Chapter 308: The Underground World, Living Shield Machine, Emphasis on Education, Total Collapse

In the underground tunnel:

The sound of magnetic boots echoed as Sol Taviz led a squad of Sons of Humanity, accompanied by a Dark Raven Guards squad and a Space Wolves squad—eighteen young Astartes in total—as they moved steadily through the unique ecosystem of the subterranean world.

The space here was surprisingly spacious, not as dark as they had imagined before entering. Fungal mycelium covered the walls of the tunnel, and enormous mushroom-like plants emitted a soft glow, illuminating their path.

The sound of rushing underground river water echoed through the tunnel.

As the group rounded a corner, they entered an even larger underground cavern.

From the entrance, they observed a landscape of unique rock formations and strange underground flora. With their enhanced vision and helmet displays, they could clearly see various life forms thriving beneath the surface.

They also spotted remnants and trails left by the retreating orcs.

"Tsk tsk."

Squatting beside a low cliff, Logan Sigurd, the Space Wolves squad leader—identified by the name inscribed on his chest plate—gazed out at the network of tunnel entrances. "Those filthy things sure know how to run. But we only have three Earth days; there's no way we'll kill them all in that time. Such a shame!"

Shaking his head in disappointment, Logan lamented that the 72-hour clearing operation wouldn't give them enough time to satisfy their thirst for battle. Accounting for the time needed to return to base, tracking, searching, and traveling, the chances of encountering the main orc force were slim, let alone capturing the humanoid queen Perturabo mentioned.

As a result, the Space Wolves appeared somewhat dejected, some even grumbling impatiently, almost like restless "husky" dogs. However, they only expressed their frustrations after confirming the area was safe. Despite their rowdy behavior, they would never put themselves or their fellow Astartes in danger.

The Dark Raven squad leader, Avaris Mohn, identified by the white "beak-like" helmet he wore, didn't respond to Logan's complaints. Scanning the open cavern, Mohn stated, "According to Intelligence, this complex underground ecosystem and structure are the work of a creature called the Riftworm, which can grow up to ten kilometers in length."

"Ten kilometers?" Logan's eyes widened. "That's longer than most of the company's starships! If that's true, then the Riftworm is a living shield machine!"

"Correct," Mohn replied. "The Bio-Research Division has requested tactical squads to acquire samples of the Riftworm. If we encounter one, it could add significant diversity to the company's bioweapons. At the very least, a Riftworm could improve our engineering team's efficiency in subterranean construction."

Hearing this, Logan nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a chance to rack up some achievements! Wolves, let's go!"

Logan rose, leaping down to the riverbank below.

"Woohoo!"

The other Space Wolves followed, leaping from the ledge one after another.

Seeing this, Taviz turned to Mohn. "Since the odds of capturing the queen are slim, let's focus our efforts on finding a live Riftworm."

"Agreed," Mohn replied.

The Sons of Humanity and Dark Ravens left the tunnel entrance and joined the Space Wolves below. Now, this group of "giant" youths, each over two meters tall in their power armor, concentrated on locating the Riftworm.

A few metallic detection drones with magnetic levitation engines buzzed into the complex tunnels, diving deeper into the underground.

While awaiting the drones' data, the eighteen young Astartes paused to gather samples of mycelium and the glowing mushrooms. The Bio-Research Division welcomed any unusual organisms from beyond the primary universe for research and analysis.

The Division's capacity for scientific talent was considerable, bolstered by an educational system established by Atlas. In the primary universe's Earth alone, around forty million adults graduated each year, and as the headquarters of Atlas, Earth hadn't overlooked education during the company's near-century-long expansion.

Atlas funded two private universities in Seattle, focusing on fields such as biology, electronics, and engineering, alongside numerous primary and secondary schools. Across cities like New Accra and other Atlas-controlled territories, four to seven percent of graduates each year aimed to join the company directly after school. Consequently, Atlas's various departments were never short-staffed, one reason for its continuous growth.

Samuel Young placed great importance on education, carefully selecting teachers to ensure they embodied strong moral values and sound character, ensuring they could properly guide the next generation.

Of course, Atlas couldn't afford to recruit millions of employees annually with high salaries and benefits, so they carefully selected only the best candidates.

Among departments, the Bio-Research Division was particularly popular, attracting many newcomers eager to make their mark. The young Astartes, focused on battle achievements, saw combat as a path to glory, while new Bio-Research Division members dispatched to the Gears of War universe sought to boost their standing through local biological studies.

Beep-beep!

A few minutes later, an alert sounded on their helmet displays.

The map in the upper-left corner of their HUD updated with the drone's findings, showing the nearby structures. Upon enlarging the map, Taviz, Logan, and Mohn noticed a dense cluster of red markers in a cavern six kilometers north.

This indicated a high concentration of moving entities, likely remnants of the fleeing orcs.

!!!

Realizing that the red markers represented the quarry they'd been hunting, Logan and his Space Wolves couldn't hide their excitement. However, under Perturabo's command structure, Taviz, the Son of Humanity squad leader, held temporary command over their joint team.

Logan turned to the well-dressed Taviz and asked, "Brother, what do you think we should do?"

"Investigate, of course," Taviz replied, gesturing north. "Space Wolves will take point, Dark Ravens will cover, and Sons of Humanity will secure the middle as we advance toward the cavern six kilometers ahead."

"Haha! That's my brother! Wolves, let's move out!"

Logan let out a cheer, charging into the tunnel that led to their destination.

"Finally, a real fight!"

"Glory! Trophies!"

The Space Wolves let out fierce battle cries as they followed their leader into the fray.

Meanwhile, the Dark Ravens advanced in silence, flanking the Wolves from both sides to provide cover fire. The Sons of Humanity stayed at the rear, securing their allies' backs to avoid a pincer attack.

As per Taviz's orders, the Wolves and Ravens would be the first to make contact with the red-marked targets. Given the Astartes' combat efficiency, the battle would likely be over in seconds once they engaged.

Thus, Taviz's plan effectively allowed the Space Wolves and Dark Ravens to claim the bulk of the kills, helping cement camaraderie and lay a foundation for future cooperation.

Once the empire was formally established, the formation of new legions would follow, and every Astartes understood that their "grandfather," Samuel Young, would reward achievements with appropriate honors. Consequently, competition among trainee groups was intense.

But the Sons of Humanity, including their primarch Fulgrim, understood the importance of maintaining good relations with all legions, making Taviz's decision to let the Wolves and Ravens lead the charge both practical and strategic.

If Perturabo had assigned Logan as squad leader, the Wolves would still have taken the lead—such was their temperament.

Perturabo, though still young for a primarch, was well aware of the personalities of the Sons of Humanity and the Dark Ravens. His choice of leadership for each joint team was deliberate, facilitating cooperation among the different trainee groups.

While efficiency was always Perturabo's top priority, he also aimed to handle coordination matters "gracefully."

Once the Bio-Research Division successfully cultivated a batch of his gene-seed, Perturabo would gain command of his own trainee group, or potentially an entire legion.

However, it would be at least another six months before the first Astartes bearing his genetic heritage would be ready for service.

In no time, the team covered the six-kilometer distance, navigating the winding tunnel at full sprint and arriving at a high vantage point at the cavern's entrance.

The Wolves at the front immediately heard:

"Damn these pests!"

"Keep your distance! Don't let them get too close!"

"Sir…where are we supposed to retreat?!"

Shouts of panic and frustration echoed through the cavern as thousands of orc infantry and a few officers attempted to retreat further into the depths. However, a horde of fluorescent creatures—three times the orcs' numbers—along with other subterranean beasts, were pursuing them relentlessly.

To make matters worse, the fluorescent horde was composed of twisted, grotesquely mutated "orcs" and other creatures infected with eerie glowing spores. Some of these orcs had sprouted hideous tentacles from their backs, arms, and legs, making their already ugly forms even more repulsive.

The Glowers.

The Wolves quickly recognized these infected orcs and creatures as puppets, frenzied and mindless, driven by the mutating spores.

Their helmet displays provided additional data, courtesy of the Intelligence Division, which, aided by Samuel Young, was always prepared with preemptive insights.

"Heh! Glowers and orcs gathered in one place?"

Logan paid no mind to how the Intelligence Division knew so much about this universe. Smirking, he leaped forward, announcing on comms:

"Wolves! Don't miss this chance for glory—charge!"

"Charge!"

The Wolves roared as they leapt down.

Thud, thud!

Their massive frames, armor, and weapons hit the ground with force, leaving shallow craters

.

Taking advantage of the Glowers' and orcs' momentary confusion, the Wolves opened fire.

Bang-bang-bang!!

Whirr—zap!!

Explosive bolts and plasma rounds tore through the chaotic cavern.

???

The surviving orcs were utterly bewildered by the sudden gunfire. But seeing the fluorescent horde explode around them, they felt a fleeting sense of relief, as if they had been saved.

But—

Splat—! Sizzle—!

They soon realized that the explosive bolts and plasma were striking indiscriminately. The Glowers weren't the only ones being torn apart—the orcs themselves suffered the same fate.

"It's…it's…"

One orc, recognizing the Space Wolves, let out a terrified scream: "It's those giants from the surface!!"

The cry echoed throughout the cavern, overpowering even the sounds of gunfire.

Hearing this, the remaining orcs turned toward the Wolves' direction, just in time to see six Dark Ravens launching toward their ranks, jetpacks blazing as they dove into the core of the orc formation.

!!!

The sight sent a wave of terror through the orcs. Though they were "giants" themselves, they were no match for the young Astartes.

When Taviz and the Sons of Humanity also entered the fray, the last remnants of the orcs' morale shattered completely. The orcs' psychological defenses were utterly broken.

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