"Codex Unlocked: Lictor."
The system's prompt sounded in Marcus's ears, but he didn't check it. Looking at the lictor corpse lying on the floor in front of him, Marcus couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. As a top predator specially created by the Hive Mind for ambush and assassination, the lictor only revealed its extreme killing intent at the last moment before attacking. Before that, the lictor had hidden itself so well that even the threat warning from "Combat Instinct" hadn't detected it. One could only say that it truly lived up to its reputation as a terrifying monster capable of hunting Astartes. If "Combat Instinct" hadn't exerted itself at the last moment, Marcus would probably be scattered pieces on the ground by now.
After the door to the next area opened, everyone continued along the dark tunnel. While staying alert, Marcus checked his equipment and the system prompts. The plasma pistol had about half its ammunition remaining. The hellgun still had more than half its energy supply, capable of firing forty to fifty more shots at maximum power output. Several ordinary alloy bayonets had also become dull after countless uses driven by mind power. However, Marcus's biggest killing weapon, the meltagun, still had five rounds of ammunition left. Due to the meltagun's huge attack range, it could easily harm nearby allies and important facilities. Therefore, even in that perilous situation just now, Marcus did not use the meltagun to counterattack the lictor.
After checking his equipment, Marcus opened the system panel. A brand new card appeared on the Codex interface, with a lifelike lictor printed on it. And before this card, ten Tyranid creature codexes had already been successfully unlocked: Hormagaunt, Gun Worm, Tyranid Warrior (Bone Swords), Tyranid Warrior (Lash Whip), Tyranid Warrior (Devourer), Tyranid Warrior (Venom Cannon), Tyranid Warrior (Barbed Strangler), Night Lords, Venomthrope, Neurothrope, Lictor.
As of now, Marcus had unlocked eleven Tyranid codexes. This also meant that he could now summon eleven Tyranid that would completely obey him! If he were to summon all these Tyranid simultaneously... Especially among them, the Venomthrope, Neurothrope, and Lictor, these three terrifying special combat units. Adding Marcus's own combat power, it would probably be enough to threaten a three-person Astartes squad!
As soon as he thought of this, Marcus felt a little excited. Unknowingly, Marcus's strength had expanded to this level. It was just a pity that these Tyranid could only be used as a last resort in the Warhammer Universe; Marcus would not actively use them unless absolutely necessary.
After slightly calming his somewhat excited mood, Marcus caught up with Titus and the other two in front.
After moving forward for some distance, they found an elevator that was still operational. Chairon, checking the map on his auspex, said: "This elevator can take us directly to the Central Hub; after passing through the main hub, we'll be close to the data archives."
"Be careful, the Tyranid won't give up easily." Titus stepped into the elevator and pressed the ascent button.
Gadriel changed the magazine of his heavy bolter and looked at Titus: "They want to interfere with our objective?"
The latter shook his head. "They don't care about our objective; they just want to kill us and devour our corpses."
Under the elevator's rapid operation, they quickly ascended several hundred meters, reaching the middle section of the facility. After opening several more tightly sealed doors, the group arrived at a spacious hall. The hall was filled with more than a dozen integrated data arrays, and in the center were four stone statues holding swords. In the middle of the four statues, a projector was displaying a green holographic image. Its content consisted of complex ancient documents and various experimental data.
"This is the Central Hub, storing some of the data, but Morias Lutz's location data is even deeper."
Just as they were about to cross the hall to the next area, the steel door in front of them suddenly emitted a distorted screeching and banging sound. It was as if some colossal creature was about to break through the door's seal. The next second, the previously tightly closed door was forcibly torn open by immense brute force, creating a gap. Four thick, chitin-armored claws were wedged in the gap, accompanied by a huge, terrifying roar. The heavy steel door was completely ripped apart. A terrifying creation of the Hive Mind, a Tyranid living biological tank, an Exocrine, appeared before them.
"By the gene-seed primarch! It's an Exocrine!" Gadriel immediately shouted.
Everyone immediately raised their weapons and attacked the charging Exocrine, instinctively spreading out. "Don't get caught when it charges!"
The reason Titus was discovered by the Ultramarines and underwent the Primaris upgrade surgery was because he had been surrounded by an Exocrine and a large Tyranid, suffering severe injuries. It was precisely because of this that he knew how terrifying the Exocrine was.
The scattered group immediately unleashed a massive amount of firepower on the Exocrine. But in front of its full-body, dozens-of-centimeters-thick, solid chitinous carapace, ordinary bolter attacks could not cause any damage to the Exocrine. Only the plasma weapons and hellgun in Chairon's and Marcus's hands could damage the Exocrine's heavy armor and inflict some harm. However, in front of an Exocrine, whose size was comparable to a dreadnought, this damage was negligible.
The Exocrine, which had just torn apart the steel door, let out a roar and then charged towards Chairon, who was closest to it. The nearly ten-ton Exocrine charged with an unstoppable momentum, destroying all obstacles in its path. Once such a biological tank launched a charge, it was simply impossible for anyone present to stop it. They could only dodge at the last moment while seizing opportunities to counterattack.
After just a few rounds of charging, all the original items and decorations in the hall were crushed into dust. Even several thick load-bearing pillars were knocked down by the Exocrine, and the entire hall's structure began to become unstable.
Before transmigrating, Marcus had killed at least a hundred Exocrines in the game. Even in the game, while the Exocrine was not as troublesome as other BOSS-level units like the Enhanced Neurothrope and Tyranid Hive Tyrant, it was still a huge threat. And now, facing an Exocrine in reality, Marcus realized even more deeply how terrifying it was. If there wasn't an armored unit of the same caliber, such as a dreadnought, to contend with it, then this thing was an absolute nightmare for infantry units!