Aurelian IV, Kent Hive.
When that crimson mission prompt appeared before the eyes of all Crimson Dawn players, they stopped whatever they were doing in unison.
[Global Faction Mission Issued]
[Mission Name: Dawn's Expedition - Annihilation of Dal - High]
[Type: Epic (Phased Progression)]
[Scope: All Crimson Dawn Faction Players]
[Phase Objectives:]
[Phase I: Annihilate the Dal ground forces on LM-1 (Basic Objective)]
[Phase II: Slay King Charles of Dal (Key Objective)]
[Phase III: Completely purify the Dal alien civilization (Ultimate Objective)]
[Reward Mechanism: Merit points will be calculated based on individual and overall faction performance in this campaign, driving mission phase completion.]
[Base Reward Threshold: Achieve 30% of total merit to unlock rewards (Imperial Coins, Enhancement Options, Chapter Contribution).]
[Perfect Reward Threshold: Complete all objectives (100% merit). Reward content unknown (Massive).]
[Failure Penalty: None (Even if the campaign is lost, reaching 30% merit counts as mission completion).]
[Penalty Clause: If total merit falls below 30%, all Crimson Dawn players will suffer a 20% penalty to Imperial Coin acquisition rates for the next 30 days.]
[Note 1: This is a faction-exclusive mission. Only Crimson Dawn players can accept it.]
[Note 2: Mission coordinates are in the uncharted L-246 system, Dal planet LM-1, approximately twenty-five light-years from Aurelian IV.]
[Note 3: The Dal civilization... a humanoid alien civilization. Bloodthirsty and brutal. They breed humans as livestock and view them as food. Threat Level: High.]
[Current Eligible Players: 20598/20598 (All players on Aurelian IV)]
[May the light of dawn illuminate the path ahead, and may the fire of hope burn away the darkness.]
"What the... hell?!"
Ivan, playing under the ID [How Many Floors Can You Carry a Sack of Rice], had just finished his basic physical enhancement. He was still marveling at the newfound power surging through his veins.
It was a surreal sensation. His muscles and bones felt slightly reinforced, while his vision, hearing, and reaction times had all noticeably sharpened.
He had dropped three hundred Imperial Coins on the full suite of Type-I Basic Enhancements: a 23% boost to physique, a 12% increase in neural reflexes, and a 14% improvement in sensory acuity.
And then, this epic faction mission for Crimson Dawn popped right up in his face.
"Annihilate? Purify? Complete extermination?"
Ivan stared at those words, his jaw dropping wide enough to swallow an ostrich egg. "Aren't we Crimson Dawn?"
"Aren't we supposed to be building a utopia?"
"Why are we diving straight into genocide?!"
Beside him, [You Ashe I Soraka] looked equally bewildered. "Yeah... did the System glitch out and give us the wrong quest?"
"This completely ruins our whole vibe!"
Regional Chat (Crimson Dawn).
[Optimus Lemme Pilot You Real Hard]: "Bros! It's bugged!"
"Our mission is the exact same annihilation quest as the Imperium and Chaos factions!"
[Have You Been Loyal Today?]: "Veteran player chiming in here... this actually makes perfect sense."
[Execute Old Man the War Criminal]: "+1."
"Rookies, did you guys fundamentally misunderstand the words 'Warhammer Universe' and 'Imperium of Man'?"
[Paradox Players Aren't War Criminals]: "In the late 30K era, the Imperium's official policy is basically 'suffer not the alien to live.'"
"All non-human sentient alien races get purged unless they're willing to become vassal slaves to the Imperium."
[Chief Dyson Sphere Planner]: "Plus, the Dal civilization has a humanoid societal structure..."
"And they're violently bloodthirsty, breed humans as livestock, and literally eat us..."
"Honestly, I feel like Exterminatus wouldn't even be an overreaction."
[The Imperium's Last God of Gamblers]: "+1. For bloodthirsty xenos like this, I fully support an Exterminatus."
[How Many Floors Can You Carry a Sack of Rice]: "Okay... but that goes entirely against Crimson Dawn's ideals! What about all that stuff Paul talked about in the plaza..."
[Teaching Nurgle to Read in the Warp]: "Ideals are ideals. Reality is reality."
[Have You Been Loyal Today?]: "Whether it's ideals or reality, if they aren't our species, we can't trust them."
"Even though the Crimson Dawn holds onto the belief of compassion, when it comes to savage xenos like this... we have to deliver brutal punishment."
"You guys are newbies who came from an era of peace. I totally get holding onto a good heart!"
"But once you truly witness the cruelty of this universe, you'll understand. In this world, you have to be ruthless."
"You have to be more ruthless than the heretics and the aliens. You have to wipe them out completely so you can actually protect the true light with that compassion of yours."
[I'm Not the Regent I'm Just Passing By Guilliman]: "Resources in the Warhammer universe are finite. Humans, Aeldari, Orks, T'au, Tyranids... every single race is fighting for their slice of the pie."
"Don't feel guilty. Slaughter them until they submit. Slaughter them until they're too terrified to oppress your brethren. Make them realize that following our rules is their only chance of survival."
The Regional Chat fell silent for a few seconds.
[You Ashe I Soraka]: "So... is this a necessary evil?"
[Crimson Zealot]: "No, this is the price of survival."
"Ideals are beautiful, but the path to realizing them... has to be paved over thorns and blood."
[How Many Floors Can You Carry a Sack of Rice]: "...Alright."
"So what do we do now?"
"Get ready for war?"
[Have You Been Loyal Today?]: "Exactly."
"Besides, this is Crimson Dawn's first expedition... We have to win this beautifully."
--
Top-floor office of the Governor's Mansion.
Paul stood before the towering, ten-meter-tall floor-to-ceiling window. Five stars slowly rotated within his dark golden pupils.
Behind him, Cogboy, Schrödinger Bro, Blood Angel, Tax Bro, White Scars, and over seventy other core Crimson Dawn players were gathered around a massive conference table carved from a single, solid slab of obsidian.
A three-dimensional star map of the Aurelian system hovered above the table, alongside the coordinates for the L-246 system that they had just got from the System mission.
"Looks like," Paul said as he turned around, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, "Crimson Dawn's first real war is about to begin?"
A stream of data cascaded across Cogboy's mechanical augmetic eye as he pulled up a freshly compiled analysis report.
"Coordinates L-246. Uncharted system. It hasn't been logged in the Imperial star maps yet... It's likely a fringe sector the Great Crusade hasn't reached yet."
"According to the System intel, it's a humanoid alien civilization. Exact species and weapon categories are both unknown."
"But judging by the 'High' threat level designation and the fact that this is an Epic-tier mission, this xeno civilization definitely won't be a pushover."
"Plus, they're violently bloodthirsty, and they even... breed humans as livestock. They view humanity as food..."
At these words, the atmosphere in the room froze.
Tax Bro cursed without hesitation, "These alien bastards must be completely exterminated."
White Scars nodded. "Agreed. If we actually had Exterminatus-grade weapons right now, I'd be submitting an authorization request myself."
Hearing the two of them, Cogboy paused for a moment before speaking up.
"Regardless of the reasoning, this is the first Epic-tier faction mission since the version update. There's no reason not to do it."
"Besides... an entire intact terrestrial planet, combined with all the resources of the L-246 system, would be a qualitative leap for us."
He pulled up a set of data. "Right now, Aurelian IV has 16,000 new players that need leveling up. The equipment of the three million-strong Dawn Defense Force needs a generational upgrade. The fleet needs expanding. Research and development needs resources..."
"Our annual tithe already accounts for 12% of the planet's output, and the planet's own consumption eats up another 80%. What little is left to sustain our growth is nowhere near enough."
"We have to find new sources of income."
Paul tapped his fingers lightly against the tabletop. "Cogboy, those Imperial Coins you guys left me back then... nearly twenty billion of them."
"Your own deposits of over eight billion, I've already refunded entirely back to your personal accounts."
"Also I completely agree with your assessment."
"Crimson Dawn does indeed need to launch a crusade to secure spoils of war and exchange them for Imperial Coins."
"It'll test the combat effectiveness of the Dawn Defense Force while letting the new players get their hands bloody."
"After all, the Warhammer universe is no place for bleeding hearts."
"Plus, based on our surveys over the years, the Aurelian system itself... is just too barren."
He projected the star map.
"Planet One is a dead world. Atmospheric CO2 concentration is at 92%, and average surface temperatures hit 200 degrees Celsius. Only a few deep-core mineral veins are even worth mining."
"Planet Two is a toxic gas giant. The lakes and swamps are pure corrosive liquid. Extraction costs far outweigh the profits."
"Planet Three is a minor Agri-world with a population of 1.37 billion. Its output barely sustains itself... and it's a registered Imperial Agri-world, so we can't touch it."
"As for those uncharted planets shrouded in dense nebula fog on the outer rim of the system..."
Paul shook his head. "Probes go dark the moment they get close, and sending scout ships is just too risky."
Tax Bro grinned. "So, this Dal planet couldn't have come at a better time..."
White Scars added, "And the distance is perfect. It's somewhat far from here, but still only twenty-something light-years away. With Paul and Helovia, two powerful psykers, we can get there in no time via the Warp."
"Once we conquer it, we can build it up as a forward operating base to project power into neighboring systems."
Paul listened to their analysis and nodded slowly.
He stepped back to the conference table, planting both hands firmly on its surface. His golden power armor gleamed with an imposing luster under the office lights.
"Since we're all on the same page, let's start prepping."
His voice was calm, yet laced with unquestionable resolve.
"In two days, the First Dawn Expeditionary Fleet will assemble and deploy."
"I will be personally leading this crusade."
"G Bro will handle fleet logistics. Schrödinger Bro is on intel and strategy. Blood Angel will take care of ideological mobilization. Tax Bro and White Scars will command the ground assault forces for the Crimson Dawn members."
"As for Aurelian IV..."
Paul looked over at Cogboy. "I'm leaving the home front to you."
Cogboy's mechanical augmetic eye glowed with a steady blue light. "Understood."
The moment the orders were issued, the slumbering war machine that was Aurelian IV roared to life.
--
Crimson Arch Fortress, Dawn Defense Force High Command.
Over three hundred staff officers worked furiously in front of holographic tactical tables, data streams cascading across glowing screens like waterfalls.
"1st, 3rd, and 5th Defense Legions, enter Condition One readiness!"
"Orders: All personnel on leave are to report back to active duty within twenty-four hours!"
"Logistics! Requisition three standard combat loads of munitions. I want to see those warehouses half-empty by noon tomorrow!"
–
New Dawn City, Orbital Elevator Hub.
Massive fifty-meter-diameter cargo pods were packed tightly together like honeycombs, shuttling between the surface and the void along pillar structures that pierced the heavens.
Every single transit was packed to the brim with standardized weapon crates, ammunition pallets, field rations, and medical supplies.
Workers clad in gray overalls loaded and unloaded cargo with terrifying efficiency, aided by automated lifters.
There was no fear on their faces, only pure focus... This was the fruit of twenty-three years of Crimson Dawn's universal conscription and military training program.
Every single Aurelian citizen, regardless of their profession, was required to undergo at least thirty days of basic military training every year.
In peacetime, they were workers, farmers, teachers, and doctors.
In times of war, they were the reserves.
And now, war was here.
--
Only 50 more Powerstones for the next bonus chapter.