Chapter 16: Warhammer: What Do You Mean You Conquered the Bug Race

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

Psionic Residual Wave struck Cassius, most of it diverted by the Iron Halo.

He strode forward with Ice Cold Determination toward the Soul Sucking Worm.

The warriors behind him provided fire cover, terrifying explosive rounds and Heat Melt Rays blocked outside by the Spirit Shield.

Continuous firepower output relieved much pressure for Cassius.

He gritted his teeth and launched a charge.

"For the Gene Father!"

This steel Big Guy charged straight in front of the Soul Sucking Worm like that, then shoved the Heavy Missile Gun into its shield.

He pulled the trigger, and instantly brain matter splattered everywhere.

The Psyker Pressure pervading the entire Insect Nest finally dissipated at this moment.

Pressure suddenly dropped, even causing several Gargoyles controlled by Lena to have their heads explode as if suffering from "decompression sickness."

Having lost the Soul Sucking Worm's command and pressure.

The entire Insect Nest, as if being slowly devoured by a huge, merciless crusher.

Metal melted, rocks cracked, flesh evaporated.

The Magra Clan's style was fully displayed here.

With absolute superior firepower, crushing, incinerating, and reshaping the enemy and their environment together.

The battle was being resolved at a rapid speed.

And Cassius keenly noticed the Gargoyle swarm above the Pipe that had always not launched an attack.

Without any hesitation, Lena immediately controlled the Gargoyles to launch a suicidal charge against Cassius Squad.

Just like other Insect Tides, they were instantly torn apart.

"This simply can't be fought." He muttered to himself, voice dry.

After obtaining Cassius Squad's complete combat details from Lena, Lin En sighed.

If Lena's Nest were exposed, facing such a strike, even though Lena was now much stronger, could she escape?

This was an unknown.

What could be certain was that her bug swarm, not large in scale (about just four digits), would surely be melted instantly under such firepower density.

The Hive Fleet's countdown was ticking, and before him, these Empire's most elite killing machines were likewise a huge threat to his and Lena's survival.

Deep helplessness and urgency gripped his heart.

Since reading Son of Medusa's battle report, Lin En and Lena's contact had become more cautious.

Lin En only chose to act at the most "safe" moments.

Only when far from Son of Medusa and with many unrelated people around did he dare contact Lena.

For example, in the noisy bustling market of Seventh District, he would stop his footsteps.

Pretending to check tax notifications on the Data Slate, his Consciousness sank into the System Interface.

His Finger slid meaninglessly on the cold screen, while in his mind he wove encrypted commands.

After sending the information to Lena, he began seriously carrying out "what Lin En should do."

Lena's replies were often even more concise, sometimes just a system confirmation symbol representing "received."

She seemed to understand the current danger level as well, and began actively reducing the bug swarm's Activity Range.

Almost every time contacting Lin En, it was underground cave-dwelling worms serving as extensions of Lena's Consciousness.

Cave worms were a type of underground medium-sized Bug Race war beast similar to Excavation Pythons, active underground, safety was relatively higher.

At the same time Lin En could no longer risk directly transporting Supplies.

The resources in his hands had to undergo multiple laundering and Disguise before being delivered to Lena.

"Recycled Military Rations" from the Black Market, flesh and blood from the Patrol Squad's "legal" Suppression of Mutant Giant Rat swarms.

And Insect Organs recovered by the Patrol Squad themselves from Suppression.

Even Organic Compounds "confiscated" from some unlucky smugglers.

These Biomass were finely divided by Lin En into two parts.

60% used for smuggling, the act had to be complete, after all he had once said what these Biomass were used for.

Through the Iron Anvil Society's remaining not-so-conspicuous channels, converting these "goods" into Credit Points, Tiberium Batteries, Weapon Parts, and some hard-to-track Rare Metals.

These resources were used to maintain Lin En's overt "Efficient Patrol Squad" operation.

Bribing small Bureaucrats at key nodes, and purchasing "Luxury Items" that could explain his personal consumption records.

The remaining 40% had to be delivered to Lena through more ingenious and more cruel methods.

Lin En designed several "Scripts."

Script A: Black-on-black fire merger.

He would through anonymous channels, to two smuggling gangs with long-standing grudges.

Simultaneously "selling" information about the same "safe" Route, and hinting to the other side that they were transporting High Value goods.

When the two Squads met at the designated, secluded Pipe junction, just as gunpowder smoke began.

A small bug swarm dispatched by Lena would pounce out from the Shadow.

The attack came as fast as lightning, with a clear objective: tear open the transport vehicle, devour the biomass inside, and withdraw swiftly, never engaging in a prolonged fight.

Left behind was the aftermath of two gangs of bandits accusing each other and then opening fire, along with traces of goods "completely looted" amid the mess everywhere.

The smugglers who suffered a silent loss dare not report to the authorities that their own goods were plundered by Xenos.

Even if someone bold enough reported it, sorry, the one answering the phone would usually be Lin En himself.

Script B: "The Unfortunate Theft Case".

Lin En will arrange outer members of the Iron Anvil Society to escort a batch of "important supplies" to a cooperative repair station located in the Slum.

The route will "coincidentally" pass through a known abandoned area where mutant creatures are active.

The escort team will encounter a fierce, never-before-seen "Mutant Creature Attack", all members unfortunately perish, and the goods go "missing".

Afterwards, Lin En will personally lead a team to "investigate", recovering several damaged weapons and identity tags from the ruins.

Write a sorrowful report, list the deceased on the "Line of Duty Death" roster, and use this as grounds to apply for more pensions and equipment supplements.

Script C: "The Price of Greed".

This is the coldest, and also the most effective, move.

Lin En will deliberately leak information about several lucrative smuggling routes that he has actually marked as "high-risk".

"Leaked" to those greedy smuggler chieftains.

These routes often pass through the "patrol zone" outside Lena's Nest.

When a convoy full of smuggled goods (mixed with biomass Lin En added through intermediaries) rumbles past.

The smugglers who thought they got a great deal are met with a slightly larger, more destructive Bug Race ambush.

Goods devoured, personnel slaughtered, not a single survivor.

Within three months, more than one hundred and fifty smugglers and related personnel in the Seventh District Lower Level went "missing" or were "confirmed dead" because of this.

But such things in the Hive World are as common as eating and sleeping.

Who would care anyway?

Lin En felt not a shred of guilt for his actions.

After all, the Empire lacks nothing more than these scum.