Invincible after death, but in Warhammer 40K

The Chimera's rapidly spinning treads quickly crushed through the first trench line of the cultists, followed immediately by the second and third.

Given that the distance between the trenches was practically negligible by Astra Militarum standards, the cultists' defensive depth was actually shallower than that of the comparatively smaller Astra Militarum forces.

This allowed the Chimera to pierce through their lines with astonishing speed.

After all, if even the depth of their defenses couldn't be relied upon, how could one expect them to widen the spacing between trenches to account for strategic depth?

The trenches, which resembled little more than haphazardly dug ditches, were scattered in chaotic patterns.

The Chimera's high-speed advance sent soil flying high and far as it barreled through, leaving a trail of dust and debris that stretched across the cultists' entire defensive line.

The transport vehicle, carrying several passengers who were jostled about inside the cabin, sped from one end of the line to the other like a smoke screen cutting through the battlefield.

Before the cultists could complete any large-scale, effective regrouping, the Chimera had already smashed through their entire defensive position.

Unhindered by the clutter of the battlefield and without needing to change direction, it accelerated further and disappeared into the distance, far beyond the cultists' line of sight.

After bypassing several patrol units and covering a considerable distance, the Chimera came to a halt in front of its target location.

This was a small underground water extraction town, originally a vital source of fresh water supplies, and also the site where the cultists' rebellion had first begun.

Considering that items like altars are difficult to relocate, if one were to guess the most likely location of the cult leader, this would undoubtedly be it.

Noticing that the vehicle had stopped, the Commissar ordered the Ogryn to prepare for deployment at the hatch.

The massive Ogryn, with the sound of armor clanking, obediently positioned himself at the center of the hatch. He raised his shield and angled it across the floor of the cabin, creating a makeshift metal barricade large enough for someone to crouch behind even when laid horizontally.

Zhang Ge understood the signal, crouched behind the shield, and raised his lasgun to aim outward.

As the hatch lowered, sunlight poured into the cabin. Zhang Ge and the Commissar scanned the surroundings with their weapons raised. Finding no immediate threats, the Ministorum Priest began reciting litanies and released a servo-skull.

Equipped with various detection instruments, including the renowned augury scanner, the servo-skull floated outward, transmitting its scan data back to the terminal in the Priest's hands. Soon, the Priest's calm voice came from behind Zhang Ge:

"No enemies detected. Warp readings are also low.

For now, this cult's strength is insufficient to allow the tendrils of the Chaos Gods to extend significantly into the material universe. However, the situation could deteriorate at any moment."

The Commissar nodded in acknowledgment and turned to the Ogryn, issuing a command:

"Big Mouth, jump forward."

At the order, the Ogryn hefted his shield and leapt out of the cabin. With a heavy thud, he landed a short distance away. If Zhang Ge hadn't witnessed it himself, it would have been hard to imagine that the seemingly cumbersome, heavily armored Ogryn could unleash such explosive speed in an instant.

He pressed the large shield tightly against himself, scanning the surroundings. Following the sequence of the vehicle's cabin, the remaining five quickly disembarked from the Chimera after Oglin—the unconscious psyker was strapped to the priest's back like a corpse and carried out.

A sufficiently powerful psyker, such as a Librarian of the Space Marines, could shield themselves and their comrades from detection in such situations. However, it was clear that this psyker was incapable of doing so. If he recklessly used his psychic powers, the resulting uncontrolled psychic waves would quickly attract every nearby demon.

After leaving the vehicle, Zhang Ge saw a small town in the distance. Massive water storage tanks, each towering over a hundred meters, were densely packed together.

Numerous tall buildings topped with enormous chimneys were enclosed within walls. It resembled more of a militarized industrial facility than a settlement.

The Commissar clearly had no intention of wasting time and addressed the group:

"Let's confirm our roles one more time. Big Mouth serves as the shield-bearer, Sister Amelia as the sword-bearer, Priest Laid will handle demons and vehicles, Sergeant Zhang Ge is responsible for counter-sniping and suppressing heavy weaponry, and I will lead, guard the flanks, and make decisions."

He paused briefly before continuing:

"As for the psyker, Priest, wake him up when I say so. He knows what to do."

"This town was originally an underground water extraction site supplying the hive city.

Around the area, there are tunnels dug by raiders to steal water.

We know the locations of some of these tunnels. The nearest one is about two to three kilometers away. We'll use it to enter the town."

Two to three kilometers—manageable, as long as the cultists hadn't yet detected their intentions. Otherwise, if they fortified their defenses, even a distance that short could be enough to get an elite squad killed ten times over.

As they pressed forward in silence, the only sound being their own footsteps, a bleached skeleton came into view.

Upon approaching, the Commissar gave it a quick inspection, confirmed its identifying features, and then said to the priest:

"This is it. Laid, ten meters to the right of this skeleton, use the melta gun to make an opening."

This weapon, capable of instantaneously releasing immense heat, was generally used to breach armored vehicles. Of course, it was also quite effective for other purposes when needed.

The priest nodded in acknowledgment, raised the melta gun, and aimed at the indicated spot.

A near-blinding white-hot beam erupted as he pulled the trigger, the intense heat making the surrounding air feel several degrees hotter.

The targeted area melted into a spray of orange-red molten liquid, and the blast left a gaping hole. Around the edges of the hole, crystallized glassy formations shimmered in the light.

The hole was large enough for several people to jump through simultaneously. Below, only a single beam of sunlight pierced the darkness, faintly illuminating the ground below.

The pitch-black interior gave an unsettling impression, as though something was lurking and watching them.

"The tunnel walls shouldn't be this wide," Sister Amelia said calmly.

Normally, a gang's water-stealing tunnel wouldn't be built very wide.

For one, they wouldn't have the manpower or resources, and for another, wider tunnels were easier to detect. A tunnel wide enough for two people to walk side by side was already considered large.

However, this tunnel seemed wide enough to fit an armored vehicle, which was clearly unusual.

The Commissar, however, simply patted Oglin's arm reassuringly, switched on the high-powered flashlight mounted on the shield, and replied:

"True, but we don't have other options.

The other entrance is too far, and time isn't on our side. May the Emperor protect us."

With that, he directed Oglin to jump into the hole. Sister Amelia followed without hesitation, and Zhang Ge was fourth in line.

As he approached the opening, the plasma pistol at his waist flickered faintly, as if trying to provide some illumination.

However, upon jumping down, Zhang Ge realized that additional light wasn't really necessary.

The four high-powered flashlights mounted on the shield illuminated the tunnel as brightly as daylight.

The near-blinding output lit up the surroundings, revealing the figures standing in the tunnel, armed and facing off against the squad.

They were all bald, with overly developed foreheads, pale skin, and some with deformed hands.

It took only a glance to confirm their identity.

Zhang Ge leaned closer to the Commissar and whispered, "They're Genestealer Cultists."

The Commissar nodded, showing no sign of surprise. He raised his voice and said:

"Whatever you're doing here, we're just passing through to reach the town. We have no interest in you. Why not bring someone who can speak for your group so we can talk?"

The cultists exchanged glances and murmured amongst themselves. Before long, a figure stepped out from around a corner. This one was dressed differently, with a noticeably deformed forehead and purplish skin. He approached with a wide grin:

"I've heard there's an old saying from Terra: 'Hee-hee matter—'"

Before he could finish, the Commissar's bolt pistol roared.

The explosive round streaked through the tunnel in a bright orange arc, burrowing into the abomination's misshapen skull.

The subsequent explosion tore its head apart, leaving nothing but a mangled mess.