I summoned the Fourth Scourge in Warhammer

Chapter 14 Second Closed Beta

The video by Dr. Soft acted as a fuse, completely igniting the already accumulating tinder of public opinion.

Within just a few hours of the video's release, hashtags such as "Warhammer 40: Pedithia," "Most Realistic Game Ever," and "The Ceiling of Hardcore Gaming" quickly dominated the trending lists on major social media platforms. Countless gamers and casual viewers engaged in heated discussions surrounding the video's content, with some expressing admiration, others questioning it, and still others simply enjoying the spectacle.

Just as this hype reached its peak, an official forum called "Warhammer 40: Pedithia" quietly went live.

The moment the news broke, it was like a floodgate being opened, with a massive influx of users instantly flooding in. The forum's page design was extremely simple, even somewhat rudimentary, but this did nothing to dampen the players' enthusiasm. A single refresh would bring up dozens of new posts, ranging from analyzing video details and discussing game mechanics to simply venting emotions and urging for the open beta—a diverse array of topics.

As the sole producer and administrator of the game, Bit himself naturally built this forum. He browsed the rapidly scrolling posts and saw an astonishing number of online users in the backend. Then, he posted the only official pinned post in the most prominent position on the forum.

[Announcement Regarding the Second Closed Beta Test of Warhammer 40: Petitia]

"Thank you for your interest in this game. The second closed technical test is about to begin. In addition to the original ten testers, ninety new players will be randomly selected to participate in this test. Test qualifications will be randomly selected from all registered users."

This post was like pouring a bucket of cold water into boiling oil; the entire forum instantly "exploded."

As soon as the registration channel opened below the post, the numbers began to rise at an alarming rate. 100,000, 500,000, 800,000... Soon, the number of registrants exceeded one million. It seems that despite Ruan Wenbo's description of the various torturous aspects in the video, the extreme realism still held a fatal attraction for countless players.

Bit wasn't intentionally keeping the players in suspense. To him, players were a precious resource, key to saving Peditiana. Any further delay, and the few remaining humans on that planet would likely be wiped out.

Once the number of applicants reached a certain threshold, he closed the registration channel, randomly selected ninety lucky individuals, and sent them test invitations.

……

The familiar feeling of weightlessness and falling returned, but Ruan Wenbo skillfully steadied himself, waiting for his consciousness and body to reconnect. When he opened his eyes again, his vision cleared from darkness, and he was back in that familiar trench, filled with the smell of gunpowder and earth.

He excitedly got up, ready to greet his comrades, but froze the next second.

He looked around and realized something was wrong; the trench was completely empty. Including himself, there were only the original ten players left.

The NPC Astral Army soldiers who should have been stationed here, as well as Commissar Walter, who always had a stern face and was quick to kick people's butts, were all nowhere to be seen. The empty position was eerily silent, with only the occasional explosions in the distance proving that this world was still at war.

What's going on? Did the main force retreat and forget about us players? Or is there a bug in the game?
Ruan Wenbo subconsciously touched the side. Fortunately, the chainsaw sword and laser gun named "Aliens Must Die" were still there, giving him a sense of security.

The other nine veteran players also gradually snapped out of their brief confusion. They looked at each other, clearly unsure of the situation they were in.

It's worth noting that the players who complained about the game being too hardcore, the punishments being too harsh, and said they "wouldn't play anymore" before the Q&A session are still online now.

Other players clearly noticed this as well. The player with the ID "Flying Eagle" grinned mischievously and teased, "Hey, guys, didn't you say you weren't going to play anymore? Why are you logging back in now?"

The player whose name was called blushed, stubbornly retorting, "Can a player's decision be called going back on their word?" He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, "This...this...this is called being willing to make changes! I said I wouldn't play 'before,' not 'now'!" His righteously assertive argument instantly amused everyone. For a moment, the deathly silent trench was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

The cheerful atmosphere in the trenches didn't last long.

A deep, rumbling engine roared from afar, shattering the brief moment of relaxation. The sound grew louder and louder, even causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble slightly.

"Something's up!" Ruan Wenbo was the first to react. He immediately lowered his body, gripped his chainsaw sword, and cautiously peeked half his head out from the edge of the trench's breastwork.

The other nine veteran players also dropped their joking expressions, found cover, and looked in the direction of the sound.

In the distance, billowing dust rose as several Chimera armored personnel carriers, painted with the Imperial Eagle insignia, sped toward their position. Their massive metal bodies rattled and clattered across the rugged ground before finally coming to a stop a short distance in front of the trenches.

The rear hatch of the lead troop carrier slammed to the ground with a loud bang, and a familiar figure stepped out—it was Commissar Walter, wearing a black overcoat and with a serious expression.

Immediately afterwards, the doors of all the troop carriers opened one after another. To the players' surprise, those who disembarked from these vehicles were all "recruits" wearing the same standard armor as them!
This large group of ninety newcomers were clearly the lucky ones selected for the second closed beta test. Most of them were pale-faced and unsteady on their feet. Some were retching while leaning against the vehicle, while others were blankly surveying the surrounding battlefield filled with the smell of gunpowder. They were obviously still adjusting to the tumultuous ride and the immense impact of the game.

Commissar Walter scanned the trenches, his sharp gaze finally settling on Nguyen Van Bo.

“Soft!” he shouted.

“I’m here, Political Commissar!” Nguyen Van Bo instinctively straightened up and responded loudly.

Walter gestured with his chin to the group of ninety new players slumped behind him, and succinctly issued his order: "These are your fellow countrymen. From now on, they are under your command. I ask you to lead them to hold this position for at least one day."

"what?"

Ruan Wenbo was completely dumbfounded by this sudden appointment. Commander? Me?

However, his mind raced, and he quickly realized that this was probably not a random assignment from the system, but rather the result of his previous actions—whether it was actively gathering intelligence or burying fallen comrades, these actions had inadvertently increased his favorability with Commissar Walter.

'It seems this game does indeed have an affinity system, but it's completely hidden; everything depends on the player's actions.'

Having figured this out, Ruan Wenbo's confusion vanished, replaced by a heavy sense of responsibility. He immediately stood at attention and loudly assured the political commissar, "Yes, Political Commissar! I guarantee to complete the mission!"

Walter nodded, seemingly satisfied with his reaction. He glanced at Ruan Wenbo one last time, his tone unreadable, neither concerned nor warning, and simply said, "Be careful, don't die."

After saying that, he turned around and boarded the chimera troop carrier. He called to the other drivers, and with a roar of engines, the convoy turned around and quickly left the position, leaving behind only a cloud of dust and a hundred players looking at each other in bewilderment.

(End of this chapter)