Above Ground 106, among the Blackstone structures 03, Tech-Priests of Graia and Iron Warriors, and warriors of the Death Guard continuously shuttled about.
Since the success of the drop troops working with the air forces to bombard the Blackstone structures, the soldiers of the Necrons had become notably more sluggish, and no new Necron warriors surged forth anymore.
For the Necrons, one of their most obvious advantages was the endless tide of soldiers like an ant colony, but at this moment, with no more rebirth, they had apparently lost their advantage.
Regarding this, Perturabo's judgement was that those Blackstone buildings were directing these soldiers, and were responsible for the rebirth and logistics of the Necron army. Therefore, destroying these buildings was clearly the right and necessary choice.
The main fleet of Lord Galaspar and his Death Guard had also arrived. Under the command of Garro and Vox, large numbers of Death Guard and the army composed of Iron Warriors quickly cleaned up these increasingly sluggish undead.
Compared to the warriors on the plains who were working together to encircle the undead forces, the three groups of people inside the Blackstone buildings each had their own thoughts.
The Iron Warriors, in the name of Perturabo, came to collect alien technology, as well as to further ensure the enemy buildings were destroyed.
Although the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus were also secretly searching for alien technology, some were also trying to find glimpses of the Omnissiah.
By comparison, the Death Guard were purely here to search for people on the orders of Mortarion.
The Blackstones were scattered on the ground, with the bizarre technological creations of the aliens visible everywhere. Cracks climbed up the hard rocks, traces left behind from the ravages of the wrathful lightning.
"Praise be to the Omnissiah!"
A Tech-Priest stood before a huge boulder with his retinue, lightning-like cracks clearly visible upon it, deep and bottomless.
Back then, he stood from afar, and saw from the distance the sudden rising of that colossal silhouette.
Was that the Death Guard, Hades?
No. No, that was the avatar of the Motive Force in this world!
Black and white mixed with shimmering green, space became distorted. In an instant, elegant and intricate knowledge flashed before the Tech-Priest's eyes. Confusion disappeared like ripples on water.
Just like a dream.
The Tech-Priest blinked, he caught a glimpse, but only a glimpse. The majestic intricate treasury of knowledge did not leave anything behind for this one believer. He saw, then forgot.
Was it because he was not devout enough?
"Praise be to the Omnissiah, forgive my impiety!"
The Tech-Priest murmured to himself, his mechadendrites broadcasting hymns to the fullest.
As a fervent believer of the Cult Mechanicus' dogma within the Adeptus Mechanicus, they were overjoyed to bear witness to this miracle, but that person was gone.
The avatar of the divine, like the gorgeous, disappearing flashing bubbles, after a fleeting reveal, only left behind a mess and obsession.
They hoped to at least grab something.
The Tech-Priest knelt before the mark of divinity. Compared to his colleagues who were searching for alien technology, he was more willing to calm his heart and try to listen for any lingering echoes of the divine.
The ground below him responded.
Faint, mixed in with impurities, an electronic wave came from within the boulder.
It was a distress signal. Behind it was the serial number of a Legionary from the stars—
"Here!!! Underground!!"
"He's still alive!"
God has not forsaken them!
Hades lay on the bed in the medical bay of the Death Guard, a look of utter hopelessness on his face.
A familiar location, a familiar bed, a familiar apothecary.
Damn it, that old bastard the Eternal Collector was too ruthless.
Trazyn helped to put the Dynasty on Ground 106 back to sleep, and promised the things for Hades were packed up and thrown into an empty tomb, for Hades to take people to dig up when he went back.
As for Hades, he chose to lie in a shallow grave, intending to knock himself out and wait for people to dig him up.
Trazyn watched expressionlessly as Hades tried to stab himself, wanting to make it convenient to pretend to be dead.
"Can't bring yourself to do it, can you?"
Trazyn slowly walked over.
"What are you doing? I warn you—"
"Just helping you out again!"
"Ah!"
When Hades opened his eyes again, what he saw was the ceiling of the Endurance of Barbarus.
"Oh, awake now?"
The large face of Apothecary Leo emerged before Hades' eyes. Hades nodded weakly.
Oh right, the new brain Trazyn gave him was thoughtfully set to its original paint job. Which meant, no one else could see that Hades' current right brain was no longer his original!
His brain, ah—
Leo ignored Hades' eyes full of sorrow and loss, and familiarly opened up the Legion Master's channel, notifying Mortarion that Hades was awake.
Recently Mortarion had been trying to hound Perturabo, or personally lead the army for ground combat.
Leo walked over, and after confirming Hades' physical condition was stable, took his apprentice Eyo and left.
Eyo was one of the recent batch of Barbarus-born Death Guard recruits selected, exceptionally smart in subsequent training. Apothecary Leo took this new blood for himself.
The early bird gets the worm. Ever since the last time the Forge took Hades away, the medical department moved quick and ruthless when it came to new people with potential.
"You go take care of District 12."
"I'll stay here and wait for the Legion Master."
Leo said to Eyo, who nodded and left for District 12.
His good friend Lerna was in District 12 receiving treatment.
Morrag did his duty of being in charge of this batch of new recruits, always pressing them to remain behind the front lines, only occasionally mobilizing them to cooperate with the Mechanicus to mop up enemies from the side flanks.
The entire team survived, with no deaths.
But the restless Lerna broke protocol. In the midst of battle he inexplicably lost contact with the main force. By the time Morrag found Lerna again, this brat was lying on the ground with a shameless grin, heavily injured.
He would be punished after he recovered, of course.
"Yo! Eyo! You're here!"
That familiar voice rang out. Eyo's face was stern as he rapped Lerna.
"No noise, rest properly."
"Ahh lying here is so boring!"
"Sigh, stop hitting me, okay okay, I'll lie down!"
Eyo looked at Lerna. A strange feeling welled up, but he couldn't say what felt off.
"Bored? Then read."
Eyo picked up a book he lent Lerna, an introduction to exotic animals.
"I don't like reading this stuff."
"Then sleep."
In order to shut Lerna up, Eyo directly smashed the book into Lerna's face.
"Ow! Go gentle!"
The book was flung open. On its pages were five-legged chickens, legless horses, nine-headed snakes, and three-legged wolves.
Such weird creatures, Eyo thought.