Warhammer 40k: Starting as a Rogue Trader

Chapter 80: Pumping Up a Champion

Though 30,000 Psy-crystals to create such a warrior was very expensive, it was not a loss. Crucially, such a warrior had potential for growth!

"Damn, why do I feel like I'm also force-feeding power-ups to people like the Four Gods…" After all, this was the world of Warhammer; individual strength was still very important in this universe.

Often, all tactics eventually devolved into boarding actions, and melee combat was always unavoidable.

It was known that the Mongorte Dynasty, with its many years of accumulation, had very few gene-enhanced warriors of this caliber. After all, much of this technology was in the hands of those "grease-monkeys" (Tech-Priests), and even if they charged a high price, the Dynasty had no choice but to accept.

This was the bountiful reward brought by technological monopoly.

The past leaders of the Mongorte Dynasty were not heretical enough; they hadn't accumulated much heretek at all! They were too honest!

Looking at Damon, who was familiarizing himself with his newly enhanced body at the side, Lucan gritted his teeth again and began to spend more Psy-crystals to create a suit of Praetor Armor.

As the Psy-crystals were consumed, a suit of dark green armor began to appear before the two of them.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… so cool… If I didn't already have the ability to kill daemons and strengthen myself, making it a waste for me to wear this, I'd really want a set for myself…"

Carrying this suit of Praetor Armor, Lucan then took Damon to the training grounds.

Lucan planned to test the limits of this suit of armor.

Lucan first used an autogun, then a lasgun, a C-14, and a bolter to shoot at the Praetor Suit, testing its durability.

Although the Praetor Suit was very tough, continuous fire still caused damage to the equipment.

"It really performs just like in the game. According to the lore, shouldn't it be indestructible?"

In the game, DOOM could be killed. Lucan himself had died frequently when playing the latest entry, Eternal.

Lucan, to be honest, was a little disappointed… its durability was, at most, similar to the adamantium combat suit.

"No, wait… If, as the description says, its strength references gameplay, then could it also have the same functions as in the game?"

Lucan refused to believe he spent so many Psy-crystals just to create such an item. This thing was said to be able to absorb the power of daemons to grow stronger, but you had to survive first. If you couldn't survive, then everything was for nothing.

Lucan had Damon put on the Praetor Suit, and then had someone prepare a chainsword for him.

After putting on the Praetor Suit, his strength and speed indeed improved considerably. When Damon leaped, he could even perform a short mid-air dash, just like the dash in the game.

That was quite practical.

"My Lord, the tactical display on this suit is very special… It's actually showing my health and armor values, like I'm playing a game. And why is there a fuel can icon in the bottom right corner? Hey? This prompt… a flamethrower? Is this built into the armor?"

Hearing this, Lucan suddenly felt his guess might be correct!

Lucan immediately sent people to fetch some test subjects.

Soon, ten mutated beasts, held in cages, were brought to the training grounds. These creatures had been captured from the wastelands outside.

Mutation had made these beasts significantly more dangerous; they were a fatal threat to some scavengers in the wastelands.

At this moment, the furious beasts were madly tearing at their cages, trying to charge out. Their sharp teeth could even leave marks on the metal bars.

"Damon, try using the chainsword and that flamethrower to take them out!"

Although Damon didn't know why Lucan was asking him to do this, he complied.

The cages were opened, and the ten mutated beasts charged directly at Damon.

But the enhanced Damon was not someone they could stand against.

The chainsword in Damon's hand easily sliced through the body of one beast. But what spewed from the corpse was not just blood, but also a large amount of ammunition?!

This scene completely defied the laws of physics!

As the ammunition ejected from the corpse scattered on the ground, the fuel can icon also dimmed, but then it began to recover on its own.

"My Lord, this fuel can needs two minutes to recover!"

Damon then used the flamethrower on the Praetor Suit. A small flamethrower automatically extended from the shoulder pauldron.

A torrent of flame spewed out, enveloping the bodies of the monsters.

These flames seemed inextinguishable, clinging tightly to their bodies no matter how they struggled.

As the flames consumed their bodies, the scorched flesh of these monsters actually turned into chunks of translucent green armor that fell to the ground.

And only Lucan and Damon, wearing the Praetor Suit, could see these armor shards on the ground.

When Damon's body passed over the armor fragments, the previously damaged Praetor Suit actually began to repair itself.

As Damon was marveling at this incredible change, another mutated beast leaped towards him.

But before its attack could reach Damon, it was sent flying by a heavy punch from Damon. The punch nearly knocked the mutated beast unconscious; it wailed, for a moment unable to even get back up.

And through the visor of the Praetor Suit, a new prompt appeared over the beast.

"My Lord, this… why is this monster flashing on my tactical display?!"

"Damon! Get up there and tear it apart!"

Although Damon didn't know why, he still rushed quickly to the side of this "low-health" mutated beast. As he approached it, Damon felt a cruel thought instantly appear in his mind. Various Glory Kill animations from the game Doom now flooded his brain.

Damon moved forward and grabbed the mutated beast by the neck.

Under Lucan's excited gaze, Damon easily tore the mutated beast to shreds… literally tore it to shreds. Severed limbs flew everywhere, and its irradiated innards were directly ripped out by Damon.

And what was produced with the Glory Kill was the monster's life force and strength.

They were absorbed by the Praetor Suit and began to repair Damon's body and enhance his power.

The few remaining mutated beasts were terrified by Damon's brutal actions. They retreated to a corner and no longer dared to approach.

However, Damon had no intention of letting them go. After performing two more executions, a bloody red light began to glow on his fists.

He swung his fist forward heavily. A crimson shockwave instantly blew the remaining few mutated beasts to pieces.

"It's really just like in the game! Armor back, health back, and Glory Kills! It even has Blood Punch! This was so worth it!" Lucan cheered internally.

Damon looked in shock at what he had just done. This armor… wasn't it far too unscientific?! In the past, gaining even a little bit of strength required constant training, but now he could achieve it through combat.

Although it wasn't as indestructible as in the game's lore, wearing this Praetor Suit was like being a perpetual motion machine, a fighting machine that constantly killed and grew stronger.

The Doom Slayer had slaughtered for several eons, using the lives and souls of countless daemons to create such an invincible being.

However, after seeing the effects of the Praetor Suit, Lucan became even more cautious about its allocation.

Lucan even suspected that someone might become completely addicted to this power that could be so easily obtained, turning into a pure killing machine.

Lucan thought in his mind if there were any other individuals with strong enough will…

He suddenly thought of Titus… The willpower of Titus in the Astartes short film and Space Marine 2 was terrifyingly strong. Although he was a "Chosen of two gods" (Khorne and the Emperor, according to some fan theories), he loved battle but never lost his reason to the slaughter.

If he were to give this god of slaughter a Praetor Suit, wouldn't he be unbelievably potent?

"Next time, should I ask the Emperor if he can issue a divine oracle and transfer him from the Ultramarines for me to use?"

(End of Chapter)