Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 575 Psionic Knight Test
Rostov III Foundry World, the outer testing ground of the "Silent Furnace".

Beneath the towering adamantine dome, the blinding high-intensity lighting array scorched the test field like the core of a star, the billowing heat waves distorting the air and blurring the outline of the distant servo robotic arm into a swaying phantom.

The intense smell of ozone, the burning sweetness of molten metal, and the icy chemical odor of coolant mingled and rose, creating the unique, primal, and infernal aura of the foundry world.

The massive servo robotic arm, like a lurking steel behemoth, hovered at the edge of the test field. Its robust hydraulic joints emitted a deep, continuous hum, and the network of pipelines undulated slightly with the pulsation of the high-pressure fluid inside, like the behemoth's throbbing blood vessels.

Maria Nearl sat upright in the cockpit of the "Psionic Knight" prototype, protected by layers of armor.

The psionic stabilization field technology derived from ancient ruins has been refined into a prototype and is currently being embedded into the core of this prototype—at the cost of imprisoning a psionic user as a "battery" inside the mech.

Maria is not a psionicist, but the technology refined by the Watchers has given her the ability to wield psionic power.

She took a deep breath, the cold air mingling with the synthetic scents filtered through a loop, and her fingers moved steadily and precisely across the control panel covered with sacred runes and binary incantations, activating the prototype system.

Om-!
The massive body of the "Psionic Knight" emitted a deep and unprecedentedly stable resonance, a stark contrast to the heart-pounding, unstable tremors that accompanied its activation in the past.

The humming of the servo motors at the joints was regular and deep, like a precise giant clock starting to operate steadily.

The most noticeable change came from the mech's head—the pair of huge optical sensor arrays suddenly lit up with a bright, constant, and pure golden light, like the core of a star!
The light was not an explosive burst of brilliance, but rather a restrained yet powerful force, like a furnace of refined gold. It cast clear and sharp shadows on the thick, angular armor, reflecting the flying metal dust as floating golden stars, and draping this silent giant in a sacred and inviolable halo.

"Psionic Stabilization Field Prototype Activated Successfully. Energy readings stable, resonant frequency precisely locked, fluctuation rate below three ten-thousandths." The emotionless synthesized voice of Sage Aurejana came from the encrypted communication channel, with the low hum of the Thinker Array's high-speed calculations in the background, like billions of data bees flapping their wings endlessly.

"Begin basic movement and melee combat sequence testing." Maria's voice carried a hint of tense anticipation.

Each time the heavy adamantite footplates were raised and lowered, they were accompanied by the deep, powerful sigh of the hydraulic system and the clear, resonant clang of the adamantite colliding.

Sage Aurejana's voice rang out in unison: "Basic movement test sequence is in progress: the pace is stable and the rhythm is clear. The straight forward, backward, lateral and stationary turning movements are precise and smooth, with no lag reports. The ground feedback vibration is consistent with the preset model."

The moment the movement ended, the mech's posture instantly changed.

The main load-bearing joints emitted a deep, thunderous roar, and the massive power sword, gripped by both hands, tore through the air, emitting a terrifying howl like rolling thunder!
Sage Aurejana's report followed immediately: "Melee combat simulation sequence activated: The power sword's swing trajectory is complex and deadly, including horizontal slashes, vertical chops, thrusts, and spins. The upper body's multi-joint transmission works in perfect coordination, with perfect power delivery. The airflow disturbance caused by the swings is as expected."

Maria switched commands.

The constant golden light on the head of the "Psionic Knight" suddenly intensified, and the energy flow surged along the rune grooves on the surface of the armor, converging and spreading several meters in front of the mech.

A high-frequency humming sound filled the air, and an invisible force field instantly condensed, forming a semi-transparent arc-shaped shield made of pure golden energy!

Sage Aurejana stated in a monotone voice: "Psionic Shield Generation Test Activated: The shield's shape is stable, and the energy flow has solidified into a semi-transparent arc. When impacted by high-speed kinetic energy projectiles, the shield's surface only produces a controllable ripple effect, and its defensive effectiveness meets the standards. The shield maintains its condition well, and the static electricity dissipation at the edges is within acceptable limits."

As the shield dissipated, the "Psionic Knight" raised a huge metal hand, palm facing a distant target.

The mecha's body blazed with golden light as its energy converged and shaped under the constraints of a stable field.

Accompanied by a piercing shriek like tearing fabric, a thick, violent golden lightning bolt shot out from the palm of his hand!

Sage Aurejana's voice remained clear amidst the deafening explosion: "Psionic lightning release test in progress: The lightning is in a controlled, concentrated form, released with precision. The target was bombarded, the impact area melted and vaporized, forming a melt-out gap as expected. The residual energy dissipation pattern is consistent with the simulation." "Report!" Maria's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, "The psionic stability field prototype's operational efficiency far exceeds expectations! The suppression of mental backlash is significant! Subjective mental load has been reduced below the safe threshold, and the stability coefficient is assessed at Gamma level! The mech's basic control stability is perfect! Melee combat movements are responsive and fluid! The psionic shield generation is stable, and the defensive effectiveness meets the standards! The psionic lightning release is precise and controllable, and its power meets expectations!"

She could clearly feel that the cold steel body and the surging spiritual power seemed to have become the most direct extension of her will.

On the observation bridge.

Hathor stood with his arms crossed, like a silent sentinel statue, before the heavy, high-intensity observation window.

Below, the "Psionic Knight" is bathed in a constant golden light, like a divine creation that has stepped out of the Codex Alimentarius, exuding a pure sense of physical power and cold, inhuman precision.

Her eyes, like molten gold, reflected a steady, pure light, as well as the controlled yet still violent trajectory of lightning.

The scene before them should have ignited hope—a new weapon capable of combating the aliens and the blasphemous power of chaos.

However, a deeper, more ancient instinct stirred within Hathor.

The dazzling golden light and the tamed psionic lightning instantly pulled her back to the burning starry sea of ​​the Great Crusade.

She seemed to see again the twisted psykers screaming and spontaneously combusting in the warship's corridors, witness her comrades corrupted by the whispers of the warp turning their guns on their comrades, and feel the soul-freezing tremor as the psy storm tore through the void.

Those are scars etched deep in genes and memory, a deep-seated aversion and vigilance towards psychic energy—the most unstable and corruptible force in the universe.

Technology itself is neither good nor evil, Hathor knew this well.

This stable field might truly become a nightmare for the Emperor's enemies, a solid shield.

But at its core, it still imprisons a psyker, drawing power from the depths of the warp.

How long can that "resonant" dam hold up against the real chaotic torrent?

Is the will to forge it and wield it firm enough to resist the temptations and corruption that power itself brings?
Hope is like the blazing plasma in a furnace, hot and bright; worry is like the millennia-old frost that has formed on the edge of a fine gold mold, cold and heavy.

They meshed intricately within her heart, like deadly gears interlocking.

Ultimately, she did not make any comments.

That deep worry and the cautious scrutiny of everything were buried even deeper in her molten gold eyes.

Her gaze returned to the steadily operating steel giant in the testing field, as if she wanted to imprint every joint rotation, every flash of golden light, every tremor caused by its footsteps, and the seemingly docile yet actually abyss-hiding psionic light into the deepest part of her memory.

The cold, mechanical creations and the human glimmer in her eyes created a silent yet chilling contrast in this forging field, a place brimming with power and unknown dangers.

(End of this chapter)