Invincible after death, but in Warhammer 40K

The staircase appeared to be long neglected, covered in dust, and the well opening below had been welded shut. 

It seemed that after occupying this place, they had never used the inner exit of this tunnel to go outside.

This was good news, as it greatly reduced the risk of exposure.

Zhang Ge stepped forward and ran a gloved finger along the outer edge of the staircase.

After wiping away the layer of dirt and dust on its surface, he discovered that the stairway's plast-steel structure still shone as if brand new.

Seeing this, the Commissar, rarely in a joking mood, quipped from the side:

"Afraid of getting dirty? You can go back and take a shower first."

Zhang Ge shrugged and replied, "If I can make it back alive, I hope the medal the Department of Military Affairs awards me will be of better quality than this staircase."

Flag success!

As Zhang Ge wiped his laser gun, he couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction.

They were currently conducting pre-battle preparations, which explained why the two had some downtime to chat.

Tasks like appeasing machine spirits, checking ammunition, cleaning off bloodstains, and offering prayers or blessings were best completed before entering a dangerous zone—especially one deeply affected by Chaos.

Naturally, Zhang Ge had no intention of being labeled reckless, so he followed the Astra Militarum's standard firearm inspection procedures to the final step.

Wait a second... something feels off. Why does it feel sticky?

Puzzled, Zhang Ge removed the magazine that had given him the strange sensation.

To his surprise, the energy cell was oozing a semi-transparent, viscous liquid from the top, which trickled down the outer casing and smeared his fingertips.

The magazine slot was also coated with what appeared to be electrolyte fluid.

"Why does the battery have to leak at a time like this? Couldn't it have waited or happened earlier?"

He muttered under his breath.

After double-checking and finding no other abnormalities apart from the magazine, he discarded it, cleaned his hands, and replaced it with a new one.

At that moment, Sister Amelia, who had gone to check for any lurking xenos, returned.

Seeing this, the Commissar tossed a cutting tool to Zhang Ge and said:

"Alright, you're taking point next."

The Commissar pointed at Zhang Ge. "Sister Amelia will follow.

You two check the area above. Once it's clear, signal us from the shaft opening, and we'll follow."

Nodding to indicate he understood, Zhang Ge secured the cutting tool to his belt and began climbing the ladder. The ladder was firmly anchored, making no noise even with two people using it simultaneously.

Upon reaching the shaft opening, he noticed a small cylindrical mechanism resembling a periscope attached to the cover.

Well, since it was there, he couldn't just ignore it. Testing it with his fingers, he found it still functional. He pushed the upper part upward until it locked in place, then leaned in to peer through the lens.

The image outside, refracted through the lens, revealed a highly concealed location behind a massive metal pillar. There were no signs of cultists in the vicinity.

After confirming this, Zhang Ge retrieved the cutting tool.

Aiming its nozzle at the welded seams, he activated it. The intense heat quickly melted through the sealed edges.

Once the cut was complete, he used his hand, already braced against the underside of the cover, to push it aside. A faint pinkish light from outside streamed down into the shaft.

Tossing the cutting tool aside, Zhang Ge raised his plasma pistol and cautiously scanned his surroundings as he exited the tunnel. He found no trace of cultists nearby.

However, suddenly, he felt an inexplicable pull on his vision, as if something were compelling him to look upward.

In the sky, the massive rift that should have been obscured by clouds was now vividly exposed. It stretched across the entire firmament, dominating most of the heavens.

This astronomical phenomenon of the Warp, which split the Imperium in two, shone as brightly as the stars, resembling an unimaginably vast eye gazing down at all who dared to look upon it.

"Don't look up."

Sister Amelia's lips were almost pressed against his ear as she whispered.

Her hand, at some point, had landed on his head, forcibly tilting it downward to break his line of sight with the rift.

It was said that merely gazing at the rift carried the risk of Warp corruption.

Many planets had even enacted laws prohibiting people from looking at the sky. However, Zhang Ge faintly felt that the compulsion to look upward just now was different from the usual effects of Warp influence.

It didn't feel like he had been corrupted.

Still, to avoid unnecessary trouble, he nodded to indicate he understood.

After surveying the area, he realized they were in the array of water storage tanks he had seen earlier. Confirming that the environment was currently safe, Zhang Ge signaled Sister Amelia to return and relay the all-clear.

He remained on guard.

Receiving the signal, the rest of the team quickly climbed the ladder and regrouped.

Once the Commissar reached the top, he surveyed the surroundings and lightly tapped the ground with the flat side of his chainsword as a signal.

This indicated that there were no spatial disturbances in the area and that the previously provided geographical information and plans could be followed as-is.

The water tank array was far from the polluted mining sites and factories, situated right next to the town mayor's residence.

This location allowed the mayor to indulge in the traditional art of embezzlement while staying far from the grimy workers.

At the same time, it provided an opportunity to network with the various hive transport teams that came to fetch water.

Who knew? One of those transport teams might even be backed by a hive noble.

Why would there be a gang's tunnel exit near the heavily guarded mayor's residence? Well, of course, even the officials under the mayor need to make a living.

As such, under the condition that the gang pays a certain amount of protection money, it's "tacitly accepted" that their water-stealing tunnels exist.

In fact, the mayor himself is quite pleased with this arrangement.

After all, if someone from higher up were to come one day to inspect the accounts or warehouses, he could conveniently stage a "small accident," shift the blame onto the gang, and then pin the responsibility on the head of the guards and those involved. Wouldn't that allow him to escape unscathed?

However, with the mayor raking in profits through this chain of schemes, he naturally began to indulge in unrestrained hedonism. Before any higher-ups arrived, what came instead was the Warp Rift's subspace shockwave.

His already fragile willpower crumbled further, leaving him as nothing more than a plaything for the Chaos Gods of the Warp.

And now, the very tunnels that the mayor had dismissed as unworthy of investigation have allowed the decapitation squad to bypass the tightly guarded array of water tanks and reach this close proximity.

But... this also means they've entered a part of the operation that wasn't in the plan. This is precisely where the danger of this mission lies—and what Zhang Ge has been seeking all along.