harleyscars Chapter 12 Departure
Chapter 12 Departure
During the year that Livy underwent reformation, the medical sanctuary beneath the Pyramid of Furtap never went out.
When he was finally able to sit up on his own and move his newborn body, he saw through the transparent porthole of the medical pod a group of young scholars in dark red robes, holding their most cherished books, silently walking into the operating room next door.
"The last batch of volunteers has gone in to participate in the Astark modification surgery."
Amon's voice came from behind, holding a neatly folded set of black underwear.
"On the third day after your surgery, Lord Magnus issued a recruitment order to the five major schools."
Li Wei turned his head, looking at his now towering 2.3-meter frame, feeling the surging power within him and the deeper resonance with the subspace, and asked softly, "How many people signed up?"
"Nearly ten thousand people." Amon's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of emotion. "Almost all of Prospero's finest scholars have come. They have laid down their quills and ancient texts, willing to use their own flesh and blood to protect the glory of Tizka."
Magnus's recruitment standards were extremely stringent. Not only did they require outstanding psychic talent, but they also demanded an iron will—after all, the nineteen unanesthetized modification surgeries were a tempering of the soul.
Ultimately, he selected 3,000 scholars who best met the requirements from nearly 10,000 volunteers.
This quantity is limited to those gene seeds, leaving only three thousand, plus the mature gene seeds from the surviving thousand children, that's all.
Li Wei also purified these seeds, removing the subspace pollution.
The entire biotech team of the Cult of Mechanics mobilized to expand the Medical Sanctuary to a full three stories.
Nineteen modification surgeries were carried out in an orderly, assembly-line manner. Amon, along with psionic scholars from the five major schools, took turns guarding the perimeter of the sanctuary around the clock, using layers of psionic barriers to isolate all warp interference.
Unlike other legions, Senko's modifications have unique advantages.
All the gene seeds implanted in the warriors' bodies have been thoroughly purified by the Emperor's blood.
Those chaotic flaws and hidden dangers of flesh mutation that had kept Magnus up at night were completely erased by that drop of golden blood.
No warriors mutated out of control during surgery, and no scholars succumbed to chaos in their suffering.
Scholars who were once powerless have been transformed into interstellar warriors, over two meters tall and possessing both strength and intelligence, through the manipulation of scalpels and genetic seeds.
They still retain their thirst for knowledge, only now their books have been replaced by explosive guns and power axes, and their research topics have shifted from ancient runes to tactical simulations and psionic combat techniques.
Scholars from the Fire Phoenix School became the most elite battle mages, prophets from the Black Raven School became the legion's scouts, biologists from the Bright Feather School became the best military doctors, mind mages from the Sky Owl School became the legion's communication hub, and telekinetic manipulators from the Falcon School were responsible for controlling the warships' weapon systems.
After Li Wei fully recovered, he also joined the team that modified support.
Using his understanding of the Abyss Resonance Technique, he helped Magnus improve the psionic amplification process, allowing the new warriors to take control of their newfound power more quickly.
He also taught his method of constructing soul resonance nodes to the chief mages of the five major schools, allowing every Thousand Sons warrior to safely draw energy from the warp without fear of corruption.
Time passed day by day.
When the last Thousand Warrior stepped off the operating table and donned his crimson power armor, there were still six months left until the deadline for the Great Crusade.
The Thousand Sons Legion, which originally consisted of only 1,200 men, has now expanded to 4,200 men.
Four thousand two hundred Space Marines, possessing both wisdom and strength, and four thousand two hundred Scholar Warriors, capable of tearing enemy lines apart with psionic energy on the battlefield, formed the most unique and awe-inspiring legion in the Great Crusade.
On this day, Magnus summoned all the legionary warriors and held a grand military parade in Mithril Square in front of the Pyramid of Fortep.
Four thousand two hundred warriors, clad in scarlet power armor, stood solemnly in forty-two neat square formations.
The sunlight shone on their armor, making it look like a burning sea of blood.
The square was crowded with Tizika citizens who came to see him off, waving their flags with pride and reluctance in their eyes.
Magnus stood at the highest point of Mithril Square, wearing a long robe of gold and red, and holding a staff inlaid with a crimson gem.
He looked down at the offspring he had created with his own hands, and at Li Wei, who stood at the very front of the formation, clad in wine-red power armor. His voice, amplified by psionic energy, resounded throughout the entire plaza:
"My children!"
"Once, we were cursed and struggled in the darkness. We thought we were destined to perish in despair and become food for chaos."
But today, we are reborn!
"The wisdom of the Li Wei brothers has dispelled our gloom. From this day forward, the Thousand Sons are no longer a cursed legion; we are the Empire's sharpest blade, the guardians of humanity!"
"The clarion call of the Great Crusade has sounded! Countless humans in the galaxy await our liberation, and countless evils await our eradication!"
"Take up your weapons and follow me! For the Emperor! For humanity! For Prospero!"
"For the Emperor! For humanity! For Prospero!"
Four thousand two hundred warriors simultaneously raised their weapons and let out a deafening shout.
The shouts soared into the sky and echoed for a long time above Tizka.
Li Wei stood at the very front of the formation, his right hand resting on the thousand-son emblem on his chest.
He could feel the heartbeat of every brother around him, and the passion and determination in their hearts.
He looked up at the sky, where the cruisers and battleships of the Thousand Sons Legion were already on track, ready to set sail.
The scarlet hull gleamed coldly in the sunlight, like a beast poised to pounce.
Magnus stepped down from the platform and patted Levi on the shoulder: "Ready, my chief think tank?"
Li Wei raised his head, a glint of gold and purple light flashing in his eyes, and a confident smile appeared on his lips:
"Always be prepared, Archmage."
He has been promoted by Magnus to be the chief think tank of the Thousand Sons, while Ahriman, who originally held that position, has become the chief mage of the Black Crow School.
The fleet's departure whistle pierced the tranquil sky.
The first warship slowly departed from orbit and entered the vast sea of stars.
Closely following behind was the entire fleet of the Thousand Sons Legion.
Prospero grew smaller and smaller behind him, eventually becoming a blue dot of light in the starry sky.
Li Wei stood on the bridge of the "Crimson Book," looking out into the endless darkness.
He knew that the shadow of the warp had never truly dissipated, and he also knew that this time, they finally held the chips to rewrite their destiny.