Just a moment ago, when Inquisitor Lord Horst Eisenhorn ordered Kenmei Isayama to execute a traitor to the Inquisition, the [Warhammer Simulator]—which had been acting like a crashed program for ages—suddenly reacted the instant it heard the keywords.
[Main Mission Activated: Tainted Sanctity]
[Side Mission 1: Death of an Inquisitor]
[Side Mission 2: ??? (Locked)]
[Ordo Hereticus Merit Store Unlocked]
Four notifications popped up in succession on the interface before Kenmei. It turned out the C-Rank Simulation only began dishing out tasks once the prologue was over.
"Macarnos, do not disappoint me."
After Inquisitor Lord Horst's voice faded, silence returned to the room.
Kenmei sank his entire body back into the comfortable cushions of his chair and began to examine the sudden activity from the [Warhammer Simulator].
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[Main Mission: Tainted Sanctity]
Difficulty Level: ??? (Warning: This mission carries extreme risk. There is a high probability of corruption and falling to Heresy.)
Mission Brief: The craving for pleasure is a biological instinct, but it is never an excuse for betrayal! This is blasphemy against the Emperor, a treason that is absolutely unforgivable! (Details unlock after completing the Side Mission).
Time Limit: ? (Unlocks after completing the Side Mission).
Mission Reward: 100,000 Honor Points.
(Note: Honor Points symbolize your merit within the Imperium. They are extremely difficult to obtain and can be exchanged for items in the Merit Store.)
Failure Penalty: Immediate termination of the current simulation. All previously accumulated Honor Points will be cleared.
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This was the Main Mission. Kenmei felt that this entire simulation seemed designed to revolve around this specific event. However, most of the hints and details were locked behind the completion of the Side Mission.
Sigh.
When Kenmei's eyes landed on the phrase "craving for pleasure," he instantly understood why the mission difficulty wasn't even displaying a level.
It very likely involved another thorny existence. Kenmei felt a headache coming on.
In this universe, if there was one thing no one could truly remain aloof from, it was the corruption of Chaos.
Why was the SPO-2 Homeworld, which Kenmei had just destroyed via Exterminatus, beyond saving? Because it had been eroded by the terrifying plagues of Nurgle, the Plague Lord.
And among the four Chaos Gods of the Warp, there happened to be one who symbolized Pleasure.
Kenmei really hoped it wasn't what he was thinking.
Any problem involving a Chaos God was essentially an unsolvable equation—at least, not something Kenmei could handle.
That required professional Daemonhunters. He was Ordo Hereticus (Witch Hunter), not Ordo Malleus (Daemonhunter)! Why are you cranking up the intensity right from the start?
Better check the other Side Mission first.
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[Side Mission - Death of an Inquisitor]
Mission Level: LV.30 (Hard)
Mission Brief: Complete the task issued by Inquisitor Lord Horst Eisenhorn of the Ordo Hereticus: Execute the "traitorous" Inquisitor, Tosak Rome.
Mission Reward: 8,000 Honor Points.
Mission Hint: What could cause an Inquisitor, who has served the Inquisition for over four hundred years, to abandon their faith in the God-Emperor?
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This mission was fairly standard. Kenmei knew that the Imperial indoctrination regarding loyalty received by Inquisitors was deep-rooted. Trying to betray the Imperium usually meant failing to get past one's own psychological hurdles.
Usually, an Inquisitor only got labeled a "traitor" and executed because they were branded a heretic by their own colleagues.
Kenmei shook his head helplessly, a playful smile appearing on his face.
" The Ordo Malleus summons Daemons, the Ordo Hereticus breeds Heretics, and the Ordo Xenos keeps Xenos pets."
Isn't that the trademark feature of you Inquisitors?
Of course, if Kenmei actually dared to say that out loud, Horst would have him strung up on a heretic's gibbet immediately.
But facts were facts. The three major branches of the Inquisition—Ordo Malleus, Ordo Xenos, and Ordo Hereticus—if you rounded them all up and sent them to see the Emperor, you wouldn't be killing a single innocent man.
There were two main philosophical factions within the Inquisition: Puritanism and Radicalism.
These ideologies were independent of which Ordo one belonged to.
From the perspective of Radicalism, these Inquisitors believed that as long as the result—protecting the Imperium—was achieved, the methods used in the process didn't matter.
They refused to be bound by morals, ethics, or rules. They often tried to "fight fire with fire," utilizing Chaos or Xenos weaponry, binding Daemonhosts, or committing other acts that their more conservative colleagues would condemn as heresy.
But if one thought the Puritans were completely different, harmless entities, they would be dead wrong.
The Inquisitors who loved using Exterminatus the most happened to be from a specific sub-faction of the Puritans called the "Monodominants." They viewed every war the Imperium fought as a war for the survival of the human race. In their eyes, only the Imperium deserved to exist in the universe.
Kenmei's host body, Macarnos, originated from the "Monodominant" faction of Puritanism. They were the youngest, most hot-blooded faction within the Inquisition.
Both main factions agreed on their attitude toward Xenos, Chaos, and Heretics: Death was the only appropriate destination for such filth.
It was just that the Puritans had an extra hobby: impeaching Radical Inquisitors and working tirelessly to brand them as heretics. The Imperium generally turned a blind eye to the civil wars between these two factions.
So, returning to the Ordo Hereticus Headquarters would be equivalent to locking himself in a room with a swarm of lunatics. Kenmei couldn't stand that kind of fanatical atmosphere at all.
Furthermore, Kenmei was still quite unfamiliar with the Imperium. His so-called "loyalty" was held up entirely by his glib tongue. If he were subjected to a machine inspection or a psy-scan, he'd be exposed as disloyal instantly, and it would be game over.
Although the mission was tricky, it meant he didn't have to return to HQ to report for duty.
Kenmei tossed his pen onto the desk.
Liberation!
As for the final notification, [Ordo Hereticus Merit Store Unlocked], Kenmei understood it immediately upon seeing the description of Honor Points.
Presumably, he could use the Honor Points earned from missions to exchange for equipment.
Kenmei clicked open the Store function, and his consciousness was instantly transported to a very ancient-looking place.
At first glance, the décor felt a bit like the interior of an Inquisition fortress. When he saw the "I" symbol on the wall, he confirmed it—yep, definitely the Inquisition.
[Welcome, Host, to the Ordo Hereticus Merit Store. To ensure your rights are not violated, please read the following regulations carefully.]
1. Items in the Merit Store can only be exchanged for Honor Points.
2. Items in the Merit Store are in limited supply; multiple copies of the same item cannot be redeemed.
3. Once points are exchanged, no refunds will be given.
4. Most items in the Merit Store are from the Ordo Hereticus's private collection, sourced from confiscations by Inquisitors or the relics of the fallen...
[Current Balance: 3,000 Points] (Obtained from executing the Exterminatus).