Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

A ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Faraday cage was a protective shielding device invented by the physicist Michael Faraday—simply put, a metal cage.

Constructing such a metal cage was not difficult, but that only applied when the scale was small.

If one were to manufacture a Faraday cage of such enormous size, it was actually an extremely troublesome undertaking. The distribution of the steel reinforcement had to be planned in advance during the concrete pouring stage.

The primary function of a Faraday cage was to block electromagnetic interference. Under normal circumstances, it was only used during experiments involving highly advanced precision equipment. Castel’s current level of research was still far, far from that point.

So why go to such lengths to construct such a massive Faraday cage here?

“Lord, you’re here!”

The moment he entered the Testing Ground and the massive door behind him closed, Hughes saw Richard coming forward to greet him, his face filled with excitement.

“I really didn’t expect it to succeed today. I had just come back from the hospital not long ago when I received this good news!”

“Don’t get too excited. Start from the beginning—there’s no need to rush,” Hughes said with a smile as he followed Richard toward a massive metal installation ahead. “If I remember correctly, you said last time that you encountered inexplicable interference during electrical experiments, right?”

“Yes! I followed the method you taught us—using coils to cut through magnetic field lines—but no matter how I adjusted the rotational speed or other variables, the generated current kept fluctuating nonstop!”

“These fluctuations severely affected our research.”

“I remember that these fluctuations could be recorded and analyzed, correct?”

“Yes, and the analysis itself wasn’t difficult, but…” A trace of fear appeared on Richard’s face. “But the analyzed results were completely incomprehensible, and they carried an extreme amount of pollution. One of our researchers went permanently insane after just taking a single look. That was the incident I reported to you last time.”

“Maeve. I know her,” Hughes nodded heavily. He had been paying close attention to that matter and had even participated in the investigation.

She was a native of Castel. She had graduated from the Advanced Class with outstanding results and had been exceptionally admitted into the research institute. She had originally had a bright future ahead of her—who would have thought she would fall here instead?

This was also the first person in Castel to go insane due to research.

Neither Richard nor the other researchers had been able to foresee this accident at all.

One had to know that Maeve was not a Transcendent, but an ordinary Mortal.

When conducting research, ordinary people had one advantage that Transcendents could hardly match—their resistance to pollution was higher.

Pollution was an extremely peculiar thing. The more one understood it, the easier it was to become polluted. This was the so-called cognitive barrier.

Mortals’ understanding of pollution was limited to knowing its various characteristics. Transcendents, on the other hand, inevitably had to come into contact with the Sea of Unawareness. Knowledge floated within the Sea of Unawareness, and knowledge and pollution were two sides of the same coin.

As a result, Transcendents who had personally come into contact with pollution were far weaker than Mortals when it came to resisting it—their cognitive barriers had essentially already collapsed.

And in Castel, the situation was even more special.

For some unknown reason, Hughes’s resistance to pollution seemed to influence the surrounding land. From Castel to Blood Harbor and then outward, people’s resistance to pollution weakened step by step.

In other words, Castel’s people were far more difficult to erode with pollution.

Under so many conditions, it should have been relatively low-risk for Castel’s Mortal researchers to come into contact with pollution. No one had expected that the instant Maeve saw the information on that piece of paper, she would go insane.

“How is she now?”

“Still the same as before. She has completely lost her sanity. We had no choice but to restrain her. She’s still in the hospital, and there’s currently no method of treatment.”

Hughes let out a sigh.

Scientific research was always accompanied by accidents and sacrifices—it was just that he hadn’t expected it to come so soon.

“What about that note recording the information?”

“Only remnants remain. It looked as if it had been burned. The contents on it are already unrecognizable. Since then, analyzing the information within the current has become a strictly forbidden action.”

“But even so, research on electricity has still stagnated. Those strange fluctuations within the current— even without analysis—will slowly erode researchers with pollution as long as they get close to the current and study it. There’s also a certain probability of triggering cognitive interference. One could say the danger level is extremely high.”

“I’ve heard the claim that there are evil entities residing within electric currents. I just didn’t expect it to be this dangerous. If I had known earlier, I should’ve gone to take a look myself.”

Hughes possessed the Golden Throne and could purify pollution. His physical shell might be damaged, but he had never encountered anything capable of affecting his soul.

Even if a Heretical God came to chat with him personally, it was hard to say who would go insane first.

“Please don’t say such things again. Under no circumstances would we ever risk losing you, Lord. You are far too important to Castel,” Richard said solemnly.

Indeed, if something were to happen to Hughes, not to mention anything else, those secret societies that openly and secretly worshipped him as a god would probably go mad on the spot. Whether Castel would plunge into chaos or even fragmentation was hard to say—Hughes was now the soul of Castel.

Even the Machine Soul of Ten Thousand Engines had to stand behind him.

Hughes waved his hand. “Let’s put that aside for now. Was it solved in the end?”

“It was solved! Facts have proven that your method is incredibly effective!”

At the mention of this, Richard visibly became excited. He looked at Hughes with eyes full of admiration. “How did you come up with this? It’s unbelievable—this ‘Faraday cage’ actually managed to isolate the evil entities within the electric current!”

Because evil entities existed within electric currents, people in this world were almost completely unable to study electricity.

Even if they spared no expense to establish Testing Grounds, they could never obtain data free from interference. People of this world might even believe that electricity was inherently unstable—simply because they had never seen it in an undisturbed state.

They didn’t even know it was being interfered with. How could they possibly develop a Faraday cage to block interference?

As Richard looked at Hughes, his heart was filled with indescribable shock and reverence. How on earth had his Lord discovered this?

He didn’t even dare to think too deeply about it.

In truth, Hughes’s idea of building a Faraday cage had been quite simple.

When he first heard about Maeve’s incident, he had immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Such bizarre fluctuations in electric currents were absolutely abnormal. Any engineer from Blue Star possessed the most basic knowledge of magnetism and electricity, so he had immediately suspected the presence of some form of interference.

Coupled with the saying that “evil entities exist within electric currents,” a bold hypothesis had gradually formed in his mind.

Perhaps it wasn’t the electric current itself that housed evil entities—but rather the air of this world.

For example, electromagnetic waves.

Hughes suspected that some form of electromagnetic wave with a specific frequency existed in the air. It affected magnetic fields, which in turn caused changes in the currents induced within those magnetic fields.

Although he didn’t know exactly how the Heretical Gods of this world existed, when it came to shielding electromagnetic waves, Hughes already had a standard answer:

A Faraday cage.