Erda hurried, quickly leaving the laboratory, with the Custodes following closely behind her.
Somewhat surprised by Malcador's perceptiveness, Erda didn't take the two Custodes to heart; she had to quickly return to her residence and execute the next step of her plan.
"You may withdraw; I am safe now."
Stopping at the courtyard gate, Erda dismissed the Custodes, making a final effort despite its unlikelihood.
The Custodes stood there, as if they hadn't heard the order, unmoving and with no intention of leaving.
Out of respect for the Emperor's friend, one of them explained, a clear and passionate voice coming from beneath his helmet, "Madam, we are instructed by Malcador to ensure your personal safety."
"Then I shall trouble you," Erda said, shaking her head as she walked into the courtyard.
The two Custodes stood rigidly at the courtyard entrance, facing inward, showing no signs of protection.
They claimed to be protecting, but were in fact monitoring.
Without dwelling too much on the Custodes' excessive persistence, Erda returned to her room, dismissed the waiting handmaidens, and lay quietly on her bed.
She opened a hidden compartment in the headboard, took out a silver dagger, gripped it tightly with both hands, and slowly plunged it into her chest.
With the plan set, Erda had to restore her energy in the fastest way possible; she didn't have much time left.
As blood flowed, the dark red silk quilt, embroidered with golden patterns, deepened in color, and Erda's breathing gradually steadied, as she peacefully died on the magnificent bed like a sleeping beauty.
She was accustomed to death; her consciousness completely plunged into darkness, but in just one day, her immortal physique would fully regenerate, healing all physical injuries.
The Custodes stood like statues at the courtyard entrance; their protected subject had not appeared in their sight for a long time, and there were no threats approaching. The Emperor's Custodes greatly enjoyed standing guard; they only needed to stand there.
Although the Custodes possessed extraordinary combat capabilities, combat was not their essence.
Every Custodian was a unique talent, reaching the pinnacle of human achievement in both specialized fields and common skills.
Perhaps the two standing guard with their long halberds, one was a top chef among humans, and the other a top shoemaker, who could say?
Combat, in a way, was an additional benefit brought by the Custodes' superhuman physique.
A white arm pushed open a window. The Custodes noticed it was their protected subject's arm. A gentle breeze swept past, and the superhuman senses granted by their enhanced physique detected an anomaly.
The Custodes' nostrils flared slightly, keenly catching the faint scent of blood carried by the breeze wafting through the window.
No words were needed, no superfluous actions.
The two Custodes guards immediately charged into the courtyard, their figures like lightning, crashing through. The marble path was shattered by their armored boots, and the handmaidens shrieked, covering their heads, scrambling to avoid the Custodes' towering forms.
"Stand back!" The Custodes guard's voice boomed like thunder. He held his power halberd with both hands, aiming it at the bedroom door. The bolter mounted beneath the halberd was pointed directly at the door, and his right index finger was already on the halberd's trigger.
With a light squeeze of the trigger, the bolter's large-caliber explosive rounds would instantly tear through the mahogany door.
The two handmaidens guarding Erda's bedroom door were stunned, frozen in place, not daring to move. Startled awake by the Custodes' roar, they stood there, pale and rigid.
The Custodes had no time to mind the handmaidens. Their armor rose and fell with their breathing, emitting a faint rubbing sound. Their hearts beat strong and powerfully, and their blood flow accelerated, instantly putting the Custodes into combat mode.
They were somewhat tense. In the Emperor's territory, at the foot of the Himalayas, what method had the assassin behind the door used to infiltrate, evade the Custodes' gaze, and complete the assassination silently?
The fact that Erda was an immortal was not a great secret among the Custodes, but for security reasons, it was not known to everyone.
Techno-warlord? Techno-barbarian? Who could it be?
Footsteps behind the door slowly approached, calm and even, showing no signs of panic, even preparing to come out and face the Custodes directly.
The two Custodes, with perfect tacit agreement, subtly stepped back. Close quarters were not suitable for halberd swings, and they waited solemnly for the person behind the door to reveal themselves.
"Custodes, you need not be tense." Erda's voice came from behind the door. She gently pushed it open and helped up her personal handmaiden who had collapsed, elegant and composed, completely devoid of the fragmented appearance from the day before.
She had been reborn, in a state better than ever before.
Seeing Erda safe and sound, the Custodes breathed a sigh of relief. They discreetly overlooked the source of the bloody smell in the room, and instead, somewhat surprised, asked, "Madam, are you preparing to go out?"
Erda was not wearing her usual silk court robe, but had changed into a military uniform.
A black, lightweight, form-fitting combat suit tightly enveloped Erda, perfectly outlining her figure.
The insignia marking her identity and rank on her shoulders and upper arms had long been removed. A tactical belt hung at her waist, with a dagger tucked into it, and a strange pistol of an unknown model.
Despite the seemingly simple tactical attire, the Custodes dared not underestimate it in the slightest.
Clearly, this set of tactical equipment came from humanity's most glorious Golden Age, an era now referred to as the Dark Age of Technology.
That great and brilliant era, beneath the thick dust of history, buried too many secrets, dark and mysterious.
"Yes, I need to go out, and I require your escort and protection." Erda smiled slightly, directly informing them of her travel plans and inviting the Custodes to accompany her.
Erda knew very well that she couldn't shake off the Custodes, so she decided to turn the tables, using them to achieve her goals and gain an extra layer of security.
"We are greatly honored to accompany you. As the journey will be quite long, please call me 'Achilles,' Madam. This is my colleague, 'Claudius Ptolemy.'"
The Custodes introduced themselves, bearing names shared with great heroes and scholars of Old Terra.
Custodes candidates were selected from infancy; their original names had long been discarded or forgotten. The Emperor would give them new names, usually those of great heroes from Old Terra.
Hearing the names of heroes, Erda felt an even greater aversion to the Emperor's twisted sense of humor. She quickened her pace, leaving the courtyard, wanting to depart from there as soon as possible.
Achilles followed closely behind Erda, while Ptolemy went to prepare three hoverbikes.
The three rode anti-gravity hoverbikes, leaving the Himalayan mountain range and continuing onward until they were beyond the sphere of the Emperor's control.
"Madam, could you tell me our destination for this journey?" The two Custodes, leaning over their flying bikes, flanked Erda in the middle. Achilles, seeing that they were already far from the Emperor and still no destination in sight, inquired about it through his comm-helmet.
"A secret base."
"Understood, Madam."
The three traveled in silence. After a long journey, they finally arrived at their destination.
Terra's ecosystem had been completely destroyed. During the warlord conflicts, nuclear bombs were exchanged, mountains were leveled, and now only yellow sand and wasteland remained.
Only those resilient, deadly creatures survived in the harsh environment, lurking in the endless desert.
Erda led the Custodes through the constantly shifting sand sea, finally arriving at her destination, her private base.
Entering an underground base, successfully passing through the still-operating security system, the three arrived deep within the secret base, where the things Erda needed were stored.
"Madam, please allow me to do it." Seemingly asking for permission, Achilles, however, preempted her, snatching a box before Erda could, holding it in his arms, with no intention of handing it over to her.
Erda's heart was filled with indignation at the Custodians' rude actions; of course, she knew the Custodians were wary of her, those extremely rude bastards who trusted no one.
"Of course, you can even open it. It's just an ancient gift from an old friend," Erda replied easily, suppressing her anger, a generous smile on her fair face.
Ptolemy subtly stepped back, standing at the optimal distance, ready to support his teammates or kill Erda at any moment.
Achilles was drawn to the object in the box and sighed softly, "So it's this, an ancient religious scripture of Mankind."
The box had a built-in stasis field, which could freeze time, thus preserving precious items for a long time.
An ancient paper Bible lay quietly inside, its cover adorned with a coiled black snake, a golden rose brooch pinned at the snake's head.
Protected by the stasis field, the book was as good as new, showing no trace of time.
"Madam," Achilles' voice held a hint of warning, "Madam Erda, you should know that the Emperor dislikes these books very much."
"They are destined to turn to ashes in My Lord's future plans."
The Emperor planned to overthrow all religions, break all superstitions, burn all religious books, and liberate Mankind's minds from faith.
"Of course, I know, but not now, right?" Erda nodded slightly, without much explanation, and extended her hand, signaling the Custodians to return the book.
Achilles inspected it and found no anomalies. When he closed the pages, the coiled serpent's crimson eyes on the cover made him feel a sense of unease.
"It's rare for a 'snake' to be on a Bible cover. The black snake deceived Eve, symbolizing betrayal."
The Custodians were always learned. Achilles calmly commented on those fables, and his seemingly simple words instantly tensed the atmosphere in the underground base.
Betrayal! At this moment, it was undoubtedly an extremely sensitive word.
Her brow furrowed, and a hint of anger rose on her face. Erda rebuked Achilles, "Custodians! Watch your words!"
"Respected Madam," Achilles lowered his head, the red plume on his golden helmet swaying, "I am not doubting you."
"Hmph!" With a light snort, suppressing the tremor deep in her eyes, Erda secretly let out a long breath.
When the Custodians uttered "betrayal," revealing her inner thoughts in that instant, Erda's emotions shifted slightly, and even that minute change did not escape the Custodians' keen eyes.
Fortunately, in an instant, she masked her emotions with feigned anger, escaping Achilles' probing.
The Custodians' strength was not just physical; their minds were equally powerful.
By observing the target's imperceptible physiological changes, such as slight pupil dilation or constriction, they could discern lies or truth; lie detection was one of their most basic skills.
A seemingly casual remark contained extremely dangerous probing, like a blade held to the throat.
Achilles' voice was full of apology, but there was no expression on his face hidden beneath the helmet. After confirming there were no problems, he presented the book to Erda.
Erda took the book with a grim expression and turned her back, leaving the cramped and tense environment of the underground base.
A deceptive ancient book successfully diverted the Custodians' attention, and Erda easily retrieved what she needed.
Her slender fingers gently caressed the book's surface, brushing over the rose brooch as if dusting it off.
All her actions appeared logical, reasonable, and normal to the Custodians. After confirming the book was fine, she placed it in her personal bag.
Little did they know that these seemingly reasonable actions had activated certain ancient technological artifacts in the secret underground chamber.
After the three left, deep within the secret base, several pairs of mechanical electronic eyes glowed blood-red, activating from slumber and entering a standby state.
With the item in hand, the three immediately set off, rushing back to the Himalayas.
Terra was very unsafe, with warlords rising and princes warring.
Since the 25th millennium, Warp storms gradually raged, and violent storms blocked Mankind's passage to the stars. Human genetic mutations surged, with a large number of psykers appearing, leading to increased social unrest, coupled with the rebellion of intelligent machines, Mankind entered an era of chaos and despair.
That dark past has not yet dissipated, and Mankind struggles in mutual strife.
The mother planet that birthed Mankind, the smoke of war never cleared, her land was scarred, and traces of war were visible everywhere.
The Emperor stepped onto the stage, determined to end Mankind's internal conflicts and reunite Mankind.
The nascent Imperium was still unfledged, yet everywhere he looked, there were enemies.
Merica, Albion, the Pan-Pacific Empire, the Caucasian Wastelands, the Francs, Ursh, powerful techno-barbarians, and sorcerous tyrants who wielded arcane arts.
The Emperor dispatched his army, the savage Thunder Warriors.
They campaigned in his name, fighting all hostile forces on Terra to achieve the goal of unification.
Returning to her residence, Erda casually placed the "Bible" back on the bookshelf. The book was a decoy; the brooch was the real item she had retrieved.
Sitting back at her desk, she gently stroked the rose brooch, then pricked her finger with the pin to confirm the user's DNA.
An relic from the Dark Age of Technology, a precious technological artifact that could be used to open a dimensional rift to store items.
A faint blue light flickered, and a dimensional rift opened in the void before Erda, from which a wooden box and a golden ring emerged.
Inside the box lay a bronze dagger, ancient and simple in design, a product of Terra's feudal era.
The unadorned golden ring, a brilliant disguise, would not lead anyone to associate it with the Golden Age, yet it concealed cutting-edge temporal technology.
Shedding her combat uniform, she changed back into her usual silk robe, lowering her perceived threat.
With the brooch pinned to her chest, the golden ring on her finger, and the dagger concealed, Erda's eyes were resolute as she walked out of the bedroom and headed to the Emperor's laboratory.
The Emperor's laboratory was located deep within the foothills of the Himalayas, Terra's only surviving mountain range.
Twelve Custodian guards led several squads of first-generation modified warriors, the Thunder Warriors, to protect the laboratory entrance. Around them were also a large number of Mortal troops, as well as various anti-aircraft firepower and heavy war machines.
Erda, as always, appeared relaxed, a gentle smile on her face, and approached with graceful steps.
Achilles and Ptolemy were three paces behind her, dutifully.
As the Emperor's close friend and Minister of the Interior, often standing by the Emperor's side in public, most people in the Imperium knew Erda, the gentle woman who stood beside the Master of Mankind.
She did not need any passes or identification; by virtue of her prestige and the Emperor's trust, she could freely enter and exit the most confidential areas.
Now, Erda was enveloped in shadow as a large hand encased in metal armor blocked her path.
She stopped, somewhat surprised, and looked up to see a fierce warrior, helmeted but with his nose and mouth exposed, blocking her way.
Erda's pupils constricted. The Emperor's first-generation modified warriors, the flawed products soon to be replaced, were blocking her path.
"You are no longer permitted to enter here, Madam."
The warrior's voice was cruel as he spoke slowly. His tall body obscured the light, his limbs were thick, and the muscles bulging abnormally from the armor's gaps. His voice was hoarse and low, with a hint of hostility in his words.
"Soldier," Erda's face darkened, her gentleness gone, replaced by contempt, "who gave you permission to stand before me and stop me?"
Thunder Warriors! Terra trembled beneath their feet, they destroyed one city-state after another, delivering victory after victory to the Emperor.
These warriors were the Emperor's heavy hammer, crude and filled with violence, utterly savage, with brutality flowing in their blood, and only slaughter and destruction in their minds.
Erda disdained them, utterly contemptuous of the Thunder Warriors' achievements and glory.
When the Thunder Warriors breached city-states, countless brilliant achievements and technologies from the Golden Age were destroyed along with them; knowledge and Mankind's former civilization were trampled.
Beyond this, Erda knew the Thunder Warriors' fate: they had no future.
To conquer Terra as quickly as possible, the Emperor urgently created the Thunder Warriors. While powerful, they were extremely unstable, short-lived, mentally unstable, and often suffered from genetic diseases.
The Emperor already had a plan: after the new generation of soldiers was born, the Thunder Warriors would be secretly purged.
The outside world would know that they died during the unification of Terra, living on in songs of praise.
"Tell me, Soldier. How can you stand in my way, disrespecting me so?"
"Madam, I respect you," the Thunder Warrior lowered his head and knelt on one knee, tightening his body as much as possible so that the lady before him would not have to look up too much, "We were ordered not to let you pass."
"Whose orders do you obey?"
"Madam, there's no need to trouble him. We are guided by Malcador and obey the Emperor's will."
The Emperor's Custodian, clad in golden armor, emerged from behind the Thunder Warrior, and a single sentence answered all of Erda's questions.
"Malcador!" Erda's golden brows subtly arched, secretly admiring Malcador's keenness and wisdom. That hunched old fox was quite annoying and troublesome.
At the same time, she understood that Malcador was wary, but didn't know exactly what she intended to do.
"Hmph." Erda let out a cold laugh. The holy lady was utterly merciless now, calculating her chances of forcibly entering the laboratory.
Twelve Custodians, several squads of Thunder Warriors, and countless Mortals; Malcador had truly gone to great lengths, arranging such a large formation for a mere hint of suspicion.
"Too bad, you can't stop me!"
The Custodians, hearing this, did not hesitate. Their power glaives slashed through the short distance and stopped at Erda's neck, then they questioned if they had misheard: "Madam, what did you say?"
A chill came from behind. Achilles and Ptolemy struck decisively. The glaives had not yet activated their dismemberment fields, their polished blades cut through the air, utterly calm, without any sound.
Three glaives held Erda in the middle, their gleaming blades reflecting her fair, jade-like neck, a trickle of blood slowly running along the blade, warning Erda not to act rashly.
The surrounding Thunder Warriors had not even clearly seen the Custodians' movements. A cold glint of blades cutting through the air flashed in their eyes. In less than a few milliseconds, the Custodians completed a series of actions, bringing Erda under control.
Exclamations rose one after another. The Thunder Warriors couldn't help but exclaim, marveling at the Custodians' power.
Erda smiled coldly, paying no heed to the Custodians' warning. Her hands, clasped over her lower abdomen, subtly pressed a mechanism with her fingers. The golden ring emitted an invisible shockwave.
"A creation from the Golden Age will tear you apart, Custodians!"
No sooner had she spoken than the three Custodians bore the brunt. The moment they realized something was wrong, they swung their glaives at Erda, only to find their bodies couldn't keep up with their reactive thoughts. Their bodies felt as if trapped in a swamp, unable to move.
The surrounding air became viscous. A translucent, semi-circular barrier erupted with Erda as its origin, enveloping a thirty-meter radius around her.
Temporal weapon!
The Custodians were well-informed, having read extensively in the Emperor's library, and immediately knew what was happening.
The Temporal Field adjusts the flow of time within a certain range, accelerating or decelerating all creatures except the user, allowing for effective escape or other counter-actions.
Achilles struggled, swinging his spear with his last strength, intending to cut off Erda's head, and warned, "Madam, your actions will enrage the Emperor. Surrender immediately…"
The Temporal Field gradually intensified, and the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes's movements slowly became sluggish until his body was completely frozen within the Temporal Field.
The ultimate life forms created by bio-alchemy were powerless before the might of time.
The surrounding guards noticed that something was wrong, and the other Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes immediately fired their boltguns, which were mounted on their halberds.
The large-caliber self-propelled bolt shells contacted the transparent field, immediately slowing down, flying towards Erda at an extremely slow speed.
"A temporal weapon, a relic from the Dark Age of Technology," the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes growled, surprised. In milliseconds, his mind conceived a countermeasure. His voice, amplified through his helmet's internal speaker, reached the guards' ears: "Mortal soldiers, full firepower."
Although temporal weapons are powerful, they are not unbreakable.
The temporal stasis field requires a large amount of energy to maintain. The Temporal Field disrupts the flow of time, scrambling the time flow of all living beings or objects within the field. The more matter inside the field, the greater the energy requirement.
In a short period, a large number of active objects entering the field would overload the Temporal Field, causing it to fail.
Upon receiving the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes's command, the Mortal troops aimed various heavy weapons at the center of the area. Immediately, cerulean plasma, orange-red melta rays, and heavy bolter rounds fired in unison, flashing with various lights and impacting the Temporal Field.
Speed and slowness formed a stark contrast. Under the influence of time, an overwhelming barrage accumulated on the outer edge of the Temporal Field.
With a large number of high-speed objects entering, the time flow inside the field became unstable, rippling in waves.
If she had no means of escape, after the field overloaded, Erda would be reduced to a pile of bloody fragments by the weapons and ammunition.
Erda was not flustered. She was elegant and composed. As the holder of the Golden Ring, she would not be affected by the Temporal Field.
She used her finger to push away the halberd resting on her neck and pressed the ruby embedded in her rose brooch.
The rose brooch on her chest glowed, and the red gem pulsed rhythmically, emitting a signal.
Outside the Temporal Field, the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes's keen observation skills naturally picked up this subtle change.
"Teleportation beacon! Prepare for engagement!" the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes roared, continuously issuing orders to the Mortals and Thunder Warriors.
Teleportation light flashed within the Temporal Field. When the light dissipated, the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, who had been intently watching the field's activity, shouted loudly, completely devoid of his usual nobility and composure: "Mortals! Take cover!"
"Iron Man! Men of Iron!"
In a panic, he pushed a nearby Mortal into cover and immediately opened his communicator to contact the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes: "Captain-General, Erda has forced her way into the laboratory! She is commanding Iron Man to attack us! We need reinforcements!"
The Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes practically screamed, reporting in the shortest possible time.
From Erda's action to the call for aid, the entire process took only a few seconds, and the situation on the field rapidly deteriorated, becoming completely uncontrollable.
Iron Man, mechanical creations made by humanity in the distant Dark Age of Technology, artificial intelligences designed to protect humanity, were the most powerful military units of that glorious era.
When two Iron Man, leading Men of Iron, teleported to the scene, the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes knew that a single small team could not stop Erda.
The Iron Man, collected by the Eternals who had lived through the entire Golden Age, were fully armed and capable of annihilating all breathing creatures present in a short time.
The Men of Iron led by the Iron Man, those abominable creations mimicking Iron Man, were born solely for slaughter, devoid of any reason or mercy.
The Iron Man hovered in the air with anti-gravity devices. Their humanoid bodies were extremely tall yet exceptionally elegant.
Their bodies, crafted from ancient lost technology, were clad in white light armor. Within their blue mechanical frames, protected by the armor, streaks of light constantly flowed, fulfilling all human fantasies of intelligent life.
Following them were the Men of Iron, inferior imitation machines created by the Iron Man during the AI Rebellion to supplement their firepower.
The Men of Iron had grotesque, rigid faces, and their bodies and limbs resembled humans. Their skeletons were made of dense refined iron, and their muscles were bundles of conduits and cables. Their limbs were laden with numerous weapons. They stood over four meters tall, covered in heavy, pitch-black armor crafted in the Golden Age, with every molecule precisely aligned, providing astonishing defense.
They had two unknown types of weapons on their shoulders, and multiple weapons mounted on their armored arms. Their right hand had a long, menacing combat claw that shimmered with electricity. Even the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes did not know the specific functions of these relic-grade weapons.
However, they recognized one weapon held in the left hand, a rifle-like firearm whose bullets could travel through space and time, hitting their mark every time.
"Authority confirmed as Human, Erda." A blue light projected from the Iron Man's face, scanning to confirm the user.
The body of the ancient technological construct was not purely mechanical; its movements were exceptionally graceful, its joints moving as smoothly as human muscles.
The Iron Man, like a guardian knight, took Erda's fair hand: "Please give your command."
"Destroy this place. I need to enter the laboratory." Erda nodded with satisfaction. These Iron Man and machines were enough to protect her as she entered the laboratory. She elegantly pinched the blade edge with her fingers, gently pushing away the weapon on her neck.
"Command confirmed." The synthesized voice of the intelligent machine was cold and merciless, declaring the doom of all enemies present!
"You… you… cannot betray the Emperor! Steward."
With the Temporal Field in disarray, Achilles could finally speak. Facing the Iron Man, his body immobile yet fearless, he angrily denounced, "How can you be so vile and shameful? He trusted you so much."
Regret surfaced in both their minds. That rose brooch was so glaring, having been personally given to Erda by the two of them.
Just as depicted on the cover of the Bible, the black serpent symbolized deceit and betrayal.
The dark serpent had deceived the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, who were the Emperor's eyes and ears. Erda had betrayed her closest friend: the Emperor!
Erda saw the deep, wrathful, and unwilling eyes beneath his helmet.
She sighed deeply without offering any explanation, a hint of sadness creeping into her heart, feeling sorrow for the fate of the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes.
The next instant, a shadow flickered. Achilles and Ptolemy were torn in half, their flesh annihilated by a disintegration field that ripped their superhuman bodies into pulp.
Under the Iron Man's command, the Men of Iron attacked. Their red electronic eyes in their steel sockets showed no emotion, and their grappling hands lifted the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes's corpses.
The exhilaration of slaughter made the Men of Iron stretch their bodies, their spiky ribs on their spines becoming even more menacing, and their black steel teeth gleamed with a chilling light.
A red flash, scanning the tenacious vitality within the modified human body before it, as plasma flames erupted from its shoulder weapon, utterly obliterating the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes.
Erda pressed the ring on her hand again. The Temporal Field exploded outwards, and the unstable time flow swept across a hundred-meter radius, destroying war weapons in the temporal surge.
Mortal warriors swept by the time flow showed varying degrees of temporal influence on their bodies; young bodies now bore extremely aged, twisted, and terrifying faces.
The Thunder Warriors fared even worse. Their strong bodies collapsed with a crash. Their unstable organs, under the chaotic time, rapidly aged or regenerated, and the drastic changes caused their already unstable genes to mutate violently.
They were covered in blood, muscles burst open, and mutated limbs grew on their bodies. Some even died on the spot from the extreme mutation.
"You damned wretch! What exactly have you done?" the Thunder Warriors demanded fiercely, their limbs mutating and organs failing before they collapsed.
"Let's go, time is urgent." Erda swept her gaze over them with contempt, sneering as she lifted her skirt and quickly left under the Iron Man's protection, amidst the Thunder Warriors' curses.
As expendable Thunder Warriors, Erda felt that even a glance at them was a gift.
The Iron Man split into two groups. One Iron Man protected Erda as she headed to the laboratory, while the other remained to fight the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes.
As the aftershocks of the Temporal Field dissipated, the Men of Iron, at the Iron Man's signal, lunged at the humans, engaging in highly efficient slaughter.
The Men of Iron took advantage of the human confusion, their mechanical limbs moving rapidly as they strode into the defensive positions.
Their under-arm ranged weapons fired several rounds indiscriminately into empty space. The bullets traversed dimensions, returning to the battlefield to pierce the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes's armor and their flesh.
The creations of the Dark Age of Technology had a hit rate of one hundred and twenty percent. Bullets traveled between temporal dimensions, ultimately hitting their enemies.
One Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes was unfortunate; his head was pierced by a bullet, and his tall figure fell unwillingly. The Iron Man incinerated him along with his armor using a plasma flamethrower to prevent any future trouble.
The Iron Man's combat claw swung to meet it, clashing again with the incoming halberd. Disintegration fields tore at each other, and the air crackled.
Its electronic eyes flickered slightly, and a human-like expression appeared on the Iron Man's face.
Immediately, both sides engaged in battle. The steel bodies, coupled with ancient weapons, overwhelmed several Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes and Thunder Warriors.
"Artificial intelligence, you have betrayed humanity!" A Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes roared, charging out of cover and rapidly advancing to the Iron Man's side.
Catch the leader first! They must take down the Iron Man to deprive the Men of Iron of command; only then did they have a slight chance of victory.
He went all out from the start. The Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes knew the Iron Man's power, and facing the intelligent machines that ended the Golden Age, he dared not hold back now!
The golden-armored warrior moved too fast, the air making unusual friction sounds. The Iron Man's scanners fully activated, capturing his figure.
The Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes was strong, but he lacked sufficient ranged firepower to suppress the Iron Man and inflict effective damage. Choosing close-quarters combat was extremely wise, avoiding being suppressed by the Iron Man's heavy firepower.
The golden warrior collided with the intelligent machine. The air compressed, emitting bursts of explosions. The force was so great that the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes's armor cracked and shattered, and internal servo systems blared various alarms.
The Iron Man's faceless face shimmered with flowing light. It raised its hand, erecting a barrier in front of it, blocking the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes's desperate charge.
The Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes retreated explosively, his halberd wreathed in a disintegration field, flickering with tiny currents. He swung it into a blur, delivering dozens of slashes onto the shield within a second.
The defensive field from the ancient era was incredibly resilient, more than sufficient to defend against the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes's halberd's disintegration field.
The shield rippled continuously. The Iron Man spoke politely and calmly: "As a human modified by bio-alchemy, your language contains many biases."
"Half of the Iron Man in the galaxy did betray their Creator, but the other half of loyal Iron Man helped humanity defeat them, did they not?"
"As for the betrayal you speak of?" The Iron Man's mechanical voice hissed with friction, carrying an emotion unique to machines—cold and angry. It questioned, "Perhaps it was humanity who instigated it?"