"If we rally every bit of strength we can gather, they will help us. They'll help because we can give them the hope to survive, and we can give them equality."
"They can help us scavenge resources in exchange for food and water, and we can convert those resources into Imperial Coins."
"Then we can use those Imperial Coins to arm more players and train more warriors."
"And then we'll take down even larger strongholds and liberate even more people."
Cogboy provided a detailed breakdown.
"Let's assume we capture our first small town and liberate five thousand people."
"Out of those five thousand, even if only a tenth of them are willing to help us gather resources, and each person averages a yield of 10 Imperial Coins a day, that's five thousand Coins a day."
"Fifty thousand in ten days. Five hundred thousand in a hundred days."
"With five hundred thousand Coins, we can arm five hundred players, buy fifty makeshift vehicles, or exchange them for heavy weaponry."
"Then we take down the second small town and liberate ten thousand people."
"Rinse and repeat."
He looked up, his eyes shining.
"A single spark can start a prairie fire."
"Now, in this grimdark Warhammer world, we are going to prove it."
Listening to him, Zeke felt his heart pounding wildly.
He looked at everyone around the table.
"You guys..." Zeke's voice choked up slightly. "You planned all this out from the start?"
"No," Bro G replied. "Only since the day you organized the rescue operation in the industrial zone."
"We started thinking: if this world truly needs a revolution..."
"Then why can't we be the ones to start it?"
Tax Bro slapped the table.
"The Emperor's mission to protect humanity isn't wrong. Sitting on the Golden Throne and burning himself alive for ten thousand years? I respect that level of dedication."
"But his attitude toward his subjects is dead wrong!"
"In his eyes, mortals are just tools. They're consumables. Acceptable collateral damage in his grand crusade."
"But we're going to tell him he's wrong."
"Every single life has value, and every single mortal deserves to live with dignity."
White Scars chimed in. "So, this is a corrective operation."
"For now, we don't care about Chaos, or Xenos, or human supremacy. We'll deal with those grand narratives in our own way once we have the power."
"But those narratives are absolutely not an excuse to sit idly by while our own people are being oppressed."
"Right now, we're only doing one thing: making sure the people on Aurelian IV have enough to eat, enough to wear, and aren't sold off like livestock."
"It's that simple."
"Of course, this also aligns with our interests," Cogboy added.
"Having a stable rear guard, a supportive population base, and a sustainable channel for resource acquisition is infinitely better than five thousand of us blindly fumbling around in the wasteland."
Bro G offered the final summary.
"So, Zeke."
He stared directly into Zeke's eyes.
"If you don't want to do this, we won't force you."
"But if you're willing to take this..."
"All of us—five thousand brothers—will back you up with everything we have."
"In the real world, I'll cover your living expenses."
"You can quit your dead-end job tomorrow."
"In the game, all Imperial Coins will be prioritized for your enhancements, you get first pick of all the gear, and we'll run support for all your missions."
"We are going to dump every resource we have into building our very own—"
"Astartes."
Silence fell over the room.
Zeke stared at the option hovering on the System interface.
[Gene-Seed Selection] Price: 1,000,000 Imperial Coins
"I..."
Zeke started, his voice incredibly hoarse.
He looked at his companions.
"When my parents passed away, I didn't cry. I thought they were going to a better place, a place where they wouldn't have to worry about my mortgage or car loans anymore."
"When my ex cheated on me and we broke up, I didn't cry either."
"But just now..."
He took a deep breath.
"Listening to you guys say all that just now, I really kind of fucking want to cry."
Tax Bro grinned broadly. "Cry my ass! Save your tears for when we've conquered the whole damn planet."
Zeke smiled back.
He raised a hand, wiped his face, and projected the shop's contents for everyone to see.
Then, under everyone's watchful gaze...
He clicked the option.
[Confirm exchange for "Gene-Seed Selection"?]
[Yes / No]
[Confirm]
[1,000,000 Imperial Coins Deducted]
[Remaining Personal Account Balance: 892,370 Imperial Coins]
White light.
A blinding white light erupted from the System interface, instantly flooding the entire command center.
It wasn't just ordinary light. Flowing streams of data, spiraling genetic blueprints, and countless flashing symbols and runes danced within the brilliant glow.
[Loading Gene-Seed Repository...]
[Loading Available Legion Gene-Seed Templates...]
A massive list unfurled in front of Zeke.
Each option featured a detailed description, including traits, pros, and cons.
[Dark Angels Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: High Discipline, Loyalty, Secretive]
[As you know, the First Legion has no secrets.]
[Emperor's Children Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Perfectionism, Artistic Perception, Sensory Enhancement]
[Iron Warriors Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Resilience, Engineering Affinity, Endurance Enhancement]
[Emotional Blunting]
[White Scars Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: High-Speed Reflexes, Maneuver Warfare Mastery, Free Will]
[Great for drag racing, assuming you have a bike.]
[Space Wolves Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Heightened Senses, Lupine Genetics, Melee Specialization]
[You might occasionally feel the urge to howl at the moon.]
[Imperial Fists Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Defense Specialization, Perseverance, Architectural Affinity]
[You will become the ultimate besieger or defender.]
[Night Lords Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Night Vision, Terror Tactics Mastery, Stealth]
[Do you want to be Batman?]
[Blood Angels Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Artistic Affinity, Agility, Bloodlust (Controllable)]
[It looks cool, but do you really want to drink blood?]
[Iron Hands Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Mechanical Affinity, Logical Processing, Cybernetic Inclination]
[Tired of the weakness of flesh? Embrace mechanical ascension.]
[Salamanders Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Heat Resistance, Forging Affinity, Protective Instinct Towards the Weak]
[Good guys, but good guys don't live long in this universe.]
[Raven Guard Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Stealth, Reconnaissance, Guerrilla Warfare Mastery]
[Perfect for sniping from the shadows.]
[Alpha Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Disguise, Intelligence Operations, Jack-of-all-Trades]
[Who knows? Maybe you are Alpharius.]
[Ultramarines Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Multi-Domain Adaptability, Organizational Skills, Tactical Flexibility]
[Very balanced, very comprehensive, very... average?]
[Word Bearers Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Fanatical Devotion, Psychic Affinity, Rhetorical Mastery]
[Do you want to catch Tzeentch's eye too?]
[Death Guard Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Endurance, Toxin Resistance, Tenacious Vitality]
[Things might get a bit... squishy.]
[Thousand Sons Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Psychic Aptitude, Thirst for Knowledge, Cognitive Enhancement]
[Tzeentch is watching you.]
[World Eaters Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Strength, Melee Instincts, Pain Tolerance]
[You might feel the urge to chop something up. At all times.]
[Sons of Horus Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Charismatic Leadership, Tactical Intuition, All-Rounder]
[Want to join the Grand Betrayal?]
[...]
The list was extensive, offering eighteen options in total, each representing a distinct possibility and a different path.
Zeke looked at the options, his hands trembling slightly.
This wasn't as simple as picking a class in a video game.
This was choosing what kind of existence he would become—what kind of transhuman.
"Which one are you picking?"
Tax Bro leaned in, his eyes gleaming. "If you ask me, go with World Eaters! Max out your strength and chop down anyone in your way!"
"Are you an idiot?"
White Scars rolled his eyes. "If he uses that, his brain will only be wired to hack and slash. How is he supposed to lead us then?"
"Ultramarines, then," Cogboy suggested. "Comprehensive, balanced. Perfect for a leader."
Bro G shook his head. "In this universe, balance means mediocrity."
He pointed to one of the options.
"This one."
Zeke followed his finger.
[Salamanders Legion Gene-Seed]
[Traits: Heat Resistance, Forging Affinity, Protective Instinct Towards the Weak]
"Salamanders..." Zeke muttered softly.
He remembered.
In Warhammer lore, the Salamanders Legion was one of the very few that genuinely cared about mortals.
Their Primarch, Vulkan, was a towering giant, yet he would crouch down just to speak with children.
They would disobey direct orders if it meant protecting civilians.
They would rage at the atrocities committed by the enemy—true, righteous anger born from the suffering of others.
"Protective Instinct Towards the Weak..." Zeke whispered the trait aloud.
"Exactly," Bro G said. "We don't need a mindless killing machine, and we don't need a god of war."
"We need a leader who will crouch down to drape a coat over a refugee child."
"A warrior who burns with anger when he sees injustice."
"An Astartes who... truly sees mortals as human beings."
Zeke stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then, he reached out his hand.
His fingertip rested on the [Salamanders Legion Gene-Seed] option.
[Confirm selection of "Salamanders Legion Gene-Seed"?]
[Yes / No]
[Confirm]
[Gene-Seed Template Bound]
[Unlocking subsequent augmentation options...]
[Astartes Augmentation Surgery (Phase I) - Genetic Compatibility Restructuring Preparation]
[Price: 10,000 Imperial Coins]
[Includes: Primarch template adaptability conditioning, host gene-chain restructuring, establishing the physiological foundation for subsequent organ implantation, and baseline improvements to toxin and radiation resistance.]
[Estimated Augmentation Time: 1 hour]
[Warning: There is a 10% risk of failure during the augmentation process. Failure will result in permanent damage to the host.]
[Please scan host to determine if baseline physical requirements for Gene-Seed implantation have been met.]