Lu Sheng recalled the bits and pieces of lore mentioned in fan-made videos. So the Emperor is still out there roaming, Horus is still trustworthy, and the Horus Heresy is nowhere in sight... I've got thirty years to grow!
Thirty years!
In a universe where time was measured in millennia, thirty years was as brief as a single deep breath.
But for Lu Sheng, with a system, players, and the ability to snowball, thirty years of growth would be more than enough to raise his strength to a respectable level!
By then, in the midst of that turbulent civil war, perhaps he could quietly get a slice of the pie.
"System, confirm launch plan."
Lu Sheng issued his command. "Target: Aurelian IV."
"Initial player count: 5,000."
"Design some game characters that fit the local aesthetic. Don't make them too outlandish—at least make them look human."
[Command confirmed. Establishing a stable channel between the Warp and Realspace...] [Channel established. Coordinates locked: Aurelian IV, northern hemisphere, northern wilderness near Arlu City] [Generating player consciousness reception anchors... Using local biological template: standard human (mildly gene-enhanced variant)] [Basic enhancements added: bone density +15%, muscle efficiency +20%, trauma recovery speed +30%. Cover protocol: implanting false memories (local wanderer/adventurer identity)] [Anchors generated. Beginning transmission of recruitment signal to the low-dimensional universe...] [Signal sent. Initial players are expected to respond and connect within 1–3 standard days.]
Lu Sheng felt the energy being consumed, his heart a mix of nerves and excitement.
He was nervous because if the system was fake, he might be jumping straight into a trap Tzeentch had spent a hundred thousand years digging.
He was excited because if the system was real... then he, a Newborn Chaos God, might actually carve out a unique path through this merciless universe.
"Right, now I need to name my game."
Lu Sheng mulled it over. "It needs to sound cool and appealing, but it can't give away what it really is..."
He thought for a few seconds.
Then he broke into a thoroughly devious Tzeentchian grin.
Lu Sheng gazed at the system interface, where the flow of energy traced complex spectral patterns in his mind.
Videos he'd watched and posts he'd read before transmigrating suddenly surfaced in his thoughts.
Those Warhammer fans were always joking around:
"I don't know anything about the Warhammer 40k setting, but I hope you all get transported to the Warhammer World!"
"Ask anything, and they'll say they're loyal. Tell them to do anything, and they'll say they won't."
Back then, he'd thought it was just a joke.
Now... well, they'd been right.
But since he'd already transmigrated and become a Chaos God, Lu Sheng felt he ought to offer his future comrades a little help.
"What if they really don't come?"
"Then I'll go hungry."
"They have to be loyal."
First things first: he absolutely couldn't choose a name related to "Warhammer," "Chaos God," "The Emperor," or "Chaos."
"I need a disguise."
Cunning ripples shimmered across the surface of Lu Sheng's energy form. "If the players find out this is the Warhammer World, half of them will delete their accounts and run on the spot, while the other half start figuring out how to join Chaos or become the Emperor's dogs."
He needed a name that sounded completely harmless.
One that would put the players at ease, draw them in happily, and then...
"Then they'll work for me, produce emotional energy for me, and think the game is a blast."
Lu Sheng let out a low chuckle that echoed through the Warp.
Luckily, the system quickly absorbed and converted his evil laugh, leaving no trace behind. Otherwise, Tzeentch might have manifested.
He browsed the system's name suggestion module when inspiration suddenly struck.
"In all those videos, mecha, star seas, and deep-space exploration are always popular."
Lu Sheng recalled. "Men are boys until the day they die. Who wouldn't want to pilot a giant mecha across the stars?"
Of course, in this universe, mecha might be called Knight suits or Titans; interstellar travel might come with Warp Storms and daemonic whispers; and deep-space exploration would probably mean running into Orks, Tyranids, or Necrons...
But that didn't matter.
He just needed to dress it up a little.
"System, set the game title to..."
Lu Sheng chose his words carefully as crafty, triumphant patterns rippled across his energy form.
"Era 40k: Mecha."
"As for the subtitle..."
He thought it over. "Let's go with 'The Starry Sea Awaits Your Conquest.'"
[Name recorded] Era 40k: Mecha—The Starry Sea Awaits Your Conquest.
"Not enough."
Lu Sheng shook his head, sending ripples through the energy. "It needs an opening cinematic, too."
"It has to be spectacular and stirring, and look like a cutting-edge sci-fi mecha game."
He summoned the system's functions and began constructing a completely fictional backstory for the game:
In the distant future, human civilization had spread across the galaxy.
People piloted giant war machines called mecha, opening up frontiers, establishing colonies, and fighting unknown threats from the cosmos.
Players would take on the role of mecha pilots, starting from scratch to build their own bases, recruit companions, and explore the vast starry sea...
"Right. Write it just like that."
Lu Sheng was quite pleased. As for what those unknown cosmic threats actually were... the players could use their imaginations.
Maybe alien bugs, maybe rogue AI. Just not Nurglings, Tzeentchian daemons, or Ork Boyz.
He made a point of reminding the system, "Don't include any iconic symbols in the cinematic, like the Aquila, Imperial script, or the Chaos Star."
"The mecha designs should be flashy and futuristic. No Gothic ornamentation, skulls, or religious elements."
"The settings should be bright, clean, and high-tech. Don't make them look like Hive City sewers."
[Command confirmed. Generating opening cinematic...]
Lu Sheng watched as the system assembled the scene:
Against a vast starfield, a sleek starship glided slowly across the screen.
Elegant geometric designs adorned its hull instead of the Imperial eagle.
The camera moved in, entering the starship's hangar.
Rows of mecha in various designs stood in formation. Some were slim and agile, built for high-speed reconnaissance; others were mountainously bulky, fitted with oversized weapons systems; still others had engineering arms extending from their backs, clearly intended for industrial use.
Then came a rapid montage: mecha racing across an icy plain, battling unknown creatures in a desert, undergoing repairs at an orbital space station, and establishing an outpost on an unexplored planet...
The background music blended rousing orchestral arrangements with electronic effects, brimming with hope and a spirit of exploration.
A steady, powerful male voice-over declared, "Humanity's journey has never ceased."
"Now it's your turn, pilot."
"Your mecha is waiting. The starry sea is calling."
The final image froze on a red-and-white mecha standing atop a mountain, with a star slowly rising behind it. The mecha raised its arm and pointed toward the boundless cosmos.
The scene faded out, and the game logo appeared: Era 40k: Mecha.
"Perfect."
Lu Sheng praised it. "Who would dare say this is set in the Warhammer universe after seeing that cinematic?"
"This is clearly a classic sci-fi mecha blockbuster!"
He could already imagine the players' reactions:
"Holy shit, that cinematic is amazing!"
"Mecha! It's mecha!"
"Finally, a game that isn't xianxia or fantasy!"
"The starry sea! Every man's dream!"
Then they'd eagerly create their characters, enter the game, and start exploring...
Only to discover that the NPCs in this sci-fi game were always muttering about the Emperor's Blessing, that red-robed Mechanicus priests were repairing equipment on street corners, that ships with enormous rams occasionally streaked across the sky, and that the alien monsters out in the wilderness looked a bit like Orks...
"Come on, hurry up."
Lu Sheng stared at the countdown. "I'm starving..."
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