Warhammer 40k: Melee Warriors

"I...we are..." The immense pressure made Shi Tou even more nervous; sweat dripped from his forehead, and his lips became even chapped.

"It's alright, Stone. Just convey Commander Miyan's message," Koken encouraged from the side, which drew further displeasure from Fagas.

"Did I tell you to speak? As an Imperial soldier, you should respect and obey everything your superiors say!"

Fagas roared and slapped Komi across the face. In his attempt to protect his insignificant dignity, he sprang to a speed much faster than the rock beast's tentacles.

Snapped!

The palm strike didn't land. Koji firmly grasped Fagas's wrist, stared intently at Fagas with a blank expression, and then said, "No need for the commander to do it himself."

Komi shook off Fagas's wrist and lightly slapped himself in the face.

Fargas's throat bobbed, and he wanted to curse several times, but he was scared back by Koji's gloomy and bloodthirsty gaze.

Damn lowlifes...

Fagaz cursed inwardly.

Stone caught a glimpse of Koji's figure out of the corner of his eye, and his heart, filled with envy and admiration, gained some courage. For the first time in his life, he looked directly at the Shangchao people and felt that their dark skin was not as solid and reliable as their pale skin.

After listening to Stone's account, Fargas's face grew even more gloomy and displeased. Just as he was thinking about how to find a reason to cause trouble for the two of them, an urging voice sounded from behind them.

"Fagas, what are you doing? You're wasting so much time on something as simple as verifying your identity?" Captain Hunter, whose shoulders were etched with irregular, brownish-red stones, mocked mercilessly. His family was responsible for providing the best quick-setting soil for the construction of the hive city.

With the battle now at its most intense, the demand for quick-setting clay on the front lines is increasing day by day, which has led to the rapid rise of the brownstone family, which was originally ranked lower than the rose stone family.

Hunter's gaze swept over Fagas's shoulder and landed on the dark-skinned Komi and the other man. Hunter's brows furrowed slightly. As an Upper Nester, he, like Fagas, disliked the Lower Nesters.

But it is clear that disgust for the rose stone family, their rivals, is more important than disgust for the vulgarity and filth of the commoners.

The soldiers of Hunt and Fargas faced off, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

After listening to the report from Stone, Hunter filled out a document, then patted Stone's chest and said in a much gentler and friendlier tone than Fagas, "Alright, now you can enter the Upper Nest to complete your mission."

Fargas's pale face turned a rose-red with rage, and through gritted teeth, his eyes conveyed how much he wanted to tear Hunter to pieces.

Hunter returned the same look...

Gu Jian didn't care about the family feuds. He only felt that dealing with these insects was more tiring than killing beastmen and rock beasts. He immediately grabbed Shi Tou's hand and walked forward quickly.

Hunter glanced at Komi's back with dissatisfaction, and like Fagas, he cursed inwardly that these peasants really didn't know the rules.

The heavy, all-metal cast gate opened amidst the flashing warning lights, revealing a narrow passage just wide enough for one person to pass through. The sense of confinement was far more terrifying than that of a mine. If it weren't for Gu Jian leading the way, Shi Tou would never have been able to take another step inside.

Walking briskly through the 20-meter-thick gate, the view suddenly opened up.

The few sun lamps that can be counted on one hand are everywhere here, making Komi feel as if he is not in the nest city, but on the surface of a planet that can be directly illuminated by the sun.

The atmosphere on the street was not relaxed; pedestrians hurried by, not daring to delay their steps.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would carry news to Komi's ears, mostly about when the war would end, how food and energy prices had been rising for weeks and the family's savings were running low, and how an epidemic in the eastern city had depleted their medicine reserves...

This is the first place that feels like a place for living people.

Gu Jian looked around, then finally cursed angrily, "Fuck it."

Chapter 6: The Help from Committee Member Tran

It's like Grandma Liu visiting a large garden; everything seems new and unusual.

Let alone Stone, who grew up digging for stones in the dark, even Komi, who has read many Warhammer articles and settings, couldn't help but look at him with curiosity.

The pictures in the book can never quite capture the breathtaking power of the actual scene.

Take, for example, a square apartment building a few hundred meters away. If we roughly estimate that it is two or three thousand meters tall based on the standard of three meters per floor, the top floor is even shrouded in cloud-like mist, and the lights on the top floor cast a hazy glow onto the street.

They looked around curiously, but the passersby didn't give them friendly looks. If it weren't for the fact that the two were well-equipped and the dried blood on Gu Jian's body was quite frightening, they would have reported them to the law enforcement officers long ago.

After the initial excitement wore off, even the dull-witted stone sensed the omnipresent hostility of the mortal. He lowered his head once more and walked in the footprints of the old man.

"You don't like it here, do you?" Komi asked casually, and Ishi nodded silently.

The streets were not only filled with passersby, but also with spontaneously formed patrol teams. They held the same status as the mobilization corps, only with some differences in function.

Patrols are responsible for protecting their own neighborhoods, while mobilization forces are sent to the most arduous battlefields to wage wars of attrition against the orcs.

This similarity in status brought new trouble to the two. Just as Koji was using the map given to him by Miyan to determine the direction of the command post, a patrol of soldiers walked towards him and Ishi with disgusted expressions.

Ishi tugged at Komi's sleeve, but Komi turned away, showing no liking for these soldiers with their pale skin.

"What do you want?" Koji asked coldly, the threat in his tone causing the patrolling soldiers to stop in their tracks. When they realized they were being intimidated by a lowly commoner, they felt even more enraged.

"Two lowly commoners!" a patrolling soldier shouted, pointing at Komi's nose. "What right do you have to step into this place? Look at your filthy skin and hunched bodies, how dare you wear the armor bestowed upon you by the Emperor? I bet you stole it!"

Before Gu Jian could say anything, Shi Tou couldn't hold back any longer. He glared at him and stammered, "No, we're from the Mobilization Corps, how could we have stolen or robbed it?"

But if someone wants to cause trouble, they don't care whether you've eaten one bowl of noodles or two.

Koji could tolerate Fagas, who had family backing and was nominally and de facto his superior, to some extent. After all, in the dark and cruel regime of the Human Empire, the punishment for offending a superior was almost comparable to that for betrayal.

Death is considered a good end; the worst thing is being transformed into a mindless, tearless machine servant, with one's soul trapped in a dazed and confused body, rotting and decaying.

But these patrolling soldiers aren't superiors; they're equals. If Sergeant Mi Yang is willing to back up and vouch for Gu Jian, Gu Jian's adjutant status will be higher than these guys'.

Before the next insult could be uttered, Komi's fist had already slammed into the face of the nearest person, breaking his nose on the spot, and the spurting blood stained his pale face red.

"What are you doing!" Stunned by the fact that the lowly people dared to resist, the patrolling soldiers, who were also lacking in combat experience and training, hurriedly pulled the weapons they were carrying on their backs.

Before they could even assume a firing stance, Komi quickly knocked them to the ground with punch after punch. Seeing Komi's ferocity, even the usually timid Ishiba felt a surge of rebellious fire within him.

Fuck!

You are the ones who are the lowest of the low!

Your weapons were stolen!

You are the ones who have disgraced the Emperor!

When the stone was thrown, the old miner's ferocity in his struggle against the ore was even greater than that of Komi, who was holding back his strength.

He punched the patrolling soldier in the chin, sending him flying several centimeters into the air.

Seeing that Shi Tou had been too rough, Gu Jian immediately caught him in his arms. His attack hadn't been out of anger; he had a specific plan...

"What are you doing!" A thunderous shout rang out, and the entire street fell silent instantly because of it, demonstrating the immense pressure this person exerted.

Komi turned around and gave the newcomers a standard Eagle Salute. "Greetings, Committee Member! These people are obstructing me from delivering this valuable battle report to my superiors! They have shown me absolutely no respect as their adjutant!"

Committee member Tran, whose face bore a terrible scar, stared at Komi like a wolf spotting its prey.

As a formal commissioner, he had personally killed far more enemies and executed far more cowards on the battlefield than anyone present knew, and for that reason he was qualified to wield a bomb pistol and a chainsaw sword made for mortals.

I'm so damn envious...

Komi tried his best to keep his eyes off Committee Member Tran's weapon, which seemed rather shabby in comparison to the weapon he had inherited from the dead.

"You say you have a mission, why don't you tell me about it first?" Commissioner Tran didn't even glance at the patrolling soldiers groaning on the ground. He was already in a good mood by not kicking them a couple of times in anger because of their cowardly behavior.

Komi repeated the story to Commissioner Tran and showed Commissioner Tran the laser pistol that Miyan had given him.

Committee member Tran was indeed knowledgeable; he immediately recognized that the laser pistol in Komi's hand came from the world of Cardia Fortress, and he trusted him more.

However, the committee member's observation went beyond that. Pointing to the laser pistol, he asked, "You fired a shot?"

“Uh…yes. The road from the lower nest to the upper nest is not safe. There were originally three of us, but one of us has already passed away.”

“May the Emperor have mercy on his soul,” Commissioner Tran said, repeating words he had uttered countless times. “Don’t be too stingy with bullets; it is a sin not to empty your weapon before you die.”

"Huh?" Koji blinked, somewhat bewildered by Committee Member Tran's advice, but he understood the next second.

Imperial commissioners are responsible for monitoring the morale of soldiers, ensuring they can maintain their hatred for the enemy even in the most difficult times.

The gun muzzle, glowing red from excessive firing, is proof of overflowing hatred. The commissioner won't curse you for running out of bullets; he'll execute you mercilessly when the battle is over and the muzzle is cold.

Rather than saying the Imperial army was a bunch of gun-wielding cannon fodder, it would be more accurate to say that the Empire provided its weapons with human firing platforms.

Koji twitched the corners of his mouth at this dark humor, wanting to laugh yet feeling incredibly sad.

Then he watched as Commissioner Tran pulled up the patrol soldiers lying on the ground one by one, whipping them to their feet with fists that, while not physically harmful, were extremely painful.

"You bunch of cowards! Spineless worms! Snotty-nosed brats! Do you think such a minor injury can render you incapable of fighting? If the great Emperor were to actually look at you, he would be furious with you!"

The patrolling soldiers received their due punishment, perhaps a flogging, perhaps being sent to the front lines, but Gu Jian didn't care. He only wished that his punches could have landed on the faces of Fagas and Hunter.

Chapter 7: The Art of Application Lies in One's Mind

"Lieutenant, you're so handsome!" Ishiba was getting more and more comfortable calling Komi by his name. As a man in his late twenties, he could still show the excitement of a seven or eight-year-old child. "I knew the committee would uphold justice!"

Komi stopped Ishi's fantasy, covering his mouth with her finger and explaining, "No, Ishi. It's not that the committee member was upholding the law impartially, but that I took advantage of the committee member's trust in us."

"Trust? You knew that committee member before, adjutant?"

No, I don't know him.

Hearing Komi's answer, Ishi was even more confused. He scratched his head, unable to understand it no matter how hard he tried.

Koji smiled and continued, "Do you remember how trainee committee member Enho evaluated us? I mean, us miners."

"Uh..." Stone blinked, trying hard to recall what Committee Member Enho had said, and then blurted out a few words, "clumsy, timid, brainless, polio..."

Koji's face darkened. "I was saying nice things, not when he was cursing us."

"Strong, obedient, and simple-minded?"

“That’s right.” Komi looked intently at the stone. “Strong, obedient, and simple. These three simple words have already summarized what a standard soldier should be like. Strength proves that we have combat capabilities, obedience proves that we have the awareness to obey orders from superiors, and simplicity proves that we will not play tricks on our superiors.”

Although Commissioner Enhuo always scolded us, he also scolded the patrol team in Shangchao, saying that they had been corrupted by the atmosphere in Shangchao, and that everyone was thinking about taking shortcuts and finding ways to cheat, and that they did not look like soldiers.

Although the mobilization corps was frighteningly weak in its early days, much to the disappointment of the command, it has shown signs of maturity after being nourished by countless lives lost in actual combat.

These reasons led to Commissioner Tran's trust in us, and consequently, his bias towards us. If we look at it from another angle, the members of the Conscription Corps are all petty thieves; even if we were completely in the right just now, Commissioner Tran could find a suitable excuse to blame both sides equally, believe it or not.

"Uh... I believe you?"

Well, it's obvious he didn't understand.

Gu Jian shook his head, sighed, and said in a pretentious tone, "The key to its application lies in one's own mind, Stone. Study hard, and once you understand it, you will be able to stand out from the crowd."

Stone seemed to understand, but he just nodded vigorously. Although he didn't understand what Komi meant, he could tell from the fact that Komi had said so much without getting stuck that he must have said something very profound.

That's how the foreman always gives his reports; that chubby guy can talk on stage for three to five hours straight without getting tired.

After walking for half a day, Gu Jian finally saw the command post that Mi Yang had mentioned.