Warhammer 40: Saviors Emerging from the Bottom

The warehouse where everyone was located was on the edge of the southwest corner of the lower nest. Several factories were located to its north. Many of the survivors in the warehouse used to work there, but they had to escape because of the outbreak of the plague.

To the east lies the high-density residential area of ​​Lower Nest, which is also currently the place with the most plague zombies in Lower Nest. The enclosed environment and high population density provide favorable conditions for the spread of the Nagle plague.

To the west is a huge junkyard where some people who have lost their ability to work and become homeless rummage through the garbage for items that still have value.

Further north lies another rather rudimentary small settlement. It is said that the workers there have undergone some kind of mutation, becoming stronger and able to complete the tasks assigned by the governor with terrifying efficiency. However, their community is extremely isolated, and many curious individuals who went in never came out again.

Now Xiao Yi and Redmond need to choose one of these four directions as their next evacuation target.

"Why do you need to consult me? You can decide this yourself."

Upon hearing Xiao Yi's question, Redmond paused for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Because I can't make a decision. These places are just another warehouse no matter how you look at them. Although they can provide temporary cover, they will eventually be exposed. Besides, without the weapons you manufacture, we can't leave here."

After saying that, he squatted down, dipped his finger in the chromium leaking from the flamethrower, and drew a simple topographical map on the ground.

Xiao Yi looked around for a while, then pointed to several factories to the north and asked, "How many survivors do you think are left here?"

"It's hard to say, but I'm certain there are still living people here."

"In that case, let's retreat to this place. As long as we can occupy the factory and resume production, we will have the resources to build a new army and establish a temporary shelter in Xiachao, which is ravaged by the plague."

"Okay, I'll go and inform the others right away."

"Wait, how confident do you think the governor is in recapturing Xiachao?"

"Probably less than one-tenth. This plague broke out too suddenly. Many troops stationed in Xiachao have been infected in large numbers and turned into half-dead monsters. So don't have too much hope. If we want to survive, we can only rely on ourselves."

After saying that, Redmond got up and left, leaving Xiao Yi behind with his old flamethrower.

"Sigh, that's reality. What do you think are the chances of us failing to break through?"

B-59, who had been pretending to be just an ornament, replied after a simple calculation: "Forty-seven point three percent. If you want to leave alone, the success rate is almost one hundred percent, but I don't recommend doing so. Abandoning your mission to escape alone will only make you fall faster and faster, and eventually become a puppet of the evil god."

"Then we'll just have to bite the bullet and go for it."

After determining his next goal, Xiao Yi began to try to fix the problems with the flamethrower. Time passed little by little, and by the time he finished fixing it, half an hour had passed.

The panicked crowd gradually calmed down under Matthias's reassurance. Together they sang hymns praising the emperor, igniting new hope for what was once a dark future. It was hard to associate the scene before them with the terrifying sight of plague-ridden zombies surrounding the outside world.

After eating a few strangely-tasting energy bars, Xiao Yi began disassembling the mechanically crafted weapons. After more than ten hours of hard work, thirty flamethrowers, fifteen laser guns, and hundreds of machetes appeared in the warehouse's open space.

"I'm going to take a nap first. You can distribute these weapons first, and we'll leave this place when I wake up."

The next day, when the starlight shone once again on the top of Bakda's Nest City, Xiao Yi and his group launched an attack on the plague zombies surrounding the warehouse.

The raging wall of fire was blasted open by the psionic energy released by Arya, and thirty-one fully armed soldiers, each wielding a flamethrower, marched out in orderly steps.

The plague zombies, which had been in standby mode, began to awaken after sensing the presence of humans. Perhaps because they had slept for too long, they forgot how to control their limbs, and many of them tripped and fell to the ground after taking only a few steps, dragging their fellow zombies down with them.

"Burn evil to ashes, for the Emperor!"

"For the Emperor!"

Scorching flames shot from the nozzle of the flamethrower, greedily licking everything in their path. The zombies that came into contact with it instantly turned into moving fireballs, and within a few breaths these evil beings were completely reduced to ashes and dissipated into the air.

Behind the flamethrower soldier, fifteen warriors armed with laser guns searched for any stragglers ahead. Any walker that managed to bypass the fire and attack their comrades would be met with their precise strikes.

There's no need to kill them with a single shot; just incapacitate them, and leave the rest to the flames that can purify everything.

When the warriors carrying chromium fuel and wielding melee weapons emerged from behind, everyone was completely exposed to the horde of zombies.

The number of plague zombies was significantly greater than before, and the group was like a small boat in a sea of ​​excrement, constantly being bombarded by the surrounding filth.

"This taste... ugh..."

The stench of rotting flesh mixed with the smell of excrement assaulted everyone's nostrils. Many who were facing a horde of zombies for the first time could not bear the stimulation and began to gag.

When facing Nurgle cultists, one crucial task for the Imperial army is to isolate themselves from the surrounding air to avoid being suffocated by the stench emanating from their enemies.

The novice commander Xiao Yi overlooked this point due to his lack of experience, and his team paid the price for it. A soldier on the periphery, unable to concentrate due to the stench, was bitten by a plague zombie that suddenly appeared at his feet.

"Mike, damn it." The surrounding companions acted swiftly, raising the zombies they were about to attack and tearing them to pieces, rendering them completely incapacitated.

"Are you alright, kid?"

Mike painfully pulled up his trouser leg to reveal the bitten area. Unsurprisingly, he was infected. The wound had turned purple and was itchy. Before long, the same kind of blisters found on corpses would grow around it.

"What should we do?" Mike was at a loss, and had subconsciously distanced himself from his companions who had been concerned about his injuries.

Just then, Xiao Yi's voice was amplified by psionic energy and entered Mike's ears.

"All infected individuals, go to the outermost perimeter to cover the other soldiers. The God-Emperor is watching everything here. Warriors who sacrifice themselves for humanity will eventually return to the Golden Throne."

"That's right, the Emperor will protect me!" Mike's inner panic subsided, leaving only his most devout faith in the Emperor.

Plague pathogens do not immediately turn their hosts into zombies; instead, they first damage the body's immune system and continuously torment their hosts.

In the first few days, the infected people are still able to stay conscious. As time goes by, their consciousness becomes increasingly blurred, until on the sixth day of infection, they completely become a walking corpse.

Only a very small number of people can undergo a sudden transformation like Cecilia, and it would require Nurgle's personal intervention. However, the Great Rift has not yet appeared, and the warp signal is not very good, so even if a blessing is given, the effect will not be obvious.