Invincible after death, but in Warhammer 40K

The figure across the way might appear to be merely a deformed human, but in reality, both their mind and body have already crossed into the realm of the inhuman.

In fact, these hybrids, tainted with human blood, are even more detestable than pure aliens.

At this moment, the exploding grenade tore apart the grotesquely twisted head, warped by the bloodline of gene-stealers, scattering bright red blood in all directions.

The color of the liquid, at least in death, proved indistinguishable from that of ordinary humans.

The sound seemed to act as a signal, and in the next instant, the firefight between the two sides erupted.

Zhang Ge's laser gun, following the Commissar's lead, precisely struck a heavy lumber gunner hiding behind the enemy's cover. However, the somewhat self-aware weapon quickly realized this method was inefficient at such close range and sought a more effective approach.

In the next moment, the swiftly arriving laser beam landed on the energy magazine of an enemy wielding a laser gun.

The unleashed, unrestrained energy, melted by the intense heat, transformed into a massive bomb. The magenta brilliance first consumed its wielder, then several nearby enemies in quick succession.

The explosion sent up a cloud of dust, obscuring visibility.

Fortunately, the reinforced structure of the tunnel walls held firm; otherwise, the blast could have caused a collapse.

Amid the chain of explosions triggered by Zhang Ge's precision laser shots, the swirling dust blanketed the battlefield, shrouding both sides' vision.

Yet the deadly beams seemed unaffected, piercing through the haze again and again.

Each explosion claimed multiple lives, forcing the enemy to quickly distance themselves from anyone carrying energy weapons.

Naturally, the dust also rendered the enemy's counterattacks wildly inaccurate.

The only visible target was the growing, radiant light source steadily approaching them.

Yet firing at that light was futile—Ogryn's immense strength was more than enough to hold a shield capable of deflecting explosive rounds fired by mortal weapons.

The automatic gunfire and laser shots striking the shield were no more than an annoyance, akin to scratching an itch.

And if you didn't move toward the Mountain Overlord, the Mountain Overlord would crush its way toward you.

Ogryn, the massive shield-bearer, didn't need visibility at all.

He simply charged into the smoke, swinging his hammer at anything he encountered.

Each strike sent enemies flying several meters as if hit by a speeding truck. In comparison, the feeble counterattacks of the enemy were utterly incapable of penetrating his heavy armor.

Before Ogryn even arrived, Sister Amelia had already launched herself forward with explosive force, leaping like an arrow. The recoil from her movements tore chunks of soil from the ground where she had stood.

In Zhang Ge's line of sight, her figure moved with impossible speed, bounding off the tunnel walls and ceiling in a display of three-dimensional agility, dodging the enemy's erratic bullets as she dove into the dust cloud.

As seconds ticked by, stray bullets inevitably struck Zhang Ge, but his carapace armor absorbed the impact.

Bullets either deflected off in a shower of sparks or embedded themselves shallowly in the armor, leaving Zhang Ge feeling no more than a gentle push. The armor held firm, protecting him from harm.

Even so, the enemy's resistance was rapidly weakening. Despite their tenacity, the heavy losses they suffered in such a short time finally broke their resolve.

Under the command of their remaining leaders, they retreated further into the tunnel, leaving behind a field of corpses.

But how could the squad allow them to escape so easily?

"They're trying to flee," Sister Amelia's voice came from behind the dust cloud, her tone calm and unperturbed, as though she were merely chatting and not standing amid carnage.

Hearing this, the priest, who had yet to act, pulled a round grenade from his waist and hurled it upward at an angle.

Based on his memory of the tunnel's layout, the grenade landed precisely on the enemy's only escape route. It detonated, unleashing high-temperature flames that engulfed the fleeing Genestealer Cultists' path.

Trapped with no way forward or back, and now densely packed due to their retreat, the enemy's vulnerability greatly accelerated Zhang Ge's squad's efficiency in eliminating them. What was already a one-sided battle quickly devolved into a massacre.

One by one, the twisted heads of the cultists fell until the last of the dozens of Genestealer Cult combatants were wiped out.

As the squad pressed deeper into the tunnels, the remaining non-combatant cult members, already disorganized and lacking leadership, were unable to mount any effective resistance.

They were swiftly eliminated one by one.

At the deepest point of the tunnels, the squad arrived at a room that appeared to be the cult's most critical location.

A dozen enemies fought to the death here, likely the last remaining defenders. Judging by the absence of a first-generation Genestealer, this was likely just a branch of a larger cult.

The Commissar glanced at the priest, who shook his head, indicating no life signs detected within the room.

The squad breached the room, only to find a scene quite different from what they had expected.

Instead of sacred relics or hidden enemies, a human infant lay in the center of the room.

The child was so pure, so endearing, as if it embodied all the beauty of the world—a creation that seemed like an angel sent to Earth by the Emperor himself.

For the first time, Zhang Ge heard emotion in Sister Amelia's voice: "Disgusting blasphemers."

The white glow on her blade flickered briefly, and the psychic illusion before them was dispelled.

The figure on the platform was not a human infant but an abhorrent, four-armed insectoid larva. Its grotesque form was fully mutated, with a swollen head, inward-curling claws on all four arms, and a purple, carapace-covered body.

This creature was commonly referred to as a "Fifth-Generation Genestealer."

Due to its complete atavistic traits, it possessed the same capabilities as a first-generation Genestealer and was also known as a "Purestrain Genestealer."

It seemed this was the purpose of this cult branch.

However, the squad had no intention of investigating further.

Sister Amelia's sword cleaved through the platform and the mutant in one swift stroke. She then poured a canister of fuel over the alien corpse and set it ablaze, ensuring it was utterly destroyed.

With the task complete, the Commissar led the squad through the tunnels, eventually discovering a hidden staircase leading upward. It connected to a disguised manhole cover, likely opening into the small town they had seen on the surface earlier.