Industrial Cthulhu: Starting as an Island Lord-Chapter 160: Mechanical Sanctum

"Yes, this primitive substance actually shouldn’t be called cement because it is even afraid of water. But our lord has improved its formula. Now, the new type of cement can even solidify underwater. Do you realize what a great invention this is?"

"S-Solidify underwater?"

The two men widened their mouths in shock, exchanging an incredulous glance.

Cement, in their understanding, was closer to some kind of mud, but what kind of mud could solidify underwater?

Chloe was also a bit dazed. Hughes had called her to assist when he was formulating the new cement, and she had even mixed it with her own hands, getting herself covered in dust.

She had complained about it for quite some time.

But soon, she could no longer complain.

In the morning, she had poured cement to form a stone pier.

By the afternoon, when Hughes took her to check on it, the pier had already become rock-hard.

A few days later, she used a sledgehammer with all her strength and only managed to create a crack in it.

Although she was not known for her strength, she was still an Extraordinary being. If this casually poured pier was already this strong, then if they built a fortress with it as Hughes had said...

Chloe swallowed. Clearly, just by adding some volcanic ash to Rhine cement, its strength had increased so much, and its properties had completely changed.

Hughes called this chemistry. Chemistry. Chloe remembered this word. Was chemistry really this miraculous?

Ah, she really wanted to attend a few more advanced classes.

Just the thought of learning new knowledge filled her with excitement.

She hadn’t worked with Hughes for long, but she was already completely addicted.

Every day here, she could hear new theories and learn new knowledge.

Hughes was like an inexhaustible treasure trove, whatever she asked, he almost always had an answer.

This feeling captivated everyone in the Moths Chasing Fire.

"The concrete you just mentioned, how is it related to this cement?" Kyle asked with a flattering smile, his eyes full of curiosity.

This big guy was quite eager to learn, and Chloe admired that.

She secretly added him to her observation list. Someone so passionate about knowledge fit well with the Moths Chasing Fire. She would observe him a bit more.

"Concrete is the construction material I mentioned. Using cement as a base, mixed with sand, gravel, and slag from the blast furnace, then reinforced with the steel bars you produce, it can be used to construct buildings."

The two men nodded. Only now did they fully understand their work.

From olive oil and sulfur ore to soap, nitroglycerin, steel, and concrete, each product corresponded to the next step in the process.

Everything was tightly and orderly integrated, like a carefully designed machine with precisely interlocking gears.

Clearly, these were just fruit from trees and ordinary ores, yet through these roaring factories, they transformed into completely different things.

These were once unimaginable feats, and even knowing the entire process, they were still in awe of the magic of industrial production.

"Sometimes, it feels like magic, as if things just appear out of nowhere," Kyle scratched his head. "But once you learn it, it all feels so natural. It’s such a... fascinating feeling."

"This is industry. If you don’t study or understand it, it is an unspeakable monster. But the more you learn, the more you discover its precision and beauty."

Chloe waved to the two men. "Keep working. I’m going to check over there."

The two men quickly nodded in agreement. Only after Chloe’s figure had walked far away did they dare to speak in a low voice.

"It’s truly incredible."

"What do you mean?" Hodge glanced at Kyle. "That nun?"

"No, not just her—though she is strange, too," Kyle hesitated before speaking.

"This place, all of Castel, is amazing. You know, in Rhine, we aren’t allowed to freely discuss the sacred machines. They only require us to memorize all the procedures and pray in the Mechanical Sanctum to prevent us from developing incorrect thoughts. But here... everything seems different."

"Yes, they seem to tell us too much here. The priests who bless the steam engines never tell us these things. But here, everyone explains them to us, even repeating them over and over, afraid that we won’t understand. Do we really deserve this knowledge?"

For example, the nitroglycerin that could explode, was actually made from olives.

And just by adding some ingredients, they could turn mud into something that solidified underwater.

"This place is... amazing." Kyle opened his mouth, rummaging through his mind for words, but in the end, he could only say this.

Chloe walked out of the factory, feeling quite pleased.

No wonder Hughes loved explaining knowledge to people, it was so satisfying to see their stunned faces.

With her hands behind her back, Chloe couldn’t help but smile.

Hughes had now entrusted the Eastern Test Site to her, which meant that she was in charge of almost all the research and development.

Hughes only came by occasionally, casually bringing out inventions that made her eyes pop out.

Just thinking about it made Chloe so jealous her eyes turned red. Where did he get all this precious knowledge?

Jealousy aside, Chloe didn’t ask. There was no need to think about it, this must have come with a great deal of pollution.

She only wanted to pursue knowledge and had little interest in where it came from.

As she walked, Chloe arrived at a more secluded factory building.

This place was different from the others. Although it was still spacious and empty, Chloe could feel several gazes fixed on her the moment she entered.

The Castel Sirens.

There were Sirens guarding this place, and not just one.

Chloe didn’t stop. She walked all the way to the innermost room and then raised an eyebrow. "Monica, why are you doing experiments alone again?!"

A small Siren flinched in surprise, turning around in fear.

When she saw that it was only Chloe, she sighed in relief and ran over happily, giving her a hug. "Sister Chloe!"

Monica liked Chloe a lot. This nun always had all kinds of strange and interesting knowledge and ideas.

Of course, there were also other reasons she couldn’t quite say out loud.

Monica tried hard to tighten her serpent tail, making herself appear taller.

Chloe was one of the few people in the territory shorter than her.

Hmm, Gaia was also shorter than Monica. It was hard to say whether their friendship was mixed with some competitive feelings.

"Doing experiments without permission—I will tell Hughes," Chloe said coldly, unmoved.

"No, I wasn’t doing experiments alone!" Monica quickly pointed at the steam engine not far away. "I was with Anou!"