Chapter 709 Attack and Defense


    【Time: -75.02.54】


    “So, this is a fact?”


    Guilliman stared at the high-level technician in front of him, who nodded awkwardly.


    "Yes, sir, I followed your instructions and monitored the Word Bearers'' network, and the results were... regrettable."


    “They are uploading some kind of code to the Calth network...can you figure out what that code is for?”


    “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do in a short period of time, and… those codes…”


    The senior technician hesitated for a moment.


    "The characteristics of those codes are very strange. We have controlled their scope as much as possible, but they seem to be able to penetrate our defenses. The Mechanicus is a little worried about this. But so far, these have not had any impact , maybe this is just some kind of Word Bearers-specific programming code, but I hope they can inform us in advance."


    Hearing the report of the senior technician, Guilliman fell silent. Although he did not fully believe Duanmu Huai''s warning, Guilliman had always been prepared for the worst. Therefore, on the grounds of "focusing on the Word Bearers'' communication lines to avoid malfunctions during this large-scale military exercise," he monitored the Word Bearers'' ports connecting to the Calth network.


    ?This is actually quite normal. After all, such a large-scale military mobilization will inevitably bring an incalculable amount of data traffic. In this case, it is not surprising to coordinate and pay attention to the communication lines between the two armies to avoid problems. So the high-level technicians followed Guilliman''s instructions.


    But now, the news he brought cannot reassure Guilliman. After all, Duanmu Huai once warned him that the Word Bearers would use some means to paralyze Calth''s military network. As of now...


    Unfortunately, he may be right.


    “Can the Adeptus Mechanicus handle this problem?”


    "For now? Sorry, the Adeptus Mechanicus does not see this as a priority, only as a data redundancy created by large-scale military movements. And... we seem to lack the means to counter it."


    “I’m sorry to disturb you two.”


    At this moment, a soft voice suddenly came. Guilliman turned around and saw a girl standing up and coming to Guilliman''s side.


    “The Lord Inquisitor once instructed that if you encounter problems with network data, then I can provide a certain degree of technical support on behalf of the Inquisition.”


    “You mean you can solve this problem?”


    “I can try it, if you allow me.”


    "Um………"


    Guilliman looked at the girl, and then at the senior technician, who looked at the girl curiously.


    “Sir, she is...”


    “As you heard, do you think it’s okay?”


    “I’m not sure.”


    ??The senior technician shook his head, and the mechanical tentacles behind him danced slightly.


    "Sorry, in my personal opinion, I don''t think this mortal girl can have any impact on Calth''s network failure. Even with the full support of the Mechanicus, we can''t do that massive data..."


    “So, you can’t finish it in a short time, right?”


    “Sorry, that’s exactly what happened.”


    “Then Miss Lumière.”


    ? Guilliman didn''t say anything more, but turned his head to look at the girl.


    “Are you sure you are sure?”


    “I can give it a try, but I can’t say I’m sure.”


    Lumiel’s answer was also cautious.


    “Of course, the Tribunal will understand if you refuse my assistance due to information and data security reasons.”


    “Then may I ask what your plan is?”


    "According to the Lord Inquisitor, these...electronic demons are difficult to completely eradicate, so personally, I can lure those virus programs to some relatively safe data spaces, block and erase them, and at the same time deflect information transmission. The data network channel allows all the codes uploaded by the Word Bearers to be transferred to the designated location.”


    “Okay, then I’ll let you try it.”


    Guilliman thought for a moment and nodded.


    “What do you need?”


    “I need a terminal.”


    "no problem."


    Guilliman raised his head and looked at the senior technician.


    “I remember there was a replacement Thinker, right?”


    "Yes."


    “Just let her use that one.”


    “Yes, sir.”


    ?Although the senior technician did not think that a mortal girl could handle this level of trouble, after all, even the pilots of the Mechanicus would find it difficult to solve the problem in this situation. But since Guilliman gave the order, he had no choice but to execute it.


    Soon, the group of people came to a warehouse located in the Cowes space station. Here was the meditator terminal that had been replaced before. The senior technician took a step forward and first connected his neural network. After all, no matter what this girl wants to do, he has to monitor her every move. This is the core of the entire military network. Although the senior technician does not think that a mortal can react in this vast data flow, he still Be calm and do things according to your responsibilities.


    Then, the senior technician saw the girl who looked to be only ten years old reaching out her hand and placing it on the terminal.


    What''s the use of this?


    Seeing this scene, the senior technician shook his head inwardly. This primitive input method can only be used to read and search data. A real servo technician should synchronize his thinking with the network, and then... How is this possible! ?


    However, the next moment, the senior technician''s eyes widened in surprise. Through the center of the thinking network, he saw a scene that he could not imagine at all!


    The girl''s hands began to glow, and then strips of light emerged from her fingertips and penetrated deep into the terminal. Then, the senior technician saw an unimaginable scene - the intertwined information and codes in the thinking space were all surrendered to the brilliance of the girl at this moment. They were like the courtiers of the king, completely obeying the girl. will.


    What kind of power is this?


    ??The senior technician widened his prosthetic eyes and stared at the incredible scene in front of him.


    ●Those data, information, and codes are not passively searched and read, but are actively transferred within the girl''s will. The vast data flow was like a stream in the girl''s hands, and she could easily swing it, control it, and direct it like an arm.


    “What’s wrong? What happened? What did she do?”


    Guilliman naturally noticed the expression of the senior technician and hurriedly asked, but the latter looked ecstatic.


    "God of all machines, sir, you can''t even imagine what I saw! This is a miracle! This is a miracle of the God of all machines! Praise the God of all machines! Praise Omnisiah! She is all machines The incarnation of God! ?


    Guilliman looked at the senior technician in surprise, but at the same time, Lumière also started to take action.


    “I’ve found it.”


    Then she spoke.


    “Found it?”


    “Yeah, that’s not scrap code or some kind of virus, that’s a word.”


    “Just a word???”


    ?Hearing Lumiel''s answer, Guilliman frowned.


    “You’re saying that one word creates redundancy in the entire thinking network?”


    “That’s not an ordinary word…”


    Lumiere calmed down and recalled what Duanmu Huai told her about electronic demons - not harmful codes or virus data, they were just eight words composed of letters.


    Eight names.


    The name of the eighth level.


    Once these eight names are thoroughly entered, they will begin to absorb the thinking of the electronic network and grow, revealing their true colors.


    They corrode, they infest, they are indelible.


    Sacred numbers.


    Eight times eight times eight raised to the eighth power…


    “I am in the process of transferring data.”


    Lumière explained again, and the senior technician next to him also nodded. At this moment, he no longer meant to guide or monitor at all. It was more like he was looking at the torrent of data with the eyes of appreciating a work of art. The girl''s hands were as gentle as weaving, weaving to form a flawless mechanical network.


    "Why?"


    However, just when Lumière transferred the last word, her expression suddenly changed slightly. At this moment, Lumière felt that when the eight words uploaded from the Word Bearers base appeared in a data space at the same time, they suddenly began to multiply like a virus, expanding at a completely unimaginable speed...


    “Sever the physical connection, quickly!”


    Just as Lumière''s scream appeared, the mechanical tentacles behind the senior technician suddenly shot out, and the laser blade flashed past, directly cutting off the cable of the meditator''s terminal. However, immediately afterwards, a shocking scene happened. .


    The moment the senior technician cut off the cable, accompanied by a shrill scream, everyone saw that on the screen of the meditator''s terminal, the characters that were originally shining with codes and data suddenly began to twist and rotate, and in the blink of an eye they turned into a whole body. A pink monster with a terrifying shape, it stared at Guilliman and the others with wide eyes, and the next moment, it suddenly jumped out of the screen and rushed towards Lumière!


    ————!


    ??Guilliman didn''t know what was going on, but he subconsciously took a step forward, drew out the sword from his waist and slashed at the monster. The sword blade cut the monster into two pieces, and then the monster suddenly expanded and turned into a pool of blood and exploded, spraying on the surrounding walls.


    …………”


    There was dead silence in the whole room, and even Lumière was stunned and stunned. Although she did hear something about electronic demons from Duanmu Huai, this was too unexpected for her.


    “…What kind of trick is this?”


    Guilliman looked at his blood-stained sword. He couldn''t believe what he had just seen. A monster emerged from the cogitator''s screen and attacked them, although his rational mind wanted to think that This is just an illusion, this is just an illusion, but the blood sprayed around and the touch from the sword blade clearly deny this. He could even smell the scent of the monster, the dark nightmare, the eternal stench of the warp.


    “What’s this trick?”


    Guilliman turned his head and looked at Lumiel, who also shook his head.


    “I’m sorry, I don’t know the details either. Only the Inquisitor...maybe able to explain it to you.”


    "I see."


    Guilliman took a deep breath, and the strong smell of blood made him feel a little uncomfortable. But this also reminded him once again that everything that happened in front of him just now was not an illusion.


    But reality.


    “So, has the threat been resolved?”


    "That''s the case for the time being, but the other party''s strength is obviously beyond expectation. Maybe we should completely cut off their communication lines."


    "I see."


    Guilliman nodded, then looked at the senior technician.


    “Immediately cut off the communication lines of the Word Bearers base, and say that there is an internal failure in our network, and we are currently undergoing large-scale maintenance work. And…”


    ?At this point, Guilliman paused.


    “Order the Fourteenth Company to the outskirts of the Word Bearers’ garrison and await further orders from me.”


    Malicious premise.


    Guilliman never wanted to think about this. He still believed that it was all just a misunderstanding. Maybe Lorgar himself didn''t know all this, and it was all done arbitrarily by his people. But Guilliman''s reason told him that this didn''t make sense. In any case, he was the master of five hundred worlds, and he must be responsible for the world under his jurisdiction.


    At least for now, everything they encountered indicates that the Word Bearers are indeed up to no good.


    But what should Guilliman do?


    It was impossible for him to fire the first shot. Even if Guilliman ordered it, the Ultramarines below would not agree. They never expected to point their guns at their own Astartes. This order was absolutely unacceptable to them. Most incomprehensible. Guilliman knew this, and just like him, he never imagined that he would one day turn his weapons on Lorgar, his brother. Although Guilliman admitted that he sometimes thought Lorgar was a bit childish and overzealous, he still considered the two to be brothers.


    But...it seems that Lorgar doesn''t think so.


    ?Walking back to the command room and noticing the surprised expressions of others, Guilliman realized that the blood on his face had not yet been wiped off.


    “Sir? What happened?”


    “Something happened.”


    Facing the questions from his subordinates, Guilliman frowned and shook his head, then he asked.


    “Any news about the First Company and the Campanile?”


    (End of this chapter)