I could've made this chapter bigger, but we were getting dangerously close to the word limit and I didn't want to make this longer than one chapter, so yeah.
13K words long.
Studying the lore took some time, but I can't say it's very accurate. Either way, I hope it's to a certain standard.
I hope you like it! Peace!
PS:
If you're interested in following the progress of each chapter release... https ://discord.gg/zpAgtPBAMK
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Philip looked at his reflection, and the floating window as it dispersed in the air. His expression becoming one of helplessness as the whole base he stood on shook under the heavy clashes echoing outside.
/Quake… quake…/
There was no escaping it… this was now his reality.
/BOOOM!/
/Flicker…/
The lights flickered, the spilled blood trembled, distorting his reflection and awakening him from his delirium.
He took a deep breath, almost coughing at the terrific smell, "… What the hell am I supposed to do here?"
'Being this aware is already a miracle with such an injury.'
/BAM! BAM! BAM!/
"Huff… this place will fall apart soon enough… are they bombing this place?"
'No… Whatever it is, the battle isn't directly here… but no matter what, those explosions sure are loud.'
Philip looked at his clothes… and at the surrounding bodies. A standard green helmet that covered his ears and left his chin to the eyes exposed. On the forehead, a gray, metallic skull with wings was etched.
Simple camouflaged clothing, likely for heavily forested terrain. This made Philip think he was stationed on a tropical forest world of some sort.
A simple set of green metal pauldrons and a breastplate. Followed by a set of knee plates. His boots were also reinforced and quite sturdy; almost akin to greaves.
(Image)
'Everything's new… It looks like I barely used them before I… the previous owner of this body died.'
'My helmet's nowhere to be seen though… I'll just borrow another… Hum, I think there was something about guardsmen being punished for losing their equipment… can they even tell if I borrowed another helmet?'
/BOOOOM!/
"… Certainly not in this mess…"
He reached for his forehead, but his hand twitched as it did so…
'… From the looks of it, something slashed through my skull rather than a bullet. The cut is too smooth, but whatever cut its way into my head was then pulled away brutally. This caused part of my head to be pulled out and thorn.'
'Maybe it was something barbed? Given this injury, it's hard to say if this man was lucky or not… did he die from shock or trauma? Maybe Gamerverse healed some of his injuries so I could take over it.'
'That said, the brain is undamaged, but I'm bleeding severely… I could survive with this type of injury, nothing a metal plate to my skull won't solve… but not in this place… I doubt I even have something to stitch the wound on me.'
/Boom!/
'This is a battlefield, resources are scarce… and I don't think I'm someone worth being maintained… Even if I hide, I'll die of blood loss before the battle ends, and even if it do live, I'll probably suffer a not-so-good end afterward.'
'Hell… if I go back, I'll likely be expected to turn my ass around and shoot until I fall down from exhaustion, and if I survive even then… would they turn me into soup to feed others?'
/Quake…/
"… I doubt this battle will end anytime soon anyway."
'I could be lucky and survive just enough for my mission to end. But that's wishful thinking… This world could burn, be consumed, destroyed, this entire sector might be obliterated to quell whatever's going outside… That if I'm lucky.'
'I truly hope this planet isn't being invaded by the forces of chaos… The last thing I need is being wary of demonic contamination and exposition.'
'Now… I only hope that this world is valuable enough to prevent immediate destruction from happening, but is the millions of worlds out there, was I lucky enough to be in one of them?'
'Out of everything that could happen, I can at least give it a try. But if this world is on route for complete annihilation, then there isn't much I can do.'
'I'll have to trust Gamerverse that it at least put me in a world where I can fight without the worry of being deleted from existence for one of the few dozen ways it can go.'
Philip exhaled faintly… he pushed himself off the ground with immense pain, every corner of his body screaming for release. He pushed himself through the trembling hallway and pooled entrails, reaching out for another helmet in perfect condition… embedded on a man whose face had caved in from… something he didn't want to think about.
His immediate assessment was that something had punctured his face all the way to the back of his skull.
"Excuse me… I'll make good use of uh… your belongings…"
Philip pulled the helmet off the man and put it on his head as the blood ran down his hair, 'It's still warm… I need to get my bearings before whatever took this out returns.'
'My memories aren't that helpful… rather… I don't think I have anything to help me in this situation… I think I can only speak and read their language… It's a strange language I can't quite wrap my hands around… I suppose this is the best representation of what the natural evolution of human language looks like.'
'The fusion of dozens of languages into one over centuries and thousands of years… and then a few more thousands of years during the age of exploration where languages diverged in planets isolated from each other… before fusing back together tens of thousands of years later… then give it a few more…'
"My throat hurts just from speaking it…"
'Gamerverse truly left me with nothing… not even how to use these weapons… I hope I don't press some kind of self-destruct button by mistake… if the equipment was even worthy of such mechanisms.'
'At least I'm regained my awareness. Still… will this remain?… Maybe my consciousness can exist beyond the damage to this body, but how much truth is there to this? When will my body fail to such a degree I cannot operate it any longer?'
/Tremble…/
"Arg… whatever… Nothing will change if I stay here."
'First, I need to understand what's going on around me before I make any decision.'
Philip got to his feet as his chest heaved up and down. He looked around amidst the carnage and found something a little odd. A soldier who looked a little different from the others.
He carried a large backpack that, when opened, revealed a series of what he thought to be medical supplies!
"Ha! Maybe I have a chance to live!"
'The thing is… I don't know what half of these even do!!… Most of the things here look rather basic, but most drugs here… at least I think they are drugs since they are unlabeled… what even is this material?'
A word flew by at the corner of his mind… It was a cataplasm patch.
'At least I can understand the meaning behind some of the words here, so I can infer their uses based on that. But I can only guess when they're unlabeled like this.'
"Urg… I'll just do whatever I think is proper."
Philip had quite advanced knowledge in the field and was more than able to administer first aid not only to himself but to others as well… The problem was not knowing half of what the materials and items before him even did.
He took a few pills he believed to be safe, injected what he thought to be a stimm into his veins, and wrapped his head in bandages after applying some cream on the wound.
It didn't matter if he did something wrong, even if the end result was his death from overdose; at least he would live longer than now.
After he checked his equipment, he filled his pockets and slots with whatever crap he could carry. In the process, he saw a few things inside; medical supplies and what he assumed to be ammo, grenades, a gasmask strapped to his waist… one item that attracted his attention seemed to be some sort of scanner, but he didn't know how to use it, so he put it back where he found it.
"What's this?…" He asked out loud as he found a booklet in a pocket, "The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer… Let's see… Chapter 1: Principles and Regulations… Skip…"
"Chapter 2: Issued Arms, Attire, Apparatus and Equipment… That's more like it. Is there anything explaining what these are?"
/BAM BAM BAM!/
As the chaos outside continued, causing the lights to flicker, Philip frowned… "I'll look after I get something to defend myself at least…"
After his condition improved and he stopped sweating cold, he reached out for the only weapon he could find in good condition amidst the sea of blood…
(Image)
'I think they call this a Lasgun?… I don't remember it all perfectly…'
He inspected the cold, minimalistic design of the weapon, checking its mechanisms to try to understand how it worked. At least on a superficial level. It looked simple, but it wasn't just a chunk of metal; this was a tech-gun. There were just as many cables inside it as there were bolts.
At its tip was a standard bayonet. Even after several tens of thousands of years, it seemed the design had remained the same.
'I think this is your traditional futuristic laser gun… It is sturdy and easy to use. I think it even has an artificial intelligence installed… ahem… they don't use those words anymore…'
'Ever since the fall of humanity by an AI uprising, humanity has banned such technology from being used… I think they call them Machine Spirits as to make them something more… organic?'
"There seems to be some sort of battery instead of a mag…"
'I have a few extra batteries with me as well. How do I unloa…'
/Click!/
"Okay."
/Clack!/
'It's simple enough… there are a few extra buttons though, and I'm too afraid to press them.'
"The battery of the gun differs from the pistol…" He said as his eyes darted around the place
He went around unloading a few guns and adding their magazines to his. He also took this chance to grab a few grenades. At least their designs were familiar to him.
He also reached for the wall, taking an axe from a broken display case. Inside the display case were several supplies as well, which he took a few of since he had limited space.
When he gave the hallway a good look, he noticed that such military materials were everywhere albeit in great disarray. The soldiers before him had raised a barricade here, but it was clear the line had been broken.
From taking a look around, he noticed the patterns on the ground. They were overwhelmed by something coming from the same direction… so he promptly made the decision to go the opposite way.
Even if that may lead him to meet whatever did this, if any soldier was still alive, it likely ran that way as well.
/Sha sha sha…/
He pushed a body around, and a small maggot-like creature jumped from the soldier's chest, almost biting him!
/SLAP!/
/Slither…/
The maggot slid away almost as soon as it hit the ground, leaving behind a bloody trail.
"… Shit… I think I know what this is…"
(Image)
As he finished cleaning and inspecting his immediate surroundings, he stood in the center of the hallway, pensive.
"That aside, there doesn't seem to be anything worthwhile around… maybe grenades, but I can't stay here for long, I…"
/BOOOOOM!/
Suddenly, a massive explosion rang just outside his base, and a wave of air threw him across the hallway. He was lucky as he slid across the grated metallic ground rather than falling headfirst into a sharp piece of machinery.
"AARG!!"
Philip slid across the ground in pain and confusion. His vision and ears rang as he tried to regain his composure.
/Screech!/
"Huff…"
As he pushed himself off the ground, he heard a terrific noise and the scuttling of something fast approaching.
"F-Fuck…"
Using the Lasgun rifle as a cane, he stood up again with the wall to his right as support.
"Give me a break at least…"
/CRANK!/
Three creatures rushed through the hallway's corner like bulls pushing aside everything in their path. And as one turned around, three more appeared behind them. Soon enough, there were well over two dozen rushing through at him at high speeds!
The echoes of even more just outside! It was as if the whole base had awakened!
"That little fucker… Well, fuck me sideways!!!"
'I hope this thing isn't in safe mode!'
/Click…/
He pressed the trigger, but as he did so, it jammed.
"W-What? It's locked?! I thought this… D-Dammit!"
Philip grew a little stressed out as he ran backwards with everything he had, cutting himself short as he realized the situation he was in. The decision came to him in an instant. His body screamed at him what to do before his mind even had the time to process it.
'Shit shit shit… I should've read the manual instead…?!'
He looked at the gun as beasts covered the hallway behind him, trying to figure out just what prevented him from using it.
'This latch has three letters… There is a slider… is it for the power?'
/Pull…/
He took one of the grenades and pulled its pin, dropping it behind him as he ran… His thoughts raced as his heartbeat exploded, he just couldn't understand how… until a crazy thought passed through his mind.
/BOOOM!!/
The grenade burst behind him, sending bloody pieces of whatever was behind him before him. Blood and other parts slammed against his body with the shockwave, but he did not fall down.
His metal boots slammed onto the bloody ground, splashing it away and soaking his pants.
"Fuck…"
/Inhale…/
"I call upon the machine spirit! Awaken so I may bring destruction upon my enemies!"
As he said that, he dropped another grenade without looking back.
/Turn!/
He turned left at the end of the corridor. He didn't know if that was the right way, but it was the way he chose.
/BOOOM!/
The grenade sent pieces of flesh and fire across the hallway's corner, but Philip did not stop running. He turned around again, just believing whatever he thought was the correct way.
/Click…/
"Awaken! May your mechanisms be lubricated by the blood of a thousand Xenos! Permit me to wield you to shatter the souls of all that stand at the edge of your indomitable barrel!"
/Click…/
Philip took another grenade and dropped it. Choosing to run upstairs as he came before an intersection.
'Left, right, middle…'
/SCREECH!/
As he climbed, he noticed the swarm fast approaching.
Was it just him, or had their numbers increased instead?
'Come on! I'm just a single dude!!'
His grip on his gun tightened. Would today mark his first and potentially last death in a foreign land?
"Slumbering Soul within this vessel. Unshackle your gears and bear witness to the carnage I will enact in the Emperor's name! I proclaim! Awaken!"
/FIUM!!/
A red laser beam shot from the end of the gun's barrel, leaving a burning hole in the metal ground!
"?!?!"
'It actually worked?!'
/BOOOOOOOM!/
A fireball rose from the stairs, collapsing them as several pipes burst in unison, almost sending Philip to his knees.
Philip turned around as the creatures piled up at the broken stairs. Even the intense steam and fire weren't enough to stop their charge!
The burning beasts were ferocious! Three pairs of limbs that ended in forked hooks, with their longest frontal limbs being so long it was as if they carried large swords instead of claws.
A heavy, spiked black carapace protected their backs and the top section of their elongated skull.
A row of extremely sharp teeth and a threatening jaw just waiting to snap his limbs in half!
(Image)
/FIUM!/
A red beam of energy flew toward the head of the alien creature rushing after him, striking directly at its mouth!
/SCRETCH!/
The alien creature screamed in pain as a hole formed at the back of its neck. It fell down on the ground as it rolled around, its immense vitality keeping it alive.
/SPLURGE!/
Its companions ignored its outbursts. They ran over it, their sharp limbs puncturing the fallen beast as their eyes remained solely on Philip.
Even if they thumbed, even if their companions slaughtered them in cold blood. A dozen more were ready to replace them at any moment.
/FIUM!/
/SCRETCH!/
Another shot directly at the creature's mouth. Like the other, it fell down with audible cries. Only for them to be muffled by the echoes of a hundred feet reverberating throughout the hallway.
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
Philip released a barrage of shots; each shot was a kill. Each shot was a step back as he drew distance.
The Lasgun released burst after burst of shots as Philip's trigger finger went wild!
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
"Just die already! Stop coming!" He exclaimed as he kept shooting
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
'… My finger… Is starting to hurt.'
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
When a small pile of bodies formed beyond the burning stairs, Philip knew it was time to go.
/Cling…/
He popped another grenade, throwing it at the stairs as he kept the creatures at bay.
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/BOOOM!/
With that explosion, Philip took his chance and turned around to run. Even if he could maintain this position, he didn't know what awaited behind him nor how numerous his opponents were… and considering who they were…
Staying still for too long wasn't the best option he had… Not that any other was any better.
/Step step step…/
"Huff… Huff… If this latch has three modes, and the current mode is single fire… then this one should be safe… and this one…"
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
"I knew it!"
/SCREETCH!!/
Philip turned around and grimaced, raising his gun as he stopped at another intersection.
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
Shooting at full auto was harder to control, but it made things easier for his injured body. At the same time, he didn't know how to explain it, but with each beast he slew, he felt his strength recover a bit.
Perhaps it was his shattered motivation recovering ever so slightly…
"Fucking Tyranids! DIE!!"
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
The pile of bodies formed again… /Clink…/ Philip threw another grenade forward behind the wall, running past the intersection as he chose to continue running down the hallway.
"Huff…"
'I can't keep this up, not against Tyranids. For every human soldier there is, there are probably a billion of them out there. That little fucker I met before… did it alert them of my presence?'
The Tyranids are an extragalactic composite species of hideous, insectoid xenos. They actually comprise an entire space-faring ecosystem comprised of innumerable different bioforms which are all variations on the same genetic theme.
They are the ultimate predators; to them, all living things, from the lowliest insect to the most advanced star faring civilisation, are mere prey.
They evolve constantly and are under the psychic influence of the Hivemind. And while it's hard to say if the Hivemind is paying this little bout any heed, if he does as much as attracts even a whiff of its attention, then he can kiss his life goodbye.
A million beasts evolved by devouring countless worlds is already terrifying enough, but one that moves in unison under the control of the very entity that commanded such carnage is even more abhorrent to think about.
"Huff…"
'Still… there are too many of them rushing here… It can't be that they just seemingly decided to pop here to take care of a survivor...'
"That explosion… did one of those 'things' fall nearby?"
Philip didn't remember the name. A type of drop pod that carries with it dozens upon dozens of these beasts. That was the only explanation he had.
A drop pod fell just as his existence was made clear to the psychic network of the Tyranids, leading their nearest squadron, and perhaps all other inactive minions, to rush to where he was!
He turned around a corner, seeing light for the first time! He ran towards it, stopping only as he reached the end to face the incoming beasts.
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
Each shot hit home, taking with it another. A simple gun like this shouldn't be able to take these creatures down so easily, but it was Philip's impeccable aim that made it possible.
At the same time, he also pushed the slider on the gun a little further down the notch, causing each shot to be slightly stronger than before… but he could feel his gun growing hotter with every shot fired.
"URRG!! Do not fail me now! May their blood serve as coolant!"
The Tyranids tried to move around erratically, but that did little but slow them down.
Philip might be a bit rusty, but in the face of impending doom, his aim quickly returned to what it once was. The mechanism and recoil might be different from what he was used to, but to some degree, it was even easier to hit.
To a shot that moved far faster than a silver bullet with little influence from the elements, at this distance, as long as the barrel and his target were in sync… he was never going to miss.
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/SCRETCH!/
As the final one of the hoard fell down, Philp took a deep breath as he looked at the red barrel of his gun.
/Shhhh…/
As the gun smoked, Philip recomposed himself, "… In my hands, ten thousand shots shall equate ten thousand enemies of the Imperium." He said as he turned around, stepping into the light
He didn't admit it, but it felt quite nice to say it.
/SCRETCH!/
"!!"
Distracted, that was when another creature jumped from the ceiling! Taking him by surprise… or did it?
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
Shoving his Lasgun inside the Tyranid's mouth, Philip pushed the creature back with his feet before it used its limbs to impale him.
"Son of a bitch!"
/SPLATTER!/
He pulled his axe and hacked it at its neck… again and again until its head fell off!!
The first strike had already rendered it harmless, but there was no mercy for such filth.
/Sizzle…/
When he killed the beast, he dipped his Lasgun's barrel in the beast's open neck, cauterising the wound while cooling off the barrel.
He was now ready for another clash.
…
/BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!/
/BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!/
/BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!/
/BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!/
He stepped outside, the chaos of war now bursting into his ears from every direction.
The skies were covered in black smoke and flying beasts, with thousands of incandescent rays flying into the clouds and beyond.
Planes flew in formation over him, dropping bombs in the distance.
/BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!/
The ground quaked beneath him, but Philip held on, "This seems to be some sort of loading bay. I thought I was inside a smaller outpost, but this is a bit too big for that."
'I can see broken tanks and defensive lines everywhere. The ground and walls are covered in a strange fleshy material, so the tide probably already advanced deeper into the fortifications.'
The signs of destruction were everywhere. Broken walls, machines, bodies piled up everywhere…
'This is bad. If I'm behind the front lines, then that just means I'm in the area for aerial bombing. Though if things turn for the worse, everyone here will experience that. Friend or foe…'
He looked around some more. The severe carnage was so great it was hard to imagine how this place looked like without all the blood and gore lying around.
(Image)
"Wait a minute… This isn't just a loading bay… Is this a fortress?"
Philip's attention fell on the massive, towering guns seemingly reaching to the clouds.
His attention went to his side where the massive gates of the fortress stood, 'From the sound of the chaos… are the soldiers trying to reclaim this place? At least that's how it sounds like. They seem quite far.'
'They must've been pushed back.'
"Yawn…"
Philip heard a strange noise behind him. Startled, he turned around in a hurry and pointed his lasgun at whatever had just breathed on his neck.
"Huh? What's that toy in your hand?"
"???"
"You look different too… now that I think about it… did you possess another body?" Falpurgiana asked as she looked at him up and down
"I… S-Shit!"
"Hm?"
As soon as he saw her, Philip felt a chill run down his spine. He pulled her by the hand inside the hallway he just came from and asked, "How are you even here?!"
"I've been wondering that too. Just before, I was with you… and then I felt a pulling force. Before I knew it, I was here… but now I feel so drowsy… it's as if I drank too much… My thoughts are a little clouded."
"Clouded? Could it be… never mind, jus stand beside me and never stray too far. This place isn't like the ones you saw in my memories, not only me but you are in danger here as well."
'I have no idea how an entity like her would even interact with the Warp. But given what I know, she's bound to have some effect on it… which makes us stand out… And standing out is the worst thing you can do around here.'
'I could say that's the same for me… I know that parts of my Status move with me whenever Gamerverse throws me into another world, so even if incomparable to my original self, I'll likely stand out too.'
"From the tone of your voice, things are quite dire… Very well, it's not pleasant for me to remain around anyway. I only awakened because I felt a sudden force coming from you… and now my questions have been answered."
"I still feel a little heavy though… as if a million tiny ants were trying to pull me down."
"… That may as well be what's happening…" Philip said as he took another deep breath
'The Shadow in the Warp… If only I knew more about this world, things would've been clearer.'
"You seem to know what's going on." She asked as she jumped onto his shoulders, playing around, she seemed utterly unbothered by his physical state
"I don't know as much as I would've liked to know… You're probably being affected by what's called "Shadow in the Warp"… A psychic phenomenon generated by the Tyranid Hive Mind that blocks all connections to the Immaterium in the local space around a hive fleet."
"That's quite a few new words… What is a Tyranid?" She asked as she looked at the carnage outside
"Space locusts numbering in the… borderline infinity."
"And what's the Immaterium?"
Philip frowned, "Hell made manifest through the collective consciousness of quintillions of lifeforms… and probably something else, I don't know. If anyone can answer that, they're either mad or in the process to be."
"And where is this "hive fleet"? Can't we just stop them from bothering me?"
Philip pointed at the skies where a massive shadow loomed in the clouds…
(Image)
"Somewhere up there... probably a few in outer space as well... and something bigger… Besides, even if I could go there, it wouldn't be that easy… not as I am right now."
"Hum… I do feel something odd out there… and around us too… everything is so distorted… I don't like this place."
"Neither do I… Try to stay around me and diminish your interactions with the world. The last thing we want is for something on an equal scale to you to tear open a hole through realspace just to come check things out."
"Be mindful that here there isn't anything impeding deities and the like from coming down to rip us apart!"
She nodded faintly, gliding to the ground gracefully, "Noted… Though after this is over, I want you to tell me more about this place if you don't mind."
"I can do that… huff…"
"You don't look so good."
"This body was dead by the time I took over. Moving around in a half-dead body isn't easy."
"Hum… Then you should go kill some more."
"Pardon?"
She smiled, stomping on a maggot with her bare feet, "Did you forget who I am? Go out there and spread carnage in my name. The more you do so, the greater my power will become. These creatures are rather odd as they're quite fitting sacrifices."
"This… are you absorbing the energy of the warp?! Spit it out!"
Philip tried to shake her, but she evaded his advances, gliding on the ground, "I'm not absorbing anything! My divinity grows from war! I don't care about them, just that they fall at your hand!"
"I see… but what did you mean before, exactly?"
"It's like in the trials. Killing these pests for survival is exactly the kind of thing I preach… though with far more conviction and limitations… But these ugly bugs deserve none of it."
"Stomp them. This is my decree!" She said as she moved her hand in the air
"…"
"Don't stand there looking at me!"
"Look… I'm just a guy… I can't do much in this state at all."
"Arg! It's almost as if you're deaf! Go kill them! The more you do, the greater my powers will become, which in turn will strengthen you! Don't forget, I also have everything you bought from the Complex with me."
"Right… Can't I just possess Darius' body instead?"
"Do you really want to have your Soul severed here? If you trust me that much…"
"Yeah, I wasn't thinking straight."
"#!!"
Philip had other thoughts as well, 'There's also Gamerverse's point of view. If I were to sever the link of my Soul with this body and place it in another. How would this affect the scenario? Would it proceed as normal or would it change?'
'There's even the possibility I may end up stuck here!… While that possibility isn't one I believe much in, I'd rather not risk it.'
"I guess I'll give it a try… not that I have another choice."
Philip looked outside and took a deep breath, 'The fact it's taking so long for these creatures to come here must mean the situation outside is quite intense… or this place is of no worth to them right now.'
'The situation must be requiring all of their forces. From what I know, the way Tyranids work is that while their main forces ravage and kill everything, they have other specialized units meant to scavenge and process the battlefield so they can make more soldiers and continuously repeat the process until the whole planet is stripped bare of its Biomass.'
'The fact that this place is so silent likely means that their forces aren't stationed here or, even if they are, they probably are doing something beyond sight… Tyranids multiply themselves quickly but this place doesn't look like a nurturing pool… not that I know much about that.'
"Alright… we're going outside. Let's try hunting a few stragglers and raising this body's power so we can at least run away if possible."
"Sounds good, but you should clean those up first."
"Clean what up?"
/SCREEECH!/
"Oh, no…"
From the multiple cracks in the fortress' walls and passageways leading deeper than he could see, dozens upon dozens of those creatures crawled out in unison.
'I guess I spoke out too soon…'
"Stop staring and start blasting!" Falpurgiana exclaimed as she pointed forward before she jumped behind him, entering his body
"I was about to do that!"
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
Philip shot the Lasgun so quickly it became akin to a machine gun, hitting every shot with incredible accuracy.
/SCRETCH!/
The creatures began their charge, an entire sea of them running at him with pure animalistic intent.
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
"Urg! Do you know how long it'll take for this body to stop being a burden?!" Philip exclaimed amidst rapid gasps
Falpurgiana's voice echoed in his mind, "Maybe after you kill a thousand of them?"
"Does it look like I can last that long?!"
"Well… if you kill a hundred, then maybe you can outrun them? The little ones, I mean."
"That's still better than nothing!" He exclaimed as he kept shooting and walking away
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
"Huff…"
'Fuck it!'
Philip ignited his last three grenades and threw them before him as he turned around and ran.
"Where are we going?"
"Anywhere that's not in the open!"
Philip scoured the battlefield, eventually finding what he was looking for. He ran to the nearest closed gate with a mechanical terminal next to it. While he didn't know the symbols on it apart from the language characters, he did remember a gesture…
'Let's hope this works!' He exclaimed as he pressed a series of buttons on the terminal
(Images)
/Shaa!/
Following what he remembered from his time before Eden, Philip imputed a simple four-digit code on the terminal opening it!
He ran through the gate and immediately turned around, blasting with his Lasgun!
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
He shot continuously as the creatures ran through the smoke and fog of the grenades, jumping over the carcasses of their companions, their claws shooting sparks as they ran on the metallic floor.
/ROOOAR!/
At the center of the wave was a creature far larger than any other. It held two bone blades in each limb, the blades larger than Philip himself.
(Image)
"Time to go."
/PRESS!/
He pressed a big red button at the terminal next to him, and the doors sealed shut, but it didn't even take a second for him to hear the echoes of rattling and scratching against it.
He turned around and ran through the complex. He didn't know where he was, but it didn't matter. Anywhere was better than here.
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
As he did so, he heard the powerful echoes of something trying to break through the gates… and it was working.
He did not linger. Philip ran as he checked every corridor he went through. Like where he woke up, there was blood and flesh scattered throughout every corner he swooped by, albeit most of it was not of human origin.
Barriers had been erected in multiple sections. One thing was certain, these soldiers knew they were going to die here and they didn't flee!
All soldiers who died here fell while taking out dozens with them, and the proof of that was holed into every wall he passed by.
Philip wanted to stop by and refill his equipment, but the echoing beats of the creatures behind him told him to hurry up… and finally, he found a lift leading up. He didn't know how to interact with it, but he went on with the universal code he knew… soon enough the lift activated, going the only way it could go. Up.
"… Do you have a plan? You can't run forever."
"I'll keep running while taking out as many as I can until I can run away for good."
Her tone shifted faintly, almost pouty "Humph… that's not the apostle I met before."
"Do not mistake my actions for cowardice. This body can barely even hold this hunk of metal straight, what to say combat like that?"
"That's not what you did during the trials. You braved them with a body no better than this and still persevered."
"You know better than I do the difference between then and now. A rabid dog cannot compare to a specialized, alien killing machine."
"I do… I guess I just find your methods a little… lame."
"…"
The lift reached its zenith, and Philip looked around. They seemed to be in a sort of tower underneath a massive satellite dish. He could see much of the fortress and its many defenses, including the massive forest and mountains beyond, where, in the distance, he could see heavy combat ensuing.
There were multiple points of resistance in the woods, but as time went on, they seemed to be slowly snuffed out and pushed back.
'How did the soldiers lose this fortress in the first place? This place is so fortified I think there's a gun every square meter or so of ground.'
/SCREECH!/
"They're coming… this time I don't think you can run anymore."
"So much for stating the obvious." Philip said as he moved to the side
There, crate upon crate of supplies had been piled. Like the hallways, the soldiers likely prepared for a resistance but were never able to fight here… they all died down there.
But their equipment was still of use to him.
"… You said I had to kill a thousand for this body to become decent."
"For your goals, yes."
"Then what if I kill ten thousand?"
The Goddess seemed to laugh, "Speak of that when you do it."
Philip did not immediately reply, ditching his Lasgun. Its firepower being insufficient for the last stand he was about to perform. While he did so, he scanned the surrounding supplies, spreading them at strategic points so he could access them better mid-fight.
"… Very well. I think there's enough bullets here for me to kill that many." He said as he grabbed a gun with a long tube attached to a barrel, "Let's get this started."
/VROOM!/
Philip also found a strange blade with multiple teeth akin to a chainsaw mounted on the wall. He did not waste it, strapping it to his back as he threw his axe aside.
He wouldn't be needing the blade with his feeble body, but soon enough… it's time to shine would come.
/PRESS!/
At the same time, Philip closed the gates of the central shaft. There were four, each in one direction. He closed three of them, leaving only one leading inside. This way, he couldn't be ambushed from behind, although like before, those creatures could still climb the shaft and jump at him from above.
/Pull…!/
/Clang!/
After he loaded himself with equipment, he grabbed the barrel with one hand and the gun with the other, dragging it just south of the central area where the elevator shaft was located.
/SCREECH!/
The beasts finally reached him, the swarm climbing through the edges of the tower like water overflowing a cup.
/Spark…/
/BURN!/
From the tip of his gun, a long stream of fire slashed at the wave, sending the creatures recoiling back like fiery pebbles!
(Image)
"You guys smell disgusting."
'With every one of these insects I burn, I can feel my body growing better. It's like when a clogged-up nose slowly clears itself naturally. It's an excellent feeling.'
/BURN!/
Philip kept spraying the fire before him and at the central tower's sides so he wouldn't be circled, but the beasts were relentless. They charged through the fire, even if it meant burning away a few feet after… however, over time, a pile of charred meat formed before him, blocking the flames and allowing the insects to crawl a little further before the process repeated itself again.
At the same time, the Tyranids crawled from other corners of the tower, reaching out to him from all sides! He spread the flames everywhere, but it was getting hard to block them, especially when they came from above!
If he spread flames there, there's a chance they would hit the elevator shaft and all the equipment as well. Which might trigger an explosion of catastrophic proportions.
/SCREECH!/
One of the Tyranids jumped behind him through a blind spot by climbing further in the tower and jumping down from above. In response, Philip grabbed a shotgun on the wall and blasted it by pointing it upward!
/BLAST!/
"Tsk…"
Philip cleaned his face as the alien blood ran down his skin, 'As expected, the bigger one is giving them orders. These meatheads shouldn't be smart enough for this.'
The blood tickled slightly, prickling at his skin, but he couldn't care much about that now, for he was being surrounded.
/BURN!/
/BURN!/
/BURN!/
…
/BURN!/
/BURN!/
"Huff…"
'Time for the second phase!'
Philip's first action was to tilt the barrel connected to his flamer and disconnect the feeding cable before kicking it before him and having it roll to the edge of the platform and right at the center of the Tyranid storm.
He pulled out one of his grenades and threw it in its general direction. At the same time, he threw several more grenades behind him and at his sides to cover all sides of the circular platform!
As he threw the last grenade, he took a step back and pressed the big red button near the lift, causing the door to close…
/BOOOOOOOOM!/
"Urg… my ears…"
A massive explosion rang outside, shaking dust and the many cables dangling in the central shaft. Philip wasted very little time. He grabbed a large backpack lying on the ground and a weapon attached to it before opening the doors again as they smoked.
(Image)
/BANG! BANG!/
Each shot from his newly gained gun was powerful enough to turn whatever beast stood before him into paste! Sending its limbs flying across the flaming battlefield.
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
"Urg!"
But at the same time, the recoil was so powerful Philip could feel his whole body bending whenever a shot was fired… still, the constant stream of energy soothed his pain, allowing him to keep blasting whatever crawled through the edges of the platform.
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
…
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/SCREECH!/
"There you are."
Only a few minutes after the battle had started, their leader crawled to where he stood. Brandishing its two bone blades, it screamed before rushing at him like a sports car!
"Goodbye."
/BANG!/
The propelled round flew towards the beast, hitting its chest and bursting it open like a can of soup!
/BLAST!/
As the creature fell back down, the other Tyranids were momentarily lost and confused. A moment Philip took to continue his onslaught.
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
He kept shooting, the loading belt feeding bullets to his barrel. A constant stream of carnage. Despite the loss of their leader, the swarm was unrelenting, and soon enough, Philip heard the echoes and cries of bigger and angrier beasts on the horizon.
Even in the skies, strange beasts detoured from the distant battlefields, swarming at his location.
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
…
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
"Humph!"
/KICK!/
As Philip's strength grew, so did his combat method. He stopped relying only on his weapons and began to mix and match kicks and shoves at the creatures. Even a single strike from his extremely heavy weapon was enough to crack their shells, much less if he were to pull the trigger with the barrel inside their jaws!
Philip used the gun as a martial weapon, slamming, crushing, and shooting whatever got too close at point blank!
/SPLATTER!/
He pinned the Tyranids down with his feet and shot their heads open before continuing.
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/Throw… BOOM!/
He kept fighting, throwing grenades here and there to clear up the bodies… "Huff… I'm finally gaining some momentum."
"Don't grow overconfident. These things are starting to react to your presence."
"That I can tell."
/SPLATTER!/
Philip evaded a large bolt akin to a harpoon as he held a charging Tyranid by the head before blasting its stomach open with his gun.
He looked around in confusion, but that was quickly cleared…
"They're coming! Look above!"
/SCREECH!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
Dozens of human-sized flying beasts swooped from above, raining down large spikes as they did so. Philip hid behind the metal supports of the central shaft, but hiding wouldn't help him, not when the swarm kept coming.
"At this rate you'll end up punctured before you can even reach half the target number."
"Huff… You don't say?!" He exclaimed amidst quick breaths
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
…
/Crunch!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/SLASH!/
"URG!! DIE!!"
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/Throw… BOOM!/
/SPLURGE!/
"!!"
As they grew in numbers, the thinner his attention became. Eventually, amidst the rain of bullets and enemies, they began to pass through his defenses… and like many in history, he was eventually struck with a fatal wound.
A massive harpoon lodged itself in his shoulder. The moment its barbed ends penetrated through his bones and the foul loquid within was injected into his flesh, he knew the pull and give game was over.
"Huff…"
He threw aside his bolter and grabbed something more fitting to clear these beasts up. A weapon even larger than the mechanical abomination he held.
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
A wave of plasma ravaged everything before him. Destroying all creatures and materials in its path. Metal turned red hot, melting instantly under its pressure, and beings in its path either vaporized or were sent flying… the little pieces of their bodies that remained.
(Image)
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
He aimed the gun upward as he took a step forward, igniting the air above and cooking the dozens of flying beasts that had been bothering him recently.
(Image)
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
He slowly approached the edge as he kept pressing the trigger, revving up the mechanisms so they'd be ready to release their power at a moment's notice.
/BANG!/
Whenever a Tyranid got too close, he'd pull a heavy pistol from his belt and shoot it at the incoming creature, letting Falpurgiana place it back on his belt so he could return to cooking them to ashes.
He walked upon the red-hot metal, his metallic boots sizzling and his feet aching as he trod amidst his weapon's destruction, but he did not stop; he couldn't if he wanted to live.
The corrosive substances on the harpoon ate away at his flesh. But the restorative powers coming from within him supported him through his imminent destruction, delaying the inevitable… an agonizing death.
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
As he reached the edge, Philip aimed down at the beasts climbing after him.
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
Even as he cooked hundreds of the darned aliens, it did little to reduce their numbers. And with the creatures approaching from behind and above, Philip released the last few shots around him before he took out the fuel canister at the side of the gun and pressed a button.
/Shhhhh…/
Upon hearing the echoing sounds he was so accustomed to, Philip threw the canister down at the tower's base before taking out another canister and loading it on the gun.
/BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!/
A cloud of fire rose before him, heating his face and drying the blood on his face. But even as his hair burned and his eyes dried, he did not blink.
With his weapon loaded, he made a grueling decision.
"LET'S GO!" He exclaimed as he ran forward, jumping down at the swarm below
/THROW!/
As he jumped, he activated all of his grenades, throwing them around and even into the air.
He also threw one at the central shaft supporting the satellite dish….
/BOOOOM!/
The platform burst into flames as the grenades ignited everything on the central platform! Kindling a massive cloud of smoke as bullets and fuel burst everywhere!
As he fell from the tower, a wave of energy gushed over him, filling him with overwhelming strength as the Tyranids fell around him.
Below, he could see a sea of creatures waiting for his fall. Amidst the wave, several large beasts awaited for his arrival.
"HAHAHA! Now that's more like it, my apostle!"
The voice of the laughing goddess reached his ears, and with it, he felt another burst of energy fill his body.
"I did all I could… I'm going to sleep… wake me up when it's all over…"
"No need." Philip replied as he propped up his weapon, "I'll clear them all up in a moment."
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
He aimed at the satellite tower, burning away the Tyranids as they climbed it.
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
Each shot left behind a circular, melting crater on the tower's shell, taking out dozens if not over a hundred, and the recoil was so great it kept pushing him back.
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
/BANG!/
With one last shot aimed downward, Philip cleared the ground before crashing into it like a comet!
/Shhhhh…/
/KA-POOOM!/
Just as he feel, he immediately raised his gun and shot again!… And again… and again!
Until his second canister was all but gone!
/VROOOM!!/
With the ammo within his gun now all but gone, he cast it aside and grabbed his chainsaw blade, dashing towards the first Tyranid in sight, "Let's see who lasts longer!"
(Image)
/VROOOM!/
The chainsword revved at maximum! With a decisive strike, he slashed across the first beast, cutting it in half!
The blood and gore splashed around him, but it was just the start!
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/VROOOM!/
/SPLATTER!/
/VROOOM!/
With the chainsword in his right hand and the pistol in the other, Philip carved his way through the swarm!
/ROOAR!/
/CLANG!/
/BANG!/
One of the stronger Tyranids, standing at over two and a half meters tall, intercepted him. Their blades clashed, by the bone sword instantly crumbled as Philip drove the moving edge into its chest!
"HUPP!"
It tried to puncture him with its sharp claws but Philip pushed himself and slashed across its torso after shooting its head.
/PUNCTURE!/
"URG!"
/BANG!/
The Tyranids were relentless. They moved as one swarm and they wouldn't stand aside as he killed one of them. Fearless, they piled up on him trying to make him fall!
/BANG!/
But he kept shooting and slashing them. It was the beginning of his bloody resistance.
[23:37:12…]
Not even half an hour had passed.
…
The sun fell, and the moon rose, yet the war continued in the jungle world.
As the sun claimed the heavens again…
"LET'S GIVEN'EM A TASTE OF CADIAN WRATH!"
/CHEERS!!/
At a large bunker surrounded by corpses and thick vegetation… A hundred soldiers like Philip rallied together under the protection of several tanks and other large siege weapons like bipedal walkers.
They marched to one of the bunker's entrance, a massive fortified hunk of metal over a meter thick!
/Clang!/
/Clang!/
"Guardsman! Honor your Emperor!"
/CHEERS!!/
/CRUNK!/
The bunker doors groaned as they split apart, iron hinges trembling under the weight of their own armored bulk. Behind them, the blood of a hundred creatures was pushed aside as the metal slid on its tracks, grinding everything in its path.
/Clang!/
/Clang!/
From the darkness behind them, three massive hunks of iron walked confidently with weapons as large as a man's torso in their hands…
They were colossal, eclipsing the light of the scarred battleground shining on the soldiers, casting deep shadows that covered multiple men at a time.
A fortress of metal forged around flesh. Plates of thick metal locked over one another, each etched with the scars of wars fought across a hundred worlds.
/Clang!/
One of them stepped forward, red visors scanning the surroundings. Hydraulic pistons hissed in his greaves as he advanced, each step grinding the shattered concrete beneath into dust. Every footfall was a drumbeat, reminding all of what stood before them, giving them courage to stand before like never before as if God himself pushed them forward.
The creature's pauldrons were broad, each embossed with the mystic sygil. A metal skull jumped from the metal, encased within a red iron halo, signifying his rank within his order… a Pramaris Lieutenant.
Across his chest, the aquila spread its wings in golden relief, the two-headed eagle watching forward and backward, as if no foe could ever strike him unobserved.
Power conduits snaked across his torso, pulsing faintly with the light of the reactor humming in his backplate, its exhaust stacks exhaling gouts of vapor with every measured stride.
/Clang!/
A storm bolter rested in his gauntleted hands, each shell inscribed with litany and oath. The weapon seemed almost too heavy for mortal use, yet it sat in his grip like an extension of his will.
At his side lay a chainblade, dormant. Teeth gleaming wet with oil and dripping blood.
His helmet glowed with the icy fire of optics, twin lenses burning crimson as they scanned the horizon.
/Clang!/
A single word was readable underneath the skull within the iron halo:
ULTRA
(Image)
"With great pleasure, My lord!" One of the soldiers replied as he stood before the others, leading them onward
/VROOM!/
The tanks sprang into action, carving their way onto the battlefield beyond. The destination was evident… for it covered the whole horizon.
A massive fortress of concrete and metal stood amidst the trees like the most sacred of pyramids! Gargantuan barrels pierced the skies, aiming somewhere within the stars!
/SCREETCH!/
The skies were covered with flying aberrations. The ground trembled under the footsteps of a hundred thousand prowling beasts, their cries ringing in the once bustling woods.
Now those forests… once full of life sang only silence. All non-plant life long consumed.
"…"
The Ultramarine scanned the area, imprinting every detail into his cortex.
"… Holy Terra… I just fought beside a Space Marine…"
"… To think I'd live to see one of the Emperor's Angels…"
The soldiers whispered excitedly as they ran valiantly onto the chaotic battlefield. They had no fear, but their zeal was palpable.
/Clang!/
"Something is wrong, brother. It's too quiet. This is unlike the behavior they showed before. The Xenos filth seems to be converging at the orbital guns."
Another hulk of metal ran behind the Ultramarine. Although calling it running was an overreach…
"I agree, this pattern is unlike what I'm used to. It is unlike them to wait in ambush. Perhaps the Hive Mind has predicted our intent."
"Then we shall dismantle their feeble tactics." The third ultramarine said as he joined the conversation
The army approached the gates of the fortress across a blood bridge. The signs of the Astra Militarum's last struggle could be seen everywhere.
This war had been going on for multiple days, yet the blood still flowed… maybe a little more than expected.
"…"
The Lieutenant's scanners peered beyond the metal gates and thick concrete walls. There, it could hear and see the mayhem beyond them, albeit not clearly.
He immediately walked past the wall without giving a second glance, walking through a pile of corpses forming a ramp up a broken section of the wall.
He tapped into his Vox-box, "Major. I've detected signs of a recent struggle within the facility."
A voice echoed within the communicator installed in the Ultramarine's helmet, "What?! All of my forces have long since regrouped on the outer perimeter to retake the fortress. There shouldn't be any left alive!"
"We shall unveil the truth then."
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
The three Ultrmarines marched into the walls followed by a small group of soldiers. They took out every beast in their path as they reached for the control room above the ragged gates.
"DIEEE!!!"
""!!""
A scream of anger and blood-thirst rang through the fortress, followed by the echoes of a hundred beasts and their splattered flesh.
/Clang/
While the soldiers halted momentarily, the Ultramarines, however, did not. They marched through the waves of Tyranids, stomping, splitting, and crushing the bodies of all insects on their way, reaching the control room with little trouble aside from the stains on their blue armor.
They entered the room overlooking the entrance and immediately tended to the terminal. They stood in formation as their leader interacted with the terminal.
"The gate is opening!" One of the ultramarines exclaimed as he went for another door, waiting for his leader
"Squad! Move your raggedy backsides through the gate, Now!!… WHAT?!?!"
A man's voice reached their ears through the Vox-box. It was a call for the soldiers to enter the fortress. But in the end, the echoes of his extreme surprise were more than palpable… he didn't even need the communicator to hear the Captain's voice underneath them.
/Catching!/
The Ultramarine Lieutenant reloaded his bolter as he reached out for the door's terminal, his thoughts his own… "Move to link up with the Cadians."
"As you command, Lieutenant."
"His voice… Time to find out what shook the Cadians so much."
/Fwoosh!/
The doors opened, revealing dozens of Tyranids as they ran through the fortress toward its center…
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
The Ultramarines unleashed fire without hesitation while the soldiers followed suit with suppressive fire. The unit carved its way through the waves, reaching the center. A platform overlooking the hangar directly behind the gates.
"By the Primarch…"
"…"
/Chattering.../
The soldiers also exclaimed in both surprise and awe, but their voices were ignored by the hulking giants.
"Brother, were the Adeptus Custodes sent to this planet as well?" One of the Ultramarines asked as he turned to the Lieutenant
The Ultramarines were in shock at the sight before them, an extremely rare sight in their otherwise emotionless servitude. But the little emotions they conveyed hid in their helmets and heavy tones. Distorted by wires and tubes.
Only the soldiers displayed the horrors of what they saw through their exposed faces.
What they saw was a scene of absolute carnage…
One couldn't see the immediate ground any longer, for it had long been covered by meters upon meters of Tyranid flesh.
Everything was buried… If not for their map scans, they wouldn't have been able to guess how deep the ground was. With this, it was now explained why the Cadians were lost in surprise… the very gates had been buried in meters of dead Xenos, their blood flowing through the now open gates like a river.
Even beyond the central shaft leading to the heart of the fortress, waterfalls of blood poured down to lower ground. The echoing water a reminder of what it truly was.
(Image)
"That is no Custodes." He replied as his tone grew heavy
"B-By the Emperor….."
"The Emperor protects, the Emperor protects…"
The soldiers around them fell to their knees in prayer at the mere sight of the one fighting alone, and with reason.
/Screech!/
The Tyranids jumped into the pile from all corners, but the only thing that came out of it were their body parts as they flung across the air in bloody arcs, the death pile trembling whenever the man at the center swung his rumbling weapon.
A man no taller than any other, but not ordinary by any means.
His body glowed in a golden cascade, with a shining halo behind his back.
His bare body riddled with wounds, he held a chainsword in one hand and a halberd on the other. Strapped to its pole, the flag of the Imperium of Man fluttered gloriously amidst the sea of beasts.
/ROAARR!/
Against him was another beast of extreme might. A beast so abhorrent that it towered even the tallest of Tyranid warriors and the Ultramarines by almost double.
(Image)
"That is a beast worth hunting!"
"What kind of abomination is that, brother?"
Their leader was quick to recompose, stepping forward as he walked into the pile of flesh, "A Carnifex. Be wary of its plating, for it is reinforced against impact. Their muscles take time to build force, but they can rip a Power Armor in half."
"Don't let them hit you while they charge! Their carapace also contains volleys of acidic thorns."
"It is the first time I have heard of such a beast."
"Just show me where to shoot, Lieutenant."
/Splatter!/
They fell onto the fleshy ground, squishing the already pressed bodies like grapes.
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
They ran forward in formation while both Philip and the Carnifex fought, delivering a rain of bullets in its direction, causing the beast to momentarily flicker its gaze…
/VROOOM!/
Philip took this chance to swing his halberd down at its head, forcing it down so he could shove the revving chainsword down its neck!
His movements were sharp and extremely fast, so much so that the trained warriors barely even saw his joints move! Even so, the beast resisted the damage!
Its skin tore and its muscles splattered, yet the beast remained standing!
/GROWL!/
The Carnifex shoved its massive limbs on the ground and pushed itself aside while it spun in place, sending Philip away with a tail swipe!
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
The Ultramarines approached like trains through the fleshy ground, raining bullets on its body! The Carnifex blocked the bullets by turning its carapace to the Ultramarines as it compressed its muscles.
"Incoming!"
/FUP FUP FUP!/
Dozens of green thorns flew like bullets! The Ultramarines rolled on the ground to evade the shots, using the fallen bodies as shields as some thorns deflected through their armor.
/SLAM!/
At that moment, Philip dashed across the battlefield, crashing his shoulders against the exposed underside of the Carnifex, cracking the exposed bones running through its chest!
/GROWL!/
The Carnifex retaliated, but so did Philip. A quick exchange of three blows ensued between them, yet it was hard to say who had the physical upper hand!
"HUPP!"
At that moment, the Ultramarines arrived to provide support. One of them began by jumping onto its back, shoving a knife down its carapace to support himself!
Meanwhile the other two held the Carnifex' limb in place, preventing it from thrashing around!
/PUNCH!/
Philip punched the Carnifex in the jaw, sending it recoiling back while the Lieutenant climbed to its neck!
/SWOOSH!/
"!"
The Carnifex raised its free limb and tried to skewer one of the Ultramarines holding its claw in place, but Philip didn't let it. He used the Halberd to block the strike before shoving its sharp tip against the exposed wound on its neck!
"HUAAAAP!"
At that moment, the Lieutenant held onto the underside of the Carnifex and pulled, splitting its whole back in half before jumping down as it shoved its knife on top of its skull!
/CRUSH!/
With his powerful arms, he crushed the Carnifex' skull, taking the beast down once and for all.
"Phew…"
Philip took a deep breath as he felt an intense wave of energy heal his injuries… Although one issue had been taken care of, another stood before him.
[02:05:42…]
'Still two hours left…'
/Smack!/
Philip took the chance to act. He smashed his right hand against his chest, "The Emperor protects."
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
""The Emperor protects.""
Philip looked at the Ultramarines as they all gestured at him, but just as he was about to say something, the Cadians on the battlefield all knelt down in zealous prayer.
Amidst the bloody grounds, even those piloting the tanks and walkers, they all stood before him in silent prayer.
Philip felt awkward. Were they misunderstanding something?
He looked at them with pity, "There is no time to rest, the hive ship must be taken down."
/SHAAAA!/
Just as he said that, a flying ship landed on the pile of bodies, tilting slightly as the soldiers got up and began to fortify the location. Philip waited neither, immediately turning around and leading the soldiers and Ultramarines inside the fortifications.
'… How did this happen? The only thing I did was tie a flag to my halberd.'
A cheeky voice echoed by his ears, "It worked just as I planned."
"…"
'What did you do?!'
"I read that booklet you had while you fought to understand things a little. I knew something bad would happen if they found you like this, so I improvised a little."
"I say I did quite an excellent job! Just look at them!"
'Urg... We'll talk about this later.'
/Shaa!/
They entered a large control room. The Ultramarines lowered their guns as they did so.
One of the Ultramarines, a man with a red helmet exclaimed loudly, "Clear!"
(Image)
/Step step step step!/
Behind them, dozens of soldiers and personnel dashed through the hallways, casting faint prayers in his direction as they did so. They were accompanied by several magos clad in red robes and mechanical apparatuses.
(Image)
Philip only smiled faintly at them but remained composed… until a thundering voice echoed in his ears.
"Get these guns online! MOVE"
A middle aged woman approached with the squadron. She looked at him only for a moment in both shock and even a tint of respect as she stepped before them all.
Just from her face alone, Philip could tell this woman had an unbelievably powerful will. He knew who she was; he had heard the soldiers speak and whisper.
Major Sarkaana.
As the soldiers prepared to engage the orbital guns, the woman turned to them, "We'll punch a hole through those hive ships so big you could fly a frigate through it!"
"It will retaliate." Philip said as he looked outside through a massive window in the ceiling with a clear view of one of the orbital guns
(Image)
"It?" She asked as she turned to him
"The Hive Mind, the Tyranids' powerful collective intelligence… Not to be underestimated."
As he said so, the Ultramarine took off his helmet, revealing his face to the world. The others did so as well, taking the opportunity to breathe a little fresh air.
"…"
'I knew I found this situation familiar. This Space Marine is someone I know… Titus!'
As the memories of his time on Earth resurfaced, Philip's thoughts continued, 'I think I know where I am now… Good thing my time on this world isn't lasting much longer. I just… hm?'
'W-What are you doing?!' He asked as he looked at Falpurgiana walk around Titus
/Tap tap.../
"This guy is quite big. What is he? A High Orc? What's this mechanism for? There's hot air blowing out of this pipe… So many interesting things…" She muttered to herself as she climbed his body and inspected his armor
"…"
Leutenant Titus felt something strange around him. An invisible pressure weighed down on his shoulders. It was especially true when he looked at Philip.
'They say Living Saints have a powerful force-field surrounding them. It seems it's true.' He thought as his thoughts were interrupted
One of the Magos relayed the orbital guns' status in a robotic tone, "Major. The guns have been reduced to a zero state of charge. It will take time to wake the Machine Spirit!"
"Hurry!"
"Also, we've noticed damage in the targeting system."
"How severe?"
"…"
'Oh shit… I did that.'
"Minimal structural damage in the central axis has resulted in a significant deviation of the targeting system's accuracy."
"Then fix it!"
Titus looked outside and then at Sarkaana, "The Tyranids will throw everything they have at this facility."
Sarkaana went into deep thought as she reviewed the whole battlefield inside her mind. In a split second, she made her decision, "… This is Major Sarkaana. Divert the 2nd and 3rd platoons to the orbital guns immediately."
/Buzz…/ "Copy that, sir!"
"Let's show these bastards what the 8th are made of!"
/Cheers/ ""For Cadia!""
/Catching…/
Titus placed his helmet back in place, and so did the others. Philip knew what time it was.
/Clang!/
/Clang!/
/Clang!/
He turned around and walked through the hallways to another exit, with the space marines right behind him.
Somehow, he seemed to have taken the lead in this ridiculous scenario...
/Shaaa!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BOOM!/
As they went outside, the first thing they saw was the distant battlefield and what seemed to be tens of thousands of Tyranids rushing to their location.
(Image)
/BOOM!/
"… I'll be going first." Philip exclaimed as his knees bent and he jumped dozens of meters into the air directly into the lower defensive lines
"Soldiers!" He exclaimed loudly, "Today we die for the Emperor!"
/SLAM!/
Philip slammed his halberd on the ground, causing a wave of golden light to spread across them all, creating a wide circular barrier around the defensive lines.
/CHEERS!/
The soldiers cheered, but they kept shooting!
"…"
[01:53:10…]
'Just a little short of two hours. This is doable.'
"Go there and show them what you can do, Saint… pfft…"
Falpurgiana laughed as she laid her back against the halberd, looking at him as he walked past her.
'And who do you think is to blame?'
"You should be thanking me instead!" She exclaimed as she stepped on the ground in anger
/BANG! BANG! BANG!/
At that moment, the Ultramarines arrived behind him, raining down bullets on the beasts below as they tried to pierce through the outer wall.
(Image)
Philip also grabbed a nearby gun and began blasting.
"Above!"
Falpurgiana pointed at the heavens, where dozens of burning comets pierced the clouds.
"Dammed drop pods… HUPP!"
'I didn't want to use this in public but now there's no point in hiding it. Might as well go all in on this "Saint" persona!'
""!!!""
Golden energy gathered around his body as Philip raised his right hand upward, causing a few of the drop pods to burst into red clouds!
He then raised his other hand and clenched his fists. Immediately after, he lifted dozens of soldiers and tanks standing on the lower ground and pulled them to the higher, more secure elevation.
If they had done nothing, those drop pods would've released hundreds of beasts onto them... That was how things were in this world. Those soldiers' roles were to die and hold off the hoard for a mere second. But Philip had other uses for them.
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
/FIUM!/
With nearly a hundred soldiers standing on the wall, the defensive line was now far stronger!
"Do not let them scale the walls!" He exclaimed as he clenched his chainblade
/JUMP!/
At that moment, he jumped straight into the army, golden flames bursting through his skin.
"FOR THE EMPEROR!" Philip exclaimed as he dashed to the battlefield
""FOR THE EMPEROR!"" Everyone replied in unison
"Follow the Saint!"
"Praise be!"
"Cleanse this world!"
"For Cadia!"
""For Cadia!!""
"Humph!"
/CRUNCH!/
Falpurgiana held one of the Tyranids and crushed its skull with one hand before she disappeared into Philip's body.
His last fight had begun.
…
/BANG! BANG! BANG!/
In the middle of the fight, Philip felt a disturbance. He looked at the walls and noticed Titus and the other Ultramarines moving somewhere else.
'It must be the targeting systems.' He thought as he punctured the chest of another Tyranid with his bare hand
"They'll be fine. They look quite experienced."
/VROOM!/
/SPLATTER!/
'Of course they are.' He replied mentally as he swung a Tyranid around like a club before shoving his chainsword down the throat of another Tyranid Warrior, 'Space Marines usually have decades to centuries of experience.'
Falpurgiana seemed curious about it all. In fact, after she read the booklet, her curiosity had only risen, "What are they made of exactly? Do humans around here grow that big in general?"
/CUT!/
/SLAM!/
'Being bigger usually means stronger.' He replied as he punched several Tyranids in succession before cutting a few others, 'But that's not the reason they're big.'
'They genetically modified super soldiers. And those three are especially so, for they are Primaris Marines. They're even stronger than others… If my memory serves me right, that dark-skinned marine is around ten thousand years old.'
Her expression went blank, "… So he's older than me?!"
'Most things here are… Although he spent most of that time in stasis, so I don't know if that counts... Didn't you also hibernate throughout those two thousand years?'
"Well..."
/SPLATTER!/
/CUT!/
Philip rampaged through the battlefield while the soldiers provided suppressive fire. Under the protection of the golden aura, the soldiers found themselves unbeatable.
They were stronger and they kept healing under the golden energy. Whenever they killed a Tyranid, it counted as him doing it, strengthening him and powering the banner.
Philip didn't like how Falpurgiana was abusing her powers like this, but there wasn't much he could do. He only rampaged as much as he could until the time came.
/Fuom…/
Philip momentarily stopped fighting when he noticed the massive guns move as blue energy gathered around them, "!! The Orbital Guns are online!"
'Thankfully the damage I caused to the dish wasn't enough to compromise this operation. I don't really care if this planet falls, but I would feel like shit knowing I was, in part, responsible for its destruction.'
/Fuom…/
The guns all charged in unison and fired at the hive ship in the clouds!
(Image)
The guns unleashed energy in multiple balls of distorting bluish energy. They were far quieter than Philip expected, yet the devastation they ensued…
/BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!/
As if the very heavens had turned aflame, the hive ship ignited in a ball of flesh and fire that covered the skies in golden fury.
(Image)
/CHEEERS!/
The cheers of the soldiers were thunderous. But the battle was far from over. They had taken only a single one of the likely dozens of ships looming over the world. And even then, the Tyranids did not rely solely on that for victory.
A battle had been won, but the war was still long.
/SPLATTER!/
Philip continued with his slaughter until the last few Tyranids had been dealt with.
…
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!/
"The Emperor protects."
"The Emperor protects!"
As the battle ended. Although there were still hundreds if not thousands of Tyranids spread around the base and probably millions in the planet. The priority of the army slowly shifted, and with it, the Ultramarines' duty.
They met in an open area atop the fortification, where a blue ship waited for them to embark.
(Image)
"Our time together was brief, but it was an honor to fight alongside the Emperor's angels." Philip proclaimed as the Tyranid blood ran down his body
Although none seemed to mind that.
One of them nodded at him, "The feeling is mutual. To fight alongside a Living Saint… It's like the stories from my birth world."
The other agreed, "You fight well, warrior."
"I am no saint. Only a servant given a chance to make things right. Your future is full of adversity, but you must push forward. Believe in his name and you'll never doubt your path… although that needed no reminder."
His words seemed to be directed at Titus, but he showed little response to them.
"May we meet again, Titus, Chairon, Gadriel!" Philip added as he gave them a bow before running and jumping into the skies, charging towards a distant battlefield
Golden wings sprouted on his back as he did so, leaving behind faint wisps of ephemeral light.
Gadriel looked at him as he vanished in the distance "… They say Living Saints come only once in a Millenium."
"They also say they appear during times of great strife. Could this have anything to do with these abominations?" Chairon asked as he looked at Titus
But Titus' thoughts were elsewhere.
"… This is not for me to decide." He said as he sat down inside the aircraft
End of the story.
As the others sat down, Gadriel's thoughts turned… "When did we tell him our names?"
/Clack!/
The hatch closed, and the blue airship flew into the sky above.
…
[01:21:58…]
/LAND!/
Philip landed at the edge of the fortress, where the battle still rang with the rumbling of gunfire and artillery.
"Phew…"
'Did I try too much?… Doesn't matter, I'll be out of here in an hour.'
"Had enough playing around?" Falpurgiana asked as she materialized before him
"Not yet, it seems."
"Then go down there and take the rest of them! Let's leave this place with a bang!"
"Even if they can't remember my name, they will remember you, and that's enough for me... I wouldn't mind the extra energy either."
"Haaa…"
'I can accept that.'
Philip stepped forward onto the bloody battlefield, jumping into the jaws of the ravenous beasts!
…
/Over an hour later…/
/SPLATTER!/
[00:00:01]
[00:00:00]
[A mission conclusion detected]
[Scenario has been concluded. Class selection shall resume]
"Finally… Let's leave this accursed reality."
"I was kind of liking it here."
"You can stay if you want…"
/SMACK!/
[Transferring…]
Philip's vision turned dark…
…
.
.
.
Notes
So, there's quite a bit I liked about this chapter. I certainly could've made it longer given the timing of this operation.
(Image)
I could've had him play a stronger part in this world or even had him stay longer. But I felt if Philip had the chance to choose, he likely wouldn't want to remain around. Even with his determination and mental power, not wanting to be in this universe is understandable.
I do think it was kind fitting that the soldiers saw Philip as a Living Saint and it does kind of fit into the story. He did show multiple aspects of being one. So yeah.
For now, this was a simple short adventure that allowed me to experiment with the idea and also had a slight impact on the overall story.
I have a little more to say, but I'll stop here. Thank you for reading, and until the next chapter!
For the old readers, we should be resuming the expected story progression for a while now. At least until my next few changes... That's all!
Peace!... And drop a power stone!