Masterpiece

The batteries that had supplied power inside the Power Armor were transformed into Energy Engines. They could store more energy and slowly restore it.

Their ability to automatically recover energy was not because their components had been subjected to physical distortion. Instead, they drew energy from the surrounding environment, such as residual heat at the muzzle of a laser gun or lasers fired by enemies.

The original Energy Plating was removed and replaced with a Capture Field integrated into the Gravity Shield. The Gravity Shield now possessed two abilities: generating a force field that crushed kinetic weapon rounds, and absorbing lasers fired by energy weapons before transferring that energy into the Energy Engine.

The weaponry in the Power Armor's hands was also redesigned, changing from Multi-lasers to Laser Shotguns. They compressed energy into points of light before releasing them, while retaining the firing rate of Multi-lasers.

There were melee weapons in addition to ranged weapons. For the time being, all of these melee weapons were designed as Gravity Hammers, their surfaces covered in gravitational fields. A slight swing was enough to inflict horrifying destruction upon whatever they struck.

But these weapons were merely for the Power Armor's self-defense.

The true offensive weapon was the transforming Shoulder Cannon.

Through transformation, the Shoulder Cannon could function as a mortar, heavy cannon, cannon, or rocket launcher. Naturally, it could not use physical ammunition, but its destructive power after firing far surpassed that of physical ammunition.

For example, in mortar mode, it fired a sphere of light that exploded one hundred meters above the target area, sending lasers raining down upon the ground.

Yet no matter how powerful these weapons were, they were not efficient enough. They could not achieve Qin Mo's ideal outcome of deploying two people in Power Armor onto a battlefield and having them resolve an entire battle.

To improve the combat power of Power Armor wearers more efficiently, Qin Mo also designed newer types of drones.

These drones came in more varieties and were larger in size.

Energy Drones could link to Power Armor and supply energy to their Energy Engines, recharging them before their energy ran out or allowing them to unleash full firepower for a short time.

Fire Support Drones carried enormous quantities of energy weapons.

Transport Drones could carry soldiers to any location.

Based on these entirely new weapons and equipment, Qin Mo developed new tactics.

Only three Power Armor wearers needed to be deployed to an entire battlefield. The three would ride Transport Drones to the battlefield and, with no friendly forces in the combat zone, coordinate with Energy Drones and Fire Support Drones to bombard from afar. After destroying all enemy armor and fortifications, they would move in for close combat.

The deployment speed and combat power of a three-man squad were beyond comparison with conventional armies.

Qin Mo felt proud and delighted by his designs and creations. This was the masterpiece he had agonized over creating all along.

But he had forgotten one thing.

These weapons and equipment were indeed powerful, but their costs were outrageous. Some components could not even be made without being processed using the C'tan's abilities.

After completing the designs in three days, then spending another four days creating the Master Control Intelligence and Logistics Machines, as well as manufacturing three sets of weapons and equipment, Qin Mo decided to find a place to test his masterpiece.

The opportunity came quickly.

The positions east of the fortress held by the 47th Regiment provided intelligence, claiming that they had been found by another group of surviving friendly forces. That group's position was ninety kilometers directly east, and they requested support.

Qin Mo agreed without hesitation.

The few remaining soldiers at the position held out inside a large bunker. The position had nearly fallen; apart from the bunker, the rebels occupied everywhere else.

The rebels surrounding the bunker occasionally threw grenades inside. When there was time, the grenades were thrown back out. When there was not, someone threw themselves onto them.

The few remaining personnel dwindled as time passed.

After barely holding on for half an hour, two spheres of light suddenly appeared in the dark underhive sky, illuminating the nearby area like suns.

When the spheres descended to a point one hundred meters above the ground, they burst apart. Vast beams of light washed over the area surrounding the bunker like raindrops.

Then a humming sound arose. A hovering craft stopped above the position, and three people wearing Power Armor jumped down from it.

Qin Mo had come to provide support.

The other two he had brought were Grey and another veteran who had remained behind solely to fight the rebels and follow Qin Mo.

Grey and the veteran held Gravity Hammers in both hands. Qin Mo had also replaced his Chainsword with a Gravity Hammer, but he had not changed his scepter, because it had already become a symbol.

"The scepter!"

"He is a man guided by the Emperor!"

The soldiers inside the bunker shouted. They remembered that the person they had sent out for help had said the western position had been saved by a man holding a scepter.

"Call in the Fire Support Drones," Qin Mo said over the communications channel. "Then we'll kill every one of these rebels."

Upon receiving the order, Grey and the veteran immediately called in the Fire Support Drones assigned to them.

Two antigravity aircraft soon flew above the battlefield. They were as large as Transport Drones, and once they stopped to hover, countless weapons extended from their undersides, firing physical rounds and lasers at the rebels on the ground.

"Grey, inflict as many casualties as possible."

"Grot, go eliminate that Aberrant."

Qin Mo pointed at the Aberrant among the rebels directly ahead and gave Grey and the veteran, Grot, their respective orders.

"For the Emperor!" Grot roared as he charged forward. His Jump Pack pushed his speed to its limit, and every enemy standing in his path was crushed by gravity until he reached the Aberrant.

The Aberrant immediately roared and lunged at him. Grot shut off his Gravity Shield and swung with all his strength, smashing his Gravity Hammer into the Aberrant's head.

The gravitational field on the Gravity Hammer crushed him the instant it came into contact with the Aberrant.

"Ugh..." Qin Mo sighed helplessly. He had not wanted Grot to rush over and hammer the enemy to death.

Although they had new tactics, the fighting methods of Power Armor wearers had not changed...

Still, Grey had a fairly clear understanding of Power Armor. When Qin Mo had been making this thing, Grey had heard the explanations while bringing him meals.

Tasked with inflicting casualties on the enemy, Grey called in an Energy Drone. Once the drone linked with his Power Armor, he raised his right hand and swept fire across the enemies ahead while firing his Shoulder Cannon.

Before the Shoulder Cannon overheated and the Energy Engine drew away its heat, it could fire three shots in succession.

The Shoulder Cannon's firing mode was changed to mortar-style anti-infantry dispersal.

Three spheres of light were hurled into the sky in the blink of an eye, each separated by one hundred meters. Upon descending, they scattered outward. The Rebel soldiers below, whether hiding behind cover or standing in the open, could not escape death. Even the metal ground beneath their feet was burned into pits by the lasers.

Szzzt—the heat generated when the Shoulder Cannon fired was absorbed by the energy system. Two seconds later, it could fire a second time.