl's attacks and prepared to swing its iron fist once more, Bloodhowl urgently called a halt.
"Stop! The test is over!"
With a somewhat undignified leap, he jumped back seven or eight meters, returning to his seat.
However, the Iron Golem remained firmly locked onto him and continued its pursuit.
Judging by its stance, it would not rest until the attacker before it was eliminated.
"Hey, make this iron lump stop!" Bloodhowl shouted at Zeke.
Oh no. Zeke had been so focused on the demonstration that he forgot: once an Iron Golem is provoked, its aggro is difficult to drop unless the target dies.
Seeing the Iron Golem about to charge again, Zeke tried a desperate measure and rushed between Bloodhowl and the construct.
The directive prohibiting attacks on its creator conflicted with the order to eliminate the attacker, causing the Iron Golem to halt its fist.
Thank goodness it didn't cause a disaster. Zeke breathed a sigh of relief.
He composed himself and turned toward Bloodhowl.
"Captain Bloodhowl," Zeke said with a sincere tone, "thank you for the demonstration. Please accept this small gift as a token of my gratitude."
"A gift? Who cares for..."
Bloodhowl instinctively wanted to refuse.
As an Astartes, he could not accept gifts from mortals.
This was an unwritten rule, born from the painful lessons of his battle-brothers.
In the past, Astartes had caused great catastrophes simply by accepting gifts from mortals.
But when his gaze fell upon the object in Zeke's hand, he was involuntarily captivated.
It was a golden fruit that radiated warmth and teemed with vitality.
"Take it, Captain Bloodhowl. It will come in handy," Zeke's voice chimed in at just the right moment.
As if possessed, Bloodhowl reached out and accepted the Golden Apple.
Zeke had calculated the move to gift this Golden Apple carefully: first, to pave the way for potential future business cooperation, and second, to earn a favor.
Bloodhowl's ship, the Firemane's Fang, was one of the few vessels on Cadia capable of breaking through the Chaos blockade and driving straight into Abaddon's Blackstone Fortress.
Since the Blackstone Fortress was a place he would have to visit sooner or later.
"This one is free," Zeke smiled, then shifted his tone. "However, if you want more in the future, there will be a fee."
Bloodhowl gripped the Golden Apple and looked again at Zeke's seemingly sincere smile.
For the first time, he felt that the mystery shrouding this tiny human before him was even denser than that of the Iron Golem.
At this moment, the eyes of everyone present were focused entirely on the Iron Golem in the center.
Magos Klein of the Adeptus Mechanicus was the first to speak:
"Please forgive my directness, but I must inquire: what is the manufacturing cost of this Iron Golem, and is the manufacturing process complex?"
These two questions addressed the very concerns on everyone's mind.
Facing the countless burning gazes, Zeke nodded firmly twice, his voice clear and powerful:
"It is very cheap."
"The manufacturing difficulty is very low. It can be mass-produced."
These brief answers were like heavy bombs, detonating the auditorium.
The Cadian officers could no longer maintain their composure and began whispering among themselves.
"If this is true, we could deploy them to every unit. Cadia's military strength would ascend to a new level."
Bang!
A sharp slam drowned out the clamor.
Inquisitor Daverna had slammed her palm onto the table before her, the sound causing everyone to shut their mouths reflexively.
Here it comes. Zeke waited to see what fault the Inquisitor would find.
"I have a question." Inquisitor Daverna stood up.
"The tragedy of the Volscani traitors—the smoke has yet to clear, the blood has yet to dry. Have we forgotten it so completely?"
"As I see it," she turned to Zeke, "neither this object nor its creator is worthy of the slightest trust."
She took a step forward, her aura imposing. "How can you guarantee the safety of these constructs?"
"What if, after being deployed on a massive scale, they suddenly turn traitor en masse and attack the very things they are meant to protect?"
Zeke was momentarily at a loss for words. He couldn't exactly pat his chest and say, "Don't worry, these are Minecraft rules; Iron Golems are born to protect Villagers."
As Zeke rapidly thought of a response, a mechanical voice cut in.
"I believe that on this matter, Lord Inquisitor, there is no need for excessive concern. We, the Adeptus Mechanicus, can provide assurance."
Everyone looked over; the speaker was Magos Klein.
Zeke hadn't expected Magos Klein to speak up for him.
Magos Klein looked at Zeke.
"If a specimen can be provided for our research, the Adeptus Mechanicus can design a series of tests to ensure its loyalty."
Making it sound so noble, when in reality you just want an Iron Golem to study, Zeke realized.
He chuckled inwardly. The Mechanicus can't even fully decipher STCs. If they can figure anything out from four iron blocks and a pumpkin, I'll be impressed.
Inquisitor Daverna did not back down despite Magos Klein's endorsement.
Zeke spoke up. "The very meaning of the Iron Golem's creation is protection."
Meeting the Inquisitor's gaze, he said, enunciating every word, "This is a fact that even I, as its creator, cannot alter."
"Words are wind!" Daverna snapped.
"So, I repeat my earlier statement: practice is the sole criterion for testing truth."
Zeke turned to Creed. "Castellan Creed, could I ask you to bring in a soldier? Preferably a young one."
Creed's brows furrowed. "Will there be any danger?"
"Rest assured," Zeke replied confidently.
Creed exchanged a few words with Kell beside him.
Kell nodded, and before long, he returned with a recruit who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old.
The recruit had obviously never seen such an overwhelming assembly of figures.
Astartes, an Inquisitor, a Tech-Priest, and the Iron Golem—only his sworn duty to obey orders kept him from fleeing.
"Come here, don't be afraid." Zeke beckoned to him. "Stand next to the Iron Golem. Yes, right beside it."
The recruit shuffled his feet tremblingly and walked to the Iron Golem's side.
Then, Zeke looked at Inquisitor Daverna.
"Now, Lord Inquisitor, would you be willing to personally test the Iron Golem's loyalty and execution of its duty to protect?"
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