"The original colonists built the first town here, but as the hive city developed, this town was buried deep in the Bottom Nest."
Saying this, Mont leaned closer to the map, looking at the building Joan pointed to:
"This is the old Government Building from over ten thousand years ago, where the colonial government was located, and it has survived to this day."
"Is this your target? This area is now the core region of the Four-Armed God-Emperor Cult."
"This old Government Building has also been converted into a church by them."
Are the genestealer entrenched here?
What are they doing entrenched here? Are they just guarding the Warp Engine's location?
Is it accidental? Or intentional?
Alexander couldn't help but rub his chin, then looked up at Mont and asked:
"What are the genestealer doing squatting here?"
"Injecting newcomers, whom they've deceived or abducted, with alien genes, of course."
Mont shrugged and said:
"Their patriarch usually stays inside as well, and we've never been able to break in."
At this point, Mont paused, pointing to the area around the First District on the map:
"Around the First District is a ring of ten-thousand-year-old technological defense walls, equipped with many ancient weapons. God knows how the Four-Armed God-Emperor Cult repaired it."
"Now, even if we use all our people, including the plague zombies, it's impossible to break through this defense wall."
A technological defense wall from over ten thousand years ago, huh?
Alexander looked at the map, rubbing his chin, thinking.
Over ten thousand years ago, the Emperor's Great Crusade hadn't even begun. This defense wall might contain technology from ancient times.
No wonder Mont and his people couldn't do anything about the First District.
After all, they only received a blessing cobbled together by a group of nurglings.
"It's not entirely without a solution, though."
Mont said in a low voice:
"In Nurgle's garden, there is a type of Iron plague that can infect human flesh, causing it to merge and intertwine with steel."
"..As long as we perform a sacrifice and bring that Iron plague into reality, spreading it across the First District—"
"Mont." Marquite shook his head, interrupting Mont. He said gently, "It's not time yet."
Alexander glanced at Mont.
The Geller Iron plague. What Mont spoke of could be the Geller Iron plague created by Nurgle or something similar.
This plague was created to destroy the Geller Field.
In Alexander's impression, the Geller Iron plague would only be released by Nurgle after the Great Rift opened.
It can infect human flesh, inducing the infected to destroy Geller Fields or other machinery, and eventually causing the infected's flesh to merge with machinery.
If Mont and Marquite really summoned this virus into reality,
Then the technological defense wall near the First District would indeed be nothing to worry about.
It's just that Marquite temporarily seemed unwilling to use large-scale sacrificial methods. Interesting, he's a cultist, yet he's avoiding sacrifice.
Is there some deeper reason?
Alexander narrowed his eyes, then looked at Marquite: "Besides what Mont just said, do you have any other plans?"
"I have one more."
Mont grinned, as if showing off his idea:
"We've always speculated that the Four-Armed Emperor's cultists rely on a central entity, which should be their patriarch."
"If we can kill their patriarch, it might throw them into a certain degree of chaos."
"If the Four-Armed Emperor Cult's patriarch always hides in the First District, we really can't deal with him."
"But recently, for some unknown reason, the Four-Armed Emperor Cult has become eager to expand, and this patriarch will leave the First District in the next few days to begin a itinerant mission."
Mont pointed to a settlement on the map and said:
"We plan to gather a group of people to ambush them, hopefully killing their patriarch."
"If successful, when the Four-Armed Emperor Cult is in chaos, the First District's defenses will weaken, and we can seize the opportunity to take it, allowing you to enter the old Government Building."
Alexander listened to Mont's words, his mouth twitching slightly.
Alexander's evaluation of Mont's plan was to put him at the same table as Joan.
Most of his plan was still reasonable.
If the initial source of infection among the genestealer, the mouthpiece of the hive mind, were killed,
It could indeed plunge the entire genestealer into a period of chaos until a new Genestealer Patriarch was born.
But the biggest bug was—
"Who told you the patriarch is the core of the genestealer?"
Alexander rubbed his temples and said.
It seems that the nurglings who blessed Mont and Marquite didn't know much about the genestealer either.
"Ah, isn't he?" Mont scratched his horn, looking bewildered.
"The patriarch of the Four-Armed God-Emperor Cult is merely pushed to the forefront; he's just a spokesperson for the genestealer patriarch."
Alexander shook his head, refuting Mont's entire plan:
"The true core among the genestealers is their genestealer patriarch. He is the initial source of infection, the mouthpiece of the hive mind. He can control all genestealers through a certain psychic perception."
"Killing the patriarch can create a period of chaos. The patriarch, however, doesn't have such great value."
Alexander finally understood.
Even in the Bottom Nest, the deepest part of this hive city, the genestealer patriarch, the governor's mutated brother, the Hellworm, still hid in the darkness, never showing himself openly.
They're really GSC.
"You just said the genestealer are eager to expand and recruit people to join them?"
Alexander frowned and said:
"You haven't found the reason? Haven't you considered listening to that patriarch's sermon?"
Perhaps this could provide clues as to why they are expanding so frantically.
"..Look at us." Mont pointed to himself, then to Marquite.
Alexander looked at the sores, maggots, and inflammation on Marquite's body.
"Now think about our subordinates?" Mont pointed to the mutants outside the shanties.
Without exception, they all bore Nurgle's blessing; they would be exposed with just one glance.
The genestealer cult, knowing this, would surely guard their surroundings strictly, not allowing anyone with even a trace of Nurgle's blessing to approach.
The most reliable method would be to find someone who hasn't been blessed by Nurgle, someone who looks like an ordinary person, to gather information.
Mont and Marquite looked at Alexander.
Alexander shrugged and said:
"Alright, I can go listen to that patriarch's sermon."
Although Alexander had just caused trouble at the genestealer gathering point,
As long as he changed his face, he could blend in again.
"Thank you, good brother." Mont smiled: "I knew you were the most reliable—"
"But you!"
Alexander pointed at Mont, saying word by word:
"You have to come with me too."
Mont blinked, pointing to himself in confusion: "Who, Me?"