The Enforcer Captain had chosen to trust his gut and go against the Magos' cogitator calculations. Ironically, he chose the right thing, since someone else had chosen to 'lend a hand' and strike at the Tyranids.
But why did Gerhard choose to target the Genestealer Cult? Weren't the Chaos Cults more dangerous? Capable of spreading their filth through the entire Hive?
Yes and no.
If Chaos came out on top in this fight, they would first fight amongst themselves. And then, the winner would make its way up the Hive and eventually meet the Orks. Now, the Orks, 'dey do fight the spiky boyz a lot.' But what was going to happen?
The Orks would come out on top. These weren't Chaos Space Marines, these were Cultists and while they could and most definitely will spawn lesser and greater Daemons, against such a large number of Orks, that won't help. The Orks can fall to Chaos, but they are immediately singled out by their peers and krumped for being unorkadox.
Now, the Genestealer Cult, on the other hand, was a serious threat. Because in the off chance that they win here, they would no doubt signal the Hive Fleet to come, and consume all biological matter there was.
So, since there can only be one greatest evil, Gerhard chose to attack the Genestealer Cult.
He shifted slightly on the gantry, lowering his profile even further as he watched for openings.
Stealth (Active) Lv. 8
| EXP: 14.37%
| A skill that allows the user to move quietly and reduce their presence.
| The higher the skill level, the harder it becomes for enemies to detect the user through sound, movement, and instinct.
Effects:
| - 16% reduction in noise made while moving
| - 10% harder to detect by sight in dark, ruined, or cluttered terrain
| - Slight reduction in hostile awareness when remaining still
| - Footwork stability improved
| - Breathing and muscle tension are naturally controlled during hidden movement
-
Gerhard activated the skill. His presence was reduced and his outline blurred against the broken metal and shifting shadows. The battlefield below was too chaotic to notice him before; now, he had to act as furtively as possible. This was a crucial mission.
Around him, the four translucent barriers shimmered. He hadn't deactivated them the entire time, but now, one had to go, as he needed all the MP regeneration he could. Stealth was more important right now.
[Mana Shield]
[Mana Shield]
[Mana Shield]
He had his Refined Tyranid Power Sword on his hips and held the M36 Kantrael Pattern Lasgun in his hands, the power packs fully loaded and the weapons in peak condition.
He was ready.
He moved and got into another position. From here, he had a clear view of several Genestealer positions along the outer edge of the Xenos advance. Some of them had moved slightly ahead of the others, occupying isolated firing points along broken walkways and collapsed walls.
From what Gerhard could tell, they were too far from immediate support and too focused on the human defenders ahead.
Perfect.
A faint smile crossed his face, though there was nothing amused about it. He raised the lasgun.
[M36 Kantrael Pattern Lasgun – Rank: Adept]
The weight settled into his grip as if it were an extension of himself, the right tool for the task at hand. With the greatest focus and determination, he exhaled, letting the tension in his body release, as if he were a sniper.
PEW—
[Genestealer Primus defeated]
[+221,604 EXP]
The beam shot out, precisely, striking a Genestealer Primus below, splitting its skull before the body even registered the beam hit. Without hesitation, Gerhard adjusted himself slightly, half an inch to the right, while maintaining his hidden vantage point.
PEW—
[Genestealer Primus defeated]
[+219,323 EXP]
[Level up]
Another shot rang out, and another body fell, confusing the enemy greatly. He lowered the weapon right away, knowing that he had accomplished a great deal already. The battlefield on the Genestealer side grew more chaotic, swallowing the kills. But they hadn't gone entirely unnoticed.
Below him, the Genestealer formation continued to move, adjusting to the invisible pressure from the humans and the other cults. They reacted to something... but not to him.
Not yet, at least.
Gerhard's eyes darted around, taking in every position, angle, and flicker of movement. He wasn't just a machine pulling the trigger, hoping to kill as many as possible; he was analysing and assessing the flow of the battle in real time, looking for an opportunity. Minutes passed, and he picked off three more Neophytes, then two Acolytes who were all in a general area to one another, each kill contributing to a larger, significant plan that he had thought of.
A human stubber team in the same area suddenly held out longer than expected, killing more Xenos. A ganger squad stopped retreating and pushed back even for just a short moment. Even a Genestealer advanced right next to it, faltered for half a second.
"There it is," Gerhard murmured to himself.
An energy shift, or rather a moment for him to seize. The cult had noticed the red beams flashing through the air, and members were sent to deal with the problem. Gerhard moved along the gantry, his body low to the ground, navigating the structural wreckage.
He stepped over broken sections and ducked beneath hanging cables. The structure creaked under his weight, but [Stealth] reduced even that, proving just how useful the system truly was.
Ahead lay a collapsed walkway, sloping toward the chaotic battlefield below. He crouched there for a few moments, silently observing the carnage. The clash of Khorne cultists against the Genestealer flank was still going on like an endless storm that possessed limitless energy and momentum. Gerhard looked back and saw the 'hidden' troops of the Xenos having arrived at his previous position. He looked down again, smiling since the whirlpool of violence created the perfect distraction.
At the same time, Poxwalkers flooded another section in the distance, clogging Xenos' movement, forcing them to reposition.
It was time to act, Gerhard thought. He slid down the incline, using the skill [Mana Rope], the precursor to [Bind], to go at it like Tarzan. With it, he was fast and landed quietly behind a twisted bulkhead. The moment his boots hit the ground, he was already advancing, cloaked in the chaos around him and through the skill.
He had switched out the lasgun, which was too bright with its red beams, for the autogun. The bursts of fire would be drowned by the deafening sounds of battle all around.
[Custom Autogun – Rank: Adept]
A Neophyte turned when it noticed his presence, but it was too slow.
BRRT--BRRT--BRRT!
Three rounds were fired, hitting the chest, neck and head. The Xenos died even before it could fully understand what was happening. Gerhard was fast, moving with a plan.
[Neophyte Hybrid defeated]
[+25,000 EXP]
Another one.
BRRT—!
[Neophyte Hybrid defeated]
[+25,000 EXP]
Gerhard didn't stop. Gunfire could be heard all around, screams filled the air, but none of it was directed at him, so he remained focused, adjusting his movement and stepping into a clearer line of sight. He unleashed a brutal burst of fire on a group of Aberrants.
BRRRRT--BRRRRT--BRRRRT--!
[Aberrant defeated]
[+119,203 EXP]
[Aberrant defeated]
[+118,655 EXP]
[Aberrant defeated]
[+120,170 EXP]
[Level up]
The noise attracted attention, and heads turned toward him.
'Good,' he thought.
That was the plan.
Then he changed tactics. He moved, not back to safety, but across the battlefield, drawing fire and shifting the enemy's focus.
BRRRRT—!!
A Neophyte was torn apart mid-step. Another spun and fell as rounds shredded its side. A third dropped as Gerhard adjusted mid-burst and corrected his aim, taking it down right away.
The higher fire rate, damage output, and overall power were surely on display perfectly right now.
BRRRRT—!!BRRRRT—!!
Acolytes broke formation, rushing to confront this sudden threat. It was all falling into place. They attacked him with Rock Saws, autopistols and autoguns, knives and even a single plasma pistol. Neophytes redirected their fire to him, trying to track him through the chaos, as he moved forward without pause.
Gerhard felt rounds impacting his shields, and they began to crack. He was surrounded by hordes of Genestealer Cultists, Neophytes, Acolytes, Genestealer Purstrains, Aberrants... but the wide grin belied the situation. Truthfully, Gerhard felt alive, and he revelled in the thrill of combat.
As he ducked behind a collapsed pillar, then pushed off it and switched weapons mid movement, doing this to add to the confusion, he took out an Acolyte with a lasgun shot to the eye.
PEW—!
[Acolyte Hybrid defeated]
[+60,000 EXP]
PEW—!
Gerhard switched again, seeing the enemy in front of him, about to slash its four claws through him.
BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—!
[Genestealer Purestrain defeated]
[+121,098 EXP]
Gerhard saw a group of new units rush towards him and knew that this wasn't enough. He moved to the sides and changed tactics again, thrusting himself into the heart of the fray.
Hybrid Metamorph – Lv.32
|HP: 2600/2600
|MP: 180
|Highly mutated hybrid with specialised killing limbs. Faster and more aggressive than Acolytes, trading durability for overwhelming melee pressure.
-
In a flash, the autogun disappeared into his inventory, and he had the Refined Tyranid Power Sword in hand, buzzing with power. He charged forward, his senses heightened as he faced the incoming group of Metamorphs.
With a swift motion, he moved inside the first Metamorph's guard, pivoted and cut upwards, his blade slicing effortlessly through armour, bones and flesh, leaving his opponent in two pieces. Another attacker came at him from the side, but he ducked, feeling the rush of air as it just missed him.
He spun around, his sword slashing through the air again, cutting through the second Metamorph's torso with overwhelming power.
HP: 0
[Metamorph defeated]
[+60,000 EXP]
[Metamorph defeated]
[+60,000 EXP]
Gerhard ducked, feeling claws and several shots scrape across the outer Mana Shield, cracking it. He turned with the same motion, having seen two Metamorphs close to each other.
[Power Strike]
The sword carved through the torso, cutting the first hybrid in half, while it severed the head of the second one, all with the same attack.
[Metamorph defeated]
[+60,000 EXP]
[Metamorph defeated]
[+60,000 EXP]
[Level up]
Gunfire erupted from behind. Gerhard charged forward. He felt the urgency to keep moving, to keep the pressure on the enemy and his surprise. A Purestrain Genestealer dropped from above, and several others rushed from different directions.
[Danger Sense]
Gerhard could sense the danger, even without the skill. Rolling forward, he narrowly avoided its claws, coming up inside its reach and splitting its body with one precise strike. In the same moment, he had taken out his lasgun from the inventory and fired in the opposite direction.
PEW—PEW—
Two clean shots and two dead Xenos.
The enemy formation was cracking, not collapsing outright but fracturing just enough to create a very crucial opening. Gerhard ignored the dozens of system notifications and saw it, the narrow corridor between two collapsing structures that led directly to the Magus. He had scouted that earlier when he created his plan.
Without a second thought, he sprinted ahead, feeling the adrenaline surge through him.
The sword flashed once, and the creature's arm came off. After the second strike, the head followed. He threw the power sword forward, piercing the body of an Aberrant that had arrived to stop his advance.
"SCREEEEHH", it screeched and roared in pain.
PEW—PEW—PEW—PEW—PEW—PEW—
[Neophyte Hybrid defeated]
[Neophyte Hybrid defeated]
[Genestealer Purestrain defeated]
[Aberrant defeated]
[Metamorph defeated]
[+...]
.
.
.
Acolytes were chasing him instead of reinforcing the front lines now, Neophytes were firing at him rather than at the humans, and the Aberrants had finally noticed him, slow as they were.
Tiny shifts, tiny errors, but they were stacking, and the gap opened up.
*BOOOOM*
A loud sound pulled Gerhard out of his thoughts. A new enemy had appeared, one he hadn't faced yet.
Abominant – Lv.55
|HP: 14,000/14,000
|MP: 200
|The apex of Aberrant mutation. A towering brute with overwhelming strength and resilience, capable of smashing elite enemies apart with sheer force.
-
In one hand, it held a massive power hammer, and in the other, it swung its mutated claws through the air, hoping to kill Gerhard.
[Mana Shield]
[Mana Shield]
Gerhard recast it twice. He pointed the autogun to the ground and fired while turning 360°.
BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—!!
Thick dust rose from this action and momentarily shielded Gerhard from the Tyranid's vision, which was crucial for this next part. He pointed his hand forward and used another skill.
[Spiral Energy Bolt]
HP: 10,000
[Stealth]
The Xenos threw themselves into the dust cloud, wanting to kill Gerhard, but all they found was each other. Gerhard had moved forward, placing several dead hybrids and Purestrains into his inventory, until he arrived behind the Abominant unseen.
Truthfully, he could have attacked again, but that's not why he was here. He had another goal.
Stray gunfire shots slammed into his shields as Gerhard pressed on, unfazed. He vaulted debris, slid beneath obstacles, and sprang up to grab the edge of the elevated platform, where the biggest problem was located.
He pulled himself up and landed on the platform.
"Hello there!"
BRRT—BRRT—BRRT—!