Chapter 100: Psychic Sensor, Argentum Energy Backpack
After finishing his conversation with Guilliman, Dukel returned to the Mechanical Workshop under the escort of the Psychic Guard.
"Gris, how is the preparation of the power armor for the Second Legion going?" On the way, the Primarch asked through the mind network.
"It is done, Your Highness."
Upon hearing this answer, Dukel's eyes flashed with satisfaction.
In the previous ability tests of his offspring, Doom had still been wearing standard power armor. But now, the armor unique to the Second Legion was finally complete.
After this period of surgical transformation, a whole team of Primaris Space Marines from the Second Legion had been born.
The organization of the Second Legion followed the specifications of the Expeditionary Corps, with 22 soldiers per team.
Perhaps this does not meet the Empire's standard for organizing interstellar regiments, but in the current Human Empire, anyone who dares criticize the structure—other than the old Emperor himself—is considered a heretic. And Dukel has zero tolerance for heresy.
As Dukel's eldest sons, the first batch of Second Legion soldiers were immediately seized by their father and placed on the assembly line in the machinery workshop after their rebirth. They began working day and night.
Fortunately, they helped, or Dukel might not have been able to spare time to consult with Guilliman.
Transforming gene seeds into a mind engine is no easy task. Not only does it require complicated steps, but it also demands the use of the original body's genetic abilities.
Before the first batch of offspring were born, Dukel worked tirelessly to transform the mind engine. Now, it was his turn to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Upon returning to the mechanical workshop, the Primarch looked at his descendants working meticulously on the assembly line and felt a great sense of relief.
He shut down the large machine that was still running and called to his descendants.
"Come on, guys, let me show you some new armor!"
Upon hearing the Primarch's call, the soldiers slowly raised their heads, revealing eyes nearly numb from the long hours of work on the assembly line.
When their equally numb brains finally processed Dukel's words, their eyes lit up with intense joy.
Initially, their father had told them they only needed to work on the assembly line for three days. They had gladly accepted the offer to serve their father and be loyal to the Empire. However, they didn't expect that after three days, and then three more, and so on, in a place filled only with the roar of machinery—where even the passage of time seemed lost—they had forgotten how long they had been working without sleep.
"Yes, Gene Father!" they shouted in unison. They followed Dukel's lead and left the massive mechanical workshop.
Led by the Primarch, they made their way to the armament hall on the Inner Fire.
After passing through layers of security codes and genetic tests, they arrived at the end of the armament hall.
This was a special arming workshop for the Second Corps.
The priests and mechanical servants had been waiting here for a long time. Dozens of priests, their bodies covered with mechanical modifications, saluted Dukel and his descendants with the Imperial salute.
Behind them stood the Second Legion's power armor—designed, modified, and upgraded by the scientific research team after a long period of hard work.
Since the current members of the Second Legion were all former soldiers of the Krieg Legion, Dukel had painted their power armor in the same black and green color scheme as the Krieg uniform.
Before the expeditionary force set out, Dukel and Gris had upgraded their power armor.
The Second Legion's power armor not only maintained the top performance of expeditionary power armor, but more importantly, it included two unique devices.
—The first device, which Dukel called the "psychic sensor."
This was a byproduct developed inadvertently during the mind engine transformation. It would eventually be incorporated into the equipment of all mind network members. The function of the psychic sensor is simple: "connecting to the network."
If the mind network is compared to the Internet, the psychic sensor is the network cable.
In the future, Dukel plans to develop a "psychic series" of armaments to completely replace the current weapons of the expeditionary corps. These weapons, capable of linking with the mind network, will shine in future wars.
At the same time, Dukel is actively preparing for the construction of the "Mind Webway." Once completed, he will add a "Mind Arsenal" module to the network, storing a vast array of "Mind Series World-Destroying" heavy firepower weapons directly in the webway.
These heavy firepower weapons, equipped with psychic sensors, will be transmitted directly to soldiers' locations based on their application needs. This means that, in the future, no matter where or when soldiers are engaged, they will no longer struggle with insufficient firepower.
However, this project remains distant for Dukel. Currently, he faces a lack of definitive armaments, insufficient funds, and no webway. After all, building a webway is no easy task, and the manpower and material resources required are beyond his current capabilities.
Compared to the psychic sensor, however, the second device is more critical.
—The Yajin Energy Backpack.
If the psychic sensor is the Primarch's beautiful vision for the future, the Yajin Energy Backpack is what will address his past hidden dangers.
Due to genetic defects, both Dukel and the soldiers of the Second Legion are highly dependent on the heart network to share extreme emotions. The mind web is their source of great power, but also their fatal weakness.
If they were ever defeated in battle, and the members of the heart network were slaughtered, then the Primarch and the Second Legion would undoubtedly go out of control.
Dukel knew this well. So, when he stepped into the trap of the gods and realized he was about to be teleported to the land of destiny, he chose to destroy the City of Light without hesitation, sending the expeditionary force that would face danger with him.
It was true that this decision was partially driven by sentimental kindness—he couldn't bear to see his loyal Imperial soldiers slaughtered by demons. But more importantly, it was rational judgment. Once the heart network members were trapped and massacred, Dukel knew his forces would lose control.
Rather than risk that fate, he chose to face death alone and let the expeditionary corps seek help from Guilliman.
The Yajin Energy Backpack is a modification of the power armor's original energy backpack. These backpacks, equipped with psychic sensors, are linked to the psychic network and engine.
When the Second Legion kills enemies, a portion of the original source, transformed from the genetic ability, is automatically collected and stored.
These stored original sources serve as top-tier energy and, most importantly, can feed back into the mind engine when the support of the mind network is lost—thus preventing imminent loss of control.
As for how long this energy can last, it depends on the number of enemies killed. If a constant stream of enemies is slain, the duration is theoretically unlimited.
While Dukel was deep in thought, the soldiers of the Second Legion had already finished arming themselves.
"Go ahead, boys!" Dukel said, a fire in his voice.
Without much verbal instruction, Dukel transmitted the mission directly to his descendants' minds through the mind network.
"Follow your will!" At that moment, excitement flashed in the eyes of every soldier.
——Finally, they could say goodbye to the assembly line.