The Macragge Rescue Mission required players to be Level 10 or above. This condition would naturally weed out a huge number of players, but it was a necessary tough call.
The punitive fleet Shalatath brought was small, and its carrying capacity was stretched thin. For this trip, they had to load up on military supplies: guns, ammo, tanks, personnel carriers, and even Titan-class mechs.
They also had to bring the Astartes they cultivated using player gene-seeds and the Atomal Corps, who were locked and loaded.
If the stars aligned, they could reach Macragge in a week. If things went south, it might take a month or more.
The fleet needed every inch of space for supplies. They couldn't spare the room to offer training grounds for low-level players to level up, meaning that time would be wasted in transit. If those players stayed on Atomal, they could use the same time to train, complete missions, and hit LV10 as fast as possible.
What's more, Daniel had "Holy Summoning." If the battle got hairy and he needed low-level players for cannon fodder, he could simply burn Exp Points to pull them over.
In the grand scheme of things, whether the low-level players went or stayed didn't make much difference.
The seventh batch of Imperial "Cattle"—as the community affectionately called new recruits—logged in collectively the day after the new game slots were distributed.
The last time a new wave came in, Daniel figured the Prayer Hall on the Imperial Glory was too cramped. So, he spent Exp Points to set the Cathedral of the Tyrian Hive as the new login point.
This proved to be a smart move. The vast cathedral hall, much larger than the old sanctuary, was packed to the gills with new players.
They looked around at the towering statues, the burning incense, and the chanting Servitor Skulls and were in total shock. A few guys slapped themselves silly to check the realism, only to wince in pain.
Others snuck off to a secluded corner to drop trough and see just how real the game was. They were immediately zapped by sudden Psyker lightning and forced to log off, fried to a crisp.
Seeing the poor unlucky stiff get kicked off the server right after logging in, the new players got the message: the game wasn't a free-for-all. There were invisible eyes watching, and going overboard would earn them a punishment.
"Silence, Saints." Arale's projection materialized.
The new players clamped up. They had all read Yuji's strategy posts and knew this was the opening cutscene. This pretty little loli was no joke—she was the Guide's right-hand and a young C'tan.
"Welcome to hell…" Arale finished her opening remarks and cut them loose to move freely.
"Any null people out here?" Mordecai waved and shouted.
He hadn't even had time to claim his reward. After finding out new players were online, he came running like a shot. He needed to train up some obedient null players to beef up his team.
Players like Rigby, Alpaca, and the others were all there, scouting for talent.
Warmaster and his crew had formed an Astartes Chapter and only accepted people on the Space Marine path.
Rigby was on the Knight route and was recruiting friends who liked Titans. Alpaca, a Sister of Battle, was only looking for players who wanted to change their stripes to a Priest or Nun.
Fred and Doraemon were more direct, holding up banners that read: "Flesh is Weak, Machine Ascends." They only accepted those who intended to turn themselves into walking iron lumps.
Of course, there were those who took all comers. Lobster, the king of recruiters, accepted everyone into the 13th Regiment he founded.
After all, a lot of people had come along for the ride after watching his videos, and a video blogger who blew off his fans would soon be abandoned by them.
While the various battle groups were busy rounding up recruits, the Macragge rescue mission dropped and quickly stirred the pot among the old players.
"Rush to Macragge's aid? Is this the story about Guilliman's resurrection?"
"I can't wait to see the Chaos big shot who dared to take a swing at the Primarch."
"The Emperor's Thirteenth son is about to be resurrected, while the Guide's 'Thirteenth' is still fighting for a game spot."
"Wait, the seventh batch of slots is out. Hasn't the Thirteenth gotten one yet?"
"Nope. I checked the group chat earlier, he was still screaming bloody murder!"
"What a poor kid! He's been on the outside looking in since the first batch."
"You guys think this guy might have to wait until the ninth try to get in?"
"If you jinx it like that, we'll have to call the Inquisition on you."
The mission had only just been released, and qualified players flocked to Faraday, signing up to go to Macragge. They weren't about to miss this must-see plot.
Besides, major plot events always came with a hefty payoff.
The new players who had just landed a spot in the game were wailing in despair.
"Why the Level 10 cap?"
"Can't I just be a human bomb?"
"I'm ticked off! When can we get rid of class discrimination?"
After their brief pity party, the new players had no choice but to suck it up, but this also lit a fire under them.
They were weak now and had to sit out the Primarch's resurrection, but they weren't going to miss the scenes of the Regent's pilgrimage to Terra.
Since the game was all the rage in the Hammer community, and more slots were available this time, many players knew the score.
"This is awesome! It's so realistic. The wonders we build here are going to be mind-blowing, better than anything built in any game before!"
A new player named StellarMC rubbed his chin, already drawing up blueprints for his grand ambitions. Behind him, two younger players nodded.
They were sandbox game fanatics, loving games like Stellaris and Minecraft. Their biggest kick was exploring the story, erecting massive structures, and studying different farming methods.
When they heard about a 100% realistic VR game, they signed up on the double. Who knew they'd get picked so fast?
LegendMC: "Boss, which group should we join?"
MC Mythology: "It has to be Doraemon Workshop. I read the posts—that group is the most loaded. We need to bankroll some resources before we can build any wonders.
This game is too realistic for its own good! You had to work like a dog just to earn the resources to build anything cool."
†******†
After the new players were settled in, the veterans began preparing for the Macragge journey. The Black Legion was hot on the heels of Belisarius Cawl and his group, so they knew they were heading straight into a firefight.
Mordecai went to collect his mission reward. The Astral Knights had promised a relic to the player who made the biggest contribution.
They made good on their word and gave Mordecai a set of Power Armor that was a thousand years old. Although Mordecai hadn't officially been promoted, his biological enhancements meant his physique was on par with an Astartes, and he could slip into the Power Armor easily.
As soon as this storied Power Armor was unveiled, it got everyone's tongues wagging. A mass-produced model you could buy with contribution points couldn't hold a candle to an "ancient legacy" that had been put through the ringer of war.
Don't knock the armor just because it was covered in patches; those were medals of honor that money couldn't buy. Plus, in this universe full of monsters and Daemons, a relic Power Armor offered a genuine combat bonus.
"That thing should be mine," Warmaster lamented. He had been at the top of the leader board for the Punishment Fleet mission until Mordecai charged headfirst into the heart of the enemy territory.
Yuji: "Don't sweat it. We're sure to snag a few relics when we get to Macragge this time."
Daigo: "The Ultramarines are rolling in dough. We really just need to help them lighten the load."
BaldCustodian: "Daigo, you sound like a crook!"
Daigo: "Hey, don't go slandering a good guy! I have a great reputation. Every time the local villagers see me, they roll out the red carpet and load me up with chicken, duck, and seafood. I just can't say no!"
Director: "I feel like something's not right about that story."
While others were making their play for relics from the Ultramarines, Rigby was at Doraemon's workshop, talking armaments with Doraemon. Their Chapter was also planning to go to Macragge. Rigby wanted to get his hands on a stronger Titan for the mission.
"Is the Zaku 02 good to go?"