As the Land Battleship advanced, enveloping itself in swirling sands, it contrary to the expectations of many, did not merely charge in and flatten the enemies before it. Instead, as it passed through the enemy control zone, it skillfully employed its Ion Shield to sever the enemies hiding within the trenches.
The Ion Shield differs significantly from the Void Shield; the principle behind the former is to project a mighty energy field onto a narrow arc, thereby deflecting and intercepting enemy projectiles.
In other words, if the shield is set close enough to the enemy and positioned between them, with sufficient power, it can slice through their bodies directly.
And that was precisely what this Land Battleship was doing.
Those arcs that appeared seemingly from thin air penetrated the bodies of the Cultists, cleaving their fragile forms in two with a sizzling sound, as the Land Battleship cleared one position after another amidst the efficient slaughter while facing the enemy's incoming fire.
Under the cover of the Titan and the Knights, Zhang Ge crossed the Vitrified Dunes formed by the crossfire and arrived at the positions.
At this point, the Cadian Shock Troops had begun the phase of disabling the explosives, traps, and similar obstacles set in the trenches, further solidifying each chokepoint.
The battle had almost reached its conclusion; due to the sudden deployment of the Titan and the Land Battleship, the casualties incurred during this transition to a standoff were far less than planned.
Furthermore, amidst the unceasing barrage of suppressing fire, the remaining enemy forces continued to dwindle, which was most visibly reflected in the loss of heavy armaments.
Not long before, they could still resist with various Heavy Armor and Heavy Artillery, but now those assets had either been taken away by the Iron Warriors or reduced to scrap metal. The leftover smaller heavy weapons could only uselessly sputter futile bursts of light around the two metal titans without ever breaking through defenses.
One could say that the struggles of the enemy were merely delaying their inevitable demise.
Realizing this, Zhang Ge lost interest in pushing forward to the front lines. However, he wasn't idle either; after he received word that he had reached the positions, the Imperial Fists Champion who had dashed toward the enemy upon the Titan's arrival quickly returned.
In the air, heated further by the energy weapons of the Titan, the atmosphere felt even denser as the nearly three-meter-deep trench echoed with the heavy footsteps approaching. Zhang Ge glanced up to see the figure of the Imperial Fists Champion, but now he had removed his helmet, and his serious face was visible.
Without preamble, his first words were:
"After breaking through, let your troops launch an attack against the rear of the traitors. This may turn the tide of battle."
However, immediately after realizing that his words might seem rather presumptuous, he continued to elaborate:
"This is a request. Though I understand this will come at the cost of more sacrifices, trust me, this plan benefits the Imperium... and, as my personal guarantee, whether it succeeds or fails, you will earn the friendship of the Imperial Fists."
Did he think this units' primary goal was rescue?
If the rescue was the primary objective, then after breaking through, the forces should head deeper into the sands, avoiding most of the enemy troops, and rendezvous at a specified hidden drop-off point to board the transport shuttles.
But this elite force of nearly two hundred thousand, including the Skitarii, had not had a single intention of only rescuing. Their other mission was also crucial: to make an attempt at flanking, based on command's judgment that merely defending would lead to a passive situation.
In other words, what he suggested was already something this unit was meant to do.
Thus, Zhang Ge had no intention of taking advantage of the situation and responded just as straightforwardly:
"These are part of our mission; no need to make requests. We will swiftly create a breakthrough once the main forces land."
Upon hearing this response, the Imperial Fists Champion nodded slowly and introduced himself:
"You can call me Oston. It is rare to fight alongside someone as upright as you."
It appeared that even with the Iron Fists' hardened personality, they still say a few kind words when needing something.
"Your forces are equally valiant, showcasing the honor of the Space Marines to me."
However, since the other party had complimented him, Zhang Ge didn't mind returning the favor.
But to his surprise, following this remark, the Champion continued:
"Is that so? After the war, I can introduce you to the Chapter Master, allowing you to undergo transformation so that you can become one of us."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ge broke into a cold sweat.
Wait, aside from whether I'd want to, is it really appropriate to mention this in front of all my nearby Bodyguards?
Feigning a moment of contemplation, Zhang Ge eventually came up with a relatively plausible excuse:
"Not for now, the recovery phase and adaptation period after the surgery would waste too much time, and my personal safety isn't urgent at the moment, so there's no need to waste that much time."
Upon hearing Zhang Ge's words, Amilia nodded and then quietly returned to her position.
At that moment, in the sky, a series of large flying vessels broke through the thick clouds.
Those were the transports used for delivering the follow-up troops.
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