Chapter 243: The Portal Opens
During this month, the expansion project of the Badlands manufactorum never ceased.
Under Joric's explicit instructions and the "Administrator's" highest-priority resource allocation, massive amounts of construction materials, energy cores, precision processing equipment, and skilled workers were continuously sent to the Badlands. The workshop area, originally just a temporary stronghold, was completely razed and rebuilt.
A month later, a brand new, grand-scale laboratory complex rose from the original site of the Badlands town.
Its style merged the heaviness of the Adeptus Mechanicus with the practicality of local materials. The overall structure was exceptionally sturdy, sufficient to withstand direct hits from heavy weaponry.
The internal space was strictly divided into different functional zones: main control center, energy array, life support zone, weapons testing range, biological sample analysis room, and the core of it all—a massive Portal Chamber.
This newly built Portal Chamber was thirty meters high and occupied a vast area.
In the center of the hall was a giant ring structure made of superconducting metals and special crystals. Its surface was etched with complex energy-channeling patterns, connected to the Dimension Teleporter Joric carried with him.
Countless thick energy conduits extended from the surrounding walls and floor like giant pythons, connecting to various interfaces on the base of the ring structure.
A powerful energy field permeated the entire hall, and the air carried a faint smell of ozone and ionized metal.
On the day the main structure of the laboratory was completed, Joric left his temporary residence in Night City and returned to this fortress that belonged to him.
Without delay, he immediately directed Servitors and engineering personnel to precisely install the safely encapsulated Dimension Teleporter into the core position of the large-scale portal array.
Installation, calibration, energy infusion... a series of complex and precise operations were efficiently completed under Joric's direct control.
When all physical connections and energy circuits were confirmed connected, Joric did not immediately activate the cross-dimensional transfer.
He first conducted a complete system self-check. Massive data streams were exchanged at high speed between his processing core and the portal's main control system, verifying the status of tens of thousands of nodes.
After confirming no errors, he activated low-power operation mode.
The ring structure began to emit a low hum, and ghostly blue light flowed through the patterns, but did not form a complete gateway. Joric closely monitored energy fluctuation curves, spatial stability readings, and structural stress data.
He conducted several brief micro-spatial disturbance tests not pointing to any specific coordinates to verify the system's response speed and control precision.
The entire process lasted about thirty minutes, ensuring every link of this newly built large-scale equipment was in an absolutely controllable and optimal state.
Finally, all preliminary tests passed.
Joric issued the formal activation command.
Energy output instantly boosted to the preset level. The space in the center of the ring structure was torn and twisted by powerful forces. Ghostly blue light condensed and rotated, finally forming a stable, swirling vortex over twenty meters in diameter.
Light and shadow twisted within the vortex, seemingly connecting to an unknowable abyss. The powerful spatial disturbance caused the air inside the hall to seem to tremble slightly.
Joric's crimson optical lenses stared tightly at the portal, his processing core monitoring every energy reading.
Stability reached the expected threshold.
Through the encrypted data link, he sent the command to cross to the House Nearl squad that had long been standing by on the other side at the Death World base.
In the next moment, massive energy fluctuations erupted from the center of the portal.
First to pass through was the "Nemesis" (Knight Preceptor) piloted by Młynar Nearl.
A steel giant nearly twelve meters tall stepped out of the ghostly blue vortex. Its heavy metal feet landed on the specially reinforced floor of the hall, making a muffled boom like a giant hammer strike.
Its chassis lines were sharp, armor heavy. Siege Claws were retracted at its sides. Its massive size and肃殺 (grim/austere/murderous) aura instantly filled a large portion of the space.
Following closely, Margaret Nearl's "Lancer" (Knight Lancer) leaped out with an agile posture. Her frame was relatively slender, Shock Lance held horizontally, Ion Shield generator glowing faintly on her shoulder.
Then came Maria Nearl's "Punisher" (Knight Gallant/Warden variant), heavy bolter cannons and storm blade highlighting its fire support role.
Finally, Zofia's "Instructor" (Knight Preceptor) emerged. Its balanced equipment, las-impulsor, and chainsword indicated its multi-functional battlefield role.
Four Knight suits, like Titans walking out of myth, stood tall in the spacious portal hall.
Behind them, the ten Armiger-class mechs and some core members of the Sacristan team also passed through the fluctuating portal in turn.
The brief sensory deprivation and sense of spacetime dislocation brought by the crossing faded rapidly. Inside the cockpit of his Knight suit, Młynar Nearl was the first to regain full spatial perception.
While initiating scans, he asked in a deep voice over the comms channel: "Margaret, Maria, Zofia, report status."
"Unit operating normally." Margaret's voice carried slight panting from the crossing.
"System self-check all normal." Maria followed closely.
"Armiger array complete. Sacristan team confirming status." Zofia's voice was the most steady.
After receiving confirmation, Młynar activated external environmental scans.
Through the panoramic cockpit, he saw this hall filled with an exotic technological style. The air was permeated with energy signatures and chemical smells completely different from a Forge World.
As the Auspex Array scanned, data streams flashed rapidly across the display interface.
"Environmental composition analysis: Nitrogen-oxygen ratio close to standard, unknown trace compounds present. Energy readings show abnormal background radiation levels; high-intensity, unknown-pattern residual energy fields detected." He paused slightly, adding the most critical structural assessment. "Architectural structure identified as conventional standard, below Imperial basic fortification rating."
"Arrival at target dimension confirmed." Młynar's voice was steady as usual. "Maintain defensive formation. Await further instructions."
Margaret and Maria also completed basic environmental scans almost simultaneously.
Despite receiving detailed mission briefings before departure, personally experiencing dimensional travel and truly setting foot in an alien world brought an impact far beyond what written descriptions could compare to.
The breathing of the young sisters quickened slightly inside their cockpits. Their sensors continuously transmitted data with subtle differences from their home world—atmospheric composition mixed with unfamiliar industrial emission residues, and environmental background radiation spectrum characteristics were also starkly different.
Zofia's voice rang in the comms channel, interrupting their thoughts. "All personnel maintain focus. Armigers, deploy in preset formation. Maintenance team, begin comprehensive inspection immediately, prioritize checking power cores and weapon systems."
Her instructions were clear and efficient.
Under her command, ten Armiger mechs moved rapidly to strategic positions in the hall, forming a ring defensive line.
Sacristans had already begun working around the four Knight suits. Holding various ritual implements, they chanted prayers to appease the Machine Spirits while using professional equipment to detect any minute damage the mechs might have sustained during the crossing.
(End of Chapter)