I honestly didn't know how to tank this thing for a moment!
In the confined terrain of a corridor, Roaches were usually the most suitable units for a holding action. However, the physical dimensions of the Canoptek Centipede were perfectly designed to squeeze and crush heavy ground units like Roaches.
An Ultralisk was too big to even fit inside!!!
The massive entity—be it called a Canoptek Centipede or a Canoptek Tomb Stalker—ramped through the corridors, and the Swarm simply couldn't stop it.
Stop it?
How?
The thing was as wide as a super-heavy tank but more than a dozen times longer. This physique was undeniably suited for shipboard combat.
In contrast, the size of an Ultralisk made it ill-suited for corridor fighting; it belonged in wide areas like halls or hangars.
"No, fighting like this is a pure loss. Let me see what units are available."
The Overmind scanned through the Zerg strains but couldn't find a perfect counter.
Roaches weren't big enough, Ultralisks weren't small enough, Hydralisks weren't strong enough, and Infestors couldn't mind-control it.
Wait...
Could Infestors control it?
While the Infestor's neural parasite tentacles only worked on biological organisms, it had another skill: Fungal Growth. That sticky fungal snare was incredibly strong—strong enough that even a Protoss Immortal struggled to break free.
The Overmind didn't need to control it for long. He just needed to stop this "runaway train" in its tracks. Once stationary, the Swarm could tear the Tomb Stalker apart.
"Let's try it."
Infestors immediately began hatching within the Leviathans. An Infestor was a notch larger than typical heavy units, but they weren't meant for frontline combat; they functioned more as mobile bio-weapon factories and sources of infection.
Deploying them to the front now was a desperate measure born of necessity. The Overmind truly couldn't find another unit to pin the Tomb Stalker down.
The Cryptek noticed this as well.
"These bugs can't stop the Tomb Stalker? Heh, as I thought. Nothing more than primitive organisms."
The Cryptek's inherent arrogance wouldn't allow him to acknowledge the Swarm's strength.
Truth be told, the moment the Necron Warriors' firepower failed to suppress the Zerglings and Hydralisks, the Necrons had already lost the opening gambit.
Deploying the Tomb Stalker was essentially "cheating"—breaking the rules of engagement to start an unrestricted brawl.
The Overmind wasn't going to let him get away with it.
After the Tomb Stalker had rampaged for a while, the Infestors finally hatched and reached the front. In the narrow corridor, the mechanical centipede continued its charge, causing Zerg casualties every second.
The Infestors didn't care about collateral damage to friendly units anymore. They launched Fungal Growth directly, coating vast numbers of Zerg units along with the enemy. The Tomb Stalker's countless legs were instantly glued to the floor alongside the surrounding Swarm.
The adhesive strength was so high it could hold an Ultralisk. Not stopping with one, several more globs of fungal slime were launched.
Within moments, the Tomb Stalker was completely encased in fungal matter. No matter how much it strained, the slime only grew more viscous, rendering it immobile.
"Oh, it looks a bit like a velvet worm hunting."
The Tomb Stalker was trapped tight. Although the nearby Zerg units were also stuck, it didn't matter. Hydralisks and Roaches further back seized the opportunity to fire. Even with its massive frame, the Tomb Stalker couldn't withstand a continuous barrage of concentrated fire.
"Wait, dammit! What is that substance composed of? It can actually restrain a Tomb Stalker?!"
The Cryptek panicked. He had fallen into a predicament similar to the Overmind's. If he couldn't deal with that slime, then all Necron ground units would be helpless against the Swarm.
Just as he feared, though the Necron portals continuously spat out soldiers, the Infestors hid within the Swarm and tossed out more fungal slime. The soldiers were instantly turned into stationary targets fixed to the floor.
If it could hold a Tomb Stalker, no other Necron ground unit stood a chance of breaking free.
The Cryptek could only watch helplessly as the Swarm broke through the Necron Warrior defensive line and burst into his chamber.
"Oh, unfortunate."
He didn't even bother to teleport or flee. He was torn to shreds by the Zerglings.
However, almost at the exact moment he was destroyed, a backup body for the Cryptek was activated within another cruiser in the main Necron fleet.
"Those cursed bugs actually have some skill."
Indeed, Necron nobles not only possessed independent consciousness, but if their bodies were destroyed, they would simply be reborn in a spare shell—provided there were no accidents.
The Cryptek quickly checked the status of his remaining three cruisers. Unsurprisingly, they were being dismantled by Leviathan tentacles and proton cannons.
"Tch! Those were my precious assets!!!"
The Cryptek was fuming but powerless. He had no choice but to report the situation to his superior.
The Phaerakh soon received the message and reviewed the data regarding the Zerg Swarm.
"Oh, interesting. They even have massive biological ships?"
She showed no signs of panic. She commanded at least two hundred Tomb Worlds; this was just one of them. Once she awakened her full fleet, the Zerg's current Leviathans wouldn't even be enough for her to warm up on.
Even now, with a Cairn-class Tomb Ship present, it was nearly impossible for the Zerg to pose a threat to her. That ship was powered by a C'tan Shard.
"Zay'ick, my General, are you awake?"
"Yes, my Queen."
On another Necron vessel, a General cloaked in a cape and wielding a halberd responded to his master.
"I am giving you command of the fleet. Go and purge those vermin."
"By your will, my Queen."
The Necron General, who had been overseeing the purging of the planet's surface, immediately began recalling his troops. Portals lit up within pyramids across the landscape. Necron Warriors entered, and the pyramids themselves were recalled.
The fleet anchored in space began to turn. Only a few ships remained to escort the Phaerakh; the rest fell under the General's command.
A poor commander can ruin an army, but this General was clearly more adept at warfare than the Cryptek.
A dozen Necron ships vanished into thin air, only to reappear near the Webway gate seconds later. Their concentrated fire slammed into a Leviathan just as it was emerging from the gate, blowing it to pieces.
In an instant, the Necron fleet had sandwiched the Leviathans between their forces, cutting off reinforcements from the Webway gate.
"The commander changed? This fleet deployment actually has some strategy behind it."