A Custodian drew his Chainsword and swung it at his comrade.
With a crackling whirr, the Chainsword chipped slightly. Then he fired a Bolter at close range. The Combat Suit remained intact after both attacks.
The Custodian switched to more powerful weapons—a Melta Weapon and a Plasma Weapon—and continued the tests. The Combat Suit still couldn't be damaged.
Then the Custodian took off the Protective Suit and draped it over a dummy. Only when he tested it with a Power Sword did he manage to pierce its defenses.
Axis smiled as he watched. The Saiyan Armor could withstand attacks of up to a thousand points. Attacks below five hundred points wouldn't even scratch it.
Among the Imperium of Man's current infantry weapons, only Power Weapons could pierce its defenses.
After all, they damaged the target's molecular structure. The Combat Suit couldn't withstand that kind of damage, but neither could Power Armor.
Besides, Power Weapons were extremely rare in the Imperium, not something every soldier could get their hands on. Only elite warriors could use them. Most close-combat weapons were Monofilament Daggers and Chainswords.
"This Combat Suit's defensive capabilities are astonishing, but it has its drawbacks. Unlike Power Armor, it can't enhance a soldier's strength or running speed, and it doesn't offer full-body protection. It has no oxygen recycling system, either, so it can't be used in a vacuum."
After watching the test results, the Emperor gave a fair assessment. Its defense was indeed impressive, but its shortcomings were just as significant.
In the Emperor's eyes, this Combat Suit was worth even less than the Energy Gun.
"Cracking the manufacturing process will take a long time. This Combat Suit can't replace Power Armor," said the Tech-Priest standing nearby.
"It could be worn as an undersuit by Space Marines or the Adeptus Custodes," said Leman Russ.
"I'll take this Combat Suit to Holy Terra and have it replicated. Archmagos Kreski, our ship also needs maintenance.
"You'll also need to make a new suit of Power Armor for my gene-son, so you can get to work. What comes next isn't weapons testing, so there's no need for you to stay." The Emperor waved a hand as he spoke.
The Emperor planned to equip the Adeptus Custodes with these Combat Suits. Holy Terra had its own weapons department, which could produce all the Custodians' equipment, so there was no need to hand this suit over to the Adeptus Mechanicus of Mars.
Besides, the Emperor had a feeling that what came next was not something many people should see.
The people from the Adeptus Mechanicus nodded to the Emperor, packed up the Scouter and an Energy Gun, then left the Training Ground together.
They'd already gained plenty that day, and could consider the trip a great success. They weren't particularly interested in the Combat Suit, either. It wasn't made of steel, and didn't align with their faith in the Omnissiah.
"All Space Marines of the 6th Legion, the Space Wolves, and all Techmarines, leave. Only the Custodians, Leman Russ, and Axis are to remain." The Emperor issued another order.
Soon, fewer than ten people remained in the Training Ground: the Emperor, four Custodians, Leman Russ, and Axis.
The Emperor approached the small, eyeball-shaped spaceship and ran a hand over it. "Tell me, Russ, what is this ship for?"
Its material was a metal harder than Plasteel, perhaps even as hard as Adamantium. It was a material he had never encountered before.
"Father, I was planning to show it to you last. There's also a special Medical Tank. Don't you want to see it?" Russ asked.
"A Medical Tank? Where is it?" The Emperor glanced at Russ in surprise. The eyeball-shaped ship wasn't even large enough for a tall Astartes to sit inside, so how could it possibly hold a Medical Tank?
Russ smiled, took a space Capsule from his pocket, and tossed it onto the ground. A cloud of smoke billowed, and then a huge Medical Tank—about three and a half meters tall and six meters wide—appeared before the Emperor and the Custodians.
"This is spatial technology! Some kind of storage technology based on spatial compression and folding?" The Emperor's expression shifted as he turned to Leman Russ.
The boy really could surprise him. It was a good thing he'd sent the people from Mars away.
Even at the height of human civilization during the Dark Age of Technology, they had never fully mastered this kind of compact, civilian-grade spatial technology.
The Imperium he had founded was even more impoverished. Compact spatial compression technology was simply unimaginable for them.
"That's right, Father. It's spatial technology. You can have it if you like. I was going to give it to you anyway!
"As long as the patient isn't already dead, this Medical Tank can repair them once they're placed inside. It only takes twenty-four hours," Leman Russ said.
The Emperor pondered his words. If it could repair anyone who wasn't dead, using the Medical Tank for surgical modifications on Space Marines or Custodians would surely greatly increase the success rate!
And, thinking further, could it also repair Space Marines or Custodians placed inside Dreadnoughts?
"Can it regenerate severed limbs?" the Emperor asked.
"No, it can't," Axis replied with a shake of his head.
After Cooler rescued the Great Ape, he hadn't been able to regenerate severed limbs. So the Medical Tank couldn't restore them.
"Then it's worth much less. Take it to Holy Terra. This little device with spatial folding and compression technology is the real priceless treasure." In the Emperor's eyes, this device, with its spatial folding and compression technology, was the most precious thing of all.
If it could be mass-produced, the benefits would be beyond measure. For example, when transporting goods in the future, a single Battle Barge equipped with these devices could carry as much cargo as a thousand, or even ten thousand, ships could before.
A Space Marine could also carry more ammunition, more weapons, and more supplies. The advantages were endless.
"Now, can you tell me what's special about this little spaceship?" the Emperor asked.
At first, he'd thought it was an ordinary escape pod or landing craft. But now it seemed to be more than that. A ship equipped with spatial technology of this level had to be something special.
"Father, this special little spaceship is an interstellar vessel. It isn't an escape pod or anything like that. It can travel between stars—and it can travel faster than light!" Russ said.
The moment he said this, silence fell over the group. The Emperor spun around and was instantly at Leman Russ's side. He looked down at Russ and asked, "What did you say? This little spaceship can travel faster than light?!"
Even the Emperor's voice trembled with excitement. This was an enormous surprise.
Faster-than-light travel was something he had dreamed of for ages.
Before you continue