Warhammer: Hail to the Void Lords!.

Chapter 952 (08.951): Harvey's Choice

"Take it away. Present this intelligence to our commander."

The change in sunk costs finally made Harvey make up his mind.

Although Horatio's orders to him were to destroy the data and evacuate as quickly as possible, the initial plan was to minimize casualties among the elite vanguard and increase the success rate of the operation.

But things have already come to this point, the original plan is no longer feasible, and the sunk costs of significant casualties have already been incurred.

If we don't gain anything from this, the entire operation will be a complete loss.

He felt sorry for the fallen soldiers and classmates, and also for the high expectations his commander had placed on him.

"Yes, Captain." Lieutenant Vox immediately began to carry out the order.

He released a specially modified servo skull from the power backpack on his back.

It was the meticulously polished skull of a loyal human, once belonging to an Interior Ministry official who served the Empire to the death.

Today, his service continues in another form, which is considered the highest honor.

Red optical lenses flickered in the eye sockets of the skull, and the surface was inlaid with gears and skull emblems of the Mechanicus cult using silver wire.

The skull is covered with various data interfaces and miniature anti-gravity engines.

It emitted a low hum, hovering in the air, waiting to receive new instructions.

Vox connected the portable reader to the interface of the servo skull via a data cable.

A faint green light flows through the data cable, representing the interpretation and transmission of content.

boom! ! !
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted, so powerful that the entire data center shook violently.

Dust and rusty metal fragments fell from the ceiling like raindrops.

The heavy steel door they had painstakingly welded shut was blasted open from the outside by an irresistible force.

In the very center of the gate, a huge, irregular crack is clearly visible, seemingly formed by being instantly melted and burned by some kind of high-energy weapon.

In reality, those weren't traces of melting, but rather the complete annihilation of matter. The horrific scene was caused by the powerful energy beam fired from the alien's Dark Spear, a weapon capable of shattering the frontal armor of Imperial heavy vehicles.

The steel at the edge of the crack was still glowing red-hot, and molten metal was splashing everywhere like lava, hissing as it hit the ground. A surge of scorching air rushed in from the breach.

Through the enormous rift, a hellish scene unfolded before my eyes—countless malevolent eyes gleamed in the darkness, along with the ominous, eerie green light emanating from the weapons.

"Enemy contact!" Harvey's roar rang out in the communications channel, instantly snapping all the Hellsoldier soldiers out of their brief shock.

"Fire! Free fire!"

"Be careful with grenades!"

"I'll tear out their tendons and savor the pain of these exceptionally stubborn savage monkeys!" A sharp, sadistic roar in Ida language came from outside the breach.

The Ducali Raiders surged in like a black tide.

Their movements were incredibly fast, with a morbid elegance, as if they were dancing on the stage of death.

The segmented, blade-sharp armor reflected an eerie sheen under the tactical lights.

Suddenly, the sound of gunfire erupted from the century-old silent Gothic building.

In close combat, several people fell to the ground the moment the two sides made contact.

The Hell's Vanguard's lines erupted in fury. Thermo-laser guns fired at an astonishing rate, emitting sharp crackling sounds, and beams of blazing red light tore through the darkness like the lash of an emperor's fury.

A Hell Soldier precisely fired a laser beam into the chest of a Ducari warrior charging at the forefront. The alien's armor was melted through, and the body, propelled forward several meters by inertia, collapsed to the ground, unable to get up.

But the Dark Eldar's attack was equally deadly.

Their venomous crystal rifles emitted high-frequency shrieks as these deadly bullets pounded against the Hellsoldier's powered armor. Initially, a significant portion was deflected by the sturdy terracotta plates, but soon even the armor could not withstand the corrosive effects of these deadly toxins. The venomous crystals penetrated the armor, releasing deadly neurotoxins.

A Ducalli rider was firing his venomous rifle, deftly hiding behind a column of Thinkers.

A hail of green bullets struck a Hell Soldier in the leg. The soldier screamed and fell to his knees, but with unwavering willpower, he continued to fight back with his pistol.

Before the Ducalli could adjust his gun to deliver the fatal blow, another Hellsoldier's laser beam ripped through the air from the darkness, precisely piercing his chest and pinning him to the equipment behind him.

The battle turned into a bloody meat grinder.

Relying on strict tactical discipline and heavy armor, the Hell Soldiers formed small fire support points, providing mutual cover and suppressing the enemy with precise and fierce firepower.

Ducalli, with his superhuman speed and agility, darted between cover, searching for every possible angle of fire, making each of their attacks precise and deadly.

“Lieutenant Vox! How much longer!” Harvey shouted to the lieutenant.

After firing at high frequency, his Hellfire Carbine needed to cool down, which forced him to pull out his explosive pistol and hit an alien trying to flank in the chest. The explosive detonated inside the alien, splattering blood and flesh everywhere.

On Lieutenant Vox's eyepiece display, the green progress bar was advancing at an unsettlingly slow pace.

twenty three%…

A fragmentation grenade exploded beside him, the shockwave knocking him to the ground.

He felt a sharp pain, and the armor status indicated that the connection point of his left arm was damaged.

But he ignored it, struggled to get up, and reconnected the data cable securely.

twenty three%…

100%
A crisp confirmation sound rang in his ears; the piercing long beep had never sounded so pleasant.

"Done!" Lieutenant Vox shouted, pulling out the decoded core and shoving it into the slot of the servo skull.

The red optical lens of the servo skull flickered once, then stabilized and rose into the air with a low hum.

"We're retreating!" Harvey ordered all his surviving men, his voice hoarse from the pressure of battle through the communicator. "Execute the 'Incinerate' protocol! Destroy this body and that corpse, everyone move to the pre-designated evacuation point B! Quickly!"

They didn't have time to collect the bodies of their fallen comrades.

laugh! ——

The roller skates on the heels of their boots popped out and locked with a pneumatic sound.

These specially designed, gyroscope-stabilized roller skates allowed them to glide smoothly and at high speeds inside the vast, dark Gothic hall while maintaining upper body stability and continuously launching oppressive counterattacks backward.

But these aliens were also incredibly fast. They pursued relentlessly, their shrapnel-like projectiles whistling as they hurtled from behind the Hell Vanguard.

The low-visibility cloaks made of dense fire-resistant fibers blocked the first wave of attacks for the vanguard. The poison crystal shrapnel burned small, rapidly expanding erosion holes in the cloaks. Soon, the entire cloak was destroyed by the toxins, revealing the battered armor underneath.

The scouts didn't look back; they simply slid silently toward the dark exit, leaving the firelight and explosions behind them far behind.

(End of this chapter)