In the inferno forged by Promethium flames, the Ultramarines of the Second Company, like avenging angels born of fire, successfully completed their tactical objective with the force of a tidal wave.
Not only did they destroy a massive amount of liquid biomass, but the Hive Mind node in this sector was also utterly annihilated by the relentless, brutal assault of Sicarius and his battle-brothers. Thick bio-matter sprayed everywhere, and the surrounding Tyranid organisms issued death throes, convulsing chaotically like a nerve-severed colossal beast.
From start to finish, the Thunderhawk Gunships maintained a low-altitude patrol, acting as loyal hounds, constantly providing devastating fire support. The muzzle flash of heavy laser cannons flickered in the dim sky, tearing apart the colossal Tyranid beasts attempting to encircle the Second Company from all directions.
Crucially, the sheer size and overwhelming firepower of the Thunderhawks drew the attention of countless Tyranid airborne organisms and long-range fire, significantly easing the pressure on the ground troops.
It was this suicidal aerial fire support that made Sicarius' deep-strike mission so successful. Without it, the concentration of the swarm they diverted would have surely left over a dozen battle-brothers permanently embedded in this alien hive.
Of course, the ease of execution also owed a debt to the massive, all-out brawl happening across the rest of Plantidium. The Tyranid Hive Mind was spread too thin and was completely unable to focus its full power on dealing with Sicarius' tiny raiding party operating deep behind enemy lines.
The Hive Mind was overmatched and overwhelmed, allowing this seemingly crazy tactic to pay off.
After confirming that the node creature was thoroughly slain and that the surrounding Tyranid swarms were showing clear signs of chaos, Sicarius ordered in a deep voice: "Mission accomplished. All units prepare to exfiltrate and retreat along the planned route to link up with the extraction team!"
He knew that despite achieving a decisive victory, they were operating in isolation, and remaining stationary for too long would only invite unnecessary risk.
However, just as the Second Company was about to re-engage their jump packs and ascend for withdrawal, several muffled explosions suddenly ripped through the ground not far behind them. Next, several shells screamed in and detonated on the scorched earth. Deep green toxic gas billowed out of the craters like a living thing, immediately displacing the characteristic spore-mist of the Tyranids.
A harsh screech of treads approached, and a heavily modified Chimera Armoured Personnel Carrier, a steel beast of war, burst through the dissipating green haze. With an unstoppable momentum, it charged into the Space Marines' field of view. Its armor was scarred from battle, but the engine still roared, its treads kicking up dust and scorched earth.
The Helldiver driving the Chimera leaned far out of the cockpit window, desperately waving in the direction of Sicarius and shouting something. However, his conspicuous posture instantly attracted the attention of a massive Tyranid bioweapon creature in the distance.
"Hiss—!" Following a sharp shriek, a mass of corrosive, explosive biological fluid shot from the giant creature's mouth, tracing a deadly arc before accurately hitting the frantically waving Helldiver.
"Boom!"
With a massive blast, blood and shrapnel flew. The Helldiver was torn to pieces, flung high into the air before he could even let out a scream. The Chimera's cockpit was damaged, but the vehicle continued forward under inertia for a few more yards before listing and finally grinding to a stop.
While the Helldiver's end was grim, his arrival and the presence of the Chimera sent a clear message: the Helldiver Regiments, originally intended as a supporting force, had somehow—in an unobstructed, maniacal charge—broken through the heavy defenses and unexpectedly reached Sicarius' current strike position!
Over the channel, Sergeant Numi's voice broke the momentary silence, tinged with disbelief: "Captain—are we still pulling out?"
Sicarius looked at the smoking Chimera, then at the gaping hole the Helldivers had punched in the distance, a breach through which Imperial reinforcements were now pouring. The last bit of lingering deference to the Codex in his heart was instantly crushed by the sweet taste of opportunity. Since they had already blown a hole straight through the line, why would they retreat?
"Continue the assault!" Sicarius declared without hesitation.
The entire battle for Plantidium reached an unprecedented fever pitch at that moment. Millions of Helldivers, led by the Space Marines, surged like a tide toward every corner of the Tyranid Hive. The trumpet of the full-scale counter-attack blared across the sky; every inch of reclaimed territory was consecrated with blood and fire.
Under this overwhelming offensive, the progress bar on all players' system dashboards began to jump wildly. 50%—55%—60%! In just two Earth days, the bar shot up like a rocket, crossing the 70% threshold!
This progress bar was visible in real-time on the forums, even outside the game. The visible collapse of the Tyranid resistance on Plantidium naturally caused a huge commotion in the player community. The main discussion was centered on a thread titled, "I Haven't Logged In for Five Days, How Did the War Turn Into This?" Replies were pouring in at an alarming rate.
"I remember when I logged off, the bar was only around 30%. How the hell did it get like this in just five days? Did Calgar suddenly go rogue and decide to orbital bomb the Five Hundred Worlds of Ultramar like the Dark Angels?"
A veteran player quickly replied to the confusion: "Uh, it's complicated. You can check the records from [@TerraScriptorium] for the details, but basically, the Tyranids spent massive biomass creating an ultimate, hyper-specialized Lictor—a beast with the combat strength of a Daemon Prince. After it wiped out the Ultramarines First Company, Calgar finally brought it down, which is how the bar jumped from 30% to 50%.
The annihilation of the First Company pushed Sicarius to the top, and the invincible Second Company Captain immediately pulled off a spectacular stunt. The result is that the entire Plantidium front is now a non-stop fight against the Tyranids, and the bar shot straight to 70%."
"Holy cow, that's a lot to process!"
"Bro, if you want to get in on the action, you better log in fast. According to the veterans, the Tyranids' resistance drops exponentially as the bar climbs. They're running low on biomass, and if you don't jump in now, you'll miss the boat entirely."
"Yeah, a lot of players in-game are already calling for 'the final knockout punch against the Tyranids.'"
"So, bro, what do you do for work that keeps you offline for five days? Don't you even get time to sleep?" another player asked curiously.
"Ugh, don't even get me started. I'm stationed at the Mercury Forward Base. Five days ago, a sampling robot went dark, and I had to risk a retrieval run. I just barely dragged that expensive piece of gear back."
"Awesome."
"You can even find Mercury people on the forums."
"So what's the deal with this game's server? People on Mercury are playing with zero latency?"
"Shhh. Messing with the Emperor's little secrets is a surefire way to get the Inquisition knocking."