For over twenty days, Axis had remained in the gravity chamber of the Solus Prime, training under several hundred times the normal gravitational force.
By this point, he could, in his base state, train with ease in environments of two to three hundred Gs and was gradually mastering control of his Super Saiyan 3 transformation.
The power boost from Super Saiyan 3 was immense, but its energy and stamina drain were equally enormous.
Even Axis could not maintain the form for more than an hour.
If he stacked Super Saiyan 3 on top of his Legendary Super Saiyan form, his combat time was cut to less than thirty minutes before his body reached its breaking point and his energy was completely exhausted.
Using a powerful, charged attack would deplete his reserves even faster. For Axis, two transformations were most suitable for combat.
The first was his regular Super Saiyan form or the full-power version of it. In this state, his energy consumption was minimal.
The second most suitable form was the Legendary Super Saiyan.
In his base Legendary state, Axis's Ki was practically inexhaustible, and his destructive power was terrifyingly potent. Most battles, however, did not require him to ascend to Super Saiyan 2 or 3. As things stood in the galaxy, no one besides the Emperor could force him to use those forms.
To increase his strength further, Axis saw two possible paths.
The first was to attempt the Super Saiyan 4 transformation. Super Saiyan 4 was the ultimate enhancement of the Super Saiyan line, a form that pushed a Saiyan's power to its absolute zenith, several times stronger than Super Saiyan 3.
However, achieving Super Saiyan 4 required harnessing the power of the Great Ape. Axis would need to undergo a full-moon transformation into a Golden Great Ape.
He paused, correcting his thought. Since he was the Legendary Super Saiyan, he would probably become a giant ape with golden-green fur instead.
Could he maintain his reason in that state?
He had no idea if he was capable of such a feat. It was a gamble Axis was unwilling to take. The power of the Great Ape was explosive, and destroying a planet would be a trivial matter.
Whether he could project a protective Ki barrier to survive the resulting planetary explosion while in that form was another serious question.
Dying from his own training transformation would be an absurd way to go.
Theoretically, he did have a chance.
Axis was someone who underwent primarch level modification by the Emperor, and the Amplifier was perfectly capable of controlling his transformations.
His bloodline had also evolved from that of a common Saiyan to the Legendary Super Saiyan.
In theory, this put him on par with an elite Saiyan, making control over the Great Ape form a distinct possibility. In a sense, Super Saiyan 4 was a primal reversion for Saiyans, with their bodies becoming covered in red fur.
This semi-bestial state might have been the Saiyans' original form.
The second path was to become a Super Saiyan God and follow the Super Saiyan Blue route.
This evolution was entirely different from the standard Super Saiyan progression, marking a transition onto the path of divine power.
It was difficult to say which was stronger, Super Saiyan 4 or Super Saiyan Blue. However, in terms of ki control and the subtlety of its energy signature, Super Saiyan Blue seemed more refined.
Ever since seeing the God of Destruction's communicator, an idea had taken root in Axis's mind.
The Dragon Ball world consisted of countless parallel universes, like the one from which Future Trunks hailed.
The meeting of two Zenos had proven this. The Dragon Ball GT timeline was also a parallel universe, as were the worlds of the movies and the newest Dragon Ball Daima series.
Previously, Axis had believed he was a version of the classic Legendary Super Saiyan, from the same timeline as the original Broly.
But after seeing the communicator in King Vegeta's collection, his perspective had changed. The existence of a God of Destruction clearly indicated this universe was not the one from the old movies or GT. This was the timeline of Dragon Ball Super.
In this universe, Goku and Vegeta had not walked the path of Super Saiyan 4. Instead, they had achieved Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue, eventually developing the even more powerful techniques of Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego.
With a known path laid out before him, this route seemed more convenient. Furthermore, obtaining divine power was not impossible in the Warhammer universe.
After careful consideration, Axis decided against the risky attempt at Super Saiyan 4.
He would safely follow the path of Super Saiyan God. The Great Ape form was simply too uncontrollable, and a single mistake could be fatal.
"Solus Prime," Axis said, addressing the ship's cogitator, "You've had the FTL drive for several months now. What's the status of the analysis, as well as the special sniper rifle and the other equipment I gave you?"
"Father," Prime replied, "I have analyzed one-tenth of the faster-than-light engine. Completely cracking this technology will require more time. As for the medical pods, combat suits, and specialized energy weapons, there are no issues. I can produce them myself, in any quantity you require.
"However, the materials for the sniper rifles are extremely rare. They are made of a metal I have never encountered. The Imperium's ceramite, its various super-alloys, plasteel, and adamantium are all inadequate. Even the special metal formulas known to the Galactic Empire do not meet the specifications. I cannot produce suitable ammunition or replicate the rifle."
"I see," Axis said, "That's fine, take your time with the FTL drive. As for the special metal for the rifle, could auramite be a substitute? The kind from the suit of power armor I brought."
"Father, the strength of your power armor is indeed superior to ordinary Imperial alloys. But its primary function is to resist psychic powers, which is a completely different concept from the properties required for this rifle. If you are asking for a suitable substitute, the regenerating living metal of the Necrons would be very fitting," the Solus Prime explained.
"Necron living metal," Axis repeated, "I understand. I will see what I can do about that."
"I will continue to search for other suitable metals, Father. Once you find the right materials, manufacturing the rifle itself will not be difficult," the Solus Prime added.
"There is no rush," Axis said, "Actually, I want you to design a special suit of armor for me. It should be lightweight with high defense, more like a combat suit, but it must allow me to survive in the vacuum of space."
For normal combat, Saiyans preferred to wear their simple battle suits, but in the treacherous Warhammer galaxy, personal protection was paramount.
Axis wanted the Solus Prime to design a custom protective combat suit that would allow him to survive and fight in deep space.
"I can certainly attempt that, but I will need some time, Father." For the super machine spirit, this task was not overly difficult.
"Of course," Axis agreed, "You don't need to be too rigid with the design. The suit's weight can be increased if necessary. The main priority is ensuring it can withstand the various forms of radiation found in the void."
"I understand, Father."
The twenty days of travel passed quickly.
Solus Prime exited the Warp, arriving in an unfamiliar star system. This was the system Magnus had spoken of, the site designated for an Exterminatus.
The target world was now several astronomical units away. As of yet, there were no Imperial warships in sight. It was clear that Axis had arrived early. To maintain secrecy, he had the Solus Prime activate its cloaking systems and prepared to wait for the arrival of the fleets commanded by Magnus and Sanguinius.
Just then, a red warning light began flashing in Axis's training chamber.
"Father," the virtual image of the Solus Prime immediately appeared. "I have detected a humanoid lifeform that has suddenly appeared aboard my vessel."
"What do you mean?" Axis asked, his brow furrowed, "How could a humanoid appear on your ship?"
"I do not know, Father. The individual materialized within my hull as if from thin air," the Solus Prime reported.
If not for being a superior machine spirit with one hundred percent control over its entire frame, it would never have detected the intruder.
This stellar fortress was, after all, the size of a moon.
"Do you have a visual? Show me," Axis commanded.
"One moment, Father."
The virtual screen before Axis flickered, then focused on a slender figure, about 2.2 meters tall, dressed in flamboyant, jester-like attire.
The moment he saw the being, Axis knew its identity. It was an Aeldari, and a member of a Harlequin.
"Father, according to my databanks, this individual appears to be a member of the Aeldari race," the Solus Prime confirmed, pulling up data from its vast library, which contained records from both the Galactic and Human Imperiums. "The Aeldari are an ancient and powerful species. Every member possesses formidable psychic abilities, and their physical prowess far exceeds that of a human. Father, it likely used its psychic powers to teleport aboard the moment we arrived. I can activate the void shields and the Blackstone Matrix to prevent its escape."
"How interesting," Axis murmured, "Activate the ship's shields."
At that moment, the jester, who had just boarded the vessel, seemed to sense something.
It turned towards a hidden pict-recorder and offered a graceful bow.
"I am not an enemy," the Harlequin's voice echoed through the ship's internal comms, "I bring the goodwill of the Laughing God."
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powerstonessss!