Chapter 221 – The Power of Second Blessing!

Aboard the Dreamweaver, Eden took a hovercar through various halls, passing cathedrals and garden plazas.

At ten kilometers long and home to hundreds of thousands of crew, the ship was practically a city in space, with churches, schools, hospitals, even farms.

Many crew members would spend their entire lives on board. Generations would live and die serving the vessel's systems.

Of course, the crew had been recruited from Urth's worker population and received specialized training.

Most had served less than a decade. Eventually, their descendants would be born, live, and die here. They enjoyed better conditions than typical Imperial hive worlds, but faced the dangers of cosmic warfare, Warp jumps, and so forth.

Fortunately, the 'chickens' patrolled the deep decks, so the crew didn't have to risk tangling with Genestealers or daemons in the maintenance tunnels.

If they got stuck somewhere, a distress signal would quickly bring over those "big mechanical chicken guys," who'd rescue them. The crew took to calling them "good-hearted mechanical biggies."

After about fifteen minutes, Eden's hovercar crossed a huge training field and finally arrived at the med-bay section, which was the size of a large hospital.

Stepping inside, he found the lighting cold and bright, illuminating an array of advanced medical machinery. Gold suns and Savior icons adorned the walls, lending a certain mystique.

"Savior!"

The medical Sisters greeted Eden, eyes shining like stars. They all bowed their heads in reverence, then went promptly back to work—standard practice per the Redemption Codex.

Even in the Savior's presence, you didn't shirk your duty. If a superior tried to force you to, you had grounds to complain. The Sisters bustled between wards, caring for the wounded.

Eden glanced into one ward, where a chief physician was deftly operating with mechadendrites, removing shrapnel from a patient's chest.

An assistant, swinging a censer, sprinkled holy water on the wound and prayed. Eden nodded in approval: indeed, sprinkling holy water and praying improved survival rates by about 20%, thanks to the Warp's quirks. They were still researching further "mystical" best practices.

He carried on to the med-bay's core ward, where Carter had just emerged from a healing tank. A medical Sister was spraying a wound-seal solution, preparing to bandage him. Seeing Eden, Carter shot to his feet, saluting: "I'm fully recovered, ready for duty at any time!"

The Sister frowned. "Captain Carter, your wounds only just closed. You're not ready for intense action."

Carter's expression stayed grimly polite. "Thank you, Sister, but I'm feeling fine."

Eden raised a hand, gesturing for Carter, who always stood so stiffly, to have a seat:

"The war's over for now. I came for something else—do you want even greater power?"

Carter's eyes lit up. "My lord, am I cleared for the next stage of augmentation?"

He had trained relentlessly to improve, each battle leaving him battered and forced to withdraw. It gnawed at him.

Now the chance to gain greater strength was thrilling. He was so excited that his bandages snapped, fresh blood seeping out. The medical Sister bit her lip in frustration. Carter apologized, "Sorry, I got a bit carried away. Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I'll heal soon. Others need you more than I do." She hesitated, but upon Eden's nod, she left, reminding Carter once more to rest.

Alone now, Eden looked at Carter. "Alright, come. You're ready for the second blessing."

He had checked Carter's condition—he was indeed fit. The blessing itself would further speed healing. As the first among the Thunder Guardians, Carter's iron will made him an ideal candidate for the new power.

Carter followed Eden out of the med-bay to a secluded meditation chamber in the training complex.

Blessings weren't just freely handed out; the subject needed to qualify and consciously request it from the little sun.

Eden then decided whether or not to grant it. Eden sensed only a handful of first-blessed had the spiritual toughness for a second blessing: Carter, Duke, Puru, Big Barrel, Arye.

Others might eventually measure up after more training and battles.

Stripped to the waist, Carter knelt before an altar that honored the Golden Sun and the Savior, devoutly reciting the blessing rite.

After many prior blessings, Eden had perfected an efficient ritual, recorded in the Redemption Codex. Anyone could learn the rite and ask the Savior for power, but Webby automatically filtered out unfit supplicants. Those who passed the initial filter went to Eden's psychic sense for final approval.

In the meditation chamber, Carter continued his prayer. A phantom channel appeared, leading him to that warm sun. Soon, outside the chamber, Eden received Carter's plea, summoning the required power. He spent ten million hope-points—ten times the cost of a first blessing.

Soft, radiant gold flooded the meditation room. The little sun's energy poured steadily into Carter's body. Such a colossal force battered his flesh and soul, but Carter endured, determined to claim it.

Outside, Eden waited calmly. He trusted his chief Thunder Guardian to withstand the second blessing, emerging reborn.

Some moments later, the glow receded. The chamber door opened, revealing Carter's heavy footfalls.

He'd succeeded! Now 2.8 meters tall, his scar-laced physique bristled with muscle, exuding an even fiercer aura. Kneeling, he said, "Savior, thank you for this gift."

Eden nodded. "Test your combat strength—I want to see how much stronger you've become."

...

In the Training Arena

Debris littered the floor—shredded alloy dummies, scorched patches, and holes everywhere. Boom—Duke was sent flying into a wall, leaving a dent. Before he could recover, Puru crashed into him.

"Boss, quick—"

Wham!

Big Barrel barely got the words out before smashing right into Duke and Puru, tumbling down like a pile of sardines.

Sprawled on the ground, Big Barrel lay there like a flailing fish. "He's too strong…"

Amid the wreckage stood Carter, breathing steadily, not even winded. He had just single-handedly beaten Duke, Puru, and Big Barrel all at once. Nearby, several Tech-sergeants recorded the fight data for analysis, which they handed to Eden.

After receiving the second blessing, Carter's overall combat capacity had soared by at least 80%—with room to grow. By Carter's own reckoning, if he fought a foe like the daemonized Harris now, he could easily handle him alone.

Looking over the numbers, Eden judged Carter had probably reached the level of the Emperor's elite Custodian Guard. Then he bestowed the second blessing on Duke, Puru, Big Barrel, Aré, and other core warriors.

While none saw as big a jump as Carter, they still gained substantial boosts, many hitting about the level of a standard Chapter Master. Eden was thrilled—he finally had a proper cadre of high-level fighters!

...

Dreamweaver Lower Decks—Pipeline Zone

Thunk, thunk, thunk…

In the murky gloom of the pipeworks, a squad of heavily armored "chicken" trudged along.

Eventually, they halted and stood in formation. Eden eyed them with anticipation, wondering what would happen if he blessed these creatures next…

(End of Chapter 221)