"Yellow Old Man's speed, he has nothing to do all day but stare at the Players, right?"
"The main point is not to let any good thing slip away!"
Alex finished reading the mission content on the light screen at a glance.
He silently complained in his mind.
The Emperor truly paid high-intensity attention to the Players twenty-four hours a day.
As long as the Players found anything good, He would immediately issue a mission, afraid that Alex would miss it.
"Cortana."
Alex called out, turning to look at Cortana behind him.
During this time, Cortana had been staying by Alex's side in physical form.
Following another upgrade of the Imperial Glory,
Cortana's body had become lifelike, just like a real Human.
Visually, there was no difference between her and a normal Human.
However, if scanning equipment were used, she would still be seen as a moving high-energy body.
"Master."
Cortana stepped forward and saluted Alex.
"Among the spoils of war captured by the Players, is there a Staff of Stellar Fury?" Alex asked.
"Yes, Master."
Cortana nodded and casually opened a projection interface,
displaying the appearance of the Staff of Stellar Fury to Alex.
"This staff utilizes top-tier spatial dimension technology and conversion technology."
"Its end binds a star, used as an energy source."
"This staff actually binds a star to serve as an energy source?" Alex looked at the projection of the Staff of Stellar Fury, his tone somewhat surprised.
The Necrons still had some tricks up their sleeves,
they could actually miniaturize a star and place it inside a staff as an energy source.
Such a method, if placed in other worldviews, would at least count as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, right?
If such powerful technology were analyzed,
Alex didn't dare to think deeply about what those Players would do.
They would definitely turn the entire galaxy upside down.
However, the reward for this mission was the "Stellar Energy Conversion Technology Version 1.0",
This technology, according to the description, was a prerequisite for megastructure technology,
which made Alex a bit curious,
What kind of megastructure would require such conversion technology?
Alex thought of the Dyson Sphere, and then of stellar starships,
starships that use an entire star as their power source,
Just thinking about it felt incredibly awesome, making one's mouth water.
One should know that in Stellaris, that thing was considered overpowered.
If the Human Empire got a few of them, they wouldn't even need to fire a shot to scare the T'au into wetting their pants.
Cortana nodded, "Yes, the end of the Staff of Stellar Fury binds a star. Master, should I send the staff back to Reality for you?"
Alex shook his head, "No need, just raise its priority."
"And one more thing, quickly analyze the technology used in this weapon for me, and use the acquired knowledge to perfect Humanity's technology tree."
"Understood, Cortana will do it immediately." Cortana said.
After giving these instructions, Alex once again focused his attention on the government affairs before him.
Thanks to the efforts during this period, the impact of Reality's reforms had spread throughout the entire Solar Sector.
The Lighthouse Network gradually took shape, closely connecting many worlds and reconstructing their local communication systems and political structures.
Under the stimulation of various new laws, productivity greatly increased, and the lives of the populace visibly improved.
The Solar Sector, which had originally been like a slowly decaying corpse, suddenly bloomed with vibrant life.
Commercial economy soared, and the sharp contradictions between different classes were alleviated.
Unfortunately, even with this level of achievement, Alex still had many opponents.
After all, this reform touched too many people's vested interests.
Reality's conservative High Lord were just the tip of the iceberg of the old guard,
There was still a vast scale of old guard factions remaining on various planets of the Empire, overtly and covertly opposing and obstructing the reforms.
Of course, some of them were old-fashioned in thought, unwilling to accept new changes, but still remained loyal.
The rest were simply self-serving individuals.
Their thinking was also very simple: whether the Empire died or not didn't matter, as long as their interests weren't harmed.
Their wealth could be stolen by Chaos, by Xenos, but not by the Empire.
When asked, they could pledge loyalty to the Empire and die for the Emperor, but they couldn't sacrifice the cow in their own home for the Empire.
To resolve the issues created by these people and push forward the reforms, Alex had to personally oversee everything, to prevent ill-intentioned individuals from exploiting the reforms to cause trouble.
After all, the way to destroy something is not just by resisting or not implementing it,
Executing superior directives one hundred percent, or even two hundred percent,
can often make the superior miserable.
Within the projection screen, a large number of government reports quickly passed before Alex's eyes,
If it were an ordinary person, just a few glances would probably make them dizzy.
Yet Alex was able to pay attention to the details of every single government affair and make corresponding approvals.
Suddenly, Alex stopped and frowned.
Several reform officials, while on a mining planet,
were suddenly caught in a riot by miners while inspecting the miners' living conditions and were executed on the spot by the miners.
Imperial forces were dispatched urgently and had killed all rebellious miners.
The report's classification was very low, treated only as a routine report.
If Alex hadn't meticulously reviewed and approved everything,
this report might not even have entered Reality's Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Clearly, there was a force attempting to suppress this matter.
Thinking of this matter, Alex clenched his fist.
These damn guys, do they really think the Human Empire is America?!
As soon as an audit begins, they play the trick of committing suicide by three gunshots to the back!
Are they treating him like an idiot?
If there were no interest groups stirring up trouble in this matter,
Alex would cut off Magnus's head and send it to Khorne to pile up his throne.
(Magnus, on the Sorcerer Planet, sneezed, feeling a chill down his neck.)
Alex paced back and forth, and after a moment,
He couldn't help but recall the words of the ancients and began to reflect upon himself.
Had he been too easy to talk to during this period?
Had he not killed anyone during this period?
Had he not put enough pressure on these damned aristocrats?
"Since they like playing games so much, why not play match-three?"
Alex immediately sent an email message to Ers, the representative of the Inquisition.
He instructed him to take an Imperial fleet to that mining planet and educate the local rulers about the game of match-three.
Ers's efficiency was swift.
A few days later, a punitive fleet arrived at that mining planet,
to investigate the numerous families involved in the murder of the reform officials.
Many families were stripped of their positions and status and thrown into prison.
"How dare you lay hands on the Fini family? Do you know who is behind the Fini family?"
A woman shrieked hysterically.
"Stop your actions immediately, or none of you will come to a good end!"
These words made the Inquisitorial officials present stunned for a few seconds, then their mouths began to curve upwards, unable to suppress their excitement.
They had thought it was just a routine punitive action, but unexpectedly there was an unexpected gain.
One must know that currently, the merit for apprehending corrupt high-ranking officials was even greater than for apprehending Xenos and Demons,
After all, how many people had the Xenos and Demons causing trouble in the Solar Sector killed?!
Not even a fraction of what these corrupt elements had done.
A casual decree from these bureaucrats could leave tens of millions of people displaced, dying in hunger and cold,
or force an entire planet into rebellion, after which these rebels would be brutally suppressed by the arriving Imperial forces, resulting in rivers of blood.
Corrupt officials did not personally kill, but the number of people they harmed was countless.
"What are you going to do?"
The woman's face turned pale as she saw the Stormtroopers surrounding her.
"Don't misunderstand, madam, we just want to know who is backing the Fini family. Only then will we know what to do next?"
An Inquisitor walked over, smiling and polite.
"It'll scare you to death if I tell you, the Fini family's backer is..."
Seeing the other party's demeanor, the woman immediately became smug again.
The Fini family's patron was a big shot who could even speak on Reality.
"So that's how it is."
The Inquisitor's smile grew even brighter, which made the woman feel uneasy.
The other party didn't seem to be afraid of the big shot behind the Fini family.
"Aren't you afraid?" The woman asked, somewhat uneasily.
"Why should I be afraid of a dead man?" The Inquisitor grinned, "The moment that guy got involved with this matter, he was already a dead man, it's just a matter of when he'll die!"
"He is..." The woman's face showed terror, and she realized that the other party didn't seem to be lying to her.
The Inquisitor interrupted the woman, "In today's Empire, who could be nobler than a Primarch or a Saint?"
"Obstructing reform leads to a dead end, whether for your Fini family or for the big shot you mentioned, it's the same."
"For the sake of reform, much blood has already been shed, and no one will mind a little more."
"No!" The woman screamed in despair.
Unfortunately, this time, no one listened to her nonsense anymore.
The Stormtroopers stepped forward, restrained her, and dragged her away.
......
Museum Planet,
Human Empire's camp,
Inside a makeshift prison, a squad of Chaos Space Marines was held captive.
They had been lured by Trazyn the Infinite, who claimed that deep within the Crucian Sector lay an artifact capable of opening the Webway.
Abaddon the Despoiler believed him and ordered the squad to retrieve the artifact.
However, the entire affair was a conspiracy.
The squad clashed with the Drukhari / Dark Aeldari and was subsequently imprisoned by Trazyn the Infinite in a stasis cube.
They remained imprisoned until now, when they were released by the Imperial Loyalists and placed in this cell.
"Why? Why betray us?"
Looking at the Chaos Space Marines before him,
Marsanor, a Luna Wolves, felt his last shred of hope vanish.
His voice carried the despair of a shattered worldview and life philosophy.
Ever since their conflict with the Battle Sisters, which was stopped by the God Chosen,
Marsanor and the Luna Wolves had fallen into deep confusion.
The difference between Reality and their dreams tore at their souls.
Their Wolf God, the Emperor's firstborn son, had rebelled.
Not only did he destroy the Emperor's great dream, but he also left the Emperor gravely wounded and forced to sit upon the Golden Throne.
Yet, a final fantasy lingered in Marsanor's heart,
believing that all of this was merely a trick by that cursed metallic Xenos, just to toy with them.
It wasn't until Marsanor recognized one of the Chaos Space Marines in the cell as Claude, who had been in the same company during the Great Crusade, that he realized this was no lie, nor a trick by that metallic Xenos.
Time had passed, and Claude's appearance was now vastly different from Marsanor's memory.
Claude now wore Terminator armor covered in bone spikes,
with eight-pointed star insignias emitting corrupting aura visible on his shoulders, chest, and other areas.
He also carried a large eight-pointed star steel spike halo on his back, its sharp spikes impaled with skulls.
Had it not been for his heavily scarred face, Marsanor would not have dared to admit this was his former comrade.
"We always thought you died on the battlefield that destroyed the Greenskin Empire, Marsanor."
"I never imagined we'd meet under such circumstances."
Claude also recognized the Astartes before him, and, from within his cell, he grinned.
"I wish I had died there," Marsanor said, his face filled with anger. "At least I wouldn't have to see your corrupted forms."
"Look at what you've become? You betrayed everything we swore to fight for."
Claude scoffed.
"You have not yet received the gods' baptism, you have not yet witnessed the wonders of the Warp, so you still harbor illusions about that rotting Emperor."
"The Great Crusade was a lie, and the Emperor was also a lie. We foolishly believed him, but eventually, we awakened."
"We will eventually overthrow this rotten empire, avenge the fallen Primarch, and rebuild a greater nation."
"I see no greatness, only corruption and decay," Marsanor said, looking at Claude. "No matter what you intend to do, I will use all my strength to stop you."
"You cannot do it; the galaxy is destined to fall into the Warp," Claude said. "The Despoiler will destroy the entire universe."
Marsanor no longer wasted words on these fallen brothers.
He turned and left.
Action was the most powerful proof; words were meaningless.
Warmaster and the Players also felt a pang of regret watching this scene.
"Actually, I can totally understand it. Who could wake up and accept such a huge disparity?!" Tenjiro said.
"Before they slept, their father was the Emperor's most beloved son, and the Luna Wolves were the Emperor's most loyal Legion," Zhuge also shook his head, sighing.
"After waking up, their father rebelled and was even killed. The Luna Wolves became a name never to be mentioned in the Human Empire."
"The entire Legion was shattered, and their former blood brothers degenerated into this monstrous state. Not going insane means they have incredibly strong willpower."
"The game developers really put their heart into this game; they even considered such small details," Warmaster said. "Every NPC has their own story."
"..."
...
The Third Fleet gathered at the fortress world of Hydraphur.
Zigman and the Players of the Hunter Demon Battle Group also moved with the troops.
Hydraphur was the main naval base in the Pacific Sector,
located near the southern border of the Solar Sector and the Misty Sector.
This meant its fleet was often called upon to provide support to these two sectors.
In addition to patrolling the Pacific Sector and supporting the Solar Sector and Misty Sector,
the naval fleet stationed there also bore the task of supporting Cadia, due to its proximity to the Eye of Terror.
When Cadia Fortress fell, they were also severely damaged, suffering heavy losses.
During this period, Chaos forces repeatedly attacked this fortress world, but were repelled.
Due to the unfolding of the Great Rift, Hydraphur also frequently experienced Cultists rebellions and Demon invasions.
These issues kept the local garrison forces constantly busy.
Until the arrival of The Third Fleet,
with its massive fleet size, new weaponry, and powerful Primaris Space Marine,
the invading Chaos forces were decisively defeated and no longer dared to show their faces.
The Hydraphur fortress world finally got a chance to breathe.
Zigman and the Players continued their old trade, taking on missions and clearing the fortress world of Demons.
After a space station staff submitted a report of a Demon invasion,
they accepted the mission and rushed over.
Soon, they cornered the Demons and Cultists together in an unnamed warehouse.
"Quick! Quick!"
"You, flank from the left, you go to the right. Don't let them escape."
Zigman systematically assigned tasks.
After so many Demon Hunter battles, the Players of the Hunter Demon Battle Group were already experienced veterans.
They quickly occupied advantageous terrain, blocking all escape routes for the enemy.
Immediately after, they began to annihilate the enemies inside the warehouse.
After a short but intense battle,
the Hunter Demon Battle Group killed all the Cultists, leaving only the summoned Demon.
The Demon fit every imagination of an evil being.
It had a pair of twisted ram horns on its head,
hooved feet with knees bent forward,
and hellfire burning on its body, emitting a sulfurous smell.
"outsiders!!"
The Demon glared at the Players surrounding it, its eyes filled with hatred.
It let out a low, strange sound.
The Demon's words made the Players look at each other.
"This Demon calls us outsiders?"
"Does this guy know we're Players?"
"Awesome, it just raised the Warp's prestige again; the Demon actually knows we're from another world."
"The game developers are truly full of details."
"..."
The Demon listened to the strange sounds emitted by these outsiders.
It could understand some, but most were strange whispers of unclear meaning.
This further confirmed the rumors within Immaterium.
These outsiders came from a higher dimension and possessed a much higher status than Demons.
Therefore, it could not understand their words,
just as ordinary mortals found it difficult to comprehend the murmurs and whispers of Demons.
Seeing the outsiders form a circle,
the soulless fields released by each individual resonated, strengthening the Reality barrier, and cutting off its connection to Immaterium,
the Demon realized it could no longer delay and had to break through the encirclement as quickly as possible.
It let out another low roar, then charged towards the Players on all fours.
Once within attack range, it suddenly leaped up and pounced on the Players, intending to tear them apart with its claws and fangs.
"Silence."
Zigman roared, activating his Dark Tongue skill.
The flames on the Demon's body extinguished, and its movements became rigid.
With a thud, it fell to the ground.
"outsiders!!"
The immobile Demon shrieked.
Zigman walked over and grabbed the Demon's throat.
"You're too noisy. Don't you know this will disturb the residents?"
As Zigman's hand, gripping its throat, slowly tightened,
the Demon's shrieks turned into unintelligible gurgles.
Finally, Zigman slowly plunged his longsword into the Demon's chest.
"outsiders!!" The Demon uttered one last sound before turning into ashes with lingering embers, slowly dissipating into the air.
"The developers are really imaginative; these NPC monsters can actually break the fourth wall."
Zigman watched the dissipating Demon ashes, his admiration for the Warhammer OL game developers growing.
Not only was it full of details, but it was also so creative.
It had to be said, this was too amazing.
"I need to share the recording with other Players."
Zigman thought, while uploading the recording to the chat channel.