Chapter 8.4: Seeds of revolt

"So let me get this straight? Your here to help us?"

Asked the local lord/administrator of this region.

"Yes the short of it. Mainly our objective is to scout out the place. To see if the goddamn monsters lived here. To see if those murderers lived here those who killed tens of thousands of our fellow countrymen. Those green humanoid monsters, those undead plague, and those who created these damned creations. We want them dead. We want revenge... Anyways we went here to secure good diplomatic ties."

Then the administrator of this region nodded his head.

"So your talking about those things that the other gods made? So they are crossing worlds... This is worst than I thought... Damnit..."

The administrator said with great distress. This world had stories, and folk lore talking about the abominations of nature. Those things created by their god's for revenge for rebellion, and their retreat from this plane of reality. But for our researchers they are probably just native fauna. So might as well genocide the fuckers so we don't have to worry about those fucking monsters, and focus our resources to stop the invasion.....

Then the man looked at me. He sighed as he muttered a word.

"Ragnarok is coming....."

Wait... I remember that phrase. Doesn't that mean that the apocalypse is coming? Like the Norse apocalypse? I wonder if he meant that as a mere curiosity. I shrugged, and looked at him. Also why did he know that word? I sighed as I might offend him if I ask more because it might be a breach of privacy.

"So I'm gonna say goodbye my good sir. I'm just gonna leave because I don't have anything to say left. Also call me when you need my help. Just ask captain Schmidt."

He nodded. I left, and waved my hand as I left. I sighed as what should I do since I was done at my job. I walked away from the administrator's office. As I left I saw other species of humans, and normal humans look at me with curious looks. Some looking at my gun, others look at my weird looking ballistic armor made to nullify and survive a .50 cal BMG shot/30,000 joules of force and properly disperse the kinetic energy of said shot enough that doesn't hurt me/break bones or cause blunt Force trauma in my internal organs, and some looked at my face with a little curiosity.

I continued to walk away. After a few minutes of walking I walked through the local market looking around for food stuffs because my soldiers are sick of the goddamn MRE's. I hate their bitching about the MRE's. Like how am I gonna afford that expensive shit when you guys almost drained your money from drinking beer in local saloons, and bars. How am I supposed to feed you all when all you do is just sight see around, and not help kill things for money. I sighed as I saw one of the privates look around, and helping random people with their groceries. Then I saw one of the corporals enter some sort of guild. A cliche guild that you would usually find in fantasy series like the alchemist guild from game of thrones or those guilds from MMORPG's like WoW or RuneScape. Oh I miss the RuneScape days before the whole second russian civil war. From those times I was enlisted into the Russian army.

I followed the private. He noticed me, and waved a hand at me.

"Hey staff Sargeant why are you following me?"

Asked the private.

"Well... Im just making sure you didn't disappear. I'm not gonna let a private get lost in a city that we didn't know the geography of."

I said while looking at one of the weird buildings.

After the private was done helping some old man I asked the private something.

"Hey private what's your name?"

he looked at me surprised.

"Well.. My name is Pvt Alexi Petrov. I'm glad you asked staff sergeant. My old NCO would just called me private, and wouldn't ask what's my name."

Alexi said.

"Oh don't mind it. As my co worker I'm gonna call you by name. alexi"

I said while smiling faintly.

"Well thanks staff sergeant."

He said while scratching his head.

"Call me Ivan."

I said while handing out a hand to him.

"Sure Ivan."

He then Shaked my hand smiling as he was complemented for the first times in years.

"That was my first complement in years after I lost my parents in the civil war. Thanks Ivan. No one really called me by my name."

He said while smiling.

"Don't mention it."

I said while looking around noticing some sort of cathedral.

"Hey let's go there. Let's sight see. Come on. It's better than waiting in the inn."

I said with a curious fascination of the cathedral with some sort of primitive light bulb a few blocks from here from what I see. He nodded, and came with me. He pulled out an earphone, and started listening to music. He then started singing along.

🎶Watch your tongue or have it cut from your head.

Save your life by keeping whispers unsaid.

Children roam the streets now orphans of war.🎶

Then the people started looking at us weird like alexi was singing. Well yeah he was singing but they don't know what his words mean. Must be that tone that he was singing.

🎶Bodies hangin' in the streets to adore..

Royal flames will carve a path in chaos!

Bringing daylight to the night! (night)🎶

🎶Death is riding into town with armor.

They've come to take all your rights!🎶

Everyone looked at us like we were crazy. Alexi didn't noticed it and continued singing. I sighed as I shrugged off the embarrassment of getting looked at with weird looks.

🎶Hail to the King!

Hail to the one!

Kneel to the crown!

Stand in the sun!

Hail to the King!

(Hail, hail, hail)

(The King)🎶

🎶Blood is spilt while holding keys to the throne.

Born again but it's too late to atone!🎶

I looked around ignoring the weird looks at us. Every building was either made with stones, wood, or some sort of this world's version of cement that quickly dries up after 50 minutes. I wonder what is mixed with that cement? I'll ask one of the researchers later, and make them research about that cement.

🎶No mercy from the edge of the blade!

Dare escape and learn the price to be paid!🎶

🎶Let the water flow with shades of red now.

Arrows black out all the light! (light)🎶

Then I noticed a black smith shop seeing people coming in, and out. I saw all sorts of weapons made out of some sorts of crystals and unknown metals, a few kinds of weird arrow designs that can be seen outside, and armor that can be usually seen in museums, or something that a ruler would wear just for the looks of it not thinking of practically of said armor.

In the distance I can see people getting executed. Death by hanging, beheading, and arrows. They probably did something bad to get executed.

🎶Death is riding into town with armor.

They've come to grant you your rights!🎶

🎶Hail to the King!

Hail to the one.

Kneel to the crown!

Stand in the sun.

Hail to the King!

(Hail, hail, hail)

(The King)🎶

Then I saw a few of the corporals with the prisoners getting them into a guild. I wonder what will happen if they have a bounty. Will they get executed? I mean they probably killed a few people. They probably killed merchants that probably caused economic damage leading to people starving in the streets. Or probably these guys are enemies of the king of this empire.

🎶There's a taste of fear. (hail, hail, hail)

When the henchmen call. (hail, hail, hail)🎶

🎶Iron fist to tame them! (hail, hail, hail)

Iron fist to claim it all!🎶

🎶Hail to the King!

Hail to the one.

Kneel to the crown.

Stand in the sun.

Hail to the King!

Hail to the one!

Kneel to the crown.

Stand in the sun.

Hail to the King!

(Hail, hail, hail)🎶

Then he stopped singing. I suddenly noticed that he was looking at the man who was being hanged. He looked at the person who was being hanged with pity, and some sort of sadness like he was reminded of something sad. I sighed.

"Let's go. Don't worry. It's probably a good thing. Most of these people probably got executed for a good reason. Don't worry alexi."

He looked at me, and nodded. if Incase the king was a dictator well... I'm gonna start producing luty's with 9x19mm, and the dp28 with 7.62x39. Maybe over 50,000 pieces. Plus you could make it even in a shed. It was even produced in a shed by a British guy who was an activist. Plus you could also make the machine gun in a shed or a even in your garage with just a blowtorch, molds made out of stone,. a large drill and a small one (the big one is for 7.62 while the other is for the 9x19 barrel), a brick furnace, a hammer, and tongs.

Yeah guns are easy enough to make in a shed but each one piece can take you over a whopping 28 hours to make the receiver, the barrel, a gas brick, trigger, recoil springs, and barrel shroud. It takes 30 minutes to make one bullet since everyone is trained to make guns, ammo, and improvised weapons if encase the airdrop goes wrong back in Afghanistan.

Link for how to make homemade guns beware you may get raided, and put in a list. (Author's note: If you use the link it is not my fault if you get put in a list by the feds. its just for those who are curious enough and brave enough. I'm already in a list of the feds. Also if your gonna ask I'm In a secret no fly list in my country ph :(

https://ia902804.us.archive.org/19/items/homeexpedientfirearms9mmsmg/Home%20Expedient%20Firearms%20-%209mm%20SMG.pdf

Anyways I looked around. Then I saw the giant cathedral. In my curiosity I entered the cathedral. Seeing steam punk like things. I saw clocks made out of gears, and a steam engine powering lights around me, and clocks. What the hell? I thought this was a medieval society.... Oh... Oh yeah. I forgot about the things people created before the medieval era. The first steam engine was a thing made in ancient Greece by heron the inventor. There was also those gear clocks made in ancient Greece found in an old Greek wreckage. Huh so the people who are running this religious organization must be very interested with machines?

Then I saw some sort of priest with a prosthetic arm made out of gears, metal alloys, and some sort of copper wires without being insulated with a rubber like substance. What the hell?? Like how does that even work in a medieval society? I'm surprised it worked. I sighed as magic exist and I'm not surprised if that was the case.

Then they greeted us with good will. I'm surprised they didn't glared at us.

"Good grip you got there kid."

Said one of the priest with a prosthetic arm with a steam punk look. Then I noticed that they had mechanical like eyes. It looked like they were cybernetic eye prosthetics. It gave a cybernetic look mixed with steam punk. But in my time it was in its infancy.

"Welcome to the temple of the mechaknights. What brings you here?"

Wait..... Did they said mechaknights? Like warriors with prothesis made out of machinery. Ah so that's why this place had a steam punk like feel. Why did I feel surprised. "

Well I came here out of curiosity wondering why are there is a light bulb outside and wondered where did the electricity came from."

Then the priests looked at me with shock.

"Ah so a fellow innovator. Good to see that the younglings are still wanting change, and innovation."

Meanwhile in outpost A2 a day ago....

"So corporal? What should we do with these guys? The staff sergeant just left what should we do?"

Asked an private.

"Well... I have an idea. And since we bought this land we will just create an area where use as an interrogation room for Intel." The corporal said with a grin in his face.

A day later of hard labor....

"Finally we are done with the interrogation cabin."

A private said while drinking a bottle of local milk. Yeah as a senior NCO corporal first class this is more boring than in Afghanistan. I sacrificed everything to be in this unit. To be in the middle of the danger not far away from danger. This isn't even worth the sacrifices. I had to fake my own death goddamnit. Do they even know how to feel to see your loved ones just sat there not crying and after that see them smile as the get the goddamn money. Do they even know how I felt because of that? It goddamn hurt. Seeing your little brother not crying at your funeral wait for the money to come in is goddamn painful.

I sighed as one of the privates just came in after he found some weird mushrooms in the forest and decided to find more just for slush funds for drinks in the local bar.

He looked at me with a weird look like he was high on something. Those looks from those guys who bought painkillers and got high on them back in Afghanistan.

"Are you high private?"

I asked the private that got probably high on mushrooms.

"Nope.... Can I get the someone in the cabin I wanna talk about stuff about the local fauna."

I sighed. Goddamnit. This guy got high with shrooms isn't he.

"sure why not."

I escorted one of the bandits who tried to ambush us, and got him into the cabin held up with nails, wood, and dreams.

"So let me ask your prisoner #31. What is this mushroom?"

The private said while pulling out those weird mushrooms out of his pockets.

"Hah! That thing? Oh... Those eyes...."

The prisoner looked at the private sighing.

"You ate them didn't you? if so those are natural narcotics. Used for dispersing pain from the body in medical practices. After this can I get those yummy bread you made?"

The prisoners pointed at me. I sighed

"Yes. Since you have been cooperative I will give you some. Unlike those of your comrades who tried to kill us once they woke up. If you even try anything funny. Trust me Im gonna kill you or more probable I will hunt you down the forest. Once I find you I will stab you to death."

I said while glaring at the prisoner. The prisoner recoiled at the sudden aggression and started sweating.

"So how long does it last?"

I asked the prisoner.

"About 7 hours?"

I sighed.

"Next. What is the political instabilities in this region, and how are the people treated?"

the prisoner looked at me with surprise.

"Well. Firstly there is a drought for 3 months now. People are getting hungry some of them even sold their children to slavery. Secondly the king died last year while the king's only child a 8 year old boy has been tasked to take care of a great empire. The child is now in a 2 way war for succession with his aunt. This country going to shit thanks to those shit heads who convinced the crowned prince to give them autonomy for taking care of their own regions. This empire used to be great with a lot of diverse people now it became a wartorn shit hole of an empire. The only reason why Im here was because I was forced to do so because of the famine in my village. I was told there were going to pay me good so I decided to join them. It was either my village dies thanks to an idiotic lord, or feed my people from money I got from the merchants who can afford to get their stock stolen. Oh.. Sorry for my tangent there."

The prisoner said.

"Non taken. Thanks for the Intel. I'll give you a pint of beer and a loaf of bread later."

I said while smiling. I began thinking.... This Intel can help with uniting this land. And also help us gain a foothold with this world. A step closer than destroying the damned monster that killed thousands of my fellow countrymen. But the problem is that the Chernobyl containment zone isn't part of this place considering the enemy was sentient, and was an class 4 civ in the kardashev scale. The only reason why we are holding them off is just because of the our bullets, artillery, and other weapons stashed away. The only thing that can affect those armed colonizers are just high powered cartridges, artillery and the bombs with an explosive power that has enough to level a city block in one drop.

I went back to the lodging areas where we built a few cottages and got a pint of beer from one of the wooden beer kegs, and a loaf of bread. I then came back to the prisoner and gave him the loaf of bread, and the pint of beer. "Now can I ask you something?" I asked the prisoner with a suspecting look. "What is it?" asked the prisoner. "Can you draw a map of this empire?" He nodded. "Good. Private Please look after him to make sure he doesn't do anything sketchy. I'll get

Meanwhile back with the staff sergeant....

"Wait so you can control biochemical lightning? And you can create them by will with special metals that doesn't affect the body with conductive electricity? huh. I'm gonna ask the researchers to find out that works. What's the metal's name again?"

I asked the techno priest.

"Yup and it's called Metalloid it is the common name. It's quite hard to find, and get. Considering theses are only found in ancient ruins. These are usually protected by constructs, traps, and dungeon master's. You need to have an army to defeat one of the constructs. It is usually protected by 10 of these constructs. But if your magical affinity is powerful enough you can solo one. High ranking mages did it. Usually merchants get their hands on these with a few containers worth. A ruin usually has giant tanks filled with this stuff. Sometimes the emperor gives a few containers of this stuff every 6 months to the most highest ranked merchant. The one who sells the most wears, and the most best quality usually gets them. This stuff usually is just a sludge of metal but if put in contact with human flesh it hardens."

The techno priest said while smirking.

"You wanna see the biochemical lightning?"

Said the priest. I smiled

"Yes please."

Then suddenly a bolt of lightning came out of his hands and hit a generator like thing and the lights suddenly came to life as mechanical constructs began to move. it looked like something you would see in some steam punk book. Metal robots with. gears it looked crude than the self aware drones we have back in the headquarters being tested, and trained. Fixed with personalities, and self awareness. Yeah that might sound dumb but they are just like us they make mistakes, and can learn like us but faster. They don't wanna make their creators go extinct as a thanks for creating them. Some of them usually are pretty mellow and usually like to interact with the dogs, staffs, and a few stray cats. Some of them are soldiers some curious and are researchers while others just want to work an easy job so some of them either work as logistics and usually get paid good for them to use. Some use their money just for jokes like sending a vibrating electric dick to some unlucky guy within the department. Some use them as gifts to their loved ones. Yeah the drones are weird considering they were first created because america and our government is afraid that anyday now that the class 4 civ is going to commit a token force to the colonists. We barely held them off when an enemy armoured vehicle arrived back in 2015. We took almost 3892 casualties 2598 dead out of the 5k in the garrison . Total soldier casualties of the containment in total in our side since creation is 700k. 500k dead (150k died from the infected people from the bio weapons of Chernobyl caused by us trying to affect the enemy but instead they used it on us.

The disease is a mixed of a protein and a prion where if you drank infected water it would inflate your neurons causing death but instead the enemy used this to their favor causing the prion to mutate making the infected more aggressive like some sort of zombie. To make us kill our own countrymen demoralizing some of us. These are still people but they don't have any free thought other than eat, hunt, and sleep. Usually you can kill them by just shooting them but they usually need to get shot 6 times before being incapacitated, and bleed to death after a minute. It is more effective to just shoot their legs, their hearts or head.), while 150k got severely injured, 50k only got minor scratches while the enemy only got 150k dead.

We usually burned their dead in Chernobyl to really make sure they are dead and to make sure there are not some beacon inside their body that makes a portal to where ever they got buried.

"What are these?"

I asked the priest.

"the golems. These are metal constructs possessed by earth familiars who follow their masters. These do not hurt people who doesn't cross the church by stealing donations. We still need to innovate and we unfortunately need money to do that."

Ah... So these people are basically religious researchers.

"Well it's getting late. I better get back to the inn."

After this I'm gonna try to enter a merchants guild probably to make money and gather Intel. I learned that the people who got hanged a few hours later is just people who were political enemies of specific lord's from nearby villages that did bad things like murder, and steal from the lord. I'm not sure if some of them are framed because they are politically threatening to the lord's powers in those areas due to them being charismatic, and wanted reforms. So possible corruption. I really need to make an intelligence web later just like what we were thought back in Afghanistan.

"Let's continue this later sir. See you later."

the priest nodded

"Goodbye." "Thanks!"

we then left the church and began making plans for possible revolution. If this place really is like before the industrial revolution of earth it's possible that most of the people probably hate the king.

To be continued....