Tax Brother grinned. "But we can't keep doing this forever. We need to figure out how to get our hands on Imperial Coins."
At the mention of Imperial Coins, the three of them fell silent.
The excitement from the system update had faded, and the pressure of reality came crashing down.
Building the base required resources. They either had to find them in the wilderness or buy them with Imperial Coins.
Getting stronger required Imperial Coins.
Developing the warband required Imperial Coins.
Hell, even changing your face required Imperial Coins!
"Open up new sources of income and cut expenses," Wang Zhong said slowly. "Cutting expenses... means being careful with what we spend and not wasting money on anything nonessential. We should pool our money to buy basic survival supplies and any machines we need."
"And as for opening up new sources of income..."
He looked toward the wilderness, his eyes glinting. "Once the base is in decent shape, we'll need to organize an exploration team."
"The nearby towns, settlements, and... this wasteland itself."
"Anything valuable can be exchanged for Imperial Coins."
"There might be mineral deposits, ruins, or... valuable local specialties out there."
"And while we're at it," he added in a lowered voice, "we can gather intelligence."
"What's happening in Orian? What's going to happen to the industrial zone? What are the four major factions and the Planetary Governor up to?"
"We can't afford to be blind and deaf."
Tax Brother and Xue Brother both nodded firmly.
Just then, [Ten Years of Bricklaying] called out in the regional channel:
"Brother Loyalty! Everyone! We've got a preliminary plan! Come take a look!"
The players set aside their work for the moment and gathered in front of the largest prefabricated building, which they were clearing out.
[Design Institute Draftsman] had already sketched on a section of wall they'd cleaned:
"Take a look, everyone! This is the phase-one renovation plan for our base!"
"The core idea is to make do with what we have and quickly get the basic functions up and running!"
"1. Residential area: We'll reinforce and repair this largest prefabricated building."
"Inside, we'll use partitions to make a large dormitory that can temporarily house at least five thousand people."
"The two smaller buildings next to it will be used as the command post and warehouse, and as a workshop and medical station."
"2. Defensive installations: We can't build the entire wall just yet, but we can use the stones and scrap metal we've cleared out, along with felled timber, to build a barrier around the base. It should be 1.8 to 2.5 meters high—enough to hold back beasts and stragglers."
"We'll build simple watchtowers at the four corners. We can repair one using materials from the crooked watchtower that's already here, and build the other three out of wood."
"3. Functional areas: We'll clear this area to use as an open-air assembly and training ground."
"Here, we'll dig a few deep pits for temporary latrines. (They absolutely must be kept away from the water source and residential area!)"
"Water is a major problem. We need to organize people to look for a reliable water source nearby or... see if the system shop sells a water recycling unit. But it's sure to be expensive."
"4. Materials needed: We need more metal plates, timber, rope, tools..."
"We can get most of it from the ruins and the surrounding forest, but some of the key connectors and reinforcement parts may have to be bought from the shop or traded for at a nearby human settlement."
The plan was crude, but for a group of players who'd only just escaped slavery and had nothing but basic tools, it was already quite good.
"Agreed!"
"Let's do it!"
"Better than sleeping outside!"
The players voiced their approval one after another.
"Good!"
Wang Zhong made the call. "We'll go with this plan! The construction and technical teams will lead, and everyone else will help!"
"Priority goes to reinforcing the residential area and building the outer barrier!"
"Before we log off today, we need a place where we can lie down and sleep!"
"Yeah!!!"
The players let out an eager roar.
Work resumed, now more organized than before.
Wang Zhong watched it all, filled with emotion.
That was what players were like. That was the Fourth Calamity.
Give them a goal, even if that goal was hauling bricks and building houses, and they could unleash astonishing enthusiasm and creativity.
Because they knew they were hauling those bricks for themselves, building that house for themselves.
More importantly, they could see a way forward.
The system update was like an instruction manual for a game, telling them how to play Warhammer OL:
Get stronger, form a group, advance technology, develop the base, and eventually... maybe they really could pilot mechs across the Starry Sea.
Hope was the most powerful driving force of all.
"By the way," Wang Zhong said in the regional channel, suddenly remembering something, "what does everyone think about the warband?"
"Should we form one big warband or split into several smaller ones?"
The channel quickly grew lively again.
[Soul of Cadia]: "One big warband, of course! Let's call it the Orian Liberation Front! Or the Emperor's Blessing! We should stand united!"
[Tau-kun, you are right, but Bolter is righter]: "I think we should split into specialized groups."
"For example, a combat assault group, a technical and logistics group, an exploration and reconnaissance group... Each with its own responsibilities."
[Slaanesh Chosen Reserve]: "I propose we establish the Art and Aesthetics Research Society... All right, forget I said anything."
[Mechanicus Oil-Lover on the Run]: "From an efficiency standpoint, one large warband would make it easier to centralize resources and maintain unified command."
"But considering the possibility of future personnel growth and the diversity of our missions, establishing specialized subunits would be a logical development."
"I recommend that we establish a main warband first, then gradually split it into smaller groups."
[The Emperor's tax must be paid even if the world ends]:
"How are we handling warband dues? Do members have to pay taxes?"
"Uh... I mean, should we contribute a certain percentage of our Imperial Coins to the warband's funds?"
After a long discussion, they reached a preliminary agreement:
1. They would first establish one main warband. The name, proposed by Wang Zhong, would be "Crimson Dawn," meaning a glimmer of crimson hope for dark Aurelian IV—and even the entire dark Warhammer universe. The name won the support of most of the players.
"For the emblem, let's use the sun breaking over the horizon, shining across the dark land!"
"We won't side with Chaos or fawn over Imperial nobles. We'll rely on ourselves, fight our way through this dark galaxy, and bring the dawn!"
2. The main warband would have different squads or divisions, or several people with enough funds to establish warbands could set up their own subsidiary groups.
3. Warband funds would be raised through voluntary contributions and a share of future spoils. They would be used to buy communal equipment, build base facilities, and help cover the resurrection costs of fallen brothers.
4. Wang Zhong would serve as Chapter Master for the time being.
The initial idea for establishing a warband slowly took shape between loads of bricks.
The setting sun looked especially yellow through the polluted clouds. By then, the base was beginning to take shape.
The largest prefabricated building had been reinforced as best they could, and they'd patched the roof with whatever materials they could find. It still let in the wind, but at least it kept out most of the rain.
They'd divided the interior into simple sections with partitions. It was cramped, but it looked like a dormitory now.
They'd built most of the outer barrier. It looked crooked and uneven, but it had formed a low wall around the base.
One watchtower had been repaired, and the wooden frames of two more watchtowers were standing.
They'd cleared out an open-air training ground, though the ground was still bumpy.
They'd dug the temporary latrines, and the smell was already beginning to spread.
The players were exhausted and sprawled all over the place, but most had satisfied smiles on their faces.
They sat in the cleared-out open space, eating the synthetic nutrient paste and purified water they'd bought from the shop together. The taste was still awful, but their mood had changed.
"This is food we earned ourselves," one player muttered.
"And a house we built ourselves."
Wang Zhong stood atop the repaired watchtower, watching the scattered campfires gradually light up below and the faces of the exhausted but excited players.
He sent a message through the regional channel:
"Brothers, today we took our first step."
"We went from miners to pioneers."
"We went from slaves to... temporarily free warriors."
"We still have a long road ahead, and powerful enemies surround us."
"Chaos is watching us like a hawk. The four major factions each have their own agenda, and there's no telling when some Imperial bureaucrat will notice us, a bunch of undocumented nobodies."
"But we have each other. We've made a start. And now we have... hope."
"Remember what we said in the industrial zone: Let's give this screwed-up world a little shock."
"Now, we start by building a home of our own."
"For the dawn that will come in the darkness."
"For Imperial Coins."
"And so that one day... we can truly control our own fate."
Wang Zhong opened the modification function and clicked on Basic Physique Enhancement (Type I).
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