"Behold the arrival of the Imperium's Redeemer, the Guide of Civilization, the Emperor's Saint, the Savior of Humanity! Hail, servants of the God-Emperor!"
Daniel's extensive list of titles took almost a full minute to announce.
From the moment they first saw Daniel, the assembled dignitaries had bowed low, remaining bent double until his final title was read. Daniel then cut straight to the chase, not waiting for their stammered questions.
"Lord of Ultramar, Son of the Great Emperor, Regent of the Imperium, Roboute Guilliman, has returned from the abyss on Macragge. He is leading the fight to purge the traitors from Ultramar and will soon make a pilgrimage to Holy Terra.
This is the writ of authority he personally signed. The entire Calixis Sector, the Colonus Expanse, and all areas I can influence and save—all human armies and government departments—will obey my orders without question."
Daniel produced a document, handing it to an attendant to pass around for inspection. A wave of stunned disbelief and excited whispers swept through the crowd.
"Is... is this for real?" one man asked, his voice trembling with hope.
Daniel's gaze pierced the man like a laser. He gave a slight nod. "It is absolutely true." A servo-skull then projected relevant images of the Festival of the Blade on Macragge. The sight of the massive army and Guilliman himself confirmed Daniel's words.
"We have hope!"
"A Primarch is back! Those traitors are dead in the water!"
The nobles were ecstatic. They could practically see the Primarch leading a massive fleet to crush the rebellion.
"Hold your horses," someone else interjected, pouring cold water on the enthusiasm. "The whole galaxy is in the toilet. Even if the Primarch is back, he's going to save the most critical areas first. The Calixis Sector won't even move the needle compared to systems like the Solar Sector."
"Alright, settle down and listen up," Daniel commanded, silencing the dignitaries.
"I know you're scratching your heads about me. Some of you are questioning my loyalty, and frankly, some of you are trying to run a power play right here. I don't have the time to mess around with kindergarten politics, and I won't entertain any questions."
"You have a choice. You can cash out now: relinquish your authority and leave. I won't prosecute you. But if you choose to stay, you will obey my orders without reservation."
"If you think you can challenge my authority, make my day. Whether you wear the badge of the Inquisition or the robes of the Ecclesiarchy, I will take you down hard."
"I am declaring war on the rebels. I will give you exactly one day to get your ducks in a row and report everything you know to me at a strategy meeting. You are dismissed."
The exchange between Daniel and the dignitaries lasted barely half an hour. He showed zero patience or mercy, simply demanding they surrender everything to him. Daniel didn't see anything wrong with his attitude; considering their disastrous failure, not ordering their immediate arrest was already showing restraint.
After a brief, authoritative speech to the general crowd, Daniel left. As soon as he was back in the private quarters, Arale reported that the expansion pack was ready.
"Send it over."
"Yes, Master."
The projection interface unfolded before Daniel, detailing the new content:
Expansion Pack: "The Emperor's Wrath" Officially Launched!
Intro: Chaos is running wild in the Calixis Sector. The Corin family, in league with the Ruinous Powers, is threatening the Imperium's loyal people. Countless worlds have been destroyed and their populations massacred. The Emperor's enemies are so rampant, they have incurred His Holy Wrath. It is time to bring the hammer down!
Features:
All "Chapters" must register on Aing and Lothar before the deadline. Command will assign missions based on Chapters specialties.
The 'scores' earned during the war will determine a player's income at the battle settlement stage. The Merit System will officially launch once the expansion pack concludes.
"Farming Players" can earn 'merit points' in addition to Contribution Points and Imperial Coins by completing military contracts or assisting in military construction.
Regiments are now recruiting Auxiliary Troops. Players can personally recruit NPC soldiers to assist their Regiment in combat, provided the players furnish them with standard combat gear.
Chapters must first evaluate if they can complete an accepted mission. War missions have a hard time limit. Missing the deadline means mission failure and a deduction of corresponding War Points.
...
+++Daily Thought: In the name of the Emperor, bring swift punishment upon those shameful traitors.+++
Daniel checked the content. After confirming it was rock solid, he had Arale upload it to the official website and pin it to the top.
One minute the players on the forum were geeking out over the Macragge trip; the next, the entire focus shifted on a dime to the new expansion pack.
Ten Thousand Hits of Slaanesh: "Is this the first large-scale war? After all this time forming the Chapter, it's finally time to get down to business."
The Raging Khorne Bull: "My axe is thirsty!"
To Arm Wrestle with Khorne: "KILL! KILL! KILL! Chop, chop, chop!"
Warmaster: "Warriors of the Imperial Oxen, saddle up and fight for the Emperor! (wearing sunglasses)"
The Fat Face of Crazy Nurgle: "Hammer and Sickle, let's roll! The Divine Machine will go out and burn the galaxy! (wearing helmet)"
Holy Blood Dove: "Ace pilots, take your stations! Time to demonstrate the results of our training!"
LobsterSauce: "For the Emperor, it's go time! Thirteenth Regiment, CHARGE!"
Seeing the replies, a smile unconsciously crept onto Daniel's face. "The player base is absolutely frothing at the mouth." This was the first time the players would participate in a battle as a unified force; he couldn't let them down. "Enthusiasm alone won't cut it. We have to make sure the players benefit from the game."
Daniel knew most players were passionate about Warhammer OL, and the fact that playing the game was like sleeping meant they kept a high online rate.
However, as large-scale wars began, it was likely players would need to stay online for days on end. It was imperative to ensure players could make a living from this game, allowing them to become professional players.
The income needed to be carefully controlled so players could quit their day jobs to play without causing a massive shock to society.
"When I have a moment, I have to figure this out."
The military meeting was held in a massive warehouse at the Lycard Space Station. Since the crowd was huge—including military generals, bureaucrats, and high-level players—a normal conference hall wouldn't cut it.
The exhaust system ran full blast, sucking out the carbon dioxide and pumping in fresh air. The makeshift projection device hummed, displaying a star map of the entire Calixis Sector. Most areas were dyed red, signifying rebel control. The few blue pockets were still struggling, like trapped animals, and couldn't hold out much longer.
After several military generals finished briefing the grim situation, Daniel strode to the front of the meeting for his speech.
"I believe you all already understand the situation in the Calixis Sector. We must declare war on the rebels and save those suffering worlds."
"To maximize our war potential and put the rebels in the dirt, effective immediately: any ruling family that has lost territory will be stripped of their right to rule that area. It will be handed over to those more capable."
The players in attendance immediately got fired up.
"It looks like this is paving the way for the Merit System!"
"Heh, I want to be a planet Governor!"
"A Planet Governor! Even in a game, that's pretty legit."
The faces of the representatives of the families who had fled grew visibly uncomfortable. They had retreated to preserve their strength and influence. If this new rule stood, they had completely lost their right to rule. That's not how the game was supposed to be played.
Daniel ignored them, continuing: "The political structure of the Calixis Sector will be completely realigned. Guilliman has authorized me to do this. Your official positions will be adjusted to adapt to the new structure.
From now on, regardless of your background, only ability and loyalty will be valued. Don't try to trade political favors with my people. I have zero problem strapping any fool who crosses that line to the front of a warship."
Whispers turned into audible protests.
"Sir, are you attempting to pull a coup on Terra?" one woman challenged.
"Our family has been recognized by the Terran Senate. You have no right to dismiss us!"
"My Lord, this is too radical."
"Our family is loyal! How can you snatch away our right to rule with just one sentence?"
Daniel let the protests run their course, only speaking once they were done.
"Are you challenging the Emperor's will?"
"You lost the Calixis Sector. What right do you have to talk a big game about ruling now? The crown weighs heavy, and leadership demands responsibility. You fumbled the ball this badly, and you have the nerve to haggle?"
His voice was so thunderous it instantly silenced the angry nobles, forcing them to hang their heads in shame.
"I expect everything announced at today's meeting to be implemented without fail. We must unite as one to crush the enemy."
"War mobilization begins tomorrow. All units and departments will make their necessary contributions to the war effort."
"The traitors think we're dead in the water. Let's show them how wrong they are."
The day after the meeting, the war mobilization order was sent out across the board. Military orders flooded in, factories switched to full military production, and machines began running at 24/7 capacity.
Massive troop formations gathered, swore the oath of war, and were then shipped out to the waiting warships. The players' enthusiasm was through the roof as they prepared for their first large-scale battle.
Once everything was ready, Daniel didn't waste a second and immediately declared war. Their first target was Sintila. As the former sector capital, it held significant symbolic value. If they could recapture it, it would be a massive morale boost for loyalists across the entire Calixis Sector.