The world froze. The thing before me, the giant mutated astartes with power swords for hands, stopped in place, its face a picture of seething, mindless rage. I myself stood in the level 10 stance of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist – no different than the level 1 had been, but I was more confident, more graceful. This brute wouldn't never mar my flesh ever again. However, the everything, even the very particles in the air, around me was now suddenly frozen in time. It was fascinating, really, but annoying; I had an enemy to humiliate and defeat.

"What's going on?"

Hey, buddy, this is M, your handsome admin. I'm here to inform you that... after a very intense negotiation, involving several guild members hurling universes at each other because they're all children, I have been persuaded to grant you a boon and a curse. Both of which will be activated immediately after you finish this tutorial level, but, don't worry, I'll explain them to you beforehand so at least have a fighting chance. So, don't worry too much. It won't be much entertainment if too many odds are stacked against you and you just lose. Having said that, I am actually very excited for what's coming.

However, since we're already here, I'd like to offer you a deal.

I raised a brow. "What kind of deal?"

A single, permanent boon of your choosing, alongside a curse of equal stature. The curse is randomly selected from a catalogue of trillions of choices. Do you dare or do you not?

I thought about it for a moment, before shrugging. I was willing to risk a little more, in exchange for more power. Besides, this planet was falling apart already, what more could the admin do to make it worse? "I accept."

That's what I like to hear. Remember, the curse unleashed will be roughly equal to the boon you're going to choose – the higher the level of the boon, the higher the level of the curse. It's your choice.

Choose a boon:

- Healing Hands (Skill) – Heal diseases and physical ailments through touch (does not require biomass).
- Ryomen Sukuna (Permanent Ally) – Angry, malevolent, and incredibly powerful. Likes to slice things in half.
- Nenya (Item) – A ring of power that grants preservation, protection, and concealment from evil.
- Rinnegan (Permanent Alteration) – Manipulate time, space, and reality with a pair of magical super eyes from a race of magical super aliens.
- Saitama (Companion Card) – Local bald man kills everything with one punch. Bored, possibly depressed.

I glanced at all the choices and realized I didn't like most of them, mostly because their descriptions did not seem right to me. I had no intention, for instance, of summoning a malevolent entity, even if that entity turns out to be an ally. Rinnegan was immediately thrown out as an option, because it came from xenos – to accept such a boon would be heresy; I'd rather die. Saitama didn't make sense to me. So, only two choices immediately stood out to me: Healing Hands and Nenya. Between the two, I knew what I'd choose. "I choose Nenya. But I would like to make a special request, if that is at all possible."

Okay, you've got my attention. That would depend entirely on what that request is and how interesting it makes things for me.

"Nenya..." I said. I chose this item, based on its description, not for myself, but for someone much higher than I was, someone who probably needed it more than I did. I could have taken Healing Hands, but [Self-Shaping] was bound to eventually reach a level wherein I could heal just about anyone I laid my hands on. "Give it to the God Emperor."

Was it presumptuous of me to offer such an artifact to the God of Mankind? Perhaps. But that was what I wanted to do. It would be an offering, I figured, my one contribution to aiding the God Emperor's fight against the darkness. I didn't think such a small trinket would do much in my hands, but – maybe, just maybe – the Emperor himself would find some greater use for it. At the very least, that was my wish.

Interesting... I can think of no other gamer who'd willingly part such a powerful artifact. Very well. Just this once. I'll grant your request. This should be interesting.

Randomized Curse!

[Balrog of Morgoth]

A Balrog of Morgoth has been unleashed on this planet!

A what of what?

Huh, what a weird coincidence. Okay. Have fun. That Balrog's eventually gonna make its way to you. Make sure you're strong enough to beat it by then, because you really just did away with a pretty okay artifact. Goodbye, for now. And, don't worry, I made sure Nenya's on the Emperor's bony fingers. See you when you finish the tutorial!

My eyes narrowed as time resumed its natural flow. There was a... slight shift in the air, I noted – sudden and clear. It was a tiny shift, but it almost felt like... relief. I didn't know where it was coming from or why I felt it at all. So, I put it in the back of my mind.

The creature charged at me, roaring fiercely, its spittle splattering from its mouth. I knew I needed to grow stronger, but this battle had become tedious. There was little to gain from prolonging it. I had to end it swiftly and move on. The brute attempted a tackle, but I effortlessly swayed to the side, causing it to crash headlong into a nearby wall, creating a gaping hole. Frustrated, the beast roared and then raised both of its bladed arms high for an overhead smash. With a grin, I reached up, sensing the surge of physical power coursing through my limb. With a gentle maneuver, I redirected that power and absorbed it within myself, like water streaming from one container into another. The brute's expression shifted from determination to astonishment as its massive arms went limp, as light as bits of paper. Leaning my torso back, I took a step forward. The kinetic energy surged within me, following the path I'd set with my limbs. Finally, I snapped forward, delivering all the power I'd absorbed right into its ugly face.

The brute's head exploded, skull fragments and teeth and flesh splattering everything around us. It fell to a knee, dead. I reached out to it. Thought I was unable to absorb its biomass, I was still able to absorb the various weapons all over its body and convert them into raw material for [Tech-Shaping]. "I hope your gods grind your soul into paste, traitor. The Emperor always protects his faithful."

I breathed in and coughed, my lungs burning; black smoke was filling the air around me and I hardly even noticed. Turning and running, my thoughts drifted towards Olly and the others; they would've already made their way out of here, by now, which meant I was alone. While tragic that I could not aid them in their quest, I now had a more pressing task to attend to; the STC in my Inventory needed to find its way into the hands of a Tech-Priest. My only priority now was making it to Kuresh.

As I reached the southern edge of the ruined camp, my focus shifted to [Self-Shaping]. With my recent level-up, I had gained the ability to integrate genetic traits from Astartes templates into my default human form. I began scanning the Astartes templates and realized that I didn't require extra organs or growth hormones, as they didn't align with my goal of maintaining a smaller form. Most of the Space Marine genetic traits and implants were oriented towards survival and regeneration, which weren't my priorities. I selected what I needed: stronger bones, reinforced with naturally-occurring ceramite. However, as I integrated this modification, I promptly collapsed when my tendons tore away from my bones.

Okay, this might take a while.

I didn't require most of their implants; if I did, I could just transform myself into the complete form of an Astartes, complete with power armor and a black carapace. Thus, I chose only the enhanced muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments, making me stronger and faster, albeit heavier by around forty percent. I also incorporated their heightened senses—improved hearing, sight, and smell. The contrast was striking. Externally, I appeared the same, which was advantageous, given the risk of being targeted as a mutant. In this form, I felt powerful enough to dismantle a person limb from limb. The best part was that I could still utilize Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist without hindrance, despite my sudden increase in strength and durability. Truly amazing.

The whole splicing thing took me around ten minutes and most of that time was spent thinking about what I wanted and what I didn't.

I left the ruined base behind and continued onward. The land southward was little more than a desolate wasteland of jagged rocks and burnt earth. I barely recognized the place as it had once been green and verdant. I spotted a fresh pair of tank tracks on the ground, clear to me despite the looming dark of night, telling me that Olly and the others had likely already gone ahead to do what the Emperor willed of them. I had my own mission. I hoped that, one day, I'd see them again. "May the Emperor guide you to victory, friends."

I shifted my gaze towards the faint silhouette of Kuresh in the distance, the Hive City surrounded by ominous dark clouds and an expanse of siege lines stretching for miles. Even from my vantage point, I could hear the distant thunder of explosions, the eerie whistling of shells soaring through the air to their distant targets, and the ground trembled beneath me. I drew a deep breath and summoned a Lasgun into my grip, followed by a bandolier of ten frag grenades slung over my shoulders.

As I looked to the distance, I caught sight of a red fragment dancing in the wind. It was a piece of cloth, charred and slightly weathered, yet still bearing the unmistakable mark of the Imperial Aquila, etched in gold; it must have been a part of a regimental flag. I caught the cloth and wrapped it around my right forearm, a remembrance of those who fell. "I will avenge you, my brothers. The enemy will know no victory; instead, they will know only fear and pain."

The STC in my Inventory was going to change everything. It would bring mankind ever closer to victory. The ability to communicate instantly, regardless of distance, was beyond anything I've ever known. Planets and fleets would be able to coordinate with each other in real-time, allowing coordination on a scale hitherto undreamed of. So, I marched right towards Kuresh. If I had to push through miles upon miles of siege lines, battling against billions upon billions of enemies, just to deliver the STC to a Tech-Priest, then I would do so for mankind and for the God-Emperor.

Three hours later, I found myself crouching behind a piece of stone, once part of a building, now reduced to rubble around me. From this elevated vantage point, I had a commanding view of a substantial portion of the ruined city. Ahead, a convoy of heretics and traitors rumbled past, their armored vehicles accompanied by a motley crew of degenerates—roughly a thousand or so heretics and about a hundred armored vehicles, likely pilfered from the Imperial Guard. More concerning was the presence of at least five Traitor Astartes among them, the most formidable of their ranks. While dealing with the heretics themselves posed no significant challenge, the Traitor Astartes were a worrisome obstacle – not because killing them was hard, but because they would have plenty of chaff to hide behind.

I sighed inwardly, acknowledging that a direct confrontation would be incredibly reckless. No amount of physical enhancement could shield me from the possibility of my demise via a well-placed Lasgun shot to the head. The sheer numbers of enemies below made it an unwise gamble, even for someone with my abilities. Dropping ruined Leman Russ Tanks on them might take out several hundred, but it risked revealing my position to the Traitor Astartes, since the actual range at which I could summon items from my [Inventory] was limited, about a meter and a half away at most.

There was also the option of using the [Mask of Death] item to make use of the Reaper Form. I had a sense that its power surpassed anything I had used previously. Yet, its description stated that it consumed warp energy voraciously. Although I had a considerable amount stored, it wasn't limitless. What if the transformation lasted only for a brief moment, leaving me suddenly surrounded by traitors and heretics after ten seconds? The uncertainty made it a dubious choice at best.

It just wasn't worth it.

I needed a new target.

I estimated that I was roughly an hour away from the actual heretic siege lines. It appeared they were still in the process of relocating their troops, doing so from a position beyond the reach of artillery fire. There were no aircraft in sight. Either we had lost all our air assets, or the heretics possessed such formidable anti-air capabilities that deploying aircraft was tantamount to suicide. The latter scenario seemed more plausible. Kuresh boasted numerous aircraft hangars, suggesting the heretics had air superiority. The fact that they hadn't already reduced the Hive City to rubble indicated they were keen on preserving its infrastructure, at least to some extent. My task now was to locate a means of disabling a portion of their anti-aircraft defenses to establish a window of opportunity. I wasn't a pilot, but one didn't need to be to recognize that dominance in the skies translated to control over the battlefield.

With caution paramount, I crept low and retraced my steps back the way I had come. There was enough rubble strewn about to provide cover, and I moved deliberately, ensuring that no clouds of dust billowed up as I passed—a giveaway that the keen senses of the Traitor Astartes would not miss. I maintained enough distance to remain hidden from the heretics' view. Slipping into a narrow crevice, barely wide enough for a person, I found myself amidst a grim tableau of death—men, women, and children, loyal citizens of the Imperium, brutally slain. Regrettably, I had no choice but to crawl over their lifeless forms to reach the other side of the space. Emerging into what used to be a kitchen, I observed that most of its walls still stood, albeit riddled with holes. The broken window demanded further caution, compelling me to continue my progress on all fours to evade detection.

A woman's anguished scream pierced the air, instantly grabbing my attention. I quickly crawled to the nearest wall and peered through a hole in the structure. What I witnessed was harrowing – the heretics had seized a civilian woman, violently dragging her from her hiding place by her hair. Among the rubble, they made a horrifying discovery that froze my world once more – the cries of infants. The heretics reveled in their cruelty, their laughter and cheers mingling with their depraved actions. They ruthlessly tore at the woman's clothes and inflicted wounds on her with their knives, drawing blood. The blood in my veins froze as they placed the defenseless infants on the ground, raising their wicked blades. Without thinking, I summoned the [Mask of Death] and donned it upon my face.
Power surged through me – unimaginable, beyond anything I've felt before.

Damn the risks. I was going to kill them all.