The fighting in the mine tunnels was bloody and brutal. Chaos Sorcerers often used sorcery to shift the underground passages, trapping squads of Astra Militarum in endless loops. Or they resorted to more violent sacrifices, collapsing the earth and sealing the tunnels to entomb the Imperium's finest.
Well, in the excavation zones, anyway.
The area Anthony was attacking now was a proper mine operated in cooperation with the Adeptus Mechanicus, equipped with large mining machines and reasonably reliable conveyor belts.
Several Astartes leaped down from above, landing on the mine's first level in great clouds of dust.
Fragments of ore trembled at the arrival of the Emperor's Angels. Anthony surveyed his surroundings. Blasphemous symbols drawn in blood covered everything. Empowered by Chaos, the blood still retained its vivid red color, and the tremors from the heavy armor landing even sent mysterious ripples across its surface.
Severed limbs lay scattered nearby. Clearly, troops had already passed through, but they had been unprofessional enough to leave the surrounding runes intact. That irritated Anthony.
They soon learned why.
The surrounding inscriptions lit up eerily, and the unsuspecting warriors were teleported somewhere else.
The inscriptions gradually dimmed. Beneath this ground, at a concealed altar, another group of sacrifices had their souls ripped out while the next group trembled in fear.
Countless human souls wailed through the inscriptions, then vanished without a trace in an instant.
Anthony and his squad had been transported into a large pit. Signs of fierce fighting were everywhere. Numerous Chaos Astartes corpses and fragments of green Salamanders armor littered the area, while flamers had scorched the entire pit black.
Looking up, they saw numerous firing ports. This might once have been a place where miners hoisted ore. Now the huge crane had been smashed, leaving only a thick, long metal