hotmtlnovel Chapter 24 Sweet Temptation
Chapter 24 Sweet Temptation
basement.
This was originally the backup generator room for the seventh grain depot.
It has now been transformed into a temporary "alchemy workshop".
The walls were covered with asbestos panels for sound and heat insulation.
The dim, yellowish light from the lumen bulbs flickered among the intricate brass pipes.
In front of the giant cooling water tank.
Lo Wei held the pocket watch in his hand, his gaze following the ticking of the second hand.
In front of him.
Father Alpha was waving his three mechanical tentacles, sinking a lead-gray metal box deep into a coolant-filled water tank.
The box contained the warp crystal from the heart of Nurgle's chosen one.
To protect against the insane whispers and pollution, Loewy devised a triple insurance plan.
The innermost layer is a sterling silver lining engraved with imperial prayers.
The middle layer was filled with holy oil consecrated by senior priests of the Church of England.
The outermost layer is an industrial-grade lead plate that is three inches thick.
This is not out of faith.
Rather, it is based on a dual consideration of physics and psionics.
The lead layer blocks radiation.
Holy oil neutralizes psionic fluctuations.
The silver layer serves as the final barrier to the reaction.
"Sealing complete."
Father Alpha's slightly trembling voice came through the speaker unit.
That was reverence for forbidden technology.
It was also the excitement surrounding this crazy idea.
"Coolant is being injected... Heat exchange valve is open."
"Record the readings," Lowe said calmly, putting the pocket watch back in his pocket. "I need the temperature rise data every ten seconds."
"Understood. T+10 seconds, water temperature rises 0.5 degrees... T+20 seconds, water temperature rises 1.2 degrees... T+30 seconds, the rate of increase is accelerating, and signs of boiling are appearing in the core area!"
The oracles behind the priest were flashing wildly.
The originally dark blue indicator light gradually turned into a warning orange-red.
A low gurgling sound came from inside the water tank.
It was as if a monster had awakened in the deep sea.
The heat-conducting copper pipe connected to the top of the water tank quickly turned from dull to crimson.
That's proof that high-temperature steam is surging wildly.
Lowe reached out and pressed something in the air, signaling the priest to remain calm.
He walked to the pressure gauge and tapped the glass dial lightly with his fingers.
"Law of Conservation of Energy"
He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps preaching to the cyborg.
"No matter how evil or indescribable its origin, as long as it exists in the material universe, the way it releases energy must follow the laws of matter."
"A calorie is a calorie; it has no camp."
“But, advisor…” Father Alpha observed the ever-increasing pressure values, “this energy level reaction has exceeded that of a conventional small nuclear fission battery. Crystallization… it’s ‘breathing’.”
"Let it breathe," Rowe said coldly. "As long as it exhales heat, not viruses, it's the boiler we need."
He turned around and walked towards the main valve that connected to the fermentation workshop.
That was his real purpose.
The underground fermentation tanks of the Seventh Grain Depot are kept at a low temperature year-round due to a lack of fuel.
Synthetic protein bacteria that rely on temperature to reproduce have an appallingly slow growth rate.
And now, he holds in his hands an inextinguishable sun.
"Start the circulation pump," Rowe ordered. "Send this steam, carrying the 'warmth' of the crystals, into the jacket of the fermenter. Don't let our bacteria go hungry."
As the heavy valve was pulled up by the winch, scalding steam roared out of the pipe.
The entire basement was shaking slightly.
Luo Wei stared at the white steam seeping from the pipe connection, his nostrils twitching slightly.
There was no sulfur smell, and no putrid stench.
It only has the pure, scalding smell of steam.
His tense shoulders relaxed a little.
The first gamble paid off.
The physical and mystical double filter of lead and holy oil successfully stripped away the "toxicity" from the subspace energy.
Only the most primitive "thermal energy" remained.
This is scientific, and it's also Warhammer.
……
Three hours later.
Luo Wei sat in his office with the samples that had just been delivered in front of him.
An aluminum lunchbox.
It was filled with more than half a box of green soup.
Typically, green soup smells like musty, smelly feet and tastes like chewing on a damp newspaper.
However, things are different today.
It was still steaming, its surface glistening with a strange yet alluring sheen.
Thanks to the constant high-temperature catalysis, the microbial community in the fermenter completed a reproduction cycle that would have taken three days in just three hours.
The protein is broken down more thoroughly.
It also produces a caramel color similar to the Maillard reaction.
Luo Wei picked up a spoon and stirred it.
The viscosity is perfect.
However, he didn't rush to eat.
He took a silver needle from the drawer and inserted it into the soup.
The fact that the silver needles did not turn black indicates that they do not contain any common toxins.
He then took out a litmus paper, and the acidity and alkalinity were within the safe range.
Finally, he scooped up a small spoonful and put it in his mouth.
There was no foul stench as expected.
On the contrary, Lo Wei was slightly taken aback when the warm, pasty substance slid across his tongue.
Sweet.
It's not the refreshing sweetness of sucrose, nor the sharp sweetness of saccharin.
Instead, it has an intoxicating aroma, like that of overripe fruit on the verge of rotting.
Lo Wei swallowed the soup.
A warm current slid down the esophagus into the stomach, and then spread to the limbs and bones.
The fatigue is subsiding.
My temples, which had been throbbing from staying up late, have now felt much better.
An indescribable sense of satisfaction gave him a strong urge to take another bite.
"Smack."
Luo Wei suddenly threw the spoon back into the lunchbox, making a crisp sound.
He stood up, walked to the sink, and splashed cold water hard on his face.
The icy stimulation jolted him out of his strange sense of comfort.
Looking at his slightly pale face in the mirror, his eyes gradually turned cold.
"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Physical filtration and the neutralization of holy oil effectively blocked the virus and visible corruption.
However, the essence of subspace energy is the mapping of thoughts.
That ultimate concept of "abundance" and "vitality" still permeates the steam and enters the food in the form of trace elements.
This "sweetness" is the bait that lures the filthy creature!
It won't make you mutate immediately, nor will it make you sick.
It will only make you feel happy, and make you gradually become complacent in your satisfaction.
Finally, in the dream, I walked towards that eternal garden.
This is a slow poison on a psychological level.
Luo Wei looked out the window.
In the square, tens of thousands of laborers were staring longingly at the canteen's door.
Their stomachs were growling.
Their eyes were hollow from prolonged hunger.
If they are not given food, the riots will destroy everything tonight, even before the Nuguri make a move.
Rather than starve to death or be torn apart by a mob.
Eating some sweet soup, which has side effects, seems to be the only option.
This is the survival logic of this ridiculous world:
Choose the one that takes longer to take effect from the two cups of poisoned wine.