Chapter 332: The Necrons Awaken
In a peripheral system of the Cryptus Sector, on the Necron tomb world of Peltar.
Dozens of Tyranid bio-ships were in low orbit. They had been sent to find usable biomass for the main Tyranid force on Iphix. The grinding war on Iphix had consumed a massive amount of the Swarm's biomass, making the Hive Mind increasingly desperate.
A large number of spore-pods had already reached the surface of Peltar. Countless smaller Tyranid organisms were now hunting their prey.
Before Lucan had come to the Cryptus System, General Mellen had already transported the two million prisoners from Asphodel to this barren world. They had been issued some worn-out lasguns and enough survival supplies to last a day or two. Mellen had hoped to use them to buy time for Asphodel.
Now, these two million people were scattered across the planet, facing the Tyranids who were hunting them like animals, filled with despair. The cobbled-together autoguns and lasguns in their hands could not protect them.
Previously, the Tyranids might not have even bothered with this amount of biomass. Now, the Hive Mind did not want to waste a single drop. The two million human prisoners were dying at an extremely rapid rate.
In a mountain ravine, a dozen humans were hiding. They looked at each other, covering their mouths, not daring to make a sound. A pack of Hormagaunts leaped over their heads, charging toward a larger group of people up ahead. But just as they thought they had successfully escaped the pursuit of these Tyranid creatures, they failed to notice that the only two exits from the ravine had already been blocked by another group of Hormagaunts. By the time they realized it, it was too late.
The dozen humans tried to fight back, but the only weapons in their hands jammed and malfunctioned at this critical moment. Only now did they remember to pray to the Emperor, seeking the protection of their great God-Emperor.
But this time, it was not the Emperor who answered them.
The ravine suddenly began to shake violently. Countless rocks began to break away from the surrounding cliffs. Dark, greenish-black Necron constructs materialized from within the rock itself. It was clear that these constructs had already been activated. A moment later, a gate-like structure formed a green barrier in its center.
From the shimmering, dark-green barrier, one after another, Necron Warriors, made of living metal, began to march out. They seemed somewhat clumsy, as if from a long slumber, their joints even making creaking sounds.
Both the humans and the Tyranids were stunned by the appearance of the Necrons. The prisoners could never have imagined that such terrifying beings would appear here. And in the eyes of the Tyranid creatures, these Necron Warriors were nothing more than worthless inorganic matter. When a Tyranid tendril encountered a Necron tomb world, it would often avoid it and not engage in battle. They could not gain any benefit from the Necrons.
These Necron Warriors were the most basic combat and sentinel units of this tomb world. When the Tyranid bio-fleet had approached and appeared on the planet in large numbers, the tomb world's alarm system had been activated.
The moment these former citizens of the Necrontyr, now mindless killing machines, had awakened, the eradication protocols had been initiated in their bodies. Their mission was to cleanse the planet of all biological life, including the humans and the Tyranid creatures.
The Necron Warriors, without hesitation, launched their attack on all the humans and Tyranids in their sight. Their Gauss weapons could easily disintegrate flesh and blood.
And it was not just this small group of sentinels that had awakened. Necron constructs were being activated all over the planet. The battle on Peltar quickly devolved into a massacre of the humans and Tyranids by the Necrons. The small fleet of bio-ships in orbit did not carry enough ground troops, nor could they produce any powerful giant bio-morphs.
The Necron dynasty here was known as the Maynarkh Dynasty. During the War in Heaven, they had specialized in the destruction of stars. They would destroy entire star systems, along with the enemies of the Necrons, by annihilating their stars. But even for the Necrons, such an act was reviled. The destruction of a star system meant that the Necrontyr, the former masters of the galaxy, had one less place to inhabit.
The tomb on Peltar belonged to a branch of this dynasty, ruled by an Overlord named Zardathusa. The Phaeron of the Maynarkh Dynasty had been assassinated by the Eldar, leaving them without a true ruler to this day. Their technology could easily catalyze a star into a supernova, but it could also be used to harness the star's energy more efficiently. The Grand Prism was a product of theirs, originally part of an inter-system stellar energy transmission network. The humans of the Cryptus System had only been borrowing this equipment, without truly understanding its technology.
But while the battle was raging on the surface, the tomb world below had an uninvited guest.
The entire underground tomb world was shaking. Dormant Necron constructs were beginning to reactivate. The sentinel forces had been awakened, but the majority of the Necrons in the core of the dynasty had not yet fully awakened. Most importantly, Zardathusa was still in his sarcophagus, waiting for his consciousness to return.
Two Necrons were sneaking through the tomb. The sound of a metal staff tapping on the obsidian floor was exceptionally crisp.
"Sannet, look," Trazyn the Infinite said cheerfully. "This sleeping dynasty is awakening. The humans, the Tyranids, and this world's own dynasty forces are all fighting."
"Lord Trazyn," his Cryptek, Sannet, said nervously, "this dynasty is now in a state of war. If we are discovered, we will be easily attacked."
"What's there to be afraid of? It's just a branch of a dynasty," Trazyn scoffed. "I've been inside the home of the Astromancer himself. This is a small scene in comparison. Besides, the Overlord here hasn't even woken up yet. His reawakening process is not that fast."
Trazyn spoke as he searched, as if trying to find something useful in this slumbering tomb world.
Soon, he made a discovery. He touched a Necron construct before him.
"Hmm... it seems they haven't just awakened this dynasty. The alarm device here is continuously transmitting a signal. I wonder who it will attract. Sannet, do me a favor and see who might be able to receive the information from here."
Sannet sighed and stepped forward, beginning to manipulate the Necron construct.
"Lord Trazyn, there are several sleeping or active dynasties in the nearby sectors. But the most famous one is Anrakyr the Traveller."
"Anrakyr?! I remember that one," Trazyn mused. "He and I are alike in some ways. I collect the treasures of others, while he forcibly conscripts the property of other dynasties. We do have some similarities. If that one confirms the situation here, he will definitely come. He spends all his time thinking about reviving the Necrontyr, stealing the Silent King's job. He will absolutely not miss this good opportunity to gain more troops! Cut the alarm signal for me! I don't want him competing with me for things. Although I'm not afraid of him, that one is still very troublesome!"
Trazyn gave the order to Sannet. With a bit of manipulation from the Cryptek, the warning signal abruptly stopped. The surrounding Necron dynasties could no longer receive the signal sent out by the Maynarkh Dynasty.
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