Escape from the Maw

The bugs were getting closer and closer. The wounded Aeldari closed her eyes, sensing the movements of the bugs within the fog.

Six scattered blade bugs, cut off from their node creature, were acting on hunger instinct alone.

That greatly reduced their danger, but they were still no threat to be taken lightly for a severely wounded Aeldari and an ordinary soldier.

And these bugs were certainly not the last batch coming for them. As the Aeldari's distinctive scent spread, more and more bugs would converge on this place.

"Two bugs at ten o'clock."

Mar aimed his gun, vaguely spotting two dark shapes silently closing in through the smoke.

The lasgun's shots lit up the dim woodland, allowing Mar to see the blade bugs more clearly.

One of them was missing a forelimb, likely an injury left behind when the Ork warship crashed.

Either way, the weaker these bugs were, the better.

The muzzle flash was well contained. Mar could use the iron sights to track the blade bugs' running movements and use the laser fire to break their joints.

One blade bug lost a leg. It fell to the ground and dragged itself forward bit by bit with its forelimbs and hind legs, its speed greatly reduced.

Taking the opportunity, Mar aimed his lasgun at the other bug. It was only around twenty meters away. Crossing that distance was no challenge for swift little creatures like these.

Five las shots to soften the carapace, three to destroy the limbs.

That was a little lesson Mar had learned during a defensive battle. At twenty meters, he had to repeatedly fire at a circular area with a radius of five centimeters.

The magazine's energy drained rapidly. Mar shot through the blade bug's head. Roaring in pain, it sprang forward with both