Looking at Jackal, who was covered in blood, like a god of slaughter descended, single-handedly charging into the daemon's lair, Emrys suddenly felt that he had somewhat underestimated this veteran who had retired from the Astra Militarum.
Catachan's tough men truly lived up to their reputation!
Wiping away the sticky blood from his face, Jackal turned to stare at Emrys, revealing a row of perfectly even teeth: "Kid, you have to hold on for me, or we'll truly be out of hope!"
In the blink of an eye, the roaring, mechanical chainsword brutally cleaved an evil daemon, its shattered flesh mixing with nauseating blood, splattering down like a waterfall.
Even with Emrys' excellent mental fortitude, being drenched in the foul-smelling blood and gore still made him struggle to control his primal reactions; his stomach churned, and he nearly vomited!
"Now, I'm taking over command!"
Jackal's fierce and brutal aura immediately intimidated the rookies of the 3rd Company. He barked out orders: "Everyone, based on the remaining ammunition, establish three staggered defensive lines. Follow me and retreat in order. No one is allowed to abandon their post!"
After witnessing Jackal's ferocious performance, the 3rd Company, despite trusting Jackal's abilities, still subconsciously glanced at Emrys, as if seeking his opinion.
"Do as he says."
Emrys was already very weak; even his voice had become faint and powerless. Every word he spoke, even every breath, caused a sharp pain in his chest.
It was likely that his fractured ribs had already injured his internal organs.
Such injuries should have necessitated resting in place, but the daemons attacking from all directions forced them to evacuate as quickly as possible!
After saying this, Emrys' head slumped to the side, and he passed out.
Jackal frowned slightly, squatted down, and pressed on his chest with his hand. He quickly determined that Emrys had suffered severe internal injuries and needed immediate transfer for treatment.
"You absolutely cannot die... kid!"
Jackal grabbed Emrys, hoisted him onto his back, and then bound them together with zip ties. His freed left hand drew a bolter, his right hand gripped the roaring chainsword, and his gaze swept over the men of the 3rd Company: "Remember, if anyone falls behind, do not go back to save him. We have only one goal... and that is to break out of the daemon horde's encirclement. I will not stop and wait for you, understand?!"
"Understood!!!"
The remaining forty-plus men of the 3rd Company still had high morale.
Ditz inserted the last laser battery into his weapon and grinned: "Don't worry, lord Company Commander, we will never drag you down!"
Jackal looked at the men of the 3rd Company. Although each of them was battered, their eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit. Not a single person retreated, nor did anyone object.
He had no doubt that if these forty-plus men survived, they would only need tactical training to become qualified warriors of the Emperor!
But, unfortunately... many of them would not live to see tomorrow's Sun.
"Move out!"
Jackal roared and was the first to charge out of the room.
The forty-plus men of the 3rd Company were divided by Jackal into an assault-advance group, a support group, and a rearguard group. The entire team advanced in order. If viewed from above, their formation resembled a sharp arrow!
With Jackal as the sharp arrowhead, they fiercely pierced into the daemon horde. The support groups on both sides ensured that the overall line would not be overwhelmed by daemons from the flanks, while the rearguard group at the very back... their duty was simple: to block the enemies from behind!
"For the Emperor!!!"
Under the surging morale, and with Jackal leading from the front like a god of slaughter, wantonly butchering the blasphemous daemons, the group's advance speed noticeably accelerated.
Fortunately, the number of daemons nearby was not too great.
Most of the demons pouring out from the upper hive's main target was the last human survivor stronghold in the middle hive, a counterattack position formed by a weapons depot and a food supply depot.
Most of the soldiers who had retreated from the front lines were gathered at that stronghold, desperately resisting the daemon army under the command of the few remaining elites of the Adeptus Arbites.
But... how long they could hold out was uncertain.
Jackal estimated that three days would be the limit. In other words, unless reinforcements arrived within three days, they would all have to return to the Golden Throne!
"Hold on! Don't fall behind!"
Jackal shouted slogans, his face growing increasingly anxious.
The number of people around them was dwindling, especially since many had completely run out of ammunition and could only desperately fight the Warp's foul creatures with tactical knives!
Just as everyone was deeply encircled, a flash of fiery red light suddenly cut through the smoke-filled sky, a dull engine roar trailing a brilliant blue exhaust plume!
"What is that?!"
The 3rd Company, already at their wit's end, felt a surge of hope upon seeing that light.
Their intuition told them it must be reinforcements!
"It's an assault barge! Reinforcements are here!" Jackal, true to his experience as a veteran of the Astra Militarum, magnified the image with his bionic eye and clearly saw that it was an assault barge!
Countless daemons abandoned them and flew towards the assault barge!
"Brothers! Hold on!" Jackal's temples bulged, his neck covered in bursting veins, as he shouted with all his might: "Our reinforcements have arrived, and soon the heretics will be driven... out...?"
Before anyone could celebrate for three seconds, they saw four brilliant blue light clusters, imbued with a heart-stopping aura of destruction, devouring the surrounding air currents and smoke, like a divine punishment descending!
Boom!!!
Blinding light filled the sky, accompanied by rumbling explosions!
The 'assault barge' that carried everyone's hope was thus obliterated by a single shot, exploding into fireworks in the sky.
Conversely, the joy on everyone's faces hadn't even had time to fade before they plunged into an even deeper abyss of despair. Witnessing hope shatter firsthand... was truly unbearable!
"It's the planetary orbital defense cannon!"
Jackal suddenly turned, glaring in the direction of the upper hive, gritting his teeth and cursing fiercely: "Damn those upper hive nobles, they've even lost control of this thing!"
He had thought that even if the upper hive nobles were cowardly, they should at least fulfill their mission. Even if the planetary defense guns fell, they should have thoroughly destroyed them, not left them for Chaos!
What Jackal didn't know was that some nobles indeed wanted to do so, but unfortunately, before they could achieve it, they were undermined from within, leading to the planetary defense guns falling into the hands of Chaos.
"Isn't it just a planetary defense gun?" Ditz was the first to recover, the young man bravely saying: "Once the Company Commander is settled, we'll charge with you and destroy it, won't we?"
"You make it sound so easy..."
Jackal rubbed his temples, feeling some pain.
As the name suggests, the planetary orbital defense cannon's primary purpose is to intercept attacks from space and low orbit. Its power is such that just a few shots can destroy a universe battleship!
In other words, without dealing with the planetary orbital defense cannon, Imperial reinforcements would find it very difficult to directly airdrop onto the world's surface.
Unless... it was an ultra-long-distance teleportation.
Directly teleporting forces, using the power of the Warp, deep into the enemy's position to destroy the planetary defense cannon, thereby providing air-drop conditions for subsequent troops!