The Swarm Overmind has now proven his ability to hold a seat at the Great Game's table.
The commotion he caused was truly absurd, reaching a level that no race could ignore. Among them, the race most dangerous to the Zerg Swarm was finally preparing to make its move.
In the vast galaxy, there are countless planets, but among billions of worlds, one category remains the most perilous:
The Tomb Worlds.
These are the sleeping grounds of the Necrons. These ancient beings entered their Great Sleep over sixty million years ago. Through the eons, some of these planets remained desolate, while others became habitable once more.
A Zerg scout encountered such a planet. The local organisms were quickly integrated into the Swarm's gene bank and processed for biomass.
However, when the Creep spread across the planet, covering more than 50% of the surface, something unexpected happened.
While burrowing, a Zergling accidentally unearthed a dark green mechanical entity resembling a beetle. At first, this didn't trigger an alarm within the Hive Mind.
After all, among the countless substances encountered during the Swarm's expansion, this dark green beetle was but a drop in the ocean. Moreover, it was inedible, so the Zergling simply ignored it.
However...
It activated.
The Zergling sensed something and snapped its head back toward the beetle's previous location, but the spot was empty. Its keen instincts detected something overhead. Looking up, it saw the mechanical beetle's single eye glowing with a green light, staring down at the Zergling.
In the next second, the Zergling unfurled its wings and lunged with fangs and claws. The mechanical beetle fired a dark green ray, knocking the Zergling out of the air.
The chitinous armor that could normally withstand small kinetic weapons was instantly pierced. A dark green glow flickered on the shell, rapidly deconstructing the Zergling's body and reducing it to basic atoms.
More mechanical beetles of the same type began to emerge from the surrounding soil, accompanied by larger mechanical spiders.
If a Warhammer fan saw this, they would turn and run without a word. Others wouldn't bother running, knowing it was futile. These were Canoptek Scarabs and Canoptek Spyders.
If you see these two things in the world of Warhammer, then congratulations: you have found the "most merciful" race in the setting.
The Necrons.
They won't torture you. They won't enslave you. They will simply use their Gauss flayers to strip you down to your component atoms. In the grim darkness of the far future, this is one of the kindest ways to die—death without side effects.
As for resisting?
Friend, do you know what it means to be a "background-level" race? The Necrons are that race. They are the ones who once fought the Old Ones, the most powerful race in the setting's history. In the context of games like Stellaris, they are the Fallen Empire at the start of the match.
Canoptek Scarabs and Spyders gathered in swarms. Upon awakening, they immediately clashed with the Zerg forces. Though they looked small, they were equipped with Gauss weaponry. The Zergling's chitinous hide was like paper before them.
Conversely, the Zerglings' lunges often hit nothing. These Canoptek constructs seemed to crawl, yet they could eerily drift through the air at the critical moment to evade attacks.
Indeed, Canoptek constructs can fly. They possess anti-gravity flight capabilities. While they don't fly far, this advantage was devastating in small-scale skirmishes.
The Zergling swarms were actually losing to the Scarabs despite their superior numbers. This quickly alerted the Cerebrate, and the information was relayed to the Overmind.
"What is it now? Disturbing me for... Holy crap, Necrons?!!!"
The Overmind flinched when he saw the Canoptek constructs. On the list of Warhammer 40K races he least wanted to encounter, the Necrons were number one. Even the Tyranids had to take a backseat to them.
"My god, no way. Where did they dig this up? List this planet as a forbidden zone immediately! All Zerg units, evacuate! I don't want to go to my death."
The Overmind's fear of the Necrons was so great that he briefly broke character, acting in a way unfitting of his status.
Only an Overmind who understood the Necrons knew how foolish it was to fight them.
"While only the Canoptek constructs are awake and we haven't disturbed the high-ranking Necrons still in stasis, we need to slip away quietly. Let them sleep in peace. If they all wake up, the Swarm is in big trouble."
But he was one step too late.
Shortly after the Canoptek units woke up, the planet's surface began to vibrate violently. Earthquakes measuring higher than magnitude 10 nearly tore the crust apart. Seeing this, the Overmind could only lament in his mind.
"They woke up after all!!!"
The planet's crust began to split. From the pitch-black abyss, pyramids made of dark green metal slowly rose from beneath the surface. Their design was remarkably similar to the Mayan pyramids of ancient Terra.
"Now we're in trouble."
The Overmind watched with a headache. That pyramid was just an appetizer. As it continued to rise, it became clear that the pyramid was merely a decorative element on top of a massive structure. When the behemoth finally broke through the crust, it revealed itself as a moon-shaped vessel miles long.
"A Cairn-class Tomb Ship? Dammit, there's at least one Overlord-level Necron sleeping here."
"Overlord" is one of the ranks in the Necron hierarchy. They are divided into Dynasties, usually ruled by a Phaeron, who has multiple Overlords under them. Essentially, an Overlord is a ruler on par with a Zerg Cerebrate or Broodmother.
This Cairn-class Tomb Ship was over fifteen kilometers long. Even among the massive ships of the Warhammer universe, it was considered large. The pyramid on top, once so grand, now looked like a mere ornament.
Furthermore, a Cairn-class ship never traveled alone. There were no recorded instances of them appearing without at least three escort ships.
As expected, one Necron ship after another rose from beneath the crust. A sizable Necron fleet appeared in the Swarm's view. The Zerg on the ground, having just survived the earthquakes, bared their claws and fangs at the ships in the sky, their hostility palpable.
Inside the Cairn-class Tomb Ship, a "mechanical skeleton" watched the individual Zerg units on a projection with cold eyes. It wore a magnificent cloak, held an exquisite and complex staff, and wore a crown that signaled its status.
Gazing at these savage and crude creatures, the "mechanical skeleton" spoke.
"Purify this planet."
Like a final judgment, it pronounced the death sentence for the Zerg on the world.
If the Overmind had heard it, he would have been shocked. The voice was female.
Do the Necrons have Phaerakhs or female Overlords?