On the light screen, the crimson warning icon slowly unfolded like a bleeding wound.
Unlike the blue data streams representing order, discipline, and transcendent power on the Astartes side, what surged forth here was a chaotic, viscous torrent of information filled with blasphemous whispers and discordant buzzing.
Under the tag [Chaos] were four more specific and more disturbing sub-items: Violence, Mutation, Decay, Pleasure. Together, they constituted the malice from the deepest reaches of the Warp that the Astartes would face.
"Chaos faction, initial phase."
Medici's voice rang out in the space, calmly laying out the other side of this asymmetric war.
"Players will take on the roles of mortal auxiliary troops on Sisyphus III who have been thoroughly corrupted or driven by fear."
The scene unfolded: no longer the uniform Imperial Guard attire, but armor cobbled together in disarray, smeared with blasphemous symbols and stained with suspicious filth.
The eyes of these soldiers were filled with madness, fear, or numb fanaticism.
Their weapons were also diverse, ranging from modified lasguns to crude solid-ammunition weapons, and even some melee weapons contaminated with psychic pollution.
"Their mission is simple: hold the four main altars and obstruct, delay, and wear down the attacking Astartes at all costs."
Medici set the core objective.
"They can respawn infinitely—life is the cheapest consumable in Chaos's game."
This was the cruelest asymmetric design: on one side, twenty superhuman warriors whose lives were as precious as gold; on the other, theoretically endless mortal cannon fodder that could continuously pour out from respawn points.
What Chaos players would experience in the early stages was a desperate defense based on numbers, terrain, and trading lives for time.
"However," Medici's tone shifted, his eyes gleaming with the light of constructing "gameplay climaxes," "Chaos's power extends far beyond this. Time is their ally and their weapon."
He brought up the planet's strategic map, where four highlighted locations emitted different colors of disturbing spiritual light.
"Four blasphemous altars are the key anchor points for Chaos power to intervene in reality, each corresponding to the 'gifts' of the four major Dark Gods of the Warp:"
1. Skull Altar (Khorne's Domain):
Situated in the ruins of the planet's largest arena, constructed from countless metal skulls and rusted weapons, radiating bloody and violent red spiritual light.
2. Forbidden Altar (Tzeentch's Domain):
Hidden deep within a twisted library or data center, composed of constantly shifting geometric structures and flickering deceptive runes, surrounded by ever-changing blue and purple halos.
3. Life Altar (Nurgle's Domain):
Entrenched in an abandoned ecological dome or sewage treatment center, guarded by rotting vegetation, swelling fungal mats, and buzzing swarms of flies, steaming with murky green smoke and sickly sweet putrefaction.
4. Art Altar (Slaanesh's Domain):
Located in the center of what was once the most prosperous entertainment district, with buildings modified to be extremely ornate yet twisted, covered with screaming face reliefs and excessively elaborate decorations, permeated with dizzying pink fragrance and obsessive purple psychic energy.
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Altar Operation Rules:
Phase One (Start - 1 Hour):
The altars are in "awakening" and "charging" states. Chaos players (mortal auxiliary troops) must ensure the altars are not destroyed by the Astartes.
During this period, the altars passively and slowly emit corruption auras corresponding to their respective Dark Gods to the surrounding areas.
For example, friendly forces near the Khorne altar gain slight attack power increases but become more prone to rage and loss of control, while friendly forces near the Nurgle altar recover health faster but move more slowly.
However, they cannot actively summon daemons yet.
Phase Two (1 Hour - 2 Hours):
If the altars are not destroyed within the first hour, they will complete the initial "reality tear."
Chaos players will gain a new strategic resource—altar points—which automatically grow over time, with additional points earned for successfully defending altars.
By consuming altar points, they can summon lesser daemons near the corresponding altars!
- Khorne: Bloodletters—wielding great axes or swords, fanatical melee butchers.
- Tzeentch: Pink Horrors—casting harassing spells, vision-distorting nuisances.
- Nurgle: Plaguebearers—slow-moving but extremely durable, plague-carrying melee units.
- Slaanesh: Daemonettes—extremely fast assassins skilled in mental attacks and enchantment.
The addition of lesser daemons will greatly alter the battlefield situation.
They are much more powerful than mortal auxiliary troops, possess special abilities, and are effective weapons against Astartes special forces.
Phase Three (After 2 Hours):
If the altars can hold out for two hours without falling, it means the connection between the Warp and this place is sufficiently stable.
Chaos players can consume large amounts of altar points to attempt to summon manifested fragments of the corresponding Dark Gods' greater daemons!
- Khorne: Bloodthirster—a hill-sized entity of destruction, wielding a flaming great axe.
- Tzeentch: Lord of Change—a cunning spellcaster capable of manipulating battlefield situations.
- Nurgle: Great Unclean One—a walking source of plague with unfathomable hit points.
- Slaanesh: Keeper of Secrets—the embodiment of ultimate speed and enchantment.
The appearance of greater daemons will be a strategic event capable of reversing the tide of battle, the ultimate test of the Astartes players' limits.
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"The Chaos players' game progression is a race against time, a ritual to summon true daemonic power paved with countless mortal lives."
Medici summarized.
"They start weak but have enormous potential. The Astartes players, meanwhile, must use precise and swift strikes to eliminate these sources of corruption one by one before Chaos power snowballs out of control."
On one side, a precious, powerful but absolutely outnumbered superhuman task force that must achieve a quick victory.
On the other, defenders who start weak but possess infinite troop sources and can summon daemon legions over time.
This design pushed the tension and strategic depth of the finals to the extreme.
Medici looked at the confronting blue and red on the light screen, as if he could already hear the symphony of bolter fire and daemon shrieks intertwining on the future battlefield.
This first direct clash between "Angels" and "Chaos" was destined to become the most unforgettable chapter in the finals history of "Project Dawn."