Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 656 Fishing Guy Never Air Force

The star "Shisu" hangs high in the sky at dawn, generously showering its intense light and abundant heat upon the shimmering sea.

The several days of complete relaxation acted like a powerful cleanser, washing away the rust of war and the dust of the subspace that had accumulated deep within the souls of Chen Xi and his entourage.

Even Sergeant Major Titus's usually cold and hard face, like a steel relief, seemed to soften a little under the starlight—although he still habitually scanned the horizon with his tactical gaze, assessing the wind direction, currents, and any potential sniping positions.

They were traveling on a spacious local fishing boat, its wooden hull specially treated to withstand the wind and waves at sea.

The bow is carved with an indistinct image of aquatic deity whose sectarian affiliation has long been lost in the historical tide of the unified faith of the imperial state religion, and now serves only as a silent decoration.

Guterres and Mai Mai leaned against the gunwale, comparing the size of the fish they had caught, their rough laughter occasionally bursting out and carried far away on the sea breeze.

Dusk, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, quickly sketched the outline of a distant island and a strangely flying biplanet in the sky with a sketchbook.

Olegana did not participate in the fishing; she sat quietly in the shadows, a slender data probe extending from her fingertip, connected to the ship's navigation and detection system.

While seemingly resting, she was actually still silently monitoring her surroundings, analyzing seawater composition, sonar echoes, and biological signals—a habit that had become ingrained in her instincts.

The mechanical cat on the shoulder showed great interest in a silver sea fish that had just been caught and was thrashing about, extending its metal claws to cautiously touch the shimmering scales.

Chen Xi was enjoying this rare moment of peace.

He walked barefoot on the warm deck, feeling the rhythm of the ship gently rising and falling with the waves.

Seeing his companions' relaxed demeanor, the tension that had always been taut in his heart seemed to ease temporarily.

He even unusually refrained from thinking about Rostov's political affairs or Medusa's defenses, letting his mind wander and immersing himself in the embrace of this azure landscape.

Titus chose a fishing spot far from the usual shipping lanes, near an area marked "Deep Blue Cave".

The seawater here suddenly turns a deep blue, changing from a clear sapphire blue to an almost inky dark blue, hinting at the chilling depths below.

The crew—a few nearly silent servo servants who have undergone rigorous procedures—skillfully drop anchor buoys and scatter specially prepared bait to attract deep-sea inhabitants.

Waiting is part of fishing.

Time flowed slowly amidst the warm sunshine, sea breeze, and the gentle murmur of the waves.

Suddenly, Tetus's specially made, heavy-duty fishing rod, capable of catching small aquatic vehicles, bent downwards sharply and almost broke!

The bases fixed to the hull emitted a tooth-grinding metallic groan.

The reel spewed out line wildly, the high-strength synthetic fishing line tearing through the air with a sharp hiss.

"By the Emperor!" Titus roared.

His superhumanly imposing physique instantly bulged with muscles as he desperately resisted the terrifying force underwater. His feet were firmly planted on the deck, causing even the alloy plates to dent slightly.

"Something's taken the bait! It's a big one!" Guterres immediately threw down his fishing rod and shouted.

Everyone's leisure vanished in an instant.

MaiMai and Dusk quickly stepped forward to help Titus steady his fishing rod.

But the force was beyond imagination; the entire fishing boat was dragged and began to tilt, the hull creaking as if it were about to disintegrate.

"Stay calm! Stay calm!" Chen Xi shouted, stepping forward.

He did not directly intervene by pulling the lever, but instead quickly assessed the situation.

The psychic perception spread downwards like mercury, only to touch a chaotic and primal will—pure, violent power and a strange, indescribable feeling.

It wasn't purely a wild beast; something else was mixed in with it.

Olegana instantly disconnected from the data connection, and data streams surged in her eyes.

"Biological drag force exceeds the safety threshold by 300%! Structural stress on the hull has increased dramatically! There is a risk of capsizing!" She calmly reported the data, and the mechanical cat on her shoulder extended a miniature stabilizing claw, firmly gripping her clothing. "Don't give up!" Titus growled, suppressing his anger, displaying the unwavering stubbornness of a Space Marine. "Pull it up! Let's see what this thing is!"

A battle between humans and deep-sea behemoths thus began.

Tetus served as the main force and anchor, while Guterres and Maimai assisted on the wings with the rod pulling and reeling in the line, and Twilight operated the winch.

Chen Xi coordinated and directed the operation, ready to use psionic energy at any time.

Oregana quickly calculated the optimal angle of force application and instructed her servants to adjust the ship's orientation to counteract the pulling force.

The process was thrilling.

The behemoth unleashed terrifying power multiple times, almost dragging the entire ship into the deep sea, before suddenly changing direction in an attempt to break free.

The fishing line was as taut as the strings of death's harp, and every tremor of it tugged at everyone's nerves.

The seawater churned violently, and foam surged forth.

After nearly half a standard hour, thanks to Titus's amazing endurance and the combined efforts of everyone, the underwater resistance finally gradually weakened.

A massive, dark shadow slowly emerged from the deep blue.

When it was finally towed to the side of the boat, everyone gasped in shock.

This was by no means any marine creature they knew.

Its size is comparable to a small Chimera armored vehicle, and its shape resembles a deformed giant catfish or ray, but it is even more ferocious.

Its rough, thick, dark purple skin was covered with irregularly arranged bony thorns, which gleamed with an oily and uneasy iridescence under the light of Hisu.

Its head is enormous, and its sphincter is covered with layers of serrated, pale white teeth, interspersed with tattered fishing nets and undigested crustacean remains.

What is most unsettling is its eyes—or rather, its eye sockets—where there are no eyeballs, only two constantly wriggling, translucent, gelatinous masses, inside which tiny, needle-like, eerie green specks seem to flicker.

It lay paralyzed on the deck, still stubbornly writhing, its massive body slapping against the wooden planks with a dull thud.

Foul-smelling, viscous bodily fluid seeped from the body surface, corroding the deck and sending up wisps of white smoke.

"What...what is this thing?" Mai Mai murmured, instinctively gripping the laser pistol at her waist.

Guterres frowned. "A species I've never seen before. These thorns... this color... they look poisonous and extremely aggressive."

Titus released the fishing rod, heavy breathing echoing from within his visor. He drew his combat dagger, cautiously closing in, ready to deliver the final blow to the creature.

"Wait a moment, Sergeant Titanus," Olegana suddenly called out to stop them.

She had somehow retrieved a portable multi-functional scanner and was now conducting a full scan of the giant fish.

The mechanical appendages skillfully avoid the twisting fish body and sharp spines, extracting mucus from the body surface, a detached spine, and a small piece of muscle tissue, which are then fed into the analyzer's tank.

“Its biosignals are extremely unusual,” Olegana’s voice was a mixture of excitement and solemnity typical of a tech priest facing the unknown, “extremely high intensity, yet the life form displays unnatural… distortions. Preliminary analysis must be conducted immediately.”

She ignored the nauseating smell and the creature's death throes, her eyes flooded with data.

Chen Xi stared at the strange behemoth, the tranquility of the holiday completely gone.

A vigilance unique to judges permeated their entire being like ice water.

Beneath this azure expanse, praised as paradise, lies a dark and unfamiliar secret, seemingly the complete opposite of its beautiful appearance.

He nodded and said to Oregana, "Analyze it as soon as possible. Titus, deal with it, watch out for its fluids and thorns."

A muffled thud from the explosive pistol brought an end to the deep-sea behemoth's agonizing struggle. But the unease that filled the air was only just beginning to spread.

(End of this chapter)