Re-entering the Sewers

Ovilia's defection was a slightly unexpected surprise for Chen Xi.

However, the benefits it brought weren't particularly significant.

Aside from Chen Xi receiving a notification, 'Gained the allegiance of an Adeptus Mechanicus Sage, experience +100,' he didn't even get any points.

Moreover, the help Ovilia herself could provide to Chen Xi was limited, or rather, she was already doing everything she could.

As for the rest, it was nothing more than Ovilia herself joining the battlefield as a combatant, or her ability to create things for Chen Xi.

While the latter could be considered a decent perk, it wasn't particularly enticing after Gutierrez joined, as Gutierrez could essentially do everything Ovilia could.

The difference between the two was like a blacksmith who specialized in crafting plate armor versus one who specialized in lamellar armor.

There was a difference, but it wasn't that significant.

However, gaining Ovilia's allegiance at least ensured that she wouldn't disobey orders in the future, which was worth the price of admission for Chen Xi.

Furthermore, Chen Xi had originally only intended to use Gutierrez to keep Ovilia in check, never expecting her to work for him, so this smooth resolution was a pleasant surprise.

With Ovilia settled, Chen Xi needed to focus on addressing the threat posed by the Necron tomb.

This was a very direct threat to Chen Xi.

So, after receiving the token from Ovilia, he gave it to Mai Mai, the Rogue Trader, along with the spoils of war he had promised Ovilia last time, and had Mai Mai take a ship to the Forge World to contact Ovilia's sisters.

After all, Chen Xi himself was the Planetary Governor and couldn't just leave the planet he governed.

Moreover, Chen Xi also needed to deal with the Flayed Ones, making it unsuitable for him to leave Rostov II.

If he had been alone before, there would have been no choice but to make the trip himself.

But now, with Mai Mai, Twilight, and Gutierrez joining, he could free up his hands to handle more issues on two fronts.

"Mai Mai and Twilight are going to run the mission to the Forge World, and just the two of us are going to tackle the combat dungeon? Won't that be enough?" Gutierrez asked Chen Xi with some trepidation as he prepared his power armor and weapons.

While in tabletop RPGs, a Forge Master could kill a squad of Flayed Ones, actual combat was obviously different from rolling dice on a table.

It was normal for Gutierrez to worry about things going wrong.

"What are you thinking? You're an Astartes Forge Master, and I'm an Inquisitor equipped with a Relic, leading a squad of Sisters of Battle. We're just going to clear out some Flayed Ones. This firepower is more than enough," Chen Xi retorted to Gutierrez. "Unless there are other C'tan shards, or there are too many Flayed Ones, it's unlikely we'll fail.

The planet's PDF has been sealing off the sewers all along. If there were a lot of Flayed Ones, they would have started breaking through the blockade long ago. The PDF can't stop them."

"I haven't done anything like this before, so I'm a little unsure!" Gutierrez chuckled sheepishly, but quickly composed himself and said, leaning on his Forged Great-Axe, "I'm ready."

Although his self-designed phase blade-modified Forged Great-Axe was sealed, it wasn't as if he had no weapons to use. This Forged Great-Axe could still unleash the power of a normal Forged Great-Axe.

Coupled with the Bolter mounted on his jump pack, although he couldn't unleash the full strength of a Forge Master, he still had the combat power of an ordinary Astartes.

With the cooperation of Chen Xi and the Sisters of Battle, as long as they didn't step into a trap or get surrounded by a large number of Flayed Ones, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Once they were ready, the two of them took a Chimera APC to area A7-012.

This area had now been completely cleared, and the residents who originally lived here had been transferred to other surrounding areas. All that could be seen on the roads were members of the Planetary Defense Force.

Rachel had set up a large number of barricades here and deployed heavy firepower, making area A7-012 look like a war zone.

The presence of more than a dozen defensive checkpoints along the way made the area seem heavily guarded.

But in Chen Xi and Gutierrez's eyes, it seemed rather ordinary.

It wasn't that there were any loopholes in the defense, but rather that the PDF's defenses were simply too easy for Space Marines and Sisters of Battle to break through.

In simple terms, the defensive strength was simply not enough.

If it were the Astra Militarum, they might be able to stop a frontal assault by Astartes and Sisters of Battle, but they would still suffer heavy casualties.

Five Astartes wiping out hundreds of Astra Militarum soldiers on a defensive line was basically like a game, and while the Sisters of Battle were slightly inferior, they weren't far off.

However, this planet only had the PDF, so Chen Xi naturally wouldn't demand too much. After arriving at the entrance to the sewers with Gutierrez, he greeted the Defense Force Major in charge of the defense, and they entered the sewers together.

Because everyone who came down was wearing power armor and their helmets were fully sealed, they naturally couldn't smell the stench in the sewers.

However, the analysis instruments on the Servo-skulls floating around them began to analyze the air composition as soon as they entered the sewers.

"There are basically no toxic or harmful substances in the air. It seems that this planet's environment is indeed very good." Because everyone in the team was on the same side, Gutierrez and Chen Xi were chatting casually through their helmet comms.

"Rather than saying the environment is good, it's better to say it hasn't been developed. This planet has only been an Imperial colony for seventy years. Many things are new, so naturally it doesn't have the garbage and exhaust fumes that Hive Cities that have been established for hundreds or thousands of years have," Chen Xi responded to Gutierrez, but his eyes remained vigilant.

Although the Necron Flayed Ones weren't very strong, they weren't easy to deal with either.

If they relied on the fact that their team was strong and didn't take them seriously, they could really screw up.

And just as they were chatting, the Servo-skull detected something approaching.

"Attention! Hostiles approaching! Right side passage!" Chen Xi quickly relayed the information to Gutierrez and the Sisters of Battle, and raised his Plasma Pistol, ready for battle.

Hearing Chen Xi's reminder, Gutierrez and the Sisters of Battle also instantly adjusted their stances, each raising their weapons and aiming in the direction Chen Xi had indicated.

The enemy didn't keep them waiting long. In just a moment, two metal skeletons covered in tattered leather rushed out of the shadows and pounced towards them.

"Bang, bang, bang!" The sound of Bolters firing echoed throughout the sewer.