Warhammer 40: Doom

Chapter 288: Still Uncertain
Doom teleported in wearing a combat helmet, followed by Stone Craftsmen and Iron Machines.

The target of this raid was located in a complex network of underground passageways. The terrifying thing was not the enemy within, but the confusing paths.

Without the aid of scientific instruments, even superhuman warriors would be separated by forks in the path and trapped in the endless corridor.

As he stepped into the massive crater, Doom felt a faint tremor, and the entire planet shook.

The craftsmen behind him urgently deployed detection instruments.

A super-powerful nuclear bomb is detonated simultaneously on the other side of the planet. The shockwave it generates will spread throughout the planet, reflect inside the filarial tunnels, and cause unstable tremors.

Stone carvers used instruments to collect seismic waves and build models of underground passages to guide the assault troops.

"My lord, the vibration measurement is complete." After organizing the data, the stone craftsman Victor used his mechanical appendages to project the internal structure of the planet.

The planet's interior resembles an anthill, with a network of interconnected roads. Over thousands of years, filarial worms have built an underground kingdom within the mantle.

"Thank you for your hard work." Doom nodded in acknowledgment, his left hand swiping across the holographic image to download the data intelligence.

Sophia's consciousness was inside the arm armor, and she quickly distributed the data to the assault troops, giving each person a data map.

“It is my pleasure to serve you.” Victor bowed slightly, nodding and smiling. A teleportation glow shone beneath the stone men's feet: “May you return victorious.”

After offering their blessings, the stone craftsmen disappeared; their work was done, and they returned to the Royal Majesty.

Just after the stone man left, a psionic barrier rose up, a pale purple light membrane enveloping the entire world and blocking any attempt to probe inward.

"My lord." Sophia's petite figure projected from Doom's left arm, reporting the latest situation: "The jammer deployment is complete, blocking friendly forces' astronomical scanners."

Doom raised his hand to check his arm armor—the best route to the atrium of the passageway had been planned.

He looked up and saw the soldiers fully equipped and ready to go, just waiting for his command.

"Automaton units, begin entry!" Doom immediately gave the order, initiating the first wave of deep offensive.

At the commander's order, teleportation lights instantly illuminated half the sky, and a large number of automated soldiers were teleported in.

“Automatic mech clearing mode activated,” Sofia continued to report. “They will spread out through the tunnels and clear out all non-friendly targets.”

As she spoke, the automated machine received instructions, released its combat restrictions, and propelled itself into the tunnel on all four legs.

The teleportation lights flashed continuously as two million automated soldiers entered in batches, forming a steel torrent that would disperse through the tunnels and wipe out the enemy's manpower.

The sounds of gunfire soon came from ahead, and the filarial worms let out a feeble howl as they were mercilessly crushed by the automated machines.

Two hours later, the teleportation light stopped shining, and all the automated soldiers entered the planet's interior, beginning their ascent deeper into the planet.

"Iron Man, lead the charge! Advance along the route!" Doom shouted, his powerful voice ringing in everyone's ears, thus commencing the assault.

The heavily armored Iron Man started its tracks, propelling its steel body into the tunnel section and heading towards the location of the alien leader.

Captain Odysseus of the Shield Guard followed closely behind, leading the Imperial Guard in pursuit. The golden-armored warriors followed the tracks of the Iron Man's treads, advancing towards their destination.

Then came the Doomsday Warriors, and finally the Night Guards, who followed the Imperial Guards without the slightest hesitation.

Doom strode in as well, joining the assault team as they ventured deeper underground.

This will be a long and dangerous journey, with troops venturing deep into the underground, navigating down tunnels for thousands of kilometers in the dark.

It is an invisible test of the soldiers' will, the reliability of the weapons, and the durability of the equipment.

Such assault tactics can only be performed by superhuman warriors; most mortals cannot overcome their instincts and will collapse in the endless twists and turns.

The filarial worms, hiding in the shadows, can launch attacks at any time, leaving ordinary people no time to react.

The assault troops moved quickly, advancing rapidly through the wide passages, and eventually overtook the automated infantry.

Doom took the lead, running at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, crushing all enemies in his way.

In the darkness, his vision was unobstructed, and he could see through the enemies hidden in the shadows at a glance.

The combat helmets are equipped with visual sights, allowing the Primarch to mark enemies based on his line of sight and share the information with the Iron Man machines. Within the next millisecond, a barrage of firepower engulfs the Fiends. The Imperial Guards and Dooms in the middle of the column closely follow the Primarch's movements, continuously eliminating enemies surging from the side of the main path to ensure the column's safety.

At the rear of the column were the Night Guards, who constantly broke away from the main group in small squads to guard key intersections and ensure the safety of the retreat route.

Even if everyone carries a lasso, it is still necessary to ensure the safety of the retreat route; this is the most basic principle of military operations.

The team advanced in silence, the sounds of power armor rubbing against each other, accompanied by the sounds of exploding shells and rays, echoing through the tunnel.

The front end is equipped with heavy firepower that cannot be stopped; the lower half of the tank chassis is as solid as a rock, while the upper half is equipped with unparalleled heavy firepower.

Deep within enemy territory where there is no live ammunition supply, energy weapons such as composite pressurized lasers, multi-tube thermal melting, and decomposition rays provide extremely long endurance.

Faced with the unstoppable advance of humans, the filarial worms destroyed the passage and attempted to bury the enemy human forces with mud and sand.

However, this attempt did not succeed.

The "gravity traction claw" of the Ironman equipment can effectively manipulate gravity, making it easy to clear such obstacles.

Even before the team set off, the Iron Man simulated hundreds of millions of battles, prepared countermeasures for different combat situations, and equipped himself with backup weapons.

Along the way, the assault troops encountered various traps, including lava diversions, flooded passages, and ground traps, but they overcame them all.
Despite the assault troops' armor being covered in dust and their appearance being slightly disheveled, their fighting spirit remained undiminished, and even grew stronger.

Needless to say, the Imperial Guards were personally created by the Lord of Humanity, and their will would not waver even in the face of cosmic heat death.

Beneath the Doomsday Warrior's helmet, his expression remained blank. The souls of these extraordinary warriors had long since transcended the ordinary, reaching another spiritual level, surpassing even the Imperial Guard.

The Iron Man's mind is filled with cold logic, calculating how to kill the enemy. There is no confusion or fatigue in his underlying logic; efficiency and tirelessness are his defining characteristics.

Such a force is a nightmare for the enemies of humanity.

Their will is unstoppable, their steps will not falter, and completing the mission is their duty!

The mother and father insects hide inside the heart chambers, no longer creating life. Instead, they lie on the ground and sense the enemy's location through silk threads, constantly sending out their offspring to resist humans.

But all their efforts were in vain. Their bodies trembled as the humans drew closer and the footsteps grew clearer, and their nerve endings twitched uneasily.

They couldn't understand why the humans of the Empire were so powerful.

Even after controlling human society for millennia and knowing of humanity's advanced technology, the filarial worms never discovered that there were such powerful warriors among humans.

Despite using every means at their own home ground, the tribe was still unable to resist the ever-approaching humans.

They marched forward filled with hatred, vowing to exterminate the filarial race and avenge their compatriots!

"Great and loving father, nurturing and loving mother." Inside the cave's heart chamber, the ruler, still existing in human form, knelt on the ground, worshipping his parents.

Its beautiful face was full of adoration, but its heart was beating uneasily.

Humanity's sharpness far exceeded expectations; their plan to lie low was exposed, and a comeback was no longer possible. Now, the filarial race is on the verge of true danger.

The governor felt a deep sense of desolation. It had intended to preserve this perfect body for future use, to contact the next batch of human colonists, and to re-spread the filarial infection. Now it seemed that this was nothing but a one-sided fantasy.

Within this atrium, symbolizing the origin of filarial worms, the governor saw fear, the very source of existence trembling under the trampling of human footsteps.

"Father, Mother." It knelt on the ground, its voice still elegant, but lacking its composure: "Go, leave this place. As long as you exist, there is still hope for our race."

With their immense power and some special abilities, the loving father and mother should be able to escape this deadly place.

"My children, we will not leave." The mother's voice remained loving and incredibly gentle, trembling slightly yet resolute: "We will defeat the enemy and live and die with you!"

She spoke with great righteousness, seemingly transcending instinct and displaying fearlessness, but only she knew the real reason behind it.

Humanity's powerful psionic beings have joined forces to activate a psionic barrier to seal off the warp. They have no way to escape; now, it's a fight to the death!

To appease the governor, the loving mother pulled the silk thread, causing dozens of silk cocoons to descend from the roof. She said softly, "We still have trump cards up our sleeves; the outcome is still uncertain."

(End of this chapter)