Driven by the enthusiasm for 'tomb raiding and treasure hunting,' the players once again headed towards that corner piled with death.
However, this time, as Robert faced those tragically dead bodies again, his mindset underwent some subtle changes.
If this was truly a game intended to be anti-war, then the deaths of these NPCs were not merely 'monster' respawn points for dropping equipment, but symbols carrying some profound meaning.
He didn't rudely rummage through them as he had when first searching for the lasgun; instead, he silently looked at a relatively intact Astra Militarum Soldier's corpse.
The soldier was very young, the fear not yet completely faded from his face.
Robert hesitated for a moment, then finally bent down, grabbed the corpse under its armpit, and laboriously dragged him to a relatively clean, shaded corner on one side of the trench.
"Doctor, what are you doing?" the player with the ID Ruthless Assassin asked, somewhat puzzled, seeing Robert's actions.
The others also stopped their rummaging and looked over curiously.
Robert gently laid the body down, sighed, and said, "I think they died to protect their homes and people, after all.
Although this Empire is terrible, and they probably didn't have any noble ideal of 'fighting for the people' subjectively, objectively, they indeed died for it.
Just for this, leaving them exposed in the wilderness... is not good, after all."
Hearing this, the surrounding players fell silent.
They looked at the twisted, broken bodies, and the feeling of disgust gradually dissipated, replaced by a complex sense of awe and sympathy.
Robert was right; even in a game, these soldiers who died in 'defense' should be given basic respect.
So, the players no longer rushed to loot, but imitating Robert, began silently dragging the bodies of Astra Militarum and Planetary Defense Force soldiers that were still recognizable as human figures, one by one, to that cool corner, arranging them side by side.
As for those that had been blown into fragments, too bloody and mangled to identify, there was nothing they could do.
Just as he was dragging a body that looked like a non-commissioned officer, Robert's finger was suddenly pricked by something sharp.
He stopped, dragged away another body pressing on the non-commissioned officer, and was startled to find a Chainsword lying quietly in the bloodstains, its blade covered in congealed blood and minced meat .
He carefully picked up the Chainsword, and an item information panel immediately popped up before his eyes.
"Name: XENO PURGER"
"Type: Weapon"
"Quality: Excellent"
"Attack Power: Strong"
"Attribute: None"
"Effect: Deals extra damage to non-human creatures"
"Note: This chainsword once belonged to Sergeant Maxim of the 103rd Regiment.
During its owner's bloody struggle with the dark eldar, it drank its fill of xenos blood.
Although Sergeant Maxim has heroically sacrificed himself, every inch of circuitry within its mechanism still burns with intense hatred for all xenos races."
Robert held the heavy chainsword, reeking of oil and blood, and couldn't help but exclaim, "There really is something!"
This shout was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake.
"What, what? Let me see?"
"Did he get loot?"
The players who were still moving bodies immediately dropped their 'tasks' and swarmed over.
As they approached Robert, the item information panel for xenos must die automatically popped up before their eyes too.
For a moment, the game was filled with envious gasps.
"Holy crap, an Excellent quality chainsword!"
"I haven't even seen a normal quality lasgun, and you just casually touched one and got a chainsword!" one player said sourly.
Ruthless Assassin patted Robert's shoulder, half-jokingly, half-seriously saying, "You're the Emperor of Luck! When I link up with the Adeptus Mechanicus later, I'll definitely make those wireback guys forge me an Emperor of Luck statue with their own hands!"
Amidst the envious and teasing voices, some thoughtful players raised a question: "But aren't we fighting cultists now?
According to the description, the owner of this chainsword was killed by the dark eldar, so how did it appear here?"
"Hey, it's a game, isn't it always like this?" another player waved his hand dismissively, "Killing a slime and getting a dragon-slaying sword, or killing a monster and getting a treasure chest or box is common.
You couldn't tell before they died that those monsters could hold a treasure sword or a treasure chest."
However, Robert shook his head.
He stroked the cold metal casing of the chainsword and said in a deep voice, "That's not necessarily true...
I remember the official promotional video featured dark eldar.
Perhaps they are enemies we will face in the future."
"We're fighting dark eldar? Really?"
"You must be kidding, even an astartes might not be able to win against those bastards..."
The players immediately felt a chill.
If chaos cultists were still within a comprehensible range, then the dark eldar, these legendary top predators, just thinking about them made one's scalp tingle.
As they were discussing, at the other end of the trench, Commissar Walter had returned at some unknown time.
Following him was the ogryn named Cain.
At this moment, Cain's body was already bound with a layer of rough but thick metal plates using iron wire and belts, serving as temporary armor, and he was carrying a large metal rod thicker than a human leg, salvaged from vehicle wreckage, which looked chilling.
Walter asked a soldier who was on alert, "What are those recruits doing?"
The soldier instinctively gave an aquila salute, then replied, "Reporting, Commissar, they are dragging our brothers' bodies to a good spot."
Walter heard this, was silent for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "...These recruits are not bad, not cowards, just a bit foolish."
Then, he strode forward and sternly reprimanded the players who were gathered together, "You fools, all of you get back to the position and rest!"
The players were caught off guard by the sudden roar and all looked at him, bewildered.
Seeing their blank expressions, Walter seemed to feel his tone was too harsh, so he softened his voice and added, "Your top priority is to conserve your strength, ensure you can survive first, then consider the matters of those who have already died."
The players paused, then suddenly realized.
So the Commissar was concerned about them.
One player, bolder than the rest, blurted out, "Commissar, you're quite tsundere!"
"Tsun...dere?"
Although he hadn't heard this word from another world, Walter could roughly understand it from its literal meaning and the speaker's tone.
His face instantly flushed red, and he angrily said, "You bunch of greenhorns, I think you want to be kicked! All of you get back to the position!"
Under Walter's yelling and kicking, the players scurried back to their defensive positions.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the position, two veteran Astra Militarum Soldiers resting against sandbags were watching this lively scene.
One of the veterans nudged his companion with his elbow and whispered, "How long has the Commissar not been this... energetic?
Every time I saw him before, he looked lifeless."
The other veteran replied, "Yes, these recruits... they're quite capable."
The two veterans exchanged glances, and a long-lost smile involuntarily appeared on their weathered faces.