While the Emperor was traveling through the Warp, he had already used his powerful Psykic Power to speak with the Imperial Chancellor remotely and briefly explain Axis's situation.
Malcador was also very curious about this unusual child. What did it mean for someone to be able to match a Primarch while still so young?
He had taken part in the creation of the Primarchs, so he knew just how powerful the Emperor's children were.
"This is the child. He surprised me several times aboard the ship. The fighting ability he showed when we first met,
and the special power he displayed after being brought aboard the ship, both astonished me." The Emperor recounted Axis's many extraordinary feats to Malcador.
This old friend was the person he trusted most—even more than the Primarchs, and more than Erda, his wife in name.
"You're not joking, are you? His body can perfectly withstand ten times normal gravity, and he can fight the Adeptus Custodes hand-to-hand and win without wearing power armor!"
Malcador thought the Emperor was messing with him. He'd done that before, but never like this!
If Axis could match an Adeptus Custodes, fine, but he had beaten one so badly that the warrior had lost all confidence. That was simply unbelievable!
"I'm not lying to you. If you don't believe me, you can check the ship's surveillance footage. It shows Axis fighting Caesar. Caesar wasn't wearing all his power armor, but he was still giving it everything he had," the Emperor said.
"How interesting. I'll take a look. You said that special energy of his is called qi. Can it really enhance a living body's physical abilities?" Malcador asked.
"Yes. You can see for yourself by looking at Caesar. His physical abilities have improved somewhat since he left Holy Terra. And I found Subject 6.
"His physical abilities are also about ten percent stronger than expected," the Emperor said.
Malcador nodded. The boy's value was simply beyond measure!
He was unquestionably a Primarch-level fighter, perhaps even stronger than a Primarch!
If properly trained, he would be vital to humanity. Humanity was desperately short of such elite fighters.
"What do you plan to do? Will you leave his Adeptus Custodes enhancement surgery to the bio-wizards?" Malcador asked.
"I plan to take him to the underground laboratory beneath the palace in the Himalayas and perform the modifications myself. You can come with me," the Emperor said.
"??? That's where the Primarchs were created. You're not joking, are you?" Malcador asked, frowning.
As the Emperor's closest friend, he had taken part in the creation of the Primarchs from beginning to end. He knew full well just how many secrets that laboratory concealed.
"I'll talk it all through with you in a moment. I've brought back a lot of good things this time. The most useful are a Bio-healing Pod and an FTL Engine," the Emperor transmitted to his old friend with Psykic Power.
The Emperor hadn't told him about the FTL Engine through Psykic Power, since they were communicating through the Warp.
Sometimes, things discussed this way could be overheard by certain Chaos Entities, so he couldn't reveal the details. Even when it came to Axis, he had only been vague.
Malcador, who had been walking, suddenly stopped. He even trembled slightly as he looked at the Emperor. Then, seeing the resolve in the Emperor's eyes,
Malcador gradually composed himself. He followed the Emperor deeper into the palace and instructed the Adeptus Custodes to find a place for Axis in the palace for the time being.
Axis stood to the side and curled his lip. Those two were definitely communicating with Psykic Power. So what had the Emperor told old Malcador?
The two entered a secret room in the palace and used their powerful Psykic Power to block all outside probes.
They made sure their conversation would be secure and that no third party could hear it.
"All right, my old friend. Now let's talk like old friends. Tell me what you brought back this time." Malcador poured the Emperor a cup of tea.
The Emperor nodded and told Malcador about everything he had gained this time, as well as his plan to restore humanity's fortunes. Before, it had been the Webway; now it was the Webway and FTL ships.
"My old friend! I never imagined it!
"It's an FTL Engine! And one that can travel at over a thousand times the speed of light. We've actually gotten our hands on one!" Malcador murmured.
"That's why I didn't dare tell you any of this through Psykic Power while I was in the Warp. Even with Axis, all I told you was that he was an unusual child," the Emperor said.
If he said too much, Chaos would surely take notice.
"I understand, my old friend! I'll do everything I can to help you, just like before. I'll always stand by your side," Malcador said.
"I plan to use every form of genetic enhancement on him. Other than the Primarchs' Warp Essence, every stage of his enhancement will follow the Primarch process," the Emperor said.
"You plan to make him into one of your Primarchs! But that's impossible! You know what the Warp Essence of a Primarch is!
"Without the soul fragments of those lesser Warp gods, it's impossible to create another Primarch.
"And any Primarch has a fifty percent chance of falling into the Warp and succumbing to Chaos," Malcador said.
The key to the Primarchs was that part of them came from the Warp. Their human bodies were merely vessels that bound them; their true nature was that of lesser Warp gods.
All the Primarchs were fragments of lesser gods. The Emperor had captured them in the Warp alongside the Four Chaos Gods and brought them out.
Only the Emperor knew how he had brought them out. Then, using the pinnacle of human technology combined with his own and Erda's genes, he had created bodies for them.
And so the Primarchs came into being.
"He doesn't need the soul fragments of lesser Warp gods. I'm only going to perform the enhancements that give him a Primarch's body," the Emperor said.
"Half a Primarch and an Adeptus Custodes, then?" Malcador asked.
"Exactly. He won't have any Warp power," the Emperor said.
Without Warp power, he wouldn't have the fifty percent chance of falling to Chaos and becoming corrupted. This child was far safer than a Primarch.
"That's an utterly insane idea. If that's the case, why not simply extract his genetic material
"and clone him? You could create a new Primarch that way," Malcador said.
That would be safer and more controllable.
"This child is special. This power called qi belongs to him alone.
"It can't be inherited through blood. His descendants won't inherit qi. He's one of a kind," the Emperor said.
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