Day 299, Year 986, 41st Millennium
Upper Hive
Front Line, near the main transport elevator of the hive city
"Wow..." Vann, in his increasingly dirty PDF uniform, stood stunned, holding his radio. A massive tank exploded into a fireball, its turret soaring tens of meters into the air before crashing back down on his comrades. The Geenstealer cult's front line was crumbling and disunited, allowing the PDF forces to advance and fight effectively, seemingly on the verge of victory.
Previously, when the Super Heavy Battle Tank Baneblade appeared on the battlefield, he was immediately panicked. However, he also connected the dots, realizing the Malvernis family was implicated with the Geenstealers, and this tank might have been smuggled in by them. But that didn't matter now; he needed to figure out a way to destroy it. The battle was going in their favor, and victory was imminent. Losing now would be utterly in vain. And he tried every possible way and every kind of help to destroy it.
Now, the Baneblade, the giant tank that had been a nightmare for the PDF forces in this battle, was destroyed, reduced to charred wreckage, its turret billowing with smoke and flames. His sharp eyes peered through the smoke at the massive, burning wreckage, and then at a figure flung several meters away by the explosion.
He saw everything… from the moment the white-haired girl decided to recklessly run through the thick, iron-walled hail of bullets, a near-suicide attempt, to close in on the giant tank and throw a grenade at a vital point, destroying it almost instantly. He didn't know if she was brave or insane.
After the shock subsided, Vann let out a soft laugh, a laugh that other PDFs might find unsettling because it sounded so terrifying.
"That crazy girl…" he muttered to himself, quite amazed by her contradictions. Erika, a shy, insecure girl. He thought so many things about her were contradictory. Despite being shy and insecure, she dared to do something like this. This is exactly what he expected from an "ordinary person" whohadbeen pushed to the limit.
Vann realized that Erica wasn't just beautiful, intelligent, and a skilled marksman; she also possessed a "fierce survival instinct" that transformed into courage in desperate situations.
"Damn... almost perfect," Vann thought to himself. His logic and reasoning raced. Vann felt both relieved and inexplicably good, because the battle situation was improving. The tank had been destroyed, and they were certain victory. And the shy girl he'd chosen to pretend to be a trusted friend was far more than meets the eye.
At first, he didn't think much of her. She was just a girl from the Lower Hive, a place known for its uneducated, barbaric, and cruel inhabitants—a place he understood well from his years of experience. She wasn't particularly remarkable for her looks—beautiful enough to disguise herself as nobility—and her skill with firearms, especially handguns. Until he noticed something special and started talking to her... and then he realized she was more than meets the eye.
In fact, he didn't expect her to be so skilled in mathematics and management; it exceeded his expectations. Even though she was illiterate and couldn't read or write. But that wasn't a problem, because he could teach her.
If he could save her in this life-or-death situation and forge a deep bond of loyalty rooted in gratitude and indebtedness, he would gain more than just a skilled soldier. He would gain a friend, a trustworthy assassin, a bodyguard willing to sacrifice his life for him, and a rather capable and versatile assistant—or perhaps a spy who used her beauty to lure her targets. And judging by her shy and insecure personality, she would easily charm any man. It seemed fortunate that most of his political enemies were womanizers who easily offered themselves to women, making her even more valuable.
Vann tightened his grip on the communication device. He didn't show any panic or excessive joy, but his eyes reflected a cold, determined determination. He wouldn't let such a powerful "pawn" die tragically before his eyes.
"Don't die so soon, Erica... Your life from now on belongs to me," he murmured to himself, unaware that he was speaking with an expression of profound satisfaction. He had to hurry before her condition worsened because he saw her very close to the tank explosion and she had been thrown several meters away. He didn't want useless assistants or subordinates, and he didn't want her to die either.
He stepped out from cover, his body surviving through the rubble of PDF forces and Geenstealer cult members, along with numerous wrecked tanks, toward the unconscious woman hundreds of meters away. Every step was precisely calculated. Even in the chaotic battlefield, he maintained a strangely dignified bearing.
For Vann, this wasn't just free help... it was a life-binding contract, one she couldn't refuse from the moment he chose to take an interest in her.
Although most of the Geenstealers were now losing their unity in their fight against the PDF forces, some chose to fight to the death.
Vann raised his bolt pistol, aiming at an approaching Geenstealer before pulling the trigger.
Bang!
The massive bullet exploded inside its body, severing one of its arms. He sprinted on, through the PDFs fiercely battling the surviving Geenstealers. He saw that the PDFs were beginning to gain entry into the makeshift fortifications built over the large elevator, and a chaotic battle was underway inside. But some were fighting the Geenstealers outside.
At that moment, he sensed something. His instincts warned him, and he dodged just in time. Vann narrowly avoided a blade strike, then quickly stepped back before turning to look at his attacker.
It was a Geenstealer, not unlike the others he'd seen—most had three arms, bald heads, and hideous, distorted faces. But what set it apart was the large hood covering its head, along with some kind of tube connected to its nose. In one hand was a pistol, in the other a blade seemingly coated in poison, and in the left were three sharp claws.
Vann shifted his hand to his otherwise ordinary sword scabbard. He didn't want to waste time on such things; his real intention wasn't to kill the Geenstealers, but to help someone who would become a crucial pawn in his future. In the blink of an eye, he drew his bolt pistol and fired a burst at it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three bullets flew precisely towards where it stood, but this geenstealer was faster than expected. It easily dodged the bullets before attempting to aim its pistol at Vann's head, but he wouldn't let it do that.
Vann lunged forward swiftly, closing in on the creature. He drew his sword from its scabbard and swung it in a wide arc, severing the arm holding the gun in a single blow. A slightly psychopathic smile played on his lips. He admitted that since being expelled from his family, surviving and struggling on the lower levels had been terrible. He'd been fighting almost constantly, and had become quite skilled in close combat.
Greenstealer looked shocked and amazed by what happened before using the claws on its other arm to attack Vann's shoulder. Vann didn't even dodge.
Instead, he used this opportunity, spinning around and swinging his sword diagonally upwards, slicing across the creature's abdomen and across its shoulder. However, the claws also struck his right shoulder, knocking his gun out of its grasp.
He gritted his teeth in pain, gazing at the severe, gaping wound on his shoulder. The claws had easily sliced through the bone. The two distanced themselves from each other again. He looked at the now heavily injured Geenstealer, who looked back at him.
Vann flicked the blood from his sword before pressing a switch on the hilt with his thumb. A bright blue force field and tiny sparks of lightning enveloped his blade. They stared at each other for a moment before lunging at each other again.
This time, it was much faster and attacked wildly, but Vann used his skills to parry and counterattack. Although he was much slower than it, it wasn't a big problem as the creature was losing more and more blood, and he was waiting for the right moment.
He ducked to avoid a wide-ranging sword strike before straightening up and aiming to decapitate it, but the creature's sword blocked it. He retreated quickly as it counterattacked with a speed he could no longer follow with his eyes.
Vann was starting to enjoy the fight more and more. He didn't know whether he should hurry to his next task or continue fighting. The pain in his arm, the exhaustion, and the pounding heart from the fight were making him feel somewhat good.
And he chose it all.
This time, he would use a rather dirty method to defeat it. While it was distracted, he deliberately feigned a sword strike in a different direction.
Seeing this, Greenstealer raised his sword to defend.
But in that instant, he deflected the blade, easily attacking in another direction. His power sword severed its head from its body.
Its body slumped to the floor, which was covered in corpses and filth. Vann kicked the severed head with contempt and disgust before rushing towards the girl he intended to help.
____________________________________________
In the darkness of the underground research lab, filled with the humming of modified machinery, the dim green light from computer screens reflected the figures of Genestealer Cultists in oily and blood-stained lab coats. They were crowded around the "Necron Coffin," a dark, ominous metal object inscribed with mysterious circuits. Drilling tools screeched as they tried to pry open the surface, which was too hard for human technology to comprehend.
The researchers, all Genestealers, were so engrossed in the ancient artifact that they didn't notice the "dark shadow" around them moving.
The thick steel door was silently torn open, like a ripped piece of paper. Warriors in bluish-green and gray armor swarmed into the room like ravenous spirits. They were the Alpha Legion, moving with speed and perfect coordination, appearing like mirror images of each other.
The sound of the Stalker Bolter gun echoed faintly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Each bullet accurately pierced the skulls of the Cultists. Blood and brain matter splattered the walls before they could even sound the alarm. One researcher, attempting to press the emergency button, had his wrist impaled by a giant combat knife, pinning him to the control panel.
Before a power sword instantly severed his head.
Argus and warp smith Vatheg stepped over the still-wet corpses, heading straight for Necron's coffin. The other team members quickly dispersed to secure strategic positions around the room. Every movement was silent, the only sound being the light metallic footsteps on the floor.
In less than ten seconds, the research room, once filled with Geenstealers, was plunged into utter silence. Only the sound of machinery lingered, and the figures of the Alpha Legion stood over the corpses they themselves had created.
"Area clear," Argus said curtly through the communication channel, lowering his weapon and staring at the ancient artifact that now belonged entirely to them.
Seeing this, Warp Smith Vatheg immediately inspected the coffin. Judging from its appearance, it was clearly Necron technology. The traces indicated that Geenstealer and many others had been trying to open it for a long time, but none had succeeded, whether due to insufficient or inadequate equipment, or other limitations.
But Warp Smith Vatheg had no such problems. Although he was an engineer and researcher, he didn't rely solely on science. He was a servant of the god of darkness, worshipping the power of chaos to gain immense power and knowledge. He knew firsthand the terrifying ability of that power to distort reality.
Terrifying enough that he didn't want to meddle with it at all.
So, Warp Smith Vatheg made a quick decision. He improvised temporarily, gathering materials and creating a hand-sized plasma cutter. Anyone not blind would immediately recognize that this plasma cutter was contaminated with warp energy. And it was certainly more powerful than a typical plasma cutter, capable of cutting through almost anything in nearly an instant. Warp Smith Vathek wasted no time, immediately attaching it to one of his machandrites.
A blindingly bright blue-white flash shot out from the tip of Vathek's machandrite. The plasma cutter's slicing through the Necron metal echoed with a strange, high-pitched whistling sound, as if the metal were alive, screaming in pain. But in reality, it was the sound emanating from the plasma cutter. Vathek moved with the calm and precise movements of a skilled surgeon, slowly dragging the plasma cutter along the edge of the coffin.
Argus stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the research lab wall, his gaze fixed on the widening crack in the coffin. The silence in the room made the hissing sound of heat more pronounced.
"Do you see that energy reaction, Vathek? If this is truly the Necron coffin, there should be a sleeping body inside... Or is it just some kind of technological storage facility that you all crave?" Argus asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. But Vathek, engrossed in his work, didn't even glance up. His mechanical tentacles meticulously detected the temperature and electrical currents circulating beneath the metal shell.
"Don't look at it with human eyes, Argus. For the Necron, coffins aren't always for corpses... They could be data-conduit, or even a 'cage' for something far more powerful than we can imagine," Vathek replied in a trembling, synthesized voice.
"A cage? Are you telling me we might be unleashing something even the Iron Bones fear?" Argus shifted slightly, one hand instinctively moving closer to his Bolter gun.
"That's the thrill of doing something like this, isn't it? But overall, it's a possibility. If it's pure 'machine soul,' I'll fuse it into my armor. But if it's a lost star map... we'll gain the key to an arsenal the Empire only dreams of. Or, worse, something incredibly dangerous." Vathek let out a laugh that sounded like grinding gears.
The plasma cutter sliced through the final latch. A faint emerald green beam of light began to emerge from the crack. The temperature in the room plummeted, causing condensation to form on the armored masks of both of them.
"Prepare yourself, Argus. The truth we seek... is about to be revealed," Vatheg said, manipulating the large machandrite to pry open the heavy coffin lid. With just a little more force, the lid was pried open, the heavy iron lid crashing to the floor with a loud bang.
CRASH!
A cloud of frigid air billowed out, and a thin figure in dull gold and silver armor slowly sat up. Its eyes were empty voids, flickering with green light. It was the Necron Chronomancer, disoriented by what had just happened, before turning to one of the alpha legions standing guard. It pointed its staff and unleashed a beam of green light that struck the alpha legion. The moment the beam hit, the armor and flesh of the alpha legion instantly disintegrated into dust.
"You lowlife creatures... How dare you…" A hoarse voice in the Necrontier language rumbled from its throat. In its other hand, it clutched the Tesseract Vault, a glowing cube that seemed to contain immense energy.
In the split second after everything had happened, Argus and Vatheg exchanged glances. They felt neither fear nor respect for the ancient creature before them. They were space marines; they weren't afraid of such nonsense. They were only frustrated at losing a subordinate.
"Vatheg… now!" Argus shouted, just as the Chronomancer was about to attack again.
"Yaaah!!!" Argus lunged forward, slamming his shoulder with full force, sending the Necron's metal body flying from its coffin and crashing to the ground. Warp smith Vatheg wasted no time, striking its chest with his large machandrite, crushing it.
"You… you… Ugh!" Before it could finish speaking… Argus and Vatheg's massive steel boots on their feet moved faster than their hands could reach for guns or other weapons, stomping relentlessly on the creature's body. The sound of the Necrodermins clanging and breaking echoed loudly, like a sledgehammer smashing a trash can.
"Wake up... (stomping)... you killed one of my men... (stomping)... you old iron-boned bastard!" Vatheg cursed, crushing what appeared to be the creature's face. Argus, seizing the opportunity while it was being overwhelmed and unable to move, snatched the cube from its clawed hand, severing the Necrodermins' fingers.
"Mission accomplished! Retreat quickly!" Argus shouted. They stomped one last time, flattening the Chronomancer's body against the floor, before turning and fleeing the research lab. The remaining Alpha Legion warriors used their flamethrower guns to burn down the hallway and destroy any evidence.
______________________________________________
Writer's Note: At least Eric is lucky to have people who care about him...