Warhammer 40: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 287 Flesh Worms and Ether Fleas

The lower reaches of the Comoros.

Burns and the other survivors have been living here for almost two more years.

He missed the sunshine and food of Agathos terribly.

Although life is no longer as dangerous as it was when he first arrived in Comoros, the living environment has made him feel extremely depressed.

The light from the Comoros star did not reach the lower levels; apart from the lights created inside the shelter, the lower levels outside remained pitch black.

The human settlement has grown significantly in the past two years, with human survivors being rescued from time to time. The total number of people in the settlement has reached more than 20,000, which is several times the number when they first arrived.

Burns got up and went to the wall to pick some faintly glowing mushrooms, which were the only vegetables the human survivors could obtain.

The rising population has led to an increasing demand for food, but at least for now, the humans here no longer need to consume the corpses of other aliens that the Dark Eldar have thrown into the lower realms.

But the food nowadays is definitely not good either.
Looking at the few pieces of special meat in the bowl, these two pieces were fried to perfection.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen in the distance, the survivors were lining up to receive the food.

In order to provide enough food for more and more humans, Abathur used his abilities to remove all the genes that would harm humans from a batch of springtails, turning them into harmless flesh worms.

Although these alien insects still carry trace amounts of toxins, these are no longer a problem when it comes to survival, as they can provide humans with a large amount of nutrients needed by the body.

They used the ability of the insect swarm to convert biomass into something that humans could eat.

But Burns still felt uneasy thinking about what the food looked like when it was alive.
However, not everyone is as unable to accept it as Burns. For most people, as long as they are alive, what they eat is not important, not to mention that these chops taste pretty good.

"Uncle Burns, why aren't you eating?"

Looking at a fifteen-year-old girl beside him, Burns patted her head and placed a piece of meat into her bowl.

Looking at the other person reminded Burns of his daughter, who was about the same age as the other person.

This girl named Stella was rescued from one of the Bloodlings' experimental sites two months ago. She was even a naturally awakened psychic. Although her psychic abilities were harmless, her perception was exceptionally sharp. It was precisely because of her psychic identity that she was given to the Bloodlings as a test subject.

Stella was incredibly lucky; otherwise, who knows what kind of torment she would have endured.

Thinking of Lord Gao Yi's promise that if he carried out this mission, his daughter could enter the dynasty's best Loyal Succession Academy, and his family would receive the best care from the dynasty, Burns couldn't help but smile. As long as his daughter could graduate smoothly, she could become an official of the dynasty.

At least he doesn't have to fight on the battlefield like him. I just wonder how he's been doing these past two years.

The human slaves they rescued from time to time were the only way for these survivors to learn about the outside world.

Civilians from various worlds, and even many members of the Star Guard, told them about some of the major changes that were happening in the Empire.

When these survivors of the dynasty heard about the victory of Kadia, the return of the Primarch, and that their own trading rogues had become High Lords, they were all incredibly excited.

Listening to the stories of these newcomers, they all wished they could fight alongside their lord for humanity.

This information made the people from various factions in the shelter look at these dynasty soldiers with renewed respect.

Especially considering that Japas, who had initially guided them, was now infinitely more attentive to Burns, what if they really had a chance to get out? Wouldn't it be wonderful to latch onto a powerful figure now?

"Stella, eat more! You need to eat well to grow strong!"

Stella, however, forked the meat back into Burns' bowl.

"Thank you, Uncle Burns. But I know you don't like this kind of food. I just don't understand why you still don't like such good food."

Some of the mutated creatures we've found on our planet look even more disgusting than those alien insects, but every time we find one, we celebrate for ages! Being well-fed is the most important thing!

"That's because you haven't tasted anything truly delicious yet. A perfectly cooked Glock steak, fragrant mushroom soup, white bread as soft as a cloud, and fresh vegetables and fruits that are dripping with juice. If we ever get a chance to leave here, I'll treat you to all of them."

Stella, however, stared blankly at him, having no concept of what he was saying at all; she had only heard of it but never seen it since she was a child.

"I keep hearing you guys talk about the Montgomery Dynasty, but there's no place like that in the world. Even the nobles there wouldn't eat like that."

As he spoke, he began to eat large chunks of meat from his bowl.

"It's true. At your age, you would still be in school in the Dynasty. You wouldn't need to go through all this now."

Just as Burns was about to continue telling Stella about the beauty of the dynasty, the SCV placed in the square suddenly started moving on its own.

This sudden turn of events put everyone in the camp on edge.

The importance of the SCV to the people here has led to it being placed next to the emperor's statue, with people praying that it will not be damaged.

"Burns! Burns, come quick! The machine is moving!"

Gao Yi only granted Burns permission to use it; it would only be active when Burns manipulated it to repair things.

This SCV only moved briefly when it first arrived in Comoros and rescued everyone from the slave owner's cell; after that, it never acted on its own again.

Recalling how the SCV had taken the initiative to save everyone from their suffering at the beginning, Burns immediately put down the food he was holding and rushed over.

He had a feeling that something big was about to happen.

By this time, the area around SCV was already crowded with people.

The shelter's guards, dressed in combat gear, began to disperse the crowd, forming a cordon. The importance of the SCV meant that no one dared to be careless.

The SCV turned its body and scanned its surroundings, as if searching for someone.

When Burns pushed through the crowd and walked up to the SCV, the SCV seemed to have found the person it was looking for and began to use the drill on its robotic arm to carve a line of High Gothic script into the ground.

“Burns, I’m glad you’re still alive. I’m Gao Yi, your wandering merchant. I haven’t forgotten you. We’ve been trying to find a way to rescue you from the Comoros. Tell the Astartes and all the survivors here that I’ve come to help you escape the Comoros. Everyone, prepare for battle. Go find Abathur, and he will tell you what to do next.”

"Hold on, await the rise of the dynasty. The dynasty will avenge you for the harm done to you by the Dark Eldar."

Burns finished reading the line of text on the ground with a murmur, his face filled with shock.

Burns even felt a surge of emotion and almost cried; the importance of having a reliable and influential figure was immediately apparent.

Gao Yi's actions toward Comoros were certainly not solely for their sake, but Burns felt that he was just an insignificant officer of the dynasty, while the great merchant ronin still remembered him and were even willing to wage war against this hellhole for their sake.

Now, if Gao Yi asked him to commit suicide, he would do so without hesitation. After reading this, Burns immediately took out a dagger and destroyed the words on the ground. He then cautiously glanced at the humans surrounding him.

When others asked Burns what had happened, he said it was just a malfunction of the SCV.

As expected, it was their own traveling merchants who controlled the SCV back then, and those merchants haven't forgotten them! Now they've come to their rescue!
Upon receiving the order, Burns dared not linger and immediately found Argus, the salamander!
Argus, who was still plotting the next attack on the slave owners with two other Astartes, turned to look at Burns, who had barged in.

"What happened in Burns? Why are you so agitated? Has the Dark Eldar invasion force found us here?"

"No, Lord Argus! Lord Gao Yi is here to rescue us!"

"Save us?! This is Comoros!"

“Of course I know this is Comoros, but you also heard what the Imperial soldiers we rescued said: Lord Gao Yi is a man who can work miracles! If he says it can be done, it can be done! Quick! Come with me to find Abathur!”

Burns told Argus everything that had just happened, and Argus found it even more unbelievable.

Across dynasties and an immeasurable distance, how could the other side control that mechanical creation? Could this really not be a conspiracy by the Dark Eldar?! They want to lure them all out and kill them, and now the only way to verify this is through Abathur.

However, before the two even reached the camp entrance, the two puppies ignored the physical barriers, blurred their bodies, and passed directly through the thick walls of the camp, arriving right in front of them.

The border sentries and patrols outside the insect colony did not obstruct them at all, as they knew the insect colony was on their side.

Upon seeing these two unusual zebras, Burns and Argus knew that everything that had just happened must have been real; Abathur had sent out zebras to rescue them.

These two zebras were also the result of Abathur's modifications. They devoured a special beast, the Aetherhound, which came from the Warp. However, no one knows whether they were actually modified by the Bloodlings, as the Dark Eldar did not classify them as demons from the Warp.

They are among the few subspace creatures that exist in the Comoros.

Furthermore, they are now widely distributed in the Comoros and are a very common species in the arenas.

These creatures can traverse physical entities through a special phase shift, and this special gene was intercepted by Abathur and injected into some of the springtails.

Although they cannot be attacked during the ethereal process, it enhances their flexibility and stealth, making them a new type of springtail variant called the Ether Springer.

Especially in the complex terrain at the bottom, it is impossible to predict where these springtails will launch their attack.

Furthermore, the springtails' claws and teeth possess a special power that allows them to inflict more effective damage on warp creatures.

Although producing these springtails requires more biomass, it is worthwhile.

Upon seeing Argus and Burns, the two springtails transformed back into physical form and lay prostrate before them, as if inviting them to ride on their backs.

Burns and Argus skillfully flipped and climbed onto the body of the leaping insect. Now, in the lower level, without any vehicles, leaping insects had become an important means of transportation for humans.

The springtail came to pick up the two for a special reason.

Even Burns and the three Astartes here didn't know where Abathur was hiding in the lower levels, because they were worried that there might be traitors among the rescued slaves.

The previous attack on Abathur by the Dark Eldar was carried out by some humans who had actually joined the Dark Eldar.

Unlike those who have a Chaos faith and exhibit obvious signs of warp corruption, humans who worship the Dark Eldar show no outward abnormalities.

They disguised themselves as loyal soldiers of the Empire and infiltrated the human refuge; one of them even wore the clothes of an Imperial commissar.

He passionately proclaimed his loyalty to the Empire, even portraying himself as a resilient warrior who fought to the very end against the Dark Eldar before being captured.

The other person's acting skills were undeniably outstanding; he fooled everyone in the shelter.

The previous raid on Abathur, which allowed the Eldar to locate him, was orchestrated by this individual who relayed Abathur's information to the Eldar.

However, the Eldar underestimated Abathur's power, and they failed. The traitor who thought he had succeeded was also exposed.

After enduring countless tortures, he told the truth.

He was just a coward who feared death. The political commissar's uniform he was wearing was indeed real, and all the experiences he described were true, but all of those experiences came from the original owner of the political commissar's uniform.

He was merely a commissar's attendant. During the battle with the Dark Eldar, he ambushed and killed the commissar, which earned him the Dark Eldar's mercy. They then took him back to Comoros to trick the lowly survivors into sending him to the arena.

Those who can survive at the bottom are all decent warriors.

This incident also led to increased suspicion within the shelter, and even the plan to rescue human prisoners began to be abandoned, as Burns and the others were indeed unable to identify potential traitors among the crowd.

Both were certain that there was still a traitor inside the shelter, but they couldn't confirm who it was.

The world around the camp seemed normal when you first left, but after going a distance, it was as if you entered a different world. The void beneath the broken ground, shimmering with strange light, constantly revealed colorful rays of light. One wrong step and you were doomed.

And on the ground and the surrounding walls, countless fungal carpets covered it.

It turned the surroundings into a dark purple world of flesh and blood.

Abathur's creep did not spread into the shelter, but instead created an isolation zone for humans.

Otherwise, even with the help of the insect swarm network, these fungal carpets would autonomously absorb everything available around them, making it impossible for humans to survive on them.

Defensive tentacles, appearing intermittently, wriggle and attack any enemy that gets too close.

Meanwhile, green pustules that keep bubbling up appear on the ground from time to time. These dark green fungal tumors are like fixed, exploding venomous insects.

Any creature that steps on them will be dissolved by the corrosive acid.

Even when Argus and his forces went out to attack the Dark Eldar, they needed the guidance of the Zerg to pass through successfully.

This abscess and countless tentacles became a nightmare for the Dark Eldar who tried to enter.

Any other signs of alien activity have been found in this lower region.

The other Xenomorph survivors who once lived among the lowest classes, just like humans, have all perished in the Zerg attack.

The original organisms at the bottom level, as well as the various mutants that escaped from the Bloodthirsty Man's laboratory, have also disappeared without a trace.

These organisms are essential biomass needed for the early development of the Abathur swarm!
This once incredibly dangerous area at the bottom is now incredibly safe for humans.

(End of this chapter)