"Daily reflection: Brothers, are you loyal?"
Inside the strategy room of an Imperial Luna-class cruiser with a disabled main engine, Qin Yun sat before the Thinker console. After sending out his daily greeting, his fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard.
The message was sent to a chat group named 'Warhammer Corporate Slaves.'
"The world's first 100% realistic virtual reality game, based on Warhammer 40K."
"Experience life as a Rogue Trader, an Astartes, a Tech-Priest, or even a Titan Princeps, fight for the Emperor!"
"Using brainwave-dream interference technology, the game time equals your sleep time,rest and entertainment, two birds with one stone."
"Limited slots, first come, first served."
Earth, a luxury residential complex.
Zhang Wei looked at the group message and smirked like a true internet troll.
"Boasting is free, huh? Everyone's gone wild again."
"Earth's first, 100% realistic, what's next, free Primarchs for beginners? Even kids wouldn't fall for that!"
He typed and hit send.
Warhammer's Most Ballsy Bro: "How authentic are we talking? Can I feel the 'justice' of those Slaaneshi witches?"
Corporate Drone Enslaved by the Emperor: "You can. Not only feel, but output too, if you're strong enough. You can 'output' Slaanesh itself… and maybe that fat slug in the Garden as well."
Output to Slaanesh Ten Times a Night: "Bro, your taste is insane. Even Teletubbies aren't safe!"
Kissing Nurgle's Chubby Cheeks: "Virtual reality? That's an ancient webnovel cliché, man. Group admin's still trying to sell that?"
Second Empire Warmaster: "You don't get it, old tech hits different. Old A8s drive better than new A6s."
Colonel Dutch: "Anyone called Marshal of the Second Empire must be a beast, you driving that clunker on purpose??"
Blue Two-Headed Bird! Loyal: "If it's truly 100% realistic, does that mean I can go violent mode in Nurgle's Secret Garden?"
A Bowl of Lobster Soup: "I wanna pole dance in Khorne's Brass Citadel while singing What's the Point of This Iron Rod!"
Chosen Little Alpaca of God: "You're all too rough! I just want Emperor-nii to hug and lift me~."
Arm-Wrestling Khorne: "JPG: Let me see what heresy is going on in here. By the Emperor, these damned deviants!"
Colonel Dutch: "JPG: The plague of Slaanesh corrupts the youth of the Imperium!"
The chat grew increasingly heretical.
Experienced as he was, Qin Yun quickly posted a Mona meme to interrupt the madness and steer the conversation back.
"Anyone who wants to play, sign up now. 100% realism, guaranteed to blow your mind. Limited closed beta slots."
Warhammer's Most Ballsy Bro: "Bro, enough scamming. A fully realistic virtual game? Earth doesn't have that tech."
Manbun is the Mark of a True Badass: "Yeah, VR tech like that's at least 50 years away from commercial use."
Chosen Little Alpaca of God: "Classic fifty years. When I was a kid, they said robots and fusion were fifty years away. Still fifty years today."
Kissing Nurgle's Chubby Cheeks: "If we had sleep-based VR tech, why make games? Just use it in offices so wage slaves can work in their sleep!"
Blue Two-Headed Bird! Loyal: "Spoken like a true capitalist. Someone hang this heretic from a lamppost!"
Corporate Drone Enslaved by the Emperor: "Enough talk. Here's the link. Click to pre-register if you dare."
A second later, a link appeared.
"Let's see what kind of scam this is."
Zhang Wei moved his mouse and clicked.
A warning popped up: "This site is unverified and may be unsafe. Continue?"
Zhang Wei scoffed, clicked Advanced Options, and chose Ignore risk.
The page loaded, a near-empty site. Only a few lines of text:
[100% Holographic Immersive Game – Warhammer OL]
Current pre-registrations: 0
[Pre-register]
By clicking, you agree to the contract terms.
[Expand Contract Details]
Zhang Wei laughed out loud.
"So you can afford virtual tech but not a decent website design? What a joke."
He clicked Confirm Registration just to see the scam through.
The page refreshed. Registrations: +1. Then, nothing.
No redirect. No sign-up form.
"What the--? No account? No confirmation? Are you mocking me?"
He felt personally insulted by how lazy the scam was.
Back in the cruiser's strategy room.
On a holo-display, numbers ticked upward.
Registrations: 15/15.
Qin Yun sighed in relief. 'Finally got enough players.'
He stretched his sore neck and slumped into his padded chair.
Then, a glowing golden screen appeared before his eyes, crowned with the Imperial Aquila, its edges burning with golden fire.
[Mission: Summon Companions (Complete)]
+500 Faith Points. Other rewards available at the shrine.
[Congratulations: Level Up – LV1 → LV2]
Skill Acquired: Prayer
(Temporarily boosts physical stats and grants nearby allies a blessing.)
Skill Acquired: Firearms Profiecency (Novice)
Skill Acquired: Close Quarters Combat (Novice)
Qin Yun blinked.
"A leveling system… skills… The Emperor really did turn it into a game. As expected from the Undying One, He loves His flair."
Testing his enhanced body, he walked to the Emperor's shrine at the room's edge.
Bronze braziers burned softly around it.
"Praise the Emperor."
He gave the Aquila salute and prayed.
Above the shrine, a golden portal opened.
A cherub-like servo-angel with metallic wings flew out, clutching a parcel.
Neural cables burrowed into its pale flesh; emerald optics glowed within brass sockets.
Horror-movie material, 100%.
"Congratulations, Chosen One," croaked the cherub mechanically.
"Your reward is delivered. Praise the Emperor, He is pleased with your service."
It placed the package before him and vanished into the golden light.
Inside the parcel: a bulletproof vest, an automatic pistol, and an entrenching shovel.
He examined them carefully.
[Name: Cadian Soldier Standard Flak Armor
Description: Made from multiple layers of ablative and shock-absorbent materials, sufficient to withstand most low-intensity attacks, such as ricochets and shockwaves from nearby explosions. ("On the battlefield, it's better than nothing.")]
A light screen appeared in Qin Yun's vision.
It displayed information and usage instructions for the reward items.
After examining it carefully, Qin Yun put the flak armor on.
It was a bit loose, but adjustable.
[Name: Yustis Slammer Auto Pistol.
Description: A fully automatic pistol, uses standard Imperial caliber pistol ammunition. A lightweight, versatile weapon with good accuracy on the move, suitable for dealing with groups of enemies.
("A bit low on power, but perfectly adequate for head-popping.")]
Qin Yun tested its feel.
It was weighty, solid in hand.
Holding it gave a full sense of security.
Next to the pistol were two boxes of ammunition, thumb-sized cartridges that looked powerful just by sight.
Qin Yun counted them; eighty-four rounds total.
Including the magazine in the gun, that made one hundred and twenty-six rounds.
After storing the gun and ammo properly.
Qin Yun picked up the final reward.
[Name: Cadian Standard Multi-Purpose Entrenching Tool
Description: Forged from No. 45 plaststeel, lightweight yet hard, allows the user to quickly dig trenches, and can serve as a weapon when necessary.
("Congratulations on obtaining the divine artifact - the Entrenching Tool. Now go and smash that damned Chaos Marine!")]
"With these, I have some means of self-protection."
Qin Yun gripped the entrenching tool, swinging it a few times casually.
It felt heavy, full of force.
One good smack with this could definitely bust a head open.
Boom!
Suddenly, a heavy thud came from the blast door of the strategic planning room, making Qin Yun jump.
He instinctively drew his pistol, aiming it at the blast door.
Fearful that those things outside might break in.
On his very first day arriving in this world, Qin Yun had personally experienced the terror of the things outside.
As for why Qin Yun came here, and why he posted game information in the 'Warhammer Beasts of Burden' group, getting players to pre-register and enter the Warhammer universe... well, that's a long story.