Alexei walked out of the room. This time, he didn't seal the door with Creep; he simply locked it. He didn't mind trusting Kaider one more time—after all, the area outside was crawling with his Swarm.
As he walked toward the center of the Hive, he reflected on his conversation with Kaider. The reason the Adeptus Arbites had moved to purge that gang was that the lawless thugs had dared to attack and kill Enforcers on routine patrol.
Word was that the Enforcers had discovered a significant heretical presence within the gang. When the news reached the upper echelons, they were furious and decided to mobilize the Enforcers in force.
At the same time, reports of heretical activity had also surfaced in the industrial sector. The high-level command split into two factions: one believed they should increase patrols to weed out all suspects, while the other argued for the immediate "processing" of everyone in the factory zone.
For reasons unknown, the order was eventually given only to purge the gang's headquarters, while no offensive orders were issued for the adjacent factory district. It was possible that the losses sustained in clearing a single gang base were far more severe than anticipated.
Even a Leman Russ Battle Tank had been damaged by a Purestrain Genestealer's ambush. In the chaos, Kaider had been targeted by that same creature and, in his desperate flight, had stumbled into Alexei's territory.
"No wonder," Alexei muttered, remembering the man's battered state.
He approached Abathur. Ellie seemed to have adapted to the presence of this strange, massive creature; she was constantly whispering something to Abathur, even though the latter clearly had little interest in entertaining the persistent little girl.
Seeing his master arrive, Abathur slithered forward. Alexei couldn't help but feel that this version of Abathur possessed much richer emotions than the one in the game, though he wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
Under Alexei's command, thousands of Larvae in their respective Hatcheries began evolving into Zerglings, Hydralisks, and Roaches. He would launch a full-scale offensive when the bells of the Hive Spire next tolled.
The great bells of the Hive Spire rang every twelve Terran hours. Their thunderous tolling was loud enough for every resident of the Hive City to hear. It was one of the few ways the Underhive denizens could track time, and each toll marked the factory shift changes.
According to Kaider, the Feast of the Emperor's Ascension was approaching. During this festival, the bells would ring thirteen times. Every resident of the Underhive and Lower Hive would flock to nearby cathedrals for devout worship, where Ministorum priests would deliver the God-Emperor's blessing.
The members of the Evolution Cult would also head to their own "cathedrals" to devoutly worship their "Four-Armed Emperor." At that moment, every heretic present would face his Zerg army.
Mapping data from Art showed that beneath the factory zone lay the ruins of an ancient cathedral. Long ago, a massive cult rebellion had occurred there, leading to the abandonment of that entire level.
The current factory zone sat directly above these ruins; the Genestealer cathedral was almost certainly hidden down there. Alexei's eyes flickered with intent. He knew he might not be able to wipe out every single Genestealer in one go, but he could severely cripple their strength.
Every consumption by his Swarm would yield endless biomass. While direct consumption by units was slightly less efficient than throwing corpses into a Spawning Pool, it was fast and convenient on the battlefield.
As he pondered, the sacs within the fleshy structures began to burst one by one. Countless Zerglings leaped out, flapping their newly grown wings as they excitedly adjusted to their updated bodies.
After a while, nearly a hundred Hydralisks and Roaches crawled out of their cocoons. Their thunderous roars echoed through the landfill. They hungered for fresh flesh. Alexei calmed the restless swarm. "Not yet. Soon... very soon, you will have your fill."
Clang! Clang! Clang!... The massive tolling of the bells resonated throughout the Hive City. The Feast of the Emperor's Ascension had arrived. For the residents of the Lower and Underhives, this was undoubtedly the most exciting day of the year.
At least for today, they could rest for an entire Terran day. Mona felt the same; her face was bright with smiles.
She didn't have to go to the factory for her shift today. Instead, she would join her friends and family in traveling to the sacred site of their cult—the only cathedral—to pray together to the Four-Armed Emperor.
Supposedly, all the "Angels" sent by the Emperor and their Patriarch would appear to bestow their blessings.
Mona squeezed through the crowd, moving forward in a rhythmic flow. The masses passed through the factory district and entered a descent tunnel leading to the level below, winding through many abandoned alleys.
Finally, she stopped before a magnificent structure. Crowds gathered from all directions, and the air was thick with the din of voices.
Mona saw many of her kin who usually hid away due to their physical deformities—deformities that would normally lead to persecution by "heretics." Like her, they all carried devout hearts for the God-Emperor.
With a heavy thud, the cathedral doors slowly opened, and the crowd surged inside. The capacity was limited; Mona was lucky enough to make it in, while those less fortunate had to remain outside.
She looked up. The cathedral's vast dome was painted with scenes of the Emperor dueling the Great Traitor. With just one look, Mona felt her soul was being cleansed.
Further ahead stood a massive statue of the Emperor. Beholding his grand form—his four arms and two faces—Mona knelt on the ground in excitement, chanting the holy name of the God-Emperor.
The Patriarch made a slow entrance amidst their hymns. The Ascension blessing was about to begin.
However, at that moment, loud shouting erupted from outside the cathedral. Mona turned back in confusion, wondering what was happening. Suddenly, endless gunfire and explosions answered her.
"Heretics! They dare disturb the God-Emperor's peace! Destroy them! Use their blood to beg for the Emperor's forgiveness!" The Patriarch's roar thundered through the cathedral.
Her kin took up arms and began to fight back. The "Angels of the Emperor" (Genestealers) joined the fray. In an instant, the area was filled with screams, slaughter, and desperate prayers.
Mona huddled behind a pew, trembling. An "Angel" passing by gave her an encouraging smile, which stilled her fear. She peeked out to assess the situation.
Countless fearless kin charged into the heretics' fire. The enemy's firepower was fierce; even the Angels fell amidst the explosions.
The guns mounted on several armored vehicles ruthlessly harvested the lives of her people. The sight moved Mona to tears.
Her kin were using their lives to pave the way for the Angels. Angels leaping from the shadows disabled the vehicles, and the heretics' fire began to dwindle. They were on the verge of victory.
"ROAR!"
Suddenly, from the depths of the surrounding alleys, countless roars erupted. It sounded like man-eating beasts, a sound that chilled every living soul present.
When an exhausted Arbites member turned around, the sight before him nearly stopped his heart.
As far as the eye could see, an seemingly infinite tide of xenos poured out from the alleys. Their appearance was terrifying, their crimson maws hungering for flesh.
"We're finished." That was the last thought the Enforcer had before he fell unconscious.