In 860, all the Alliance's preparations for advancing into the Maelstrom were complete, and new ascension and trait slots had opened.
Ascension: Idealistic Heart. Description: A society founded on idealistic values, where the government and citizens always held hope for a better future. Effects: Greatly increased social cohesion; greatly increased resistance to Warp corruption.
Huron had originally planned to choose a military ascension, but after witnessing the Alliance's research departments' tendencies toward madness, he decided he had better take this one first.
With this ascension's support, even if the research departments still had their lunatics, their madness would remain a personal hobby rather than spreading throughout the Alliance and turning it into an organization as deranged as the Eldar Empire.
For the species traits, he chose "Psychic" and "Strong."
Psychic: Every member of this species wielded powerful psyker power and possessed unparalleled talent. Effects: Moderately increased psychic talent; moderately increased resistance to Warp corruption; moderately increased psychic strength. Strong: This species possessed well-developed bodies and was a natural-born warrior race. Effects: Moderately increased physical potential; moderately increased physical strength.
Whatever happened, the Alliance might soon have to face the Four Gods head-on.
Since the ascension had not provided immediate combat strength, he had to make up for it through species traits.
After he selected Psychic and Strong, every Alliance citizen suddenly discovered a significant improvement in their psychic and physical strength. Even naturally born children were no exception.
Alliance citizens had already reached an average psychic level of Alpha Class. Now they were hurtling toward Alpha-Plus Rank, while their gene locks had risen to a minimum of the peak of the second stage, infinitely close to the third.
The hundred billion professional troops who had fought their way through the ranked ladder felt the changes even