Chapter 1148: Chapter 630, The Death of the Great Sage
"You truly make me feel sick, Waluk."
Gu Hang said this from the heart.
He doesnât like cursing enemies, whether they are traitors, Chaos, or Alien. Even though mercilessly killing them is Gu Hangâs duty, itâs merely a matter of position, a responsibility.
Even when encountering the seemingly most disgusting enemies, like Plague Demons and followers of the Father, Gu Hang would only purify them with a calm face. Those cysts, boils, and secretions indeed seem disgusting but are merely physiological revulsions.
But the things Gu Hang saw upon entering Walukâs grand cathedral truly made him feel sick psychologically.
Itâs quite expected that Walukâs mechanical ark has a grand cathedral. In fact, in the Empireâs starships, a cathedral is a regular fixture, and many large starships even have more than one.
During long voyages, especially when traversing Star Realm Tunnels, the ships invariably endure strong Subspace interference. Most of it is protected by Starfield Force Fields. The amount influencing the crewâs mind is very little, academically deemed harmless.
But it still causes psychological pressure.
Moreover, is every Starfield creation flawless? Even if there were no issues at the time of manufacture, wouldnât there be some wear and tear over long usage that couldnât be repaired in time?
These all strengthen Subspace interference during interstellar travel.
Usually, itâs not a big problem. Slightly higher than the Empireâs standard of psychic interference, as long as it isnât excessive, is bearable.
During such times, psychic comfort becomes important. This is also one reason why ships have cathedrals with clergy.
Even without this factor, faith has always been a part of Empire citizensâ lives, especially monotony and boredom on ships need faith to resolve.
Besides, almost every Empire ship needs technical personnel for operation and maintenance. Most of them are clergy from the Sect of Mechanics and naturally need a cathedral for their daily activities.
These reasons together ensure Empire ships inevitably have cathedrals, often more than one. This holds true even for ordinary vessels, let alone the Sect of Mechanicsâ mechanical ark.
On Alfonso I where Valic resides, the central cathedral is especially grand and large. Even compared to core cathedrals on the ground in the Nest Capital, the only difference might be size, not specifications.
The God of All Machines, an incarnation of The Emperor, is everywhere in the cathedral, displayed through various religious artistic formats like sculptures, paintings, and stained glass.
If it stopped there, it would be tolerable. Despite Walukâs despicable act of hanging The Emperorâs images and statues while aligning with Alien, itâs not yet enough for Gu Hang to express disgust.
However, that was not the case.
All those images and sculptures have been altered.
The symbolic gear with a human skull in the center, matched with numerous Sect of Mechanics elements like electronic eyes and metal pipes, remains. But many mechanical sect elements have been replaced with purple biological eyes, fangs, claw marks, and similar features.
The greatest change is the sacred emblemâs middle, representing pure human skull, being replaced with an Insect Race chitinous skull, even with retracted fangs appearing merciful, utterly revolting.
The gears surrounding the bones have also twisted into jointed limbs.
Not only is the God of All Machinesâ emblem altered, but various sculptures depicting The Emperor in the cathedral have had their styles changed. These often maintain original apparels of the God of All Machines sculpture, wearing traditional Sect of Mechanics attire, but key elements like skulls and gears are replaced with Insect Race heads, limbs, and fangs, often extending four arms from behind, forming the Four-Armed God Emperor likeness.
Origin religious paintings depicting the Emperor as the God of All Machines leading the initial members of the Sect of Mechanics, pioneering and establishing massive planet-grade factories and developing technology, have twisted into scenes of the Four-Armed God Emperor leading Insect Swarm Angels saving the world.
Seeing all this, Gu Hang would of course be outraged.
He isnât a fervent believer in The Emperor, has no ties to fanatical faith. But he is human, a leader of a human inter-Star Domain political group. His status and self-awareness undoubtedly stand on the human side.
And all revealed in Walukâs cathedral, is not only blasphemy against The Emperor, but also the greatest blasphemy against the human race!
Waluk truly deserves to die.
And Waluk, judged absolutely deserving of death by Gu Hang, is currently in fear.
Gu Hangâs personal presence astounded him to the utmost!