After grumbling about the client on the Golden Throne who couldn't lift a finger for himself, Daniel checked the special tasks.
"Hold on, there's still a mission to retrieve Alpharius?!"
"Is that guy not actually dead?" Daniel stared at the task on the screen, a little surprised.
Alpharius, Lord of the Hydra. Primarch of the XX Legion, and the first one to be found.
When the Emperor created the Primarchs, the Chaos Gods threw a wrench in the works and scattered them across the Warp. Alpharius wound up on the barren plateau near the Imperial Palace.
The Emperor quickly found him and killed the nearby scavengers to prevent the secret from leaking. Afterward, the Emperor and Malcador the Sigillite raised and taught Alpharius. For a long time, his existence was a top secret throughout the Imperium.
On the eve of the Horus Heresy, Alpharius made contact with the Cabal and later joined Horus' rebellion. The Alpha Legion's actions during the Heresy were bizarre, giving off the feeling of both rebellion and loyalty.
Alpharius was supposedly killed by Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the VII Legion, during an infiltration and sabotage operation against the Solar System's defenses. Logically, even if Alpharius wasn't a traitor, the mission should be to resurrect him, right? Why 'retrieve' him?
Could it be that Alpharius wasn't killed, or that he can be resurrected, like Vulkan?!
It's way over my head.
"When one Alpharius falls, a thousand more will rise," Daniel muttered, setting Alpharius aside.
Among these special tasks, resurrecting Guilliman should be the highest priority. This task is the path of least resistance. Belisarius Cawl holds the Armor of Destiny that can resurrect Guilliman.
All he needs to do is get him to Macragge and the mission will be in the bag. Even better, the Guilliman resurrection task can be completed alongside the limited-time task of helping Belisarius Cawl. Kill two birds with one stone.
"Arale."
The little angel-like Machine Spirit appeared in front of Daniel. "Master, how can I help?"
"Can you successfully navigate the chaotic Warp to Macragge right now?"
"Arale is immune to the Warp. As long as we can enter the Warp, we will be able to find the correct route."
Daniel nodded, feeling relieved. Arale's immunity to the Warp is a huge edge. This means the chance of corruption during warp travel is practically zero. Once he recruited enough crew members, they could head to Macragge.
The hitch is, he only has one Gloriana-class ship. Planet Atomal has only been half-recaptured, and the Tyrion Hive is still being rebuilt, with a ton of work to be done. Building out a proper fleet will take forever.
"Forget it. We'll take the Imperial Glory, bring all the promoted players, and just make it work."
"Master, it's time to distribute the reservation slots. Should I randomly draw lots to select the reservation holders?"
Arale's words brought Daniel's thoughts back to reality.
"From now on, you'll be responsible for handling matters like this. You don't need to ask for my permission. Just loop me in with a report afterward."
"Understood."
Real-World Productivity
Research Institute.
Before punching out, John was called into his supervisor's office.
"John, your team has been on fire lately. The data calculations are miles faster than before, which has dramatically improved our project efficiency."
"I've been thinking about this around the clock, even after work," John replied, feeling a little uneasy.
The efficiency is up because he's practically working in his sleep—leveraging the immense computing power of Warhammer OL.
But he couldn't very well say that out loud. Try explaining you're only productive because you're addicted to a video game.
"Keep it up! The future needs young people like you who are energetic and full of ideas. You'll be getting a raise soon enough."
His supervisor praised and encouraged him, then let John go.
"Whew, that was a close shave," John said as he walked out of the office, breathing a sigh of relief.
A hint of pride soon appeared on his face. Warhammer OL is a truly great game. Not only can you play, but you can also get real work done at the same time.
"I wonder where the ceiling is for this game!"
Why not try conducting a nuclear fusion experiment in the game?
The data calculated can be used, and perhaps the experimental results could also be applied to reality. If that works, this game is truly next-level.
After walking out of the research building and checking his cell phone, he quickly opened the chat group.
GuillimanRules: "Seriously, why not me? Why the cold shoulder? Emperor, give me a break!"
I don't want to be a space marine: "Welcome to Old Thirteen's daily whine-fest."
LakeLochness: "HAHA, I got in! I got in! Hahahaha, I actually got in!"
Colonel Dutch: "Calling the Inquisition, suspecting heresy, requesting Exterminatus!"
Spaceking: "Lobster's recruitment skill is off the charts. Yesterday, we had just over 7,000 reservations, and he boosted the number to 35,000 in one day."
Information flashed across the screen as John scrolled to catch up on the latest game news.
"Still staring at your phone?" Harry walked over and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Let's go, let's head back and log in quickly."
"I heard the Imperial Glory's machine spirit merged with C'tan fragments, giving birth to a new one named Arale. She's apparently pretty adorable."
"A new machine spirit?" John touched his chin. I hope this cute new spirit won't stop me from grabbing the game's computing power.
Imperial Glory, Temple of Prayer.
Six hundred new players successfully logged into the game. The huge prayer hall was packed and deafeningly noisy.
"Holy crap, the lobster wasn't lying. This is legit."
"I must have saved the Emperor in my previous life to be this lucky!"
"The lighting and the texture—it's so real."
"I want to know where those damn Succubi are. I have no ulterior motives, I just want to destroy them for justice."
"Forget all that. I'm calling Khorne. I wanna go for the throat with a sliding tackle."
"Whoa, look at that Servoskull."
"Is that a cogitator wetware? I wonder if our brains will be made into wetware and continue to function after we are killed."
"Why is there no control panel? Where's the logout button? I'm not really trapped in Warhammer, am I? Oh god, I'm going to lose it!"
"Didn't you read the guide? Go to the Emperor's statue and pray, and you'll be able to log off."
Fred and UwU, who had just entered the game, looked at the chattering newcomers and smiled at each other. The Emperor's got new cannon fodder online.
"Silence!"
A voice full of majesty sounded. Daniel walked in with a group of soldiers. The newcomers instantly fell silent, looking at him with awe and worship.
"Welcome to hell, you glorified pawns of the Emperor."
"I am the Guide, the Emperor's Saint."
"The Great Rift has torn the galaxy, and the terrible age of darkness has descended once again. The burden of saving the Imperium falls upon you."
After delivering the welcome speech, Daniel allowed the new players to move around freely. He then walked up to Warmaster, who had just logged in.
Warmaster had been serving as a diplomatic envoy on the surface, gathering vital intel on the C'tan fragments, the Valancius family's past, and the Genestealer leader. He's gone above and beyond. Contribution points alone just don't cut it anymore.
"Guide," Warmaster said, instinctively giving the Imperial salute.
"I promised I would reward you when this was over. Now is the time to fulfill that promise."
As soon as Daniel finished speaking, an announcement popped up on the Imperial Glory's projections and the data boards held by the players.
The God-Chosen, the Master Warmaster, has made a tremendous contribution by providing important information such as the C'tan fragments and the Genestealer leader, and is therefore awarded a GOLDEN IMPERIAL MEDAL.
He is a hero of the Imperium, a champion of humanity, and a noble warrior of the Emperor. Let us celebrate his glory!
On the honor rankings, Warmaster, who had been lagging behind a bunch of veteran players, instantly jumped, surpassing players like Yuji to become the top of the list.
"Wait, it can still be like that?"
"Damn, that reward is next level!"
"Warmaster is going to get an ego after this."
Many players' eyes widened, feeling envious and jealous.
"Waaah! If I'd known, I would've stayed on Tyrian! What a massive missed opportunity!" Rigby and Baldy were furious.
When the Guide asked which of the three would stay as a diplomatic envoy, they were actually trying to pass the buck to Warmaster. And just like that, they blew it—missing the honor of being the first medal recipient in Warhammer OL. Ouch. That stings.
The new players stopped chattering and watched Daniel and Warmaster.
"I will now officially award you the Imperial Order of the Aquila, the highest honor."
As Daniel finished speaking, Magos Jackdo stepped forward holding a box. The box was opened, and on the soft silk lay a golden aquila emblem next to a piece of oath parchment.
Daniel picked up the medal and looked at Warmaster.
"Will you take the oath and accept this Order of the Aquila?"