Neksum Forge World: the main assembly line of the "Iron Guard" project.
The pace of the assembly line is faster than ever before. The robotic arms swing with a new, almost combat-like efficiency, and the hum of the servo motors and the hiss of the plasma welding guns intertwine to create a dense industrial symphony.
The final production blueprint, validated and fine-tuned using real-world data, has been locked and distributed to all relevant production nodes.
The first batch of small-scale production has officially begun.
At the end of the assembly line, one after another, the still-wet paint of the "Iron Guard" aircraft is lifted down by a mechanical arm and placed steadily on the conveyor belt, then sent to the final comprehensive testing area.
Their armor seams gleamed with a matte finish from recent welding and polishing, the joints were filled with fresh lubricant, and the protective covers at the weapon module interfaces were not yet closed, revealing the intricate connecting terminals underneath.
Like busy worker bees, the Tech-Priests shuttled between the newly produced machines, data probes connecting to every testing interface, and binary prayers and self-test commands silently intersected in the air.
Sensor readings, power output curves, basic response thresholds of the engine... massive amounts of data are collected and compared in real time, and checked against standard parameters.
Any deviation exceeding the allowable tolerance will immediately trigger an alarm, marking the problematic unit and removing it from the production line to be sent to the adjacent debugging area for precise calibration.
Project manager Marcus Thorne stood in the observation corridor, his mechanical eye scanning the orderly yet powerful production scene below.
Data flowed through his processing core, confirming that production efficiency and yield had met expectations.
These "Iron Guards" will no longer be prototypes, but standard equipment that will soon be deployed on the battlefield.
Fifty of these are neural-connected units, which have been specially marked and will enjoy higher priority and stricter factory inspection standards.
Their machine souls were incorporating underlying logic that prioritizes protection and stability during the nurturing process, and their neural interfaces underwent additional anti-interference enhancements.
These were prepared for Osiris' army of defenders of the faith.
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The Death World Base, a newly designated maintenance area for Iron Guards.
The area is adjacent to the Guardian Army camp and the Zofia Knights' encampment, facilitating coordinated defense.
The heavy alloy floor supports the first batch of twenty neural-connected "Iron Guards" that have arrived.
They stood silently like steel giants, fixed in place by the maintenance racks, their armor painted with a dark red background representing Osiris' faction and unique exploration sequence insignia.
Valerie and Jackie stood in the center of the maintenance area.
Both men had changed into modified combat uniforms that met the standards of the Cleric Army, with neural interface cables attached to the outside for connecting to the Iron Guard's internal auxiliary systems.
Their expressions were serious as their gazes swept over the row of brand-new war machines before them.
As the first pilots to come into contact with and adapt to the neural-connected prototype, they were directly appointed by Osiris as combat instructors for the newly formed Iron Guard Force, based on their performance and experience in previous battles.
Their mission was to train a group of soldiers selected from the Christian Guard and the Maine Squad who possessed the necessary potential into qualified Iron Guard drivers.
"They've finished learning the basic operational theory," Valerie told Jackie, her voice coming through the communicator on her combat suit with a metallic quality. "Next up is real-world synchronization and tactical coordination."
Jackie nodded, then stretched his neck, making a soft clicking sound.
"These kids, no matter how good their theoretical grades are, they won't know their own worth until they actually get their hands dirty with this stuff." He patted the cold ankle armor of a Iron Guard beside him. "Let's go, let the rookies see what real 'movement' really means."
The first batch of ten trained soldiers have lined up in front of their designated aircraft.
They were elites selected from the Guardians of the Church, their bodies gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, their original organs replaced by various sensory enhancers and combat prosthetics.
These battle-hardened veterans stood solemnly beneath the steel behemoth, their optical sensors focused on the machine they were about to pilot. The data flow was calm, yet it was difficult to completely suppress the subtle load fluctuations in the internal processor caused by the immense glory it felt.
Being selected as one of the first Iron Guard pilots means being recognized as the most elite force under the Magos's command. It is an honor bestowed by Omnesia and a new beginning in fulfilling one's mission.
"Remember the procedure!" Valerie's voice rang out through the external speaker, clear and cold. "Before connecting, perform a final check on the vital signs monitoring system and confirm that the physical locks of the neural interface are in place."
There may be sensory shocks during the initial synchronization phase. Maintain the stability of the core logic, focus on basic commands, and let the machine spirit become familiar with your thought processes, rather than you forcibly controlling it!
Under her supervision, the soldiers moved in a standardized and efficient manner, one by one, through the elevator platform into the cockpit on the Iron Guard's chest.
The dull thud of the airtight door closing came one after another.
Jackie then jumped onto another Iron Guardian that was in standby mode and skillfully connected to the neural interface.
"Recruits, listen up," his voice came directly into all the communication channels connected to the pilots, "follow my movements and feel the flow of power. Start with the simplest things: standing still and walking."
As he spoke, his massive Iron Guardian body emitted a deep hum of hydraulic and energy core acceleration, smoothly rising from its crouching standup position, its metal feet striking the ground with a heavy thud.
In the preparation area, the other Iron Guards also began to move one after another. At first, they were a bit stiff and hesitant, but with Valerie's constant corrections and Jackie's demonstration and guidance, they gradually became more coordinated.
Heavy footsteps, the mechanical sounds of joints turning, and the low hum of energy circuits echoed in the maintenance area.
Osiris appeared on the observation platform high up in the maintenance area.
His crimson optical lens looked down at the training scene below, meticulously recording the motion parameters of each Iron Guard and the vital signs data of the pilot.
Valerie and Jackie's teaching methods are direct and effective, focusing on practical application and crisis response, which aligns with the Iron Guard's design and the needs of the Cleric.
He saw a steel guard's joints lock up due to overload while turning, causing the machine to jerk slightly, but the pilot quickly adjusted the output based on system feedback and soon regained stability.
Valerie's precise instructions immediately rang out: "Power allocation needs to anticipate the machine's inertia! Your logic core's processing speed needs to keep up! Repeat!"
The seeds of the Iron Guard have been sown, and these loyal and resilient elite members of the Guard are embracing this new duty and power with absolute focus.
Osiris needs them to quickly develop combat capability in order to deal with the potential threats to the world of death and the heavy firepower support required for future dimensional exploration.
He turned and left the observation platform.
Training will continue as planned until the pilots are able to control their new bodies with ease.
Meanwhile, Neksum's production line will continuously supply more "Iron Guards" to this location.