North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 3 The Cult of Mechanism and Dinner in the South District

Gallagher's home in Chicago's South Side.

[Implanted in gene seed]

【…】

[Implantation successful]

Phase One: Second Heart Transplant

As the name suggests, a shrunken heart is implanted next to your original heart.

It can deliver more oxygen and nutrients to muscles through increased blood flow, allowing you to easily break through the limits of human physiology! When the original heart is damaged, this second heart can save your life.

Titus lay on his cot, his pupils dilated, and he saw a figure draped in a red priest's robe.

Subtitles kept flashing:

[Second heart implantation successful!]

[Next, we will proceed to Phase Two: Ossifying Gland Transplantation]

This organ will be transplanted next to your pituitary gland.

It can secrete a special growth hormone that, when you ingest nutrients, will cause your skull to grow and strengthen rapidly, which will make you grow to 2.3 meters tall, and your ribs will fuse into a thick, bulletproof plate.

Titus finally saw the person before him clearly; frankly, how could this be considered human?

Beneath the red priest's robe, the first thing that catches the eye is a bio-mask made of steel machinery; below that, instead of a neck, there are dense wires and mechanical textures.

The sweet smell of blood was like a sundae exploding in his head.

He was undergoing craniotomy and desperately wanted to escape, but he was too weak to move.

[Osteomorphic gland implantation successful!]

[Next, we will proceed to the third stage: Powerful Glands]

This gland will be transplanted into your chest cavity.

It will stimulate your muscles to develop rapidly, giving you superhuman strength, but don't expect to reap the benefits overnight; it requires a lot of physical training to be fully developed.

Titus's consciousness was on the verge of collapse. He had been awakening intermittently many times since the surgery began.

The moment he received the reward, he felt as if he had been injected with anesthesia—no, to be precise, it was some kind of hallucinogenic powder, otherwise this absurd scene would be inexplicable. He lay paralyzed on the bed, unable to move.

He heard the sound of electricity, the ringing of bells, and prayers:

"God of Machines, watch over our journey."

"Because this universe is a desolate void, and war thirstily reaps our souls."

"Singing together, praising the god of machines!"

……

As evening fell, Titus awoke with a start.

He subconsciously looked at his body, at his more muscular physique, as beautiful as an ancient Greek sculpture.

He stood up abruptly, hearing the surging of blood, as if his entire body had been completely opened up, and his bones had doubled in size.

He clenched his fist slightly, the rushing blood carrying oxygen providing him with a continuous source of strength.

Just then, the door was flung open with a bang.

"Hey bro, time to eat..."

Ian's words stuck in his throat; what he saw was:

His muscles exploded and heat billowed, just like Captain America breathing heavily after his transformation.

With his body naked and his spine wide open, he struck a pose with a high degree of artistry, reminiscent of the David statue.

Just returned from West Point Military Academy, and now the Thunder's all-around enhanced big brother has grown to 1.94 meters tall!

Ian quickly looked away.

"Oh my god!"

"Bro... you're almost two meters tall."

"Am I remembering wrong? You weren't this much taller than me before."

Titus said:

"It's the growth period."

Ian glanced at his older brother discreetly, only to find his eyes meeting his.

"Get dressed and come down for dinner."

Ian felt his face burning hot. He closed the door, swallowed, and hurried downstairs.

Not long after, Titus came downstairs in a T-shirt and street jeans. Dinner was neatly laid out in the lobby: sizzling Spam luncheon meat, a bunch of canned roasted beans, large chunks of pure white bread—the cheapest kind from the supermarket—and a box of orange juice, probably one of those powdered drinks.

Titus dared to say that this dinner would definitely not cost more than 3 dollars.

But he was extremely hungry. After the body modification, his nutritional needs were frighteningly high, after all, he was busy growing.

"Everyone, dinner's ready!"

Fiona shouted to her brothers and sisters upstairs as she rummaged through the last piece of luncheon meat.

Titus wolfed down his plate, then grabbed plate after plate from the side while the food was still on the table.

When everyone came downstairs, they all looked at the empty plates, puzzled.

Lip asked:

"Fiona, where's the stuff?"

"I remember paying my bill properly this week."

Every member of the Gallagher family is required to contribute to a winter fund to prevent them from dying in the cold winter like the little girl. This fund includes their food expenses, and it is the Gallagher family's secret to surviving on the brink of death.

Previously, this responsibility was kept by Titus, who calculated daily expenses to prevent everyone from starving. Since he went to West Point, this important task has naturally fallen on Fiona's shoulders.

Fiona replied:

"What the hell? You think I'm playing house with you guys?"

"Sit down properly for me, and then..."

Fiona turned around, looked at the empty plates on the table, and paused for a moment.

She glanced at Ian instinctively. There were only two people at the table; it couldn't have been Titus who ate it.

"Ian, you ate everything?"

Everyone turned their attention to Ian.

Ian, who witnessed the whole thing, was dumbfounded:

"It wasn't me, it was Titus."

"He was like a superman today, he didn't chew his food at all, the whole meal took less than half a minute!"

"Didn't you guys notice he's a little different today?"

Everyone looked at Titus again.

Titus burped and said:

"Sorry everyone, I trained really hard during the day, and it took a lot of energy."

Lip rolled his eyes knowingly:

"Okay, now we have another fitness enthusiast in the house."

Lip turned to go upstairs; he was going to continue helping people with their homework to earn some tips.

Titus took out a hundred-dollar bill and slammed the bright green Franklin on the table.

"This is today's meal cost."

Lip turned around.

Titus then pulled out ten more Franklins, totaling a thousand dollars, and placed them on the table.

"This is the money I handed over this month."

Fiona's eyes lit up as she picked up the banknotes on the table and counted them in disbelief. Keep in mind, the entire winter savings the family had accumulated didn't even exceed a thousand dollars!

This means the Gallagher family will finally have some breathing room, at least they won't have to worry about whether they'll have to go out begging this year!

Fiona gave Titus a big hug.

"Well done, Inspector Gallagher!"

Carl pounced on him too.

"Detective, could you give me a little money to buy some self-defense toys?"

Titus tapped little Karl's forehead with one finger; he was only in elementary school at the time.

Don't even think about it.

Carl lowered his head, sulking.

"But I promise you, I'll give you a super cool handgun for your coming-of-age ceremony, and then we'll go shooting at the shooting range or hunting at the hunting grounds."

"Wow, cool!"

Karl's eyes gleamed with golden light.

Debbie rushed forward again, this time looking as cute as an angel.

"Can you give me money to buy a doll, brother?"

Debbie is Titus's youngest sister, and she has freckles on her face.

Titus pinched the whimpering Debbie, pulled out a banknote, and handed it to her.

Carl shouted, "That's not fair!" Fiona stepped in at the opportune moment and said, "Don't you even know what you want? And what does Debbie want?"

Even the tiny baby Lim came closer, making little "cooing" noises, while Ian watched with a smile, arms crossed.

Lip watched this scene from afar, wanting to go forward but unable to take a step for a long time, and finally just walked upstairs alone.

For dinner, Titus suggested ordering takeout, and everyone agreed, even the usually frugal Fiona.

For the South District, the damn delivery fees for takeout are a luxury, but today is different. Today, the Gallagher family has gained a big spender, which is worth celebrating!

Even after ordering takeout, Titus was still not full. Moreover, he had to take care of his family, so he ate very restrainedly. He felt like a bottomless pit, and the feeling of hunger enveloped him like warm, damp water.

Therefore, Titus had no choice but to go out alone like a wolf in search of food, heading towards a well-regarded, unassuming restaurant from his memory.

The beer was free, the spices and scallions were excellent and flavorful, and most importantly, the portions were generous and filling. He would soothe his stomach with fried sausages, beef, and rich cheese.

The evening wind was biting, and he couldn't help but recall those fragmented memories: the red-robed cyborgs, the Mechanicus, a religion in Warhammer 40 that worshipped a Mechanicus god and possessed the Empire's most advanced technology.

But aren't those characters from the Warhammer universe? How come they're here?

Is this really still the same Chicago?

Which dinner is real: the one from the Cult of the Machines or the one at the Gallagher family's house in the South?

Titus looked up. The sky was infinitely deep and dark, like a calm black sea under the twilight. A light rain was falling on him, blurring his vision, and he could hardly see anything.

At the store entrance, the waiter's voice interrupted his thoughts:

"Hello sir, this place is full."

"If you want to eat there, you'll have to ask that lady if she'd like to share a table."