"Thank you for your kindness! However, we only have one escape pod, and all of our starships here have already been destroyed. We have no way to leave."
"Even if we escape using this pod, there's a high probability that the tyranids will capture us and convert us into their biomass," Rhodes said.
Rhodes had previously talked with Elena and learned that this escape pod carried certain risks.
It would be launched into the vacuum of space, drifting within the galaxy while continuously emitting distress signals. Inside, there was a life-support system, but it had almost no propulsion.
If the human fleet failed to arrive before the life-support energy was depleted, the people inside would be doomed.
Rhodes wasn't willing to gamble on such a risky survival chance.
"This is our only way out! You have to believe that humanity will send reinforcements. This is just a remnant of the tyranids Swarm. Our chapter master would never ignore this planet," the captain said.
"I came to this planet in a starship, and I will use that starship to take you all away," Rhodes said.
"You! You have a starship? How many people can it carry?"
"I will bring the starship over at night. As for how many people it can carry, you'll find out then," Rhodes said.
To be honest, I don't even know how many people it can carry—because I don't have it yet! But it'll be here soon.
Previously, Red King had destroyed several tendrils of the tyranids motherships. These enormous tendrils were incredibly valuable.
Each of these mothership tendrils was worth far more than a few Bio-Titan, or even tens of thousands of tyranids troops. Destroying just one could yield anywhere between 3,000 to 4,000 system recharge coins.
Now, Rhodes' system coins had reached over 24,000, and it had only been a few hours. This method of earning system coins was far more efficient than killing individual bugs.
After all, these Tyranids mothership tendrils absorbed biomass from the entire planet, making them much more valuable than individual bugs.
Red King had already set off for the next mothership site, preparing for another round of attacks to plunder the biomass.
Rhodes planned to use 20,000 coins for two rounds of tenfold draws. When he checked the shop's lottery system yesterday, he discovered two shop benefits:
[A tenfold draw would count as 11 fragment draws.]
[Each tenfold draw guaranteed a "pity" reward, allowing him to specify a type of monster. This meant that at least five fragments of the chosen type would always appear in each draw.]
So, while single draws relied purely on luck, tenfold draws were all about the guaranteed rewards—essentially a test of wealth.
For example, you could choose Earth monsters, aquatic monsters, dinosaur-type monsters, ancient monsters, or mechanical monsters. You could even narrow it down further to cosmic beings or dark giants.
Rhodes' beginner shop currently allowed him to select from land monsters, aquatic monsters, bird-like monsters, space monsters, and mechanical monsters.
Mechanical monsters were a major subcategory of the Ultra Series monsters. Every mechanical monster in the Ultra Series was practically overpowered. Most importantly, many mechanical monsters could serve as starships.
Additionally, Rhodes never had to worry about mechanical monsters running out of stamina. After all, machines didn't have stamina—they only consumed energy.
They also didn't have to fear the Tyranids stealing their biomass or genetic material. If a Tyranids tried to bite into a mechanical monster, it would just break its teeth.
Mechanical monsters could even pass off as Warhammer 40K Titans, and their origins could be easily explained.
If Rhodes suddenly appeared with a bunch of ordinary monsters, it would raise too many questions—where did these massive creatures come from?
But if he brought a few mechanical monsters, the explanation was simple. Upon encountering the Adeptus Mechanicus, he could just say, "This is a miracle of the Machine God!"
He could claim that they were battle robots from humanity's Golden Age. In Warhammer 40K, the older the technology, the more powerful it was. As long as he could bluff convincingly, it would work.
Rhodes had plenty of ways to justify the existence of his mechanical monsters! If conditions allowed in the future, he could even start manufacturing them himself.
"In any case, my ship will arrive tonight. If there isn't enough space, we can make some modifications," Rhodes said.
"Alright! Thank you very much, Mr. Rhodes. As long as we can reach space, we can avoid the Tyranids attacks and wait for reinforcements from our chapter and the Imperial Navy," the captain nodded.
Given a chance to survive, he naturally didn't want to die. After all, he still had a duty to the Imperium—he had to rebuild his company.
"Alright then! Let's meet tonight, and we can talk more then."
"Wait a moment, Mr. Rhodes. You don't have a proper weapon, do you? Take this chainsword as a gift," the battle sister beside him said.
She then handed Rhodes a chainsword they had previously recovered.
This was a two-handed chainsword used by the Sisters of Battle. Unlike the massive versions wielded by Space Marines, this one was more suited for regular humans—just right for Rhodes.
"I also have a standard carapace armor set from a fallen comrade. If you don't mind, you can wear it. Having some armor is always useful."
The Imperial Commissar also handed Rhodes a carapace armor set. Several commissars had died, and their armor would have otherwise gone unused.
"Take this bolt pistol," the space marine captain said. Seeing that both the Commissar and the battle sister had given Rhodes equipment, he felt he should contribute as well. He picked up a one-handed bolt pistol and handed it to Rhodes.
This type of bolt pistol had immense recoil. Even the Sisters of Battle needed power armor and both hands to fire it properly. Only Space Marines could wield it one-handed.
However, given Rhodes' physical capabilities, using this bolt pistol wouldn't be a problem. He had no need to worry about the recoil.
Rhodes didn't refuse and accepted the chainsword, carapace armor, and bolt pistol. He did lack proper weapons and armor, after all.
"Thank you for the equipment. To be honest, I really needed some good weapons."
Nodding toward everyone, Rhodes and Elena returned to the cave where he had been staying.
"Mr. Rhodes! Do you really have a starship?" Elena asked.
"Of course! Don't worry!"
After reassuring her, Rhodes sat down and opened his system shop.
Then, he selected two rounds of tenfold draws—a total of 22 chances—and specified mechanical monsters.