The Emperor's Will
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Marcus was a modern young man who loved anime and TV series. It could be said his life was simple - he graduated from a good university, had a good family, and worked honestly until the day he was hit by a truck.
However, this was not the end.
"Wake up, my son." A powerful and sacred voice resonated in his soul, making him tremble. Marcus tried to open his eyes but could only see a massive being of light sitting on a golden throne.
"I am the Emperor of Mankind. You may know me from your past life as a mere fictional character." The Emperor's voice sounded like divine commands, and Marcus nodded frantically.
"A few eras ago, I sensed that my universe might not be the only one. After probing for a long time, I was able to observe other universes like yours. But my powers outside my universe are limited and cannot be used. That is why, my son, I have a mission for you."
Marcus felt his soul tremble. He wanted to ask why he had been chosen, what the mission was, but he felt he lacked both the strength and status to question the great God-Emperor of mankind.
"I will fuse the souls of three of my greatest champions with yours, and I will make your new body one of my Angels. Your mission will be simple: travel through the many universes, save humanity, and bring reinforcements to my universe. This will be your duty!"
Without giving Marcus time to react, the Emperor raised His hand, and a wave of Light coursed through his soul, making him shudder. Memories of three past lives flashed before his eyes:
In one life, he was a warrior of the Salamanders, fighting on many worlds against traitors and xenos, protecting humans.
In another life, he was a Techmarine of the Iron Hands, blessed with knowledge far beyond the ordinary. Memories and blueprints of technological constructions echoed in his mind, including methods of forging and building many weapons.
And in his last life, he was an Apothecary of the Grey Knights, versed in psychic and medical arts. He fought daemons in the Warp and the real world for many years while caring for his battle-brothers afflicted by the Warp's most terrible curses and plagues.
Despite the memories of three lives resonating in his soul, Marcus did not feel confused, much less alienated by them. He soon realized he couldn't remember the details of those lives—names, important events, or anything related to identity.
At this point, he noticed that even memories of his original life had been partially erased. Beyond his name, he couldn't remember anything specific about himself—friends, family, or anything else.
Soon, the process ended. Marcus, once a mere human, was now a towering giant, three meters tall, with gray skin and red eyes. His body and muscles exuded power, and he could feel psychic energy swirling in his mind.
"I made you different from all my Angels. Though not a primarch, you are the pinnacle of my biogenetic knowledge. Two additional organs beyond the existing 22: one will protect your soul and allow you to travel between universes, and the other will enable you to regularly produce gene-seed to expand your legion. Their names are Pneuma Bastion and Genetor Perpetuum."
Having finished explaining, the Emperor waved His hand again, causing a portal of energy to open. "Now go, my son. I will not be able to aid you much on your journey, lest Chaos discover my plans. But know that I will always be watching you." With these final words, Marcus's body was pulled into the portal, leaving the Emperor alone on His golden throne.
"I wish you good luck, my child." The Emperor spoke before turning His attention to other matters.
Arrival
Marcus felt as if his soul had been squeezed for a moment, but the sensation vanished instantly. His body touched the ground, and he gasped, struggling to process what had happened. He realized he was wearing plain black power armor, devoid of ornamentation except for the skull emblem on his chest.
"Thank the Throne I'm not naked," Marcus muttered to himself. With some effort, he stood up, feeling the sensations of his new body and soul. Everything felt strange yet eerily familiar.
His enhanced senses scanned the surroundings, and without even needing to look, Marcus could discern details of the environment. He was in an abandoned car factory. A hole gaped in the roof, as if struck by a missile.
"Where am I?" he wondered but decided to figure that out later. Instantly, centuries of combat experience embedded in his soul kicked in, and he quickly analyzed the area, assessing what he could use as a weapon.
Luckily, beside him stood a black crate, roughly two meters tall and wide. Next to it lay a black grav-hammer, inscribed with countless symbols of the aquila and the skull.
On his person, Marcus found a bolt pistol, spare magazines, grenades, and rations in his pack. "A production workbench... The Emperor really invested in me," Marcus murmured, running his hand over the black crate.
According to his memories, this black crate was practically a myth among the Mechanicus—a portable forge that allowed him to craft anything, anywhere, as long as he had sufficient materials and energy.
It was so versatile it could even manufacture medicine, refine materials, and recharge energy cells. Of course, despite its versatility, it had limits in what it could produce. But that wasn't Marcus's immediate concern.
With this Archimandrite Workbench, he could survive even in an aquatic world, mining minerals from the seabed and building over time. Once he finished checking his equipment, Marcus decided to explore the factory first.