Everything about the Greenskins had already been transmitted to the Overmind through the Zerglings' vision.
"See that? That's the Greenskin numbers—damn it, there are more of them than my swarm!"
There were simply too many Orks. Even a rough glance showed that their numbers exceeded those of the swarm. This was no joke.
A dense green mass charged toward the mushroom fields. One Zergling, still dragging a mushroom back to the hive, saw this and immediately dropped it and fled.
The other Zerglings also released the mushrooms and corpses in their jaws and gathered along the edge of the fields. Row after row of Zerglings bared their fangs and claws, their wings rubbing together with rasping sounds to build momentum.
But the Greenskins didn't care about any of that. They charged forward mindlessly.
When the Orks were still over ten meters away, the Zerglings began their own charge. In an instant, the two sides collided, forming a brutal Warhammer-style clash.
The moment the battle began, the Overmind knew this fight would be difficult. The swarm's casualties were higher than the Orks'.
They were already outnumbered, and now their losses were greater as well. The Zerg, a race that would be overwhelmingly strong in most worlds, was being suppressed on this planet instead.
"Why didn't you send me to Terra from Arknights? At least there I could fight the Seaborn. You had to send me to this Terra!"
The clash between Zerglings and Orks was exceptionally brutal. A Zergling might tear open an Ork's body one second, only to be cleaved down by a massive axe the next. Elsewhere, an Ork who had just split a Zergling in half would be swarmed and ripped apart moments later.
Even in the dark and desperate world of Warhammer 40K, this was a vivid display of bloody close combat.
"Good thing I can still fight Orks. If it were Space Marines, a single thousand-man chapter would wipe me out."
The Orks also suffered from lacking proper armor and good weapons. Otherwise, the casualty ratio would have been even worse for the swarm.
At this moment, the rear units of the swarm suddenly changed formation. Instead of continuing frontal charges, they deliberately opened a gap in their lines, allowing Orks to rush inside.
It looked as if the swarm's formation had been torn open.
That's exactly what the Ork bosses thought.
"Boyz, follow me!"
But everything was part of Zasz's plan.
Once the opened area was filled with Orks, countless Banelings suddenly burst out from underground.
The moment they emerged, they detonated—some even exploding before fully surfacing. Green acid sprayed accurately among the Orks without harming Zerglings. Each blast took several lives.
In an instant, most of the Orks in that area were wiped out. The ground was littered with half-corroded corpses.
The Zerglings seized the opportunity to retake the position, then withdrew again elsewhere, opening another gap.
"Zerg Widow Mines, huh? Not bad. Zasz is ruthless this time."
This was all Zasz's work. With only Zerglings and Banelings at the front, he exploited the Orks' tendency to charge blindly, deliberately creating minefields for them to enter.
The Banelings, hidden underground, would emerge and self-destruct, eliminating enemies without risking friendly fire.
This greatly reduced the swarm's losses.
At the same time, Hydralisk units were advancing toward the front. These core forces would decide the battle.
"Primitive natives. Stupid and ignorant. Unaware of the Overmind's supreme power," Zasz mocked.
"Stop talking. You foolish kid don't know how scary Orks are. Even the Tyranids don't dare mock them. When you meet a real WAAAGH someday, don't get beaten senseless," the Overmind replied.
The Orks on this planet hadn't yet formed a true WAAAGH, let alone a Great WAAAGH or Bigger WAAAGH. For Orks, WAAAGH had no limit—only their leader's ability set the ceiling.
When the Hydralisks entered the field, they didn't immediately fire from long range. Instead, they moved among the Zerglings.
The short Zerglings didn't obstruct their view. When Hydralisks stood upright, they towered above them. Their alien heads pulsed as they stared at distant enemies.
The next second, thick spines shot out from body ports at supersonic speed, crossing hundreds of meters in an instant and piercing Orks.
The Orks' hardened, plant-like skin was penetrated as multiple spines embedded in their bodies. But this alone often wasn't fatal.
Though the spines had great penetration, Orks were incredibly resilient. They could survive even after losing limbs. Usually, only decapitation or being cut in half would kill them quickly.
Fortunately, Hydralisks had another advantage.
Quantity.
With each contraction of their bodies, several spines were fired. Combined with their numbers, every volley meant unlucky Orks getting their heads pierced clean through.
The Ork bosses soon noticed the Hydralisks. Driven by their love of battle, they roared and charged straight at them.
Against these thick-skinned leaders, the Hydralisks' attacks became less effective. Some spines couldn't even fully penetrate. After entering their bodies, they were clamped tight by dense muscles.
Ignoring the Zerglings, some Ork bosses reached the Hydralisks.
The Hydralisks showed no fear. Their sharp bone claws swung out, severing an Ork's arm—but an axe split a Hydralisk's head in return, spraying blood.
"WAAAGH—!!!"
The thrill of killing a special enemy unit drove the Ork boss into an excited roar, making him forget the swarm around him.
Zerglings leapt onto his body. Another Hydralisk slithered over, and while he tore the Zerglings away, it cut him down with a bone claw.
"Hmph. Brainless fool."
The Ork Boss himself had not joined the fight. He observed the battlefield calmly.
"Only idiots with Squigs for brains show off in enemy lines. True victory is killing every last foe."
"Boss… Boss… we can't hold much longer…"
A wounded Gretchin crawled over. Zerglings couldn't trade one-for-one with Orks, but against Gretchin, they were overwhelming.
The Ork Boss roared, "Release the Squiggoths! Let them stomp these bugs flat!!!"