"..." Axis.
Are you kidding me?! I've only just woken up, and the first task you give me is to kill a Primarch—the incredibly mysterious Second Primarch, no less!
Axis could feel that his body was very strong now, but at that moment, he could barely even stand up!
His brain seemed completely out of sync with his body. Although he had stayed conscious in the virtual space and learned all kinds of knowledge, his physical body in the real world had been sound asleep for a full 24 years!
Axis figured that it would take at least some time and rehabilitation training for him to regain his mobility and get used to his body.
"Emperor! Could we discuss this matter a little more?" Malcador said, standing off to the side and giving a soft cough.
Axis had only just woken up, and now he was being sent on such a difficult mission! Malcador felt that sending him to eliminate a Primarch was somewhat inappropriate.
But he also knew that the Emperor was furious at the moment! Otherwise, he wouldn't have wanted to send Axis without even discussing it with him.
The Rangdan Xenos had truly angered the Emperor, enraging the Master of Mankind.
"Emperor! Aren't the Primarchs your sons? Why would you kill your own son?" Axis asked.
Axis's voice was no longer that of a childish boy. It was now the deep, powerful voice of an adult man.
"The Second Primarch has betrayed the Imperium and betrayed humanity.
"So he must be destroyed. This is the first mission I'm giving you, and I expect you to complete it perfectly.
"As an Adeptus Custodes, you must follow orders, not question them," the Emperor said.
There was naturally a reason for sending Axis. This was a good opportunity to test his combat strength, according to the Emperor's calculations.
After his enhancement, Axis's potential had increased dramatically, and his lifespan had broken through its limits, reaching the level of a Primarch.
Along with the various Superhuman Organs he had gained, he would have extraordinary endurance and incredible speed.
Besides that, Axis's combat strength had increased by at least twenty times!
With that power called qi, killing a Primarch who hadn't awakened his Warp Essence would be incredibly easy. There should be no suspense in this fight.
Axis found it strange. In the original timeline, the disappearance of the Second Primarch and the Eleventh Primarch had both been vaguely attributed, officially, to his adoptive father, the Wolf King.
So the Emperor wasn't planning to send his adoptive father to eliminate him. He was sending Axis instead?
"Since it's an order from the Emperor, I'll obey," Axis said.
Axis had wanted to ask why he couldn't return to the Wolf Legion. Back then, Russ had agreed with the Emperor that once Axis had completed his transformation, he would join Russ's Legion and take part in the Great Crusade.
Now he was being sent to eliminate the Second Primarch. What was that supposed to mean?!
But after thinking it over, Axis decided not to ask. The Emperor was furious, and some things were better left unsaid.
"None of the missions you carry out this time will be entered into the records. They are secret missions for the Adeptus Custodes," the Emperor said.
Axis nodded to show that he understood.
"Emperor, Axis has only just woken up. He needs time to adjust to his body. I'm afraid there may not be enough time," Malcador said.
"I'll give Axis a month to get used to his body. It will take two months of Warp travel to reach the target planet from Holy Terra.
"He can continue adjusting to his body aboard the ship. There will be plenty of time," the Emperor said.
He had already calculated everything. Three months would be enough for Axis to reach the Second Primarch.
"Who'll be going with me on this mission? Other Adeptus Custodes?" Axis asked.
"No. I'll arrange for a special Imperial vessel to take you there, but you'll be the only combatant.
"You'll go alone to eliminate the Second Primarch. All of his Legion's gene-sons must be wiped out as well," the Emperor said.
"..." Axis.
You yellow-skinned old man, you really think highly of me. I don't even know how strong I am right now. If my combat strength is over ten thousand, this mission should be pretty easy.
I wonder what kind of mistake the Second Primarch made. They don't just want him eliminated—they want all his gene-sons wiped out too!
"Malcador will explain the mission in detail. Get ready to leave in a month!" the Emperor said. Then he left the laboratory without looking back, offering Axis no further explanation.
Axis could clearly tell that the Emperor was unusually stern today, even a little cold.
"Teacher, the Emperor seems a little strange today," Axis said, turning to look at his teacher, Malcador.
"He's in a bad mood. The matter of the Second Primarch has dealt him a heavy blow," Malcador said.
There was a fifty percent chance that a Primarch would betray the Emperor. In theory, ten of the twenty Primarchs would turn against him. It was even possible that more than that would betray him.
The Emperor had been prepared for it, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon—and, more than that, he hadn't expected it to be caused by anything other than corruption by the Warp!
Instead, it was the special abilities of another Xenos species. That had left the Emperor in an especially foul mood!
"Teacher, what exactly happened to the Second Primarch? Why did he betray the Imperium?" Axis asked.
"It started with the Rangdan Xenos. Those creatures possess a form of mental control. They used it to forcibly control the Second Primarch, making him obey their commands. They also took control of many Space Marines," Malcador said.
"If that's the case, couldn't I just capture the Second Primarch alive and bring him back, then break the mind control?" Axis asked.
"It isn't as simple as you think. The Imperium has been at war with the Rangdan for a year already.
"During that time, we rescued some human warriors they had controlled using their special methods. We discovered that it was something even more terrifying than the Butcher's Nails.
"Once they control you, there's basically no escape except death!
"If the Second Primarch weren't beyond saving, the Emperor wouldn't have ordered his elimination," Malcador said.
"Teacher! The Second Primarch betrayed the Emperor, but do all of his gene-sons have to be wiped out too?" Axis asked.
He could obey the Emperor's orders, but he wouldn't become a mindless executioner.
Axis had planned to join the Wolf Legion. There, everyone could be executioners together—but being the only one doing it didn't seem right.
"Axis, there are some things you're better off not knowing," Malcador said with a sigh.
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