Fire Wheel: Annihilator Tank

The frigate Rio Grande.

Nimrod had a sudden thought and pointed to the steel and other materials that the Chapter's servants had brought.

Use them to apply Simian Field to this ship!

Do not alter the original structure of the ship.

Nimrod recalls the Ordo Malleus of the future Calixis Sector, which commanded some Space Ape to build Simian Field to resist Chaos.

He used this frigate as a test; if the Simian Field could be superimposed on the Geller Field, it would be safer to travel in Warp.

The Space Ape immediately sprang into action, heading to a handcart and quickly rummaging through it to find a pile of parts.

In a flash, he made a steel mesh resembling a basket and filled it with materials.

Nimrod said to the Engine Seer, "Take him outside the ship."

The Tech-Priest's mask gleamed, and he only looked away a few seconds later.

His prosthetic eye's signal capture device could barely keep up with the movements of the orange-haired ape-like creature.

The Tech-Priest's synthesized voice boomed. "As you command."

He also wanted to know what "apes" that couldn't even speak could do.

The Engine Seer sends the Space Ape into the elevator, and then operates a drone to follow it.

The Engine Seer saw the Space Ape emerge from the elevator, cling to the black hull, and then its slender fingers began to move.

The Engine Seer's Mechadendrite throbbed angrily, its synthesized electronic voice trembling.

"Blasphemy!"

He once worked at the Mars Shipyard, building ships for Omnissiah.

Before each construction, the Tech-Priest and his servants would ring bells, sing hymns, and build according to a sacred template.

To him, the behavior of the Space Ape was like apes playing, ridiculous and blasphemous to Omnissiah.

The Engine Seer wanted to activate the cannon to kill the ape.

But then he remembered that the ape was brought by the Genetic Primarch, so he stopped what he was doing.

The Engine Seer suddenly noticed data flashing on the visor; it was a reading transmitted by the drone.

[The ape wasn't playing around/His modifications were effective/Impossible/Unreasonable/Illogical.]

The Primarch's consciousness followed the Space Ape. Once he began to act, his eyes flashed with light as he looked up at the outside of the ship.

His gaze pierced through the ship's hull, and he saw an invisible barrier covering the ship's surface as the Space Ape's fingers moved.

[At least building Simian Field is feasible; whether it conflicts with the Geller Field and what the effect would be need to be tested to know.]

If there's no conflict, having an extra layer of protection isn't a bad thing.

Thinking of this, Nimrod gave instructions to his Chapter servants.

"Provide him with the materials, and notify me immediately if he stops."

The Space Ape have established a connection with him and are no longer driven by their escape instinct.

Before leaving, Nimrod gave orders to the Space Ape.

[After constructing the Simian Field, return to the ship's cabin and do not make any modifications to the ship.]

Besides their survival instincts, Space Ape also have a building instinct. Let it do as it pleases, Nimrod doesn't know if it will turn this ship into a polyhedral open-faceted vessel for its kind.

The following day, the Fourth Legion arrived in the Wheel of Fire System.

After confirming through questioning and observation of Adams's aura that Adams had absorbed the "Gravedigger" potion, Nimrod promoted him to Sequence 7 "Spirit Medium".

Nimrod dispatched both the Fourth Legion and 8th Legion to Planet II to attack the Ork Fortress.

After discussing the matter, Mikhailovsky and Grzegorz, who were in charge of the war on Planet II, decided to deploy five experimental hover tanks on the southeastern battlefield.

The nine companies of the 8th Legion launched attacks from the north, west, and east respectively. After drawing the attention of the Orks, the Third Company launched its offensive.

Upon discovering that the Fortress Ork walls were just over ten meters high, Grzegorz immediately dispatched Vostonian Rhino to launch an attack.

A hundred Shadow of Order activated their jetpacks, trailing blinding light, and scaled the city wall.

Their objective was clear: to head straight for the Orks artillery.

Inside the command vehicle, Grzegorz gazed at the city walls. He watched as the assault squad destroyed the Orks cannons as planned, and then he gave the order.

"Experimental team, launch!"

About a hundred meters behind the command vehicle, in a black armored vehicle painted with gears, Tech Sergeant replied through a communication headset.

"Receive!"

Around him were screens displaying various data.

The Tech Sergeant gave the order, "Attack!"

Five experimental hover tanks flew to the city wall, and the driver pushed the control lever on his left.

The sphere on the tank's belly spun rapidly, churning a silvery-white solution, while beige parasites, about the length of an average person's finger, multiplied rapidly.

The solution splits to both sides and flows along the brass conduit.

Moments later, the solution was injected into the bullets.

The hover tank's two gun barrels spat out a series of bullets, hitting the Ork.

The tall, Orks men paid no attention, and one of them shouted loudly.

"Those guys are so useless; they actually used such small bullets as weapons."

"Those things are just scratching an itch!"

Unbeknownst to the Ork, a dozen or so rice-grain-sized parasites were tearing and devouring their green flesh.

The parasites' abdomens swelled rapidly, making popping sounds.

At this moment, the Ork finally noticed the abnormality inside their bodies, and they frantically scratched themselves.

After the parasites have eaten their fill, thread-sized larvae emerge from their tails.

The larvae burrow into the green flesh, tearing and devouring it, growing and spreading rapidly.

Within seconds, the parasites had spread all over the Ork's body.

The slow-witted Ork finally began to sense the abnormality within their bodies.

They felt a tearing sensation inside their bodies, and it was spreading rapidly.

"Shrimp's weapon..."

A tall Ork stared wide-eyed and screamed in terror.

He couldn't understand how such a small bullet could cause him so much damage.

His whole body felt like it was about to shatter.

The next moment, he lost the ability to speak, and his consciousness began to fade.

Sensors integrated into the bullet casing transmit data to the Tech Sergeant's experimental vehicle, where it is recorded in Data Crystal.

Grzegorz stared wide-eyed at the Ork on the city wall, who vanished as if dissolving.

He switched command channels and said to his friend Mikhailovsky in an amazed tone.

"The new tanks are really powerful!"

"The Ork is gone, his entire body is gone, it's more effective than burning him."

"Their fungal spores were all eaten by parasites."

"Is that so?" Mikhailovsky replied with great interest, "Then I'd like to see it for myself."

After Grzegorz hung up the communication, he issued the attack order.

"Attack!"

The Vostonian Rhino charged toward the city wall, its horns trembling rapidly.

Hundreds of black the Chariot crashed into the city wall with a deafening scraping sound, leaving cracks in the wall.

Rumble!

The entire city wall collapsed with a roar, and as the rubble slid down, Vostonian Rhino filed in.

The hover tanks advanced synchronously in the air, unleashing a barrage of projectiles at the Ork below.

An hour later, the hover tanks gradually withdrew from the battlefield as the parasite solution ran out.

After compiling the experimental data, the Tech Sergeant prepared a report and sent it to the Shadow of the Throne.

Thirteen hours after the hover tanks were deployed to the battlefield, Nimrod received an experimental briefing.

"Sir, the Tech Sergeant and Grzegorz, the company commander of the Third Company Captain Third Legion, have reported that the hover tanks are performing exceptionally well in combat."

"Sensor data shows that the Ork's body has been completely eaten away by parasites, with no fungal spores remaining."

Nimrod looked at the image that Arsena had shown him, nodded in satisfaction, and then asked a question.

What is their sustained combat capability?

"The parasites on the Aeldari Voidweaver, which live within the Wraithbone, can continuously multiply."

"Our hover tanks use an alternative method; the Chief Apothecary prepares a solution that 'produces' parasites at a fixed rate every day."

"After considering factors such as breeding speed and safety, the Tech Sergeant estimate that they can supply enough for ninety-four hover tanks."

Nimrod slightly, and after thinking for a few seconds, he spoke.

"Right now, it can only be used as a tool to disrupt the balance."

"Your Excellency is wise; Grzegorz reached the same conclusion after receiving a report from the Tech Sergeant."

He believes that deploying ten hover tanks in a localized area could quickly gain an advantage within a three-kilometer radius.

Nimrod listened to the report and nodded in satisfaction.

Although it didn't achieve the best results he envisioned and couldn't be used on a large scale, he was still satisfied.

"Name this type of hover tank the Beast-Slaying Hover Tank."

"Produce on a large scale and temporarily allocate them to the Third Legion."

"Order the Tech Sergeant to continue the research."

Mikel did not take all the "Apothecary" with him; the legion's flagship still had fourteen newly promoted "Beast Tamer" and thirty-five "Apothecary."

One after another, orc-destroying tanks entered service, Third Legion acquired the sharpest weapon to tear apart the Ork defenses.

Mikhailovsky and Grzegorz deployed them to the most heavily fortified areas of the Ork, conquering one defensive point after another.

The conquest of the two Fortress has progressed significantly, and the Vixatrix Knight Houses have arrived in the Wheel of Fire System.