Outskirts of Gravelax
This time, as he left the barracks, Cain heard no cheers or goodbyes, though he knew the news had already spread. For him and the newly formed team, this silence brought a sense of relief.
After all, these disciplinary Soldiers were not marching for glory but participating in a desperate struggle for survival, with no easy victories and nothing to celebrate. Even so, Cain embarked on this journey completely unaware.
To be honest, if he had known what awaited them inside the Hive City, he might have collapsed from extreme fear. The good news, however, was that the Astartes of the Ultramarines and Carcharodons Space Marine Chapters would be operating with them.
Cain concealed his inner worries, forcing himself to remain calm, and watched the Soldiers with a stern gaze. To his slight relief, the Soldiers seemed relatively calm, at least not agitated by tension.
Cain adjusted his communicator, informing Kastin that they were heading to the front lines, and pondered. Kastin's voice carried a hint of worry, wishing him good luck, as if she anticipated he would need it.
The tension inside the vehicle grew, with Yugen's driving style making everyone inside shake like beans in a can. Cain felt a wave of claustrophobia, so he opened the machine gun hatch and poked his head out for some fresh air.
The wind blew against his face, almost snatching off his hat, and Cain used the excuse of checking the heavy bolter to stay outside a little longer. Yugen had already prepared the weapon, so Cain leaned back, observing the congested traffic in the city. The roads were packed with slow-moving vehicles, especially at several intersections that were completely jammed.
"Inquisitor, there seems to be a lot of civilian activity. Is there anything we should be careful about?"
Cain switched to the channel Amberly had given him earlier and asked in a low voice. Although he hadn't seen a communicator in her ear, her abilities didn't surprise him.
Undoubtedly, the threat they were dealing with was far more complex and dangerous than imagined, but Cain was completely unaware at the time.
Amberly replied, her tone wary but not overly concerned: "Perhaps many. We can only deal with what we know. Proceed with caution."
However, that was easier said than done, especially with Yugen driving. Cain watched as they maneuvered around a slow-moving truck, piled high with citizens carrying hastily packed luggage, and against the flow of military vehicles and tanks.
In the sky, fighter jets laden with various weapons and bombs flew in rounds towards the industrial Hive City, and each time they returned, their underbellies and wing pylons were empty.
Watching this scene, he felt a faint sense of unease, then saw some civilians pushing handcarts, and reported to Amberly again: "Looks like a refugee wave."
Amberly's response was curious: "Interesting, I wonder what they are fleeing."
"In any case, it won't be anything good."
Cain mused, his thoughts instantly turning to previous painful experiences. As the situation grew more tense, Cain realized everything was at stake. He switched to the tactical channel, finding the Planetary Defence Force network in chaos.
Kastin's voice suddenly came through: "Political Commissar, I just received orders from Lord Li Feng, instructing us to immediately enter combat readiness, and also to collectively take cover. 'Little Gustav' is about to fire."
Just then, the vehicle drove out of the urban area, and the wilderness unfolded before them. Cain noticed a towering "giant chimney" gradually appearing on the horizon ahead.
"Hello there, Little Gustav."
The 800mm caliber giant railway gun stood on the ground, its base already 6-7 stories high, and its raised barrel was tall enough to make it the planet's first skyscraper.
Hundreds of Soldiers were busily working near the railway gun, with several giant cranes lifting the massive shell and placing it onto the loading ramp of the giant cannon.
Large hydraulic tubes pushed the giant shell into the breech, and then the breech, like a vault door, was closed... A deafening click echoed across the wilderness, like thunder tearing through the sky.
The 800mm giant railway gun "Little Gustav" slowly moved its massive barrel, then the locks tightened, preparing for the final firing sequence.
At this moment, the giant cannon was like a colossal beast that had long slumbered, finally awakening and poised to strike.
Cain watched the behemoth from afar, feeling its suffocating pressure even hundreds of meters away. The air seemed to condense and tighten in front of the barrel, the ground vibrated slightly, and an ominous premonition enveloped everyone's heart.
A low click sounded, as if a huge chain had loosened from the base of the barrel, then re-engaged. A few seconds of dead silence, followed by a red glow shining from deep within the breech of the "Little Gustav" giant cannon.
Then, a burning smell filled the air, as if even the air trembled in anticipation of the impending impact.
Immediately, the giant cannon fired, the shell rocketing from the muzzle, tearing through the air at supersonic speed, raising a powerful shockwave that kicked up dust everywhere.
Vehicles not far behind Cain shook violently, some almost overturning. The shell left a long white contrail in the air, like a crack ripped open in the sky.
Ten kilometers away, the outer shell of the industrial Hive City was rapidly penetrated by a massive bolter round, followed by a huge explosion, with thick smoke rising into the sky, as if to completely engulf the world. Cain knew that the power of this strike was enough to destroy everything within several hundred meters.
He looked at the burning horizon in the distance and took a deep breath. Even though he had witnessed countless wars, this scene still filled him with awe and reverence.
At this moment, Cain noticed that the previously enclosed industrial area had, due to the recent explosion, been directly blasted into a collapsed hole, opening a passage from the outside to the inside.
Just then, a dozen black helicopters quickly flew over Cain's head. Cain immediately saw the people in the helicopters, and he instantly recognized the man... Why? Because in this world, besides Li Feng, who else would have two huge speakers mounted on the sides of his transport when flying, and choose to wear a tactical vest and a cowboy hat?
On the helicopter, a Vietnam War golden oldie from Creedence Clearwater Revival was playing.
At this moment, the entire battlefield atmosphere was immediately transformed into a different kind of ambiance, just like the Vietnam War.
An Imperial Hive City is like a giant, completely independent city, or rather, a huge, self-contained ecosystem. Layers of concrete and adamantium buildings are stacked, with thousands of residential and industrial districts built upon each other.
New communities are built on top of old ones. Dome after dome gradually forms a huge artificial mountain, with spires at the Hive City's apex often extending thousands of meters into the sky. Many Hive City dwellers never see their world's sun in their entire lives.
To put it simply, an Imperial Hive City is a giant "steel forest," and Li Feng is now about to start playing "Rising Storm 2: Vietnam."
Dozens of helicopters flew rapidly towards the industrial Hive City, followed by a large number of Space Marine Chapters' valkyrie transport aircrafts, while higher up, several fighter jets, with afterburners blazing, flew towards the Hive City.
To the beat of drums, Cadia's F-4S "Phantom" at high altitude began using its under-slung electro-optical pod for long-range reconnaissance of the Hive City's breach. At this moment, a large number of Gretchin poured out of the breach, rapidly repairing it. They needed to delay as long as possible here.
(War rages above the Hive City, I fly higher than the Phantom!)
Because those Gretchin families could use their psychic network for encrypted psychic communication, and when their collective psychic power became strong enough, they would become a beacon for the Tyranids.
And they needed to race against time to hold their final position, to buy time for the pure-strain Genestealers, to light the "beacon" and summon the Hive Fleet to devour this powerful human expeditionary force.
Time had to be bought; they had already infected the planet's governor. If not for those foolish blue-skins attracting the Imperium's attention, they might have already called in the Hive Fleet.
"Genestealers, select map, Gravelax Industrial Hive City."
"Tyranids, Genestealers: Do you want to activate 'Behemoth's Path'? Yes!"
Soon, the Gretchin noticed several new Imperial fighter jets rapidly diving from the sky. Seeing the unfavorable situation, they immediately prepared to withdraw, but large napalm bomb bays beneath the planes immediately detached, plummeting towards their heads.
The napalm bombs exploded above these Gretchin, instantly creating a sea of fire, and a large number of Gretchin who were repairing the hole were immediately engulfed in flames. The smell of gasoline and the stench of burnt Gretchin corpses mixed together.
Meanwhile, the 800mm Gustav railway gun fired its second shot. The second shell directly hit the edge of the breach, immediately triggering a larger explosion and collapse... The breach, which could originally accommodate four lanes side-by-side, now accommodated ten lanes. Several Space Marine' valkyrie transport aircrafts immediately engaged afterburners and flew directly into the hole, followed by a large number of Space Marine in blue, yellow, and silver power armour leaping out of the valkyries.
From one valkyrie, four major figures jumped out directly:
Chapter Master of the Ultramarines, icu god of war, Calgar
Chapter Master of the Claws of the Stars Chapter, Huron the Timely Rain
Chapter Master of the Carcharodons Chapter, Watcher Forros
Second Company Captain of the Ultramarines, Emperor's Champion, Titus
"Imperium of Man, map confirmed, Gravelax Industrial Hive City."
"Imperium of Man, House Instruction Battle Group, do you want to activate 'Search and Destroy'? Yes!"
Note:
Happy Lunar New Year 2026!
First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of you for always being by my side and supporting me throughout this journey.
To ensure the quality of upcoming stories, I've decided to take a week off during the Lunar New Year (February 15th to 22nd) to rest and spend time with my family.
I will return on February 23rd, 2026. During this break, I will prepare many new chapters to post regularly upon my return. So please look forward to it!
Wishing you a warm, joyful, and wonderful holiday season!