Andy locked himself in his core workshop, staring at the high-energy biological signals on the holographic display.
The source of the signal was located at the biggest obstacle in the entire infiltration plan: a circular underground drainage pipe with a diameter of only 2.2 meters.
This section of the pipe ran directly beneath the Helios factory, connecting to the acidic subterranean river that led to the outside world. The environment was atrocious. The walls were coated in slimy moss and unidentified chemical deposits, while the ground was flooded with half a meter of corrosive stagnant water.
In such terrain, facing a high-level unit suspected to be a Purestrain Genestealer, conventional tactics were completely useless.
The barrel of a Heavy Stubber was too long, and its feeding mechanism made it cumbersome. In a narrow pipe, just turning the gun around would be a struggle. If an enemy leaped from behind or from the side above, Andy would have no space to adjust his aim. Furthermore, the recoil of a Heavy Stubber on slippery ground would cause severe displacement—Andy might slide into a trench before he could even finish a single belt.
As for a flamer? Using one in a relatively confined underground space would cause the flames to instantly consume the already thin oxygen within the pipe. While an Iron Man didn't need to breathe, an internal combustion engine did. If the fuel sprayed by the flamer lacked oxygen to burn, wouldn't it just be... oil?
"What about melee?"
"Would melee work?"
Andy looked at the modified chainsword at his waist. That wouldn't work either. The reaction speed of a Purestrain Genestealer was optimized by the Tyranid Hive Mind. Engaging in a knife fight with such a thing in a sewer was not only extremely risky, but if a hydraulic line were severed, Andy would become nothing more than a pile of scrap metal waiting to be slaughtered.
He needed a specialized weapon. A weapon that could be wielded in a cramped space, possessed massive lethality, and wouldn't destroy the pipe's structure. Or at least, wouldn't destroy it too much.
Andy connected to the STC database and entered search criteria specifically for counter-measures against Genestealers.
[SEARCH: CRAMPED SPACE / HIGH-MOBILITY BIOLOGICAL / SUPPRESSION WEAPON.]
The data stream rolled rapidly, popping up several names that sounded intimidating.
[Gravity Crushing Gun]Principle: Fires gravity waves to crush the target into a meat patty.Requirement: Anti-gravity coils, singularity generator. Andy looked at the scrap metal in his warehouse. Pass.
[Monofilament Wire Net Launcher]Principle: Fires an invisible net to slice the target into fragments.Requirement: Nano-scale loom, high-molecular polymer silk. Andy looked at the industrial rubber in his hand. Pass.
[Neural Shredder]Principle: Attacks the target's nervous system, liquefying its brain.Requirement: Psionic crystals, brainwave frequency modulation chip. Andy wanted to curse. Did the STC database have some misunderstanding of the current industrial environment? The solutions it provided were all top-tier gear from the Golden Age, completely ignoring the reality of the Underhive where even finding matching screws was a challenge.
"Fine, I'll have to rely on myself."
Andy closed those flashy blueprints. He began to examine himself. As a DAOT engineering Iron Man, what was his greatest advantage?
Strength! Pure, violent mechanical strength!
His hydraulic-driven right arm could burst with several tons of thrust in an instant. If used to throw an object, the muzzle velocity could easily break the sound barrier. In a sense, Andy was a walking humanoid cannon.
In that case, why not build a weapon specifically designed for "throwing"?
A concept emerged in Andy's mind. A sphere. In a circular pipe, the irregular bouncing of a sphere could cover all blind spots. But this couldn't be an ordinary iron ball; it needed some "spice."
Andy immediately activated his modeling software and began hand-drawing blueprints. Ten minutes later, a design titled "Chainsaw Blast Orb" was finalized.
The main structure was a fist-sized hollow steel ball, made from high-carbon chrome bearing steel salvaged from armored vehicle bearings—it was extremely hard. On the surface of the steel ball, Andy designed six spiral grooves. Inside the grooves, folded blades were embedded. These blades were ground from memory alloy scraps and were incredibly sharp.
The key lay in the deployment mechanism. Andy didn't need complex motor controls. He utilized the most basic physical principle: centrifugal force.
When Andy hurled the steel ball at supersonic speeds, aerodynamic forces would cause it to spin rapidly. The massive centrifugal force would instantly fling the folded blades out of the grooves and lock them in place. At that point, the steel ball would transform into a high-speed flying miniature cutter. Not only could it shatter the enemy's bones through kinetic energy, but its rotating blades could also slice through thick chitinous armor.
Inside the steel ball, Andy packed his latest refined high-energy double-base explosive. A simple delay-striker fuse was installed at the center. When the ball hit a target or a wall, the fuse would activate, with a 0.5-second delay before exploding.
That 0.5 seconds was critical. It ensured that after hitting the target, the orb could slice in, burrow into the flesh, and then explode. Or, it could hit a wall, bounce behind the enemy, and then explode.
In a two-meter diameter pipe, this thing was an unavoidable barrage. As long as Andy threw them fast enough and in sufficient numbers, the space ahead would be filled with countless flying steel beads, shrapnel, and shockwaves.
He didn't care if you could climb walls or turn invisible. Under such dense fire, even the most agile enemy would have to submit!
This is what "Miracles through Brute Force" looks like!
Design complete; work began immediately. Andy rushed into the workshop and started the universal automatic stamping machine, swapping in a hemispherical mold.
Clang! Clang!
The bearing steel plates were pressed into perfect hemispheres. Andy sat at his workbench and began the assembly. He packed the explosives, installed the fuses, embedded the blades, and finally welded the two hemispheres together.
This was delicate work, especially when packing the explosives. The yellow powder was extremely sensitive—even a tiny spark would set it off. But Andy's hands were steady, without a single tremor.
Two hours later, twenty heavy "Chainsaw Blast Orbs" were arranged neatly on the table. Their surfaces were coated in black anti-rust oil, with the cold glint of the blades faintly visible within the spiral grooves. Each one weighed approximately 5.5 kilograms.
An ordinary person couldn't even throw this thing, and even if they did, it would only fly a few dozen meters. But in Andy's hands, these were high-tech artillery shells with a range of over a hundred meters.
Andy found a tactical belt modified from a conveyor belt and hung the twenty iron eggs around his waist. They clattered with a heavy, satisfying weight as he walked.
In addition to these, Andy brought his re-sharpened chainsword as the final line of defense. As for firearms, he only brought two large-caliber automatic pistols with sawed-off barrels for finishing shots.
Finally, he donned that earthy-yellow heavy hazmat suit. This outfit had now become his signature "skin." Although it was a bit cumbersome for movement in a pipe, it effectively isolated radiation and filthy water, and could to some extent deceive the enemy.
After all, who would suspect that a bulky, clumsy-looking "Yellow Man" was hiding a steel chassis beneath his clothes capable of tearing a tank apart?
"Gamma-9."
Andy stepped out of the workshop, his yellow robe appearing somewhat mysterious under the lights.
"Prepare the vehicle."
"We're going to the Acid Swamp."
Gamma-9, who was lecturing the newly formed Storm Squad, immediately snapped to attention upon hearing the command.
"Yes! Archmagos!"