To delay the advance of the Magnificent Stone, one must first push close to it.
However, this also meant that Titus Squad and the Blood Angels Death Company, tasked with this mission, needed to break through the vast Necrons army in front of them.
If Donia hadn't previously ploughed the area with the forge ship's artillery, they might still be cowering behind the defensive line, trying to figure out how to counterattack.
But even with all of them equipped with jetpacks, a rapid advance was still almost impossible.
This was because there were simply too many enemies on the battlefield, and the terrain they faced was a flat desert wasteland, with the only available cover being some destroyed Necrons vehicles and shell craters on the ground.
A group of over fifty Space Marines were all crouched and dispersed in a series of shell craters, while in front of them, the Necrons army was still slowly advancing.
This scene looked both frustrating and peculiar.
Titus crouched in a deep pit, scanning the enemy lines through his Power Armor's optical display, his brows tightly furrowed.
He whispered to the Death Company sergeant beside him, "This won't do. We need to find a way to break through, otherwise, if the Magnificent Stone enters the city limits, the consequences will be unimaginable."
The Death Company sergeant nodded, his voice low and calm: "Indeed, but we can't charge head-on. The Necrons' Gauss Weapons pose too great a threat to our armor; even a graze will decompose our Power Armor. We need to figure something out."
Titus pondered for a moment, then said, "Call for artillery support! We need a path, even if it's only temporary, to allow us to rapidly advance with our jetpacks."
The sergeant didn't hesitate and immediately contacted the rear artillery positions via comms.
A few seconds later, a response came through the comms: "Artillery support ready, please provide coordinates."
Titus quickly transmitted the target coordinates, then said to the warriors around him: "Everyone prepare! As soon as artillery support arrives, immediately activate your jetpacks and advance at full speed! Our target is the Magnificent Stone's power system! Stop its advance at all costs!"
The warriors nodded, gripping their weapons, waiting for the roar of the artillery.
A few seconds later, a sharp whistling sound came from the sky, followed by dense artillery shells raining down on the Necrons' lines.
The explosion's fire and smoke instantly obscured the battlefield, and Titus seized the opportunity, shouting, "Now! Charge!"
Over fifty Space Marines simultaneously activated their jetpacks, leaping out of the shell craters and rapidly advancing towards the Magnificent Stone under the cover of the explosions.
Their speed was extremely fast, but even so, the Necrons' firepower remained dense and lethal.
Green beams from Gauss Weapons cut deadly trajectories through the air; several Death Company warriors were unfortunately hit during the advance, their Power Armor instantly decomposed, falling on the path of the charge.
Titus gritted his teeth, silently praying for his fallen comrades, but his feet did not falter.
He knew this was not the time for sorrow; only by completing the mission could he honor the fallen brothers.
"Faster! Even faster!" Titus shouted into the comms, his voice tinged with urgency.
They were running out of time; the Magnificent Stone was getting closer to the city, and the Nova Cannon's firing was imminent.
Just as they were about to approach the Magnificent Stone, Titus suddenly discovered a group of Immortals and Canoptek constructs intercepting them ahead.
He quickly ordered: "Disperse formation! Avoid frontal fire! Clear the way with Thermo-meltdown bombs and Bolter!"
The warriors quickly followed orders, using the maneuverability of their jetpacks to avoid the enemy's frontal fire, while simultaneously using Thermo-meltdown bombs and Bolter for precise strikes against the intercepting enemies.
Amidst the explosions, several Canoptek constructs were destroyed, and a gap was torn in the Immortals' line.
"Keep advancing! The target is just ahead!" Titus roared, leading the remaining warriors to continue charging towards the Magnificent Stone.
Their mission was not yet complete, and time was running out.
Titus and his squad, along with the warriors of the Blood Angels Death Company, finally broke through the Necrons' heavy defenses under the cover of artillery support, approaching the Magnificent Stone.
However, the sight before them made their hearts sink—the Magnificent Stone's outer shell was composed of living metal, and countless Necron Scarabs on its surface were repairing this massive mobile fortress, as if it were a self-repairing stronghold, making any attack difficult to inflict fatal damage in a short time.
"Thermo-meltdown bombs ready!" Titus ordered loudly, and several warriors quickly took out their Thermo-meltdown bombs, preparing to detonate them on the Magnificent Stone's critical points.
However, just as they were about to plant the bombs, the Magnificent Stone's defensive system targeted them, and arrays of Gauss Weapons projected deadly green rays at them.
"Scatter! Scatter quickly!" Titus's voice was almost drowned out by the piercing sound of weapons charging.
Several warriors who couldn't dodge in time were hit by the beams; their Power Armor was instantly decomposed, and their bodies turned to ash.
"Damn it!" Titus cursed through gritted teeth, quickly taking cover behind a destroyed Necron vehicle.
He urgently spoke through the comms: "Everyone, listen! The Magnificent Stone's defensive system can attack its underside; do not approach rashly! We need a new plan!"
At the same time, Gutierrez also noticed the anomaly from the rear defensive line.
He saw Titus and the others' predicament through his tactical optical display, his heart filled with anxiety.
He immediately contacted Alex: "Alex, Titus and the others are suppressed by the Magnificent Stone's defensive system and cannot approach the target! We need more support, otherwise we will miss the Nova Cannon's firing window!"
Alex's voice came through the comms, with a hint of gravity: "I understand, but the battle in orbit is also fierce. The fleet is fully engaged in containing the Necron Fleet and cannot provide more ground support.
You must hold on a little longer; the Nova Cannon's charging has entered its final phase!"
Gutierrez also knew that in space, Alex was fiercely fighting eight Necrons warships with six cruisers; although he had already sunk one and damaged another, the Necron Fleet's strength still prevented them from freeing up forces.
So he didn't expect Alex to provide much help and could only figure out a way to provide support for Titus himself.
However, at this moment, Alex's communication came through again, telling Gutierrez: "There's still a light cruiser. Didn't your light cruiser also descend? Use its firepower to provide support for Titus! Buy Donia time to fire the Nova Cannon."
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