[Observe]
[Hans - Lv. 40]
| EXP: 0.00%
|An artificial spirit and former Man of Iron, AKA Iron Automaton, who had degraded over millennia, broken down and recreated by Gerhard, the Gamer. He has been granted artificial life, which is protected from most dangers the natural souls face.
|He has been integrated into a body similar to that of the Tech Priests.
-------------------
| HP: 10,000
| MP: 6850
-------------------
| STR: 120
| VIT: 105
| DEX: 85
| INT: 295
| WIS: 167
| LUK: 20
-------------------
Status Points: 195
-------------------
Skills:
Awakened Machine Spirit (Passive/Active) Lv.4
| EXP: 4.60%
| The dormant authority of a forbidden intelligence awakens.
| A remnant of the Men of Iron asserts control over lesser systems.
Effects:
| +40% efficiency when interacting with technology
| Can override simple machines (Active)
| Perceives machine states and weaknesses
| +1 Parallel Processing Thread
Special:
| Allows limited communication and influence over machine spirits
-
Distributed Cognition Core (Active/Passive) Lv. 3
| Hans splits his processing into multiple independent threads.
Effects:
| +1 additional processing threads
| +30% calculation speed
Can handle:
| -> combat analysis
| -> targeting
| -> crafting assistance simultaneously
-
Machine Dominion Protocol (Active/Passive) Lv. 2
| The true nature of a Man of Iron begins to emerge.
Effects:
Can override complex systems
| -> turrets
| -> vehicles
| -> basic servitors
| Can network multiple machines together
Special:
| Creates a local machine network field
-
"You know, I'm not sure whether I am happy with such injustice. Why the fuck do you have the same amount of luck as I do?"
> I also seem to have 195 Stat Points, Master. What shall I do with those? I don't think they are worth keeping around needlessly.
"Can you spend them on your physical stats?" Gerhard asked.
> I can't spend them at all, Master. Since it is you who has the system, I am affected by your power. So if anyone can do that, it would be you.
"That makes sense... I see your MP regen is roughly 80, which is abysmal all things considered."
> I believe it is natural, Master. After all, that's the way it is calculated.
"Right. Honestly, the best thing we could do is to spend the points into INT and WIS, to give you more energy and MP regen, to power your weapons."
> How does that work, Master? Will I also have endless ammunition?
"No. You will, from now on, have to prepare in advance and then deal with the problems of each battle. What we can do, however, is maybe come up with a new energy source... although... we could also spend the points and keep things as they are."
> Would an alternate energy source help me in any way? I believe having Mana is better overall, no?
"I agree. Let's do it."
Gerhard reopened Hans' status window.
INT: 295 -> 457
WIS: 167 -> 200
-------------------
| HP: 10,000
| MP: 8470
-------------------
| STR: 120
| VIT: 105
| DEX: 85
| INT: 457
| WIS: 200
| LUK: 20
-------------------
Status Points: 0
-------------------
> My MP regeneration has risen to 101/min, Master. Because I don't have the abilities that you do, I don't get any special skills for reaching thresholds like INT 100 or 200. So it is rather small, compared to yours.
"That's at least something. Now you also don't need Mana to keep functioning, unlike me in my suits."
> I will still be present in your logic core, Master.
"I know. We'll keep it that way for now, as you have more than enough logic threads to handle this. Well, I think we're just about ready to have another go at the Orks, what do you think?"
> I believe the Orks won't be ready for what is about to hit them.
"I agree."
Gerhard exited the Instant Dungeon and walked through the door that was his workroom. Since Sera Vahl was there, Gerhard had started building a secret base, which he reinforced extensively to make it easily defendable should something happen. He didn't want Sera to see all that he did in the dungeons.
And because it was secret, Sera could train without worry, and her results were visible. She was a hard-working woman. And incredibly motivated.
"Sera, it's time."
"The month already over?" she asked and wiped sweat off her brow.
"Yep. Time to remind them that we're still around. Now, here's how it's going to go down."
.
.
Exactly one month had passed since Gerhard sent the Ork "messengers" back to the Ork Big Boss. In that time, the Hive plaza had been transformed into a fortress of junk and scrap, and the Orks had spent every second of it getting louder, angrier, and more numerous.
After the Ork Warboss had heard about the humie who killed all of them and then dared to challenge him, he naturally wanted to see it for himself. But what he found... was nothing.
Gerhard had looted everything, only leaving some of the Ork Boyz corpses and the Gretchin behind. It did bother the Orks greatly, since only the most kunnin' enemy could do something like that. Da boss immediately ordered the Underhive searched.
All they found was Chaos and plagues, which sparked a new set of battles, which the Orks won decisively, just like Gerhard had hoped they would. Not because he was on one side, but because it was simpler to deal with the Orks. They basically brought him all the materials and weapons he wanted.
So, when it was finally time to go again, Gerhard was looking forward to it.
.
Gerhard stood at the edge of the plaza while [Stealth] was on, the MK. III-H "Iron Monger" humming with a powerful thrum, ready for combat. To his left stood the Kastelan Golem, its blue visor glowing, feeding intelligence to Hans. To his right, Hans, draped in the red-leathered robes of the deceased Magos, held the Omnissian Axe and was just as ready as Gerhard was.
> The auspex sweeps are hitting 100% saturation, Master. They've brought a few heavy hitters. I count twelve Warbikers, three Trukks, and a Big Mek signature. Shall we begin the schooling?
"Let's not keep them waiting," Gerhard grinned.
Just like the first time, Gerhard announced his arrival with a loud explosion and stomped into the plaza.
"I HAS RETURNED!"
His voice carried far and wide across the plaza. The Orks didn't wait for a formal challenge this time. With a deafening roar of "WAAAGH!", the battle started right away.
[Observe]
Warbiker – Lv.35
|HP: 7500/7500
|MP: 0
|Weapons:
Twin Dakkaguns
Special Effects:
| High-speed movement
| Hit-and-run attacks
-
A swarm of Warbikers tore across the ferro-crete, shouting as they did, and their twin dakkaguns spitting lead with wild abandon.
"Hans, the stage is yours. I want to see how effective all that work was," Gerhard commanded.
> Initiating machine dominion protocol. Kastelan, engage spread pattern.
The Kastelan Golem didn't move its legs. Instead, its torso spun fluidly, and the shoulder-mounted Phosphor Blaster erupted into high-intensity fire.
THOOM-THOOM-THOOM!
White-hot incendiary rounds shot through the air, their path perfectly calculated to hit. The first biker didn't even have time to scream before a phosphor round punched through his body and the warbike's fuel tank. The weapon's lethality was immediately evident, exploding in a blinding white light and reducing it to nothing.
But that wasn't all. Unlike the original Kastelan Robot, this Kastelan Golem was armed to the teeth. He lifted his power fist and fired the Gauntlet Bolter into the fray.
Every subsequent shot from the Kastelan's arm-mounted Gauntlet Bolter zoomed through the air, drawn to the glowing "Marked" position of the Orks, moments before by the Phosphor blaster. The mass-reactive bolters detonated inside some Warbikes' engines, turning the high-speed raiders into tumbling scrap metal, which caught those next to them in the aftermath.
[Warbiker defeated] x 4
[+440,000 EXP]
After taking care of all the Warbikers, the melee Ork Boyz horde was about to arrive, but they weren't the only ones.
"They're clustering up, Hans! The Trukks are moving in to ram!" Gerhard said over the vox as he used his Storm Bolter to pick off a few stragglers.
Ork Trukk – Lv.36
|HP: 12,000/12,000
|MP: 0
|Weapons:
Big Shoota
Special Effects:
| Transports Orks
| Ram Attack
-
Three Ork Trukks rushed forward, their reinforced rams glowing with heat. From the flatbeds, Tankbustas levelled their Rokkit Launchers, aiming for the Kastelan's and Gerhard's joints. Most of them ignored Hans, as he was the smallest target and so in the minds of the Orks, the weakest.
> Master, the kinetic impact of the ramming manoeuvre exceeds the Kastelan's stability parameters.
"Then I believe it is time for the other solution."
High above, a Deffkopta attacked, its rokkits fired at Gerhard. He didn't dodge, leaving Hans and the Golem to deal with the Trukks for now. He cast the [Psionic Mana Shield], which appeared around him. Unlike the ball shape of before, this one was an icosahedron. He found that this shape reduced the amount of Mana he needed significantly, yet remained strong.
The rokkits detonated against the blue barrier, but the kinetic force barely registered, making Gerhard smile.
"My turn," he muttered.
He raised his Lightning Claw and pointed the modified Storm Bolter at the Deffkopta, but the Kastelan was faster. It raised its Phosphor Blaster, and white-hot rounds shot upward. The Deffkopta exploded in the same bright, hot white as the Warbikes had. The attack shredded the rotor blades, sending the air unit spiralling into an approaching Ork Trukk below.
[Deffkopta defeated]
[+120,000 EXP]
[Ork Trukk defeated]
[+130,000 EXP]
[Ork Boy defeated]
...
"Did you just steal my kill?" Gerhard asked Hans.
> All kills register as your kills, Master. It was the most effective way to deal with the Trukk. Apologies for doing this.
Gerhard laughed, parrying a choppa from one of thousands of Ork Boyz who had finally gotten close. The fighting promised to be an even more intense one than the last one, as there were bigger vehicles and more Boyz present.
But that was perfect.
Gerhard swung his Power Sword through the masses, splitting them apart without feeling resistance. His Lightning Claw did the same on the other side, and his Storm Bolter spat explosive rounds into the fray, clearing small chunks of the green tide with ease. But the horde was huge.
There was only one way to deal with this.
"HANS..."
> Yes, Master?
"GET ZE FLAMER!"
> ...
"ZE HEAVY FLAMER!"
Hans, who had been keeping the horde away from him, with precise strikes of his Gamma Pistol and other weapons, ordered the Kastelan to do just that, as the greenskin wave was literally optimally positioned to do the most amount of damage.
> Understood.
The Golem stepped forward, into the path of another Trukk. The Ork driver widened his eyes with mad glee, stomping on the accelerator, expecting a crunch of metal. Instead, the Kastelan lifted his arm that held the Heavy Flamer... and activated the weapon.
> Heavy Flamer – "Inferno Purge Engine" activated.
A flood of Heavy Grade Inferno Promethium fire erupted. It was a physical wall of liquid fire at over 2,000 degrees. The lead Trukk didn't stop or apply the brakes... it started to melt and veered off course, missing the Kastelan and running over dozens of Orks.
The Adhesive Firestorm effect of the Heavy Flamer caused the flames to leap from the burning vehicle to two Trukks flanking it and all the Orks that were run over by it as well.
"Waaaaahhhhhh!!"
Orks began to roar in pain and collapse from the Trukks, already charred black before they hit the ground. The Armour Breakdown effect turned the 'Ard armour into molten slag that fused to their skin and killed them moments later.
The battlefield turned into a sea of fire, with Orks roaring in pain and succumbing to the damage moments later. And it continued to spread, making the Orks particularly angry, who wanted to get closer.
[Ork Trukk defeated]
[+130,000 EXP]
[Tankbusta defeated]
[+70,000 EXP]
[Ork Painboy defeated]
[+70,000 EXP]
[Ork Trukk defeated]
[+130,000 EXP]
[Tankbusta defeated]
[+70,000 EXP]
[Ork Mek defeated]
[+100,000 EXP]
.
.
.
[Level up]
[Level up]
It was total pandemonium.
Gerhard watched a Big Mek frantically try to recalibrate his Kustom Force Field as the wall of fire, which the Kastelan was still firing forward without stopping, spread toward him. The Mek's eyes bulged as the "Inferno Purge" simply ignored his barrier's frequency entirely.
"DAT'S INORKABLEE!!"
[Ork Big Mek defeated]
[+180,000 EXP]
"Hans, that's enough! You're melting the loot!" Gerhard said, though he was grinning like a madman.
> Correction, Master. The scrap is now preheated for easier dismantling and forging. Proceeding to the next target thread.
Hans stepped through the curtain of fire, his red Magos robes untouched by the heat, as he flooded himself with his Mana. His Omnissian Axe crackled with blue lightning as he activated the power button. He swung the axe through bodies of groaning, angry Orks, killing them with ease.
"DAT'S ENUFF! GIMME DAT SHINY METAL!" another Mek roared, as he stepped forward, levelling his Kustom Mega Slugga.
> Pathetic. Countering with the Gamma Pistol.
Hans, in turn, levelled the Gamma Pistol and aimed at the Mek. A beam of blue annihilation punched through the Big Mek's armour and defences as if it were tissue paper. The Atomic Breakdown effect ignored every scrap of "lucky" scrap armour the Mek wore.
[Gamma Pistol – "Atomic Disintegration Relic" – Rank: Special]
- Durability: 560/560
- Damage: 1020
- Critical Chance: 12%
- Fire Rate: Low
- Charges: 9
Special Effects:
Gamma Annihilation Beam
| Breaks down targets at the atomic level
| +200% radiation damage
Severe Irradiation
| Targets suffer extreme HP loss per second
| Effects stack rapidly
Atomic Breakdown
| Ignores 100% armour
| Damages both organic and inorganic matter
Fortification Breach
| +100% damage vs structures
| Can melt through defensive positions
-
"WOT IN DA—" a nearby Big Mek roared in anger, as the Mek ceased to exist.
Hans didn't give that one a second to attack. He swapped to the Arkhan Storm Galvanic Rifle.
-
[Galvanic Rifle – "Arkhan Storm Pattern" – Rank: Special]
- Durability: 360/360
- Damage: 720
- Critical Chance: 22%
- Fire Rate: Medium
Special Effects:
Galvanic Annihilation Rounds
| → +150% electrical damage
| → Devastating internal energy release
Kinetic-Energy Collapse
| → Burns out all stored energy within the target
| → Massive internal damage effect
Precision Execution
| → +100% headshot damage
| → Increased weakpoint accuracy
Advanced Armour Penetration
| → Ignores 60% armour
Chain Discharge
| → Electrical energy jumps to nearby targets
Target Lock System
| → +40% accuracy at range
| → Faster target acquisition
-
CRACK--
A single, precise shot to the head, amplified by Precision Execution, sent a surge of electrical energy through the Mek's neural wiring, detonating his teleport pack and destroying pretty much everything else around the area of impact.
[Big Mek defeated]
[+250,000 EXP]
Gerhard landed in the centre of the battlefield. His Power Sword hummed. The plaza was silent, save for the crackle of burning promethium. The Orks had run away so that they could fight another day.
Gerhard looked at his status. He had gained a total of three level-ups after all that killing. He had ignored most of the notifications, but now he saw every killed Gretchin, Snortling and Squig, and together with the passive kills of the heavy flamer, it was three levels.
Not bad, but not as good as it could have been. They went about it wrong.
"Hans, how's the Golem?"
> Durability is at 94%. The auto-repair is already in effect. The weapons performed at 112% of the theoretical maximums. I must have calculated something wrong.
"That was the Orks most likely. They see the Kastelan mow them down the way he did, and they'll think he's more powerful than he is, or something like that."
> I suppose we have one month to go over our battle strategy. If we want to deal with all of them, we should cut off their escape.
After a few minutes, Sera Vahl arrived. She had been helping from a hidden, higher platform, using the Long-Las to pick off several Orks. If she was curious about the sudden appearance of the Tech Priest, she hadn't said anything. Gerhard thought that she simply didn't care.
"How was the weapon, Sera?" Gerhard asked.
"Impressive, honestly. To think that you created this from almost nothing... truly impressive."
"I think it might be time to upgrade the sniper rifle. You were good just now. You more than deserve the best weapon I can create right now."