"Hold your fire! They are not the enemy."
Arale called the shots through the mind-link to the Necron constructs besieging the players and the Skitarii. The tide of metal instantly put the kibosh on its assault. The blaring alarms in the maze fell silent.
"The battle's over. In the Omnissiah's name, stand down." After seeing the Necron constructs freeze, Cawl ordered the Skitarii and players to cease fire. He walked toward Arale, who stood by the core, her angelic eyes still swirling with complex binary data.
"Did you get the items—the core technology of the Pharos Lighthouse?" Cawl asked anxiously.
"Reverse-engineering the technology will take another 36 hours and 50 minutes," she replied. "Currently, I've only secured the core data and code for the Pharos Lighthouse."
"Wait, that's it? It's all over but the shouting?" Rigby pushed the inert Hell Spider with his exoskeleton arm. The construct retreated a few steps and didn't retaliate.
"I didn't even break a sweat, and it's done?" Yuji scoffed. "Seriously, I'm just too good."
"Funny, I thought I heard someone screaming for a bodyguard just a minute ago," Little Alpaca teased.
"That definitely wasn't me! How could I, the esteemed head of the Thousand Sons Legion, do anything so shameful?" Yuji protested, looking utterly righteous.
"Even if I, Yuji, had to kneel and be eaten alive by a Scarab, I wouldn't ask for help," Rigby mimicked perfectly. "Ah, no! Some God-Magos, please come save my bacon!"
The other players burst into laughter. He absolutely nailed it.
"Slander! This is a smear campaign!" Yuji shouted. "I swear on Magnus's brain I never said that!"
"No wonder Magnus is brainless. It's all your fault, you damned traitor! Die!"
"Execute Yuji and retrieve the brain!"
The players, as heartless as ever, made a loud spectacle.
BOOM! A deafening roar ripped through the air outside. The ground shook violently. Arale registered a flicker of worry. Her Master was going toe-to-toe with the Pharos's former prisoner. She had to find a way to back up the boss and make sure he wasn't getting pushed around.
Arale looked at the waiting Necron constructs and issued her first order as the new commander of the Pharos Lighthouse: "Decompose immediately. Use yourselves as repair material to fix the Pharos Lighthouse as fast as possible."
The constructs instantly executed the command. The living metal that formed their bodies automatically broke down. The material reintegrated itself into the broken structure, patching up the damaged areas in the blink of an eye.
With the sacrifice of a massive number of Necrons, the dilapidated Pharos Lighthouse was restored to its former glory at a speed visible to the naked eye. Energy surged along the lines in the corridor, emitting a bright light that poured into the core. A brilliant beam shot out from the tower's summit, disappearing into the vast void.
Meanwhile, on the surface of Sotha, Zakhurash was battling an endless stream of constructs. Arale hadn't ordered the forces surrounding him to stop, so they were still following protocol: prevent Zakhurash from escaping.
Daniel danced around the perimeter, occasionally lobbing psyker attacks to drive Zakhurash up the wall. The C'tan's power was terrifying—he could tear the sky apart—but he was only a fragment, incapable of crushing the sheer numbers of Necron constructs and a mighty psyker like Daniel. They were in a deadlock.
But when Arale activated the Pharos Lighthouse and joined the fray, the balance of power shifted dramatically.
BOOM! A destructive force powerful enough to shatter reality swept out from the Pharos Lighthouse, blasting Zakhurash. This was the first time Arale unleashed her full strength.
The laws of reality and the energies of the Warp were combined in a terrifying way, creating waves that could destroy anything. Zakhurash was blasted into oblivion, his metal body nearly vaporized and badly damaged.
"How could you possibly wield psyker powers? That flies in the face of reality!" Fear and anxiety twisted Zakhurash's metallic face. He couldn't comprehend how Arale, another C'tan, could control both the Warp and the material universe.
"What have you done to her, human??" Zakhurash, his body broken, glared daggers at Daniel soaring in the sky. To see such a perfect Star-God yoked to a pathetic "carbon-based monkey" sent him over the edge.
Daniel didn't respond. He began to seal the C'tan with psychic energy. As his hands moved, brilliant psyker beams outlined intricate, glowing runes. Zakhurash's form collapsed into a ball of energy, was wrapped tight in the runes, and finally formed a crystalline shard. Daniel collected the prison crystal containing the Zakhurash fragment and returned to the fully renovated Pharos Lighthouse.
Arale was beaming when Daniel walked in. "I'm stronger now, Master. Arale can protect you better."
"That's fantastic," Daniel praised her.
After Arale finished reverse-engineering the technology, a golden light screen popped up for Daniel:
Task: Build a New Lighthouse [COMPLETED]
Faith rewards have been distributed. Invoke the Emperor's power and enter the Pharos Lighthouse to complete the transformation and begin faster-than-light teleportation.
(Faster-than-light teleportation is only available between two Lighthouses. Players and NPCs can quickly return within the Lighthouse range.)
Daniel followed the prompt and placed his hand on the Pharos core. Golden light poured from his body, forming a torrent that flowed into the Lighthouse. The Necron code and runes in the core database were overwritten, transformed into human binary scripts.
The Necrontyr characters on the machine's surface burned to ashes, replaced by new Imperial characters. Golden double-headed eagle patterns appeared in several places. The light the Pharos emitted also turned a brilliant gold, blazing like a second Astronomican.
"This is the supreme power of the Omnissiah!" The Mechanicus members present were beside themselves with excitement. They all performed the gear salute to Daniel, praising the Great Omnissiah.
The activation and transformation of the Pharos Lighthouse made waves across the galaxy, causing an unimaginable storm.
On Macragge
Guilliman, who was preparing to depart to engage the Chaos traitors, received a report from Chief Librarian Tigris. A beam of light, surging with the God-Emperor's aura, had appeared from Sotha.
"This has to be the Guide's handiwork. He pulled it off," Guilliman said, his face alight with joy. The Sotha Lighthouse, now transformed into the Light of the God-Emperor, meant that even if the Second Empire was exposed later on, those political opponents wouldn't be able to touch his authority.
Eldrad and the other Eldar, who planned to join Guilliman's expedition, instantly noticed the Pharos Lighthouse's activation and transformation.
They had been slightly annoyed, thinking the humans were diving head-first into Necron technology. But the sudden transformation blew their minds.
The cold light of the Pharos was now emitting psychic energy—a power the technology of the dead never utilized. Clearly, this was the work of human ingenuity. No one knew how they did it.
"What in the world are they trying to do?" As a great prophet, Eldrad found the galaxy's fate increasingly chaotic. Humans were getting harder and harder to get a handle on.
On the Other Side of the Galaxy
Abaddon, who was marching forward with the Black Crusade and preparing to deliver the final blow to the Imperium, learned of the light from his accompanying Chaos Sorcerer.
"A new lighthouse?" he sneered. "Are they freaking out about Terra falling and prepping a backup? No matter what the Corpse King's lackeys do, it's going to be for nothing. I'll crush all their struggles and claim the whole galaxy." Abaddon's expression was grim; he knew Guilliman was back, but he would soon prove that even the resurrection of a Primarch was too little, too late.
"The era of the Primarchs is old news. Now is my time—Abaddon the Despoiler, Chosen of the Four Gods, Warmaster of Chaos!"
The followers of the Dark Gods also noticed the Light of Pharos, especially the savage Angron. He hated that light; it was a dead ringer for the Astronomican.
Though he had forgotten his past, he still felt a deep disgust toward the guy who once claimed to be his Master. He couldn't destroy Terra's Astronomican, but he could wipe out this new light.
Angron stormed out of the crimson arena, summoning the World Eaters and their bloodthirsty warriors. They were gearing up to rush to the Pharos and tear that light to shreds.
After transforming the Pharos Lighthouse into an Imperial structure, the trip to Sotha was in the bag. Daniel returned to the Imperial Glory and had Arale announce the new Warhammer OL version update on the official website.
Update Notice: The Age of Ascension (Warhammer OL Version 2.0)
After our tireless efforts, the new Warhammer OL Version 2.0 is live. We've updated and improved the game based on player feedback.
First: The Economy Just Got Real. A new commercial and financial system is here. Players can now develop fast through borrowing, fundraising, and more.
Second: The Grind Pays Off. The core exchange system for Imperial Coins and Contribution Points is complete. Use Contribution Points to purchase various weapons and equipment from the Forge World.
Third: Galaxy-Wide Communication and Fast Travel. Trans-dimensional communication and teleportation are now active. Even if you're in Atomal, you can chat with players in Macragge. Have enough Faith, and you can rapidly teleport back to a city or between Lighthouses.
Fourth: Rank Up! The Merit System is opening soon. Based on your service merits, you can be promoted to Planet Governor, Fleet Commander, High-Ranking General, and more. Stay tuned!
Fifth: War Just Got Personal. We've improved the campaign rules. Regiments can now use a points system to calculate and declare war on the Imperium's enemies on their own dime. Want territory? Want glory? Want the thrill of the fight? Go get it—the Emperor has placed it all right in the Eye of Terror.
Sixth: Set Sail. Warship and commercial barge purchases are now open. Get your cash ready and buy a ship from an NPC owner. Be warned: don't get swindled!
Seventh: Fairer Loot. Key mission items will be recycled by the system, but all other loot belongs to the participants. Individual players will use point allocation, and Wargroups will use DKP and GKP to ensure everyone gets a fair shake.
Eighth: No More Shenanigans. A player penalty system is launching. The Guide will serve as Chief Judge, Arale as Deputy Judge, and vetted NPCs or players will serve as reviewers.
The review will crack down on players who violate the rules, including but not limited to: killing NPCs or players, maliciously causing the death of NPCs or players, defrauding or bullying NPCs or players, etc.
A solemn warning to all players entering the game: Warhammer OL is a 100% real virtual reality game. Every NPC is a valuable asset, and their death will cause a chain reaction. The death of an important NPC is highly likely to cause major plot changes. Any malicious behavior that spoils the gaming experience will be met with various punitive measures, and the Official Team reserves the right to pursue legal action.
Building a great gaming environment is up to you, me, and everyone.
Finally, your friendly AI, Arale, wishes you good health and a happy life.
The Boss also wants to remind everyone that Warhammer OL is a low-key villain simulation game focused on leisure and enjoyment. Your only job is to put the brakes on the gods' chosen warriors and prevent the Age of Gods.
Don't work yourselves to death!
+++Daily Thought: Sacrifice is the cornerstone of the Empire, life is the currency of the God-Emperor, blood is the spark of civilization, and death is the end of duty+++
After checking and confirming everything was good to go, Daniel told Arale to post the notice on the official website and whet the appetites of the masses. Time to make them work even harder.