Though New Kato has been established and most people have found work, the Underhive remains a haven for bounty hunters.
Due to their notable performance during the war, bounty hunters were rewarded by Qin Mo. They were allowed to continue their profession, but everything they acquired during missions had to be surrendered. What they handed over would be converted into Throne Coins, which could then be used to purchase more food, weapons, or equipment.
Seven hundred kilometers underground from New Kato, a seven-member bounty hunter squad was engaged in battle. The fight raged along a narrow corridor, with the bounty hunters sheltered behind an energy shield, exchanging fire with alien rebels and psykers advancing from the distance.
"Is the bolt cannon ready to fire?!"
"She's not called the bolt cannon; she's called Rena."
"Alright, alright, is Rena ready?"
"She's good to go."
One of the bounty hunters hefted a heavy, multi-barreled weapon and pushed forward from the rear. As he set "Rena" into position and aimed at the rebels, a support strut automatically extended from the weapon to anchor itself to the ground.
With the barrel spinning rapidly, a torrent of bullets erupted from the gun, tearing through the corridor. Every shot detonated on impact, sending alien bodies and shards of bone flying, but the energy shield stopped any debris from reaching them. The walls of the corridor were lined with the remnants of the alien rebels, unable to move even a step under the barrage.
Their bodies, swollen and misshapen, bulged with grotesque bubbles pushing out from beneath their hardened exoskeletons. Some limped forward, their limbs so swollen that movement was a struggle. These were creatures on the brink of death, and the bounty hunters simply hastened their end.
"Die... die…" A rebel psyker staggered to the front, his blistered hands raised, ready to unleash his psychic power.
"Johan!" the captain barked, and a ragged young man shoved his way forward from the rear. No further commands were needed—Johan knew exactly what to do. He advanced, while the others covered him, pushing toward the psyker. Within twenty meters, the psyker's power faltered, his swollen arms burst, and his body dissolved into liquid.
As the psyker perished, the aliens screeched in agony, their bodies erupting into pools of ichor.
"Run!"
"Hurry up! We've wasted too much time fighting these rebels!"
Without resting or scavenging for spoils, the bounty hunters sprinted through the corridor as if something unspeakable was chasing them. After ten minutes, they could finally see the end of the passage.
At that moment, Johan couldn't help but glance back.
"Don't you dare look back!" the captain roared in both fury and fear. But it was too late—Johan had already seen it.
An alien, grotesquely massive like a bloated spider, was barreling down the corridor. Its hairy, spiked legs barely fit within the tight space, yet it moved with alarming speed. Paralyzed by horror, Johan stood frozen in place.
In the Underhive, rebels weren't the bounty hunters' greatest threat. It was the mutated creatures born from centuries of pollution in the Hive.
"Forget him! Run!"
"Move!"
The captain's voice rang out, urging the group forward as they neared the exit. They could even see the light filtering through, but the glow was suddenly blocked, as though the door had slammed shut.
That "door" soon opened, but instead of light, it revealed a gargantuan, emerald-green eye.
Fear, horror, and an overwhelming sense of the unnatural paralyzed the bounty hunters where they stood, rooted to the spot like statues. The colossal eye blinked once and began to ascend.
What blocked the exit wasn't a door, but a massive mutated creature, its maw filled with rings of razor-sharp teeth extending deep into its throat. Just as it seemed all hope was lost, a searing beam of light pierced through the creature's jaws, filling the corridor with intense heat.
One of the bounty hunters, equipped with an ancient temperature control device, quietly activated the cooling function on his suit.
As the beam vaporized the creature's maw, two figures clad in Guardian Power Armor strode through the breach, blasting away stray teeth and debris with their hand-held energy shotguns. Their armored boots clanged against the metal floor as they approached.
Some of the bounty hunters, veterans of past wars, instantly recognized the insignia on the Guardian armor—and the warriors within. It was Grey and Anruida.
Without hesitation, the bounty hunters, except Johan, scrambled behind Grey, seeking protection behind the towering figure in the Guardian armor. Grey, expressionless, continued forward, passing the petrified Johan. After a few more paces, he activated a gravity shield, crushing the corridor around them and pulverizing the approaching mutant creature under its immense weight.
Switching off the shield, Grey turned to the others and asked, "Why is there a spider that big in the Underhive? I swear, the thing outside is the size of a building!"
"There's nothing surprising about what you find in ancient ruins," one of the bounty hunters stammered. "We even once found a female alien in one of the ruins…"
Their voices trembled as they tried to explain, on the verge of tears.
"Grey," Anruida said with a smile, stepping beside him. "Welcome to the Underhive."
Grey nodded, a memory of childhood stories about bounty hunters flashing through his mind. The Underhive wasn't just dangerous—it was filled with ancient technology and other treasures of immense value. Only now did he understand why people loved stories about bounty hunters, yet so few aspired to become one.
"I suggest you don't come down here again," Grey warned, walking toward Johan to pull him up. But as he approached, an overwhelming sense of disgust overcame him—Johan seemed filthy and reeked in Grey's eyes. Despite his revulsion, Grey pinched his nose and yanked Johan to his feet.
"Are you angels sent to save us?" Johan asked, wide-eyed with relief.
"No, your wife sent us," Grey replied, giving him a shove. "Now get home, buy something nice for her. If it weren't for her timely report, we wouldn't have made it."
"It doesn't matter. In my eyes, you're still divine messengers," Johan grinned.
Unimpressed, Grey turned away without another word and made his way to the end of the corridor. As they boarded the transport and left, Grey looked down at the building-sized spider below, wondering just how much waste it had consumed to grow that large.
Back in the corridor, as the bounty hunters prepared to leave, Johan stood dumbstruck at the exit, gazing up at the transport ascending into the sky, his eyes filled with emotion.