The rapidly spinning tracks of the Chimera quickly crushed through the first trench of the cultists, followed by the second and third. Since the distance between the trenches was almost negligible by Astra Militarum standards, the depth of the cultists' defensive positions was actually shallower than that of the relatively fewer Astra Militarum forces. This allowed the Chimera to penetrate their defenses at an extremely fast pace.
After all, if even the depth couldn't be relied upon, how could one expect them to widen the spacing between trenches to account for depth?
The lines that resembled ditches more than trenches were scattered chaotically. The troop transport, moving at such high speed that it flung soil high and far, seemed to create a smoke screen spanning the entire defensive line as it carried several jostling passengers from one end of the position to the other.
Before the cultists could effectively assemble in large numbers, the Chimera had already brutally traversed their entire defensive position. Unrestrained by the debris on the ground and thus able to maintain its speed without needing to turn, it disappeared into the distance beyond the cultists' sight.
After bypassing several patrol units and traveling some distance, the Chimera came to a halt in front of the target location.
It was a small town originally used for extracting groundwater as a precious water supply, and it was also the starting point of the cultists' rebellion here. Considering that items like altars were difficult to move, if there was one place where the cult leader was most likely to be, it was undoubtedly here.
Upon noticing the vehicle had stopped, the Commissar had the Ogryn bring his weapon to the hatch.
The massive Ogryn obediently positioned himself in the center of the hatch with a clatter of armor, then tilted his shield horizontally onto the floor of the compartment. Even when laid flat, the shield was large enough for someone to crouch behind, serving as a temporary metal barricade.
Zhang Ge understood the signal and raised his lasgun, crouching beside the shield to aim outward.
As the hatch lowered, sunlight flooded into the compartment. Zhang Ge and the Commissar scanned the area with their weapons raised, but finding no enemies, the Ecclesiarchy Priest recited a litany and released a servo-skull.
Equipped with various detection instruments, including the famous auspex, the skull hovered around, transmitting scan data back to the terminal in his hand. Soon, the Priest's steady voice came from behind Zhang Ge:
"No enemies detected. The Warp readings are also low. This cult's power is not yet sufficient to allow the tendrils of the Dark Gods to spread extensively into the material universe, but the situation could deteriorate at any moment."
The Commissar nodded in acknowledgment and then turned to the Ogryn:
"Big Mouth, jump forward."
The Ogryn, holding his shield, leaped out of the compartment and landed with a dull thud not far away. If not for seeing it with his own eyes, Zhang Ge would have found it hard to believe that the seemingly cumbersome, heavily armored Ogryn could burst into such speed in an instant.
The Ogryn pressed the large shield firmly in front of him, scanning the surroundings. Following the order of exit from the compartment, the remaining five quickly left the Chimera after the Ogryn—the unconscious psyker was carried out like a corpse, strapped to the Priest's back.
A sufficiently powerful psyker, such as a Space Marine Librarian, could use their psychic abilities to shield themselves and their comrades from detection in such situations. However, it was clear that this psyker was not capable of that. If he were to recklessly use his psychic powers, the uncontrolled psychic emanations would quickly attract every demon in the vicinity.
After exiting the compartment, Zhang Ge saw in the distance the small town, where rows of hundred-meter-tall water storage tanks stood densely packed. Numerous tall buildings with massive chimneys were enclosed behind walls, resembling a militarized factory more than a settlement.
The Commissar clearly had no intention of wasting time and addressed the group:
"Let's confirm our roles once more. Big Mouth is the shield-bearer, Sister Amilia is the sword-bearer, Priest Lide handles demons and vehicles, Sergeant Zhang Ge is responsible for counter-sniping and suppressing heavy weapons. I will lead the way, protect your flanks, and make decisions."
At this point, the Commissar paused before continuing:
"As for the psyker, Priest, wake him when I say so. He knows what he needs to do."
"This town was originally a groundwater extraction site supplying the upper hive. There are some tunnels dug by bandits around here for stealing water. We've mapped out some of their locations. The nearest tunnel is roughly two to three kilometers away. We'll enter the town from there."
Two to three kilometers—it was fortunate that the cultists hadn't yet detected their intentions. If they had fortified the area, a distance that would normally be a long run for an elite squad could have gotten them killed ten times over.
In the silent advance, where only the sound of their footsteps could be heard, a pale skeleton came into view. As they approached, the Commissar quickly scanned the skeleton, confirmed its features, and then said to the Priest:
"Right here, Lide. Use the melta gun to blast a hole ten meters to the right of this skeleton."
This quiet, high-heat weapon was typically used to punch holes in armored vehicles... though it occasionally served other purposes just as effectively.
The Priest nodded in understanding, raised the melta gun, and aimed at the spot. A nearly blinding white-hot beam erupted as he pulled the trigger, the intense heat making the air feel several degrees warmer.
The targeted area was melted into a pool of orange-red liquid, and the surrounding material was vitrified into shimmering crystals. The hole, large enough for several people to jump down at once, was illuminated only by a beam of sunlight that reached the bottom, casting a faint glow. The dark interior gave the unsettling impression that something was watching them.
"The walls shouldn't be this wide," Sister Amilia remarked calmly.
Normally, a tunnel dug by bandits for stealing water wouldn't be very wide. First, they lacked the manpower and resources, and second, a wider tunnel would be easier to detect. A tunnel wide enough for two people to walk side by side would already be considered spacious.
But this tunnel looked wide enough to drive an armored vehicle through, which was clearly unusual.
However, the Commissar simply patted the Ogryn's arm to reassure him, switched on the powerful flashlight mounted on his shield, and replied:
"True, but we have no other options. The other entrance is too far, and time is not on our side. May the Emperor protect us."
With that, he had the Ogryn jump into the hole, and Sister Amilia followed without hesitation. Zhang Ge was fourth in line, and as he approached the hole, the plasma pistol at his waist flickered, as if trying to provide some illumination.
But once he jumped in, Zhang Ge realized the extra light was somewhat unnecessary.
The four high-powered flashlights mounted in the center of the shield illuminated the tunnel as brightly as daylight, even causing a slight glare up close. This generous lighting also fully revealed the people in the tunnel, armed with various weapons and facing off against the squad.
Bald heads, overdeveloped foreheads, pale skin, and somewhat deformed hands.
One glance was all it took to confirm.
Zhang Ge moved closer to the Commissar and whispered:
"They're Genestealer Cultists."
The Commissar nodded, showing no surprise, and raised his voice:
"Whatever you're doing here, we just want to pass through to get to the town. We have no interest in you. Why don't you call someone who can speak for you, and we'll talk!"
The cultists began murmuring among themselves, and soon a figure with different attire, a deformed forehead, and distinctly purple skin emerged from around the corner, smiling broadly:
"I hear there's an old saying on Terra: 'Hee-hee material...'"
However, before he could finish, the Commissar's bolt pistol roared. A bolt, wrapped in flames, shot out in a straight, bright orange trajectory, piercing the alien's deformed skull and exploding, shattering its head.