"Do I only need to stop collecting Blood Tithes and Ash Tithes? Is it that simple?"
Terribos was somewhat uneasy.
This couldn't even be considered a condition.
The Carcharodons Battle Group was originally composed of a group of exiled veterans.
In earlier years, it wasn't even clear who their Primarch was, and with no parent Battle Group to claim them, no one spoke up for them, and they weren't good at sweet-talking the High Lord or Tech-priests.
Many times, they had to solve the problems of manpower and equipment themselves, which led to the creation of Blood Tithes and Ash Tithes.
Blood Tithe: They had the right to plunder the population of Imperial worlds for potential recruits or Battle Group serfs.
Ash Tithe: They could exchange various ancient relics, or Xenos artifacts obtained from outside Imperial territory, with Tech-priests for new equipment.
During the Badab War,
which was the war when Black Heart King Huron rebelled,
the High Lord of Reality took the Mantis Warriors Battle Group's homeworld as spoils of war and gave it to them.
But they did not choose to settle there; instead, they packed up all the population and resources and abandoned the planet.
The main duty of the Carcharodons Battle Group was to travel beyond Imperial territory,
and fight enemies that might pose a threat to the Imperium.
Therefore, they had no way to manage a homeworld; harvesting resources and leaving was the best option.
Collecting Blood Tithes and Ash Tithes was their only means of replenishment.
Now, with a rich guy shouting the slogan 'I'll pay for everything' on the whole field,
who would still painstakingly collect Blood Tithes and Ash Tithes? Wouldn't it be better to cling to the rich guy's leg?
"Yes, you don't need to do anything else, just stop collecting Ash Tithes and Blood Tithes."
"These supplies are all for your replenishment."
"Now, Chapter Master Terribos, please move the equipment off my ship."
Alex looked at Terribos and said mockingly, "Otherwise, if it stays too long, I'll have to charge storage fees."
The humorous words eased Terribos's uneasy mood and further confirmed that this was indeed compensation for them.
Terribos wore a suit of Tactical Dreadnought Terminator Armor.
Dozens of glittering brass rivets were embedded in the grey ceramite armor,
and beneath the ceramite armor were layers of plasteel reinforced with Adamantium bundles.
His arms were equipped with exaggerated and terrifying gigantic gauntlets, and he also had sharp Power Claws and recurved twin chainblades.
When he removed his helmet, a weathered, scarred, and resolute face appeared before Alex.
Immediately after, Terribos tucked his helmet under his arm and knelt on one knee,
the yellowed skull at his waist swayed and clattered.
"The Carcharodons Battle Group is willing to serve you, esteemed Imperial Saint."
"From now on, your will shall be the direction of the Carcharodons Battle Group's blade."
Terribos's tone was sincere.
"No need for this." Alex raised both hands, and Terribos, clad in heavy Terminator Armor, was lifted by an invisible force.
As expected, they were poor kids; a little benefit was enough to get a firm hold on them.
Children who lack love are always easily led astray.
The Carcharodons Battle Group fully demonstrated this point.
It's okay, I still need to be a bit better to my kids.
Alex thought of the Players, and this thought immediately vanished.
These rebellious sons are out of the question.
"You are a hero, Terribos," Alex said. "The Carcharodons are too. You have given everything for the Imperium, and this is what you deserve."
Terribos looked at the Saint shrouded in glory; his image was like an angel from myth.
The sincere words were full of recognition and praise for the Carcharodons Battle Group,
which filled Terribos with a strong sense of pride.
The Carcharodons did not have a good reputation.
Many Battle Groups regarded them with caution,
and the High Lord of Reality habitually ignored their existence.
But now, a Saint stood before him, affirming the Carcharodons Battle Group's contribution.
"Thank you, Saint."
"Contact your Battle Group and have your supplies moved,"
Alex added, "We'll talk about other things once you're done."
"Understood."
Terribos established communication with the Battle Barge Nicor,
and had the Chief Librarian send people to move the items.
"The Saint is a handsome and generous noble, and we must apologize for our earlier doubts about his actions."
"Despoiler," the Chief Librarian's voice was very low, "Please be mindful of your current status. You are still negotiating. If you show goodwill towards the negotiating party, our gains will be greatly reduced."
"Alright, Te Kahu Rangi, please stop questioning our great Saint. I now suspect that the Saint is actually our Battle Group's Progenitor Primarch."
"If he isn't, I really can't imagine why he would be so good to us!!"
Terribos interrupted the Chief Librarian, not allowing him to disparage the Saint.
The Chief Librarian on the other end of the communication widened his eyes slightly.
What happened?!
Normally, Terribos was always serious and unsmiling, as if someone owed him eight hundred sets of Terminator Armor and hadn't paid him back.
But now, his personality had completely changed; not only was he as happy as a child, but he also said that the so-called Saint might be their Battle Group's Primarch!!
Didn't they just find out a while ago that they were a successor Battle Group of the Raven Guard?
How could they suddenly change banners and become the offspring of that Saint??
"This kind of thinking needs to be properly corrected by the Chaplain."
"Terribos is usually so steady, how could he change so much for just a little benefit!!"
Te Kahu Rangi silently said to himself, how could they randomly claim a Primarch?
Their Primarch could only be the Lord of Ravens — Corvus Corax.
After hanging up the communication,
Te Kahu Rangi took his men and boarded a transport shuttle to rendezvous with Terribos.
"You said all these are for us?"
Te Kahu Rangi, who had just stepped out of the transport shuttle, widened his eyes, looking at the mountain of supplies piled before him.
The accompanying Chaplains and Company Captains had the same expression, full of disbelief.
They gave a bit too much!!
"Yes, they are all ours, and these are just a portion of them." Terribos said, "There's still a large part that hasn't been moved out."
"I apologize for doubting you, Despoiler." Te Kahu Rangi's tone was sincere, "There's a reason you're our Chapter Master."
"I now also suspect that the previous investigation was wrong; our parent Battle Group definitely isn't the Raven Guard."
"I also agree, our Primarch must be the Saint." Nicodemus, who was a Chaplain, also nodded firmly.
There was no other way; they had simply given too much.
The Saint also promised that in the future, the Imperium would be responsible for the Carcharodons Battle Group's supply work.
The supplies would only increase, not decrease, and they would also enjoy various new types of equipment.
A Primarch who exiled their ancestors, a parent Battle Group that ignored them.
A handsome and caring Saint.
Do they even need to consider how to choose?
Clinging to a good leg saves ten years of detours.
The Players also received news of the Carcharodons Battle Group's visit.
When they arrived at the hangar, they saw the little sharks happily moving things.
So, they crouched in the distance, sharing this event in the communication chat channel.
Little Alpaca: "So this is the poor Battle Group that raises sharks! They look quite comical."
Warmaster: "The Carcharodons Battle Group, I heard they have a lot of ancient relics. Aren't we going to fleece them?"
Desert: "No more talking, I'm teleporting over right now."
Tenjiro: "These guys look like bandits entering a village."
Zhuge: "Move their sharks!!"
Twisted person: "@Zhuge, why are you so wicked?!"
6
Terribos also noticed the Players crouching in the distance, wearing armor with strange painted patterns.
He curiously asked Alex, "Saint, are those your subordinates?"
Alex looked in the direction he pointed and smiled, "They are the God Chosen protected by the Emperor's might."
"They are a gift from the Emperor to humanity."
"God Chosen? Gift?" Terribos chewed on the words, "What can they do?"
"Everything you can do, they can do. What you can't do, they can also do." Alex's tone was calm, "They are the bane of Daemons, existences that the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods fear."
"Under the protection of the Emperor's might, they will not truly die; they can be reborn infinitely and possess growth potential beyond imagination."
"If you need their help, you can issue missions to them. I have already given you the relevant permissions."
Upon hearing Alex's explanation, Terribos and the little sharks behind him showed expressions of shock.
Protected by the Emperor's might, infinite resurrection—such existences were simply invincible!
"At present, I don't have any missions suitable for these powerful warriors." Terribos shook his head.
In his opinion, the Emperor's God Chosen must be meant for great deeds,
and asking the God Chosen for help would surely come at a great cost.
Alex saw his concerns and smiled, "Don't be so reserved; the God Chosen are very easy to communicate with. For example, you can have them help you transport supplies, you just need to give a small reward."
Under Terribos's gaze, Alex quickly edited a mission for transporting goods.
Soon, the Players gathered around.
To the astonishment of the little sharks, the Players, with two hundred percent enthusiasm, helped them move everything at the fastest speed.
Mainly, the Players had dimensional space, and this black tech skill made their moving efficiency far superior to that of the Carcharodons Battle Group's servants.
"Just a small reward makes them so happy?" Terribos asked, puzzled.
"Because they need to earn money to buy equipment, so they can better serve the Emperor." Alex explained, "The God Chosen have no logistics; all their supplies need to be earned by themselves."
Terribos:
"..."
Te Kahu Rangi: "..."
Nicodemus: "..."
The other Company Captains of the Carcharodons Battle Group:
....
What does it mean to earn money to buy equipment and serve the Emperor?
Is loyalty so competitive these days?
They always thought they were pitiful, needing to rely on Blood Tithes and Ash Tithes to maintain the Battle Group's normal operation.
Who would have thought that the God Chosen, protected by the Emperor's might, would actually need to do missions to earn money to buy equipment?
Compared to them, the Carcharodons Battle Group felt like a Heretic,
still needing the Imperium to provide logistics!
Look at them, earning their own money for equipment, absolutely not troubling the Imperium!
What is loyalty?
This is what loyalty means.
After moving the supplies, Alex also held a grand banquet for the Carcharodons Battle Group as their celebration feast.
This made Terribos and the others very happy.
They had never received such a warm welcome when returning from the Imperial frontier before.
After the banquet, Alex planned to continue his journey to Nocturne.
"We'll go too."
Terribos, learning the reason Alex was going to Nocturne, also stepped forward.
They had finally latched onto a powerful figure; they couldn't let him be wronged.
Alex thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, then let's go together."
The encounter with the Carcharodons Battle Group was just a small interlude.
Alex continued his fleet's voyage, heading for Nocturne.
During this journey, the Players began to ponder how to get those precious holy relics from the little sharks.
Relics were not very useful in the hands of NPCs.
But in their hands, they were extremely useful.
Not only could they be used as souvenirs, but they could also be fused with existing equipment,
and fused equipment could gain additional attributes, thus possessing greater power.
Terribos also vaguely felt that the God Chosen were a bit off.
Their gazes were filled with hunger, giving him a sense of crisis like a loli in a construction worker's dormitory.
At this point, Terribos even began to suspect that these God Chosen had some unhealthy fetishes,
After much hesitation,
Terribos shared his confusion with Alex.
Alex smiled,
"They're not interested in you, only in your Battle Group's holy relics."
You can release several gladiator arena missions; if they win against a Company Captain, they will receive a relic piece of equipment.
Remember to add restrictions, only allow a few challenges per day, and also, charge money.
Is it that simple?" Tyborus was a bit skeptical, but he still released the gladiator arena mission.
As long as they defeated a Company Captain, they could choose a relic piece of equipment.
With new equipment, who would want the old antiques anymore?!
Tyborus initially thought such a reward wouldn't move the God Chosen.
Who knew, as soon as it was released, a group of people rushed over and surrounded him three layers deep, inside and out.
Because there were no restrictions on the number of challenges or fees, the warriors of the Space Sharks Battle Group saw for the first time what a 'Roll King' was.
As long as they weren't beaten to the point of being sent to the treatment room, those guys would keep challenging.
When the day ended, Tyborus took off his Power Armor, his legs trembling, purely due to excessive physical exertion and an overdose of stimulants.
"Still, I have to listen to the Saint's advice, otherwise, these God Chosen will play me to death in a few days." Tyborus felt it was better to listen to advice, otherwise, he'd be exhausted to death.
Meanwhile,
The thirteenth batch of Players on the Planet Atoma in the Calixis Sector came online.
This time, the number of Players online reached five hundred thousand.
The entire church district was cleared to welcome them.
When the time came,
A flash of light passed, and the Players who had obtained internal test slots appeared in the vast church square.
The originally quiet church district instantly became incredibly noisy.
A glance revealed a dense sea of heads.
"Is this a 100% realistic game?"
"Holy moly, this game is truly awesome!!"
"The air, the texture, it's exactly like the real thing?"
The little Players were all incredibly excited.
The game Warhammer 0L was incredibly popular now, and they had waited in line for a long time to get an internal test slot.
Now that they were online and saw their surroundings, they felt that all the waiting was worth it.
"Is my little brother still there?"
The little Player (ID: Labor is Most Glorious) unzipped his pants, and the next second, with a boom, a psychic lightning bolt appeared out of nowhere,
causing him to lie dead, tongue out and eyes rolled back.
That wasn't all,
Several bright lightning whips appeared, continuously striking the fallen little Player, continuing to 'whip the corpse'.
This made the other guys who were also unzipping their pants turn pale with fright.
Ah!
Is it that ruthless?
And even whip the corpse!!
"Everyone, look at me! Is anyone willing to go on a great adventure with me? Let's go find the great treasure of the universe."
Player (ID: Dream Hall Idler) climbed onto a statue, "Let's embark on an adventure together!! Is anyone with me?"
"Peak of the Hammer, proud of the world, brothers, gather for a group fight." On the other side, another Player was shouting.
"If there's no Hammer, it's an eternal night; punch the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods, kick The Great Devourer." A Player shouted.
The entire scene was chaotic,
with all sorts of things being shouted.
There were also people hugging statues of the Emperor and the Saint, trying to kiss them, and they were also struck down by a lightning bolt.
When the little newbies were arguing incessantly,
Cortana's figure appeared above them and spoke the classic opening line.
"Welcome to hell, Emperor's worthless currency."
The little newbies all looked up at Cortana, who was speaking, and quieted down.
Cortana looked around and then continued with the novice plot.
"Despoiler Cadia has fallen, Human civilization is in peril."
After the plot, Cortana disappeared.
The originally quiet little Players became noisy again.
Immediately after, various Battle Groups appeared to recruit new members.
"Brothers, do you want to eat grilled Mushrooms?!"
"If you don't want Mushrooms, it's okay, you can eat grilled vegetables."
A waft of aroma came, making the Players drool.
The Academy of Agriculture Battle Group pulled out their recruitment secret weapon – the barbecue cart.
On one barbecue cart, a vegetable man was diligently grilling Mushrooms,
and on another barbecue cart, a Mushroom man was diligently grilling vegetables.
As they grilled, they would inexplicably start fighting each other.
Some Mushroom men and vegetable men, after being chopped down, would be dragged back, washed clean, sliced, and thrown onto the barbecue grill.
The Players watched, stunned; what kind of hellish operation was this?!
"The founder of this Battle Group must be a P-mod Player; they should be taken out for target practice with a Las-spear."
"This operation is even more hellish than starfish in a can!!"
"I remember a movie, 'Fruit Agents', where it told how humans persecuted them from the perspective of fruits.
"That animated movie where the little soldier became the big villain??"
"Don't say it, that animated movie was quite good."
The Academy of Agriculture Battle Group's area was packed with people, all crowding to eat barbecue.
Other Battle Groups also came up with ingenious ways, just to attract the attention of new recruits.
The MC Dynasty, on their side, launched their RAP singing, dancing, and basketball idol group.
A group of Genestealer, wearing overalls, were on stage, holding basketballs, dancing and singing recruitment RAP.
The little Players were also amazed.
"The Kun Kun cult is growing stronger."
"It's a pity the Genestealer don't have hair, otherwise, with a slicked-back hairstyle, they'd be super cool!!"
"The person who planned this show is simply a genius."
"Genestealer dancing is also quite catchy."
"You guys say this Genestealer Saintess, with her bald head, is ugly. But her figure is really top-notch, just looking at her makes you drool."
Seeing the little Players attracted by the Genestealer idol group,
the MC Dynasty staff also shouted loudly.
"Join the MC Dynasty and get beautiful Tyranid maids! Brothers, don't you want Tyrants in maid outfits?"
"As long as you join the MC Dynasty, you can take a Tyrant maid home."
On the other side, the Hunter Demon Battle Group played DJ dance music, complete with nightclub lighting.
In cages bound with demon-binding prayers and chains, several Succubi were pole dancing.
Their innate physical instincts unconsciously maintained their exquisitely beautiful human female forms,
curvy, sexy, and hot.
Making the little Players drool.
"A true man should fight Daemons and become a Demon Hunter."
"Want sexy Succubi? Want to be a man like D0OM? Come, join the Demon Hunter Battle Group."
"Join the The Sitting-and-Forgetting Dao, brothers, let's have fun! Come in and get limited edition dice masks, and Li Huowang's copper coin mask."
"Ecclesiarchy Players, look this way, for the Emperor..."
"Anyone who likes Alpha, Hydra assemble."
"For magic, brothers who like magic come here."
The entire scene was a chaotic mess, as noisy as a vegetable market.
Old Players tried every means to attract the attention of new Players, to complete their recruitment missions.
New Players seemed to have endless energy, wandering here and touching there.
Feng, Sage Kaska, and other Sector High Lord were all exhausted, but still had to maintain order.
The God Chosen were too rowdy; a moment's inattention and they would cause a major incident.
And in the Warp,
the Tzeentch Daemons, led by Fateweaver Kairos, had been constantly monitoring the movements of the God Chosen.
As the power of The Cursed grew, the difficulty of peering into the Yatoma World increased,
but Kairos persisted.
Only in this way could he keep real-time tabs on the movements of those God Chosen.
Seeing what those outsiders were doing, Kairos secretly shook his head.
"These high-dimensional beings are simply devils."
Who sells greenskins as canned vegetables??
Who catches Daemons to keep as pets?
Who catches Daemons, Drukhari / Dark Aeldari, greenskins, and other races to film movies??
Now, what's even more outrageous is that they're even doing role-playing,
[Being bullied by the Blood God who always hated me until dawn]
[A female scholar visiting a trash house, played with until she fell into depravity by a dead NEET]
[The story that Rain Father and Fateweaver Kairos have to tell!!]
...
Sometimes, just one glance made Kairos feel his eyes and mind were polluted.
Besides doing things that pollute souls and eyes,
the outsiders were also building colossal battleships, celestial fortresses, and other high-power weapons.
This kind of setup was going to pulverize the galaxy, truly turning it into ruins in the literal sense!!
They had no respect for the Chaos Gods / The Four Gods, and even less compassion for other races.
If such a group continued to develop, the entire galaxy would head towards its doom.
"Protecting the galaxy is our duty."
Kairos muttered to himself,
"We can't let these outsiders turn the galaxy into nothingness."
"I need to go check on Magnus's psychic awakening plan and help him out, otherwise, if these God Chosen continue to grow, the galaxy will face a terrible crisis."
Kairos pondered his new plan; he had to find a way to suppress the development of those outsiders,
otherwise, the galaxy would be in danger.
Just as he was about to move, Kairos suddenly realized a problem.
As a minion of a Chaos God, shouldn't he be on the evil side?
Why was he the one promoting the protection of the galaxy?
Who exactly was the Chaos God then??
Was it really going to be a drama where the champions chosen by the gods defeat the evil demon king's army??
"But who can be chosen as this champion?"
Kairos seriously considered the question, "Could it be the T'au?"
"This race has infinite potential; if given a push, they might really be able to contend with the Imperium of Man!!"
After a week of travel, Alex's fleet arrived in the star system where Nocturne is located.
They entered Reality from the Mandeville Point,
then propelled by conventional engines, heading towards Nocturne.
Their movements were quickly locked onto by augur arrays.
The fleet defending Nocturne rapidly approached, querying them to verify their identity.
Nocturne had not established a lighthouse and still used the highly inefficient astropathic communication.
They had captured many astropathic messages from the Warp,
learning that the Imperium now had two great figures in charge.
They had organized the Indomitus Crusade to fight against the Despoiler.
One was the Primarch of the Ultramarines, Roboute Guilliman.
The other was a Saint they had never heard of.
As for more details, they did not know,
as astropathic communication had very low information content.
Currently, the Salamanders Battle Group was led by Tu Shan.
Upon receiving news of an Imperial fleet's arrival, he donned his Power Armor and summoned the other high-ranking members of the Battle Group for a meeting.
"Who are they?" Tu Shan asked the communications officer beside him.
"Part of the fleet belongs to the Space Sharks, and the other part claims to be led by the Saint."
The staff member displayed the compiled communication content via projection in front of the Imperial Angels.
"Space Sharks?" Tu Shan frowned as he examined the information in the projection.
He naturally knew about the Space Sharks Battle Group; their methods were brutal, they showed no mercy to enemies,
and to achieve their goals, they would even use and sacrifice civilians, and they liked to steal from allied forces, so their reputation was very poor.
The Space Sharks' philosophy clashed with that of the Salamanders, so there was not much interaction between the two.
Normally, there wasn't even a greeting,
but now, they were suddenly visiting.
Something out of the ordinary must be afoot!
"They should be coming with that Saint," said Peras, the Second Company Captain. "From the astropathic messages we've received so far, we know that the Saint and Guilliman have teamed up to reform Terra and launched the Indomitus Crusade against the Despoiler."
"Regardless of their identity, having traveled so far, they must have a request," Tu Shan said. "We need to treat them cautiously."
"Should we let them in?" Agathon, the Third Company Captain, inquired, "Or directly refuse them entry?"
"No matter what, they are Imperial forces, and they've come a long way. We should maintain the demeanor of hosts and at least give them a chance to speak."
Sistan, the Forge Father, spoke.
"Then let them in," Tu Shan also nodded. "Give them a chance to speak."
After receiving permission, the defense forces allowed Alex and his fleet to successfully enter Nocturne's orbit.
However, only Alex's battleship was permitted to dock, while the other battleships had to wait outside the port.
Tiberius was somewhat displeased with this arrangement.
"They suspect you, Saint," he said.
Alex, however, was quite open-minded: "No matter. If this puts their minds at ease, then we shall follow their arrangement."
Under the guidance of the port staff, the battleship smoothly entered the port.
Alex, accompanied by Tiberius and the Players, disembarked from the battleship and saw the Salamander warriors who had been waiting for a long time.
Their Chapter Master, Tu Shan, stood at the very front, clad in a bulky Terminator armor.
As Alex gazed at this son of Vulkan, Tu Shan also looked up, his eyes meeting Alex's.
This battle-hardened veteran widened his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Sanguinius?"
"I apologize, but I am not the Sanguinius you speak of. I am merely an ordinary person who has received the Emperor's blessing," Alex said humbly.
His humble tone greatly increased the favor of Tu Shan and the other Salamander warriors.
"May I ask, Saint, what brings you to Nocturne?" Tu Shan asked directly, getting straight to the point.
Alex did not hide much, explaining that Guilliman had entrusted him with promoting Primaris enhancement and new technological reforms.
"We do not trust Guilliman," Tu Shan stated bluntly. "He broke up the Legions and let those fools, the High Lord, mess up the entire Imperium."
"Many things are changing. It is normal for old systems to be unable to adapt to the future. Furthermore, Guilliman has been asleep for ten thousand years; the Imperium's current state is not entirely his fault," Alex patiently persuaded, not getting angry.
"The Despoiler destroyed Cadia, the galaxy was split in two, wars are raging everywhere, and the Chaos Gods' influence on the Reality has increased to an unprecedented level."
"Without new technology and warriors, humanity will have no way to resolve this terrible crisis."
Tu Shan looked at the Saint before him, then at the Primaris Space Marines lined up behind him.
These new warriors were taller, and their equipment was more advanced.
If they could receive this aid, the Salamander Battle Group would not only be able to quickly replenish its numbers but also enhance its combat effectiveness.
However, these Primaris Space Marines also caused some concern among Tu Shan and other high-ranking officers.
Are the Primaris Space Marines truly the sons of the Fire Dragon?
Will their inclusion cause the Salamander Battle Group to become a tool in Guilliman's hands?
"Why not let Nocturne make the choice?" Bray'arth, interred in a Dreadnought, saw Tu Shan's hesitation.
He stepped forward and offered a suggestion.
"How so?" Alex asked respectfully, looking at the elder Bray'arth.
"It's not impossible for us to accept Primaris technology, but you must complete three trials. Only then can you earn our trust," Bray'arth said.
"What kind of trials?" Alex asked.
"Trial One: Cross the lava river bare-handed. Trial Two: Single-handedly kill a volcanic beast. Trial Three: Forge a weapon in the Death Volcano."
Bray'arth walked up to Alex and explained these three trials, which were exclusive to Salamander recruits.
If he could complete them, the Salamander Battle Group would accept the reforms.
"Then it's a deal," Alex agreed to Bray'arth's terms after a moment of thought.
The sons of Vulkan were all the same; forcing them to submit through power was impossible.
Only by earning their genuine approval could they accept the reforms.
"Saint, you are truly too easygoing," Tiberius shook his head.
In his opinion, dealing with a Battle Group like the Salamanders simply required a good beating.
"Not having to resort to violence is a good thing."
Alex did not explain further.
If he truly fought the Salamanders, what would happen when Vulkan returned?!
His sons beaten and crying, forced to accept reforms.
At that time, the Fire Dragon, enraged for his sons, might march on Terra demanding an explanation, and things would be bad.
It was better to honestly complete the three trials and earn the trust of these sons of Vulkan.
The first trial: crossing the lava river bare-handed.
The Salamanders' gene-seed strengthens a warrior's heat resistance and muscle regeneration speed.
Their skin also calcifies into a scale-like structure over time, allowing them to survive briefly in lava.
Every recruit needs to cross the lava river to prove they are worthy of inheriting Vulkan's will.
Of course, this did not mean swimming directly in the lava river, but rather crossing it by using stone pillars fixed in the lava.
The pillars were extremely hot; an ordinary person would be instantly cooked upon touching them.
Only warriors of the Salamander Battle Group could pass.
For Alex, this was no big deal.
Under the blessings of the Emperor and the power of faith, he wore a fire-resistant robe and easily walked across the lava river.
Next was killing a volcanic beast.
Alex decided to complete both trials in the Death Volcano.
Since he did not understand forging, Alex sincerely invited Tu Shan, hoping this Salamander warrior could give him some guidance.
Tu Shan, as a descendant of Vulkan, readily agreed to Alex's invitation.
The Death Volcano was the largest volcano on Nocturne, covering a vast area.
Its mountain ranges stretched endlessly, and its interior contained countless intricate tunnels.
This place was also where Vulkan and the Emperor once competed.
Nocturne's most powerful and terrifying creatures—the Fire Dragons—also resided here.
Alex climbed the Death Volcano and found a grotesquely large Fire Dragon within the mountain.
It possessed a pair of astonishingly large wings, spanning over thirty meters when fully extended.
It had an internal flame sac organ that could spew high-temperature flames.
Its scales were as hard as steel; bolter rounds only caused insignificant dents.
Alex and the Fire Dragon engaged in a fierce battle.
Ultimately, he triumphed with his immense strength, severing the Fire Dragon's head.
High-temperature blood, reeking of pungent sulfur, gushed out, staining the battlefield red.
Alex took the Fire Dragon's teeth and bones, preparing to forge them into a weapon using the Death Volcano's high temperatures.
Alex possessed the passive trait of the Knowledge Curse, so his learning speed was incredibly fast.
Even though he had never touched forging before, under Tu Shan's guidance, Alex quickly mastered the relevant techniques.
While he couldn't compare to top-tier master craftsmen, he had reached a passing standard.
After several days of forging, a Dragon Tooth Spear was subtly taking shape.
Alex was completely immersed in the act of forging.
He found himself becoming more and more proficient, as if he and the hammer in his hand had become one.
As he hammered, the sound of the hammer striking the spear developed a mysterious rhythm.
When the Dragon Tooth Spear officially took shape, the dormant Death Volcano erupted, emitting a terrifying roar, like a giant dragon bellowing.
"Dragon's Roar!"
Tu Shan's eyes widened. According to ancient records, the Death Volcano was the embodiment of the world's soul.
Such an anomaly had only occurred when the Emperor descended and when Vulkan was resurrected.
The lava cave used for forging also collapsed due to this change.
A fist-sized piece of rubble crashed onto Tu Shan's head with a thud, knocking him unconscious.
Alex had no choice but to carry the newly forged weapon in one hand and the unconscious Chapter Master in the other, sprinting out of the collapsing lava cave.
The Death Volcano had reawakened, and towering lava spewed forth.
The terrifying heat distorted the surrounding air, and the entire sky was obscured by the ejected smoke and ash, turning dark.
Even the Salamander warriors had to retreat to ensure their safety.
"Nothing will happen, right?"
"This isn't something a living person can endure."
"The Guide will probably have to go through the resurrection process!!"
"Can the Guide be resurrected?"
"Of course, he's not an original NPC, so he can definitely be resurrected. If he doesn't resurrect, who will Guide us?"
"But this volcanic eruption is really terrifying, it looks like the end of the world."
The young Players looked at the volcanic crater, spewing lava hundreds, even thousands of meters high, their faces filled with shock.
In the Reality, there were no volcanic eruptions of this magnitude for them to witness.
Tiberius also looked at the erupting Death Volcano with a worried expression.
His newly found strong support was just gone like that!!
Just as everyone was speculating, Alex emerged from the swirling smoke, holding the Dragon Tooth Spear in one hand and the unconscious Tu Shan in the other.
Seeing him appear, a fervent cheer erupted from the scene.
When Alex handed the forged weapon to the Fathers of the Forge, led by Sistan, their faces showed surprise.
The quality of this weapon was too high, better than what they forged, just a little short of equaling the artifacts forged by Vulkan.
To be able to forge a weapon of this quality on the first try, if he did it a few more times, wouldn't he be able to forge all sorts of artifacts!!
"Now, have I completed the three trials?" Alex asked Bray'arth.
"Yes, Saint," Bray'arth nodded, then he and many Salamander warriors knelt on one knee. "The Salamanders will obey your command."
"Rise, there's no need to be so formal," Alex let out a sigh of relief.
Completing the three trials and getting these Salamanders to accept the enhancement was worth it.
After Tu Shan awoke, he first thanked Alex for saving his life, then stated that he had no objection to the outcome and was willing to accept the reforms.
The rest was much simpler.
He arranged for the Tech-priests to build a lighthouse for the Salamanders to undergo Primaris enhancement.
He issued quests to the Players, having them catch dragons so they wouldn't get too bored.
After arranging these matters, Alex had Cortana establish communication with Guilliman, and coincidentally, Lion was also online.
Alex briefly explained to the two Primarchs how he convinced the Salamanders.
When Lion heard that the sons of Vulkan did not trust Guilliman, he couldn't help but laugh.
"My brother, you are truly unpopular!!"
"Even the sons of the good-natured Vulkan think you are unreliable!!"
Guilliman, meanwhile, had a dark expression.
This Regent job was impossible.
Everyone was slandering them. "I want to resign. I want to go back to Macragge and just lie down."
After discussing Nocturne, Alex looked at Lion. "You'd better not tell me that the Lion came online just to mock his brother."
Lion then put away his smile. "Of course, I wouldn't be that bored. The reason I came online is to tell you that I have found the Midnight Empire established by those bat-brats."
"They have committed horrific massacres on many worlds, forcing those worlds to submit to them, and have established a small empire with hundreds of planets."
"Besides that, I also received a surprising piece of news: it seems that the bastard father of those bat-brats is also there."