Chapter 1329: The Tyranid Invasion (1)

Over the next twenty-four hours, Eridanus III turned into a massive construction site.

The engineering corps of the Ash Star Alliance, under the guidance of the Weepers Chapter warriors, frantically modified the defensive lines.

Trenches were dug three meters deeper and fitted with bulletproof shields. Gun emplacements were redeployed to form a crossfire network.

The range of the minefield was expanded tenfold, with millions of anti-personnel and anti-armor mines buried.

Aketesi stood on a high ground, overlooking the defensive lines under modification.

Flavius stood beside him.

"Chapter Master, the Ash People work fast," Flavius said.

Aketesi nodded.

"Because they don't want to die. People who don't want to die work fast."

He turned and walked down the hillside.

"Notify all companies: enter positions in twenty-four hours."

Flavius nodded.

"Yes!"

Three hours remained until the Zerg arrived.

The modification of the defensive lines on Eridanus III was complete.

Three layers of defense, like three iron hoops, locked the planet's surface firmly in place.

The first layer consisted of minefields and automatic cannons; the second, trenches and bunkers; the third, fortresses and fire points.

The warriors of the Weepers Chapter had already entered their positions, their yellow Power Armor glowing dimly under the dark red starlight.

Aketesi stood in the Central Fortress of the third defensive line, a Holographic Star Map before him.

On the star map, the light dots representing the Zerg were approaching rapidly.

"Chapter Master, the Zerg vanguard is three hours away from here," Flavius said.

Aketesi nodded.

"Notify the Ash Star Alliance fleet to deploy according to the plan."

Flavius asked.

"Chapter Master, what about our fleet?"

Aketesi said.

"Stay in orbit. Once the Zerg Bio-ship appears, we will attack them from the flank."

Flavius nodded.

"Understood."

Aketesi turned and looked at the dark red sky outside the window.

"Notify all companies: one last equipment check. In three hours, the battle begins."

Three hours later.

The sky of Eridanus III began to change color.

It was not Dawn, not dusk; it was the Zerg.

Countless Spore Cysts descended from the sky, pouring down onto the planet's surface like a torrential rain.

Each Spore Cyst was like a meteorite, trailing a long tail of fire, crashing into the ground, blasting out huge craters, and releasing hundreds or thousands of Zerg creatures.

The first defensive line.

The minefield detonated. Millions of mines exploded simultaneously, fire soaring into the sky, fragments scattering everywhere.

Zerg corpses piled up like mountains, but those behind stepped on the corpses of their companions and continued to advance.

Termagants leaped over the minefield, Scything Talons waving, tearing through the barbed wire.

Hormagaunts followed behind, firing with Bio-guns.

Pyrovores sprayed Bio-Plasma, blasting gaps in the defensive line.

The automatic cannons began to fire.

Energy Beams and live ammunition poured down like a rainstorm, and the Zerg corpses were reduced to fragments in the artillery fire.

But the number of Zerg was too great, so many that the artillery fire could not finish them off.

The first defensive line fell seven minutes after the Zerg arrived.

The second defensive line.

In the trenches, Weepers Chapter warriors and Ash Star Alliance soldiers fought side by side.

Energy Beams and bolter fire wove into a net of fire, repelling the Zerg charges time and again.

Termagants leaped into the trenches, Scything Talons waving, only to be severed by Chainswords.

Hormagaunts charged the position and were shattered by Bolters.

Carnifexes smashed through bunkers and were blasted into fragments by heavy artillery.

But the number of Zerg did not decrease.

They swarmed in from all directions, endless and inexhaustible.

Weepers Space Marine Solaris stood at the edge of the trench, his yellow Power Armor covered in dust.

His helmet was removed and hung at his waist, revealing a young, handsome face.

His short golden hair was soaked with sweat, clinging to his forehead.

His eyes were fixed on the darkness ahead, the safety on his Bolter already disengaged.

To his left was an Ash Star Alliance soldier, an Alien with four eyes and dark red skin.

His name was Gort, a Gunner in the Thirty-First Infantry Division of the Ash Star Alliance.

His four eyes were filled with fear, his fingers trembled slightly on the trigger, and his lips kept twitching, though it was unclear what he was muttering.

To the right was Solaris's comrade-in-arms, Einar.

His Power Armor was covered in campaign badges, and he gripped a Chainsword that was still dripping oil.

"Solaris."

Einar spoke, his voice low.

"What are you thinking?"

Solaris did not turn his head.

"Nothing."

In the distance, points of light began to appear in the darkness.

Not starlight, but the eyes of the Zerg.

Thousands upon thousands, dense and packed like fireflies in the dark, yet every single one was deadly.

Gort's fingers tightened further.

"They are coming."

Solaris put on his helmet, and a cold light shone through the slits of his visor.

"Fire."

The roar of the Bolter tore through the night sky.

Solaris's Bolter fired continuously, each bolt exploding into a mist of blood within the swarm.

The Scything Talons of the Hormagaunts were blown off, the Bio-guns of the Termagants were shattered, and the carapaces of the Pyrovores were blasted apart.

But the Zerg behind stepped over the corpses of their companions and continued to advance, surging forward like a tide.

Gort's heavy machine gun also began to roar.

Energy Beams swept through the swarm, turning rows of Hormagaunts into sieves.

His four eyes were wide open, his lips twisted by fear and rage.

"Come on! Come on! You vermin!"

Hormagaunts leaped over the minefield, Scything Talons waving, tearing through the barbed wire.

Termagants followed behind, firing with their Bio-guns.

Pyrovores sprayed Bio-Plasma, blasting gaps into the defensive line.

A Hormagaunt leaped over the edge of the trench, its Scything Talons heading straight for Gort.

Solaris's Bolter rang out.

Three bolts, the Hormagaunt's head exploded, and its corpse fell into the trench, splashing up a patch of bloody mud.

Gort panted heavily.

"Tha... thank you."

Solaris did not answer.

He swapped in a new magazine and continued to fire.

The number of Zerg did not decrease.

They surged from all directions, endless and infinite.

Hormagaunts jumped over the trenches like locusts, Termagants crawled over the positions like ants, and Pyrovores crushed everything like moving Fortresses.

Hand-to-hand combat began to break out in the trenches.

A Hormagaunt landed beside Solaris, its Scything Talons sweeping across.

Solaris dodged to the side, drew his Chainsword, and hacked into the Hormagaunt's head.

Zerg blood gushed out, splashing onto his Power Armor and making a hissing, corrosive sound.

"Solaris! To the right!"

Einar roared.

Solaris turned and saw three Termagants raising their Bio-guns, aiming at him.

He raised his Bolter and fired continuously.

Three bolts, three Termagants fell.

But a fourth Termagant had already rushed to his front.

Its Bio-gun pressed against Solaris's chest plate and exploded against the Power Armor; Solaris was knocked back two steps, and Fleshborer Beetles on the chest plate were gnawing at the Power Armor.

"The Emperor's Armor is not something you can pierce."

He said in a low voice, pressing his Bolter against the Termagant's head.

One bolt, the Termagant's head exploded, and then he crushed the Fleshborer Beetles on his Power Armor into pulp.

Gort's heavy machine gun was still roaring.

His four eyes were bloodshot, his fingers were stiff, but he dared not stop.

"Ammunition!"

He roared.

The Ammunition Bearer beside him did not respond.

Gort turned his head and saw that the Ammunition Bearer had already fallen to the ground, a hole blasted through his chest by a Zerg Bio-gun.

His four eyes were still open, but his pupils were already dilated.

"Damn it!"

Gort threw away the empty heavy machine gun, drew his Energy Pistol, and continued to fire.