Although it wasn't the most desperate moment yet—as long as they held out until the two wise women deciphered the Tomb's gate, or until reinforcements from outside broke in, or if they dealt with the Tomb's teleportation portal and Rebirth Protocol—the tide of battle could still be turned.
However, the unfavorable situation still left Alex deeply worried.
"O Emperor! If you truly are watching me, please manifest and bless us to overcome this tribulation and eliminate these xenos!" Alex prayed to Huang Lao Han for the first time with earnestness.
After all, his transmigration was entirely due to Huang Lao Han's divine power, and he believed Huang Lao Han certainly wouldn't want his plans to be thwarted like this.
However, Alex wasn't sure whether Huang Lao Han wanted him to resolve the problem through his own efforts or if he was willing to extend his helping hand.
Ultimately, the galaxy was vast, and the Imperium's territory was immense; countless people prayed to Huang Lao Han every day.
If he could truly attend to everyone, he would be a god even if he wasn't one already.
Before the Great Rift opened, Huang Lao Han was still just an old piece of jerky on the throne, unable to send out Cursed Legions across the galaxy.
However, just as these thoughts were swirling in Alex's mind, he suddenly heard the two wise women behind him exclaim, "The gate is open!"
Accompanying their voices, the previously sealed Tomb's gate slowly opened, and a squad of Defense Force soldiers rushed in first.
Although their support was merely symbolic, the arrival of reinforcements undoubtedly boosted morale significantly.
Especially at this moment, the battle standard held high by the Great Sister suddenly ignited with golden flames, which directly locked the morale of the Sisters of Battle at its peak.
"Damn it, Huang Lao Han really did manifest!" After muttering a complaint, Alex immediately raised the holy sword in his hand and shouted, "For the Emperor!"
"He is watching us! For the Emperor! Sisters! Destroy the xenos!" Even the Sacred Rose Convent, the most calm and rational of the six great convents, had now entered a state of religious fervor.
They loudly chanted hymns praising the Emperor, then launched a fearless charge towards the Necrons.
Seeing their reckless charge, Alex instinctively wanted to stop what looked like a suicidal act, but then he was surprised to find that, under the shroud of the holy hymns, these Battle Sisters had not fallen into mindless fanaticism.
Instead, they maintained a remarkably high level of tactical proficiency, constantly using their shields and surrounding cover to dodge or defend against enemy attacks while charging.
Even though they were charging directly into enemy fire, the damage they sustained was not as great as Alex had imagined.
Not only that, but the arriving reinforcements also greatly enhanced their combat power.
Although the three knight armor lacked the powerful defense of the knight armor itself, they had no problem extending their shields to provide cover for the Sisters of Battle during the charge.
Not to mention, behind them, a massive Imperial Knight also squeezed in and began bombarding the enemy lines with its rapid-fire autocannon.
With the addition of the Imperial Knight and the knight armor, the Sisters of Battle's charge became smoother; they even managed to suppress the Necrons' offensive for a time.
"Gutierrez, how are things on your end? Have you found the Rebirth Protocol?" Alex called out to Gutierrez via the communication channel.
"The Rebirth Protocol has been found, but the defenses here are very tight.
I need time to break through!" Gutierrez's communication came through; it wasn't good news, but it wasn't too bad either.
"I understand.
The gate above is open.
I'll call for reinforcements!
Don't push yourselves!" Alex told Gutierrez, then issued an order for reinforcements to the troops waiting outside the Tomb.
Alex did not have General Grigory dispatch a large force, as heavy weaponry and armored units moved slowly and would have difficulty entering the Tomb to be effective.
Therefore, Alex primarily ordered General Grigory to deploy the Battle Sisters who had remained outside, the supply squads carrying heavy weaponry who had participated in hunting Flayers, and some Sentinel walkers.
With the arrival of reinforcements, the outcome of this battle seemed to be without suspense.
Relying on the heavy firepower and Sentinel walkers brought by the Defense Force, coupled with Margaret's support, the Necrons seemed to be quickly suppressed.
Even Gutierrez underground successfully destroyed the Rebirth Protocol; although this sacrificed two Seraphim, it successfully prevented the Necrons in the Tomb from regenerating.
Everything seemed to be decided, but Alex felt that something was amiss.
"Something's wrong! Even if this is just a Necron Tomb Technician's tomb, without any heavy units, it shouldn't be that there isn't a single Immortal, only Warriors, right?" Alex felt very uneasy.
He had played as the Necrons before and had some understanding of them.
Necron Warriors were merely the most basic infantry units of the Necrons; they were the civilians, women, children, and the elderly and infirm of the Necrontyr race when they were converted into mechanical bodies.
Their professional army at that time was transformed into Immortals; although the two looked similar in appearance, their combat power had a considerable difference.
The most crucial point was that Immortals could still use tactical coordination even without direct command!
But the Necrons Alex faced were practically throwing themselves away; besides the truly powerful Gauss Weapons of the Necron race, they showed no tactical variation, only charging forward and being struck down, nothing more.
Alex even noticed that the Canoptek Scarab, which had originally surged like a tide in the Tomb, and the interspersed Canoptek Tomb Stalker and Tomb Spectres, were gradually disappearing.
Although a significant portion of them had been eliminated, Alex always felt that the numbers didn't quite add up.
Especially since Alex had already fallen into an ambush once, this made him feel that the owner of this Tomb would never be someone who would let their troops die so easily.
"Lady Margaret! I need your help.
Please guard the Tomb's gate to secure our retreat route.
I'm afraid it might close again!" Alex looked at the massive knight armor beside him.
Because of its immense size, there wasn't much room for maneuver in the Tomb, so after entering, Margaret had been guarding near the stronghold, providing protection for it with her shield.
"I understand.
Leave it to me!" Margaret also felt that she was unable to fully utilize her combat power while confined to this narrow area, so she began to retreat towards the Tomb's gate.
The others, meanwhile, continued to fight the Necrons, gradually suppressing and clearing most of the Necrons within Alex's line of sight.
"Still not right! Let's withdraw first, let the troops clear this place, and then re-enter." Alex decided to retreat first.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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