Luka's consciousness slipped free from the Warhammer world. He took a moment to steady his mind before turning to the servo-skull, querying his gains.
"Task 1: Explore the ruins—5% complete."
"Task 2: Clear xenos from the ruins—1% complete."
"Task 4: Collect xenos tech—10% complete."
"Total: 200 XP, 100 points. The Emperor commends your efforts and urges you to persevere."
Luka rubbed his chin, unfazed. "No task fully done, so just the old man's pat on the back, huh?" He didn't dwell on it. His focus was on raising his authority level, which dictated how many pieces he could deploy in the Warhammer world. Gear? His relic equipment was enough for now.
"Oh, right!" Luka snapped his fingers. "Tell the governor to send my relic power armor and sword to the Ecclesiarchy cathedral. Have the Battle Sisters guard them and the bishop bless them."
Relic gear was potent but demanding. Daily maintenance and prayers were vital. In layman's terms, blessings added traits and attributes, while regular worship kept the gear's machine spirits appeased and functional. Ancient relics could malfunction or grow temperamental without care. Luka didn't know the specifics of his redeemed gear, but as relics, they needed consecration.
Why the cathedral? The Battle Sisters' convent was still unbuilt. Once it was, Luka would store his gear there, under his control.
Next, he thought of the fallen Battle Sister. "One of my Sisters died. How do I replace her?" he asked the servo-skull.
"Options: Train a local to inherit her gear. Wait one standard Holy Terra day for the piece to cool down and redeploy. Or spend 1 point to bypass the cooldown. Note: Cooldown and point costs vary by piece and death circumstances."
Luka nodded, satisfied. A day's wait to restore the piece was fine—his squad would be whole again soon. Losses weren't a big deal. He briefly wondered about exploiting a glitch to farm gear but dismissed it. The Emperor's system ensured inherited equipment, not refreshed sets, unless gear was lost or destroyed. Buying new gear was an option, but the Emperor's prices were steep—better for personal relics in 3K or 40K than bulk purchases. For that, Luka would stick to Imperial channels.
"Hey, you mentioned I can invite others to this game, right? To cross into the Warhammer world?" Luka asked, organizing his thoughts.
"Correct. Invite like-minded souls to fight for the Emperor. His rewards are generous."
"Sounds like a Chaos god luring naive kids," Luka quipped, then got serious. "How do they cross? Same as me, with an armory chest? Or through me? What about their authority, XP, and points—same as mine?"
His real question was the last. If invitees had equal privileges, this was just a multiplayer game, and he was merely the beta tester. That might make him rethink inviting anyone, preferring to go solo. But if his authority outranked theirs, the possibilities expanded, letting him invite boldly.
"Only your armory chest exists for crossing. The Emperor hasn't opened other paths. Your authority surpasses invitees'. You decide if they join in commander mode—controlling units via the chest—or adventure mode, projecting consciousness as a single piece. Commanders earn XP and points through combat tasks, with no redemption restrictions. Adventurers earn through quests but can't deploy units."
Luka's face lit up with a grin. This opened doors—big ones. He could play a grand game. But, tempering his excitement, he decided to stick to his original plan for now.
(To be continued)