Method to Conquer the Hive City

So it's you!

Rowan suddenly understood.

This name truly thundered in his ears!

The savior of Armageddon, one of the Empire's three chosen Commissars, Ghazghkull's nemesis (and star-crossed lover), the eternal nightmare of the Orks, Old Bale Eye...

Thinking back now, there were still about fifty years until the battle that deified Yarrick—the Second Armageddon War.

And this place was within the Sol Sector, so it made perfect sense for him to be here.

But that also explained everything: why this Astra Militarum force was so formidable, not only arriving with reinforcements at the most opportune moments but also repeatedly repelling Ork assaults backed by the industrial output of a Hive City.

As for that Venomblade tank that looked so familiar to Rowan, it should be Yarrick's personal ride, the Fortress of Arrogance.

"Who are you people?"

Yarrick repeated his earlier question, his brow slowly furrowing.

Right after he announced his name, the leader of this squad stared at him with a very strange and somewhat peculiar look, as if he had heard of Yarrick before.

But that didn't add up.

He considered himself nothing more than an ordinary Commissar in the Astra Militarum's ranks, nothing special.

Had he crossed paths with them before?

That raised another question.

Yarrick admitted that he might hold some minor status in the Empire—being a Commissar did make him somewhat of a figure, after all.

But the problem was, who was in the other party's squad?

A Living Saint, an Inquisitor, and an Emperor's Custodes.

This lineup instantly dispelled most of Yarrick's doubts.

To be fair, if a Heretic ever tried to deceive him with a disguise of this caliber, Yarrick would just accept his fate.

The credibility of such a lineup was so overwhelming that even if they called him a Heretic, Yarrick would have to consider whether he should shoot himself.

But the strange part was that these three figures, each holding immense weight in the Empire, were openly flanking the central figure and seemed to defer to his orders.

This was beyond abnormal.

Even the High Lords of Terra probably wouldn't receive such an honor.

Rowan thought for a moment. This question was indeed hard to explain.

After all, that Big Gold One had pulled him into this universe without giving him any initial identity.

"You may call me Rowan, a noble from Terra. At the request and support of an elder in my family, I have begun hunting down all kinds of threats to humanity and the Empire across the galaxy."

The moment these words left his mouth, not just Yarrick, but even the three standing behind Rowan felt their expressions nearly crack under the impact of that statement.

Yarrick fell silent for a moment.

Even for someone as stoic and nearly expressionless as he was, he now felt an absurdity hard to imagine.

Well, at least they were willing to humor him.

Yarrick sighed inwardly, then cut straight to the chase, shifting the topic to a new subject.

"What is your purpose here? How do you need our assistance?"

As an Imperial Commissar from the Loyalist Academy, Yarrick understood that every department running the Empire had its secrets.

Faced with such an abnormal situation, he knew clearly that choosing to ignore it and pretending to know nothing would be more beneficial to him and better serve the Emperor.

[Clumsiness is innocence; dullness is steadfastness.]

Ignorance was sometimes a form of protection, especially when he recalled the strange rumors circulating on Armageddon. The more Yarrick thought about it, the more he understood this truth.

Rowan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

As expected of Old Bale Eye, he was efficient.

It saved him the trouble of explaining further.

"Nothing special. Our purpose here is simple. I need your Astra Militarum force to join us in capturing that fallen Hive City, killing the Ork Warboss, and then..."

"Forgive me for saying so, but that's impossible."

Yarrick cut Rowan off bluntly.

Well then.

Rowan paused.

As expected of you, with that blunt emotional intelligence...

"Currently, not a single condition exists that would allow us to capture that Hive City. In other words, this is an impossible mission."

"Even with the Astartes joining?"

"Even with the Astartes joining."

Yarrick emphasized, "That Hive City is extremely hard to take. Extremely hard."

"Watch your tongue, Commissar."

The Adeptus Custodes standing behind Rowan spoke up at this point. "You are already showing signs of wavering in battle..."

He did not finish his words.

A subtle glance from Rowan cut off the Custodian's interrogation.

In this regard, he naturally trusted Yarrick.

After all, this old man's legendary battle was fought at Hades Hive on Armageddon.

Relying on nothing but a batch of PDF and Underhive Gangs, he had somehow held off the main force of Ghazghkull and a swarm of high-level Ork units, stubbornly enduring until the Space Marine reinforcements arrived.

Though an extreme case, it proved just how unbreachable a hive city could be under a skilled commander.

"Then, what do you think are the difficulties in taking this hive? What conditions need to be met?"

Trust in a professional made Rowan feel it was worth hearing Yarrick's opinion.

"First, the Void Shield. Our current firepower can't break through that barrier at all. That means only those cunning xenos can attack us, while our artillery can't reach over their heads."

Yarrick did not hold back.

"Mhm, and then?"

Rowan spoke, a pen and paper somehow already in his hands as he earnestly took notes.

Yarrick's eyes widened.

He was very confident in his own eyesight, especially in close-quarters combat.

Yet, Yarrick simply could not figure out how that thing had appeared in Rowan's hand.

After a moment's thought, he swallowed the question.

"Your Strike Cruisers have given us unparalleled orbital superiority, but their firepower still can't threaten the Orks."

"And the Space Marines—based on my experience, they're still excellent at breaking through defensive lines. But this Ork Warboss is cunning and seasoned. The area outside the hive has been turned into a Killing Field. Once you're in, you'll get hammered by their precise artillery."

Yarrick paused, then continued, "Of course, breaking through that outer perimeter is doable with your support. But what comes next?"

"The hive's terrain is a tangled mess. No one knows the layout inside, and we don't have enough armored vehicles for street fighting with those damned Orks."

"Our armored regiment's roster only has Leman Russ Tanks and Chimeras, plus two Venomblade tanks treated as relics. And we're already running low on supplies."

"No Hellhounds, no Storm Swords, no Storm Lords... Damn it, those [Armageddon curses] from the Departmento Munitorum! We had no idea the hive had already fallen before we got here!"

As he spoke, Yarrick began to grumble.

But this time, Rowan cut him off with a smile: "So what you're saying is, if these conditions are met, there's a chance to take the hive, right?"