On a relatively open patch of ground in the Old Industrial Zone, armored personnel carriers and engineering vehicles bearing the Krieg insignia slowly rolled in, kicking up clouds of dust. Marshal Karis Venner, commander of the Death Korps of Krieg, stepped down from a Chimera, clad in a simple yet commanding grey uniform.
He surveyed his surroundings, his gaze sweeping over the rusted shells of massive factory buildings, the remnants of towering chimneys, and the crisscrossing network of abandoned tracks. This former industrial heartland was now reduced to a skeletal frame of steel and the scars of time. However, in his eyes, it was a battlefield brimming with potential.
"A fine place," Marshal Venner remarked in a low voice.
Krieg excelled at positional warfare. In Venner's eyes, the various structures and obstacles of the Old Industrial Zone were a paradise for defensive operations. With firepower nodes available everywhere, he was confident he could annihilate an enemy five times his own strength here.
Of course, that was provided the enemy wasn't something like Space Marines.
At that moment, Joker approached with several Helldivers. With a calm expression, he gave a slight nod to Marshal Venner: "Marshal Venner, welcome to Amarah."
"Greetings, Commander of the Helldivers," Venner replied, his response brief and forceful.
Joker skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point. He opened his portable data slate and projected a detailed map of the defensive sectors before the Marshal.
"We have conducted preliminary surveys and planning for the Old Industrial Zone. The Helldivers' construction teams are currently building fortifications and an underground network according to the established plan. Given the arrival of the Krieg regiments, we believe that forcing your units into the existing engineering works might cause confusion and hinder overall progress."
He pointed to the area divisions on the data slate: "Therefore, we suggest that the Krieg regiments focus on transporting bulk strategic materials and armored forces, while establishing your own logistics base. Most of what the Helldivers brought are engineering equipment; the heavy armor and supply transport can be handled by Krieg. This ensures a clear division of labor, with everyone performing their specific duties."
The proposal seemed flawless—logical and well-organized. Even Marshal Venner couldn't find any major fault with it. However, instincts forged through countless battles made him scent something "off," as if there were a hidden catch in Joker's words—though Venner himself felt it was ridiculous; what could possibly be wrong here?
Suppressing that subtle feeling, he raised another question he had prepared: "Is it necessary to concentrate such a massive amount of resources and manpower here? Will the enemy truly commit their forces to crack such a hard nut?"
"The Necrons' objective is biological extinction," Joker replied succinctly. "The more forces we concentrate here, the more likely they are to launch their main assault against this position."
Marshal Venner did not argue. Although this seemed to violate basic military common sense, Krieg knew nothing about this new enemy. Without a factual basis to refute the claim, raising an objection would only devolve into a meaningless argument.
He nodded and shifted from strategy to tactics: "I need to understand the specifics of the positions you are constructing."
Joker handed him an encrypted data chip. After reading it with his data slate, Venner scanned the contents. Finding no major issues, he said, "Once Krieg arrives, we will make some of our own signature modifications to your foundations. You shouldn't have any objections to that, right?"
"If it helps improve your combat effectiveness, we have no reason to object," Joker answered.
Venner nodded slightly: "In that case—"
He was about to say his farewells when a sudden, muffled explosion interrupted him. Venner instinctively turned toward the source of the blast, his right hand reflexively reaching for the pistol at his waist. The accompanying Kriegers also went on high alert, the sound of weapons being chambered echoing through the air.
"No need to be nervous," Joker said, his expression unchanged and his tone as calm as if nothing had happened. "The Old Industrial Zone always has some residual high-risk gases or something. These explosions happen occasionally."
However, the "off" feeling he had suppressed earlier resurfaced, stronger than before. Venner looked at Joker with a more scrutinizing gaze. He made a decision, speaking not in a tone of consultation but of command: "I want to go see it."
"Fine," Joker said with a hint of helplessness, as if lamenting that Venner was "wasting time." "As long as you don't feel that watching civil engineering work is a waste of your leisure."
The group proceeded to the tunnel where the explosion occurred. Through the Helldivers' construction efforts, this was no longer a narrow drainage pipe but a vast tunnel five meters high and five meters wide. The roar of excavating machinery echoed from the distance, indicating that construction was still ongoing. Despite the recent explosion, the Helldivers working here had already pushed forward a significant distance in a very short time.
Venner's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. The air was still thick with the smell of gunpowder and a faint scent of blood.
He quickly located the site of the explosion and, through the scorch marks on the ground, the cracks in the walls, and the lingering odors, rapidly reconstructed the event: The Helldivers had discovered a residual explosive during construction. Then, they had used the life of a single soldier to proactively detonate it, quickly resolving the potential hazard while minimizing the impact on the engineering progress.
Upon realizing this, Marshal Venner finally understood why he had felt something was wrong: From beginning to end, the Helldivers had never mentioned the casualty rate during construction in the Old Industrial Zone!
Venner let out a cold snort, his gaze toward Joker now carrying a hint of displeasure: "Commander Joker, we will build the positions and underground networks in the Krieg garrison zone ourselves. We won't trouble you further."
"This is not what we just agreed upon, Marshal Venner!" Joker's tone also became serious.
"You didn't mention earlier that performing engineering work here was a high-risk mission!" Venner stated firmly, his voice echoing in the tunnel. "You Helldivers take all the casualties here, while we Kriegers just comfortably move some crates and enjoy the fruits of your labor? I can tell you clearly: Krieg will not be grateful for this; we will only feel it is a disgrace!"
He gave Joker no further chance to argue, concluding directly: "That's that. We'll be here soon!"
With that, Marshal Venner turned and led his subordinates out of the tunnel in a whirlwind, leaving the Helldivers standing there.
Once they had disappeared from view, EGO stepped forward: "Well, our little trick was seen through. What now?"
"What now?" Joker glanced at EGO, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. "Damn it, we're really going to let NPCs snatch our missions? If they want to die, they have to ask for our opinion first! Their lives must be saved entirely for fighting the Necrons!"
He swung his hand forcefully: "Announce to the entire army: regardless of how far along your current tasks are, prioritize and snatch those high-casualty engineering jobs as fast as possible! I don't care about the casualty numbers; I only want results!"