Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 228 Daily Life of the Star Army

The roar of artillery woke Valeri from his sleep. He rubbed his sleepy face. Although he wanted to sleep a little longer, the non-commissioned officer who had walked into the barracks reminded him that there was no time to sleep.

"Get up, everyone! You pigs! Your mission today is to relieve Company E at Position 4. They've been stuck there for three days. I don't want you to be unable to hold out for even three days! That would be embarrassing for the company commander and me! The political commissar would also be very unhappy."

The sergeant struck the iron bedposts with a stick, making enough noise to wake even the soundest sleeper.

Valeri didn't care about the noise. Compared to the rumbling artillery outside, the noise made by the non-commissioned officer was just like the meow of a kitten.

As a qualified Astra Militarum soldier, if you can't fall asleep in the trenches to the sound of artillery fire, it only means that you are still a rookie.

He sat up slowly, feeling that every bone in his body was protesting, as if every muscle was expressing fatigue.

The air in the barracks was filled with the smell of sweat and gunpowder, mixed with the chill of the early morning, making people shiver.

He reached for the military water bottle on the bedside, and the cold water slid down his throat, slightly awakening his drowsy consciousness.

"Hurry up! Don't dawdle!" The sergeant's roar rang out again, accompanied by the harsh sound of a stick hitting the bedpost.

Valeri glanced around and saw other soldiers slowly getting up from their beds, their faces filled with reluctance and fatigue.

Some people cursed under their breath, while others silently sorted their equipment, as if they were already accustomed to this torture day after day.

Valeri put on his heavy combat boots, his fingers stiff as he tightened the laces.

The sound of artillery fire outside continued, like endless thunder, shaking the ground slightly.

He knew that today's task would not be easy.

Position No. 4 was one of the most dangerous areas on the front line. Company E had been holding out there for three days, and now they were going to relieve their exhausted comrades.

"Valery, stop daydreaming!" A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. It was his comrade Ivan, with his usual playful smile on his face, though the weariness in his eyes couldn't be concealed. "Today is a beautiful day. We're going to position number four to bask in the sun."

Valeri gave a wry smile but didn't respond. He knew Ivan was just joking to mask his inner nervousness. They all knew that Position 4 was not a good place. Every inch of the land there had been bombarded countless times, and the air was filled with the smell of death.

The sergeant's voice rang out again, interrupting the brief noise in the barracks: "Check your equipment! Ammunition, rations, canteens, nothing can be missing! I don't want to see anyone die on the battlefield because they didn't bring enough energy batteries!"

Valeri looked down at his equipment, rifle, ammunition pouches, grenades, everything was there.

His hand paused slightly when it touched the photo in his breast pocket.

That was the last family photo taken before he left home. The smile in the photo now seems so distant.

He took a deep breath and put the photo back into his pocket, as if this would give him more courage.

"Go!" The sergeant's order was brief and powerful.

Valeri picked up his bag and followed the team out of the barracks, but before leaving, he did not forget to pack his blanket and stuff it into the bag.

If you're going to be holding a position for three days, a blanket to keep you warm will definitely come in handy.

The sky outside was gray, as if stained leaden by the smoke of gunpowder. The sound of artillery continued to echo in the distance, and occasionally a few shells landed closer, shaking the ground slightly.

He looked up at the sky and prayed silently in his heart, hoping that he could spend the day safely.

The team advanced slowly through the muddy trenches, and every step seemed heavy and difficult.

Valeri could feel his heartbeat quickening, as if every cannon shot was reminding him that death could come at any time.

He gripped the rifle tightly in his hand, his fingertips turning slightly white.

"Don't be nervous, buddy," Ivan whispered in his ear, a hint of comfort in his voice. "We've been through worse."

Valeri nodded, even though he knew Ivan's words wouldn't really ease his tension.

The No. 4 position in front was getting closer and closer, and the sound of artillery was becoming clearer and clearer.

He could see smoke filling the battlefield, with occasional flashes of fire streaking through the sky, as if the Grim Reaper's scythe was being swung.

After spending about half an hour, Valeri, Ivan and the soldiers of Company C successfully arrived at position No. 4. The deputy company commander made a simple handover with a sergeant of Company E, and the other party quickly retreated with the remaining people of Company E.

It’s not that the commander of Company E is putting on airs, but the highest-ranking officer in Company E now is this veteran sergeant.

The reason why Valeri knew so clearly was that the company commander of Company C was killed along with the entire headquarters of Company E by an alien sniper, and only the deputy company commander survived thanks to a medal with a shield.

But Valeri didn't care about that. He and Ivan just found a shooting position in a good location. They each put their backpacks in a nearby air-raid shelter, stuffed the energy batteries and grenades into the pits on the trench wall, and then curled up under the shooting position to avoid exposing their heads and other parts of their bodies.

Having witnessed how brutal these alien creatures called Necrons were, Valeri knew clearly how suicidal it was to expose his body outside the bunker on the battlefield.

Valeri also took his blanket out of his backpack and put it in a dry place where it would not get wet.

The environment of this planet is extremely harsh. It is so hot during the day that it can kill people, and it can freeze your nose off at night. If you want to survive here for three days, a dry and warm blanket is absolutely necessary.

"The brothers from Company C have dug a good trench, but it's a pity they didn't use quick-set concrete." Ivan pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and threw it to Valeri. "It looks like we're going to have a hard night."

Valeri didn't answer, but just lit the cigarette with a lighter and remained silent.

Although there is a military doctor in the regiment, there is only one military doctor. Now that half of the regiment is almost wiped out, the military doctor has no time to care about the idiots who just caught a cold from the cold. The precious medical resources must be used to rescue the seriously injured.

Although since arriving on this planet, Valeri has not seen many seriously injured people.

When fighting with this group of metal aliens, you will either be reduced to a pile on the ground or only suffer minor injuries. It is rare for you to suffer serious injuries.

However, due to the fierceness of the battle and the large number of deaths in the regiment, the military doctors in the rear were still almost overwhelmed.

So Valeri knew clearly that if he didn't pay attention, the military doctor would definitely not be in the mood or have the time to take care of him, so if he wanted to survive, he had to learn to protect himself first.

(End of this chapter)