Cleansing Day Arrives!

Cleaning Day, early morning.

The eternal scent of sulfur and metal permeated the air of the Refinery.

In the communal sleeping quarters, nearly five thousand players were crammed into the dim corners, the regional channel unusually silent.

[Loyal to the Emperor Forever]: "Final confirmation, status of each squad."

[Soul of Cadia] (Squad 1 Leader): "Squad 1, 1,863 men."

"Equipment list verified: 1 assault rifle per person, 4 base magazines of 7.62mm ammo, 1 melee tool (machete/steel pipe) per person, 1 set of makeshift fiber armor (chest + shoulders) per person."

"Remaining Imperial Coin per person: 7.2."

"Small-scale reclamation terminals ×2 are in position. Over."

[Tau-kun, you are right, but Bolter is righter] (Squad 2 Leader): "Squad 2, 1,522 men."

"Equipment same as above."

"Reclamation terminals ×2."

"Over."

"P.S.: The brothers' hands are shaking—not from fear, but from excitement."

[Did White Scars speed today] (Squad 3 Leader): "Squad 3, 1,129 men, online."

"Equipment same as above."

"Reclamation terminals ×2."

"Over."

"Fast as lightning! Just waiting for the signal!"

[Mechanicus Oil-Lover on the Run] (Squad 4 Leader/General Technical Support): "Squad 4, 447 men, online."

"Equipment: Basic same as above, additionally equipped with metal cutters ×50, portable pulley hoist sets ×20, demolition explosives ×15 sets."

"Reclamation terminal ×1."

"Data analysis, rapid valuation, and dismantling guidance teams are ready."

"Over."

Wang Zhong watched the reports scrolling through the channel and took a deep breath.

He, along with the 45-man direct-action squad led by Tax Brother and Xue Brother, was currently preparing to head to the location agreed upon with Ren.

The equipment of the three of them had been crafted with a true fortune.

What Wang Zhong clutched in his hand was no longer some crudely made black-powder contraption.

It was a Lucius Pattern Laspistol, with cold, rigid lines and a slot for an energy cell.

It cost 80 Imperial Coin at the shop; its range was short, but at close quarters, it was enough to burn through light armor.

He had two fragmentation grenades (15 coins each) hanging from his belt and wore a half-body metal plate liner (50 coins) beneath his clothes; though heavy, it provided considerable protection for vital areas.

Tax Brother had directly shouldered an automatic shotgun modified from a logging gun (65 coins).

His ammo belt was stuffed with red-shelled slugs, making him look like a human demolition machine.

Xue Brother had chosen the precision route: a Kant-pattern Long-barreled Lasgun with a simple optical sight (95 coins), with a gleaming hunting knife (8 coins) strapped to his back.

The rest of their squad was also equipped with at least kinetic assault rifles and basic armor. Everyone's Imperial Coin balance had been compressed down to 10-20 coins for respawn fees.

"Brothers," Wang Zhong typed the final message into the regional channel, his words brimming with a reckless, desperate fervor.

"Remember, we aren't here to run—we're here to loot! Loot the hell out of them!"

"The Alru Group has squeezed us for so long, whipped us, fed us pig slop, and used us as lab rats... Today, we take it all back, with interest!"

"If you see something valuable, don't hesitate. Use the system to scan and confirm its value. If you can carry it, take it; if you can't, use the terminal to reclaim it on the spot!"

"If it can't be reclaimed, destroy it right there. Don't leave a single thing for those sons of bitches!"

"A death costs 5 coins, but one big machine is worth tens of thousands!"

"Even the Emperor Himself would praise our frugality for a deal like this!"

"For Imperial Coin!"

"For the mechs!"

"For emptying out this damn factory!"

The channel was instantly flooded with frantic cries of "For Imperial Coin!"

There were no grand speeches or lofty ideals; the most simple and unadorned desires had coalesced into the purest form of battle intent.

Wang Zhong closed the regional channel and nodded to the members of his squad. "Brothers, store your gear in your inventory first. Let's go meet our allies."

The group moved silently through the shadows and pipes, creeping toward the abandoned warehouse in the northeast corner.

The warehouse was more dilapidated than they had imagined. The rusted iron door was left ajar, and inside, there was no light—only a kind of... viscous silence.

Wang Zhong gestured, and the squad members fanned out to maintain a perimeter. He took Tax Brother, Xue Brother, and a few others, slipping sideways through the door.

Darkness.

A thick, heavy darkness, almost impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.

The air was filled with dust, rust, and a faint, lingering... sweet, metallic scent?

"Ren?"

Wang Zhong lowered his voice.

"Over here."

A response came from the darkness. It was Ren's voice, but deeper, and more... smooth than usual.

Several dim, battery-powered lanterns flickered to life, barely illuminating a small area in the center of the warehouse.

Ren stood there, surrounded by over thirty figures—all refinery workers, men and women, young and old.

They were silent, their eyes flickering in the dim light with a strange glow. It wasn't numbness, nor was it fear, but rather... a kind of focused fanaticism?

Wang Zhong felt a chill in his heart.

The atmosphere was wrong.

"You've come."

Ren wore a smile, one so standard it was almost robotic. "Very good."

"The time is almost upon us."

"What's the plan?"

Wang Zhong asked directly, his gaze sweeping over the people behind Ren.

Their posture, their eyes—everything about them exuded a trained, rigid quality. They were definitely not ordinary laborers.

"It's simple."

Ren's voice echoed through the empty warehouse. "In two hours, the riot will begin."

"Others will attack from the outside, drawing away the main defensive fire."

"Once the chaos erupts, your job is to eliminate every foreman and guard you see."

"In your own way."

"As for the managers and technical leads in the facility... we will handle them."

"Once that is done, you are free to leave."

"Go wherever you wish."

Wang Zhong forced a look of gratitude onto his face. "That's wonderful! Brother Ren, thank you so much!"

"We've waited for this day for far too long!"

Internally, however, he was screaming: I don't believe a word of this! These people's eyes look like they've been brainwashed by Tzeentch!

And the smell in this godforsaken place... why does it smell like... something burnt?

On the surface, he continued his act: "I wonder which brothers are leading the attack?"

"With such a large scale, can they really breach the facility's defenses?"

Ren's smile deepened, the curve of his lips as precise as if measured by a ruler. "Knowledge... brings power, and it brings allies."

"You don't need to know too much; you only need to know that the moment for change has arrived."

Knowledge brings power?

Why did that sound so familiar?

Alarm bells rang in Wang Zhong's head.

"Right, we understand."

He stopped asking questions. "We'll move in two hours."

"We're going back to prepare."

"May Change guide you."

Ren nodded slightly, uttering the inexplicable phrase.

Wang Zhong led his team out of the warehouse quickly. Only when they were far away from that unsettling area did he growl into the comms:

"Attention, everyone! Ren and his group are definitely compromised!"

"Their state is wrong, they're talking nonsense, and that line about 'May Change guide you'... damn it, don't tell me..."

[Schrodinger's Loyalist]: "Could it be Tzeentch?! Putting Chaos cultists in the starter village? Is the developer being a complete sadist?"