Chapter 119: Hive Tyrant

Artillery fire rained down on the energy-wreathed airdrop capsule, stirring up waves of psychic energy.

That seemingly fragile psychic shield held firm against the relentless bombardment, as solid as layers of thick void shields, protecting the airdrop capsule like a spear piercing through the fire net and driving straight into the streets of the hive, exposed beneath the crimson sky.

The Astra Militarum’s armored forces immediately moved into action, launching searing steel shells toward the airdrop capsule half-buried in the hive’s ruins.

Terrifying psychic energy mixed with lightning erupted from the airdrop capsule, causing the incoming shells to freeze midair as if time itself had been severed.

A metallic wail rose as the metal shells were crushed into twisted lumps of scrap metal, tumbling to the ground.

The curled airdrop capsule unfurled its thick fleshy petals, revealing its passengers.

They were giant, serpent-like Tyranid organisms with overdeveloped brains.

These monsters swung their slender, scythe-like claws along their serpentine bodies, floating partially aloft as they emerged from the capsule, allowing the Astra Militarum soldiers on the battlefield to see their full forms.

Occupying most of the creature’s body, its head bore a chitinous crown beneath which lay exposed, massive brain tissue, its surface densely folded and furrowed, resembling layers of writhing worms clustered together.

This Tyranid organism appeared so slender, so fragile, so easily shattered.

The Lethin snipers hidden along the streets raised their specialized laser rifles, aiming at the Tyranids’ exposed brains.

“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!”

Before the Lethin snipers could pull their triggers, they involuntarily screamed in agony.

Their faces turned ashen, hands clamped tightly over their chests, eyes bulging with bloodshot veins.

A simultaneous *thump* erupted from each Lethin sniper’s chest, like a synchronized drumbeat.

Then, like kites with severed strings, the Lethin snipers tumbled en masse from their windows.

Lethin sniper commander Hobien Bai Lu clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide as he watched his comrades die under the force of overwhelming psychic energy.

He and a few other Lethin who were better at concealment barely escaped the giant serpent’s psychic sweep, hiding in shadows to survive.

He recognized it—the Brainstealer mentioned in the war council.

*Boom!!!!*

Before Hobien Bai Lu could think further, a Lethin hiding to his right-front exploded like an overinflated balloon, spraying brain matter everywhere.

Perhaps his breath was too loud, perhaps he betrayed a sliver of malice, perhaps his heartbeat simply quickened—he was spotted by the Brainstealer, who crushed his skull with psychic force.

Hobien Bai Lu could only hope for the armored forces outside.

Armored units long concealed among the buildings surged from the flanks, unleashing waves of fire upon the Brainstealer.

Each tank carried a psyker from the Viceroy’s Force, who used their power to mask the tanks’ presence, keeping them undetected.

The Brainstealer was caught off guard; the barrage slammed into the psychic shields hovering around them, rippling the energy.

The psykers inside the tanks roared in unison, layers of soulfire erupting from within and striking the psychic shields.

The targeted Brainstealer staggered, its psychic energy fluctuating.

It’s working!

But before Hobien Bai Lu could rejoice,

the battlefield shifted instantly.

The Brainstealers stabilized their forms midair, twisting their brains toward the flanking armored units.

An invisible psychic wave surged through, piercing every tank’s armor.

The psykers hidden inside screamed as searing, uncontrollable soulfire erupted from their eye sockets.

Then, one by one, the tanks ignited from within.

In an instant, the Astra Militarum’s proud iron tide melted into molten lumps of ruined metal.

The massive Toxic Blade tanks began advancing toward the Brainstealers, crushing the streets like mobile fortresses.

Their ten-meter-long Toxic Blade cannons unleashed rocket-propelled vector shells.

The Brainstealers raised layered psychic shields to block the incoming projectiles.

Psychic energy and shells collided in midair, exploding into dazzling bursts of light.

Yet the apparent stalemate shattered with the arrival of a larger Brainstealer, its crown more grotesque and menacing.

Hobien Bai Lu, watching this, recognized it.

It was the Mindflayer—the leader of the Brainstealers, a terrifying Alpha-level psyker.

A concentrated beam of azure psychic energy formed before the Mindflayer’s crown, like a deep-blue, abyssal spear.

The spear flashed like a streak of light, piercing straight into the Toxic Blade tank’s interior, instantly severing its reactor and ammunition bay like a precise surgical blade.

An explosion tore from within the tank, its fiery shockwave turning the entire vehicle into a charred, massive hunk of scrap.

The Mindflayer swiftly summoned immense psychic power, lifting the entire tank and hurling it violently toward the position the Cadia people had built around the fallen statue.

“RAY!!!! AMINOS!!!”

Leina let out a furious roar, her voice laced with unknown syllables; her illegal psyker unit assisted her, channeling their psychic energy into the warp lightning she summoned.

Scorching warp lightning coalesced into a blinding column, slamming into the airborne remains of the Toxic Blade tank.

The lightning pierced the wreckage and hurled it aside.

Leina gasped for breath; some of her illegal psykers had already fainted.

What terrifying psychic power—without even direct contact, Leina could feel the overwhelming psychic surge radiating from the Brainstealers.

It was several times stronger than her own; even with her illegal psykers combined, they were nowhere near its level.

Leina touched the scripture tattoo on her cheek and whispered a prayer to the Emperor.

More psychic attacks erupted from the Brainstealers; Leina led her remaining illegal psyker unit in counterattack.

Zhou Yun watched the front line—the Brainstealers’ assault had been temporarily halted by Leina and the illegal psyker unit.

Without the Blood Angels present, the winged figure within Bai Guang could not manifest fully through the warp shadows.

Perhaps he could only appear in the material universe for a moment.

So Zhou Yun and he must wait patiently—for the Brainstealers to draw near the line before striking.

Until then, Leina and General Drostron must hold the line.

Under the Brainstealers’ psychic dominance, the horde roared toward the Cadia line.

“Cadia stands unbroken!!!!” General Drostron roared from the front line.

Ogrimen, wielding clubs and battle shields, formed a thick wall; Cadia soldiers fired laser rifles from behind it, targeting the horde.

The Brainstealers slowly floated toward the Cadia position; with every inch closer, veins bulged on Leina’s and the illegal psykers’ faces.

The closer they drew, the heavier the psychic pressure on the Astra Militarum.

!. Read

But they could still hold.

*Riiip!!!*

The sound of blades cleaving air rang out as Ogrimen and their shields were sliced in half, blood spraying across the ground.

A gap tore through the Cadia line in an instant; Zhou Yun’s eyes snapped toward it.

It was a behemoth—shorter than a Screamer Killer, but with denser muscle and thicker chitin, its eyes brimming with malice.

It had four grotesque limbs: the upper pair wielded a biological greatsword and a flesh whip; the lower pair gripped a monstrous flesh cannon.

Three heavily armored chitinous guardians flanked it.

Hive Tyrant!

One of the highest-tier units among the Tyranids, commander of the entire horde, embodiment of the Hive Mind!

Only deployed when the swarm must eliminate a critical enemy.

The Hive Tyrant tore through Ogrimen and Cadia soldiers, yet its gaze never left Zhou Yun.

Zhou Yun felt its malice, so intense it nearly took physical form.

This was the Hive Mind’s chosen opponent—specifically assigned to him.

Crimson spore clouds swirled around the Tyrant like churning blood.

“Will you fight?” General Drostron asked, voice low.

This was beyond all expectations—a Hive Tyrant could tip the entire battle.

Its threat rivaled that of the Brainstealers—even with an Alpha-level psyker among them.

For the Hive Tyrant could shatter the Cadia line in an instant.

“When I lived a peaceful life, I always wanted a Hive Tyrant.”

Zhou Yun grinned, recalling his first days in Warhammer in his past life.

Back then, he was captivated by the Tyranid Tyrant miniature—its elegant, ferocious form drew him into Tyranids.

Never thought… now the swarm had delivered one to his doorstep.

Zhou Yun donned his psychic cap, wound the acceleration spring, slipped on psychic gloves, and wrapped his arms with the rebounding cloak.

But it wasn’t enough—it was a Hive Tyrant, one of the most vile creatures in the galaxy.

He needed more comprehensive, greater enhancements.

Zhou Yun glanced at his savings—after three days of battle, he had amassed ten million.

His gaze settled on a single item in the Future Department Store.

(End of Chapter)