Awakening! The First Mission

Upon meeting the Emperor, Fulgrim, Primarch of the Third Legion, immediately recognized his father and swore his allegiance, becoming yet another returned Primarch.

It is worth mentioning that upon returning to his legion, this Primarch immediately delivered a speech before the Emperor and all the legionaries that was incredibly generous and even deeply moving.

Emperor himself was quite touched, bestowing the name "Emperor's Children" upon the Third Legion and holding the Third Primarch, Fulgrim, in exceptionally high regard.

Believing that the young man would become a pillar of humanity and fight for the Imperium of Man, the Emperor even shared this event with Malcador the Sigillite upon returning to Holy Terra.

"Do you know, Malcador? I saw the light of a perfect human in that child. His features are exceptionally beautiful, and his conduct is noble and elegant; he is simply the model of perfection," the Emperor said.

Emperor was exceptionally fond of this Third Primarch.

"I hope he can shine for humanity and fight for humanity, just as you wish."

Malcador smiled and said nothing more; after all, he had not met the individual and found it difficult to offer an assessment.

"He certainly will. Even I was moved by the speech that child gave! By the way, how are Axis's recent modifications and study tasks progressing?" the Emperor asked.

"Very well. His physical tolerance is remarkably high, and as per his request, I have adjusted the internal pressure of his incubation tank to over ten times that of Holy Terra. Under ten times gravity, the child seems to develop even better," Malcador said, looking at Axis, who stood over two meters tall with a cold, stern expression inside the tank.

"Logically speaking, his height should have reached over three meters by now. Why is he only two meters?" the Emperor asked, looking at Axis in the tank.

They had been cultivating Axis for ten years; at this rate, even an average Adeptus Custodes would have reached two and a half meters!

As someone undergoing Primarch-level modification, Axis should have been at least three meters tall, so a height of just over two meters was somewhat strange.

"I find this strange as well! However, I asked Axis about it, and he said that once his people reach adulthood, their appearance, physique, and even bodily functions remain absolutely unchanged until they enter old age—even their hairstyle remains the same," Malcador replied.

Emperor nodded upon hearing this; what a strange minority of humanity, whose appearance and even hairstyle would not change at all after reaching adulthood!

In the eleventh year, Axis continued to cultivate his artistic cells, but this time, Malcador began to focus on cultivating his military artistic cells.

In the twelfth year, Malcador began arranging war command tasks for Axis, directing soldiers to fight against enemies.

At the beginning, the armies Axis led were equal to the enemy in terms of numbers, equipment, and weaponry, and the enemies were also human.

Once Axis could perfectly defeat enemies of equal strength, Malcador began to arrange new learning tasks, placing Axis's army at a disadvantage in terms of terrain, intelligence, or numbers.

That year, the Emperor left Holy Terra once again, heading to a place called Nocturne.

There, he met Vulkan, the Primarch of the 18th Legion, who stood nearly 4.5 meters tall and possessed the most robust physique.

The two held a hunting competition, and in the end, to save Vulkan, the Emperor threw his own prey into the magma; although he lost the competition, he moved the Primarch.

Vulkan, Primarch of the 18th Legion, returned and named his legion after the prey they had hunted: the Salamanders.

In the thirteenth year, Axis received more advanced tactical training, leading small squads to execute decapitation strikes and stealth assassination missions.

In the fourteenth year, Axis began learning how to pilot a spaceship, the responsibilities of a qualified captain, and how to coordinate with navigators in dangerous space and the Warp.

In the fifteenth year, having completed a year of study, Axis became a reasonably qualified Imperial Navy captain. Malcador then assigned him a new task: simulating space warfare against enemies while commanding a warship.

Also in that year, the Emperor left Holy Terra once again, traveling to the ice world of Inwit, where he recovered yet another Primarch.

He found Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the 7th Legion, and placed the Imperial Fists legion under his command.

At the same time, he obtained the Phalanx, a warship from the Dark Age of Technology, which Dorn presented to the Emperor as a massive star-fortress.

During the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth years, Axis spent his time simulating space warfare, including boarding actions, ship-to-ship combat, and assault operations.

During this period, the Emperor traveled to Macragge and recovered Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the 13th Legion, allowing the Ultramarines to be named and to welcome back their Primarch.

The 500 Worlds of Ultramar were already a highly developed industrial region that had been exceptionally well-preserved.

The addition of this region greatly boosted the Imperium's industrial power, causing the Imperium's strength to soar once more as the Great Crusade proceeded in full swing.

In the nineteenth year, Axis completed all the academic tasks set by Malcador two years ahead of schedule, becoming an all-around master.

In the following years, due to his super-brain, Axis's learning speed was terrifying.

By this time, Axis's physical modifications had entered their final stages. In the twentieth and twenty-first years, Axis began learning some of the biological synthesis techniques mastered by Malcador, commonly known as biological alchemy.

This was also the key method the Emperor used to modify the Adeptus Custodes.

By the twenty-third year, aside from a lack of practical experience, Axis had learned almost all the knowledge Malcador possessed, save for what the old man had kept to himself.

It was also in this year, 842.M30, that the Imperium encountered a powerful, unprecedented alien life form known as the Rangdan.

The evil Rangdan invaded the frontiers of the newborn Imperium, possessing foul technology and cruel ambitions that rivaled those of the Imperium, along with powerful psychic control abilities.

In the first few months of their encounter with the First Legion, 5,000 Space Marines of the First Legion died in the war against the Rangdan.

During this period, an event occurred that infuriated the Emperor: the Second Primarch had rebelled.

Emperor awakened Axis, whose initial modifications were now complete.

After twenty-four years, Axis awoke, slowly opening his eyes to take control of his body.

"Axis, your first mission: eradicate the Second Primarch."