Sol System, Holy Terra.
Hegemon Hall.
Vance stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the endless sprawl of the hive city.
His body was completely different from what it had been just a dozen days ago. After undergoing initial trials and receiving the genetic serum bestowed by the Emperor, his physical baseline had far surpassed that of an ordinary mortal. Strength, speed, stamina, reflexes... every single metric had multiplied several times over. He was confident he could easily beat ten of his past selves in a straight-up fistfight.
But he knew this was only the beginning.
A set of heavy, steady footsteps echoed behind him. Vance turned around.
The golden figure stood just three meters away.
The Emperor.
Those glowing golden eyes were looking right at him. Vance's body tensed up on instinct. He snapped his right fist across his chestplate, delivering a flawless sign of the Aquila.
"The Master of Mankind."
The Emperor gave a slight nod. It was a subtle gesture, but it made Vance feel a rare sense of... validation.
The Emperor studied the young man standing before Him. His golden eyes swept over Vance, taking in every single detail. Physique, willpower, psychic potential, the very core of his soul... absolutely nothing could be hidden from that gaze.
"You have taken your first step into power," the Emperor's voice was calm, yet carried a crushing, unquestionable authority. "But power is never given for free."
Vance straightened his back, meeting those golden eyes head-on. His gaze was resolute and unwavering.
"Now, you must complete the task I have assigned to you." The Emperor's voice rolled on, every word ringing clearly in Vance's ears. "Only by succeeding can I confirm whether you are worthy of undergoing the next stage of genetic augmentation."
Vance gave a silent nod. He didn't speak, but a fierce, determined fire was already burning in his eyes.
The Emperor gave another slight nod, raising His voice a fraction. "Valdor."
A massive golden figure strode into the hall and dropped to one knee before the Master of Mankind. "My Lord."
The Emperor's gaze shifted to Valdor. "Give him the equipment we prepared."
Valdor stood up, turned on his heel, and left. A moment later, he returned to the hall. In his left hand, he carried a suit of silver power armor. In his right, he held a power sword and a bolter. He set the wargear on the floor in front of Vance, then stepped back to the side.
The Emperor spoke again. "This is a custom set of power armor and weaponry I had the Mechanicus forge specifically for a baseline human physique. Put it on."
Vance didn't hesitate. He crouched down and began strapping on the armor. The arming process was much simpler than donning full Astartes plate, but it still required a fair bit of technique. Fortunately, he had already mastered the process during his time in the Custodian training camps.
Five minutes later, he stood back up. The silver power armor fit his frame perfectly. Every joint articulated smoothly without the slightest hint of restriction. He drew the power sword from his waist and gave it a quick, practiced twirl. The weight was absolutely perfect, the center of gravity masterfully balanced.
He then checked the bolter's magazine. It was loaded with twenty mass-reactive rounds—more than enough to handle most situations.
He looked back up at the Emperor. The Emperor watched him, a fleeting trace of... satisfaction flashing in His golden eyes.
Then, the Emperor handed down His decree.
"Your mission is this... You are to travel to the Voss Prime forge world. You will investigate the Mechanicus for corruption and the illegal embezzlement of Imperial resources." He paused, His gaze sharpening into a lethal glare. "You must root out at least one Archmagos-level Tech-Priest and secure irrefutable evidence of their crimes... Only then will your mission be considered a success."
The Emperor paused for a moment before continuing. "You will be accompanied by nine other Imperial operatives who have received the same augmentations as you. Additionally, I am authorizing you to bring along a twenty-man auxiliary support team. You may handpick these individuals yourself."
Vance's pupils contracted sharply.
Nine augmented warriors like him. Twenty auxiliary grunts of his choosing. Including himself, that made exactly thirty people.
Vance's heart rate spiked violently.
An Archmagos of the Mechanicus. Embezzling Imperial resources.
Vance's mouth twitched.
You want the thirty of us to hunt down an Archmagos?! That's a top-tier heavyweight in the Mechanicus! The guy probably has a limitless army of Skitarii, his own personal forge world, and a private void fleet! We're gonna get ground into absolute mincemeat by his Skitarii cohorts and combat Servitors!
Those golden eyes were staring calmly right at him.
"What is it?" The Emperor's voice remained perfectly level. "Are you unwilling?"
Vance instantly snapped back to reality. He straightened up, hammered his right fist against his chestplate again, and barked out with absolute conviction.
"I am willing!!"
He locked eyes with the Emperor, his own gaze blazing with unshakeable resolve. "I will complete this mission. I will keep pushing my limits and increase my strength. I swear, I am going to change the Imperium of Man for the better."
The Emperor looked at him, studying the absolute conviction burning in the young man's eyes. The corners of His mouth ticked upward once more.
"Go." The Emperor's tone was calm, yet rang with undeniable majesty. "Everything has been arranged. Choose your twenty auxiliary members. Transport to Voss Prime is waiting."
Vance pounded his chest in a crisp sign of the Aquila, paying his respects to the Emperor one last time. Then, he turned and marched out of Hegemon Hall.
Behind him, the golden figure remained standing by the massive window, gazing out over the boundless hive city.
As Vance's figure disappeared through the doorway, the Emperor's lips moved slightly. The whisper was so faint that only He could hear it.
"Stellan Kowalski. Let me see... just how far you can go."
--
Out in the massive corridor beyond Hegemon Hall.
Vance walked alone down the center of the hall, his armored boots clanking sharply against the mirror-polished floor. The Emperor's words echoed relentlessly in his mind.
As a hardcore Warhammer lore nerd, of course he knew exactly what the Voss Prime forge world was. According to the official lore, that specific forge world actively defected to the Dark Mechanicum during the Horus Heresy. Even though the Heresy hadn't kicked off yet... A forge world destined to jump into bed with the Dark Mechanicum had to be infested with absolute scum right now.
Corruption, embezzling resources, fraternizing with heretics, violently oppressing the populace...
He muttered under his breath, his voice echoing down the empty corridor.
"Just you wait. As the Imperium's very first Inquisitor... I'm coming to exterminate you absolute parasites."
--
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