This is the bonus chapter for reaching 300 Powerstones.
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The Garden of Dawn, Dawn Tower, 111th Floor.
The moment the elevator doors slid open, [The Emperor's Golden Package, Served on Ice] couldn't help letting out an impressed whistle.
"Holy shit. Now that's what I call a grand entrance."
Soldiers of the Dawn Defense Force stood at attention every fifteen feet along both sides of the corridor.
Each wore ceremonial crimson power armor, standing perfectly straight with a polished ceremonial rifle held at an upward angle. The Crimson Dawn insignias on their breastplates gleamed beneath the overhead lights.
At the far end of the corridor stood an enormous door, thirty feet tall.
Its entire surface was crimson gold, covered in intricate relief carvings depicting a rising sun breaking over the horizon, surrounded by wheat stalks, gears, and scattered stars.
Above the doorway, a line of gilded Gothic lettering shimmered beneath the lights.
[Dawn Conference Hall No. 1]
[Dignity Through Labor, Hope Lights the Dawn]
[The Emperor's Golden Package, Served on Ice] finally looked away and patted the player beside him on the shoulder.
"Hey, Rice! You guys are doing pretty damn well!"
His voice carried the satisfaction of an older brother watching a younger sibling succeed, mixed with a little playful teasing.
"You left our Crimson Fist Chapter to start your own chapter, [Almighty Retribution], and now you're already Level 4."
He casually opened his system interface, brought up Crimson Dawn's Chapter rankings, and shoved the holographic screen toward his companion.
"Come on, take a look!"
"Seventh place on the entire leaderboard!"
"Not bad at all!"
[How Many Floors Can You Carry a Sack of Rice] leaned over to look.
He couldn't suppress the grin spreading across his face.
Hundreds of Chapters filled the rankings, each with its own leader, membership count, and description.
[Crimson Dawn Faction — Chapter Rankings]
[Rank 1: Crimson Dawn]
[Chapter Master: Paul Dawn]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 5]
[Members: 20,000/20,000]
[Description: The birthplace of Crimson Dawn, where the first flames of hope were kindled.]
[Rank 2: Crimson Machina]
[Chapter Master: Fugitive Cogboy of the Mechanicus]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 5]
[Members: 11,327/20,000]
[Description: Steel and machinery form the foundation of the Dawn.]
[Rank 3: Crimson Fist Chapter]
[Chapter Master: The Emperor's Tax Must Be Paid Even if the World Ends]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 5]
[Members: 10,893/20,000]
[Description: Our fists forge the path, our blood lights the way.]
[Rank 4: Crimson Wind]
[Chapter Master: Did White Scars Speed Today?]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 5]
[Members: 10,721/20,000]
[Description: Where the wind leads, our blades shall follow.]
[Rank 5: Crimson Spirit]
[Chapter Master: Schrödinger's Loyalist]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 5]
[Members: 9,512/20,000]
[Description: Let the flames of psychic power consume the darkness.]
[Rank 6: Crimson Wrath]
[Chapter Master: Crimson Zealot]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 4]
[Members: 3,218/10,000]
[Description: Wrath shall be our blade, faith our shield.]
[Rank 7: Almighty Retribution]
[Chapter Master: How Many Floors Can You Carry a Sack of Rice]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 4]
[Members: 2,987/10,000]
[Description: Let the world know pain.]
[Rank 8: Hammer of Dawn]
[Chapter Master: Hammer Bros Never Surrender]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 4]
[Members: 2,773/10,000]
[Description: One hammer strike for every Chaos Spawn.]
[Rank 9: Crimson Shield]
[Chapter Master: Father, Please Show Me More Love]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 3]
[Members: 2,134/5,000]
[Description: Where our shields stand, there stands our home.]
[Rank 10: Dragonfire Brotherhood]
[Chapter Master: Dragon Fruit Has Come to Life]
[Chapter Level: Lv. 3]
[Members: 1,987/5,000]
[Description: Waiting for the Dragonfire Primarch...]
Four years was enough time for a great deal to change.
Crimson Dawn, which had once consisted of only a handful of Chapters, had grown into a massive faction with hundreds of specialized groups. Some focused on frontal assaults and siege warfare, while others specialized in infiltration, assassination, technological research, or logistical support.
Every Chapter had its own identity, its own traditions, and its own story.
When Rice noticed the description beneath the tenth-ranked Chapter, he nearly burst out laughing.
"Package Bro, look at the tenth-place description!"
"'Waiting for the Dragonfire Primarch.'"
"These guys really know how to commit to a bit!"
[The Emperor's Golden Package, Served on Ice] glanced at the screen and started laughing too.
"They've been waiting for over four years! Every damn day, they flood their Chapter channel asking when the dragon's finally going to show up."
"Those bastards are so desperate to see a dragon that they've practically lost their minds!"
He looked back toward Rice, a teasing smile returning to his face.
"But seriously, Rice, your [Almighty Retribution] is doing pretty well. Looks like leaving the Crimson Fist Chapter really was the right decision."
"Seventh place on the leaderboard. Only four spots behind us!"
Rice scratched his head.
"Come on, bro. Don't put it like that."
"I didn't abandon the Crimson Fist Chapter! Tax Bro approved my request to establish a specialized Chapter under Crimson Dawn."
He pointed toward sixth place on the leaderboard.
"Didn't Shane get Tax Bro's permission before establishing Crimson Wrath too?"
Just then, another figure quietly approached them.
Shane, better known by the username [Crimson Zealot], wore silver-gray power armor with the distinctive Crimson Wrath emblem displayed prominently on his chest.
Hearing their conversation, he shook his head with a helpless smile.
"Yeah, yeah. You've got an answer for everything."
He stepped beside Rice and looked him up and down.
"But seriously, Rice, that Chapter description of yours is killing me."
"'Let the world know pain.'"
"I start laughing every time I see it."
"Remember when you went to Tax Bro to request permission to establish your own Chapter? You told him you wanted to bring the spirit of the Akatsuki into the Warhammer universe."
"Poor guy spent ages trying to figure out what the hell you meant by making the world feel pain."
"Then he finally realized you were planning to create an entire Chapter of anime edgelords!"
Rice spread his hands, looking perfectly innocent.
"What's wrong with that? Sounds pretty badass to me!"
"Shinra Tensei! Almighty Push! How many floors can you carry a sack of rice?"
"Those Pain memes are classics!"
"Sure, Crimson Dawn is all about redemption and saving people, but there's nothing wrong with appreciating a little violent beauty, right?"
"As for recruiting my Akatsuki members, I haven't found anyone with the right personalities yet."
"I'll keep an eye on the newcomers joining Crimson Dawn and see if anyone fits."
"Don't worry! One of these days, I'm going to build a Chapter with combat power worthy of the Akatsuki itself!"
Shane laughed and shook his head, deciding there was no point arguing.
The three of them continued toward the massive crimson-gold doors.
The moment they entered the conference hall, [The Emperor's Golden Package, Served on Ice] couldn't help whistling again.
The place was absolutely enormous.
A circular dome rose a hundred meters overhead, embedded with countless glowing crystals that bathed the chamber in a warm golden radiance.
At its center was a gigantic mural depicting a rising sun breaking over the horizon, surrounded by wheat stalks, gears, and stars.
Golden light poured down from the mural, illuminating the countless seats below.
The seats were arranged in enormous concentric rings, stretching outward from the central podium until they disappeared into the distance.
11,111 seats.
And right now, almost every one of them was occupied.
Familiar faces filled the hall. Players who had fought side by side through countless campaigns gathered in small groups, quietly catching up with one another.
Some wore power armor, others wore casual clothing, and a few had even dressed in formal business suits.
But above every head floated the same distinctive crimson-colored username.
Nearly all the familiar players from the game's first closed beta were gathered here.
[The Emperor's Golden Package, Served on Ice], [How Many Floors Can You Carry a Sack of Rice], and [Crimson Zealot] found a relatively quiet corner and sat down.
They immediately started chatting with a few familiar players nearby.
But they hadn't been talking for long when the enormous conference hall doors slowly opened.
The entire chamber fell silent.
More than ten thousand pairs of eyes simultaneously turned toward the golden figure standing in the doorway.
He stood 3.88 meters tall, his body encased in magnificent golden Aquilon-pattern Terminator armor, with beautifully sculpted Imperial Aquilas adorning his shoulder guards.
He wasn't wearing a helmet.
His sharply defined features were clearly visible, and his dark-golden eyes swept calmly across the chamber.
Within those pupils, five tiny stars shone more brightly than ever.
Paul.
Paul Dawn.
Chapter Master of Crimson Dawn.
The number-one player.
He stood in the doorway, the empty corridor stretching away behind him.
Bathed in golden light, his enormous armored figure possessed an almost divine majesty.
He looked like a god who had stepped straight out of mythology.
The conference hall remained utterly silent.
More than ten thousand players watched him.
Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.
Every eye was fixed upon that golden figure.
Paul slowly stepped forward.
He didn't hurry.
His golden armored boots struck the polished floor with crisp metallic sounds, each footstep echoing through the silent hall.
When he reached the podium, he stopped.
His dark-golden eyes slowly surveyed the chamber, passing over familiar faces and usernames.
Blood Angel, Schrödinger Bro, Tax Bro, White Scars, Loyalty, G Bro...
The old brothers who had followed him since their earliest days in the Redblaze Wasteland were gathered near the front.
They wore familiar smiles filled with memories, emotion, and a faint trace of anticipation.
Paul's gaze lingered on them for a moment.
Then the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
When he spoke, his voice was calm and warm. Yet through his psychic abilities, every word reached the ears of everyone present with perfect clarity.
"Everyone, please take your seats."
More than ten thousand players sat down simultaneously.
Their movements were so perfectly synchronized that they might as well have been a single person.
The sound of chairs shifting against the floor rose in one enormous wave before silence returned.
Paul stood at the podium, surveying the sea of people before him.
Some faces were so familiar that he could recognize them anywhere. Others belonged to players he'd only encountered through their usernames on the system interface.
But it didn't matter.
Every single one of them belonged to Crimson Dawn.
They were all brothers and comrades he was willing to protect with his life.
"Four years have passed in what feels like the blink of an eye."
"During these four years, I've seen how hard every one of you has worked for Crimson Dawn."
He paused, looking out across the crowd.
"And from the bottom of my heart, there's something I want to say."
He raised his golden left hand, clenched it into a fist, and pressed it against the right side of his chest.
The standard Imperial Aquila salute.
"Thank you for everything you've contributed."
The entire conference hall remained silent.
More than ten thousand people watched the golden figure standing before them.
Nobody spoke.
There was only quiet respect.
Paul lowered his hand.
His expression gradually became serious.
"I'm sure most of you have already guessed why I've gathered everyone here today."
He had barely finished speaking when an eager voice erupted from the audience.
[I'm Not the Regent I'm Just Passing By Guilliman] practically jumped out of his seat, his face overflowing with anticipation.
"PAUL! QUIT KEEPING US IN SUSPENSE!"
"IS IT FINALLY...?!"
Tax Bro, sitting beside him, was grinning just as widely.
"Yeah, come on, Paul! Enough suspense!"
"WE WANT TO SEE THE DRAGON GIRL!"
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