Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord

Gaia ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍looked directly into Beatrice’s eyes. “So… Your Holiness the Pope, do you have a way to heal yourself?”

There ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍truly was no good treatment method left on Castel’s side.

It ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was true that, because they had undertaken many projects involving Pollution, they possessed a complete set of methods for dealing with it. However, most of those methods were protective in nature.

As ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍long as proper protection was maintained, Pollution would not erode the body.

As ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍for treating Pollution, there were indeed methods—but those were basically useless for someone as critically ill as Beatrice. Simply put, what she needed now was not treatment, but a miracle.

Perhaps ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍if Hughes personally descended, he might be able to purify the Pollution on her body. But the main problem now was that her body could no longer endure it.

As the Pope, Beatrice had secretly taken control of the Mechanical Sanctum. She should have known quite a bit about the things within the Sanctum.

Beatrice raised her head, spat out several mouthfuls of Pollution, and shook her head with difficulty.

“The Sanctum… can… treat it—puh puh—but it requires… puh… mechanical modification…”

Gaia frowned as she listened for a long while, gradually grasping her meaning.

Whether it was treating injuries or dealing with Pollution, the Mechanical Sanctum’s methods were simple and brutal—replace.

Injured body? Replace parts with sturdier steel.

Pollution inside the body? Replace it with an uncontaminated mechanical body.

It had to be said—it was highly efficient.

Whether it was the Church of Candlelight or the Silent Sanctum, when it came to bodily ailments, their ultimate approach was still “repair.” The Mechanical Sanctum simply skipped that step—just replace it with something new. And the new one worked even better.

It was indeed a good method.

But it was not suitable for Beatrice.

Right now, she was like a swollen, overripe tomato. Forget surgery—poke even the tiniest hole in her, and tomato juice would explode everywhere.

For a moment, no one had any solution.

Only Zoe’s eyes suddenly lit up, as though she had thought of something. Without drawing attention, she quietly retreated behind the others.

She tiptoed back to her passenger cabin, flipped the sign on the door to “Do Not Disturb,” locked it, then lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.

The Writer: 『Are you there?』

The Writer: 『Is anyone there?』

The Writer: 『…』

After calling out for a while and receiving no response, Zoe sighed.

After the Connection had reconnected last time, she had noticed something—

The Connection did not seem to have been severed when they left.

Zoe vaguely remembered that it had not been like this before. Only during the most recent Connection had things changed—but she was not entirely certain.

After all, before that, she had always been a Mortal. Only this time had she participated in the Connection as a Transcendent.

Perhaps she had only noticed it after becoming a Transcendent. Maybe the Connection had always been like this.

It was a strange feeling, and Zoe could not quite describe it. If Hughes had been here, he would have helped her articulate it:

It had changed from making a phone call to joining a group chat.

As for the reason—

In the Northlands, beside the dormant shell of Worker Hughes, a colossal White Bone Beast suddenly raised its head.

It first turned to glance at Worker Hughes. Seeing that he remained completely motionless, it hesitated slightly before looking westward—that was the direction of the Empire.

In the past, every Connection had been initiated by Hughes. After he left the shell of Worker Hughes, the Connection naturally vanished.

But now, Hughes’s Connection was being relayed through Little Gwen. In a certain sense, she acted as a relay—and that relay’s performance was somewhat too powerful, to the point that she could replace Hughes and independently maintain the Connection.

In other words, she had become the server.

However, Little Gwen had also closed the group-chat Connection. The others could not hear Zoe’s calls—but Little Gwen could.

Zoe was essentially accessing the server.

Yet Little Gwen did not respond immediately.

First, she did not understand what Zoe was trying to do.

Second—

She discovered that Zoe was together with “Scepter.”

As the server, Little Gwen could access the addresses of visiting users. Naturally, she noticed that their IDs overlapped.

Little Gwen scratched her head.

She knew Zoe. After becoming a 【Named One】, she had been able to perceive the true forms of the threads. Following them had not taken much effort, and she had quickly found the young Writer.

But she had never met Miss “Scepter.” Hughes had told her that Scepter’s real name was Beatrice, yet he had not explained much beyond that.

Hughes had assumed that once he mentioned the name Beatrice, Little Gwen would certainly know who she was—after all, she was the Pope of the Church of Candlelight.

But he had forgotten something.

No matter how mature Little Gwen seemed, she was still just a child. She did not have many channels for exposure to political affairs.

Little Gwen indeed knew quite a bit about Blood Harbor, but she truly did not know the name of the Pope of the Church of Candlelight. After all, she came from the Northlands—she knew more about fried fish than about the Church of Candlelight.

Thus, in a rather curious situation, she knew that Zoe and Gaia were heading to the Empire to make contact with the Mechanical Sanctum and the Church of Candlelight. She also knew that Zoe was now with Beatrice—Miss “Scepter.”

Yet she did not know Beatrice’s identity.

So Little Gwen hesitated for a moment.

She was unsure whether Zoe’s diplomatic mission had succeeded. From her tone, it did not sound particularly urgent.

Therefore, she did not dare to risk pulling them into the Connection, since that would expose her own identity.

Zoe called out several more times. Receiving no response, she gave up. The Connection fell silent once more.

Little Gwen tried calling out to Hughes, but there was no result. She had already tried many times. Unless Hughes took the initiative to descend, none of her calls would receive any response.

It was as though that truly was nothing but an empty shell.

Little Gwen scratched her head again, unsure what to do. Just as she hesitated over whether to expose her existence and contact Zoe, her eyes suddenly lit up.

“Right! I can connect to Miss Scepter!”

As the server, she could forcibly pull people into the chat, just as Hughes had done when initiating the Connection.

She could also secretly connect to a specific individual, observing some vague information without being detected.

Once the idea came, she acted.

Gwen drew up the threads, carefully distinguished them, and selected Beatrice’s.

Her thread and Zoe’s both pointed in the same direction. Little Gwen first sensed Zoe—there was nothing unusual. She seemed to have just risen from the bed; faint disappointment flowed through the thread.

Little Gwen sighed. “Sorry I couldn’t respond to you… It looks like things are still relatively safe on your side. And I can’t proactively contact Hughes either… I hope everything goes smoothly.”

With a gentle flick of her finger, she set Zoe’s thread aside and connected to Beatrice’s.

In the next instant, her eyes flew wide open. The colossal White Bone Beast that had been lying prone suddenly stood up with a thunderous crash, causing the ground to tremble.

The thread of Connection—

Had turned from white to black.

The server had been attacked!