Shield Guard Captain, Legendary Super Saiyan Ki Reinforces the Adeptus Custodes

Upon hearing this, Caesar of the Adeptus Custodes looked toward Axis with a hopeful expression, desperately wishing for him to say that these wastes were not worth fighting against, thereby ending this painful training session.

But Axis's reply left him disappointed.

"Let them continue to spar with me! I will use my Ki to strengthen their bodies," Axis said.

These Golden Corns were quite durable; aside from them, the only ones stronger were the Primarchs.

But without awakening the essence of the Warp, even a Primarch could not defeat him, and he certainly couldn't just summon Emperor, could he? So, he had no choice but to wrong these Adeptus Custodes.

Moreover, these Adeptus Custodes could grow stronger. Axis wanted to see what kind of changes the Legendary Super Saiyan Ki would induce in them, as he had previously only been an ordinary Saiyan.

Now, after his transformation, he was a Legendary Super Saiyan, and the intensity of his Ki had undergone a qualitative change.

"I understand. Now, let us announce Emperor's decree. Axis, you shall officially serve as the Shield-Captain of these sixteen Adeptus Custodes, leading this squad," Malcador said.

Upon hearing this, the dozen or so Adeptus Custodes were almost in disbelief. A Shield-Captain was a position of real power within the Adeptus Custodes, not merely an honorary title.

Typically, an Adeptus Custodes would only receive certain titles after serving for at least a century—these were honorary titles, such as Admiral, Governor, or Castellan. (In the 40K era, this takes five centuries; currently, only a few hundred years have passed since the birth of the Adeptus Custodes.)

Only after that would one be promoted to Shield-Captain to command a squad; Axis clearly did not meet the standard promotion criteria for the Adeptus Custodes.

He hadn't even undergone the ceremony of being personally gifted his weapons and armor by Emperor! He wasn't even officially inducted into the Adeptus Custodes yet.

The other Adeptus Custodes wanted Caesar to voice an objection, but to their surprise, Caesar was the first to bow to Axis.

"I offer you my highest respects, Shield-Captain Axis!" Caesar stepped before Axis and performed the Imperial Aquila Salute.

He had known for decades how highly Emperor regarded Axis; this was all Emperor's arrangement, and that alone was enough.

Therefore, there was no need to make a fool of himself. Following this powerful Shield-Captain would be the best way to carry out Emperor's orders.

"Hahaha! You're too kind, Brother Caesar!" Axis laughed, his eyes sweeping over the other dozen Adeptus Custodes.

After hesitating for two or three seconds, the remaining Adeptus Custodes followed Caesar's lead, bowing and saluting Axis to acknowledge his status as their Shield-Captain.

Seeing this, Malcador nodded with satisfaction; Axis had successfully gained the recognition of the Adeptus Custodes.

"Axis, your Power Armor and weapons are already being forged. What kind of Power Weapon would you like?" Malcador asked.

"Give me a pair of Power Fists! I prefer that type of melee weapon," Axis said.

Fists-to-flesh combat was what a Saiyan loved most!

"I understand! Use the remaining time to train well with them; I, too, wish to see the results of your Ki enhancement." Malcador waved his hand at Axis and left the training room directly.

For the next ten days of preparation, Axis stayed there to bond and spar with his new subordinates.

"Brother Caesar, you're the only one I know here. Why don't you introduce me to our colleagues?" Axis said.

Caesar nodded and, starting from the first Adeptus Custodes, introduced the names of the other fifteen to Axis, allowing him to get to know his new subordinates.

"Alright then, everyone sit cross-legged, sit around me in a circle. Then, grab each other's hands. I am going to use the power of Ki to strengthen your bodies," Axis said.

Upon hearing this, Caesar nodded to his dozen or so colleagues. The Adeptus Custodes removed their Power Armor, sat down in a circle holding hands, while Axis grabbed the wrists of two of them and sat in their midst.

Next, Axis channeled his powerful Legendary Super Saiyan Ki into the bodies of the Adeptus Custodes.

The aura of a Legendary Super Saiyan was more violent and savage, but thanks to years of mental discipline, Axis kept this aura relatively calm while in his base form.

Without transforming, no one would have guessed that Axis could be so ferocious.

This Ki was far stronger than that of an ordinary Saiyan! It flowed through Axis's hands and into the bodies of the other Adeptus Custodes.

Axis could clearly perceive his Ki flowing through the sixteen Adeptus Custodes, strengthening their cells, nourishing their bodies, and making their cellular structures more resilient.

The Adeptus Custodes also felt the changes in their bodies—a sensation that defied description.

It was like soaking in a warm spring, bathing in sunlight, or even the warm, comforting feeling of returning to the womb.

Axis's Ki circulated within the Adeptus Custodes like golden streams, washing over every inch of their flesh and blood.

The bodies of the Adeptus Custodes, already genetically enhanced, began to undergo subtle changes under the nourishment of this external energy.

"Ugh..." Caesar frowned slightly; he could feel his muscle fibers trembling faintly, and his bone density seemed to be increasing.

Even his neural reaction speed became sharper. The other Adeptus Custodes displayed similar expressions.

Axis closed his eyes and focused, concentrating on guiding the flow of Ki. The bodies of the Adeptus Custodes were far superior to ordinary men, their genetic structure already stable, and the Ki acted as a catalyst, further unleashing their potential.

Eight hours later, Axis stopped the infusion of his Ki and withdrew it.

The dozen or so Adeptus Custodes slowly opened their eyes, released each other's hands one by one, and began to stretch their bodies.

They could clearly feel the difference—strength, speed, endurance, and even sensory acuity had all significantly improved.

"This... is incredible."

One Adeptus Custodes clenched his fist, his knuckles popping crisply. "My strength has increased."

"My reaction speed has also become faster," another Adeptus Custodes said, making a grasping motion with his hand so fast it almost left an afterimage.

Caesar stood up, took a deep breath, and then smashed his fist into the ground with a roar.

Boom! The training room's specialized metal floor was dented, a testament to his significantly increased destructive power.

"This is only the preliminary strengthening of my Ki. If you receive the nourishment of my Ki over the long term, your bodies will be tempered by its power and become even stronger," Axis said.

Eight hours of nourishment from Legendary Super Saiyan Ki was worth a year of nourishment from an ordinary Saiyan's Ki; the combat power of these Adeptus Custodes had increased by at least several dozen points.