"The Empire's Redeemer, the Civilization's Guide, the Emperor's Saint, and Humanity's Savior have arrived! Rejoice, servants of the God-Emperor!"
Alex's string of titles was read out for nearly a minute.
From the moment they saw Alex, the dignitaries bowed to him, only daring to straighten their backs after his name was fully recited.
Without waiting for their questions, Alex spoke first.
"The Lord of Ultramar, the great Son of the Emperor, the Regent of the Empire, the Supreme Lord of the Terra Senate, Roboute Guilliman, has been resurrected on Macragge and is currently leading Imperial forces to expel traitors from Ultramar.
He will soon journey to Terra for a pilgrimage."
"This is the authorization document personally signed by him.
The entire Calixis Sector, the Koronus Expanse, and indeed all areas I can influence and save, all human armies, and government departments, must unconditionally obey my commands."
Alex took out a document, handed it to an attendant, and had him circulate it among the group.
Sounds of surprise rose from the crowd.
A Primarch has returned?
"Is this true?" a man asked joyfully.
Alex's gaze pierced him like a blade, and he nodded slightly, "It is true."
Subsequently, a servo-skull broadcasted relevant footage of the Macragge ceremony.
The formidable army and Guilliman's appearance corroborated Alex's words.
"We have hope."
"A Primarch has returned; those traitors are doomed."
The dignitaries were ecstatic; they seemed to already envision the Primarch leading a grand army to suppress the enemy.
"You're thinking too much.
The entire galaxy is in chaos, and even if a Primarch returns, he will first save important areas.
The Calixis Sector cannot compare to places like the Solar Segmentum."
"Yes, we still have to save ourselves."
Some also poured cold water on their hopes; there was only one Primarch, but the galaxy was crying for help everywhere.
It was hard to say where the Calixis Sector would rank, but it certainly couldn't compare to the value of the long-established Imperial sectors.
"Alright, quiet down, listen to me now." Alex spoke, quieting the dignitaries.
"I know you are full of confusion about me.
Some of you even want to question my loyalty, and even plan to play power games right under my nose, but I don't have time to play with you, nor do I want to hear any of your doubts."
"Now, you have a choice: relinquish your power and leave here; I will not pursue any responsibility from you.
If you choose to stay, you must absolutely obey my commands."
"If you think you can challenge my authority, then by all means try.
Whether you belong to the Inquisition or the Ecclesiarchy, I will ruthlessly crush you."
"I will declare war on the rebels.
I give you one day to organize everything you know and report it to me at the meeting.
You may leave now."
"One day later, we will convene a military meeting to discuss the battle plan, and then declare war on the rebels."
Alex's conversation with the dignitaries lasted only half an hour.
He had no mercy or patience for them, only forcefully demanding that they surrender everything to him.
Alex did not feel there was anything wrong with his attitude.
Given that they had allowed the situation to deteriorate to its current state, not immediately ordering their arrest was already a sign of restraint.
Alex gave a brief speech to the public, then left.
As soon as he returned to his resting room, Cortana reported to him that the data pack had been edited.
"Send it to me to review."
"Understood, Master."
A projection interface unfolded before Alex.
[Data Pack: "Emperor's Wrath" Officially Launched!]
[Synopsis: Chaos is spreading across the Calixis Sector, and the Colin Family, colluding with Chaos forces, is threatening the Imperial citizens.
Countless worlds have been destroyed and massacred.
The enemies of the Empire are so rampant that they have angered the Emperor.
It is time to punish them.]
[Instructions:
1: All 'Warbands' please register with NPCs Aying and Losa before the deadline.
The official team will assign different missions based on the Warband's characteristics.
2: 'Points' earned during the war will determine Players' rewards at the campaign settlement stage.
The Merit System will officially launch after the data pack ends.
3: 'Farming Players' who complete military orders or assist in building military structures will also receive points, in addition to Contribution Points and Aquila Coins.
4: Warbands can initiate auxiliary troop recruitment.
Players can recruit NPC soldiers themselves to assist the Warband in combat, but they must provide standard combat equipment for the soldiers.
5: When accepting missions, Warbands should first assess and confirm whether they can complete them.
War missions have time limits; once the time limit is missed, it will be judged as a failure, and corresponding War Points will be deducted.
6: ...…
+++Thought for the Day: In the Emperor's name, bring down punishment upon those shameful traitors!+++
]
Alex reviewed the content of the data pack.
After confirming there were no issues, Cortana immediately uploaded it to the official website and pinned it to the top.
One second, Players in the forum were discussing the Macragge journey and the return celebration;
the next second, the topic shifted to the newly updated data pack.
Ten Thousand Output Slaanesh Ten Times: "Is this considered the first large-scale campaign?
After building our Warband for so long, it finally has a place to shine."
Madly Sucking Khorne's Dick: "My great axe is already thirsty."
To Arm Wrestle Khorne: "Kill! Kill! Kill! Chop, chop, chop."
Second Empire Warmaster: "Warriors of the Emperor's Cannon Fodder, assemble! For the Emperor! (wearing sunglasses)."
'Crazy Kisses Nurgle's Chubby Face': "Hammer and Sickle Battle Group, assemble! Divine Engine marches, incinerating the galaxy! (wearing helmet)"
Blood Pigeon: "Ace pilots, log in! It's time to show off our training results."
A Bowl of A Bowl of Lobster Soup: "For the Emperor! We are duty-bound! Thirteenth Regiment, charge!"
"..."
Alex saw the replies to the data announcement and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
"The morale of the Emperor's Cannon Fodder is high!"
This was the Players' first time participating in battle as a unified force, and he absolutely could not let them down.
"Enthusiasm alone isn't enough. We need to let the Players gain benefits from the game."
Alex knew that most Players currently maintained such a high online rate due to their enthusiasm for Warhammer OL, coupled with the mechanism that playing the game was equivalent to sleeping.
However, with the start of large-scale warfare, when the fighting was intense, Players might need to be online for several consecutive days.
Allowing Players to earn income from the game, thereby turning them into professional Players, was an imperative matter.
This income had to be carefully controlled, allowing some Players to play the game full-time without causing a societal impact.
"When I have time, I must address this issue first."
...
The military meeting was held in a large warehouse at Lykard Space Station.
Because too many people came, in addition to military generals of various ranks, high-level Players also participated in the meeting.
A regular conference hall could not accommodate them, so the meeting had to be held in the warehouse.
The exhaust system ran at full power, drawing away the carbon dioxide exhaled by the attendees and replacing it with fresh air.
The temporarily erected projection device hummed, displaying the star map of the entire Calixis Sector.
Most areas had been colored red, indicating they had been seized by the rebels.
A few blue areas were still struggling, but it was a desperate fight that wouldn't last much longer.
After several military generals finished introducing the battle situation in the Calixis Sector,
Alex walked to the front of the meeting attendees to give a speech.
"I believe you are all aware of the situation in the Calixis Sector. We must declare war on the rebels and save those suffering worlds."
"To maximize our war potential and defeat those rebels, from today onwards, any family that has lost its ruled territory will no longer be qualified to rule that area. They will be handed over to more capable individuals."
Upon hearing this, the Players immediately became excited.
"It looks like this is laying the groundwork for the merit system."
"Heh heh, I want to be a planetary governor."
"Haha, a planetary governor! Even if it's just in the game, it's still awesome enough."
"..."
The expressions of some representatives of the fleeing families became very uncomfortable.
To preserve their strength and ensure their voice, they had not resisted much.
If what was said at today's meeting held true, they would completely lose their right to rule.
The rules of the game shouldn't be like this.
Alex ignored them and continued speaking.
"The political structure of the Calixis Sector will be readjusted. In Guilliman's name, he has authorized me to do so."
"All your official positions will be adjusted to adapt to the new political structure."
"Regardless of your background, from now on, only ability and loyalty will be valued. Don't try to play political interest exchanges under my command. I don't mind tying idiots who cross this line to the front of a warship."
The attendees of the meeting murmured, which then escalated into audible protests.
"Sir, are you trying to overthrow the Terra government?" a woman questioned.
"Our family has been recognized by the Terra Senate; you have no right to dismiss us."
"Sir, this approach is too radical."
"Our family is loyal; how can you deprive us of our right to rule with a single sentence?"
"..."
Alex first let the voices of doubt fester, and only spoke after they had all expressed themselves.
"Are you defying the Emperor's will?"
"You lost the Calixis Sector, and now what right do you have to speak of ruling? A monarch enjoys power but also bears responsibility. You have failed so miserably, yet you dare to haggle?"
His voice was resonant and powerful, rendering the angry individuals speechless, and they lowered their heads in frustration.
"Everything announced at today's meeting, I hope will be resolutely implemented. We must unite to defeat the enemy."
"The war mobilization meeting will begin tomorrow. All units, all departments, must make way for the war."
"The traitors think we are completely helpless, so we will let them know how terribly wrong they are."
...
The day after the meeting ended, the war mobilization order was issued to all departments.
Military orders surged like a tide, all factories shifted to producing military supplies, and machines began operating 24 hours a day at overload.
Large numbers of troops assembled, swore their declarations of war, and then were sent to warships at the port.
The Players' enthusiasm was also stirred, preparing for their first large-scale battle.
Once everything was ready,
Alex did not waste words and directly declared war.
Their first target was Syntilla.
As the capital planet of the Calixis Sector, it held certain symbolic significance. If it could be recaptured, it would boost the morale of the loyalists throughout the Calixis Sector.