In another cellar, serving as a respawn point.
Three beams of light flashed.
[Let the Galaxy Burn], [Destruction is the End], and [Slaanesh Lemme Pilot You Real Hard] jumped up at practically the same time.
"Fuck his entire extended family!!!"
[Let the Galaxy Burn]'s voice exploded in the cellar. "That son of a bitch actually pulled the trigger!!!!"
[Destruction is the End] was equally speechless. He stood in silence for three seconds before suddenly laughing—the kind of manic laughter that only comes when you're too pissed off to function.
"Damn it, dealing with absolute psychos like this."
"I thought I was unhinged for constantly ganking Loyalist players these past few days, but I didn't realize we had this caliber of psychopath in our own ranks."
[Slaanesh Lemme Pilot You Real Hard] rubbed his temples.
"I finally get it."
"This game really attracts all kinds of people."
"The Loyalists have martyrs, and we Chaos players have literal lunatics."
"Fuck, you can't even treat a psycho like that as a teammate."
"From now on, we kill him every time we see him until he uninstalls or gets permabanned."
"But what was his thought process?" [Let the Galaxy Burn] was still struggling to wrap his head around it. "What does he even get out of killing us??"
"Maybe he just wanted to." [Destruction is the End] sneered. "Some people hop into games just to completely let their true nature out."
"Total cowards in real life, but heavy hitters in a virtual world."
"It doesn't matter who they kill, as long as it feels good."
"So what do we do now?"
"Forget about that maniac for now." [Slaanesh Lemme Pilot You Real Hard] stood up. "We've got more important things to deal with."
"Those guys from Crimson Dawn. We have to tell the rest of the faction."
He opened the [Wings of Freedom Regional Chat] and typed out a message:
[Slaanesh Lemme Pilot You Real Hard]: "Bros, something massive just happened."
"Anyone online?"
The chat was silent for two seconds.
[All According to Plan]: "1"
[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe]: "1. What's the situation?"
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan]: "Just finished wiping a wave of Laerans. Spit it out."
[I Just Like Sleeping In]: "1"
[Blue Pigeon Knows Nothing]: "What happened?"
Over eight hundred usernames began chiming into the chat, flooding the screen with a dense wall of text.
[Slaanesh Lemme Pilot You Real Hard] took a deep breath and recounted what had just happened.
From Lucius bringing them to meet the Iron Hands reinforcements, to seeing those five hundred crimson usernames, to getting decapitated by Lucius, and finally, getting blasted by that maniac with a rocket launcher...
He explained everything, detail for detail.
The chat went completely dead for ten solid seconds.
[All According to Plan]: "???"
[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe]: "??????"
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan]: "Holy crap???"
[I Just Like Sleeping In]: "Wait, wait, wait, hold on—that's way too much info, let me process..."
[All According to Plan]: "You're saying..."
"There's a five-hundred-man squad of Crimson Dawn Astartes, disguised as the Iron Hands Legion, currently sitting inside the Emperor's Children 10th Company camp?"
[Slaanesh Lemme Pilot You Real Hard]: "Correct."
"The guy leading them goes by the username [Paul Dawn]... the exact same monster holding the number one spot on the global reputation board."
[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe]: "...Fuck."
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan]: "...Fuck."
[I Just Like Sleeping In]: "...Fuck."
[All According to Plan] rapidly pulled up his System panel and opened the Global Leaderboards.
[Global Reputation Board]
Rank One: [Paul Dawn] (Crimson Dawn) Reputation: 999 billion.
Rank Two: [Fugitive Cogboy of the Mechanicus] (Crimson Dawn) 5.13 billion.
Rank Three: [Blood Angels' Second Emperor] (Crimson Dawn) 4.87 billion.
[Global Imperial Coin Board]
Rank One: [Paul Dawn] (Crimson Dawn) 16.78 billion.
[All According to Plan] stared at the numbers, his fingers trembling slightly.
He sat in silence.
Combining their earlier findings from the leaderboards with the announcement that they had received Second Beta test slots, they had already concluded that the players of Crimson Dawn were clearly Initial Beta testers.
He stared at the text on the screen, his brain racing.
A five-hundred-man Astartes squad.
[Paul Dawn], the number one player on the global rep board.
The Crimson Dawn—a faction potentially built by Initial Beta players—had successfully infiltrated the 10th Company under the guise of Iron Hands Astartes.
This was completely outside the scope of any plan they had devised over the last nineteen days.
"This is fucking..."
He took a deep breath. "If Crimson Dawn really is a faction established by Initial Beta players, they've had a whole extra test phase of in-game development time compared to us."
"Five hundred Astartes..."
"That might just be the tip of the iceberg of their power."
[I Just Like Sleeping In] slowly typed:
"If that's the case... we have absolutely no way to stop whatever they're planning."
"We aren't even in the same weight class."
"We can respawn, but so can they."
"And they're even stronger than we are..."
"That [Paul Dawn] guy could probably slaughter all of us by himself."
[Paul Dawn].
The name now sat on the heart of every Chaos player like a massive boulder.
[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe]: "What if..."
"I'm just hypothesizing here—what if Crimson Dawn is actually here to stop Fulgrim's fall? What do we do?"
The chat plunged into silence once more.
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan] slowly typed into the channel:
"Looking at the text from the Dawn Portal and their faction name, Crimson Dawn, their path seems to be about redeeming humanity and resisting Chaos."
"Preventing Fulgrim's corruption..."
"It lines up perfectly with their faction lore."
This realization left the eight hundred-plus Chaos players watching the channel in total silence. They all had their own conflicting thoughts.
Some of them had actually secretly admired Crimson Dawn on the side...
Taking that kind of path in a shithole world like Warhammer took guts. It was courageous.
But they had already joined the Chaos faction.
They loved the sense of freedom here.
They loved the feeling of being able to do whatever they wanted, to unleash their true nature without carrying the shackles of morality.
They weren't willing to give up these accounts.
They enjoyed the game, and they enjoyed the thrill of true combat.
The silence in the channel dragged on for a few moments.
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan] sent another message: "Whatever their faction, whatever their path, we're just playing a game."
"We're here to enjoy ourselves."
"We don't need to carry any guilt."
"We play however we want, as long as it's fun."
He paused, then continued: "So what if they're Astartes?"
"In the last ten days, thanks to our scheming, over twenty Emperor's Children Astartes have died."
"If the Loyalist Lord Commanders weren't so damn powerful, I'd have tried to off Saul Tarvitz and Vespasian too."
This remark drew support from the many players who just wanted to enjoy the game.
"Slaanesh-chan is right!"
"Why overthink it while playing a game?"
"Otherwise, why even play?"
"Crimson Dawn plays their way, we play ours!"
"Nobody tells anyone else what to do!"
[All According to Plan]: "I agree with Slaanesh-chan."
"They have their freedom of belief; we just want to enjoy our gaming time."
"Paul Dawn might be strong, but he's just played a bit longer than us. What's the big deal?"
"Fulgrim's corruption is fated; Slaanesh is watching this place at all times."
"Adding five hundred Astartes doesn't change anything."
"Just execute the original plan as scheduled."
He paused, his tone turning cold: "As for that [The Emperor is Just a Corpse] guy you mentioned..."
"He ignored the big picture for the whole faction, so kill him."
"Kill him every time you see him."
"Drain his Imperial Coins until he gets banned or blacklisted."
The other players immediately voiced their support.
[Are You Sure This Melon Is Ripe]: "Supported."
[Konnichiwa Slaanesh-chan]: "Support +1"
[I Just Like Sleeping In]: "Support +2"
Even though they were Chaos players, they still maintained the necessary unity. After all, nobody wanted a lunatic in their ranks who went around team-killing everyone.
Just then, a notification popped up...
[The Emperor is Just a Corpse]: "Hahahaha, you guys crack me up!"
"[All According to Plan], who the hell do you think you are?"
"You think you're calling the shots?"
"Did you morons forget?"
"Why are we even playing this game?"
"Why should we care so much??"
"If you want Imperial Coins, you steal them. If someone rubs you the wrong way, you just kill them!"
"You guys are just as brainwashed as those Loyalists, obsessing over 'unity'?"
"And you want to accept someone else's leadership?"
"Since when does true, free Chaos need a leader?"
"You guys aren't actually trying to be the Four Gods' dogs, are you?"
"Say it ain't so! People in the 21st century coming here to be dogs for the Four Gods?"
"Hahahahaha!"
The channel went dead.
[The Emperor is Just a Corpse] spammed the chat like crazy, one line after another. Each one was like a knife plunged straight into the faces of the Chaos players who prided themselves on being organized and disciplined.
[All According to Plan]'s face was livid.
He took a deep breath and slowly typed: "Heh."
"Everything we do is just so we can play the game better."
"If we really act like a moron like you, just mindlessly ganking and playing around, we'll eventually be wiped out by the united front of the Imperial Loyalists."
"And when we lose every single faction objective, you think we'll even have accounts left to play on?"
"Even the Four Gods know when to grudgingly cooperate—who the hell are we to be any different?"
"Forget it, there's no point talking to a psychopath like you."
[All According to Plan]: "I am hereby announcing a bounty on [The Emperor is Just a Corpse]."
"Every time he is killed, providing you share the System kill log, you can collect one thousand Imperial Coins from me."
"Valid for life, never to be canceled."
"Start your hunting."
The channel instantly erupted.
"Holy shit, a real bounty?!"
"One thousand coins per kill?! I'm gonna be rich!"
"That dude is finished."
[The Emperor is Just a Corpse] remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, he quietly dropped a final line in the regional channel:
"[All According to Plan], right?"
"I've got you marked."
"Heh."
After that, he said nothing more.
--
Meanwhile, in the [Light of the Emperor] regional channel.
[You're Not Loyal]: "Based on the Dawn Portal tips, those Crimson Dawn people are supposed to be following the 'redeeming the citizens of the Imperium' path."
"It's a bit different from our 'guard the glory of the Imperium' philosophy, but generally speaking, they belong to the pro-human faction."
"Remember how we entered the game through the Second Beta expansion slots?"
"I strongly suspect Crimson Dawn is a faction established by Initial Beta players."
"Paul Dawn is their leader."
[Worthy of Sanguinius's Blood]: "Agreed."
"And given their faction identity, they couldn't possibly be on the side of Chaos."
"Chaos never treats Imperial citizens like people... although, the Imperium doesn't really treat them like people either..."
[For the Regent Yellow Guilliman]: "But it's better than Chaos, right?"
"The Imperium at least still has Sanguinius, Guilliman, and Vulkan—Primarchs who actually treat humanity with kindness."
At this moment, Vance, who had just returned to the temporary encampment from the mapping site, was leaning against a coral wall, watching the players discuss.
[Sanguinius is My Husband]: "Say, doesn't the name Paul sound a bit familiar to you guys?"
[Worthy of Sanguinius's Blood]: "How the Steel Was Tempered?"
[Sanguinius is My Husband]: "Yes! Exactly! Paul Korchagin!"
"An idealist who dedicated his entire life to the cause of humanity's liberation."
[For the Regent Yellow Guilliman]: "...Fuck."
"So that Paul Dawn guy, picking that username, it means..."
"He wants to be the Paul Korchagin of the Warhammer world?"
[The Imperium's Purest Inquisitor] Vance spoke slowly: "So, we can conclude..."
"They are here to prevent Fulgrim's corruption."
"Or at the very least, they don't want to let Fulgrim fall so easily."
[Love Eating Grox Cans]: "Doesn't that put their faction goals in line with ours?"
[The Imperium's Purest Inquisitor]: "Correct."
"Perhaps we can try making contact with Paul Dawn."
"Paul."
"A name forged into a will of iron through suffering."
He paused, then continued:
"I'll try to convince my teacher, Darius, to take me to the 10th Company encampment shortly."
"I'll figure out a way to meet him privately and see if he has any way to stop Fulgrim's fall."
"But our original plan stands..."
"I've already sent you the coordinates of the energy pylons and the structural weaknesses on this Sky Coral platform."
"If push comes to shove, I'll signal you to start the operation."
"We will defend the glory of the Imperium with our lives."
Over a thousand loyalist players replied:
[Worthy of Sanguinius's Blood]: "Understood!"
[I Eat Tomatoes]: "Understood!"
[For the Regent Yellow Guilliman]: "Understood!"
[Sanguinius is My Husband]: "Understood!"
...
--
Emperor's Children 10th Company encampment, Iron Hands temporary tent.
Paul sat cross-legged on a simple military cot, his silver-grey Gorgon Terminator armor removed to reveal a standard black form-fitting combat suit.
In the depths of his dark gold eyes, five stars were slowly spinning.
[Have You Been Loyal Today?] walked into the tent, followed by two Iron Hands players.
"Paul," he stood at attention in front of Paul. "The time for the final assault is set: 06:00 tomorrow morning. The Emperor's Children Primarch, Fulgrim, will truly descend onto Laeran tonight."
"Looks like it's going to be a restless night." He said softly.
[Have You Been Loyal Today?] blinked in surprise: "Paul, you mean..."
"Those two factions know we're here."
Paul stood up, walked to the tent entrance, lifted a corner, and stared out into the deep blue night sky.
"The Imperial faction should try to find a way to make contact with us."
"As for the Chaos side..." Paul smirked. "It's probably already absolute chaos."
"Those four unlucky bastards that Lucius killed have likely already spilled our guts."
[Have You Been Loyal Today?] frowned: "Do you want me to stop them tonight?"
"No need." Paul let the tent flap drop and turned around. "Whatever their motives, meeting them is always a good idea."
"We have to make them understand where the Crimson Dawn stands."
He walked back and sat down on his military cot.
"We are the Third Faction. We don't stand with the Imperium, and we don't stand with Chaos."
"The interests we serve are the interests of all individual humans."
"As for Fulgrim's corruption..." Paul paused, a hint of complexity flickering in his dark gold eyes.
"We can only do our best."
"The rest, we leave to fate."