The player is playing like a god, and has already advanced to Space Marine level at the start.

Skyblade No. 7, Command Center.

The alarms that were just giving me a headache, the howls of those beasts, and the explosions from the shield overload have all stopped now.

The starry sky was frighteningly clean.

The once densely packed Taotie fleet, which covered half the sky, has now turned into ashes floating in the vacuum. It's slag dried by fire, not even a decent piece of scrap metal remains.

Before the artificial star's light had even died down, a massive creature barged in, disrupting the gravitational balance. The entire star field was instantly enveloped in the monster's shadow.

A 26-kilometer-long steel backbone stretches across deep space.

This thing completely defies the laws of physics; it looks like a piece of land floating in the sky, completely capturing everyone's attention.

The ship's ridge was covered with Gothic spires as densely as a forest, with church peaks piercing the darkness. Magnificent stone statues were scattered across the armor plating, their greatswords hanging downwards, gazing down at the mortals below.

The gleaming double-headed eagle emblem on the bow of the ship was so dazzling that it made one dizzy, and an overwhelming sense of solemnity washed over one.

"The energy reading... has exceeded the limit!" The operator's voice was trembling with tears.

"The fire control system can't recognize what this is at all; its shield is more than ten times thicker than the Skyblade-7!"

"That blast just now completely wiped out the Taotie on Pluto."

The hall was eerily quiet; everyone felt as if they had fallen into a quagmire, unable to move. This was the tremor that arose from the depths of their hearts when faced with absolute power.

Lu Xiao stared at the screen.

That deep-seated sense of belonging was suddenly awakened.

"The Glory of Macurag"

Lu Xiao's throat was parched, and he squeezed the words out from between his teeth. He recognized the ship.

Lu Xiao's heart was pounding like a drum, thumping loudly. The impact was indescribable.

He took off his helmet.

This was his first time showing his face on this battlefield. His rugged face was contorted with ecstasy, and his eyes were red-rimmed.

"Company Commander?" Lei Zhan noticed that something was wrong with Lu Xiao. In his eyes, Lu Xiao was a cold, hard war machine. But now, this tough guy was acting like a child, both vulnerable and fanatical.

"Whose ship is that?" Lei Zhan asked in a low voice.

Lu Xiao ignored him, her eyes still fixed on the giant ship.

"Assemble." Lu Xiao's voice wasn't loud, but it was frighteningly steady.

"Huh?" Lei Zhan was stunned.

"I said assemble!" Lu Xiao whirled around, his eyes blazing with a blinding light. "Lei Zhan! Everyone! Call all twenty-five of our brothers over here! Get their armor ready! Polish their explosive rifles! And straighten all those damn medals!"

Lu Xiao strode towards the cabin door, walking very fast, even with a hint of being out of his mind.

Lu Xiao stopped, his chest heaving. He looked at the group of soldiers who had accompanied him in donning the blue armor.

"Let's go greet him." Lu Xiao's voice trembled, filled with barely suppressed fervor. "Father has arrived. Let's go see Father."

……

The hangar door of the Skyblade 7 slowly slid open. Three Thunderhawk gunships, spewing blue flames, rushed out. They were unloaded, their fire control systems off, and they charged headlong into the steel behemoth in the starry sky.

Space is littered with the remnants of the Taotie; these aliens that used to roam freely are now nothing but garbage.

Lu Xiao sat in the cabin, staring at his hands. These hands had undergone twenty-two surgeries, possessing godlike strength. In this universe, mortals regarded him as a god. But before that ship, he was just a wanderer who had been away from home for too long.

"Connection request successful," the driver's voice came through. "The other side gave the highest-level guidance signal! The mainframe library is opening doors for us!"

Lu Xiao closed his eyes, and two lines of tears slid down his face. In this hellish place full of superhuman genes, angels and demons, he was finally not alone anymore.

Father really came.

……

The Makurag's Glory, main hangar. This place is so large it could fit a city inside. The dome, hundreds of meters high, is covered with paintings from the Great Expedition. The air is filled with the smells of incense, engine oil, and ozone—a fragrance mingled with the scents of war and industry.

The hangar was filled with neat rows of blue power armor, which stretched as far as the eye could see, like a Great Wall of Steel.

Ultramarines, the true heir of the Thirteenth Army.

As Lu Xiao led Lei Zhan and the others off the Thunder Eagle, the chilling aura emanating from him made everyone hold their breath. The veterans quietly observed this group of uninvited guests, their eyes showing no rejection, only acceptance.

That was the look in his eyes when he looked at his own brother.

Lu Xiao walked at the front, each step making a thud on the deck. He traversed this steel forest, and at the end, the golden gate slowly opened. The turning of the gears sounded like the wheels of history grinding away.

A burst of light suddenly shone out.

Lu Xiao squinted. Several people stood in the light and shadow. The one in the very center was astonishingly large. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and his face was like a marble sculpture, exuding a dignified yet weary and weathered air. His armor of destiny was adorned with golden eagles, and the red cloak behind him moved on its own.

Robert Guilliman. Regent of the Empire.

"Father"

Lu Xiao stopped, his throat tight with choking, unable to utter a single word. The surge of energy in his blood made his legs weak and he almost couldn't stand. Guilliman looked at Lu Xiao, a hint of tenderness in the Primarch's gaze.

Lu Xiao's gaze was quickly drawn to the two gleaming golden figures next to Guilliman. They were golden giants, their armor so thick it was blinding. Arcs of electricity crackled and leaped from their halberds.

The Imperial Guard. They were the Emperor's personal guards. Seeing them was like seeing the Emperor himself.

Lu Xiao's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode. There was nothing to hesitate about, and she didn't need to think about it.

Lu Xiao suddenly sank downwards, and with a loud "thud," the deck shattered from his knee strike. He lowered his head, which usually held no sway over anyone. His right fist clenched, slamming hard against the double-headed eagle badge on his chest.

This is not a bow to the Primarch; it is the highest respect for the Emperor.

"For the Emperor!"

Lu Xiao's voice became hoarse from shouting. Lei Zhan and the others behind him were all terrified by this imposing manner and knelt down in unison. The sound of armor crashing against the deck echoed in the hangar.

Guilliman nodded; he understood. The child wasn't kneeling before him, but before his father, who sat on the golden throne. This loyalty was more valuable than anything else.

"Get up, my child." Guilliman's voice was steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable force.

Lu Xiao looked up, her face covered in tears.

"Father……"

Guilliman walked down the steps to Lu Xiao and reached out his large iron hand to support his shoulder.

"You did a good job." Guilliman stared into his eyes. "In this wasteland teeming with aliens and false gods, you upheld the dignity of humanity. You are our pride."

Lu Xiao bit her lip, desperately holding back her tears. It was all worth it.

"Interesting... This is quite unusual." A synthesized mechanical voice suddenly interrupted.

Behind Guilliman, Caul's massive shell moved closer. Several mechanical arms emerged like snakes, their bright red electronic eyes scanning Lu Xiao haphazardly. A beam of light enveloped Lu Xiao.

Lu Xiao instinctively tensed up.

"Huh?" Kaur made a strange noise as the holographic projection opened above everyone's heads.

"The bones are even harder than the original, and the muscles are full of divine matter." Caul pointed to Lu Xiao's chest. "Besides the two hearts, there's also an energy reservoir. Although the energy fluctuations aren't as good as the original, they've already surpassed the Imperial Guard Commander in terms of quality."

Upon hearing this, Guilliman's expression changed.

"Moreover, his psionic energy is ridiculously stable, without even a trace of warp stench. This is perfect evolution. If only I could cut it open and study it..." Caul's mechanical arm rubbed excitedly.

"Caul," Guilliman interrupted coldly, his tone full of warning, "this is my son, not your guinea pig."

"Alright, Primarch." Caul withdrew his claws with a hint of regret. "This technology incorporates the very structure of the universe. If only we could disassemble it..."