Assassinating the Emperor Was Child's Play (6k)
"Let's keep this as a reward for the younger players."
"At this stage, many players have already completed the Primaris upgrade. In a while, they should be able to advance to become the strongest human, like the Adeptus Custodes."
Qin Yun looked at the Life Status Fragment in his hand.
Because of the bond with Xi Ling,
Qin Yun does not need Life Status Fragment to enhance his strength.
Leaving it for the players to use is the most cost-effective option.
As the player of the Fourth Calamity, he is Qin Yun's most important card.
Players can complete missions that other Imperium forces cannot.
Sacrifice that other Imperium heroes cannot make, players can make.
The gods coveted it; this is the weight of the Fourth Calamity.
The stronger the players are, the more tasks Qin Yun can assign them.
It's useless if only he is strong.
With so many planets in the Milky Way and so many things happening every day, he couldn't possibly keep up.
Even the mighty Chaos Gods need a host of demons to do their bidding.
As a minor Living Saint, he naturally needs loyal and capable subordinates.
Qin Yun stored the Life Status Fragment into the Dimensional Space.
We plan to take it out after the players complete their third promotion, and use it as material for their fourth promotion.
At that time, after absorbing the Status Fragment and completing the fourth promotion, the players' abilities will be fully upgraded.
Khorne and kicking Tzeentch is no longer a dream.
After reviewing the rewards, Qin Yun turned his attention back to the current state of the Imperium.
With the widespread use of the internet, many government affairs have been handled online.
Of course, high-level decisions still require documented records as evidence.
Qin Yun activated his data device, connecting the Imperium government network with his mind.
A deluge of data flooded his mind, and a vast information network unfolded within his unique perspective.
Extending from the Imperial Palace to the wilderness of the city, and then to the magnificent metropolis in the Void, a unique information network was formed.
It's a bit like the map in Cyberpunk 2077, with each area marked by a dot. Clicking on it lets you see what's happening in that area.
Qin Yun used his extraordinary intellect to simultaneously receive information and data submitted by various administrative nodes, thereby quickly grasping the current state of the Imperium.
The victory in Commorragh gave the people a shot in the arm; a celebratory atmosphere permeated the air, consumer spending surged, and social cohesion increased.
Even the factory's production efficiency has increased by several percentage points.
This gave the already rapidly growing Imperium's economy a boost.
Of course, the Imperium's current economic development is not a miracle; it is merely a return to the level expected of a star-level civilization.
The total industrial output is also increasing, and the Imperium's military strength and living standards are improving at a visible rate.
The rapid pace of development has given many people a sense of disorientation, as if they were in another world.
The Imperium of Man of a year ago is incomparable to the Imperium of Man of today.
Just as Qin Yun finished reviewing the recent government affairs, Xi Ling appeared before him.
"Master, the Master of the Administratum, Roskaffler, and the Prime Minister, Jack, are waiting outside. They have requested a meeting."
"Let them in," Qin Yun said without looking up.
A short while later, Roskaffler and Jack, dressed in formal work clothes and wearing golden Aquila necklaces, walked in.
They bowed to Qin Yun to show their loyalty.
Although they were women, they were among the most powerful people in the Imperium.
The signing of a single document can cause a powerful family tens of thousands of light-years away to vanish in an instant.
"Is there something important you need from me?" Qin Yun didn't look up, still immersed in the sea of data.
"It concerns the Imperial Bank's lending quota." Roskaffler paused for a moment before continuing.
"The first batch of War Bonds issued will mature in half a month. The interest alone will amount to 40 trillion, not to mention the principal. The Department of the Interior cannot afford this amount now."
"Out of money?" Qin Yun temporarily stopped the data influx, looked up at Roskaffler, and said, "The Imperium is so big, can't you even come up with this little bit of money?"
"Under such high-pressure anti-corruption measures, would anyone still dare to defy the rules and commit crimes?"
Roskaffler hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's not a problem of corruption, but rather that all the money has already been used. To return this money, we need to find a way to cut some projects."
"I have already cut some unnecessary government spending, but it is still not enough, so I plan to suspend or postpone some projects."
"Most of the projects are led by you and the Primarch, so we'd like to ask which projects you'd like to cut?"
"My suggestion to the Prime Minister is to suspend the repair work on the Webway. At this stage, with the Beacon guiding us, Warp navigation is also very safe."
Hearing Roskaffler's words, Qin Yun shook his head.
"The Webway repair project must not be cut; it is crucial to the Imperium's military operations and trade voyages."
"If the Webway can be activated, the Imperium's navigation efficiency will double, or even more."
Qin Yun paced back and forth, pondering for a long time before speaking again.
"Have the Imperial Bank issue a new round of War Bonds, but this time the interest rate is only half that of the previous round. Use the borrowed money to pay off a batch of maturing bonds first."
Roskaffler and Jack looked at each other in bewilderment.
Then, Jack, as the Imperial Chancellor, stepped forward.
"My Living Saint, if we continue to borrow money like this, it will pose a huge threat to the future economic situation of the Imperium."
"Cutting down some projects and restarting them when the economy eases later is also a wise choice."
Qin Yun smiled, not agreeing with the Imperial Chancellor's words.
"The Imperium is still in a period of rapid development, and the enormous economic value generated by the application of various new technologies has not yet been fully realized."
"As the Imperium continues to recover lost territories, the total volume of economic and industrial production will further increase, and the debt will be diluted as the total economic volume increases."
"As long as we keep pushing the Imperium forward, this debt is not a problem at all."
You've already opened a bank, why are you still short of money?
Is this a joke?
Do you really think equipping the Imperial Bank with a nuclear-powered printing press is just for fun?
Even if they absolutely can't repay, they'll definitely just print money like crazy.
Economic inflation and massive monetary easing haven't even started yet!
Short of money? What kind of money are you short of?
Upon hearing the Living Saint's words, Roskaffler and Jack exchanged a glance and stopped discussing the matter.
Since even the Living Saint have decided to continue borrowing, they can't very well disagree.
"Another matter is what to do with the remains of the Imperium heroes that have been recovered?" Jack asked.
After pondering for a moment, Qin Yun made a decision.
"It will be held as a state funeral of the highest standard. An area will be designated near the Imperial Palace specifically for collecting the remains of heroes and establishing Heroes' Stele Forest for them."
Move the people out and rebuild Terra, turning it into a beautiful paradise.
Being buried in Terra will be the highest reward for those who died for their country, and will help to further inspire the fighting spirit of the soldiers.
Terra will become a true sanctuary for humanity.
The official Warhammer Online website
The question of how to assassinate the Emperor is at the top of the trending search list.
At first, everyone was just joking and making jokes.
For example, recruit Ma Bo and tell him that as long as he kills the Emperor, the Emperor can be reborn.
Search for the Invincibility Smurf army in the Realm of Ultramar.
Go borrow Doraemon's Anywhere Door.
Lu Mingfei go and fight one-on-one.
Let the official team create a template like One-Punch Man or Abhumans, where the Emperor is killed with a single punch.
Until some imaginative individuals entered the room and began a serious discussion about how to assassinate the Emperor.
The discussion then took a more serious turn.
Netizens came up with all sorts of imaginative ideas,
Using the Necron's warp technology, they leaped in stages to directly enter the Throne Room.
Drawing inspiration from the Harlequins during the War of the Beast, seek Farseer from Eldrad, the Craftworld Aeldari Eldar.
Carrying a Cyclonic Torpedo, it would detonate as soon as the Throne Room was confirmed to be within blast radius.
Ask the Trazyn the Infinite, for Celestial Orrery to detonate the sun.
Retrieve the Death Quill from the Blood Angels's vault and write the Emperor's true name.
To learn curse techniques from an evil god in the Warp.
Immediately go and become Tzeentch's apprentice, learn psionic magic, and then conquer Terra.
The netizens' ideas were incredibly imaginative.
Players eligible to participate in the Blood Games scrolled through the comments section.
Although many of the plans are bizarre and impractical, players can still find inspiration in them.
The ultimate goal of assassinating Emperor was to kill him.
As long as the goal is achieved, the process doesn't matter.
Carrying Cyclonic Torpedo on one's back is also a viable option.
The problem is that the Cyclonic Torpedo is too big and will be intercepted before it can be teleported in, and the Imperial Palace's shield is strong enough to withstand a planet-destroying attack.
The players of the Emperor's Cattle Warband also went through multiple rounds of discussions.
They devised an assassination plan that would appear to be a feint while secretly advancing.
They began procuring the necessary equipment and drawing a map of the Imperial Palace.
But they didn't rush to launch the Blood Games.
Instead, they chose to experience a day in the life of the Adeptus Custodes first.
And use this day to gather as much intelligence as possible about the Adeptus Custodes.
Trajan and the Adeptus Custodes were also observing them, trying to guess what methods they would use to carry out their Blood Games.
Before the game even officially started, the two sides were already engaging in a psychological battle, using false information to mislead each other.
The first to launch the Blood Games was the Hammer and Sickle Warband.
The players, led by Little Fatty, purchased the latest Miniature Mech developed by Dora Workshop.
Each of these Miniature Mech is over five meters tall.
It possesses an incredibly robust energy shield and an advanced firepower system, and can also perform short-distance jumps.
The assassination methods used by players like Little Fatty are simple and brutal.
First, they used a time-space teleportation device to enter the Imperial Palace.
Summon a mech from your Personal Inventory.
Then, he piloted the mech and raced towards the Throne Room.
And you know what? This approach, though simple and crude, is extremely effective.
The more complex the plan, the more loopholes it has.
The simpler the plan, the smoother it tends to go.
Relying on their powerful firepower and shields, Little Fatty and other players rampaged through the enemy lines, 'killing' many Adeptus Custodes along the way.
What's baffling is that these God Chosen even have backup machines.
After finally destroying the mech they control, they will immediately and quickly summon another one from the warehouse.
Trajan's elite Adeptus Custodes was also a force to be reckoned with.
When the alarm sounded that Little Fatty and other players had appeared, they quickly sprang into action.
Under their encirclement and relentless firepower, one mech after another was destroyed.
Finally, when they were only a few dozen meters away from the Throne Room,
Little Fatty's mecha was also disabled, and all his efforts were in vain.
"Just one more step."
When the Adeptus Custodes dragged him out of the mecha, the Little Fatty looked regretful.
He now understands how Abaddon felt when he looked at the Imperial Palace – just one last step away, but ultimately failing.
Trajan's royal Adeptus Custodes were terrified.
Good heavens, we were just a few dozen meters away!
Given the mech's speed, it would be over in less than a second.
Their ability to stop the other party in time was purely by luck.
With the slightest deviation, the God Chosen could storm into the Throne Room and declare their defeat.
"It may be time for the Adeptus Custodes's combat methods and equipment to change."
Trajan began to consider reforms.
The equipment and technology used by the Adeptus Custodes were all from the 30k era; there had been no innovation since the Emperor ascended the Golden Throne.
And in the hands of these God Chosen, all of them were brand new equipment.
It has shields, warp drives, and even a Spacetime Field; its powerful features are dazzling.
If this trend continues,
Sooner or later, the Adeptus Custodes will be crushed and humiliated by the God Chosen with their advanced technology.
The Hammer and Sickle Warband was defeated.
Several other Chapter subsequently launched Blood Games, and without exception, they all failed.
The Adeptus Custodes learned new lessons from each Blood Games.
Several lines of defense were added in succession.
They also added weapons to deal with mechs.
Player groups attempting to replicate the tactics of the Hammer and Sickle Warband were easily dealt with by the Adeptus Custodes, who were well-prepared.
In the end, only the Emperor's Cattle Warband remained.
Players like Warmaster and Ten-Timer underwent specialized training for the Blood Games.
They collected information on every member of the Adeptus Custodes and used Xi Ling's computing power to create a virtual simulation game.
The players were completely dumbfounded.
This game is so realistic that it could be used to create a game.
However, the virtual games created are far less realistic than Warhammer Online, so it seems that the idea of stacking boxes is not going to work.
Otherwise, if games are created within games, and then games are created within games, and this happens repeatedly, players might not be able to distinguish between games and reality.
After careful consideration, the players of the Emperor's Cattle Warband selected thirty elite high-level players to participate in this Blood Games.
They also purchased various technological equipment that were not yet in mass production from Dora Workshop, comprehensively enhancing the assassination squad's strength.
They went through hundreds of simulations, constantly correcting the errors in the plan.
Then, at a time when no one expected it, the Blood Games was suddenly launched.
At the start of the operation, they used Spacetime Jump Device to enter the outer perimeter of the Imperial Palace.
They quickly advanced along the secret passage they had previously identified.
The Adeptus Custodes noticed the anomaly the moment the God Chosen initiated the time jump and immediately issued an alarm, launching a pursuit and interception operation.
The players of the Emperor's Cattle Warband act swiftly, using various new equipment to Conceal Presence, but the Adeptus Custodes have long since developed a keen intuition for danger through years of training.
They formed a small team to surround and intercept the advancing God Chosen.
The squad led by the Warmaster encountered a squad led by Trajan, the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes of the Imperial Guard.
The two sides met in a spacious hall.
"You have lost." Trajan looked at the God Chosen before him. "You performed well, but your methods were too ordinary."
The Warmaster slowly drew his sword, pressed the activation button, and a bright arc of electricity covered the blade.
"According to the rules, you have to defeat us all."
"You're asking for trouble. Putting aside individual combat strength, our numbers are twice that of yours," Trajan said.
"If it weren't for the rules, even double the number of people could be dealt with by a single self-destruction," Warmaster said. "Defeat us, or we will not admit defeat."
Trajan narrowed his eyes slightly; he knew the other party was telling the truth.
If it weren't for the rules set by Living Saint...
The God Chosen's self-destruction would definitely take away a lot of the Adeptus Custodes.
Trajan's determination to reform grew even stronger.
The Adeptus Custodes's armor needs to be equipped with the ability to enter Dimensional Space to evade tactics such as self-destruction.
"Since you're determined to have a fight, I'll grant your wish."
"Honestly, you should have surrendered; that would have saved you a lot of suffering."
Trajan assumed a fighting stance, the sharp tip of his halberd also shimmering with arcs of light.
"I'm the kind of person who doesn't listen to advice." Warmaster gripped his sword with both hands, his gaze suddenly turning sharp.
He let out a deep roar and charged at the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes.
Trajan also sprang into action, his speed as swift as a dragon.
The two weapons clashed together.
It produced a deafening collision sound.
Both contain cutting-edge technology.
It possesses a sharpness capable of easily Rend steel apart.
The terrifying kinetic energy released created visible air gusts.
The shockwave created a strong wind.
"Such immense power."
Warmaster was secretly surprised; his hands were throbbing with pain.
The force of the weapon collision was so great that it made his hands go numb.
Around them, Ten-Timer and his men also clashed with the Adeptus Custodes.
In terms of individual strength, even with the aid of skills, the player's combat power is far inferior to that of the Adeptus Custodes.
Players like Ten-Timer quickly found themselves at a disadvantage.
The Warmaster ignored them and focused on fighting Trajan.
His many combat skills have reached the pinnacle level.
The duel with Trajan was a rare experience for him.
Clang!
When Trajan's halberd fell, the Warmaster parried with his sword, and at that moment, he felt as if his internal organs had shifted.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The next second, he slammed his halberd, imbued with immense force, away and then swung his sword in retaliation.
"You are very resilient," Trajan said. "You must be the seed of Dorn."
"You guessed right, but unfortunately, there's no reward," Warmaster laughed, trying to forcefully overpower the other party.
Although he gained no advantage in the confrontation, his eyes still burned with a furnace-like flame.
"It was truly a pleasure to fight you. You will win this battle, but next time, you may not be so lucky."
"I will keep winning," Trajan said firmly.
"I will learn and improve, and I will have more advanced equipment to assist me," Warmaster said. "But you have never changed. The mountains are high, but they will eventually be conquered by ants."
"Verbal arguments are pointless; reality will tell you the truth." Trajan made his decision at that moment.
The Adeptus Custodes must be changed.
We must keep pace with the times and master the Imperium's most advanced technologies.
When Trajan brought down another heavy halberd, the savage force tore open the locks, revealing his battered flesh.
Then, he threw another punch.
If Warmaster hadn't managed to escape in time, that attack might have cost him his life.
However, the flaw has already been revealed, and for a strong person of this level, the outcome is already decided.
Trajan seized the opportunity, lunged forward, and thrust his halberd out. As his opponent parried, he threw another punch, knocking the Warmaster to the ground.
Warmaster tried to stand up, but the tip of his halberd, wreathed in bright arcs of electricity, was already at his throat.
The other players also lost one by one.
Trajan walked up to the Warmaster and said, "You are strong, but ultimately you are still a little lacking."
The Warmaster raised his head, and instead of showing any sign of dejection, he smiled, which made Trajan feel somewhat uneasy.
"Do you think this is all the tricks we have?"
This made Trajan frown slightly.
He looked around at the defeated God Chosen and then at the messages sent by other squads.
The Adeptus Custodes captured a total of twenty-nine God Chosen.
Trajan recalled the initial warning message he received.
There were thirty intruders in total, but they only managed to capture twenty-nine.
"There's one more thing, go to the Throne Room." Trajan instantly realized something and immediately led his men to the Throne Room.
The players had been eliminated and thus gained the right to move freely. They followed Trajan and the Adeptus Custodes to the Throne Room.
The Adeptus Custodes moved very quickly, like a high-speed train speeding through the corridor, creating a visible white shockwave.
The players looked surprised.
No wonder they say a single Adeptus Custodes squad can conquer a planet.
They run like a high-speed train; they could probably conquer a city in just a few minutes.
For ordinary troops, let alone eliminating them, simply escaping would be considered a feat of skill.
The Adeptus Custodes stormed into the Throne Room, only to find that the Adeptus Custodes squads originally responsible for guarding the place were being controlled by strange metallic constructs.
Even if they tried their best, they could not break free.
A warrior in black armor stood before the Emperor's throne, seemingly awaiting the arrival of the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes.
As the footsteps of the Adeptus Custodes sounded, the soldier slowly turned his head.
He removed his helmet, revealing a face as if sculpted from marble, and smiled.
It was Adilance, Raven Guard.
As Raven Guard, possessing skills such as Shadow Stealth, Unnoticed Conceal Presence.
He was used as the hidden weapon in this assassination attempt.
After all, veteran players like Ten-Timer and Warmaster are very familiar with the Adeptus Custodes Guard.
Their absence would inevitably arouse the suspicion of the Adeptus Custodes immediately.
Adilance, being a second-tier player with multiple stealth skills, became the most suitable candidate.
"Assassinating the Emperor is really as easy as turning one's hand."
Trajan and the Adeptus Custodes turned grim upon hearing this.
For a moment, they were speechless.
If these God Chosen were enemies, the Emperor would probably be dead by now.
"You've lost."
The Warmaster walked up to Adilance, stood next to him, and looked at Trajan.
"How did you manage to do that?" Trajan asked, looking at the immobilized Adeptus Custodes.
P. S.: I'm really sorry, guys. I took half a day off to drink and ended up getting completely drunk.
I couldn't type on the second day, and my mind was still foggy on the third day. I only recovered today. I won't say more, I'll get back to writing 10,000 words a day.