This is the bonus chapter for reaching 400 Powerstones.
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The conference room plunged into pin-drop silence.
Cogboy's voice cut through the quiet, crisp and crystal clear. "The core system won't be anything like the Imperium's autocratic structure. The dawn of humanity won't be ruled or dominated by any single dictator. Instead, decisions will be made by representatives chosen by billions of people. Our goal was never to conquer civilizations through sheer violence, but to seek common ground with all human societies while respecting our differences. We want their people to truly understand what the Dawn stands for, and to see the undeniable benefits of aligning with Crimson Dawn."
"Of course, all of this is strictly theoretical right now. This ideology comes with a ton of logistical nightmares that we'll have to iron out one by one. For instance, if a bunch of entrenched elites refuse to surrender their power back to the people, Crimson Dawn will happily deliver a heavy-handed lesson in the fury of the Dawn. Or take voter manipulation. Crimson Dawn's psykers will monitor absolutely everywhere. Any ambitious scumbag who tries to rig an election will be subjected to the most gruesome capital punishment imaginable."
He looked out at the crowd, his painfully average face radiating with the drive to chase their ultimate ideal. "This is the direction Paul and I agreed on. And it is the true... ultimate endgame of Crimson Dawn."
The room remained utterly silent. Everyone was struggling to digest the sheer scale of the plan.
After a long moment, [Paradox Player Not a War Criminal] finally spoke up, his voice a little hoarse. "Cogboy, you guys... your ambition is completely off the charts."
Cogboy chuckled. "Ambition?" He shook his head. "This isn't ambition. It's hope. Crimson Dawn never wanted to seize absolute power in this universe. In the ten-thousand-year meat grinder of the Warhammer 40k universe, there have been countless all-powerful rulers."
"Grand Master of Assassins Drakan Vangorich was driven completely insane and ultimately put down by the Imperial Fists Astartes! Countless High Lords of the Adeptus Administratum have lost their minds buckling under the weight of galactic bureaucracy. During the Age of Apostasy, Ecclesiarch Goge Vandire seized supreme executive power and plunged countless worlds into absolute ruin and despair."
"Power is the most lethal poison in existence. All Crimson Dawn wants is stability. Any threat that jeopardizes the peace and happiness of humanity will be completely eradicated."
He walked back to his seat at the head of the table and slowly sat down. "So, don't overthink it. It's just a long-term goal. All we have to do right now is keep marching toward it. As for when we'll actually pull it off..." He paused, his gaze drifting far away. "That depends on fate. And it depends on how hard we're willing to grind."
His eyes swept across everyone in the room, his voice turning resolute. "Right now, massive shipments of heavy equipment and waves of volunteer Aurelian pioneers have already been transported to Planet Dal. They are out there busting their asses, fighting tooth and nail to secure Crimson Dawn's very first Primarch."
"We're sitting pretty here on Aurelian IV, on a completely terraformed and upgraded world. But we need to grind just as hard. First, we have to prep for the imminent arrival of Guilliman and Sanguinius. Second, we need to research and develop harder-hitting weapons and vastly superior base defense grids. Third, we have to scale up our agricultural yields and stockpile massive strategic reserves of food and supplies. Fourth, we need to break ground on more cities and terraform more worlds. And finally, we have to crack the code on Psionic tech so our fleet can achieve genuine warp-jump capabilities."
"A single Primarch and his Legion won't be nearly enough for us to capitalize on the massive galactic storm heading our way. We need more firepower. We need more aces up our sleeves. We need to be relentlessly prepared."
His voice echoed through the conference room, carrying a soul-shaking gravity. "Stay sharp and push forward, brothers. Back in the real world, we were just average nobodies lost in the crowd. We spent our days cramming into packed subways, eating garbage takeout, grinding overtime until midnight, and stressing over our mortgages and car loans."
"But here in Aurelian... every single one of us possesses extraordinary potential. We hold positions of power, backed by the absolute loyalty of the Aurelian people."
He stood up, looking at every face in the room. "No matter what the truth behind this universe is, this game gave us the power to change absolutely everything. So I expect all of you to give it everything you've got..."
He slowly raised his right fist, slamming it over his heart. "Bring the Dawn to this galaxy. Let those Primarchs we used to idolize and revere see the truth. We don't need to worship them. We are the ones worthy of awe and reverence."
Inside the conference room, one hundred and eight players stood up in perfect unison. One hundred and eight pairs of eyes locked dead onto Cogboy.
Then, a hundred and eight voices roared out simultaneously, completely synchronized:
"Understood, Cogboy!"
"Understood, Cogboy!"
"Understood, Cogboy!"
Over a hundred voices crashed together into a deafening torrent, echoing endlessly through the massive hall.
Right at that moment, a system notification exploded across the regional chat channel.
[Sector Mayor]: "Cogboy! The orbital starport at the Crimson Drake Gate is picking up a massive fleet signature approaching Aurelian IV! We're reading over a hundred ships!!"
The conference room instantly fell dead silent. Everyone whipped their heads toward the regional chat log.
Cogboy stared at the message, a faint, confident smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. He looked up, meeting the eyes of everyone in the room. "Looks like our old friends have finally arrived."
He stood from his chair and walked over to the massive floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the setting sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, painting the entire hive city in a warm, golden-red hue. Far out in the distance, high up in the darkening sky, over a hundred specks of light were steadily drawing closer.
It was the engine flare of a massive joint fleet—the combined might of the Blood Angels and the Ultramarines.
It was... two Primarchs.
Cogboy watched the glowing dots burn brighter in the atmosphere and let out a soft chuckle. "Then let's give them a good look at how far we've come. Let's show them whether or not Crimson Dawn kept the promise we made over two decades ago."
He turned back around, his eyes locking onto his men. "Get ready, brothers. We are welcoming the Emperor of Imperium Secundus. We are welcoming the Regent of Imperium Secundus. We are welcoming... the most honored guests Imperium Secundus has to offer."
Inside the room, over a hundred pairs of eyes shifted toward the glass. They stared up at the approaching armada of light. They stared up at the imminent descent of the Primarchs.
A faint smile graced Cogboy's face as he whispered under his breath. "Guilliman. Sanguinius. Ferrus Manus. We never once broke our vows. I wonder... what kind of answers are you expecting to find here?"
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