Chapter 407: New Apprentices
"Magos Ryo?" Alvaro Vess's voice was gentle, carrying a carefully modulated, comfortable resonance, but the minute, non-human precision of his pauses betrayed his synthesized nature. "May I ask what your instructions are?"
"Magos Vess," Ryo said, ignoring the other party's near-perfect mimicry and cutting straight to the point. "Regarding the project for repairing the geneseed of the Imperial Fists' Inductii warriors, the first-phase technical protocol has been completed by me and submitted to Primarch Rogal Dorn."
Alvaro Vess's image leaned forward slightly, his overly clear eyes flashing with a light of intense focus.
"A project personally overseen by the Primarch... this is of immense significance," he said, precisely controlling the awe and interest in his tone.
"Indeed," Ryo's synthesized voice was steady and waveless. "However, the specific execution of the project—including subsequent physiological monitoring, organ cultivation, genetic calibration, and even the surgical implementation—requires a long-term stay on Holy Terra and a massive investment of time for microscopic operations. This fundamentally conflicts with my core exploration schedule."
Alvaro Vess immediately understood Ryo's intention.
A trace of well-timed expression, a mix of surprise and honor, crossed his face. The simulation was extremely natural, yet the duration and precision of the change were too perfect to be biological.
To be able to take over a project personally monitored by a Primarch, with the initial protocol formulated by a figure like Ryo, was an opportunity he might not encounter again in several centuries.
"You mean..." His voice remained steady, but his internal computational core was clearly evaluating the massive potential gains of this arrangement at high speed.
"I intend to delegate the specific execution and subsequent data collection of this project to you," Ryo confirmed. "You will act as my plenipotentiary representative for this project, reporting directly to Primarch Dorn and his designated Imperial Fists Apothecaries. You must strictly follow the technical protocol I provided, with no unauthorized innovations or deviations permitted."
"Of course! I will follow it absolutely! Magos Ryo, thank you for your trust!" Alvaro Vess's response was swift and resolute, the simulated emotion full and sincere. "I swear in the name of the Omnissiah that I will execute your protocol with absolute precision. Every step and every parameter will be strictly followed and recorded. It is a great honor for me to participate in such an important project."
Ryo transmitted a highly encrypted technical data package.
"This is all the technical detail required for the execution of the first phase. Report to me immediately if any unforeseen circumstances arise that fall outside the scope of the protocol."
Alvaro Vess quickly received and confirmed the data, his posture like someone receiving a holy relic. "Understood! I will set to work immediately. Please rest assured, there will be no errors whatsoever."
The communication ended.
Ryo had successfully delegated this time-consuming task.
For a Magos Biologis like Alvaro Vess, who had been dormant for a long time and was eager to prove his ancient value on a higher level, this delegation was nothing less than a momentous gift—enough to breathe new life into research that had been stagnant for years.
Having concluded the review of the Iron Guard project at the Forge World of Nexum and the delegation of the Imperial Fists' matters, Ryo did not linger.
His core business was finished. The research into the Genesis particles at the Death World base and potential dimensional exploration were his current priorities.
Before departing on the Eternal Seeker of Knowledge, he exercised his authority as an Explorator Magos and a deep collaborator of Nexum to requisition a batch of biological resources.
These resources were not ordinary supplies. They included screened high-quality genetic templates, high-purity nutrient base fluids, and catalysts and stabilizers specifically used for precision biological modulation.
The resources were quickly delivered and loaded into the high-specification multi-functional biological laboratory that had been added to the Eternal Seeker of Knowledge by the Martian faction.
Deep within the laboratory, the artificial womb array, which had not been fully utilized before, was activated. A low hum echoed in the sterile environment as pale blue nutrient fluid began to pour into the transparent culture pods.
Ryo personally set the modulation parameters.
Unlike the previous large-scale production of basic assistants at Nexum, the goal this time was more specific and specialized.
The genetic templates he entered were specifically optimized, focusing on strengthening cognitive endurance, microscopic perception, and the instinctive analysis of complex biological signals—all critical qualities required for the ecological research of the Genesis particles.
The modulation process took place simultaneously during the voyage.
Ryo remotely monitored the vital signs data and gene expression in every culture pod through the ship's cogitator array, making occasional fine-tunings to ensure the process met expectations.
This time, the scale was controlled to twenty units, aiming for quality over quantity. The goal was to assemble a professional team that could immediately be deployed for high-precision research tasks.
By the end of the five-day warp voyage, the life cultivation within the artificial womb array had entered its final maturation stage.
When the Eternal Seeker of Knowledge dropped out of the warp and appeared in the Death World's orbit, the modulation was basically complete.
The warship smoothly connected to the base's orbital dock.
Ryo was the first to disembark, heading directly to the laboratory area.
Subsequently, the twenty new adjusters were guided by servitors, stepping onto the soil of the Death World in an orderly fashion.
Like the previous apprentices, they wore uniform plain robes. Their eyes carried the clarity of newborns and absolute obedience to instructions. They stood in a quiet line, awaiting further orders.
Ryo received this new force in the base's core laboratory.
He did not give a long speech but began a direct capability assessment.
"Elaborate on your understanding of the mechanisms for maintaining genetic sequence stability under extreme environmental pressure," he asked the adjuster at the front, a calm-looking young man with focused eyes (provisionally designated Bio-Unit-01).
Bio-Unit-01 answered without pause, his voice steady and clear: "Reporting to the Magos: the fundamental maintenance mechanism relies on error-correcting enzyme activity and telomere structural integrity. Under extreme pressure, epigenetic modifications may undergo adaptive changes, but there is a risk of losing control. The intervention of Genesis particles may have simulated or accelerated this process. The key lies in the precise mode of interaction between the particle energy field and the genetic material, which requires the establishment of a dynamic model for quantitative analysis."
The answer hit directly on a core difficulty in Ryo's current research, demonstrating excellent professional inclination and problem awareness.
Ryo tested them one by one. This batch of new apprentices generally demonstrated potential beyond the basic level in biochemistry, ecological succession modeling, and data analysis.
They would no longer need to start with identifying basic tools, but could directly participate in data parsing, sample analysis, and auxiliary experimental design.
He immediately granted these twenty new apprentices access to the monitoring network of the Canyon Experimental Zone and the biological section of the base's core database. He also assigned the first batch of tasks: assisting in the analysis of genetic sequence variation data of the surviving organisms in the canyon, establishing a primary framework for an ecological succession prediction model, and monitoring changes in the nascent microbial communities.
The original apprentices would continue their respective directions of study and research, while this new force quickly integrated into the research system of the Genesis particle project, becoming specialized research assistants.
Watching these new apprentices quickly enter their roles—beginning to operate instruments, record data, and perform preliminary calculations—Ryo updated the human resource files of the base in his processor.
The research power on the Death World had been specifically strengthened, providing a more solid technical support foundation for his next steps in exploring the mysteries of the Genesis particles.