The Hammer Chapter's latest kill streak dominated the regional player chat channels, causing a shake-up in the war leaderboards. The Hammer Regiment shot up to fourth place, just a stone's throw (80,000 War Points) from third.
"Check out the regional report and the rankings. Holy smokes, Rigby just bagged 50,000 points by wiping out that enemy tank cluster," The Turtle exclaimed.
"Are the Titan jockeys always this brutal?" Yuji asked, watching the explosion in the distance.
"They're climbing the walls to pad their stats," Warmaster said. "If things keep going this way, Blood Dove's going to lose their spot at number two unless we get another Void War."
"Thank the Emperor we nabbed that battleship in the boarding action, or we'd be eating their dust," The Turtle said, feeling a sense of relief.
"Don't get complacent. No headquarters missions yet. We need to hold the high ground," Warmaster warned. "The tide can turn on a dime out here. Anything could happen."
Aquinas and his staff were all rounded up. The Imperial forces moved too fast; they were either captured or killed—no two ways about it. The defenders of the Mobile City of Ambron were completely defeated, and the survivors chose to surrender.
They'll be spared execution, but only to be tossed into a Penal or Redemption Battalion. They'll be first in line as cannon fodder the next time a war breaks out. Those with blood on their hands will be turned into servitors for war machines, their value squeezed out of them to the last drop.
In less than half a day, the Imperium had already reclaimed the first city. But they didn't skip a beat; they kept pushing forward. The Sibelius Hive was immediately marked as the next strategic objective.
The Imperial Army was moving like a hot knife through butter, slicing through rebel defenses in the satellite cities and making a beeline for the Sibelius Hive.
The Emperor's Hammer Chapter was running point, smashing through defenses with tanks and infantry formations. Their players were organized into specialized assault teams—firefighting crews sent wherever the enemy was making things rough.
Several Thunderhawk gunships screamed across the battlefield, arriving right over a major rebel fortress. Players like Rigby and Yuji, using jump packs, leapt into the air and hurtled toward the target.
The enemy had built a series of formidable forts out of armor plating and quick-set cement, stuffing them with heavy artillery to try and slam the brakes on the Imperial advance. The Emperor's Oxen Chapter was tasked with removing this thorn in the side.
"Objective updated, boys. Go get that MVP."
Warmaster's jump pack roared to life, launching him defying gravity toward the enemy fortress. The rebels caught on fast. The sky immediately filled with anti-air fire, trying to shoot the players out of the air.
"Are you serious?! Looks like my luck just ran out!" Yuji yelled over the comms.
Rigby looked back just in time to see Yuji's jump pack blow up in his face, vaporizing him.
"Let's take a moment of silence for 'Old Shi.' He was our friend, our brother, an upright, kind, brave, and utterly fearless pervert. Even though he always posted pictures without the torrent files, and always freeloaded, he was still one of the guys," WrongHammer said, mimicking a priest.
"Emperor, the Tenth Brother has been sacrificed. Bless us with power!" The Turtle shouted.
"My squad mates are performing blood magic for power. It's working!" Sam echoed his companion's words.
"Knock it off, guys. Slow your roll and get ready to rumble," Warmaster commanded.
The fortress was a heavily armored beast. It had a heavy artillery battery on each of the four corners, and a cube-shaped anti-air turret in the center that was spitting fire at the players. A few unlucky guys had already been taken out.
The players hit the ground, and hordes of enemies opened fire. They returned fire with their bolters, the explosive rounds hitting the enemy, exploding them on contact. They then charged in with chainswords, slaughtering every soldier who dared resist. They kept killing until the fortress was covered with corpses and blood.
After securing the fortress, Warmaster hailed Arale to submit the mission. Once the reward was verified, he immediately grabbed the next task and, with his squad on his six, they didn't waste a second.
In a large factory in the hive city, Mordecai and the other 'null' members of the Daemon Hunter Corps stormed the factory, killing every gang member who tried to stop them and freeing the enslaved Imperial citizens.
After submitting the task, he was happy about the war score he received. But when he checked the Daemon Hunter Regiment's ranking, his joy went up in smoke.
"The nulls are straight-up garbage in the current meta."
"Forget the top spot, we can't even crack the top fifteen." The newer player chapters were leaving them in the dust.
"The null naturally repel people. Players only feel slightly uneasy, but NPCs freak out—they're incredibly resistant to us. This is a real gut-punch because it means we can't recruit auxiliary troops. Our damage output isn't high enough, and without backup, we're stuck taking lousy side quests, and the war score is going nowhere."
"Are you with the Imperium?" a rescued man asked.
"Someone will be along to sort you out," Mordecai replied without skipping a beat. "I'm just here for the extraction. All other issues are above my pay grade."
"My name is Maxo, an Inquisitorial agent. I was investigating local gangs for Chaos corruption, but I stumbled upon traces of the Dark Horn Brotherhood."
"This is a huge deal—it might signal a daemonic incursion. I need to see your superior immediately. I have to link up with my fellow Inquisitors."
"Wait, a daemon invasion?" Mordecai, who had been slumped over, suddenly snapped to attention the moment he heard the word 'daemon.' It was like he saw the MVP trophy beckoning him.
"Are you serious?" Maxo took a few steps back. Daemonic incursion is a massive problem—why was this guy so pumped about it?!
"So, this is going to be a full-blown daemon invasion?" Mordecai pressed impatiently.
"Yes, the Dark Horn Brotherhood is back. They are likely using this situation to conjure the daemon Balvermel," Maxo confirmed. "I demand to see your commander immediately."
"No problem." Mordecai didn't think twice. He immediately hailed a gunship for Maxo and had him ferried to Daniel.
Inquisitor Kaidin, Cardinal Ignatus, and Daniel were already in session. Maxo initially requested to brief Inquisitor Kaidin alone, following standard Inquisitorial protocol, but Kaidin shut him down.
"The Saint is the Emperor's messenger, and the Cardinal is a staunch believer in the Emperor. They both have a right to be in the loop."
Maxo then laid out his findings about the Dark Horn Brotherhood, which was tied to Balvermel, Lord of Dark Flame, one of the legendary Seven Great Daemons.
Kaidin added that the Brotherhood had once had its hooks in the Calixis Sector, nearly corrupting the very foundation of the Sector's government before being suppressed. "But it's one of those cults that just won't die—it seems to revive every generation. They are always waiting in the shadows for a chance to strike."
Maxo explained that he couldn't get off-world due to his assignment and was stuck in Sintila. When his deep-cover gang was defeated by a rival force, he was captured and sent to the factory as a slave until his rescue today.
"We can't drag our feet on this. If the Brotherhood summons that daemon, Sintila is toast. Saint, I need a team to go after this immediately," Kaidin applied to Daniel.
Daniel glanced at Mordecai, who was practically bouncing off the walls with expectation—the player had 'Pick Me!' written all over his face.
"You and your men will support Inquisitor Kaidin," Daniel pointed at Mordecai. "Any questions?"
Mordecai shook his head so hard it was like a bobblehead doll. "None, sir!"
"Very well, you're dismissed."
The second he left the bridge, Mordecai let loose in the team comms. "It's showtime, baby! Everyone, move it! We've got a daemon incident. We need to jump on this opportunity, go for the deep-dive on the cult, and snag that MVP!"
"Look, whether it's void battle or ground war, the null Daemon Hunters always get the short end of the stick, and our score is always dead last," Mordecai ranted. "Praise be to the Emperor, and praise be to this daemon Balfomel! He's going to be the ticket to our MVP."
Mordecai brought all the null players of the Daemon Hunter Corps and followed Kaidin and Maxo to investigate the daemon incident.
Daniel stood by the bridge viewport, watching the gunship blast toward the Hive World's surface. He sighed. "Daemons are a dime a dozen these days." Just then, a golden light curtain materialized before him.
— Level Up! —
LV14 -> LV15
New Skill: Time Warp. Allows you to slow down or speed up the flow of time within a certain radius. Tip: This skill can adjust the flow of time for both the player and the Warhammer universe, consuming EXP Points.
New Skill: Blessing of Faith. You can bestow the power of faith on a devout unit. The blessed unit gains temporary increased resistance to the Warp or enhanced strength. Tip: This skill can transfer EXP Points to the player as a quest reward.
— Level 15 Unlocked! —
New Power: Regional Salvation. You will now continue to receive 'Emperor's Faith' rewards every time a region is saved.
Daniel stared at the text on the gold screen, frowning, the corner of his mouth twitching. He was Level 15. He could now issue EXP Point quests, but the points were fronted from his own pool first. Only once the Emperor vetted the zone and approved the result would he get the EXP back.
"Wait a minute. Isn't this just a contract job? And the kind where I have to put up the capital myself?"
"This guy isn't going to pull a fast one and skip out on the bill, is he? Back in the day, I used to bail on debts and got my butt kicked for it."
Daniel rubbed his chin. There were no guarantees. No collateral, no receipt! "If I don't get the payment, is he going to put the Golden Throne up for sale?"
"Master, Sha is on the line," Arale announced.
"Let him through," Daniel said.
"We have a fleet sighting in the void, suspected rebel reinforcements," Sha's voice sounded over the communication.
Daniel frowned slightly. "They're already here? Looks like the rebels still have a few tricks up their sleeve."
"Get the warships underway to meet the enemy. Those damned traitors are about to find out that coming here was the worst decision they ever made."
On the ground, Sonas Colin also got the news. He shook off the despair from the recent string of losses and let out a booming laugh. "Reinforcements are here! It's time for us to swing for the fences!"