Chapter 34: This Is the Emperor’s Divine Machine—Destroy the Hive Mothership

The physical capabilities of these Battle Sisters had been elevated to a realm far beyond that of mere mortals; in Rhodes’s estimation, they were now on par with the Astartes themselves.

Good grief! These weren’t just Battle Sisters anymore—they were essentially a squad of Gold Saints!

Regardless of how the swarm forces resisted, the outcome was now inevitable. The Space Marine Captain nodded to Rhodes and flew toward the Hive Ship tentacles, carrying melta bombs.

Rhodes joined the fray, wielding his Pedanium pistol and firing relentlessly into the swarm. If the enemies were soft targets, he left them to the Gold Saint Sisters. If they were tougher, like Ravener Brood creatures, Hive Tyrants, Tyrant Guard, or Alpha Warriors, Rhodes handled them personally.

As for the larger threats, King Joe was no slouch. Even separated into its four constituent parts, it could fire its Pedanium main cannons in addition to its Pedanium rays. Furthermore, the Pedanium rifles in the Sisters’ hands were incredibly effective; virtually no Tyranid could withstand the energy beams.

Just as the Battle Sisters reached a fever pitch of combat, the Astartes completed their mission, planting the melta bombs at the base of the Hive Ship tentacles. Rhodes called the combat-crazed Sisters back and used his bracelet’s teleportation ability to return to King Joe.

Boom! Boom! With a thunderous, earth-shaking roar, the final tentacle of the Hive Ship collapsed. Countless bugs were obliterated under King Joe’s artillery. With all four tentacles destroyed, Rhodes gained a total of 20,000 system coins.

Rhodes spent 8,000 system coins to initiate the fourth upgrade for King Joe, transforming the terrifying machine into a giant robot standing 80 meters tall, gleaming with golden light.

"An incredibly glorious battle!"
"Sisters, we have once again bathed in the grace of the Emperor!"
"For the God-Emperor! This planet shall be saved."

At that moment, both the Battle Sisters and the King Joe robot were bathed in a radiant golden glow.

"Lord Rhodes!" the Space Marine Captain asked, approaching him. "Do you require our assistance for the next phase of the battle? We still have plenty of melta bombs left; perhaps we could plant them inside the Hive Ships."

This lord had lived up to the name of a Primarch and the name of the Emperor, leading them to successfully sever the four Hive Ship tentacles. Now, only the final task remained.

"No need!" Rhodes replied. "Leave the rest to me. I will pilot this machine of God into space to annihilate those Hive Ships. You lot can stay below and watch the fireworks."

Carrying the exhilarated Battle Sisters and Space Marines, Rhodes flew back to the encampment and dropped them off.

"Lord Rhodes! What is the situation? Did... did you complete the mission?" The Imperial Commissar ran over, looking anxious. It had only been three hours since they left; the sky had not yet brightened.

"It is done. You need not worry. Now, it is time to destroy the Hive Ships," the Space Marine Captain said, stepping down from King Joe.

Only then did the Imperial Commissar, along with a large group of Imperial Guards, Hospitallers, and Dialogus Sisters, notice the massive, transformed King Joe.

How could this be? It was barely over 50 meters tall when it left, and it was brass-colored! How had it become an 80-meter-tall, gold-shimmering machine of God in just a few hours?

"It is the Emperor’s blessing! This divine machine has been blessed by the Emperor! The Emperor’s miracle has descended upon it, and indeed, upon all of us," the senior Sister said, excitedly recounting their experiences.

"I am going to destroy the Tyranid Hive Ships in space and bring this invasion to a final end!" Rhodes nodded to the crowd and took off alone in King Joe, heading into the sky to rendezvous with the cloaked Pedan spacecraft.

With 10,000 system coins remaining, Rhodes did not hesitate to initiate the second upgrade for the Pedan ship. A surge of light enveloped the spacecraft hidden within the clouds, doubling its size. The 20-meter-diameter vessel was now even larger than King Joe itself.

A 20-meter diameter, equivalent to 314 square meters—this actually looked like a proper spaceship! (In the *Ultraseven* setting, the Pedan ship is this size, though it was impossible to depict in the TV series.)

Now, the massive ship could actually house King Joe inside it, rather than having the robot clinging to its back. Its Pedanium main cannons had also become significantly more powerful.

The Tyranid Hive Ships were attempting to extend their tentacles once more, but Rhodes would not give them the chance. He arrived before the nearest Hive Ship.

The Pedan ship’s main cannons locked on. The four detached components of King Joe also aimed their cannons. The Pedanium main cannons began to charge, a blue radiance gathering in the void of space, converging on the muzzles.

The Hive Ship emitted a psychic pulse, attempting a final struggle by raising a psychic force field. A cold smirk played on Rhodes’s lips as he activated the ship’s Pedanium rays. While the main cannons were still charging, the ship’s other energy weapons remained functional.

The enemy’s psychic shield was shattered instantly by the Pedanium rays. Seconds later, the five Pedanium main cannons finished charging and unleashed their fury upon the Hive Ship.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Augh! Augh!" The massive Tyranid Hive Ship let out a piercing shriek as its body was shredded to pieces.

Once the charged attack concluded, Rhodes switched to rapid-fire mode, bombarding the Hive Ship until it was transformed into a brilliant display of fireworks in the cosmos.

Destroying that Hive Ship earned Rhodes 10,000 system coins. He then moved to the second ship, destroying it with the same method. He moved to the third. A minor complication occurred with the fourth ship—it realized the situation was dire and attempted to turn and flee.

Rhodes maneuvered King Joe to land directly on the surface of the Hive Ship, firing the Pedanium main cannons at point-blank range to finish it off.

On the surface of the planet, the swarm forces completely lost their connection to the hive mind and descended into a frenzy of mutual slaughter.