Under the diligent efforts of the Drones and Zerglings, the nutrient pools and spawning pools around the Swarm Overmind are now filled with biomass.
While expanding the Swarm's numbers, the Overmind is also busy incubating the colossal Leviathan.
At the same time, to enable the Swarm to utilize biomass from other creatures, the Overmind deliberately hatched a very famous Zerg.
Abathur
This is a Zerg of the same model as Abathur. It resembles a Cerebrate, with a massive body and a swollen head, but a very small face. The mandibles beneath its head open and close, dripping green acidic fluid.
It also possesses several pairs of segmented limbs of varying sizes. These limbs are as dexterous as hands, making it immediately clear that this is a specialized unit adept at intricate work, with weak combat capabilities.
This thing isn't cheap either.
The special Zerg strains all consume a significant amount of biomass.
Don't be fooled by this creature's lack of combat prowess; every organ within its body is highly efficient and powerful, representing the essence of various species' biology.
It bows down to pledge loyalty to the Swarm Overmind.
"Supreme, Exalted, Overmind. Serve you."
Good. From today, your name is Abathur.
The Overmind gave it a catchy name.
You will guide the genetic evolution of the Zerg or create entirely new species.
"Affirmative. Observe entities. Uncover potential. Study lineage. Adjust sequence. Distill essence. Dissect structure. Reassemble. Achieve perfection."
This stuttering way of speaking is identical to Abathur's.
Perhaps they find this mode of communication more efficient.
Go and collect essences, Abathur.
"Yes."
Abathur wriggles its body towards the spawning pools near the Overmind. It is escorted by a large number of Roaches and Hydralisks to prevent any accidents from befalling this precious Swarm Evolution Master.
Once the Leviathan is built, it will be relocated inside. Its importance is only slightly lower than that of a Cerebrate. Even if a Hierophant dies, Abathur must not.
In the sky, swarms of Mutalisks, or flying units, are already patrolling the planet. But anyone with a discerning eye can see that the number of these Mutalisks is far less than that of Tyranid Gargoyles.
Currently, the Swarm's production rate still falls short of that of a Tyranid Hive Fleet of similar scale.
The Overmind is aware of this.
Biomass is temporarily sufficient, but Larvae are running low. Time to establish a Hatchery.
A Hatchery is the Zerg base in StarCraft, the primary facility for spawning Larvae.
The Overmind also has the ability to produce Larvae, but its current output isn't high enough. It's perfectly feasible to build multiple Hatcheries as spawning grounds to meet daily and even wartime Larva consumption.
Hmm, we have enough biomass now. Let's build one. But it has to be far away from me. I don't want a low-orbit strike wiping out all my Hatcheries at once.
A Drone, accompanied by escorting Swarm units, begins crawling into the distance.
At this point, a quarter of the planet is already completely covered by Creep, which can transport biomass and meet the Drones' needs.
They stop several thousand kilometers away from the Overmind. The Drone burrows into the ground, then the DNA sequences within its body begin to reorganize. It visibly swells and expands, transforming from a truck-sized Drone into a massive, fleshy structure.
This structure somewhat resembles the Overmind, looking like a temple, pyramid, or fortress. However, it doesn't possess significant combat capabilities itself.
Its primary functions are to generate Creep, produce Larvae, and process raw materials into nutrients for Zerg mutation.
Theoretically speaking, as long as the Swarm commander lives, a single Larva can morph into a Drone, and a single Drone can mutate into a Hatchery.
This is actually an area where the Zerg Swarm surpasses the Tyranids.
Tyranid organisms generally lack the ability to suddenly mutate into production units. Whether it's the Genestealers, which reproduce using local biological genetic material as a template, or the numerous other Tyranid bio-forms, they can usually only produce some low-level Tyranid units used as ammunition.
They cannot truly transform from one creature into countless others.
The Zerg Swarm truly embodies the concept of "one Larva spawns ten thousand."
Alright, now we have two Larva production facilities.
The Overmind could build more Hatcheries, but the planet's biomass isn't abundant. The number of Orks is still too small, only in the range of seven to eight figures. A few million to tens of millions is really insignificant in the Warhammer 40K universe.
Some Imperial Hive Cities have tens of billions of people. A large Ork WAAAGH! can easily exceed the unit of trillions. That's no exaggeration.
Now we can start steadily building up our forces and...
[Mission Issued: Sons of the Salamanders.]
[Mission Description: A Salamanders squad searching for relics of the Salamanders Chapter has accidentally arrived on this planet. They are drawn by the planet's psychic glow and have come to investigate. Their presence poses a threat to the Swarm Overmind. Eliminate them and acquire their essence.]
[Mission Reward: Unlock Ravager genes (Lurker).]
So much for a steady build-up. Damn it, Space Marines are already here?!
I thought the first encounter would be with the Ultramarines, since the Overmind is located in the Ultima Segmentum. Who would have thought it'd be the Salamanders?!
Here's a brief explanation of what the Salamanders are.
The Emperor of Mankind once created twenty Space Marine Legions. The Salamanders are the 18th Legion.
Space Marines, also known as Astartes, are the Imperial troop type most newcomers to Warhammer 40K first encounter. They are enhanced humans who undergo nineteen (or twenty-two for Primaris) surgical procedures, transforming from already robust individuals into superhuman warriors, clad in specially crafted Power Armor, fighting for the Imperium.
Some might think, "Aren't these just ordinary sci-fi soldiers? The 50-credit 'good old boys' from StarCraft give off similar vibes."
But the power disparity among Astartes is vast. To put it simply, a lower-tier Astartes could easily wipe out a troop of 50 starcraft marines, while a top-tier Astartes might single-handedly storm the Korhal Palace and capture Mengsk.
That's no exaggeration.
The Swarm Overmind would rather face several million Orks again than confront a well-coordinated, highly trained squad of Astartes. Armed with just chainswords, they could potentially carve a path through the Zerg Swarm straight to the Overmind itself.
At this very moment, the Overmind also detects an Imperial vessel appearing in the planet's near-orbit.
This ship is over ten kilometers long. Clearly, it's not just the Salamanders squad that has arrived, but an entire ship of Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard) as well.
The members of the Salamanders squad, giants standing over 2.5 meters tall, close to 3 meters, clad in dark green Astartes power armor, approach a Thunderhawk gunship, preparing for landing.
They aren't using drop pods, likely for safety reasons, as this is a reconnaissance mission, not an extermination mission.
"Brother, I don't believe the relic you seek is here."
An Astra Militarum officer offers a reminder before handing over the Thunderhawk.
"This planet seems to be occupied by unknown organisms. Perhaps we should conduct an orbital bombardment first before landing."
"No need for concern, soldier. We will complete our mission as swiftly as possible. You may remain here. If we fail to return, you are free to depart."
The Salamanders Space Marines have a clear objective. They must ascertain whether the nine sacred relics left by their Primarch, Vulkan, are present on this planet.
Compared to their lives, those nine relics are far more important.
Moreover, orbital bombardment would undoubtedly alert the local organisms, likely making their mission more difficult.
Using a Thunderhawk for covert infiltration and reconnaissance is actually the best option—it allows for landing and provides a means of retreat.
"Ah, may the Emperor's light guide you, Brothers."
The officer steps aside, allowing the Salamanders Astartes to board the Thunderhawk gunship.