Chapter 77: The True Guardians

Meanwhile, the Poisoned Thorn sat upon the governor's throne, managing military affairs while his servant stood nearby, reporting various matters. 

"The governor is furious with you. Not only have you lost two major battles, but you also led to the deaths of the Roaring Rain and Alan. He was the only one in his family who worshipped the Lord of Wisdom, and the governor still needs him for the fight on Talon III." 

"After some time, the governor will dispatch warships to transport soldiers, reinforcing your current forces to approximately seven hundred thousand." 

"After that, there will be no further support." 

The Poisoned Thorn quietly listened to the servant's report before setting aside his military duties and inquiring, "Wait, why is the governor engaging in conflict with those on Talon III?" 

"When the nobles evacuated, some of them fled to Talon III," the servant replied, exasperation evident on his face. "Clearly, the governor is unaware that some of his allies and enemies are covertly communicating with Talon III, which has already fallen under the control of the Lord of Delight." 

"Lord of Delight." The Poisoned Thorn searched his mind for information about this name. 

He suddenly recalled that the Lord of Delight was once an obscure sect on Talon III, at least a century ago. To his astonishment, they had grown rapidly and seized control of Talon III. 

Until today, the Poisoned Thorn had believed that Talon III was still under the governor's command. 

"Here's the plan," he said, looking at the servant. "Speak to the governor. I do not want reinforcements; I want his warships to conduct orbital bombardment above the Nest City. Is that acceptable?" 

"He'll surely respond with, 'Dream on, you worthless fool,'" the servant replied with a laugh. 

"Do not provoke me to skin you alive," the Poisoned Thorn warned coldly, then fell into thought. 

He had originally anticipated swiftly annihilating the First Army, but it now seemed unlikely. The teleportation technology they employed was insidious; without at least a decade of fighting, it would be impossible to grasp the intricacies of this teleportation method. 

Yesterday, he had received a report from the front lines, with some of the attackers in District 13 claiming to have spotted the Kadian Assault Army. 

However, the Poisoned Thorn inclined to believe this information was merely a false alarm or that the enemy was masquerading as the Kadian Assault Army. 

The Lord of Wisdom had thrived in this star system for a considerable time for a reason; the Talon system was not a significant location, making it improbable for the Kadian Assault Army to arrive. 

With this in mind, the Poisoned Thorn asked his servant, "I simply cannot comprehend why the enemy does not take the initiative to attack. Do they view those in the Nest, whom we regard as ritual materials, as insignificant?" 

"Perhaps they are engaged in some crucial endeavors, such as expanding their forces," the servant suggested with a smile. 

"Perhaps," the Poisoned Thorn nodded in agreement. 

"By the way… what if we lose the battle?" the servant asked. 

"Losing would not matter; it would not disrupt our plans," the Poisoned Thorn replied. 

The servant pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement, "You will receive the favor of the Lord of Wisdom as we have planned and become the most powerful psychic in the entire star system." 

"Shh…" The Poisoned Thorn anxiously surveyed the surroundings. Satisfied that no one else was present, he quickly signaled for the servant to be silent. "Do not speak of this, or my other subordinates will hear. I still wish to use them as my ritual materials." 

In the subsequent two weeks, Qin Mo refrained from launching any offensive actions, instead preparing for the upcoming great battle. 

The infantry's weaponry was comprehensively upgraded; laser rifles boasted increased power and faster firing rates, while powered armor saw enhancements in defense. 

The chassis of the Liman-Ruston tanks was modified into a gravity-defying suspension base, with rocket launchers added to the turret, significantly augmenting the tanks' firepower. 

Qin Mo even upgraded his five elite guards, but not by enhancing their powered armor; instead, he focused on augmenting their physical forms. 

This transformation was a comprehensive enhancement from head to toe. 

First, gene strengthening granted the elite guards more robust physiques and sturdier bones. Their already strong muscles underwent further augmentation surgeries to ensure they could support the powered armor and move normally even without its energy supply. 

Their brains were equipped with neural interfaces, allowing for direct control of the powered armor through thought, alongside bio-processors to aid them in processing more information on the battlefield. They could even rest different regions of their brains in a staggered manner, enabling continuous combat. 

Metallic skeletal structures were implanted in their faces and throats, enhancing their defensive capabilities, while small storage chambers for nanobots allowed for repairs when their bodies sustained injuries. 

Their original eyeballs were removed and replaced with mechanical eyes connected to databases, capable of analyzing every individual they encountered to confirm their identities. These eyes also featured functions for aiding aiming and thermal imaging. 

The elite guards' bodies and legs were replaced with metallic skeletons, while their hearts and other organs were substituted with three fusion reactors. 

These reactors provided a continuous supply of energy; while the output was modest, it was relentless and would not extinguish. 

As long as one reactor remained intact, the elite guards would not perish. 

At the joints of their metallic skeletons, highly efficient transmission devices were implanted, allowing the elite guards to move rapidly, even without their powered armor. 

In addition to the enhancements to their bodies and brains, the most crucial upgrade involved their spines. 

The original spine was replaced with a new structure capable of bearing the weight of a tank while also strengthening the body's nervous system, granting the elite guards swifter reaction and action speeds. 

There was even an ability they could activate voluntarily, enabling their reaction speed to reach its utmost limit. 

When this ability was activated, the elite guards would perceive time as though it had slowed, while they could move freely. 

In their eyes, even the most agile Eldar warriors would appear cumbersome and slow. 

However, this ability placed immense strain on the nervous system, lasting only ten seconds; using it a second time within an hour would drive them insane. 

After undergoing these modifications, the elite guards did not resemble metallic monsters; they were still covered in a layer of human skin cultivated in nutrient tanks. While this skin was not essential, it contributed to their appearance. 

The theoretical basis for these modifications involving genes, brain, bones, and even the spine was inherently lethal, but Qin Mo could utilize his ability to distort physics for precise adjustments, ensuring the elite guards survived the surgical transformations. 

Moreover, these enhancements had the added benefit of using only prosthetics and augmentations related to genetics and material science, devoid of any aspect of subspace technology. They would not mutate, and once more advanced anti-subspace technologies were developed in the future, there would be no concern for them being adversely affected. 

The upgraded elite guards retained their name but were now a hundred times more powerful than before.