A few days had passed since Gerhard cleared the Zombie Dungeon and defeated the boss monster. It had been a thrill, a high, which he had managed to fully come down from. The successful skill creation of [Deep Breathing Energy Control], despite the name, was an amazing addition. It was good to be a gamer character.
Gerhard had fallen into a rhythm again. He never ignored his training in what he saw as essential skills. The resource pack, while amazing for him, was not limitless.
He divided his time by having [Mana Shield] active at all times. One Mana shield alone no longer drained his MP, so he always created two at the same time. Thanks to that, the more he used Mana, the better his skill [Mana Control] got, but it was a slow process. Even after weeks of getting it, it had only levelled up once, and that was saying something.
[Mana Control] was a seriously good skill and also the reason why Gerhard had not spent any more status points on INT or WIS for now. He needed that initial boost to get the most out of his system, but now, he could progress through training. Mana Control at level 2 reduced the MP cost of Gerhard's skills by 15%. That was a big deal.
Another good thing was that Gerhard's physical training had been going well. The breathing control skill was truly a good skill to have, and while he wasn't going to turn into a Demon Slayer... although he was still trying, he was growing stronger. Unlike in the story Demon Slayer, Gerhard didn't really have the limit that the humans there had. He was a gamer, that was a different species altogether.
STR: 31 -> 35 (+4)
VIT: 22 -> 25 (+3)
DEX: 20 -> 24 (+4)
INT: 50 -> 50 (+0)
WIS: 17 -> 18 (+1)
It was a good result for almost a week of training. But now it was time to get out there again. Gerhard started thinking about where he wanted to go from where he was and chose the weapons lane.
Being a magician was good, and he was by no means going to ignore something that could help him survive and potentially become one of the top dogs, but right now, he saw a lot of potential in weapons. This was why he levelled [Creation] and [Dismantle] as much as he did.
To achieve his goal, however, he needed more. More materials, resources, weapons, ideas, information... anything really. His goal was to use what he knew and dive deep into the mechanics of the different technologies he would acquire—ideally, something like [Engineering], [Weapon Smithing] and [Chemist]. But Gerhard chose to put that off for now, since he wished to check out his surroundings more and get a picture, to expand his mini map and understand what he was dealing with.
So it was time for another Underhive Exploration.
.
The deeper Gerhard went, the less the Underhive resembled a 'city' as he was used to it, and the more it resembled the rotten corpse of one.
The tunnels narrowed, then widened without warning into old transit galleries and forgotten dark guts. Ancient pipes, fat as tree trunks, ran along the walls and ceiling, leaking chemical sludge in slow drops. Rust had eaten through support beams in all places, and entire huge, rugged buildings had sagged under their own age until they hung like snapped bones.
The air was thick enough to chew. Metallic, smoky, oily, rotten and toxic, burning the lungs.
Gerhard walked through the narrow and wide areas, while keeping his lasgun ready and a [Mana Shield] active. He used the mini map to see whether there were any enemies. But other than mutant rats and other types of vermin, he didn't find anyone.
Eventually, he heard something in the distance, gunfire, roaring, strange sounds he couldn't quite place, metal clanging against metal, the bark of some sump-mutated beasts and the very familiar sound of shots and explosions.
[Danger Sense]
It had gotten better. Not good enough to save him from everything, or to have something like future sight, like in One Piece, but enough to tell him that the Underhive remained exactly what it had always been: a place where the weak disappeared and the strong died more slowly... or you were a named character... without a helmet.
Gerhard crouched behind a collapsed vent-column after furtively moving closer and peered through a gap between two corroded plates.
[Observe]
Genestealer (Purestrain) – Lv.42
|HP: 4500/4500
|MP: 300
|A Tyranid vanguard organism and apex predator. Incredibly fast and lethal, capable of tearing through power armour with its rending claws. Hunts in the shadows and overwhelms prey before it can react.
-
"Ah, shit! What the FUCK is this?! Is this my luck or what?" Gerhard said as he retreated behind his metal wall.
This was not good for him. Apparently, there were still Tyranids on this cursed world.
"This is not good," he muttered to himself.
He sighed, getting his emotions under control right away. This was utter bullshit, but it was also utterly 40k. Actually, it would have been strange if there hadn't been any Genestealers. But the true bad news was what would happen if the Hive Fleet arrived.
Gerhard had to make a choice of what to do, since he didn't feel safe at all, even if the system only gave the Purestrain Genestealer an HP of 4200. That shit was fast and powerful. So, should he retreat and prepare some more, or--
As it turned out, he wasn't given much of a choice.
[Danger Sense]
The creature dropped from the ceiling, without warning or hesitation. It just attacked, having sensed Gerhard. It hit him like a missile. Gerhard followed the danger sense and reacted as soon as he felt the bloodlust.
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
CLANG!!
The claws struck the barrier with full force, and cracks spiderwebbed instantly. Gerhard's Mind stayed calm despite the situation. Gamer's Mind locked everything into clarity.
He pointed his lasgun forward and pulled the trigger just as the three Mana shields broke like paper.
PEW—PEW—PEW—
HP: 2400
Two of the three shots hit the Genestealer and did damage, but didn't quite manage to kill him. But Gerhard was long moving again.
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
He moved forward, not back. firing his lasgun at the Xenos as he did. He was now locked in, not thinking about anything else.
Two shots hit and did damage, but not as clearly as the initial attacks, since the Genestealer was fucking fast and nimble. That fucker managed to dodge most of the damage.
HP: 1650
The Genestealer didn't slow, continuing to do his Xenos sounds, expressing his hatred and whatever nonesense. It twisted mid-air, unnatural, and predatory and slashed again.
The shields once again shattered, but gave enough resistance to allow Gerhard to duck. He rolled and was ready instantly, having switched his weapon mid-roll.
The Power Sword hummed as it was activated. The creature lunged again, so fast and precise that Gerhard couldn't believe that the stats he saw were correct. But it didn't matter; he had stepped inside its reach and was already mid-swing.
[Power Strike]
The blade cut through one of its arms.
HP: 900
The Genestealer screeched in pain, or rage, who knew and tried to adapt to Gerhard instantly. The second pair of arms shot forward, and its jaw opened.
Without realising, the lasgun appeared in front of the Genestealer's face and fired point-blank, halting its momentum forcefully. No creature, no matter how powerful or scary, would ever know how to deal with the power of the Gamer Inventory like this.
HP: 100
Just as the creature opened its mouth and let out a disgusting screech that might or might not have been a call for help, the Power Sword ended its life.
[You killed Genestealer (Purestrain) – Lv.42]
[Gained 120,020 EXP]
...
'Well, at least there's plenty of EXP to be gained,' Gerhard thought.
A creature this dangerous gave 120 thousand EXP, while the Legion Zombie gave over 400 thousand. This thing cut through three Mana Shields like toilet paper, and if he hadn't levelled it as much as he did, Gerhard would have died or at least suffered greatly. It was strange how that worked, but Gerhard was not going to complain.
Well, the choice had been made for him. It was time to deal with whatever BS was going on here. Or at least make himself a picture.
.
From the walls, the ceilings, through broken windows...
Five.
Ten.
More.
-
[Genestealer (Purestrain) – Lv.39]
-
Neophyte Hybrid – Lv.18
|HP: 1400/1400
|MP: 100
|A third or fourth-generation cultist. The backbone of the cult. Partially mutated workers turned soldiers, wielding autoguns, shotguns, and mining equipment with fanatic devotion.
-
Acolyte Hybrid – Lv.28
|HP: 2300/2300
|MP: 140
|A close-combat and ambush specialist of the Genestealer Cult. Possesses additional limbs, enhanced reflexes, and rending claws. Often armed with industrial tools or melee weapons.
-
There were also some Aberrants and many more of these shits in the distance, but they seemed to be moving towards the bigger noise a short distance away. Gerhard exhaled slowly.
"Alright... Maximum effort."
He switched weapons, no longer bothering with the noise, to the autogun.
BRRRRT—!!
The first Neophyte hybrid exploded in a spray of blood before he could fire his autogun at Gerhard. Thankfully, a few bursts of his Uncommon-ranked Autogun were enough to kill a hybrid. But it probably depended on what kind it was. He quickly turned and managed to catch the Acolyte as well.
[You killed Neophyte Hybrid]
[Gained 25,000 EXP]
[You killed Acolyte Hybrid]
[Gained 60,000 EXP]
Another burst resulted in another kill. But the Genestealers... They didn't care. They closed the distance instantly, like the Zombies, but faster and more deadly, connected to one another and adapting strategy lightly. Also, they had weapons like autoguns, lasguns, shotguns, and even heavy stubbers.
Gerhard ran, not in panic, but strategically, towards a narrow corridor, evading a burst of fire. A wide area, as he was in just moments before, was not something he could deal with on his own. Especially if one attack from the Purestrain could rip apart three Mana shields easily. He needed a narrow corridor to go at it.
And he found one. It was almost claustrophobic, but that made it a perfect kill funnel. He turned and pulled that trigger as hard as he could.
BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—
Batches of Neophyte and Acolyte hybrids dropped, the Purestrain lunged, and Gerhard defended, all while not letting go of that trigger.
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
The claws impacted the shield. The wall behind Gerhard dented as the shield broke apart. Gerhard slid under its body, already having the Power Sword in hand and cut upward.
HP: 900
HP: 0
[You killed Genestealer (Purestrain) – Lv.39]
[Gained 117,293 EXP]
He didn't stop. Gerhard moved as fast as he could, while mowing through the Xenos in front of him and getting out of the narrow tunnel again. He couldn't remain there. Eventually, he would be overwhelmed.
The corpse hadn't even fallen to the ground before the next arrived.
[Acolyte Hybrid – Lv.28]
Gerhard didn't even think about it as he pulled the trigger.
BRRT—!!
The autogun roared again, the muzzle flashing violently in the suffocating dark. A Neophyte's torso exploded under the burst as it desperately tried to return fire, but hit nothing but the shield, and another immediately took its place, firing back.
CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—
Rounds slammed into his Mana Shields and proved the clear limit. It broke, and Gerhard created new ones right away.
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
[Mana Shield]
MP: -30
The barriers shimmered. One shot punched through the outer layer, another ricocheted, and the third cracked the second shield, already.
"Shit—!"
Gerhard moved sideways and forward. Not back, not back into that corridor. Always moving, never allowing them to overwhelm him.
BRRT—BRRT—!!
Another Neophyte dropped. An Acolyte lunged from the side, its claws screeched across the barrier and pushed Gerhard back. The impact shattered two shields instantly and drove Gerhard half a step into the wall.
His eyes narrowed. The gears in his mind were running so fast that he almost produced smoke.
He ducked under the follow-up strike and fired point-blank.
BRRT—!!
HP: 900
The Acolyte staggered, but didn't fall, and four more were already within arm's length from Gerhard. That fucker was too tough, and there were too many.
Gunfire filled the corridor now, Las-fire, autogun bursts, even crude explosives. The Genestealer Cult didn't just charge blindly anymore; they had come to learn through their connected mind as they fought.
A round finally slipped through the shields and the Flak Armour and hit Gerhard's body.
HP: 700
Gerhard's shoulder jerked from the impact, pain filling his mind. He wasn't a soldier yet, at least not really. Once again, Gamer's Mind saved him and allowed him to continue. His Mana was dropping fast now, and he was getting really low.
His breathing steadied, and he pushed his body even further. He advanced into them, having taken his Power Sword into one hand and somewhat holding the autogun in his other.
BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—
One down. He slashed the sword through the air, carving through an entire body with one go.
A claw raked across his shield and hit him again, followed by a series of las-fire and autogun bursts, which did damage.
HP: 540
Another shot hit him in the side, as he killed two more Neophytes and was busy with a Purestrain Genestealer.
HP: 500
Thank the Gamer system for the Flak Armour set bonus.
The pressure mounted as more enemies arrived, more weapons were fired, and more damage was inflicted. Things were not looking good, and Gerhard was aware of it.
His MP ticked down steadily as he was forced to cast [Mana Shield] over and over again, constantly. He was burning through it.
MP: 310 → 250 → 210
But that wasn't all that was changing. As time passed, Gerhard was getting better. His movements became clearer and smoother, his reaction speed increased, and he positioned himself better, wasting less movement.
He was turning into a better warrior.
Suddenly, however...
CLICK.
The lasgun charge was gone.
Charge: 0/150
The Genestealer that was supposed to die didn't, and that half a second... nearly killed him.
A Neophyte fired a shotgun at him, and an Acolyte lunged and swiped a Cutter at him. The attacks hit, and Gerhard dropped.
He used the damage to roll across the ground, sliding under another swing of a rock saw. He had dropped his lasgun in the moment and now touched the body of two Neophytes.
The bodies vanished inside his inventory. But that wasn't all that vanished, so did their weapons and equipment. And that's what it was all about. Gerhard was going hard right now.
He held a scavenged autogun. It was of a different weight, a different balance and felt wrong, but he didn't care. He pulled the trigger.
[Firearms Mastery level increased by 1]
BRRT—!!
He fired while moving again, switching angles constantly. A Neophyte dropped. An Acolyte Hybrid Squad arrived before Gerhard and fired their weapons at him. Flames from a Hand Flamer roared towards Gerhard, forcing him to dodge to the side.
He fired a precise shot at the flamer, causing it to explode and taking those nearby with it. Gerhard didn't stop, as he got back to his feet, running straight at them.
A scavaged Cutter flashed through the air and buried itself into the hybrid's skull, killing it instantly. Gerhard ripped it free and kept going.
Now, the battlefield wasn't under anyone's control anymore. It was a rampage of gunfire, blades slashing through the air, knives of different kinds and explosives going off all around.
Everything blended together. He shot one, slammed another into a wall, stabbed a third, kicked a fourth off balance and finished them off with a burst of the weapon he had at hand. He slashed with his power sword, which was his main damage-dealing weapon right now.
HP bars dropped everywhere, and not only on the Genestealer Cult's side. EXP notifications flooded Gerhard's vision, or would have, if he hadn't turned them off with a voice command in the beginning.
His MP dropped dangerously low.
MP: 210 → 160 → 120
And so did his HP.
HP: 390 -> 310 -> 240
But Gerhard didn't stop, didn't slow down and didn't retreat. He couldn't. Doing so would mean death. Truth be told, Gerhard had lost himself in the moment, and thanks to the Gamer system, he was actually doing impressively well.
"COME ON—!!" he roared it into the Underhive, cutting through another Acolyte mid-lunge.
HP: 1200 → 0
Something inside him had snapped into place—the kind of thing born from being one step away from death. However...
[Danger Sense]
The danger sense flared in Gerhard's mind too late. Something massive moved, and a second later, the world seemed to explode for Gerhard. An Aberrant slammed a power hammer into him like a freight train.
Aberrant – Lv.30
|HP: 4800/4800
|MP: 50
|Misshapen, lumpen and inhumanly strong, the Aberrants are the repugnant offshoots of the brood cycle. Though dim-witted, their instinctive need to defend their broodkin makes them valuable assets to the cult. With heavy industrial tools raised, they cause impressive carnage with only their brute force and single-minded determination.
-
All remaining Mana Shields broke instantly, and Gerhard was lifted off his feet. He was thrown through the air, smashed through metal plating, bounced off the ground, and rolled violently across the floor.
HP: 72
The Aberrant charged again. Gerhard suddenly got an idea. He reached out and activated a skill he'd only recently acquired.
[Energy Drain]
He felt life energy drain from the Aberrant and flow into him, making his HP rise again, but only slowly.
HP: 72 -> 78 -> 90 -> 102
The Aberrant staggered suddenly. But it didn't stop fully, lifting up its power hammer into the air and about to bring it down on Gerhard. But Gerhard already had an autogun in hand and pulled the trigger, while keeping [Energy Drain] active.
The Aberrant was riddled with holes and had the last of its life drained, falling to the ground before Gerhard, who slowly pushed himself off the ground. He was about to celebrate when his senses screamed at him stronger than ever before.
[You killed an Aberrant - lv. 30]
[Gained 121,008 EXP]
[Danger Sense]
BANG
A sniper bullet cut through the air and hit Gerhard's stomach, who tried to twist to the side, but only managed to do so for a few millimetres. His lower body was yanked from under him, and he hit the ground face-first.
HP: 2
!!!
There was no time and no room to do anything. Gerhard placed one hand on the large body of the Aberrant in front of him, placing it into the Inventory and raised his other hand.
[Instant Dungeon]
The world finally turned silent. Gerhard hit the ground and looked at the ceiling. He lay there for a moment, thinking about what just happened.
"Yeah," he muttered, "…that was a bit much."