"I believe you'll grow much stronger in the future. You're a Primarch who excels in combat," the Emperor said.
Each of the 21 Primarchs he had created had a corresponding role. Some were leaders, some focused on internal affairs, others on development, while some were Librarius specialists, psychic power specialists, or combat specialists.
He had added some canine genes to Leman Russ. In the future, he would serve as an executioner of sorts.
"Really? It seems I have other brothers, then. Which number am I?" Leman Russ sat up and asked the Emperor.
"You're the sixth Primarch I created, so you're number six," the Emperor replied.
"Sounds pretty good. Looks like I'll have a lot of brothers. Am I the only one who went missing out there?" Leman Russ asked.
He had once wondered about Axis's identity, suspecting that Axis might have come from the same place as him and could be one of his brothers.
But now the Emperor was here, and he hadn't mentioned Axis at all. That immediately made Leman Russ dismiss the idea.
"You're the second Primarch I found. The first was Horus, the Primarch of the Sixteenth Legion," the Emperor said. (A note about Alpharius: he claimed that the Emperor found him on Holy Terra before he ever left, and that he was secretly raised there. But that was only his own account. The accepted version in official canon is still that Horus was the first to be found.)
"I can't wait to meet that brother. He commands the Sixteenth Legion, so does that mean I'll have a Legion of my own, too?" Leman Russ asked.
"That's right. I used each of your genes to create a batch of Astartes for every Primarch.
"Astartes are superhuman soldiers I created using Gene-seed extracted from the 20 Primarchs.
"Each Astartes is an imperfect copy of their Primarch, and their entire foundation comes from your Gene-seed.
"So every Astartes in the Sixth Legion is your genetic offspring. You are the Father of Genes to all of them.
"After receiving Gene-seed and undergoing modifications with 19 Superhuman Organs, they possess far greater combat capabilities than ordinary soldiers, as well as extremely long lifespans. Their fighting strength far exceeds what mortals can imagine.
"They'll be the main force of the Great Crusade. Once you return, you'll command your own Astartes Legion—the Imperium's Sixth Legion." The Emperor gave Leman Russ a brief introduction to the Astartes Legions.
The Astartes were his pride and joy: an exceptionally mature force. Though they were weaker than the Thunder Warriors, they were more stable, safer, more effective, and easier to mass-produce.
"You just said you made 21 Primarchs! Why are there only 20 Legions?" Leman Russ asked, puzzled.
"That concerns the Imperium's secrets. You may not ask about it. All you need to know is that when you return, you'll have an Astartes Legion under your command.
"You can recruit new warriors on this planet. The fighters in your tribe can all undergo Astartes Surgery and be transformed into Space Marines," the Emperor replied.
The exact process of creating Primarchs was an absolute secret of the Imperium. So aside from Malcador, the Imperial Chancellor, he wouldn't tell anyone—not even the Primarchs.
"Then the warriors in my tribe can all become Astartes?" Leman Russ asked.
Possessing immense strength and a long lifespan was the dream of every mortal.
"That's right! But the younger they are, the higher the success rate. The best candidates are youths in their adolescence. That's the ideal time for Astartes Surgery, and when the success rate is highest," the Emperor said.
"What about the adult warriors in my tribe who've followed me all this time?" Leman Russ asked.
"I've also developed a modification procedure for adult warriors. It has a 100% success rate, but it consumes considerably more resources.
"This procedure can only be used on those very close to you. Each Primarch has a limited number of places—only ten," the Emperor replied.
Naturally, he had considered this. The Primarchs had been scattered across the Milky Way, and they were bound to encounter all kinds of people.
Their adoptive fathers and brothers could also become valuable allies to the Primarchs in the future, so he had specifically developed a completely safe procedure for modifying adults.
However, it consumed far more resources than the process for ordinary Space Marines. It could only be used on adult men who were older and exceptionally important to a Primarch.
"One last question. How do these Astartes compare in combat to that kid, Axis?" Leman Russ pointed at Axis and asked.
At that, Axis rolled his eyes. Don't underestimate Saiyans, okay?
It wasn't that he looked down on Space Marines. They really were no match for Saiyans.
Once he reached adulthood, he could destroy a city with ease. Could an Astartes do that with nothing but his body and no weapons?
He could even blow up a planet without much effort. Could an Astartes do that?
The only thing about Astartes that attracted Axis was their long lifespan. Saiyans lived longer than humans, but their lifespans still fell far short of an Astartes'.
However, Axis wondered whether he could even undergo Astartes Surgery.
Would implanting Gene-seed damage his Saiyan bloodline?
His Saiyan bloodline was the only thing keeping him alive in this dark and dangerous Warhammer Universe.
It was a power he absolutely couldn't give up. But his lifespan was still a huge problem! Axis didn't want to be a fleeting presence in this universe.
"Without weapons, an Astartes is far weaker in combat than Axis. With weapons, that's another matter," the Emperor said.
"Haha, did you hear that? Axis, you'll soon become my true genetic offspring!" Leman Russ said, looking at Axis smugly.
His expression seemed to say, See, kid? You're destined to become my son, and a blood-related one at that.
But the Emperor soon shattered his hopes, leaving Leman Russ crestfallen.
"No! This child won't become your genetic offspring. He won't become an Astartes. I have other plans for him," the Emperor said.
"Why not? He's my little Wolf Cub!" Leman Russ protested indignantly.
"Because I'm stronger than you, and because you just swore allegiance to me and promised to obey my orders." The Emperor's words left Leman Russ with no reply.
"Then, Emperor, what plans do you have for me?" Axis asked.
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