Chapter 237 - Back

Looking at the Tyranid Warbeast corpses on the ground, the three Bad Bloods were somewhat confused.

There was no doubt that the ferocious creatures before them, though resembling xenomorphs, were far more dangerous.

At the very least, xenomorphs would not evolve weapons capable of accurately sniping a Predator from several hundred meters away.

"Where did the Universal Union get these things?"

Scarface leaned down, using the sharp blade in his hand to sever the head of the Venom Cannon Tyranid Warrior and hung it from his waist.

Lionface also collected the head of a Bone Sword Tyranid Warrior, which had been partially melted by a Plasma shoulder cannon, as a trophy.

As for Eagleface, although he was slightly dissatisfied with Scarface's behavior of snatching his trophy, he did not show it.

There was no "reasoning" to be found among Bad Bloods; whoever had the bigger fist and more strength was the boss.

Clearly, Eagleface, who had lost a hand, was now the weakest and had the least say.

The only thing that put Eagleface somewhat at ease was that his combat capability hadn't completely vanished; for Lionface and Scarface, he still had utility value, so he didn't have to worry about being discarded as a burden right here.

"Something is wrong with this dome."

Scarface flipped over the Predator corpse that had been largely eaten, finding a mark representing a Tribe on it.

Combining the xenomorphs, lickers, and these strange bugs they had encountered before, an unpleasant suspicion surfaced in his mind.

"Hunting Ritual."

Lionface was the first to speak those words.

The Bad Blood Tribe itself had a planet dedicated to holding Hunting Rituals, filled with prey they had brutally abducted from various planets across the universe for hunting and even torture.

And this Ecological Dome, with so many fierce and terrifying creatures inside, didn't it perfectly match the characteristics of a Hunting Ritual site?

"Then we—"

Scarface said with slight hesitation.

Originally, the several Bad Bloods thought this was just an ordinary Ecological Dome; with their skills and Optical Cloaking, they could find the ship completely undetected.

But now, this place had long since become a Hunting Ritual site, filled with dangerous creatures and even Predators from other normal Tribes.

The difficulty of completing their mission would increase significantly.

"Keep moving."

Lionface stood up and said flatly.

"We have no choice now."

Scarface was relieved.

Indeed, they were currently right under the Universal Union's nose; the only possibility of survival was to keep moving, complete the mission, and then try to escape the Sol System in the chaos.

But without the assistance of Elephant-Face, who had decent combat power, could they really complete the mission smoothly?

Scarface didn't dwell on it, instead following Lionface with Eagleface toward the center of the dome.

Along the way, the three Bad Bloods once again saw many xenomorphs, lickers, biochemical monsters, Tyranid Warbeasts, and other strange things slaughtering each other in the rainforest.

To preserve their strength and avoid conflict, the three Bad Bloods kept their cloaking devices running, carefully avoiding these creatures.

It was only after leaving the rainforest environment that the Bad Bloods formally entered the more expansive urban area.

But the density of monsters here was not at all inferior to the rainforest.

the Universal Union intended to take this opportunity to gather the ferocious creatures they had collected from various worlds and gather combat data between them.

"Since the Predators want to hunt powerful creatures to gain glory, then satisfy them."

Those were Marcus's exact words.

But these creatures...

Whether it was tyrants, nemesiss, xenomorphs, Orks, biochemical monsters, or the time-manipulating Hrud, or even the Predators acting as hunters—

Compared to that existence, they were all nothing more than ants.

"Roar—"

As soon as they stepped into the urban area, the three Bad Bloods heard a deep, terrifying low growl.

In an instant, the fear of death tightly wound itself around the three of them.

Even when facing the most ferocious xenomorph Queen, the Bad Bloods had never felt such pressure.

Their bodies felt as if they were about to suffocate; a truly terrifying apex Predator seemed to have targeted them.

Not until the roar faded did the pressure on the Bad Bloods gradually dissipate, but fear still loomed over their heads.

"W-What the hell is that!?"

Eagleface cried out in terror, looking nothing like a ferocious Bad Blood.

The other two Bad Bloods naturally couldn't give an answer to this question.

As the captain, Lionface immediately gave the order.

"Move!"

Although they hadn't yet seen the true face of the creature that made the roar, they all knew that thing was absolutely not something the three of them could handle.

Running fast, the three Bad Bloods tried to more carefully bypass the location of the roar's owner.

But.

"Thump! Thump-thump!!"

Heavy footsteps rang out at the end of the street.

And the frequency was not slow at all.

"Thump-thump! Thump-thump!!"

Chitinous hooves crushed the asphalt ground, and a massive, armored body nearly six meters tall flickered in and out of sight.

Protrusions formed by the carapace constantly vented rumbling steam.

It was as if this wasn't a biological creature, but a cold killing machine.

Along the way, several reckless xenomorphs were casually crushed into meat paste, and their acidic blood was completely unable to corrode the chitinous hooves.

Looking back, the three Bad Bloods were all struck dumb with horror.

It wasn't that they hadn't seen monsters larger than a Hive tyrant.

If judged by size alone, a xenomorph Queen was even larger.

But the Hive tyrant was a heartless machine meticulously shaped by the Hive Mind, born entirely for slaughter.

So-called aesthetics, organs needed for biological reproduction, and everything else unrelated to killing did not exist on a Hive tyrant.

Needless to say, even while in a cloaked state, the three Bad Bloods knew they had been targeted.

Through those crimson eyes, they could only see an incredibly violent desire for slaughter.

Three Plasma shoulder cannons immediately charged up, and three Plasma bolts powerful enough to destroy main battle tanks blasted toward the Hive tyrant.

But in the next second, thick Lash Whips coiled around three pieces of building debris and accurately hurled them at the three Plasma bolts, detonating them all prematurely.

"Thump-thump-thump-thump!"

The Hive tyrant's eyes were locked onto the three Bad Bloods who were rapidly leaping across the rooftops, its chitinous hooves crushing everything in its path.

"That thing is intelligent!"

Seeing the Plasma being detonated early, Eagleface was horrified.

"Shut up and run!"

Scarface roared irritably.

Lionface was running even faster than the two of them.

"Boom!"

Several more pieces of debris were hurled at the three Bad Bloods.

Although this Hive tyrant was not equipped with the terrifying Heavy Venom Cannon or Stranglethorn Cannon, its ancient wisdom still gave it ranged attack capabilities.

And clearly, the speed of the six-meter-tall Hive tyrant was even faster than the Bad Bloods running at full tilt.

Now, the once-notorious Bad Bloods were the ones being hunted.

The Plasma Caster can be considered the strongest individual weapon a Predator can possess.

Every single shot is enough to blow a main battle tank to pieces.

But even with three cannons firing continuously, the scorching Plasma still failed to harm the Hive tyrant in the slightest.

Every Plasma bolt was remotely detonated in advance by the Hive tyrant using the ubiquitous architectural debris.

The Hive tyrant here was not in the same heavily injured state as the one Marcus and three other Ultramarines had faced long ago, which had been crushed by a hundred-meter Colossus.

In its peak state, a Hive tyrant is capable of easily crushing Terminators and even larger Dreadnoughts.

The three desperate Bad Bloods could only watch as the Hive tyrant closed in on them bit by bit, unable to pull away no matter what they did.

Concrete buildings were smashed straight through by the Hive tyrant without any attempt to avoid them, perfectly embodying the principle that 'a straight line is the shortest distance'.

Boom!

A massive piece of concrete debris suddenly came crashing down, striking Eagleface, who was already slightly slower than the other two Bad Bloods due to his severed hand.

"Argh, ah!"

Eagleface only had time to let out a scream before being swept away by the debris, crashing through several buildings.

As the smoke cleared, Eagleface, along with his armor and weapons, was smeared evenly across the ground.

The Hive tyrant possessed all the intelligence related to slaughter.

Every piece of debris thrown by its Lash Whips was precisely calculated to block the Bad Bloods' escape routes, wear down their stamina, and deliver a final fatal blow.

Watching the Hive tyrant draw closer, Lionface, who was originally running in the lead, growled in a low voice over the communication channel.

"We can't escape like this! We have to kill this monster!"

The word "monster" was usually used to describe the cruel Bad Bloods, but now, it was being used by a Bad Blood himself to describe the Hive tyrant.

Hearing this, Scarface's escape didn't slow down in the slightest, always maintaining a distance from Lionface that would prevent him from being backstabbed.

"How? If you're so capable, you make the first move!"

In this situation, two of the four Bad Bloods were already dead, and the mission to assassinate the Elder was almost completely hopeless.

Who knew if the other would suddenly strike now, throwing them to the monster behind just to buy a tiny bit of time for their own escape?

There was never any trust to speak of among Bad Bloods.

"Overload the shoulder cannons; it's our only chance!"

Lionface's shoulder cannon swiveled, automatically locking onto the approaching Hive tyrant behind them as a terrifying and even more brilliant Plasma glow slowly gathered.

Seeing Lionface take action, Scarface also began to overload his own shoulder cannon.

An overloaded shoulder cannon releases all its stored energy in a single shot, with power sufficient to pierce the outer armor of a conventional space battleship.

But the price is that the cannon will be temporarily paralyzed until it recharges, or it might even be scrapped entirely, potentially killing the user in the process.

The two Bad Bloods narrowly dodged another piece of giant debris thrown from a tricky angle, and the Plasma shoulder cannons finally finished charging.

Hum——Boom!

Two blinding spheres of Plasma were fired one after another from the muzzles, hurtling toward the pursuing Hive tyrant.

Even for a Hive tyrant, these two attacks were quite threatening.

However, the Hive tyrant did not dodge in the slightest.

In the next second, a surge of vast green psychic energy erupted alongside a terrifying roar, condensing around the Hive tyrant to form a Psychic Shield.

Thump! Boom!!!

The two overloaded Plasma shots slammed into the surface of the Psychic Shield, stirring up violent ripples, but ultimately everything returned to calm.

"That's—"

The two horrified Bad Bloods watched this scene, which was beyond their understanding, completely speechless.

Predators certainly had shield technology, but without exception, those shields could only be installed on massive warships or ground-based platforms.

Not to mention that the monster behind them had absolutely no mechanical structures on its body; where did this suddenly appearing shield come from?

The two Bad Bloods couldn't understand it.

And they wouldn't get another chance to understand.

A roar infused with psychic power nearly shattered the internal organs of the two Bad Bloods, and their bodies, tempered through countless hunts, fell powerless.

Retractable Lash Whips cracked through the air, coiling around the two Bad Bloods and lifting them high, dangling them next to a hideous, gaping maw.

No matter how Lionface and Scarface struggled, they still couldn't escape their bonds.

The two desperate Bad Bloods could only watch as they were about to be swallowed whole.

But just then, a voice that wasn't particularly loud rang out nearby.

"Stop."

Lionface and Scarface could tell that this was a human language.

To their surprise, the terrifying beast in front of them actually stopped its movements and didn't really swallow and digest them.

Turning their heads, Lionface and Scarface saw the face of the voice's owner; it was a human they didn't recognize.

But what attracted even more attention were the several Predators next to that human, one of whom was the assassination target of their mission.

The Predator Elder.

Clearly, the Bad Bloods' assassination mission had failed.

"This is impossible, how did you find us!?"

Scarface shouted excitedly.

However, neither the Predators nor Marcus, who stood beside the Elder, were the type to give long-winded explanations to their enemies.

A World Tree Sapling was brought before the Hive tyrant, and a small amount of invisible special chemicals was released from the top of the sapling, inhaled by the two Bad Bloods.

Without needing to be asked, the two Bad Bloods uncontrollably revealed their identities and the purpose of their trip in full detail.

Once all the intelligence had been disclosed, the two Bad Bloods were injected with an anesthetic in their state of shock and fell unconscious.

"Filthy Bad Bloods."

A Predator beside the Elder stepped forward, wanting to sever the heads of Lionface and Scarface, but was frozen in place by the Hive tyrant's crimson eyes.

Ahem.

With a light cough, Marcus stepped forward to slightly ease the atmosphere.

"It seems the Bad Blood Tribe is even bolder than we anticipated, daring to sow discord between the Universal Union and the Tribe."

As soon as Marcus spoke, he made it sound as if the Universal Union and the various Predator Tribes had already become allies.

The Elder did not correct him, clearly acquiescing to this statement.

"I need to take them back to face judgment."

The Elder looked at Marcus, the leader of the Universal Union who had only recently appeared.

"This will also change the views of those warmongering Tribes."

"Of course you can."

Marcus naturally had no reason to refuse, and directly had the Hive tyrant loosen its tentacles, dropping Scarface in front of a Predator.

As for Lionface, he remained coiled within the tentacles.

The Elder continued to acquiesce to this action, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

"Thank you, Eywa."

Watching the Predators depart, Marcus turned and smiled at the World Tree sapling.

The sapling's trunk swayed gently, and then a crisp female voice rang out.

"No... need... thanks."

A black cabinet beneath the sapling opened, revealing a large mass of flesh shaped like a brain soaking in nutrient solution.

Tiny roots from the sapling were densely connected to the flesh, and from time to time, flashes of blue neural pulses could be seen.

"Without you, we wouldn't have been able to discover these uninvited guests so quickly."

Marcus glanced at the unconscious Lionface.

In truth, these four Bad Bloods had indeed used various means to bypass the border monitoring stations, patrol warships, and orbital scans.

However, this Ecological Dome was filled with various plants, and "Eywa" could use them to monitor everything within the dome in a literal sense.

Naturally, the four Bad Bloods were immediately discovered by "Eywa," which caught Marcus's attention.

Alex, standing nearby, asked.

"How should we deal with this guy?"

"Keep him alive for now. We can try implanting a Las Plagas Parasite; it might be useful later when we wipe out the Bad Blood Tribe."

Marcus spoke indifferently, his single sentence deciding Lionface's fate.

The Hive tyrant dropped Lionface onto the ground, and several Tactical Robots dragged him away like a dead dog.

Looking at the parts of the city district that had been left in a mess by the Hive tyrant's rampage, Marcus walked forward and patted the Hive tyrant's head firmly.

"Be more careful next time. Don't cause so much destruction on our own turf."

Marcus's tone carried a hint of a reprimand.

The Hive tyrant, which had just shown bloodthirsty ferocity and easily crushed three Bad Bloods, lowered its hideous head, clearly understanding the reprimand.

In fact, Marcus had discovered long ago that the Tyranid Warbeasts he summoned through the Illustrated Handbook remained the same individuals, inheriting their memories and thoughts whether they were reborn after death or manually retracted and resummoned.

"Alright, go play on your own."

With a clap of his hands, the Hive tyrant vanished in a flash.

However, the screams of xenomorphs and other creatures nearby still bore witness to the Hive tyrant's brutality.

"Terrifying... creature..."

Beside him, "Eywa" spoke again in a fragmented voice.

Actually, according to the research of Union scientists, "Eywa," this planetary consciousness, shared some similarities with the Hive Mind that commanded the Tyranid swarm.

For instance, neither had a true physical form, and just as all Tyranids were the eyes and ears of the Hive Mind, the plants cultivated under Eywa's influence served a similar purpose.

"It's fine. At least for now, we don't have to face the main force of a real Hive Fleet."

Marcus said casually.

"Eywa" was also an ally of the Universal Union, so she naturally knew something about the Warhammer World.

Furthermore, the selected Navi warriors would bring back various accounts of the Warhammer World to "Eywa."

"Sooner... or later... will... meet..."

"Yeah, sooner or later."

Rubbing his head, Marcus recalled parts of his memory regarding the Fourth Tyrannic War.

According to what he knew before transmigrating, there had been three Tyrannic Wars in the Warhammer World so far.

These were the First Tyrannic War against Hive Fleet Behemoth.

The Second Tyrannic War against Hive Fleet Kraken.

And the Third Tyrannic War against Leviathan Hive Fleet.

These Tyrannic Wars officially broke out during the 41st Millennium, before Cadia was destroyed and the Great Rift split the galaxy.

Unsurprisingly, the Fourth Tyrannic War would break out in the near future.

More unfortunately, the two main Hive Fleet Leviathan tendrils in the Fourth Tyrannic War, "Nautilon" and "Promethium," would invade from the galactic west.

The southwestern part of the Pacific Segmentum, where the Universal Union was currently situated, would be the first to bear the brunt.

Not long ago, Marcus had already issued orders to various departments of the Universal Union to release new war missions to their allies, while also directing the various industrial and Agricultural Worlds controlled by the Universal Union to begin producing more weapons, equipment, and stockpiling supplies.

"I hope the Predators can be of some help; after all, those guys definitely won't mind hunting more Tyranids."

Marcus muttered as he boarded a craft and left the Ecological Dome, which still served as a hunting ground.

As for the Hive tyrant, he retracted it back into the Illustrated Handbook.

Returning to the Mars orbital platform, Marcus could see more and more warships passing through the world gate.

A massive fleet was already assembled and ready to go.

They were just waiting to join the Predators in wiping out those Bad Blood Tribes.

"The Bad Blood Tribes have already made the first move, attempting to secretly provoke a war between us and the Universal Union."

The Elder's voice rang out in the rather dark cabin.

Before him, the holographic projections of the leaders of various medium and large Tribes were gathered together.

"These outcasts! They're getting bolder and bolder!"

An ill-tempered leader slammed his throne.

"You Tribes should have changed your laws long ago!"

The laws varied among the Predator Tribes. Some practiced a strict code where those who committed major transgressions were executed immediately, leaving no chance for them to be exiled and become Bad Bloods.

Others were more lenient, which led to an increasing number of outcasts. The Bad Blood Tribes grew by absorbing these exiles.

"Mind the occasion; saying these things now is pointless."

The leader of another Tribe said calmly.

"The top priority right now is to join forces with the Universal Union and completely wipe out those Bad Blood Tribes, leaving none behind."

The vast majority of the leaders agreed with this course of action.

The Bad Bloods' attempt to secretly incite war had completely crossed their line.

Although many Tribes had previously considered continuing the fight against the Universal Union, it didn't mean they were willing to be led by the nose by the Bad Bloods.

"the Universal Union's technology is even more advanced than we imagined."

The Elder looked out the viewport at the massive world gate that was continuously churning out warships.

The holographic images of the other tribal leaders also looked over, and all fell silent.

Furthermore, what they were currently in contact with was merely the tip of the iceberg of the Universal Union.

Few tribal leaders were still thinking about continuing the fight with the Universal Union.

After several rounds of discussion, some of the Tribes that were originally part of the pro-war faction changed their stance. They voluntarily moved their war fleets from their original positions and began to assemble, waiting to strike hard alongside the Union Fleet to purge the Bad Blood Tribes.

The communication ended, and the Elder left the cabin to relay this information to the Universal Union, marking the locations of several planets occupied by the Bad Blood Tribes.

"Send a reconnaissance fleet to the coordinates to investigate first. Quickly establish a micro-Wormhole and transmit the specific situation back."

As the fleet Commander, Dugaer did not act rashly. Instead, he cautiously dispatched a small reconnaissance fleet.

Although from the current situation, the Universal Union between the Universal Union and the Predator Tribes was already a foregone conclusion.

But after all, one must always be on guard. Who knew if a large number of Predator fleets were lying in ambush at those coordinates.

Furthermore, from another perspective, it was necessary to scout the situation of the planets occupied by the Bad Blood Tribe.

In space, several warships equipped with more advanced Shockpoint Engines or Warp Engines entered superluminal states, heading straight for the coordinates.

After improvements by the Universal Union, both types of faster-than-light engines now reached speeds of a thousand times the speed of light.

While still not considered fast, it was sufficient for the current Union.

The coordinates provided by the Elder were not far from the Sol System, only dozens of light-years away.

On a cosmic scale, it was practically right next to the Sol System.

It was for this reason that before the Universal Union's arrival, Bad Bloods would occasionally appear on Earth to proactively slaughter and hunt humans, or kidnap humans to hunting planets created by the Bad Bloods.

Just a few weeks later, a total of three reconnaissance warships arrived at the coordinate star system.

This star system had two stars and four planets.

On one of the planets, the reconnaissance warships detected significant life signals.

The target's specific location was confirmed. What the reconnaissance force needed to do next was determine the strength of the Bad Blood Tribe within the system and establish contact with the main Union force far away in the Sol System.

One of the Unyielding-class Heavy Frigates, relying on its speed and maneuverability, flew toward the planet where the life signals originated.

To the surprise of the frigate's crew, no attacks were launched against them until they reached the planet's orbit.

The sensor arrays did not scan any other warship signals in the surrounding space either.

Furthermore, the planet below was not a fortress world or an industrial world, but an ocean world where water covered over ninety percent of the surface. The only continent was covered in forests.

This did not look at all like an important planet occupied by the Bad Bloods.

This intelligence was transmitted back to the Space Carrier within the reconnaissance fleet.

At that moment, the micro-Wormhole for communication had also been successfully established.

"No enemy warships?"

Dugaer pondered.

According to the intelligence provided by the Predator Elder, they weren't actually clear on the Bad Bloods' specific deployment in that star system; they only knew that Bad Bloods had entered and exited the area multiple times.

This was a matter of necessity.

Although those Bad Blood Tribes were fewer in number and weaker than normal Predator Tribes, they were better at concealing their movements. To this day, the coordinates of very few Bad Blood primary settlement planets had been exposed.

"Dispatch the First Branch Fleet to provide support. Simultaneously, authorize the reconnaissance fleet to drop troops onto the planet and construct a large-scale Wormhole on-site."

Dugaer quickly made a decision.

The absence of Bad Blood warships in the system was likely because the enemy was currently unaware that the Universal Union had decided to move against them, so they had gone elsewhere.

In this way, the Universal Union could instead seize the initiative.

The First Branch Fleet consisted of two thousand various capital ships, plus a significant number of logistics supply and specialized repair vessels.

The sight of such a fleet entering superluminal state simultaneously was incredibly spectacular.

Meanwhile, the three reconnaissance warships in the system moved into upper orbit, releasing a large number of drop pods and small-to-medium-sized aircraft.

These ground forces were responsible for clearing an area and setting up a Wormhole so that a steady stream of Union forces from the Sol System could arrive.

"What kind of hellhole is this?"

In the dense rainforest, several armored Union Soldiers held their weapons, constantly alert to their surroundings.

Surrounding them were over a dozen Tactical Robots and several tyrants.

—

But even more eye-catching were the pitch-black xenomorph silhouettes flashing occasionally within the dense canopy above their heads.

"Who knows? Logically, these plants that require different environments shouldn't be able to coexist."

"Ahem, I say, next time before you go on a mission, could you please read the mission details thoroughly?"

At this point, a Marauder wearing Type 5-4 Armor, with a much larger frame, opened his helmet, revealing a familiar face, and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

However, Liu Peiqiang immediately closed his helmet right after.

More than a year had passed since Liu fought against the Tyranids on Vegast.

With the military merits accumulated during this time, Liu had successfully earned the title of Squad Commander; he was no longer the recruit he once was.

"This planet is very likely an artificial one. Its sole purpose is to allow those Bad Bloods to release their hunting and killing desires."

Liu explained while continuing forward under the cover of the Tactical Robots and tyrants.

"I'm docking one point from each of you. When we get back, you'll copy the Standard Mission Execution Manual ten times as punishment."

Liu handed out the punishment, ignoring his teammates' complaints.

The group continued forward.

Until they crossed a ridge, a teammate holding a portable scanning device suddenly spoke up.

"Detected a weak signal. It doesn't look like it's from the other squads; it might be the target we're looking for."

"Direction?"

Liu asked while preparing to report this situation.

The teammate shook his head.

"The signal is too weak. I can only confirm it's in the northwest direction."

Sending out the compiled information, Liu took the lead.

"I've notified the other nearby squads to cooperate and narrow down the signal range."

The other teammates followed suit.

Walking down the ridge, the group soon encountered the first batch of malicious creatures.

A large swarm of giant arthropods that looked like oversized spiders.

Except each one was the size of an adult's head.

The densely packed giant spiders swarmed out from various hidden burrows, rushing toward Liu and the others like a black tide.

This display would be enough to make an ordinary person's skin crawl.

Unfortunately, even the youngest member of the team had fought against Orks or Tyranids; these giant spiders naturally couldn't scare them.

"Unit One, Unit Two, use flamethrowers."

With just those words, the two tyrants at the front of the team raised their Promethium Flamethrowers, incinerating large swaths of the giant spiders.

Other Tactical Robots raised their guns to clear out any spiders that slipped through.

The squad members only needed to watch from the side and record some data.

With the current diversity and intelligence of the Universal Union's troop types, ordinary soldiers actually rarely had opportunities where they truly needed to fight for their lives proactively.

Soon, under the scorching flames, hundreds upon thousands of giant spiders emitted a pungent burnt smell, their dark limbs curling up.

A few lucky ones that slipped through the net escaped the flames and the finishing shots of the Tactical Robots, nimbly climbing onto the tyrants, only to be slapped into a blob of disgusting slime in the next second.

But even after suffering such massive casualties, the giant spiders still did not retreat.

This was clearly inconsistent with the survival instincts of normal biological organisms.

"These giant spiders should be man-made species."

A member of the squad bent down and picked up a giant spider that had half its limbs shot off but was still struggling and biting.

A dangerous red light flickered in its small eyes.

Taking out a device to scan it, it was just as the squad member expected; these giant spiders had no reproductive system at all and could never be natural organisms.

They captured a few more living giant spiders and locked them in storage canisters, while the remaining nearly one thousand spiders were almost entirely wiped out.

Scorched marks were everywhere in this small area, and smoke continued to billow into the sky.

"Continue advancing."

Commander Liu stepped over the charred corpses of the giant spiders.

During the subsequent journey, the squad encountered large groups of reptilian lizards, dinosaurs similar in appearance to Velociraptors, swarms of giant mosquitoes flying at low altitudes to suck blood, and even more alien species that didn't look like they could have been born on Earth at all——

But in short, all these creatures shared a common characteristic: they were violent and bloodthirsty, and they were also breaking out into conflicts and killing each other.

"Those Bad Bloods are truly lunatics."

Even Liu couldn't help but complain.

To manually modify so many species and drop them onto a similarly modified planet just to be used as prey—one could only imagine how many resources that would consume.

It was no wonder that the Predator race, despite having few rivals in the Galaxy, still hadn't established a larger civilization.

This was partly due to cultural traditions, but it was also absolutely inseparable from such wasteful behavior.

And the Bad Blood Tribe had gone even further down this path.

If an ordinary Predator Tribe created a hunting planet, they would at least ensure that the species on it could reproduce and live somewhat naturally, slightly reducing the resources needed to maintain the hunting planet.

But the Bad Bloods didn't care at all, only thinking about creating more violent creatures and enjoying the sight of these creatures killing each other, occasionally stepping into the fray themselves.

"However, these Predators won't be lacking combat opportunities for long."

Liu muttered under his breath.

"Orks, Tyranids, Necrons, Tyranid Genestealers—there's bound to be one that suits the Predators' tastes."

After advancing dozens of kilometers further through the dense rainforest, that faint signal gradually became clear.

After consolidating information with other squads also searching for the signal and narrowing down the range, the specific location of the signal source was quickly locked.

It was a massive sinkhole located within a canyon.

Coming to the edge of the sinkhole and looking down, the bottom's depth was completely unobservable to the naked eye, and no sound could be heard even after throwing a stone down.

"Establish a temporary position first."

Liu withdrew his gaze and gave a brief order.

According to observations from the released drones, the sinkhole was a perfectly circular shape with a diameter of exactly one thousand meters.

Various mosses and ferns grew on the rocky cliffs, and from time to time, various giant arthropods could be seen moving through them to hunt.

In addition, the number of violent creatures near the sinkhole was significantly higher than in other areas.

Therefore, relying solely on the few squads currently at the edge of the sinkhole, along with some Tactical Robots, tyrants, and xenomorphs, it was clearly impossible to safely explore the interior of the sinkhole.

"This is Alpha Squad 1, coordinates sent, requesting airdrop support."

Liu contacted an Unyielding-class Heavy Frigate in orbit.

"Authentication in progress——"

"Passed. Five drop pods have been deployed."

The dispatcher quickly responded to Liu Peiqiang's request for reinforcements.

Looking up at the sky, five meteors streaked straight toward the edge of the sinkhole.

It wasn't until the buffer devices ignited that the five quite massive things—which looked more like small fortresses than drop pods—slowly landed in front of Liu and the other squads.

"Pshhh——"

As the hatches opened, the reinforcements within the drop pods surprised Liu a little; aside from the usual Tactical Robots and tyrants...

There were also over twenty Space Sharks initiates wearing light reconnaissance power armor.

"Hello, I am the captain of this squad and also the Commander for this exploration mission, Liu Peiqiang."

Liu reached out his hand.

A Charcarodon stepped forward and gripped the hand of the Type 5-4 Armor.

Only by wearing the Type 5-4 Armor could Liu Peiqiang's height barely match that of the Charcarodon.

"Kurt."

The Charcarodon briefly stated his name.

Liu had an impression of this name; he heard he was one of those who had accepted the Space Sharks' recruit recruitment and been implanted with a gene-seed.

However, Liu didn't delve further into Kurt's specific identity, instead quickly finalizing the next exploration plan with him.

The xenomorphs that had been hiding around the team were summoned out; their pitch-black streamlined bodies had already undergone significant changes.

A few crimson tentacles protruded from the crevices at some joints, dancing in the wind, while mechanical devices were fixed in positions that did not affect flexibility.

the Universal Union was now using a dual biological and mechanical method to control the xenomorphs.

Every xenomorph had been implanted with a high-quality Plaga as well as biological control devices from the Adeptus Mechanicus as a double insurance.

At the same time, a Predalien specifically bred by the Universal Union and implanted with a Dominant Plaga possessing acid-resistant genes acted as the xenomorph leader, issuing orders to the ordinary xenomorphs.

This was triple insurance.

"These xenomorphs will serve as the first wave of cannon fodder reconnaissance units, using their physical bodies to detect potential dangers for us,"

Liu explained. These Space Sharks initiates did not belong to the Universal Union's regular military sequence, so they naturally might not be aware of this.

Kurt nodded slightly and didn't say much.

Compared to those Space Sharks veterans who had already been fighting for a hundred years, these initiates' thinking had not yet reached the point where they would hack a xenomorph into mincemeat the moment they saw one.

This was naturally also due to the Universal Union's subtle influence.

Soon, dozens of reconnaissance xenomorphs climbed down the edge of the sinkhole, moving through the dense ferns.

From time to time, violent giant arthropods would attack the xenomorphs, but they were all pierced by the xenomorphs' flexible tails.

As they passed through the lingering misty haze, the signals from the recording devices placed on the xenomorphs' bodies suffered some interference, and the images received by Liu and the others began to become blurry and laggy.

But they could still see that deep within that bottomless sinkhole, there were some spire facilities that were completely out of place with the surrounding environment.

"It seems we have found our target."

Unlike the dense rainforest outside, the bottom of the sinkhole appeared quite desolate.

In the blurry images sent back by the scouting xenomorphs, several pitch-black spires stood tall at the bottom of the sinkhole, which was strewn with rubble.

From time to time, terrifying roars could be heard echoing from within.

The xenomorphs continued to crawl down the cliff walls, soon reaching the middle layer of the sinkhole.

The number of giant, berserk arthropods here grew increasingly sparse, replaced by bat-like creatures darting through the darkness.

However, their size was equally massive, nearly rivaling that of a xenomorph.

These Giant Bats formed a dense web of death; creatures from the bottom of the sinkhole could not ascend, and those from above could not descend.

Any xenomorph attempting to cross the middle zone—even those launching suicidal leaps—would be torn to shreds by swarms of Giant Bats, who risked acid corrosion to do so.

It wasn't that the xenomorphs' combat power was too weak; environmental constraints played a major role, coupled with the fact that xenomorphs lacked ranged attacks.

"It's our turn to go down."

Liu put away the screen and spoke in a low voice.

Cote nodded slightly, and the Space Sharks recruits gathered before a drop pod.

They swapped into special power armor components equipped with jump packs, transforming themselves into highly mobile assault units.

Meanwhile, Liu and the others skillfully began securing cables, preparing to rappel down the cliff.

*Thump! Thump!*

With heavy strides, Cote and the twenty Space Sharks recruits arrived at the edge of the sinkhole.

The jump packs on their backs and the thrusters on their calves vented scorching currents of air.

"Advance."

Cote was the leader of the twenty Space Sharks recruits. Compared to the others who had only received the first two superhuman organ implants—the second heart and Ossmodula—Cote had already received his third: the Biscopea.

This made Cote's physique, muscle mass, and density far superior to those of the other recruits.

*Vroom—Boom!*

Violent blue flames erupted as the massive thrust sent the Space Sharks recruits soaring into the air before they dove downward.

The howling wind rushed past the recruits' ears as everything around them blurred into a rapid retreat.

They passed through the dense mist and entered the darkness.

Cote commanded the twenty Space Sharks recruits to split into four squads of five. Maintaining a set distance, they began to descend by leaping between footholds on the cliff face.

The scorching blue flames illuminated the dark interior of the sinkhole.

Below, the Giant Bats patrolling the middle layer flapped their broad wing membranes, swarming upward like sharks smelling blood.

Their crimson eyes flickered with madness.

The twenty Space Sharks recruits landed on protruding ledges on the cliff and drew their Bolt Pistols.

Aiming and firing, the roar of Bolters echoed throughout the entire sinkhole.

Bolter rounds trailing exhaust shattered the Giant Bats one by one. Countless fragments of flesh fell like a rain of blood, the scent of which attracted even more bats.

Their numbers were so vast that they filled the entire middle layer of the sinkhole to an unnatural degree.

"Mobile combat!"

Cote held two Bolt Pistols, calmly issuing orders while reaping the enemy.

The power armor equipped with jump pack components wasn't particularly strong in defense; flexibility was their greatest advantage now.

*Vroom—*

Surging power drove the Space Sharks to smash through the Giant Bats charging head-on, successfully breaking out of the encirclement.

The four squads maneuvered constantly, skillfully avoiding being pinned down.

Compared to a true, sky-blotting swarm of Tyranid Gargoyles, these Giant Bats were far inferior.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

At that moment, Liu and the others finally reached the middle layer via cables and began providing fire support.

Spike Rifles and Punisher Grenades joined the Bolters in harvesting the lives of the Giant Bats in droves.

"It's a pity the tyrants' intelligence isn't high enough to support rappelling, otherwise flamethrowers would clear them out much faster."

Liu thought to himself with regret.

tyrants and Tactical Robots were indeed useful, but they also had environmental limitations. This was the primary reason why soldiers like them still needed to exist.

The smell of blood permeated the air, lingering for a long time.

The web of fire forged of metal soon tore apart almost all the Giant Bats. Those that survived were caught in capture nets, destined for research.

"We'll head down first to clear a safe zone."

Cote activated his jump pack, hovering briefly before Liu Peiqiang.

He then turned and led the other Space Sharks recruits in another dive.

Soon, the intense sound of Bolter fire echoed up again.

"Move fast."

Liu spoke to the other squad members over the comms channel.

Some were responsible for sending the captured Giant Bats to the surface, while the rest accelerated their descent now that the bat obstruction was gone.

Leaving the blood-scented middle layer, Liu and the others soon landed at the bottom of the sinkhole.

Massive amounts of shredded meat covered the rocky ground, with unknown insects gnawing on the remains of the Giant Bats.

*Thud.*

The carcass of a giant wolf—massive, covered in scars, and with its ribs exposed—was tossed in front of Liu Peiqiang.

Cote landed before Liu with a leap.

"There are many of these creatures at the bottom of the sinkhole. Stay alert."

"Those spires—have you entered them?"

Liu gazed at the scattered spires; the signal source was in the central-most one.

"We were waiting for you."

As Cote spoke, he raised his hand and fired a shot, blowing apart the head of a giant wolf hidden in the darkness two hundred meters away.

Liu turned and ordered half of the personnel to establish a perimeter to assist the squads arriving from the surface.

The other half followed him and the Space Sharks recruits toward the spires at the bottom of the hollow.

Along the way, wolf packs attacked from the darkness from time to time, but they all failed under the roar of Bolters, leaving only a trail of corpses.

The signs of biological modification on these giant wolves were even more apparent; no natural creature could move so swiftly with its ribs exposed.

Arriving at the spire, the metal gates were indeed tightly shut.

Furthermore, the walls around the door were hung with the skulls of various creatures.

Humans, xenomorphs, and even Predators.

Without a doubt, the owner of this building was the Bad Blood.

"melta bomb installed."

The others backed away.

*Bang, BOOM!*

The dazzling light of the melta flared and then died out.

The sturdy gate was completely melted away.

A cold draft wafted from the passage behind the door, accompanied by the stench of rot.

Cote led the Space Sharks at the front, holding his Bolt Pistol ready, alert to their surroundings.

Liu and his men brought up the rear.

The group began to venture deep into the spire.

The spire's actual volume was larger than it appeared from the outside, and it was divided into above-ground and underground sections.

"There are biological signals on the upper level."

A team member holding a bio-scanner looked up at the ceiling.

"A total of five, appearing to be human or humanoid, on the top floor."

Liu did not rush to make arrangements; instead, he asked.

"What about the signal source we were tracking earlier?"

"It's also above, appearing to overlap with those biological signals."

"Then we'll explore upwards first."

Liu made the decision immediately.

"Team One, stay behind and maintain communication."

Stepping onto the spiral staircase, the walls beside them were covered with all kinds of skulls.

Human skulls made up a significant portion, and this was just one building on a hunting planet.

It was evident how many humans the Bad Bloods had secretly abducted in the past.

Unlike the dangerous environment outside the spire, the interior was surprisingly safe.

At least Liu and the others encountered no attacks on their way to the top floor of the spire.

A similar metal door blocked their path.

"The biological signals behind the door are moving."

"Blow it open."

Without any hesitation, another smaller melta bomb was installed, also to avoid collapsing the top floor of the spire.

"Bang! Boom!"

Once the light faded, a large hole was blasted open.

The Space Sharks recruits were the first to pass through the hole and step inside.

The next second.

"Swoosh!"

Several crossbow bolts were fired accurately at the head of Kurt, who was at the front.

Without flinching, the stone arrowheads snapped upon impact, failing to leave even a scratch.

Several Space Sharks recruits instinctively raised their Bolt Pistols to fire, but Kurt immediately pressed their hands down.

Walking forward, the top floor of the spire wasn't very large, perhaps less than a hundred square meters.

It was filled with various clutter, scattered animal skins, and skeletons, showing clear signs of daily living.

"Ten seconds. If you don't come out, this place will be reduced to ruins immediately."

Kurt's tone was flat.

The next second, a voice filled with surprise rang out.

"Are you humans?"

Several "people" wearing ragged, grime-encrusted clothes and looking unkempt stood up from the clutter and ran over in excitement.

Raising Bolters, they intimidated the ten people.

"Stop. State your names, dates of birth, and places of origin."

Glancing at each other, they reported their names one by one.

The nearby Union Soldiers quickly searched the database.

After a brief data comparison.

"No problems."

The Bolters were still not lowered, but were gestured slightly, signaling everyone to drop their weapons, raise their hands high, and walk over slowly.

Clatter—

After a slight hesitation, a man was the first to drop his crossbow, and with this example, the others followed suit.

Needles were inserted for blood collection and verification.

"They are human, no signs of genetic modification."

Only then did the Space Sharks recruits slightly lower the muzzles of their Bolters.

"Who are you!? Did the government come to save us!?"

Someone asked excitedly.

Liu took the initiative to lower his face mask, revealing his unmistakably human face.

"One at a time. You need to answer my questions first."

Ten minutes later, through a flurry of voices, the situation was finally explained.

These people had been secretly abducted and imprisoned here by the Bad Bloods.

The Bad Bloods would occasionally throw some of them into the terrifying rainforest outside the sinkhole for a cruel hunting game, usually once every two months.

Originally, this small space was packed with nearly a hundred people, but after just a few hunting games, only ten remained.

As for the weak signal source Liu and the others had detected, it was also found—a simple signal transmitter covered in dust, discarded in the clutter.

These survivors didn't know the origin of the device; perhaps it was left by survivors from long ago.

"When was the last time those Bad Bloods appeared?"

Liu asked immediately.

During the conversation, these survivors had learned that the alien monsters who captured them were called "Bad Bloods."

"Uh, a month ago. We've been keeping track of the time."

A man replied.

Liu immediately transmitted this information back to the orbital fleet.

"We have one month to prepare for battle."

Liu breathed a sigh of relief; this wasn't a short amount of time, enough for the Universal Union's main fleet to arrive.

He turned to look at the ten lucky survivors.

"We will send you back to Earth, but before that, you need to cooperate with us."

"Of course, of course!"

These people were all strong, athletic types before being captured, which was why the Bad Bloods had targeted them.

Even during their long imprisonment, the Bad Bloods intentionally provided enough food to keep these "prey" in top condition.

"Do you know what the basement of this tower is used for?"

Liu asked. Since the upper level had been explored, they had to continue downwards.

Upon hearing this question, several of the strong men actually trembled slightly.

"We don't know, but we often hear sounds coming from below that don't sound human—"

These sounds often tormented their minds.

Seeing this, Liu stopped questioning them.

After having several soldiers lead these people out of the spire, the rest began to explore downwards.

There was also an alloy door here, which was blasted open with melta again.

A foul stench wafted out.

Crack.

As soon as they stepped out, the sound of bones breaking was clearly audible.

A floor of skeletons covered the stairs leading down.

The Space Sharks recruits remained unfazed, continuing to lead the way.

Soon, a scene that could only be described as purgatory came into view.

Countless twisted and deformed flesh-monsters were locked in messy cages, most of them already dead, becoming the source of the foul stench.

The remaining monsters that still had somewhat normal shapes roared inhumanly, even biting and devouring each other in their cages.

"It seems those Bad Bloods were conducting biological research here to create the monsters outside."

Enduring the stench, the team members went forward and found a computer device of the Predator Civilization hidden in the deepest part.

"Data copying complete."

"Burn this place. Let the flames purify everything."

Promethium was sprayed into every corner and then ignited.

The scorching flames surged upwards until they enveloped the entire spire, forming a pillar of fire.

The other shorter spires were also fully explored. Liu and the others found more survivors, totaling over thirty people. After being checked, they were all sent to the surface, and arrangements were made for their return to Earth through the Wormhole.

"The data is being parsed. It might take some time, but we might find the coordinates for other planets occupied by the Bad Blood from it."

After leaving the sinkhole and returning to the surface, the team members immediately transmitted the copied data back to the orbital fleet, where the data processing power was much stronger.

However, some people had questions.

"Can't we just send this data to the Predators we're cooperating with? It would be faster for them to parse it."

"Are you stupid? They haven't officially allied with us yet. Can important data like this be just given away?"

Liu rolled his eyes at the guy.

"Alright, mission over. Rest in place. Next, it's up to the fleet."

1

One month later.

Several small and medium-sized Predator ships entered the star system at faster-than-light speeds.

Clearly, these Bad Blood were returning to hold their periodic hunting ritual.

"I can't wait anymore."

On the ships, the Bad Bloods' insectoid mandibles trembled continuously, revealing bloodthirsty smiles.

The passengers on the ships weren't just Bad Blood; there were also the crazed monsters they had newly bred.

And new, abducted humans.

These unfortunate souls had been snatched from Earth by the Bad Blood long before the Universal Union arrived in the "alien vs. predator" world, imprisoned inside ships, and dragged all over the galaxy with the Bad Blood.

Every time a ship docked in a planet's orbit, a group of people would be selected, either to be traded with other Bad Blood groups or forced into a cruel hunting game with the Bad Blood.

Leading this Bad Blood group was an incredibly burly Bad Blood. It was said he had undergone large-scale body modifications and possessed immense strength; all subordinates who disobeyed his orders had their heads crushed with his bare hands.

In a Bad Blood group, whoever had the biggest fist and the most strength was the boss, with no regard for so-called honor and tradition.

"My Lord, the new hunting planet is just ahead."

On the largest flagship, a Bad Blood adjutant reported respectfully.

"Including the prey locked up there, we currently have a total of three hundred humans in our hands, just enough for a hunt."

The Bad Blood leader, known by others as 'Iron Arm,' spoke indifferently.

"After the hunt is finished, go to Earth to get some more prey."

"But, My Lord."

Hearing Iron Arm's request, his adjutant looked a bit troubled.

"It's said that a new power has appeared in the Sol System where Earth is located, and they even wiped out the entire Lone Clan. I'm afraid it will be very difficult for us to get high-quality prey like humans anymore—"

Before he could finish, Iron Arm's cold gaze interrupted the adjutant's words.

"Don't worry, I will get enough prey."

The adjutant immediately changed his tune.

Besides directly abducting people from Earth, they could also trade with other Bad Blood groups or simply snatch people from them.

The Bad Blood weren't united; they were divided into various scattered groups of varying sizes, similar to the Chaos Warbands in the Warhammer World.

"Arrived in the star system, beginning deceleration."

The five ships began to decelerate, exiting FTL status to avoid crashing into a planet.

Predator ships also had limitations, namely the inability to scan the surrounding area while in FTL status.

Thus, as soon as the Bad Bloods' ships exited FTL, piercing alarms suddenly blared, echoing throughout the vessels.

Twenty Union ships, already waiting in formation, blocked the path of the Bad Bloods' ships.

"We're locked on!"

The Bad Blood pilot controlling the ship let out a sharp screech.

But in the next second...

POW!

Iron Arm, stepping down from his throne, crushed the screaming fellow's head with a single punch and spoke coldly.

"Send a message and find out the identity of those guys opposite us. Also, get the weapons systems online immediately."

Although they were locked on, the Bad Bloods' ships had not been attacked yet.

Because the Universal Union intended to capture more live prisoners.

The communication signals sent by the Bad Blood received a direct response.

A large number of space carrier-based aircraft and boarding torpedoes were released, rushing toward the Bad Bloods' ships.

The two fleets were very close, and under the condition of needing to capture prisoners, boarding was a very good tactic.

"Fire! Counterattack!"

Iron Arm roared his command.

In terms of fleet size, the Universal Union clearly held an absolute advantage.

But the Bad Blood didn't flee immediately; it took time to restart the FTL engines, and what remained of Predator honor wouldn't allow them to flee in cowardice.

Giant Plasma cannons fired with a roar, slamming toward the Union Fleet.

Such slow attacks naturally couldn't hit any targets; the flexible Union warships scattered after releasing the boarding forces and pulled back to maintain distance.

The space carrier-based aircraft used rounds of bombardment to blast gaps in the Bad Bloods' ships and were responsible for drawing fire.

Boarding torpedoes and larger Boarding Ships plunged into the interior of the vessels, and deadly passengers poured out from them.

tyrants, nemesiss, Aliens, Tactical Robots—

And the twenty Space Sharks recruits led by Kurt also joined the boarding battle.

Compared to before, they had received new superhuman organ implants.

Everyone had been implanted with a Biscopea, and Kurt had been implanted with his fourth superhuman organ, the Haemastamen.

This superhuman organ could change the composition of the blood, allowing it to carry more oxygen and nutrients.

"Target found, executing decapitation mission."

Stepping out of a Boarding Torpedo, Kurt gave the order calmly over the comms channel.

"Assault toward the bridge."

Beside the Space Sharks recruits, a large number of Tactical Robots and Aliens had already begun intense firefights with the Bad Blood pouring from all parts of the ship's corridors.

The sound of gunfire, the hissing of Aliens, and the roars of the Bad Blood couldn't stop the Space Sharks recruits' progress.

Though they had only been implanted with a fifth of the superhuman organs, they were still Space Sharks.

Only through the tempering of true battle would they grow into real bloodthirsty sharks.

Bolter rounds roared, and flesh flew.

Aliens hid in every crevice they could crawl into, waiting for the chance to launch surprise attacks on the Bad Blood.

The steel skeletons of the Tactical Robots withstood the bombardment of the Bad Bloods' Plasma weapons and melee weapons, serving well as cannon fodder.

tyrants cruelly tore apart the bodies of any Bad Blood who dared approach them, bathing in fluorescent blood.

The Space Sharks recruits led by Kurt didn't need to charge at the very front; they only needed to use the Bolters in their hands to shatter the heads of the Bad Blood one by one.

While the Universal Union indeed wanted to capture more live prisoners, the Space Sharks wouldn't stop until these bloodthirsty Bad Blood were beaten into submission.

"These guys are the Universal Union!"

Inside the bridge, an adjutant who had learned a lot about the Universal Union from other Bad Blood groups shouted.

Undoubtedly, the Bad Bloods on the several starships had no way to stop the advance of the boarding party.

One by one, the once-ferocious Bad Bloods were either having their heads blown apart by Bolter rounds or being torn to shreds by xenomorphs lurking in the shadows.

The Bad Bloods were supposed to be space pirates, plundering creatures or populations from one planet after another, much like the Drukhari.

But now, they had become the ones being invaded.

"Start the engines immediately and get us out of here!"

On the bridge, Iron Arm roared his orders at the ship's pilot.

Though a brutal Bad Blood, he was no fool; he knew the enemy had deployed a boarding party to capture them alive.

"But, my Lord, the engine room has already been seized and destroyed, we can't—"

*Pop!*

The pilot's head was crushed.

Iron Arm's already hideous face was contorting and deforming with rage.

"All of you, get out there and stop them!"

Iron Arm bellowed, while simultaneously raising a war spear adorned with xenomorph skulls, entering a combat stance.

Compared to the true Predators, who appeared savage but actually possessed their own civilization and etiquette, the Bad Bloods were more like regressed savages, closer to how they looked when they were once enslaved by their insectoid masters.

Under Iron Arm's pressure, nearly all the Bad Bloods on the bridge grabbed their weapons and stepped out of the hatch, preparing for a final, desperate resistance against the incoming boarding party.

*Thump! Thump!*

Dull footsteps drew closer as the Universal Union boarding party approached like grim reapers, relentlessly crushing and harvesting all life in their path.

The towering tyrants held shields in front, blocking all incoming Plasma fire, trading steel and flesh to provide the Space Sharks initiates behind them with the opportunity to deal damage.

Bolter rounds and Plasma fire complemented each other, illuminating almost the entire originally dim corridor.

"Kill them!"

Iron Arm's roar spurred the Bad Bloods, causing them to erupt in battle cries to bolster their courage.

The Bad Bloods launched a counter-charge.

Brutal, bloodthirsty, and savage as they were, it had to be admitted that these fellows did not lack courage.

Above, below, and all around, the subtle sound of chitin rubbing in the pipes was almost entirely drowned out by the intense fire of battle, unnoticed by anyone.

The xenomorphs hid in the shadows, slowly baring their fangs.

*Shink!*

In an instant, numerous barbed tails, as flexible and winding as snakes, suddenly lunged out, either directly skewering the charging Predators and spilling massive amounts of blood...

...or embedding themselves deep within their bodies to drag them into the darkness.

The sounds of tearing fangs and claws constantly echoed from the shadows, sending chills down one's spine.

The Bad Bloods were already completely surrounded; resistance was futile.

Next, the only thing the Universal Union needed to consider was how to try and capture more live specimens.

The muzzles of the Bolters no longer aimed for heads and torsos, but rather for limbs.

The xenomorphs dragged more Bad Bloods into the darkness time and again, swarming over them to gnaw on their limbs.

Bad Bloods collapsed powerlessly, losing their ability to fight.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Iron Arm swung his war spear, severing one xenomorph tail after another.

The bullets from ordinary Tactical Robots struck his armored, burly frame, completely unable to hinder his movements or form.

But at this moment, Iron Arm's heart felt cold.

On a true battlefield, individual prowess has its limits; unless one is strong enough to break through a certain threshold, they still cannot influence the overall tide of battle.

Under the assault of the Universal Union boarding party, Bad Bloods fell one by one, losing their combat effectiveness, and the subordinates Iron Arm could command were becoming fewer and fewer.

"Why! Why did these guys know our whereabouts in advance!"

Iron Arm roared inwardly with indignation.

He did not yet know that the Predator Tribe had already decided to cooperate with the Universal Union to launch a thorough purge of the Bad Bloods.

Well, if anyone was to blame, it was that group of Bad Bloods who sent Lionface, Scarface, and two others to assassinate the Elder, attempting to stir up conflict between the Universal Union and the Predator Tribe.

In a moment of distraction—

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Three incredibly precise Bolter rounds shattered one of Iron Arm's legs; this was an attack from Kurt himself.

"Target command unit has been neutralized."

Kurt's cold voice rang out over the communication channel.

"Continue the advance."

The shield-bearing tyrants continued forward, their heavy footsteps clearly audible even amidst the battlefield.

The number of Bad Bloods continued to dwindle; seeing their leader struck down, some of them began to waver and retreat back into the bridge.

The heavy blast doors immediately dropped, temporarily separating the frenzied Bad Bloods who couldn't retreat in time from the Universal Union boarding party.

The Bad Bloods were safe, for the moment.

Outside the doors, the Bad Bloods who had lost their combat effectiveness were dragged away like dead dogs by the Tactical Robots, including the once-arrogant Iron Arm.

What awaited this Bad Blood, who had personally killed at least a thousand humans and even other Predators, would be the Universal Union's 'full-service package'.

This included, but was not limited to, physical torture, drug control, mental hypnosis, and finally, Plaga parasitism.

Perhaps this fellow would eventually be impregnated by a Facehugger, giving birth to a Predalien controlled by the Universal Union.

However, these were not matters Kurt needed to concern himself with.

"melta bombs installed."

A Charcarodon initiate efficiently placed three melta bombs on the blast door.

"Detonation countdown: 3, 2, 1—"

After a deafening explosion, the door came crashing down.

Clearly, few things in the universe could withstand the blast of a melta bomb, and this seemingly sturdy door was certainly not one of them.

One high-intensity flashbang and stun grenade after another were tossed behind the door; only after these devices detonated did the Space Sharks file in.

Space Marines were not mindless warriors; they knew how to employ proper strategies and tactics.

The remaining Bad Bloods inside the bridge were quickly neutralized, their limbs broken, and dragged out.

The outcome of this battle had long been decided; once scattered Bad Blood groups lost their stealth, only destruction awaited them.

"Combat concluded. Ship has been thoroughly cleared. 214 prisoners captured."

Kurt tilted his head slightly, reporting the end of the battle to the distant Union Fleet.

"Also, 270 human survivors discovered. Requesting medical support."

"Support has been dispatched."

Besides this flagship boarded by Kurt and the other Space Sharks, the battles on the other Bad Blood ships had also long since ended.

The distant Union Fleet began to release more medium-sized transport ships, which started to approach.

These still-intact ships would be recovered and repaired by the engineering department to bolster the Universal Union's space forces.

The rescued humans would be properly settled and returned to human society.

"The battle has only just begun."

Standing on the bridge of the Bad Blood ship and gazing out at the starry sky, Kurt knew that more battles in this world awaited him and the other Charcarodon initiates.

"We have deciphered the data found on a hunting planet and captured a small-to-medium Bad Blood group, obtaining many locations of planets occupied by the Bad Blood.

Dugaer is leading five branch fleets in a full-scale offensive, and the various tribal fleets of the Predators will act in coordination with us."

On Avarax in the Warhammer World, Alexia was giving her report.

"Unless the originally scattered Bad Blood groups and Tribes immediately unite into a single large Tribe, they will not be able to stop our advance."

Marcus opened his eyes as he finished his Telekinesis training.

"I will send the Blood Moon over. The flesh and blood generated by the war will make it even stronger.

Finish the mission in that world as quickly as possible; the situation here is becoming increasingly severe."

the Universal Union has now firmly occupied the southern part of the Sabbath Star Cluster.

But the expansion of territory also meant the extension of defensive lines.

More and more Tyranid splinter fleets were arriving from the Outer Darkness in the southwestern galaxy, and the Ork Empire to the north was also stirring. If not for the obstruction of those two permanent Warp storms, the pressure on the Universal Union would likely have increased several-fold.

However, the Universal Union could not remain huddled within its current borders forever. Once the two Warp storms to the north were dealt with, it would eventually continue to expand northward, and a clash with that massive Ork Empire was only a matter of time.

Of course, the Universal Union had another direction for expansion: toward the Segmentum Solar.

But for now, at least, Marcus did not want to cross the Imperium of Man.

The Imperium of Man had always used absolute, thunderous means to crack down on internal secession; looking at its sheer scale, the current Union was still far from matching the Imperium.

Plus—

Scanning his surroundings, Marcus did not sense or discover anything unusual.

Yet, the shadow named "The Emperor" always loomed.

If the Universal Union truly went to war with the Imperium, whose side would that Golden Big Guy take?

This was also a question worth debating.

"I will notify the other side to prepare for the arrival of the Blood Moon."

Alexia nodded and left.

the Universal Union's fleet was naturally accustomed to the existence of the Blood Moon; this notification was mainly for Earth over there, to avoid large-scale panic.

Once the room was empty, Marcus couldn't help but think of that exiled Necron guest.

"I wonder how things are going in Dead Space. I hope the humans there are alright, though Trazyn isn't the type to go on a killing spree."

"This world is simply magnificent! cryptek!"

Inside a small Unitology ship, Trazyn—who lacked any of the calm, mechanical temperament typical of the Necrons—was shouting excitedly.

After spending a full month, he had finally finished savoring every bit of data in the ship's computer regarding the humans of this world.

Many pieces of information within had caught Trazyn's attention.

Especially regarding the planet named "Earth."

In the information Trazyn had collected about Holy Terra in the Warhammer World, the name "Earth" had also appeared.

...that designation.

Moreover, after comparing the information from both sides, Trazyn further discovered many commonalities between them.

For instance, the similarities in continental plates, as well as several names that had been almost completely lost to the long river of history.

Adding to that, this world also had many similar star systems; even the names "Milky Way" and "Sol System" were identical.

All of this fascinated Trazyn, while also making him realize that there was definitely some kind of connection between the two worlds.

The cryptek beside him ignored Trazyn. Over the past month, the other had frequently burst into shouts while reading the data.

At the same time, the cryptek's mind matrix couldn't help but wonder.

"I never heard that those from the Nihilakh Dynasty were all like this?"

Necrons always lacked a sense of time.

Their mechanical bodies granted them a nearly immortal, long life, with the price being a lack of perception regarding the passage of time.

In their eyes, this past month or so was not much different from ten or so minutes.

"My Master, we are about to arrive at Titan Space Station."

The Unitology deacon, controlled by a Heart-Lock Beetle, was currently standing respectfully to the side, reminding his new master.

After a long voyage of a month, they were finally about to return to the Sol System.

Their first stop was the deep-space station—Titan Space Station.

Titan Space Station was commonly known as The Sprawl.

As a deep-space station under the jurisdiction of the Earth Government, it was built upon the last fragments of Titan after it had been dismantled.

This was once where Titan was located, and it was also where the first planet-cracking operation took place around the year 2446.

Titan Space Station itself had been built into a metropolis around the Titan fragments, featuring schools, shopping malls, skyscrapers, and Unitology churches, with a population already exceeding one million.

At the same time, Titan Space Station was the location where the Necromorph disaster erupted in Dead Space 2.

Of course, because Marcus had intervened back then and directly made off with the Ishimura along with the red marker, the place was still a scene of prosperity.

Slowly leaving shock space and exiting faster-than-light status.

The ship had arrived at the edge of the Sol System.

The human government in the Dead Space world, abbreviated as EGCA, was a trans-stellar regime.

The Sol System clearly had strict defenses and screening systems; all ships entering or leaving the Sol System would be inspected.

Of course, due to the complex, intertwined relationships between the CEC, Unitology, and the EGCA...

Sometimes, dangerous items still managed to flow into the Sol System.

"I am aware. You may proceed as usual."

Trazyn's mind matrix quickly suppressed his simulated excitement.

Also, to be safe, he withdrew the surrounding Necron constructs back into the tesseract labyrinth.

Ahead of the ship, a warship clearly equipped with weaponry was approaching.

"This is the EGCA Navy. Cut your engines immediately, transmit your signal identification code, and wait for inspection!"

The crew members controlled by Heart-Lock Beetles immediately sent the identification code over, which prevented them from being directly sunk.

A small transport ship detached from the warship, and soldiers, coordinating with the warship's scans, began to inspect the vessel.

As for Trazyn and the cryptek, they simply stood openly on the bridge, watching the people coming and going.

Relying on an illusion generator and a signal jammer, soldiers passed by one after another without noticing anything.

The warship's scans also ignored the existence of the two metal skeletons.

"Inspection complete. No anomalies found."

"Clear for passage."

After the inspection, the soldiers who found no dangerous items departed one by one, and the distant warship stopped aiming its weapons.

The ship was able to proceed toward Titan Space Station.

"So this is the Sol System—"

Trazyn stood on the bridge, gazing at the brilliant starry sky.

Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Mercury.

Each planet, both familiar and strange, orbited in regular patterns.

"You know, cryptek, I have been to Holy Terra. The sights there are indeed grand, but this original Sol System has a unique charm of its own."

Trazyn's information recorder, disguised as an eyeball, worked almost incessantly, recording everything he witnessed into his memory core.

"There's nothing to see, just primitive monkeys."

The cryptek dismissed it with contempt.

Trazyn didn't argue. Instead, he ordered the Unitologists to pilot the ship toward the Titan Space Station.

For Trazyn, there were two purposes for coming here.

The first, of course, was to study the human civilization here and look for collectibles.

The second was to find a way back to his original world.

Although this new universe was indeed spectacular and countless collectibles awaited him, he did not intend to stay for long.

The human named "Marcus," who was able to send him here, concerned Trazyn even more.

Besides this universe, could there be others?

If he controlled the man, or even just reached some kind of cooperation, could he travel to even more universes?

At the thought of this, Trazyn's thought-dwellings and wisdom core began to tremble.

The cryptek beside him watched this scene in confusion, thinking Trazyn was a madman.

"My master, the ship is about to dock."

A Unitology Deacon approached Trazyn and spoke respectfully.

"Let's go, then. We'll disembark and have a look."

Trazyn led the cryptek toward the hatch. Once the ship had settled in the port, he was the first to step out.

In space, there is no up or down, and the Titan Space Station was no different.

Building zones covered the spherical artificial gravity core; currently, Saturn lay directly beneath Trazyn's feet.

Trazyn was in no hurry to move against his first target, Unitology. Instead, he strolled leisurely through the Titan Space Station.

illusion generators deceived biological senses, while signal jamming devices fooled surveillance.

Two invisible metal skeletons swaggered down the street, brushing past the crowds.

During this time, Trazyn would occasionally sneak items from roadside stalls or shops and stuff them into his tesseract labyrinth.

"I didn't expect our Overlord of Solemnace to be a petty thief."

The cryptek spoke with a hint of mockery. Although constrained by the Heart-Lock Beetle in his chest, unlike the Unitologists, he still retained his self-awareness.

"This isn't stealing. I'm merely preserving these things in advance. Who knows if this human civilization will be destroyed by some natural disaster?"

Trazyn spoke with righteous conviction.

"And don't you play innocent with me. You think I didn't see you secretly take a power module just now?"

"I did it for research! Perhaps this item could be useful to us Necrons!"

The cryptek also raised the banner of racial interest.

While browsing the Titan Space Station, Trazyn and the cryptek also released electronic code, hacking into the station's network.

More data and information flooded into their memory cores.

The two Necrons gained a deeper understanding of the development, history, past, and present of humanity in this universe.

Faced with a technological suppression akin to a dimensional strike, the Titan Space Station's network security department was completely unaware that their database was being breached.

"Alright, time for business."

Saying this, Trazyn began to retrace his steps and sought out the Unitologists he had brought under his control.

"Take us to your Unitology stronghold."

"Yes, my master."

The Unitologists led the way, heading toward the core area of the Titan Space Station.

That was a wealthier area of the station. Even here, people were divided into different classes.

The outermost layer near the spaceport was for ordinary citizens, while the middle layer housed the wealthy and middle-to-low-level officials.

The core area was home to the top elites. Given Unitology's influence, their stronghold was naturally located there.

"Why cause trouble for Unitology?"

The cryptek didn't quite understand.

"What we should be doing is manipulating the humans here from the shadows. It wouldn't be difficult."

"First of all, what I do is none of your concern. You only need to obey."

Trazyn emphasized their current relationship once again.

"Don't forget, I can blow you into an unrecoverable atomic state at any moment."

The cryptek had nothing to say.

If he had known he would encounter Trazyn, he would have taken a different path back to his own dynasty.

However, it was also because of Trazyn that he was able to see a new universe.

"Secondly, I have no intention of interfering with the developmental progress of humanity here."

Trazyn's only goal was to collect more items, though he would sometimes wage war and cause slaughter if he was obstructed.

But generally speaking, Trazyn held a tolerant attitude toward other sentient species, unlike other Necrons who viewed them as mere vermin.

Led by the Unitologists, Trazyn and the cryptek soon arrived outside the stronghold.

The Deacon sent his identification code. As a mid-level member of the cult, his clearance was sufficient to open the door.

"I need to see the Bishop!"

The Deacon called over the low-level cultists guarding the gate, telling them he was from Aegis VII and had new discoveries to report to the Bishop in person.

This request was quickly granted.

After being scanned to ensure he was unarmed, the Deacon walked into the stronghold alone.

Of course, Trazyn and the cryptek accompanied him throughout.

The walls of the corridor were lined with portraits—portraits of Altman, the founder of Unitology.

Surrounding them were spiral marks symbolizing the Marker and Convergence.

Lines of text described the history of Unitology from its creation to its growth and expansion, repeating its ultimate ideal over and over again.

To bring all of humanity together in Convergence and achieve true unity. In that way, the living would be reunited with the dead, ascending together into an eternal heaven.

"Ignorant faith."

The cryptek dismissed these flashy, mystical things with disdain.

"We shattered gods with our own hands sixty million years ago."

"But don't forget, we once worshipped the C'tan as gods as well,"

Trazyn said.

"Faith is a stage that sentient beings must experience."

Meanwhile, Trazyn was also hacking into the database inside the Unitology stronghold, digging out a wealth of information.

Especially information regarding the Marker.

"At least the human who sent us here didn't lie to me. The Marker does exist, and it's right on Earth."

Passing through the final gate, a voice resembling a sacred hymn rang out from the broadcast.

"Have you ever felt like you were part of something much larger?"

"Then Unitology might be for you."

"Over two hundred years ago, our savior, the great saint Michael Altman, founded Unitology."

at one day, humanity will be united through the sacred relics."

"Imagine all of humanity gathered together, with the same purpose, the same thoughts, and souls as one."

"No war, no hunger, no fear, no hatred—"

In the room, the Deacon finally met the Bishop he was there to see.

In truth, Bishop was not the highest position in Unitology; above it was the rank of Overseer.

However, a Deacon could only ever hope to meet high-level officials at the Bishop level.

"Deacon Mowen? Aren't you responsible for guarding the USG Ishimura? Who authorized your return?"

The Bishop didn't rush to ask about the "new discovery" the Deacon mentioned; instead, he frowned and spoke in a slightly reproachful tone.

Unitology had a strict internal hierarchy. Without orders from a superior, subordinates were forbidden from acting on their own; discovery of such behavior was a major crime.

"My new master, of course!"

The Deacon's fanatical appearance left the Bishop momentarily confused.

The next second, Trazyn and the cryptek deactivated their cloaking and revealed themselves.

The sudden appearance of two metal skeletons naturally gave the Bishop a huge fright, and he scrambled to press the emergency call button nearby.

But the Heart-Lock Beetle was faster.

Emitting a ghostly green glow, the Heart-Lock Beetle burrowed into the Bishop's chest almost instantly, then quickly moved upward, invading his brain's neural pathways.

"The supply of Heart-Lock Beetles is running low. You, as a cryptek of the Charakula Dynasty, should know how to manufacture them."

Trazyn checked his remaining resources within the tesseract labyrinth while looking at the cryptek beside him.

The latter could only nod in compliance with the order.

As they spoke, the Bishop's mind had been completely taken over by the Heart-Lock Beetle, turning him into a puppet who, while retaining independent consciousness, was entirely loyal to Trazyn.

"My Master—"

The Bishop knelt on the ground, performing a devout prostration.

As for those Unitology doctrines, he had long since cast them to the back of his mind.

"Gather as many high-level members of the Church as possible."

Trazyn spoke indifferently.

His goal was obvious: to turn all the high-ranking officials of Unitology into his puppets in one fell swoop.

As long as he controlled the organization of Unitology, various operations in this universe would become much more convenient.

"As you command!"