After the Great Rift tore the galaxy, many things were fundamentally and completely changed.
Even if people constantly denied this, it could not change the objective fact.
When the Warp Storm reached a certain level, the laws of the Reality lost their effect, and everything became absurd and incomprehensible.
As the Paradox Engine opened its eye, violent ethereal tentacles stretched into the Reality.
An immaterial storm raged in the void, separating the warring sides.
Immediately after, the enemy's ships changed.
The kiss of Immaterium altered the essence of steel.
The hull expanded at a visible rate, extending huge fleshy spikes, transforming into grotesque behemoths.
Eyes full of malice grew out of nowhere, pushing aside the bloated flesh, causing it to pile up around them.
Hundreds of meters wide bubbling pustules and sores appeared on the flanks of the enemy ship; they constantly swelled, burst, and grew again.
Statues were endowed with life, growing fangs and wings, roaring strange words into the void.
Urs and other Immaterium followers could feel the ethereal wind brushing against their bodies.
The Immaterium runes carved on his arms glowed faintly, protecting him from flesh mutation.
Those crew members who had neither the protection of Immaterium runes nor sufficiently firm wills were not so lucky.
More eyes or arms grew from various parts of their bodies.
Some even merged with the steel, becoming part of the warship.
Augurs and auxiliary scanning arrays locked onto those ships, and warning messages kept popping up.
"Order all flight squadrons to withdraw."
"Prioritize focusing fire on the enemy's flagship—the War Will."
Xia, sitting on the captain's throne, was not frightened by the many terrifying anomalies that arose after the Warp tore the Reality, and continued to calmly issue commands.
Torpedos, missiles, lances, and lasers poured towards the enemy, weaving into a net of destruction, like the materialized wrath of the Light of the Emperor.
The bloated enemy ship showed no reaction, allowing all kinds of attacks released by the Imperial warships to approach without any obstruction.
"It looks impressive, but that's it! No defense at all?"
"Did even the void shields mutate away??"
"I always feel like something isn't quite right. Are they just waiting to die?"
"This thing looks quite unique, ugly but cute."
"Do you think it will grow abalone??"
"You pervert, you're sick!!"
"..."
The Players were also following this war.
Warmaster, Tenjiro, and other Players who had died in Wandering Port and just finished the resurrection process, lay prostrate by the portholes, watching the void battlefield outside while chatting in the regional channel.
Da Hai, who commanded the Exemplar Saint Fist battleship, stood on the Bridge, also staring intently at the tactical projection, awaiting the final result.
Under normal circumstances, the War Will, being the focus of fire, would have been destroyed in this round of saturation fire.
However, such fierce firepower landing on the bloated War Will only caused some flames to rise on its surface, which were soon extinguished by the writhing flesh.
The bow of the War Will split open, revealing a mouth full of fangs.
It cackled, mocking humanity's foolishness.
The sound defied physical laws, propagating through the void and entering everyone's ears.
"Is this Warp corruption?? Can't even be destroyed by focused fire?"
Director Qi, waiting on the Imperial Glory's combat deck, looked shocked.
"Holy crap, those bad guys from the Warp are too shameless," Desert also shook his head repeatedly. "I wasn't even this shameless on the island."
"Shameless, resorting to this when they can't win."
"Oh, this thing can even talk."
"Too shameless."
"These chaotic entities truly have no martial ethics!!"
"The Chaos Gods / The Four Gods must be the reincarnation of a shameless snake, fighting wars with such methods."
"Quickly go to Carp Lake and invite the Carp Immortal to subdue the shameless snake."
"Khorne: Are you looking for me?"
"Good heavens, you mean Bubble equals Khorne, Aku equals Tzeentch, Meimei equals Slaanesh, and Two-Faced Turtle equals Nurgle."
"Don't tell me, it actually matches up."
"I didn't expect that the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods had already subtly corrupted humanity in the third millennium."
"The truth has been revealed. Immediately travel back in time and threaten the screenwriters of 'The Adventures of Little Carp' with a bolter to change all the protagonists to gold."
"..."
The Players complained and joked in the regional channel, and the topic, as always, strayed.
The Warp's fighting style was too shameless, equivalent to opening the console and activating invincibility when unable to win.
"Continue firing."
Xia frowned upon seeing the attack feedback and ordered the fleet to continue focusing fire.
However, the result of the second strike was the same as the first; flames formed on the enemy ship's surface but were extinguished again shortly after.
The enemy ship launched a counterattack.
Corrupted shells and beams imbued with the aura of Immaterium pierced the void, landing on the Imperial fleet's void shields, causing ripples.
The void shields were still effective, which relieved many Imperial commanders.
If the void shields were useless, then this battle would truly be unwinnable.
"There is a Warp field around the ship; it weakens the laws of the physical world, rendering your attacks ineffective."
Kasareth, the Eldar Farseer standing beside Alex, saw everything happening outside through the Bridge's observation window and informed Xia of the truth.
"Damn it, can't that Warp field be destroyed by saturation fire like an overloaded void shield?" Xia was a bit unwilling.
"The fields of those Chaos warships are connected to the Warp. Unless we have a means to drain the entire Warp, any attack will be ineffective and unable to inflict a fatal blow on the enemy," Kasareth explained.
"Then what should we do?" Xia looked at Kasareth, hoping for some useful advice.
"The form of war has changed. They have borrowed the power of the Warp, and ordinary attacks have lost their effect. We must destroy the anchor point of the Warp Storm to truly destroy the enemy."
The Eldar's understanding of psychic powers and the Warp was unparalleled by humans.
As soon as the Paradox Engine opened its eye, Kasareth immediately realized that the source was in Malz World, not the void.
To win this war, they had to stop the sacrifice taking place on the surface.
"Where is the anchor point..." Xia hadn't finished asking when she was interrupted by the augur supervisor next to her.
"Commander, I'm reading multiple targets that are, that are, uh, that are rushing towards us, they... they..."
"Straighten your tongue and speak," Xia raised her voice, her tone stern.
"They are not ships, I am acquiring detailed readings."
"Then open visual imagery." Xia frowned deeply; she vaguely guessed what those things were.
A projection interface appeared before Xia, showing her the images captured by the visual sensors.
The screen was full of monsters.
Despite having no air, they were still flying.
Some flapped their wings, holding longswords or staves in their hands.
Some sat on flying discs, grinning widely.
Others rode Chaos warhorses, galloping in the void.
The tide of daemons surged towards the Imperial warships on a massive scale.
The bloated corrupted warships also attacked while moving towards the Imperial fleet.
Such a blasphemous sight tormented the fleet commanders, causing them to involuntarily let out groans of pain.
"Saint, what should we do?"
Xia looked at Alex with anticipation, and so did the other crew members.
Facing the eerie Warp, they could only appeal to the Emperor's Saint.
A blessed radiance emanated from Alex, alleviating the pain of everyone on the Bridge.
"Borrowing the power of Immaterium, that's no ordinary rebellion. It seems we must strike hard."
"The Warp has never been exclusive to the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods; we can also utilize the power of Immaterium."
"Since the Warp wants to wage war in this manner, then we shall fulfill their wish, Cortana."
"Master." Cortana appeared beside Alex.
Kasareth and the other Eldar looked uncomfortable.
The C'tan were once the great enemies of their creators, the Old Ones, and the culprits who ended the War in Heaven.
The Eldar's genes and souls instinctively opposed and hated the C'tan.
Who would have thought that tens of millions of years later, two races that should have been incompatible would come together due to the threat of the Warp?
Alex turned to Cortana, "Activate the Pharos Lighthouse at full power, absorbing the Warp's energy."
"What should be done with the absorbed energy?" Cortana asked. "If the Pharos Lighthouse absorbs the Warp's energy at full power and it's not released in time, it's highly likely to explode."
"Transfer it to me and the God Chosen," Alex said.
"Understood, Master." Cortana nodded.
After integrating the Paradox Engine's technology, the Imperial Glory's Pharos Lighthouse received a 2.0 upgrade.
Not only could it Guide ships through the Warp and allow Players to quickly return to base, but it could also absorb Warp energy, provide healing, and dispel buffs.
It had become like a fountain of power.
More importantly, it inherited the Paradox Engine's original function, which was to absorb the Warp's energy and enable the user's race to achieve evolutionary ascension.
Of course, it's too early to talk about ascension at this stage, but it is possible to temporarily enhance the warriors of the Empire, giving them extraordinary combat power.
Under Alex's command, Cortana adjusted the Pharos Lighthouse's power to maximum.
The massive quantum engine roared incessantly, and the intense vibrations caused the ship's hull to tremble.
The current between the conversion matrices suddenly thickened, becoming brightly dazzling and crackling.
All energy readers climbed to their highest points, the reciprocating speed of the pistons increased, and urgent alarms sounded continuously.
The Pharos Lighthouse swallowed the surging Warp energy like a whale, emitting an exceptionally dazzling beam of light.
It ignored the Warp Storm and stood tall in the sea of souls.
Warp ships navigating within several star sectors near the Calixis Sector, or beings whose souls were roaming the Warp, clearly saw the beam of light.
"Is this the Astronomican?"
"But it doesn't quite feel like it! There's no unique chanting!"
Inside the ship of a certain Rogue Trader in the Koronus Expanse, the navigator responsible for guiding the vessel showed a look of astonishment.
"An xenos device? It's from the Calixis Sector. I heard there was a rebellion there; this must be the work of those traitors."
A certain Inquisitor with powerful psychic abilities, who was investigating an xenos ruin, showed a solemn expression.
Currently, the Great Rift has torn the galaxy, and half of the galaxy has fallen into darkness, unable to receive the guidance of the Light of the Emperor.
Yet, the rebels possess such a powerful navigation device, which will undoubtedly cause many undecided factions to choose to defect, thereby further weakening the Empire's authority.
"After dealing with matters here, I must find a way to go to the Calixis Sector. No matter what, we must stop those traitors from growing stronger."
The Tyranids swarm rampaging in the Hazaroth Sub-sector also immediately noticed this beam of light.
Even though it had evolved to an extremely high level, the Hive Mind was still attracted by that bright light.
A fleet detached from the main fleet, using stellar gravity to construct a faster-than-light channel, flew towards the location of the light beam.
"This is our race's technology, but it's a bit different!!"
The Necron Overlord, who was ordered to pursue Ahriman and reclaim the dynasty's precious artifact, also noticed this bright light.
Although the Necrons race has no souls and cannot sense the Warp, nor can they enter Immaterium.
However, the Pharos Lighthouse is one of the navigation network components built under the guidance of the C'tan, and it uses emotional telepathy technology, so it can also be observed by their warships.
The Necron Overlord noticed that the Pharos Lighthouse's readings were somewhat off, clearly indicating special modifications that added new functions that were not present before.
"These crude modifications are nothing short of sacrilege and destruction of our race's technology."
The Necron Overlord's voice was mechanical and cold.
He considered whether he should go to the location from which the Pharos Lighthouse's beam emanated.
But after some thought, he gave up.
Currently, his most important task was to retrieve the artifact stolen by those monkeys.
The Pharos Lighthouse, operating under ultra-high load, attracted the attention of many factions.
The Players on the battlefield also immediately noticed the Pharos Lighthouse's extraordinary nature.
As the strange fluctuations released by the Pharos Lighthouse swept past, a surge of power poured in.
The Players felt full of vitality, as if they had an endless supply of strength.
"I feel terrifyingly strong right now."
Tenjiro stretched out his hands, his face full of surprise.
Surging psychic power, like a tide, surged within his body.
Many psychic spells that previously required careful use could now be cast at will, without worrying about backlash.
"I feel like I could punch an Orc Boss to death right now."
Warmaster also felt a sense of becoming stronger.
He tried to activate his body, and his speed and strength increased across the board.
If he were to fight the Orc Boss from Wandering Port again now, he would definitely crush him.
"Right now, I'm like Captain America; I can fight anyone all day long." Bald Donkey waved his fist, "I really want to fight someone."
Wrist Bro: "I feel no weaker than Angron now."
Sea Turtle: "Is this the legendary Spiritual Energy Resurgence?"
Zack: "Has Warhammer ever had an age of spiritual decline? The Warp has been active since the War in Heaven, never declining, so what resurgence are you talking about?!"
Desert: "Then what's going on with us suddenly getting stronger? Did the official modify the stats?"
Director Qi: "They must have modified the stats. After all, it's a closed beta, so changes are normal."
Maverick: "At the peak of the Hammer, I stand alone, the heavens exist only after me. You all, go quickly, and bring the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods to me."
Wrist Bro: "Suspected of being infused with Warp energy and becoming senile dementia, daring to be so arrogant."
Maverick: "You don't understand the loneliness of the strong."
Sea Turtle: "Hope you don't call us to save you when you get beaten up."
"......"
In the regional chat channel, the Players rapidly spammed, discussing the sudden surge of power within their bodies.
Just as they were puzzled and looking for answers, a new quest appeared in the database.
"Quest: Stop the Warp Invasion."
"The Colin Family has used an evil ritual to summon power from the Warp, but the power of Immaterium is never exclusive to the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods."
"The Warp is the non-material aspect of the universe; it belongs to every living being born in this universe."
"Cortana has used the Pharos Lighthouse to absorb and convert the Warp's energy. This power will grant you a temporary sublimation."
"Sublimation: This is an unstable and temporary evolution. In this state, your physical stats will greatly increase, and you will possess endless power to squander."
"Make good use of this power to deliver a head-on blow to the minions of the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods."
"Please defeat the non-material beings and stop the ritual while the Warp is raging."
"Basic Reward: 55000 Contribution Points, 7400 Honor Points, 17000 Faith Points."
"Bonus Reward: Determined by kills and battlefield contributions."
"Friendly Reminder: Players who fight bravely will receive special attention from the Guide, thereby gaining more blessings and mastering stronger powers."
The already lively chat channel became even more boisterous.
Sea Turtle: "So this is sublimation!! I thought Warhammer was going to have a spiritual energy resurgence??"
Zhuge: "Is this an additional ability of the Pharos Lighthouse? That's amazing."
King of Mount & Blade: "The official must have hired Paradox Interactive's operations and technical staff. This Pharos Lighthouse looks so much like an Aetherophasic Engine, it can actually make people sublimate."
Palru's Life is Precious: "Temporary sublimation, it seems there's also a long-term one. Good heavens, is this spiritual ascension?"
Warmaster: "Ah! No, can you ascend in Warhammer?"
Zhuge: "Probably. Isn't Daemonhood on the Chaos side a form of ascension? But theirs is individual; ours might be collective."
Being a Good Person in RimWorld: "I'm so angry I'm shaking. Does it have to be spiritual ascension? Are biological and machine ascension so unpresentable?"
Tenjiro: "It looks like the official is testing ascension and gave us an experience card."
Twisted person: "This game can build starships, build Star Gates, and even replicate things from other games. It can definitely make an Aetherophasic Engine too."
MC Myth: "The official's ambition is a bit grand. It's not enough to create the Reality; they also want to create the Warp."
"Ascension is an early patch. When the Warp is opened, Players will be allowed to ascend and enter the Warp to contend with the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods."
Warmaster: "Is this a 100% realistic game?"
"You can build Zaku, build Aetherophasic Engines, build Halos, build Death Stars. As long as your imagination is big enough, they will all be realized for you."
"It's truly: the bolder the person, the greater the production in Warhammer."
"......"
The chat channel's messages refreshed 99+ in a second.
The Pharos Lighthouse's sublimation and blessings for the Players made them feel greatly encouraged.
They felt that this was the official testing an ascension system, and also a hint to them:
As long as you dare to imagine, the game dares to make it happen for you.
At this moment, urgent alarms sounded; demons had entered the Imperial Glory.
The Players also received a prompt, telling them to suppress the boarding demons.
"These little punks from the Warp dare to board even the big guys' ships??"
"The Fourth Scourge can't be bullied, can it? We must blow up these bastards! Brothers, grab your weapons, let's go get them!"
"In the name of Sakema, we must deliver a heavy blow to these bastards!!"
"For Demacia, brothers."
"For the glory of Hogwarts, for Gryffindor, blood for the Blood God, charge!"
"......"
The Players shouted various slogans, like mad dogs unleashed, grabbing their weapons and charging towards the demons that had entered the warship.