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The central hall of the Palace of Springs was a massive rectangular banquet hall, approximately 500 meters long and 100 meters wide.

Inside, the marble floors were polished to a mirror finish, reflecting the brilliance of the enamel-painted windows and the vivid, lifelike giant reliefs carved into the walls.

Three enormous crystal chandeliers were suspended from the vaulted ceiling, each one shining brightly, casting a soft golden glow across the room.

At the front of the hall stood a towering black giant, more than three meters tall. Selene nodded with satisfaction and gestured for him to rise.

"Alex, the Astartes Project has reached maturity, and you will be the first super soldiers to be deployed in real combat. Among your targets are multiple Imperial Arms users. I look forward to your performance."

Standing before Selene was Alex, a Honkai-energy-enhanced soldier. He wore a sleek, black commander's power armor, wielded a golden-winged longsword, and sported a helmet adorned with crimson wings. His chest was emblazoned with a golden double-headed eagle, and he wore a short red-and-white cape.

Thud!

"I swear to complete the mission and live up to the responsibility!" Alex declared, his voice carrying a metallic resonance. He stood tall, his fist over his heart, exuding determination.

"Good. Go and make your preparations. Sebas will transport you to the capital... Now, depart!"

"For Selene!"

With this, the gathering of the Astartes Project's super soldiers concluded, their voices ringing out in unison. Under Alex's command, they respectfully and orderly exited the central hall.

Creak—

As the last of the Honkai-Enhanced Astartes soldiers left, the golden doors closed. Selene returned to her throne, her gaze shifting to a golden giant hidden in the shadows beside the massive throne.

"Gensa, what do you think of this new force and new legion? Although their numbers are limited for now, their combat potential is quite formidable."

The golden giant was none other than Gensa. His physique had grown even more imposing, his hulking frame and brutish face exuding an intimidating aura that made him seem fearsome.

He now wore an extravagant set of golden power armor, so elaborately decorated with multicolored engravings that one might mistake it for a piece of art rather than battle armor.

Of course, Gensa's own Honkai-Energy enhancements had been personally overseen by Selene, meaning they didn't result in an enormous increase in size. But...

Once Gensa saw the other soldiers enhanced by the Astartes Project, he insisted on increasing his own size to match. He boisterously declared, "Bigger, bulkier, stronger—that's what's beautiful!"

And it made sense. In the Empire, there was no love for delicate aesthetics. In the rough-and-tumble military, who cared about looking good? What mattered was strength—bigger meant better, and that was the hard truth.

Thus, Gensa, now promoted to commander of Selene's personal guard, had grown to four meters tall, becoming a literal giant.

With his love for all things flashy and golden, he had transformed Selene's personal guard into a group of gleaming… well, not small golden men—big golden men.

"Uh, I get the logic, General, but... I still don't understand. Why aren't we sending the personal guard? I can guarantee victory. How about I send a small squad along with them?" Gensa tentatively suggested as he rested his ornate helmet, decorated with scarlet tassels, on his forearm and scratched the back of his head.

"Nonsense! Are you itching for a fight? Does the personal guard need to be tested for stability? You're not part of the Astartes Project; I personally enhanced all of you!"

"Now get out of here!" Selene laughed and scolded as she set down her teacup, amused by Gensa's sycophantic expression.

"Yes, yes, I'll leave right away, General... Oh, and by the way, I'll head over to Dr. Stylish's lab to check on the latest power armor production reports and get back to you soon."

As Gensa jogged off, cradling his golden helmet in his massive arms, his giant frame gave the scene a slightly comical feel.

Selene shook her head, helpless but fond of Gensa's antics. Having a subordinate who understood boundaries and could keep things lighthearted was actually quite nice.

As long as her people did their jobs well and completed their tasks, Selene was relaxed about letting them joke around and keep the mood upbeat.

"But speaking of the power armor, I really have to give credit to Dr. Stylish for pulling it off..." Selene remarked, opening the documents Dr. Stylish had submitted and glancing through the data.

Recruiting Dr. Stylish to her side had been an incredibly smart decision!

Though she had provided the research direction, sparing them many detours, much of the heavy scientific lifting had been done by Dr. Stylish himself. He had, remarkably, completed the Astartes Project's equipment plan within two years.

Even with the assistance of the Imperial Arm Glorious Hands of God: Perfector, Dr. Stylish's incredible scientific capabilities were undeniable!

The so-called equipment plan went beyond just the Honkai-Energy-Enhanced Soldiers. Dr. Stylish had even designed and produced the corresponding weaponry and gear for them.

Guided by Selene, Dr. Stylish developed the Honkai Energy Enhanced Soldier Model-1 Power Armor.

The armor was comprised of two layers: an inner layer made of a black nanomaterial suit, infused with Tyrant cells, and an outer layer made of Orichalcum.

The black nanomaterial suit was modeled after the Demon Armor: Incursio Imperial Arm, allowing for precise, close-quarters control of the user's body.

Through the resonance between the Tyrant cells and the Orichalcum, which mimicked the characteristics of Imperial Arms, the power armor granted its wearer enhanced control and mobility.

While the armor appeared a bit rough around the edges, it was important to remember that it was mass-produced and the very first model of its kind.

And that was just the base model's functionality. After fully mastering the advanced technological insights Selene had provided from Academy City and integrating them with his own expertise...

Things like internal helmet communication systems, thermal imaging, and assisted targeting were just the basic features.

Dr. Stylish's true innovations were weapons like the Honkai Energy Particle Cannon, the Honkai Energy Particle Blade, and the Honkai Energy Particle Shield—all Honkai-Energy-based armaments!

Additionally, the magnetic belt on the power armor's waist allowed for regular weapon storage, and Dr. Stylish had even created a series of powerful transitional firearms and weapons, drawing on his previous work, Judgement of the Ten Heavenly Kings.

As for why they were considered "transitional," it was because Selene's design for the Burst Shotgun was still in development.

Rubbing her temples, Selene set down the files and glanced back at her luxurious golden throne. "Tch… this all feels strangely familiar…"

...

Meanwhile, in one of the annex corridors of the Palace of Springs, numerous maids and servants hurried about their tasks.

Two young women, dressed in the uniforms of the Empire's assassination unit, quietly followed behind a servant.

"Sister Cornelia, according to the General's intelligence, Najenda has resurfaced in the capital..." said a black-haired girl with a red sword in hand, her expression cold.

"Yes, finally, we can get our revenge!" The blonde girl beside her clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles cracking audibly.

The events of that day, when they had surrounded Najenda, were something they would never forget.

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