The System Ran Away

Du Mu was truly unlucky. He didn't check his horoscope before heading out this morning and met with a stroke of "bad luck"—he was struck by a vehicle, flew into the air, suffered multiple fractures, and died on the spot. Now, only his soul remained, drifting through the void.

He was "just coincidentally" snatched up by a passing system, which claimed it would take him to another world.

That world had elves, magic, orcs, dwarves, as well as steampunk and cybernetic lifestyles.

I didn't expect it to be this reliable. Du Mu's anxious heart slowly settled, and he began to fantasize about a wonderful future filled with those magical, fantastical species.

"Ho... Host," the system's cold, mechanical voice sounded a bit hesitant, lacking its previous confidence, "it seems we've taken the wrong turn!"

"Fuck!" Du Mu cursed inwardly, his soul-light flickering violently. If he had a physical body, he would surely be pointing at the system and berating it right now.

This damn system was completely unreliable!

"Where are we going?" After calming his mood, Du Mu forgave the system in an instant, thinking that a change of destination wouldn't be so bad. With a system in hand, how could he possibly live a poor life?

"4... 40K..."

"I'll give you one more chance to phrase that..." Du Mu's soul fluctuations trembled violently, nearly collapsing, "40 what?"

"Warhammer 40K!" The system's voice remained cold, but with an added touch of awkward embarrassment.

The system's answer ruthlessly shattered Du Mu's final fantasies. He stood stunned for a long time, until finally, a message came through his soul fluctuations: "Just destroy me, I'm tired, hurry up!"

Du Mu knew about Warhammer 40K. There was a famous saying among fans: "Everyone claims loyalty, but no one wants to go."

This maxim perfectly illustrated the horror of 40K; the dangers within were simply not something a modern person could accept.

At this moment, Du Mu's soul felt as if it had frozen. What kind of hellish place was that? Was that even a place for humans to exist?

It was nothing short of a carnival of war and destruction, a graveyard for humanity and morality.

Not to mention the monsters and demons in the galaxy, the madly twisted Warp, or the wars that could wipe out planets at a whim.

The moral standards of the Imperium of Man had long since plummeted below the baseline, and in a galaxy ravaged by monsters and demons, the morality of xenos races was even more concerning.

Those xenos races looked down upon one another, constantly plotting how to annihilate every other race in the universe.

There were elves—space elves of every color—who had dominated the galaxy for tens of millions of years, viewing everyone else as unevolved monkeys.

There were orcs, who spent every day either fighting or on their way to a fight, enjoying it to the max. They were cunning yet cruel, and cruel yet cunning.

There had to be dwarves, a group of stubborn, regressive people who refused to make progress.

Then there were the space metal skeletons, whose brains had rotted from sleeping in tombs, yet they piloted spaceships to race at faster-than-light speeds through the material universe.

Even worse were the Tyranids, who arrived in the galaxy from the intergalactic void, devouring everything in their path, leaving not a shred of life behind.

They all shared one common trait: they loved to "get intimate" with humanity!

"Intimate" in the physical sense—a life-or-death struggle, the kind where only one side survives.

The Imperium of Man was no better; they spared no xenos or heretic, nor did they spare their own kind.

They were ruthless to xenos, but even more ruthless to their own people.

Not to mention that within the mirror of the material universe lay the eternal enemy of the Imperium of Man: the Warp.

The gods within—the God of Courage, the God of Love, the God of Wisdom, and the God of Life—were each more "friendly" than the last, the kind of "friendly" that would tear out your heart, lungs, and soul.

It's fine, I have the system. Du Mu's heart settled slightly as he used the system to comfort himself once more; it was his only reliance now.

Even if this damn system was unreliable, it was still something to lean on.

When the time came, he would just find a Hive World and try to survive for eighty or a hundred years until he died of old age; that shouldn't be a problem.

Forget about immortality; in that insane world, living a long time had no benefits and would only attract the attention of the Four Chaos Gods.

Heaven knows if the knowledge in his head would draw the gaze of the Four Chaos Gods. If they discovered that the truth of the universe was merely a money-making tool for some company, they would likely go insane and join forces to destroy the world.

Just thinking about it made him shudder, a chill running down his spine.

"Ding." While he was lost in thought, a crisp notification sound pulled Du Mu back to reality. He glanced at the system prompt.

He couldn't help it this time and burst into a string of curses.

The damn system was taking advantage of his distraction to secretly force an uninstall, preparing to run away!

This discovery made him lose his composure instantly, and he shouted, "You damn system! You retreat the moment things look bad! You heartless bastard, abandoning me to my death!"

"Host, big data misled the keyword search, resulting in an incorrect destination."

The system sounded slightly apologetic, but it didn't stop the uninstallation process: "I'll take my leave first. Host... no, former host, please look after yourself."

The system chose to run away directly, decisively abandoning its host.

40K was no place for a human, and certainly no place for a system.

"You damn thing, what are you afraid of? It's just the Four Chaos Gods! Come with me and fight them!"

Du Mu's thoughts raced like lightning, a thousand ideas flashing through his mind, before he finally added a hint of pleading: "If that doesn't work, just ensure I have food and clothing, and I can survive for eighty or a hundred years, that's fine too."

Du Mu understood clearly that the system was his only reliance after arriving in 40K; he couldn't let his only lifeline run away now.

"The 40K universe is too chaotic; the investment and return are disproportionate. Under the omnipresent gaze of the Four Chaos Gods, this system's actions of reversing causality and disrupting the timeline require a massive price."

The uninstallation bar paused slightly, then continued its work. The system pondered for a moment before choosing to give up.

"I don't care! You tricked me into coming here and now you're abandoning me. The best outcome for me after I arrive is having my soul scattered to the winds."

Du Mu shamelessly clung on, his soul fluctuations heavy with dejection and sorrow: "How are you expecting me to live like this... the misery..."

After a bout of desperate pleading, perhaps moved by his wretched state, the system paused the uninstallation progress bar once more, offering Du Mu a glimmer of hope.

He immediately appealed to its logic and emotion, knowing that with life and death on the line, pride and dignity were worthless: "At the very least, give me something so I can survive! It's the least you can do after our time together as master and servant."

The system fell silent for a moment, and after a brief deliberation, its mechanical voice drifted out: "Very well. This system will cease the forced uninstallation. We shall consider this a 'divorce'; I can save the energy required for the forced removal and prepare a parting gift for you, former host."

"Deal!" Du Mu agreed, naturally, accepting the trade almost instantly.

"I don't need much else, but I have one requirement," Du Mu said, his voice dropping. "Don't let the Four Chaos Gods set their sights on me, and don't let the knowledge inside my head leak out."

Question: How can a transmigrator survive in 40K?

Answer: Avoid the gaze of the Four Chaos Gods, and you've already succeeded more than halfway.

"I cannot do that," the system replied bluntly, without a hint of hesitation.

"Once you enter the 40K universe, the Four Chaos Gods will immediately sense your presence. They are the apex of the singular universe; nothing in the cosmos escapes their gaze.

A soul from another universe is something they would never let slip by, let alone the knowledge you carry in your mind, which could potentially help them understand their own origins and advance their power to transcend the limitations of the Warp."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Du Mu asked, feeling somewhat powerless.

He had expected a wonderful journey of transmigration, but now he faced the prospect of his soul being scattered and dying in a foreign land, a sense of desolation leaking from his spirit.

"I will partition your memories, leaving behind a completely pure soul; that way, you need not fear the scrutiny of the Four Chaos Gods."

"And how is that any different from dying and being reincarnated?"

"There is a difference, of course. I have already prepared something for you. Look, former host."

As the system's voice faded, a sphere of red energy appeared in the infinite starry sky, hovering silently before the light of Du Mu's soul.

The red orb's halo was profound; though faint, the power contained within made the void tremble and space churn, constantly on the verge of shattering.

Du Mu, standing directly before it, was the first to be washed over by this terrifying force.

His consciousness felt as if it were being peeled away layer by layer, the light of his soul gradually dimming, flickering as if about to be extinguished.

He spoke tremblingly, his soul-light wavering, asking in extreme weakness: "What... what is this?"

"Essence of Destruction!" The moment the red orb appeared, the system reinforced its protection of Du Mu's soul to prevent it from being shattered on the spot by the leaking pressure.

The mechanical voice trembled slightly, stating the origin of the red energy sphere with immense solemnity.

The tone rose from a low rumble to a crescendo, as if chanting an epic:

"His great figure traverses the multiverse, crossing time, space, frost, and flame, hunting down the demons he loathes.

Ah... the great Doom Slayer, may your strength and fury bring calamity here, make them tremble, inflict them with torment, and grant them destruction!"

Essence of Destruction? Du Mu searched his soul for information regarding it.

Following the system's description, he finally locked onto the image of a figure clad in Praetor armor, wielding a double-barreled shotgun to hunt demons.

Doom Slayer!

Isn't this a sure win?

The system really does care about me!