Day 296, Year 986, 41st Millennium
Upper Hive
Front Line
The roar of hundreds of tank engines echoed from the front line, announcing the start of the massive assault. The front line, a straight line of various Leman Russ battle tanks, was tasked with protecting the infantry and providing defense. Some tanks were equipped with large guns specifically designed for destroying buildings, as the tank crews of these Leman Russ models were ordered to destroy every possible structure, ensuring there were no blind spots for enemy ambushes. Following closely behind were Chimeras transporting infantry.
The unarmored PDF infantry followed behind the tanks in a line of conscripted soldiers mixed with carefully trained troops. Some were from criminal backgrounds, others were professional soldiers and veterans. They were armed with automatic rifles, lassguns, and various other weapons. Private soldiers from the Korvax family also joined the fight, and engineers had advanced to clear traps and clear paths through the rubble. Vox-caster officers, armed with transmitters, continuously relayed orders. The short, rapid commands kept everyone's composure steady, though hearts pounded.
Some sections of the street were so narrow that the two sides nearly bumped into each other. Building walls obscured visibility, forcing movement to be cautious and rhythmic. Reconnaissance units reported enemy defensive formations in smaller alleys. The geenstealers and mutant units exploited city corners. The PDF advanced swiftly but remained wary of flanking attacks. Vox announced orders from the central commander:
"Proceed directly to the main elevator shaft. Do not retreat. Report progress periodically." The order was so firm that everyone knew there was no room for hesitation. The PDF engineers began preparing small explosive charges to disrupt the elevator's locking system, while tanks advanced ahead. The stakes were set on one point: severing the enemy's supply lines.
To secure victory in this battle.
Clashes rang out intermittently, resulting in fierce and difficult fighting. PDF forces battled the geenstealers fiercely; numerous brutal close-quarters combat ensued. Many tanks were easily destroyed by their ambushes and traps.
Although there were heavy losses in the early stages of the battle, there were still many conscripts and PDF soldiers left.
And the advance had to continue.
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Eric felt stressed, suspicious, uneasy, scared, and extremely anxious. He thought yesterday's fight was bad, but today's battle, a massive invasion of the mutant-occupied territory, was even worse. And now Vann was missing again, and he was terrified he might be dead.
The war in the city was awful… close-quarters combat was happening in every building, leaving him with no way to hide, and enemies could ambush him from anywhere. Furthermore, they were more familiar with the terrain, and ambushes were possible at any moment. Fighting was happening in every alleyway. While he was thinking this, four mutants emerged from a building. Eric didn't hesitate to raise his rifle and aim at them.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
Red laser beams accurately struck their heads. The mutants died instantly; some fell, others plummeted from windows. Eric lowered his rifle and looked around. He saw several conscripted soldiers slowly following the tanks. In his mind, these soldiers were ordinary factory workers; they didn't seem particularly rough, but they appeared fearful and insecure. But that didn't lower Eric's guard. These conscripts weren't as threatening as the soldiers in helmets and armor, somewhat like knights. They bore the same insignia as the troops he'd encountered in the Lower Hive, and they possessed remarkably high tactical and combat skills.
BOOM!!!
The roar of the tank's main gun made him jump. Every time the Leman Russ tank in front of him fired at the mutants, shrapnel, smoke, dust, and pieces of flesh flew up and scattered everywhere. Eric cautiously followed the tank during the assault, seeking cover and crouching behind a half-body metal plate, gripping his lassgun so tightly his shoulder muscles trembled.
"Death to the heretics and mutants! For the Emperor!!!" a man shouted before charging towards the mutants and brutally attacking several with his spiked club, similar to a morning star, before being overwhelmed and shot dead.
_Is this area full of religious fanatics?_ Eric thought to himself.
Eric stared at the sight before him in bewilderment before quickly ducking back inside, not wanting to become a target for a sniper. What he had just seen was something he could only see occasionally. From what he knew, these people worshipped and revered the Emperor to a terrifying degree.
Eric could see and analyze that the governing system and society had instilled in them the belief in the Emperor's reverence, loyalty, and disobedience, regardless of their miserable living conditions. It was a horrifying and depressing society, though perhaps less so than what lay below.
_But that was all for the Emperor. Everyone had their duty; life ended only in death. Human life was the Emperor's currency._ It was a terrifying ideology.
Eric aimed his gun at another mutant attempting to fire an anti-tank rocket at the Leman Russ tank. The red laser beam exploded its head before it could pull the trigger. The tank paused, seeing hundreds of hideous mutants charging forward as if their lives were worthless.
BANG!!!!
The main gun mounted on the turret roared. High-explosive shells instantly reduced dozens of mutants to mere rubble, while those around them were injured. Despite the blows, these mutants continued charging towards the tank. Eric and the others worked together to restrain them, killing dozens. From his observations, the Korvax soldiers were far more accurate and skilled marksmen than them, and also much more steady.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of the automatic cannons, or heavy bolters, mounted on the side turrets of the Leman Russ tank roared. They unleashed a barrage of large shells, probably bigger than his thumb, on the charging mutants. The massive shells tore them apart, leaving only fragments of flesh on the ground. Soon, the tank moved on.
Eric and the other recruits cautiously followed the tank without hesitation. This tank could provide some level of support and protection, and was essential against heavily armored enemies, such as the many armored trucks used by the mutants.
While he was running alongside them... Eric's thoughts flashed back to the previous moment, before the attack began. The moment he punched Vann in the face because he wouldn't stop teasing him—about things that weren't appropriate to joke about, like someone being different or not being able to write. He still remembered Vann's faint expression; he still smiled fearlessly even after being punched. And that made Eric's face flush with embarrassment. He was genuinely angry, but the shame overwhelmed him, turning into foolish sulking.
And then, he felt a slight sensation as if all eyes were on him. Even in his uniform, he stood out, including his marksmanship. Eric never knew he was such a good marksman, except for the pistol he always used. Unlike the other conscripts, some were skinny and scrawny, while others were muscular. It was an irrational thought, yet difficult to shake off. He didn't want to be the center of attention, didn't want to be a reason for an attack, but he was here because he had no other choice.
A loud noise erupted from the tank ahead as the tank commander opened the top hatch and shouted at the group of conscripts, of whom Eric was one.
"Engineers or whoever has heavy explosives, go ahead and clear the way for the tank! I don't want to risk driving across; I don't know if there are any traps!" The tank commander's command caused everyone to gather all the explosives and put them into a bag before one man volunteered to place the explosives in the bag at the obstacle ahead. Eric quickly found cover and took shelter. He didn't know if shrapnel or anything else would hit him. Having found cover, Eric fumbled for the lassgun magazine in his pocket and automatically reloaded. Although his hands were still trembling from the fighting, he was getting used to the process with repeated attempts.
The man who volunteered to plant the grenade in front of them crouched low and cautiously crawled forward, stuffing the grenade bag under the barricade and pulling the trigger before quickly running back out.
BOOM!!!!
A loud explosion echoed. Eric flinched slightly, and when he rose from cover, he found the barricade gone. The tank commander emerged from his tank and thanked the man.
"Thank you for your kindness… May the Emperor protect you," the tank commander said, making the Aquila sign with his hand.
"No problem," the man who volunteered to plant the grenade replied, still somewhat disoriented from the explosion.
"Likewise, comrade," the man responded, but then suddenly…
BANG!
Gunfire rang out, and the tank commander was shot in the shoulder. Eric and the others quickly sought cover.
"Aargh! That bastard is over there! Give him a high-explosive artillery shell!" The tank commander quickly retreated into the tank, ordering the turret to aim at a building suspected to have snipers. The tank slowly turned its turret toward the building.
Boom!!
Another artillery fire rang out, obliterating the area where the snipers were believed to be. The room hit was destroyed, and the almost unrecognizable remains of a mutant were flung out.
Then the battle continued. Eric moved cautiously with the others. At least having more people around made him safer, as it meant the enemy might not choose to shoot him first.
Fighting in a confined urban space was different from the battles he was used to in the Lower Hive. That was about surviving against animals and mutants, and enemies with limited weaponry. This time, the enemies were sophisticated, fully armed, organized, and using alleyways as traps. He was more afraid than he thought, but not as afraid as giving up. Eric told himself that and tried to assess the risks, scanning the alleyways, looking for corners where the enemy might be hiding.
A shout rang out. Mutants emerged from the rubble, raising their machine guns and firing at the group of soldiers. Many of the recruits were instantly killed, but Eric managed to dodge and duck to the ground. Almost half of the recruits who were with him were already dead, their bodies lying on the ground. Eric quickly composed himself, took a deep breath, and aimed his lassgun at the mutant, firing ten shots.
Making sure everything was safe, Eric slowly stood up, looking around nervously. He didn't know if they would be shot again or if there were traps waiting. He hoped there weren't any snipers around.
Beside him, a soldier was groaning in pain, his leg broken and the bone protruding. Eric glanced at the man twice before cautiously approaching, crouching low. He pulled a bandage from his pocket and quickly and firmly applied it, even though his hands trembled slightly. A broken bone like that was terrifying. But before he could do that, he realized he didn't know how to give first aid for a broken bone like this.
"What are you doing?!" the man exclaimed, sounding uncertain. Eric shook his head slightly before replying.
"How did I save your life?" he replied softly, a hint of annoyance added to the tone.
Eric rummaged through his pocket again and found two painkiller syringes he kept for himself. He took one and injected it into the man's thigh.
"...Thank you so much," the man said, his voice clearly laced with pain, his face showing signs of easing.
"You're welcome? You'll wait here for the doctor, right?" Eric asked, unsure if the doctor was dead or missing.
"Yes...I'll wait here. You regroup and attack...I can manage if it means victory," the man replied, raising his automatic rifle in a defensive stance.
"Then good luck," Eric nodded slightly and stood up. He glanced at the remaining ten or so soldiers and a tank guarding the target. It seemed that Lieutenant Rocklin was issuing orders, and their advance had come to a standstill. Eric rushed to the group of soldiers and listened as his lieutenant briefed them on their mission. They learned that they had to clear a building suspected of containing weapons of mass destruction, which would hinder the progress of other units.
Eric acknowledged the order like the others, though his heart was filled with anxiety. Fighting in confined spaces like buildings seemed terrifying and dangerous. He didn't know if there were traps or other creatures hiding in the rooms. And what if they encountered something as tough as those space marines? He had almost no heavy weaponry. He could die a miserable death, or worse. But orders were orders.
Once they were certain there were no dangerous creatures around the building, Eric and his team quickly entered. They cautiously explored the building. His team consisted of five people: the one at the front wore more extensive armor and a shotgun, while the rest used lassguns and only wore standard armor consisting of helmets and breastplates. On the other hand, there were soldiers serving the Korvax family.
"Hey...can I ask you something? Why do you guys have such a hostile look on your faces and in your eyes towards those soldiers?" Eric asked one of the conscripts in front of him, curious because he saw how afraid and disgusted he was of the soldiers in their knight-like helmets.
"Those scumbags are servants of the house Korvax . Nobody likes them," the conscript replied with a voice laced with hatred. Eric didn't ask further; just from their tone, he knew these soldiers were very ill-mannered and intimidating.
Opening and searching each room was quite tense, as they worried about what they might find. After failing to clear the first floor, they reached the second floor. Although there was nothing downstairs, they couldn't be completely complacent. Eric sighed, tired and anxious, and attached the bayonet to his lassgun, also picking up his assault chain sword and wielding it with one hand. He put away his primary weapon, a rifle, before picking up a Lass Pistol.
Upon reaching the first room on the second floor, the man at the front slowly opened the door, only to be riddled with bullets. Eric was shocked, but the others weren't. One of the soldiers in front of him grabbed a grenade and threw it into the room before waiting three seconds.
BOOM!!
A short explosion rang out, and the remaining three people, except Eric, immediately rushed into the room. Several gunshots then rang out. Eric, recovering from his shock, hurried in. Upon entering, he found several corpses of the most terrifyingly realistic-looking mutants he had ever encountered, along with the body of one of the conscripts who had accompanied him. The three, including Eric, remained silent, not saying much before splitting up to explore the other rooms as they usually did.
In Eric's opinion, the room was quite cramped, with decorations that could easily be purchased by someone with a moderate income (though even moderate income is still low). Eric noticed the bathroom door was closed. He raised his Lass Pistol and Assault Chain Sword, ready for combat, before cautiously approaching the bathroom.
"Damn, it's locked," Eric muttered to himself, looking left and right and seeing that the others were also searching the room. He activated his chain sword before thrusting it at the doorknob and the door itself. Just as he was about to open it, the door swung open rapidly, and someone lunged at him.
"Death to the Emperor of Corpses!!!" A man emerged from the bathroom with incredible speed, wielding a pried-up iron pipe, ready to strike Eric's head. Eric tried to dodge but failed, the pipe hitting his helmet squarely. Eric staggered backward, crying out in pain.
"Agh!!! You bastard!!!" Eric gritted his teeth before lunging at the man who was about to swing the pipe again. He used the hilt of his chain sword to deflect the man's arm before accelerating and plunging the blade into the man's chest.
*Screech!!!*
"Ah...*Ugh! ...*Hic...*" The man cried out briefly before spitting out a large amount of blood. The blade had torn through his lungs and bone. Blood splattered onto Eric's face and uniform. In an instant, the struggling body became completely still. The lifeless body of the man, its chest gaping open, fell motionless. Eric, his hand trembling slightly, pulled the chain sword from the man's body.
Was he going to kill someone this way again...? No, maybe this man wasn't human... but even so, this method made him feel terrible, disgusted, and repulsed by the wounds it inflicted. This melee weapon was the best he had, and it was essential; he couldn't possibly part with it easily unless he found a better one.
Eric, his breathing labored, slowly slowed before looking behind him and seeing the two remaining soldiers watching him intently.
"Can I withdraw my bet? You look terrifying," one of the soldiers said, quickly averting Eric's gaze when he noticed him staring at him.
"Suit yourself, but I'm not playing anymore," the other said, trying to avoid attracting attention and continuing to search the room. Eric, now recovering from his exhaustion, looked around the room before picking up a chair and sitting down.
Please remove the mask from his face and take out the bottle of water to drink, while wiping the blood from his face with his hand.
"That hurts like hell," Eric muttered softly, removing his helmet with one hand and gently rubbing the painful area with the other. He was thankful he was wearing the helmet; otherwise, it would have been much worse.
Would he survive the war if this continued? How lucky he was to have made it this far. If he had dodged even a little bit later, if he had been the one leading the way? He would have died easily and tragically, like many others he'd seen.
Suddenly, the two remaining recruits searched the closet and found something that made them think hard.
"Don't do anything to me, please! I have nothing to do with them... No!! John!" A woman hiding in the closet was dragged out, a baby wrapped in blankets in her arms. She was terrified, tears streaming down her face as she saw the lifeless body of the man Eric had killed lying on the floor.
The other recruit raised his gun and prepared to shoot the woman, but Eric stopped him.
"Why won't you let us shoot her?" the recruit asked, bewildered and suspicious. Another soldier, holding a gun pointed at the woman, looked at Eric with extreme suspicion.
"Are you going to shoot defenseless civilians?" Eric asked, curious and reluctant to see the two civilians die. For him, killing innocent civilians was a war crime and unacceptable (but if necessary, he would do it). The recruit raised an eyebrow slightly before replying.
"Where have you been?... These are rebels, they might be mutants... Don't you see what they are? Some of them look very human... And why is this woman able to stay in this area without being attacked? That means she's either a mutant or an outcast... And there's no mercy for traitors or rebels." The recruit explained calmly, glancing at the woman who was sitting and hugging a crying baby. Eric pondered deeply. The recruit's words made sense. If he continued to be suspicious or act differently, he might be seen as different and eliminated.
"I agree with him, maybe it's all a pretense... Don't fall for it. We should kill them quickly and move to another room... Or is the reason you're hesitating because you feel sorry for them?" The recruit observed, and both recruits immediately turned to look at Eric. Eric was tense and sweating slightly. He was suspected, and he needed to find an excuse quickly, otherwise he might have to flee or be killed.
Eric had to kill this mother and child? Kill that innocent baby? The thought made him tremble with guilt. He didn't want to kill a child, or even someone defenseless. Even though those around him didn't seem to mind, he felt utterly guilty. This overwhelming stress, anxiety, and guilt... what was this? But if he didn't do this, he might be the one to die, or he might have to flee to his death. And of course, he chose to do what he thought was best right now.
"Okay," Eric said softly, though hesitantly. He turned back to the woman sitting on the ground, hugging her child, with the same soldier still pointing his gun at her. Eric took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He reached into his belt and pulled out his Lass Pistol, aiming it at the woman's head.
He wouldn't die, and the risk was acceptable. She might be a mutant.
"Please... don't hurt me and my child!!!" "You killed him... please..." The woman hugged her baby tighter, looking at Eric with a pitiful and heart-wrenching expression that was too much for many to bear. Eric slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the woman's pleading voice.
Wah! Wah!
The baby in her arms began to cry. Eric gritted his teeth and made a firm decision. Now was the time to live here. He knew then that
hesitation was definitely not a good idea.
Pew! Pew!
A red flash of light, two shots from a last-minute pistol, rang out, and Eric's hands began to tremble and weaken. Eric was slightly shocked by what he had just done. His face beneath the black mask was even paler than before, even though it was already pale. Eric put the gun away and tried to walk away to calm himself down. The two recruits nodded in approval of Eric's actions, seemingly accepting him. They followed but then stopped abruptly. Eric, hearing why they stopped, turned around and saw Lieutenant Rocklin. He stood staring at them.
"What are you so surprised about, soldiers? I heard everything you did...and as for her," Lieutenant Rocklin said in a low, menacing voice, glaring at them as if they had done something wrong.
Eric immediately became worried that what he had just done was wrong. He might have been tricked into doing something unacceptable here, and he wondered if he would be punished.
While Eric was thinking with fear and anxiety, Lieutenant Rocklin gave an answer that left Eric feeling dizzy, surprised, and completely bewildered.
"You did very well, soldier. The Emperor and the Empire need servants who are unwavering like you... even though you may hesitate now and be a little hesitant... but I am confident that in the future, you will be without hesitation in doing things like this again." Lieutenant Rocklin spoke with great admiration.
Eric, hearing this, was now confused, surprised, and puzzled.
"Thank you, sir," he replied with a slight smile, trying to appear proud of what he had just done, as if it were merely his duty. But for him, it was a smile of utter surprise and emptiness, and the thought flashed through his mind:
Will he have nightmares about what he just did?
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Author's Note: Okay, things are starting to get dark. But technically, what Eric had just done was definitely right, because the woman might already have contracted geenstealer, even if it seemed a bit severe.