Marcus instinctively raised the his gun and fired at the approaching Tyranids. Several scorching red beams shot out, instantly piercing the heads of a few Hormagaunts and Biomorphs where their carapaces didn't protect them. They dropped lifelessly to the muddy ground.
[Codex Unlocked: Hormagaunt, Biomorphs]
Marcus had no time to check the system notifications. He watched as the fallen Hormagaunts were immediately devoured by the other Shredder Tyranids, their biomass converted. Before long, several new Hormagaunts or Gun Worms would hatch from this grisly feast. This was the terrifying reality of the Tyranids: in a war of attrition, no race in the galaxy, except perhaps the Orks, could outlast their horrifyingly efficient recycling capabilities.
He desperately pulled the trigger, cutting down dozens of the Tyranid cannon fodder beasts until his laser gun's energy magazine ran dry. At the same moment, about twenty meters away, two Astartes operating a Heavy Bolter were hit by Fleshborer Beetles fired by the Biomorphs, large portions of their bodies consumed. With the formidable firepower of the Heavy Bolter silenced, the Tyranid charge became even more ferocious.
Seeing the situation worsen, Marcus immediately dropped his now useless laser gun and sprinted toward the unmanned Heavy Bolter. His physique, enhanced by the Super-Soldier Serum, allowed him to cover the distance in mere seconds. He seized control of the weapon, filling the firepower gap and temporarily suppressing the Tyranids that were almost upon them.
Beside him, a Cadian noticed the new surge of fire. He grabbed his own laser gun and ran over to provide ammunition and cover for Marcus. As Marcus furiously pulled the trigger, unleashing a continuous stream of powerful Heavy Bolter rounds, numbly repelling wave after wave of charging Tyranids, his "Combat Instinct" skill screamed a warning.
His body reacted on its own. Marcus immediately released the trigger, dropping back into the trench, pulling the Cadian supplying him with ammunition down as well. The very next second, a glowing green crystal slammed into the Heavy Bolter. With a single hit, the steel-forged weapon melted into a bubbling puddle of liquid.
Marcus's expression was grim as he saw the heavy weapon destroyed in an instant. He recognized the attack: a Tyranid Warrior wielding a Venom Cannon. These cannons fired crystals made of highly corrosive venom. Any target hit, even if not killed by the impact, would suffer excruciating pain from the sharp fragments and the corrosive toxins within. Even an Astartes in ceramite armor would be severely wounded. If not for the "Combat Instinct" warning, Marcus, despite his enhancements, would have been obliterated by that Venom Cannon.
Most critically, without the suppressing fire, the Tyranids, already at the trench's edge, swarmed in, pouring over the defenses.
"Damn it," Marcus cursed under his breath. He immediately raised the laser gun he'd been carrying and plunged it into the skulls of a dozen roaring Hormagaunts, their sharp bone blades waving. The Cadian Marcus had saved also began firing frantically, though his aim was far less precise than Marcus's. Still, he killed many Hormagaunts. But these casualties were a mere drop in the ocean for the Tyranids; more creatures soon flooded the trench.
Once engaged in close combat, ordinary Astra Militarum soldiers had only one fate: slaughter. Marcus cursed the command for not issuing a retreat order as he wielded a salvaged alloy bayonet. Guided by "Combat Instinct," he precisely pierced a Hormagaunt's skull through its eye. At the same time, he dodged an ambush attempt from behind, a sharp bone blade narrowly missing him and digging into the ground.
Marcus's eyes narrowed, his heart pounding with secreted adrenaline. Under the extreme speed of his enhanced neural reactions, everything around him seemed to slow down. With a swift turn, Marcus thrust the bayonet downwards through the Hormagaunt's skull. The grotesque body twitched a few times before falling still. He immediately pulled out the bayonet, bringing with it a mass of disgusting red and white brain matter.
Even though his enhanced body allowed him to effortlessly kill a Hormagaunt in close combat, he couldn't keep this up indefinitely against the continuous wave of Tyranids. Moreover, only the cannon fodder units—Hormagaunts and Gun Worms—had entered the position so far. The core combat units, the Tyranid Warriors, had yet to appear. Marcus had no confidence he could defeat a Warrior, with its body covered in thick chitinous armor and bristling with deadly weapons, relying solely on his standard laser gun and bayonet. Besides, a battlefield wasn't an arena for duels; the Tyranids certainly wouldn't grant him one.
The only way out was to retreat immediately to a position with more Astra Militarum forces. However, among the Astra Militarum, soldiers who disobeyed orders and retreated without permission were considered deserters, either shot by friendly fire or executed afterward.
Just as Marcus, using "Combat Instinct" to carve through approaching Hormagaunts, pondered a solution, a powerful engine roar echoed above his head. Looking up, he saw a massive Thunderhawk Gunship with blue markings. It braved the fierce Tyranid fire, unleashing its own terrifying firepower on the hive below. The fiercely advancing Tyranids immediately suffered heavy casualties, and the pressure on Marcus in the trench instantly lessened significantly. At least now he no longer had to fight Hormagaunts while simultaneously dodging spikes, strangler webs, and Fleshborer Beetles. Most of the Tyranids' ranged firepower was now concentrated on the Thunderhawk Gunship in the sky.
Amidst the Tyranids' fierce ranged attacks, the Thunderhawk Gunship suppressed them with its powerful weaponry while slowly opening the hatch on its belly. Six tall figures leaped out, landing heavily on the ground, raising a cloud of dust, accompanied by the roar of their Chainswords.