Chapter 7: Strengthening King Reid, Fully Revived—The Swarm: You're Cheating!

"Come on, Red King! I believe in you—fight until the very last moment!"

Under the encouragement of his master, Rod, the Red King rallied, continuing his frenzied assault on the swarms of Tyranids. Time began to slip away; under the Red King’s ferocious onslaught, the swarm suffered constant casualties, yet the Tyranid horde continued to pour in from the distance.

It seemed endless. The creatures would frantically crawl onto the Red King’s body, only to be shaken off and crushed underfoot. Yet, these insects knew nothing of fear or exhaustion. However, the Red King’s stamina was visibly waning. Hive Tyrants, Hive Lords, and even several Bio-Titans had arrived to join the fray. Under the coordinated attacks of two Bio-Titans, the Red King’s massive tail was severed, and his body was riddled with wounds. The swarm even deployed massive flying units, calling down waves of Gargoyles to harass him from the skies. As the Red King swung his colossal claws and brought down his massive feet, his strikes lacked the raw power they once possessed.

The rate of slaughter had slowed to a crawl. The Red King had been fighting for an entire day; his stamina was bottoming out, and his vitality was nearly spent. Yet, his desperate struggle had drawn the full attention of the Tyranid fleet. They ignored the human forces entirely, seemingly obsessed with bringing the Red King down at any cost.

Within the human camp, the Space Marine Captain watched the dying Red King and shook his head helplessly. "He can't hold on much longer. The outcome will be decided soon," the Captain remarked. The power of this massive beast was truly staggering.

"This Titan-class creature is already incredible. The number of insects he has killed is simply beyond belief," a young Hospitaler nun standing nearby sighed softly. Her life should have flickered out hours ago, but the appearance of this behemoth had forcibly extended all their lives for a brief while. But it seemed this was the end; they would soon return their souls to the Golden Throne.

"I can confirm now that the insects killed by that giant Titan creature are not being reclaimed by the Hive Mind. They are being harvested by something unknown—perhaps by the beast itself," the Imperial Guard Commissar observed, scanning the battlefield. It was one thing to miss the details earlier, but now that dusk was falling, and this titan had killed over a dozen Bio-Titans and hundreds of thousands of Tyranid troops, the truth was impossible to ignore. If they couldn't see the pattern now, they wouldn't deserve the title of Imperial Commissar.

"It is time. We must act," the Captain declared. "We will go and plant melta-bombs; we must find a way to destroy the corpse of this great beast. After we fall, you will select the youngest Hospitaler and have her take the gene-seed of all our elite warriors and leave this planet. The rest of us will buy her time. You must report the situation here to the Empire and ensure our gene-seed is returned."

The escape pod could only carry two people, necessitating a difficult choice. After deliberation, it was decided that the youngest Hospitaler would take the Space Marine gene-seed and be accompanied by an Order Famulous sister. Since the mission required reporting the intelligence, the Order Famulous sister was the most suitable choice; they were well-versed in diverse knowledge and could effectively record the bizarre events of this battlefield.

Hidden in a nearby cave, Rod silently selected an enhancement on his monster attribute panel. While the Red King distracted the entire swarm, Rod had slipped away to a concealed cavern. This had once been an Imperial Guard outpost; the soldiers were long dead, leaving behind basic lasguns, high-explosive grenades, and several crates of military rations.

Rod opened a ration tin, eating while watching his Red King’s battle. Seeing that the beast was truly exhausted, he finally triggered the monster enhancement. The hours of efficient slaughter had earned him over 2,000 system coins, bringing his total to over 4,700. It was enough for two enhancements, though the cost would rise thereafter—the Red King would have to keep working hard!

"To become stronger, keep killing those bugs!"

Rod chose not to increase the Red King's height—a two-meter increase would be noticeable—but instead opted to boost his tonnage. An increase in weight would be far less obvious. As a golden light washed over the Red King, his weight surged to 23,000 tons. His severed tail regenerated instantly, his near-depleted stamina became incredibly abundant, and every gaping wound on his body knitted together in a flash.

Strengthened, the Red King’s power became even more terrifying, his defenses bolstered. He moved with renewed vigor, sprinting into the fray and shattering a Bio-Titan with a few swipes of his claws. He then raised his massive foot, crushing a five-meter-tall, six-meter-long Hive Tyrant into pulp. These behemoths had been the most aggressive, and the Red King had realized they were directing the others. *I may be a simple creature, but I know who hits the hardest, and I know who your leader is.*

Watching the Red King resurrect at full health, his combat power even more terrifying than before, the Norn Queen monitoring the battlefield was stunned. *Are you kidding me? What is this? We spent the whole day grinding down the boss's health, and now you’re entering a second phase?*

"Captain, look! How is this possible? His wounds have all healed!" The remaining Space Marines, preparing for their final stand, noticed the shift. The titan that had been blood-soaked and on the verge of death was suddenly fully restored!

"Go for it! You big corn-colored brute! Kill those bugs!" the young Hospitaler cheered, waving her small fists in excitement to root for the Red King.