Celebrating Victory, Rewarding Merit

"The dismantling of the legions was to prevent the Great Astartes from becoming too powerful. If I hadn't promoted the Codex Astartes, the Imperium would have fallen apart long ago."

"I have no interest in the position of Emperor of the Imperium. When the war ends, whoever takes the throne can take it. I'm not going to take it. I want to travel. This universe is so big, I want to see it."

Guilliman waved his hands and loudly defended himself.

Qin Yun and Lion El'Jonson both laughed when they saw this.

They knew, of course, that Sanguinius wasn't really accusing Guilliman.

It was just to bring up a topic to lighten the mood.

"Alright, I see. So the Imperial Regent actually harbors a dream of being a traveler," Sanguinius said sarcastically.

"Alright, let's get down to business. Although the Battle of Signus is over, there are some issues that need to be pointed out, namely, the influence of the Chaos Gods on the Realspace is increasing." Lion El'Jonson steered the conversation to the main topic.

"It seems a lot has happened since my fall," Sanguinius said.

"Those abominable things can now manifest in the Realspace without a large-scale sacrifice."

During the Siege of Terra, the Chaos Gods needed a significant amount of bloodshed, death, and Horus as an anchor point to project their power into the Realspace.

Now, they don't need to do that; they can manifest themselves.

This suggests that the Milky Way is about to become the Garden of the gods.

"The Great Rift has opened up."

Qin Yun opened a projection of the Milky Way, which featured a dazzling Stellaris.

In the projection, it can be clearly seen that the vast Milky Way has been Rend apart by an astonishing crack.

"The Era Indomitus have arrived, and the final moment that will determine the fate of mankind is approaching."

"If we can win this war, human civilization will be reborn from the ashes and become the most brilliant civilization in the Milky Way, and even the universe."

"If we fail, the story of humanity will come to an end, and even the Milky Way may be turned into a terrible hell for the Chaos Gods to play with."

Sanguinius stared intently at the projection, his eyes slightly furrowed. "Has the situation become this dire?"

"Yes." Qin Yun nodded. "Human civilization has been driven to the brink of destruction. It must either fight to the death or be completely destroyed."

"The situation is indeed very bad." Lion El'Jonson nodded as well. "The bad news from the Imperium Nihilus has never stopped. As soon as the Astropaths enter the Warp, they can hear countless worlds screaming."

"There is still hope, brothers. As long as we stand united, even if we face the gods, we may still have a chance," Guilliman clenched his fist, his face full of confidence. "We still have the Living Saint, we still have our father, and this battle can still be fought."

"Yes, we still have a chance," Qin Yun echoed Guilliman's words. "Although the situation is terrible now, there is still hope."

"The premise is that we must put aside all concerns and suspicions, cooperate sincerely, and ensure that the things that happened during the Great Crusade never happen again. The current Imperium can no longer withstand any betrayal."

"Yes, Horus turned to the Chaos Gods out of suspicion, and Father chose to shoulder the responsibility of saving mankind alone because he did not trust others. We are also full of suspicion among ourselves." Sanguinius' voice was tinged with sorrow.

By the end of the Great Crusade, humanity's military strength was sufficient to sweep aside any force in the Milky Way.

Everyone firmly believes that no force can harm humanity anymore, and that human civilization will usher in a brilliant era, returning to its former glory.

Who could have imagined that Horus, the Warmaster, would choose to betray his own father with the help of the Chaos Gods?

Ultimately, this led to brothers turning against each other, fathers and sons killing each other, and the entire Milky Way being engulfed in war.

"Alright, let's not dwell on the past. Let's discuss what to do next." Lion El'Jonson looked around at everyone.

"I recently discussed the current state of the Milky Way with Dante, your son," Lion El'Jonson said, pointing to Sanguinius in the radiance. "We're planning to first rally the Loyalists on the Imperium Nihilus the Imperium Nihilus to maintain order there."

"At the same time, we will build Beacon in key star systems to assist Imperium ships in navigation and maintain communication and navigation in all territories of the Imperium."

"Your plan is flawless. Especially at times like these, we need to proceed cautiously and steadily, and not be impatient for quick results." Qin Yun nodded, appreciating Lion El'Jonson's composure.

"My Webway repair and Star Gate construction projects have been approved."

"These two projects will greatly reduce the risks associated with navigation."

"Another issue is the problem of reforms entering the deep water zone. We need to further ensure that the interests of the people are protected. We need to let those soldiers know that they are sacrificing their lives for a better world, not wasting their loyalty on a cesspool."

"The new Imperium laws are already being revised, which will redefine the functions of various departments, reduce administrative costs, and improve efficiency."

"There's also the deployment of new equipment. I've pretty much convinced the opposition on Mars, but the Conservatives in other Forge World are still very stubborn and refuse to accept change. We need your cooperation to persuade them to implement Terra's policies."

"The last question is about the Ecclesiarchy. I know that none of you like religion, but now, religion is humanity's shield, and faith is the most powerful means for ordinary people to fight against the Warp."

"Therefore, the Ecclesiarchy can only be reformed, not abolished, otherwise the damage would be too great."

"..."

Qin Yun discussed the reform-related matters in detail.

Then, Guilliman began to talk about the Indomitus Crusade.

The Indomitus Crusade shattered the evil plot of the Chaos traitors to destroy the Imperium of Man and restored the confidence of the Imperium's Loyalists.

The achievements so far are remarkable, but as time goes by, we have also encountered many troubles and obstacles.

The Orks, the Tyranids, and the Necrons are all using this Great Rift to try and seize Milky Way dominance from humanity.

The Necrons in the Nephilim Sector seem to be plotting something big, as neither the battle groups nor the Primaris Chapter sent there have sent back any news.

"In my current state, there's really nothing I can do to help," Sanguinius said sadly.

"Don't worry, you'll be resurrected to be a beast of burden soon," Qin Yun said humorously. "Once most of your soul fragments are collected, you can be resurrected."

During the Vengeful Spirit, Sanguinius' soul was torn apart by the gods, and a portion of it was taken away.

But that doesn't mean that all souls must be gathered together for resurrection.

When the One-Eyed Red-Skinned Ogryn was struck by the Wolf King's knee, breaking his spine, his soul shattered along with it.

His descendants went through great hardship to retrieve the fragments of his soul and resurrect him.

However, not all fragments were recalled; only a portion were retrieved.

Magnus truly completed his soul's restoration when Ahriman cast the second Rubric Sorcery.

Ahriman has just completed the preliminary work for the Rubric Sorcery and is preparing to sacrifice Magnus to truly liberate the Thousand Sons Legion.

As a result, Magnus suddenly appeared, seized control of the Rubric Sorcery, reversed it, and reclaimed all his soul fragments in the Milky Way.

If we can gather a portion of Sanguinius' soul, we can resurrect him first. Later, when he is strong enough, we can slowly settle Chaos Gods and seize the fragments of the Archangel's soul.

Qin Yun's words made Guilliman and Lion El'Jonson laugh again.

Sanguinius, who was already feeling a bit melancholy, suddenly felt numb!

No, what do you mean by "soon coming back to be beasts of burden"?!

So you resurrected me just so I could come back to work?!

After talking for a while, everyone finally disconnected the communication.

"Father." When Mephiston and the other Blood Angels gathered around and looked at Sanguinius, their eyes were filled with tears.

A group of tough guys who could tear demons apart with their bare hands and kick Xenos with their feet were so excited by the return of Sanguinius that they wanted to cry.

Qin Yun tactfully led the young players away, leaving them some space.

"What a touching reunion between father and son."

The newly revived Dried Meat turning back, its face full of gossip.

"Alright, stop looking. The Living Saint wants us to gather in the open area to collect our rewards," said "Declare War If Not Being A Dog."

"Is this where we collect our pay at the drill ground?" a player nearby interjected. "Did they make us wear armor?"

Dried Meat: "..."

"Declare War If Not Being A Dog": "..."

"Just trying to liven things up," the player shrugged.

The two of them rolled their eyes at the player.

This joke isn't funny at all!!

Qin Yun asked Xi Ling to calculate the rewards the players were entitled to.

As with the previous ones, he also issued urgent missions with high rewards, just to maximize the players' motivation.

"Xi Ling, do you think we should use these fragments of authority to reward the players?" Qin Yun held in his hand the fragments of concepts and laws that had fallen from Nurgle.

The types of fragments are life, resilience, Indomitus, and hope, among others.

"Malcador said that good and evil coexist in the Warp, and the power of the Immaterium is neutral, depending on who uses it," Xi Ling said. "I think it's perfectly acceptable to give it to the players, allowing them to have greater power."

"Let's give it a try and see if the younger players can accept these powers."

After weighing the options, Qin Yun decided to give it a try.

Because they are essentially one entity, the stronger the player is, the stronger he becomes.

If players can absorb these fragments and gain greater power, then Qin Yun's power will also surge.

Given time, even without burning faith or relying on the Emperor's power, they will be able to contend with the powerful beings of the Warp.

"Master, there's something Xi Ling is curious about."

"What's up?"

"Normally, Nurgle is the god of disease and despair, so how could the power of life and hope be in his hands?"

"Perhaps this is the reason for the chaos in the Warp; some guys are too greedy and take too much."

Looking at the fragment of power in his hand, Qin Yun made some guesses.

The Warp during the Old Ones' time must have been well-ordered, with each god fulfilling their respective duties to maintain order in Warp and the Realspace.

War in Heaven, the Old Ones were defeated, or Old Ones they did something that caused the Warp to become unbalanced, thus giving birth to the Chaos Gods.

Just as when Slaanesh was born, he devoured most of the Aeldari and took everything from them.

What did Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle devour when they were born?

Or rather, they have never stopped devouring since they were born.

Logically, the beliefs of all beings should resonate in the Warp, thereby continuously giving birth to new deities.

For example, the T'au Goddess.

The mere act of subservient races to the Greater Good led to the birth of a powerful being capable of creating Star Tide Nexus.

The strength of the Star Tide Nexus lies in the fact that it only allows fleets of the T'au Empire to pass through, and that even without protection, they can navigate safely within it.

They're all essentially alternative forms of Webway.

Throughout the long history of the Milky Way, civilizations like the Tau have been countless.

Even now, there are still many Xenos Imperium outside the Imperium territory.

However, few alien gods could be found in the Warp.

The only explanation is that they were all eaten.

As for who ate it, that goes without saying.

When it came time to reward their contributions, the players were all beaming with joy.

The reward for the emergency mission to rescue Mephiston is several times that of a regular mission.

This single event significantly boosted the wallets of many small-time players.

Commercial organizations such as Dora Workshop, MC Dynasty, and Agricultural Academy, smelling the opportunity, came to them and tried their best to promote their brand-new products.

In addition to the regular rewards, the most significant reward is the fragment reward.

Those who make the most outstanding contributions, ranking in the top five, will receive a reward of God Shard.

The strongest Warmaster ranks first and obtains the Toughness Shard, which greatly increases endurance and allows him to withstand more damage.

Secondly, there's the Erlong Gang Leader. After all, he followed Mephiston throughout the entire race and made a significant contribution, earning him Life Shard.

Resurrection time is halved, maximum health is increased, and recovery ability is also greatly improved.

Besides these two, three other outstanding players also received fragment rewards.

"Damn, there's a new gameplay mode again, and the fragment reward cap has been raised."

How can I obtain fragment rewards?

"It feels like a Tier 0 team is about to be born."

"..."

Players who didn't receive the fragment reward all wore envious expressions.

The rarity and value of this item goes without saying.

Some suspect that if they absorbed enough fragments, they could transform into powerful beings like the Primarch or the Greater Daemon.

"Could it be that there's a way to become a god later on?"

"If one can ascend to demonhood and elevate one's status, one can certainly become a god."

"Good heavens, is Warhammer a science fiction game or a fantasy game?!"

"..."

After distributing the rewards, Qin Yun held a celebratory banquet.

Having just finished a battle, proper relaxation is essential.

Otherwise, if you keep your nerves constantly on edge, you never know when you might break down.

At the banquet, Qin Yun summoned several players, including Erlong Gang Leader and "Declare War If Not Being A Dog."

"Guide".

"Guide".

"..."

Players like Erlong Gang Leader were extremely excited.

Players who are summoned privately by their Guide are generally destined for important tasks.

You can get at least one Aquila Medal.

This is the highest honor reward among players.

They can also enter the website's Hall of Fame and become known to the entire internet.

Qin Yun looked around before speaking solemnly.

"I have a very important task for you. Can you swear to complete it at all costs?"

"Whatever task you assign, we will give our all and do everything in our power to ensure its completion." The Erlong Gang Leader back.

"Give us your orders, Guide."

"We are your most loyal, most trustworthy, and most reliable servants."

The other players also straightened their backs, looking at Qin Yun with anticipation.

"Very good." Qin Yun nodded in satisfaction.

The young players are as enthusiastic as ever; a little reward is enough to unleash their full potential.

"You must already know that it is necessary to collect the fragments of Sanguinius' soul in order to resurrect this venerable Primarch."

"The process of collecting the fragments is fraught with danger and requires a group of resilient, brave, and strong warriors to protect it. So, can you shoulder this heavy responsibility?"

Sanguinius is currently only a fragment of his soul, needing the nourishment of faith and Qin Yun's help to maintain his physical form.

The player and Qin Yun are one and the same.

The effect of staying next to the player is the same as staying next to Qin Yun.

Therefore, players need to accompany the journey to find other soul fragments in order to maintain the status quo in Sanguinius.

Moreover, with players accompanying him 24/7, Qin Yun can provide timely support at any time.

"Of course I'm willing." The Erlong Gang Leader didn't hesitate for even a second.

He was already associated with Mephiston.

Right now, the Guide quest is practically free.

It's like when you take on a mission from Mephiston, and if something else happens, you can quit.

Once you accept the Guide's quest, you must complete it with absolute certainty.

"I'll leave this task to you. I hope you won't let me down."

"Don't worry, Guide, we will definitely complete the mission." The Erlong Gang Leader clenched his fist and pounded it hard on his heart.

"Very good." Qin Yun nodded. "That's all I wanted to tell you. Now, go back to celebrating."

The celebration lasted a full day and night, consuming a great deal of alcohol and food.

But it was all worth it.

Moreover, with the Imperium's reforms, the large number of farms, and the application of new technologies, both the quantity and variety of food increased dramatically.

The amount of food and drink consumed can be produced in a few days.

After the celebration, Qin Yun set sail with the Imperial Fleet.

The Battle of Signus is over.

But in the vast Milky Way, there are still many more planets waiting to be liberated.

He couldn't stay here any longer; he had to rush to the next battlefield immediately.

"Set sail, for our Aquila Medal!"

The Erlong Gang Leader stood on the bridge of the Sword of Baal, gazing at the vast Void.

Beside him stood Sanguinius, bathed in light.

Seeing Mephiston nod, Captain Nivia gave the order, "All engines on, set sail, target: the lost Forge World — Pila."

During the Horus Heresy, Sanguinius made a fateful choice while Forge World at Pila.

Therefore, there is a very high probability that fragments of Sanguinius will appear in that place.

As the Sword of Baal set sail for its next destination...

The player, Red Dragon, who was wandering inside the Rock, smiled as he looked at the giant metal structure in front of him.

"Found you, Tuchulcha Engine."

P. S.: Here's a chapter of 5,000 words each. Hope you enjoy it.