Chapter 7: "C'tan shard. Looking to make Food. Perpetual Motion Machine."
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Kardia concentrated deeply, closing his beautiful red-golden eyes as he extended his senses to envelop the entire planet, reaching into every hidden crevice and shadowed corner.
A few hours had passed since he acquired those powerful skills, and he was growing bored. To alleviate his restlessness, he began to extend his senses across the planet.
His perception had grown incredibly fast; he could essentially cover the entire globe. This capability made him feel like a god, as he was able to perceive everything and anything.
His senses stretched across vast landscapes—lush jungles pulsating with decaying plant life, their leaves glistening with dead moisture, and desolate, barren wastelands blanketed in cracked earth and silent despair.
Most of the planet was infected by the Tyranids. Their chilling pheromones hung in the air, a sickly sweet scent that drove Kardia to madness from sheer anger.
He could almost hear the ominous whispers of the chitinous forms lurking just beyond his line of sight—predatory shadows in the underbrush.
With his powerful mind, Kardia delved deeper into the planet, seeking to pinpoint their locations with surgical precision.
He analyzed their patterns with the acuity of a master strategist, searching for potential nests that might harbor more of these voracious creatures, ever hungry and insatiable.
Understanding the need to eradicate this plague, Kardia resolved to communicate vital information to each of his sixteen Shadow Generals through their shared Synaptic Link.
He had granted them the freedom to plan their attacks and strategize their approach against the Tyranid threat in whatever manner they deemed fit. However, he also needed to provide them with exact information so they could execute their plans effectively.
In the corners of his perception, Kardia detected a small percentage of human survivors scattered across the planet.
However, he quickly realized that these were not soldiers but rather desperate civilians who had managed to elude the monstrous waves of Tyranids.
He set aside thoughts of them for the moment, considering how to address their plight later. His immediate focus was on something else.
Just as he was ready to withdraw his "Universal Sense," Kardia felt a disturbance emanating from a specific area in the cosmos.
This disturbance did not originate from the planet, but from outside of it.
Kardia quickly employed his newly acquired Extra Skill named "Universal Perception," which allowed him to perceive and feel all universal energies of the cosmos, including thermal energy, electricity, kinetic energy, electromagnetic energy, nuclear energy, radiation, spiritual energy, and more.
So, while "Universal Perception" does not mean that Kardia can see the entire universe, it does mean that he can perceive all universal energies, presences, and essence within it.
Using "Universal Perception," Kardia tracked the energy disturbance and discovered that it came from the borders of this specific star system. Intrigued by the sudden anomaly, he decided to investigate.
With deliberate thought, Kardia, who could manipulate the very fabric of space now, conjured a portal in front of him. He was unconcerned about the ability to breathe in space, as he knew he could adapt quickly to any environment.
In an instant, Kardia manipulated his personal ship, the Vimana, and stepped into the portal, eager to explore this new anomaly.
"Amazing, yet strange..." he muttered, narrowing his gaze as his red-golden eyes surveyed the vastness of space.
Although Kardia had reincarnated into the Warhammer 40k universe, where travel across the galaxy was expected, he had not actually been to space at all since his reincarnation two days ago—not even in his past life.
So, for Kardia right now, this very moment was mind-blowing.
That he, a normal person, a normie, or even a loser in his past life, was now powerful and even able to feel the vastness of space with his own flesh. To see what was beyond the planet, to see what was beyond the stars.
It actually almost made him cry.
No, he did cry.
Maybe because we, as the author and reader, haven't experienced interstellar travel, or even seen the beauty of the stars and space, we could not comprehend why a grown man like Kardia was crying.
But for Kardia, this was something that he was experiencing for the first time.
For almost an hour, Kardia simply stood there and kept watching the vastness of space.
But after he calmed down, he began to look for the source of that disturbance. It was clear that the disturbance was something that it needed to be checked.
"I feel a tremendous surge of Cosmic Power radiating from this area."
Kardia, who was manipulating Vimana to move through space, even moving through large Asteroids and so on, said to himself as he finally recognized what kind of energy it was.
It was cosmic power.
As he ventured forward, a heavy atmosphere began to take hold around him.
After some time flying on Vimana through space, Kardia actually felt an increase in Cosmic Energy.
"This must be the place."
Using his skill "Universal Perception," Kardia deciphered a path through the winding passages—lots of Asteroids and even some ancient buildings were floating in space.
When he finally felt he had arrived at the source of the cosmic energy, Kardia's eyes were wide as plates.
"No way..."
Kardia rushed in with Vimana.
What he found was something extraordinary: a sleeping, incredibly large figure holding what seemed to be a spear in his right hand.
"No FUCKING way."
What he faced was something he never thought he would encounter in this world.
Well, he did, but not as fast as he did.
"A C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon?!"
Panicking—not from fear, but from the immense joy of discovering something so valuable—Kardia couldn't believe his luck.
Do you know who the Void Dragon is?
And why was this HERE?
In the middle of fucking space in this unknown Star System.
Nobody knew about it for many years?
How did Kardia know it was the Void Dragon?
The Void Dragon, sometimes referred to simply as "The Dragon," has the proper name of Mag'ladroth. It is arguably the most powerful surviving C'tan, particularly after the banishment of the "Nightbringer."
As a member of the C'tan, the Star Gods of the material world, also known as "realspace, the Void Dragon possesses immensely powerful abilities.
These abilities include the manipulation of antimatter and matter, the use of cosmic power and energy, control over cosmic elements, transdimensional travel, manipulation of space and time, and a degree of reality warping.
Kardia recognized it as the Void Dragon because he had seen multiple images of it on the internet in his past life. When he laid eyes on the real thing in his current life, he instantly knew it was the Void Dragon.
[Energy readings indicated that, at the very least, it had enough energy to destroy this entire Star System with an explosion, and still survive the explosion.]
Unexpectedly, Raphael, who was analyzing the C'tan Shard, spoke up, surprising Kardia.
"Even as a fragment, it has enough power to destroy this entire Star System? How strong was this C'tan?"
Kardia was actually pretty worried.
This meant that even the C'tan, who are no longer around, well... they are around, it's just that they are sealed, are powerful enough to be incomprehensible for Kardia right now.
This means that the likes of the Chaos Gods and the Emperor of Mankind were around beyond what he initially anticipated.
"Thank god I chose those templates. If not, I would've been cooked." Kardia murmured to himself.
Hell! Even a shard of the Void Dragon contained enough power to obliterate this entire Star System.
Kardia doesn't think he has enough power to even level an entire Star System like it was nothing, and yet, this C'tan Shard had that much power.
"Raphael..." Kardia called Raphael.
[Yes, Master?] Raphael responded quickly.
"Do you think that Azathoth, at one hundred percent potency, could devour this C'tan shard in an instant?"
Kardia asked the important question here.
He knew that Azathoth could devour the C'tan Shard; he just didn't know if Azathoth could do it instantly.
[Absolutely, Master.] Raphael responded with confidence.
"...." Kardia nodded.
"It is better that I devour this C'tan Shard. It is more useful to me than to anyone else," Kardia murmured to himself.
Raising his right hand to aim directly at the sleeping C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon, Kardia acted quickly.
He knew that if the shard awakened, he would likely be unable to defeat it in his current state.
"Devour it all, Azathoth!"
Kardia decided he needed to summon Azathoth at the highest potency possible. He aimed to devour the C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon in one attempt.
Although he understood that Azathoth could ignore space and time—including the laws of physics—Kardia was unwilling to risk his life in case the Void Dragon shard woke up.
Lightning sparks and a swirling black substance rushed toward the sleeping shard of the Void Dragon floating in space, attacking it as if it were a slumbering princess.
With the highest potency of Azathoth that Kardia had ever used, the Void Dragon Shard didn't have the slightest chance to awaken, escape, or even move from its position as it was devoured and pulled into "Imaginary Space" with incredible speed.
At the same time, the C'tan Shard of the Void dragon was devoured completely.
This was the power of Azathoth at full power.
Kardia sighed in relief as he saw that the C'tan Shard was instantly devoured.
But he was confused the next moment.
[New Skills acquired.]
[The Extra Skill "Law Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Law Domination."]
[You have acquired the Extra Skill "Temporal Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Time Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Temporal Domination."]
[After combining the Extra Skill "Spatial Domination" and the Extra Skill "Temporal Domination," you have acquired the Extra Skill "Space-Time Domination."]
[After reviewing the memories of the Void Dragon C'tan Shard, you have acquired a low-level Extra Skill "Reality Warping."]
[You have acquired the memories, techniques, and special abilities of the Void Dragon.]
"Holy shit..."
Kardia murmured as he processed Raphael's words and felt the changes in his abilities.
Previously, with the Extra Skill "Law Manipulation," Kardia had the ability to sense all types of energies, including spiritual ones, and exert control over phenomena.
Now, with "Law Manipulation" evolving into the Extra Skill "Law Domination," Kardia felt as though he had complete control over everything around him, as if he were the ultimate God of the Universe.
The only drawback to this ability is that it requires a substantial amount of energy to control certain laws and phenomena.
While Kardia feels as though his energy is limitless, he understands that his current power levels are not yet sufficient to match the capabilities of other cosmic entities throughout the galaxy.
"I think it's time for me to go back; there's a lot I need to do." With a single thought, Kardia vanished from his location.
The next moment, he reappeared with Vimana, where he had been before opening the portal to this side of the planet.
"Instant motion truly is overpowered. I could even reach Terra in an instant if I wanted to. Well... I would need the spatial locations first."
Though he thinks it wouldn't be a good idea to go to Terra, Kardia is confident he can do it.
In the world of Tensura, skills like "Space-Time Domination" enable techniques such as "Instant Motion," which allows the user to teleport to ANY location merely by thinking about it—without any time delay—making it faster than even Spatial Transfer, another spatial technique.
This instant "motion" is achieved through the manipulation of space and time, making it nearly impossible to anticipate or track.
It activates without any time delay and does not create any spatial disruptions.
The name of the skill says it all: "Instant Motion," meaning there isn't a delay, as it is instant.
This skill can be utilized in combat and outside of it.
Thus, as long as Kardia desires, or more like, in a single thought, he can teleport to Earth, which the inhabitants of the Warhammer 40K universe refer to as "Terra," and arrive there instantly and without delay.
Just like he said before.
Now that Kardia has devoured something incredibly powerful—a literal C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon—he feels that his initial bad luck of "spawning" into this world in front of a Tyranid when he didn't have powers has redeemed itself.
"Getting more power is something I can pursue on my own," he murmured to himself, his mind racing with multiple thoughts.
Now came the actual questions.
What was he going to do in this world?
He has wasted two entire days because he was fighting against the Tyranids, but now... he needs to understand what to do.
"But what should I do? Should I build my own team? Establish my own Imperium?" Kardia asked himself.
"It sounds problematic, though. Yet it could also be a great choice."
Kardia got up from the Golden Throne of Vimana, and he later began to pace back and forth through the golden deck, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on him.
"The Imperium of Man is rotted to the core," Kardia continued, frustration lacing his voice.
"During the Emperor's reign, things were at least somewhat functional; decisions were made, and progress was tangible. Now, it feels like every bureaucratic layer throttles any chance of action, leaving entire planets languishing in stagnation for centuries—all while precious lives are extinguished without a second thought."
He shook his head, bitter resentment bubbling to the surface.
"And if I create technologies that could genuinely aid humanity, I can already hear the Adeptus Mechanicus condemning it as 'Heretical Technology' and seizing it for their own gain. Because they don't know how to use it, they'll just let it rot away in a room."
"They are among the most corrupt factions in this wretched galaxy; their greed knows no bounds."
"Yeah... The longer I think about it, the clearer it becomes: starting my own Imperium might be the only way forward. I can't abide having the Imperium dictate my choices or actions."
The truth could hit someone in the Imperium like a cold wave.
The Imperium of Man had become a pale shadow of its former glory. Well, it had never truly been virtuous from the beginning.
Rather, it was an oppressive, xenophobic regime that thrived on violence and subjugation, even towards its own people.
The so-called "nobles" and "Planetary Governors" were more akin to tyrants than caretakers.
They exploited the civilian population, coercing them into relentless labor, withholding basic necessities like food and shelter, and demonstrating inaction toward the suffering that surrounded them.
In Kardia's eyes, they were parasites feasting on the misery of their subjects, creating a cycle of despair that choked the very life from the galaxy.
It was clear to him: if he wanted to change the course of his life and the lives of others, he would need to forge a new path—one not bound by the shackles of the rotten Imperium.
"Well... it seems I need to start working."
Kardia said as he looked around his surroundings.
This planet was technically empty, with no soldiers present.
The only survivors were either humans who had managed to endure or cultists of the Four Chaos Gods, or other cultists of minor gods.
Yet, now that he thinks about it.
The best thing that happened to him was that he managed to "spawn" into a half-empty planet.
Now... he just needs to know how to make use of this world.
....
Kardia's gaze was fixed straight ahead, though his eyes seemed to stare into the seemingly endless forest before him. He was not truly observing the forest; rather, he was caught in a trance, lost in his thoughts.
In reality, he was overthinking.
The heavy currents of his mind ensnared him as he contemplated the vast uncertainties of the future.
Suddenly, he spoke aloud as if his words might bring clarity to his spiraling thoughts.
"The first priority for any human must be food," he mused, his mind swirling with the essential needs that define life in this sprawling galaxy.
"People require the basics—nutritious food, clean water, and sturdy shelter." Kardia knew this was true; these principles were undeniable.
For him to win the people over, he needs to have something that "others" don't have.
One of those necessities that people barely have in this universe is food.
Kardia thought that if Thanos from the MCU were here, he would be mad as hit right now.
In the Warhammer 40k universe, giving food to someone means more than one might imagine.
For some people, it was almost like declaring love to them.
It might sound weird, but in a world like this, it actually made sense to see it like that.
After all, food is something that is "sacred" in this universe. A very FINITE resource.
The food he used to eat in his previous life is considered a luxury for the people of this universe. Even for the so-called "nobles."
In the Warhammer 40k universe, many consume Corpse-Starch, which is morally inhumane. Still, for its inhabitants, their humanity has become a distant memory.
As his thoughts raced about this topic, and as he began to gather insights and count the materials that he might need, something came to mind, something that made him feel "stupid," once again.
"Man, here I am talking about I need to give them a 'shelter,' when I need a shelter of my own. My own laboratory," he murmured, feeling completely stupid.
Yes... While he can do a lot of things, he needs to have a "place" that he can call home, and where he can do things in a more "controlled" environment.
However, a harsh truth settled over him like a somber cloud—this planet lacked the materials necessary to construct even the most rudimentary scientific facility.
Yes... after checking the planet in multiple ways, there were materials.
Still, they were completely short.
Nothing could be made out of it.
Though it begged the question... why would the Tyranids be on a planet that barely has resources?
Well... They mostly look for "biomass," so if people lived on this planet, they were sure to come here anyway.
No, that is not possible.
Tyranids consume bio-matter, not metallic matter.
Frustration passed through Kardia's head as he was frying his own brain, desperately trying to untangle the web of problems before him.
How could he procure more supplies?
What could he do to gather the vital materials he needed for his future ventures if this planet didn't have them?
Just then, a soothing voice broke into his reverie—it was Raphael, his loyal companion.
[Master… Why can't you go and get it from space?]
The suggestion resonated in Kardia's mind, and he felt a sharp pang of irritation at his own oversight.
"Damn... why didn't I think of that?"
Kardia was mad at his own stupidity.
Kardia possessed the intelligence and unique capabilities reminiscent of some of the greatest minds in fiction.
He had the intellect of Reed Richards, a scientist known for defying logic in the Fantastic Four comics.
There was also Valeria Richards, perhaps even smarter than her father at a young age, and Victor Von Doom, Reed's archenemy, who combines vast intelligence with magical power to devise unprecedented inventions.
Additionally, there was Herta, the Emanator of Erudition, a genius renowned for contributing significantly to the creation of the "Simulated Universe" in the video game Honkai: Star Rail.
Kardia even carried the genius, memories, and experiences of Doctor Eggman, Sonic's nemesis, a man who built the only machine that has ever matched Sonic—Metal Sonic. Eggman has also designed machines capable of manipulating space and time.
Yet, despite all this intelligence and insight, he found himself overlooking a glaringly obvious solution.
Is this the burden of exceptional intellect? He wondered.
Why do some of the most brilliant thinkers often overlook the simplest solutions, opting instead for convoluted paths?
Perhaps the weight of their own egos blinds them to straightforward answers, always striving for the "hardest" solution to prove their capabilities.
In other words, it was about "Ego."
Yeah... it was probably that.
"Thank you, Raphael," he said, a touch of humility creeping into his voice.
"Then... going to space it is," Kardia said, gazing at the sky and beyond, into the vastness of space.
Kardia channeled his powerful psychic energy into his body, and he was surprised by the sensation. His energy had changed. It felt even purer than before, as if his energy was the most sacred in the entire universe.
Not wanting to dwell on that thought, he turned his gaze to the sky.
With a single flex of his legs and a powerful impulse, Kardia jumped from the Vimana and later found himself in the vacuum of space in the next moment.
"Holy shit... How much power do I have? I just intended to jump; I didn't expect to find myself so far from the planet already," Kardia exclaimed, surprised.
[Your power is incredible now, Master.]
[You now have the ability to destroy this entire Solar System, if you choose to do so.]
[This increase in strength came from absorbing the energy of the C'tan shard.]
Raphael, who heard the question, answered Kardia, even though he didn't ask the question to her.
"Holy shit!" Kardia explained in surprise.
However, in the vacuum of space, his voice was silent, and he realized he was moving his mouth without anyone to hear him.
Quickly reassessing his situation, Kardia used his "Universal Perception" to scan the space around.
As Kardia began to perceive the vastness of space, he identified what he needed.
At least one light-year away from his current position, there was a belt of hundreds of thousands of asteroids.
It seems his perception has also increased. Now his perception can go further.
He didn't require anything specific; he simply needed a large quantity of matter.
So... if he needed matter, why not use the "gases" of the planet where he was? Gas is also a form of matter.
Actually, that is a very good question, as he didn't think of that. But he can do that later.
Kardia had the ability to transmute matter and antimatter, manipulating atoms and subatomic particles, which meant he could literally create anything.
On the planet where Kardia had "spawned," resources were extremely scarce, and those that did exist were mostly inadequate.
The only form of "plant life" on that planet was the forest where he first appeared, but even those large trees were technically dead. Other areas were completely scarred and barren.
What Kardia needed was a vast abundance of usable "matter" that he could manipulate and transform into other things.
This was why he was searching for asteroids.
But why not use his psychic energy to create things?
Raphael told him, for the time being, and for some time, not to create things using his psychic energy.
Not that his energy has any problems, but more like she wants to save energy.
Kardia understood the reason.
This was Raphael's safety plan.
In case some entity, or someone, in the Immaterium starts to get funny ideas and wants to attack his reflection in the warp, Raphael would have enough "psychic" energy to defend his reflection in the Immaterium.
Especially now that Raphael pretty much alerted the entire Immaterium of his existence.
So he was left to use the normal way of doing things.
Well... if transmutating matter can be considered "normal," then yes.
...
After visualizing his location and marking the planet where he had spawned, Kardia activated "Instant Motion" to teleport instantly to a point one light-year away.
As he materialized in space the next moment, Kardia observed hundreds, even thousands, of asteroids. There were more than enough to serve as the "material" for his plans.
Without wasting any time, Kardia pointed his hand at the asteroids and called out, "Swallow it all up, Azathoth!"
As he invoked Azathoth—his Ultimate Skill named after the supreme deity of Lovecraftian lore—it was as if a massive black hole had suddenly appeared.
The asteroids in the belt were drawn into Azathoth and directed straight into his personal dimension, known as "Imaginary Space."
After a few minutes, nearly all of the asteroids in this region had been placed inside Imaginary Space.
Feeling satisfied with his haul, Kardia decided it was time to return to the planet where he had first "spawned."
Yet, before he did that, he looked towards a specific area in the distance. In that area, he sensed that there were signatures of human life, with calculations estimating billions of inhabitants.
Most likely, these large groups of people were part of the Imperium, and Kardia wanted to avoid any distractions from the Emperor's subordinates; he simply left.
With a single thought, Kardia used "Instant Motion" again and teleported straight to the planet where he had "spawned" into this world.
However, unlike before, he didn't teleport outside the planet; instead, he teleported to his Vimana.
Kardia was loving Vimana.
No wonder Gilgamesh always summoned it.
It was comfortable, powerful, and simply pleasing to the eye.
The moment he appeared, Kardia created a chair for himself and simply began to think about what he should do first.
He truly needed inspiration.
Thankfully, he was "immune" to the influence of the Chaos Gods, because if he weren't, in his quest to find "inspiration," he was sure that Tzeentch would've been on his ass already.
"Should I create a temporary base, or should I make it somewhat more 'permanent'?"
"No, I think I will make it temporary. I don't like this planet that much."
Yes, Kardia had some grudge with this planet, after all, he was forced to fight Tyranids on day one.
Kardia pondered this question for a moment, and after some thought, he decided to act on his choice.
This was something only a person with power could do; someone without power might come up with a plan and a conclusion, but when it came time to execute the plan, countless obstacles would get in the way.
With that decision made, Kardia moved on to another topic: What kind of material should he use to construct his temporary base?
With the information he had regarding Adamantium, Adamantine, Vibranium, Promethium, Mysterium, and the already powerful materials from the Warhammer 40K universe, Kardia had many options at his disposal.
Yet, he wasn't sure which one to choose.
"I think I'll use Vibranium for now," Kardia said to himself.
Talking to himself had become increasingly common; he truly needed to find someone to converse with.
"Raphael, search through the memories of the scientists who contributed to my creation in this world. Look for all the research machines that could be useful for my scientific inquiries."
"Please cover all fields: biology, mechanical engineering, chemistry, geology, ecology, and so on."
"Also, design a large laboratory for me—simple yet complex."
Kardia wasn't particularly good at designing things. Technically, he did have the talent for it, along with other scientific skills. Still, it was better to let Raphael handle the design, as she could effectively manage space, practicality, and all the other elements typically found in a laboratory.
[Noted, Master.]
Raphael was genuinely pleased with this request. In fact, she had anticipated it and had already begun working on it minutes earlier.
She designed the building and laboratory with practicality in mind, ensuring easy access and a high degree of accessibility for everything needed.
Everything was perfectly balanced—the study area, the testing area, and the cultivation space.
Since Raphael had access to her Master's memories and could understand his thoughts and intentions, she started creating the laboratory even before he made the request.
[Done, Master.]
[Requesting to upload information, Master.]
Kardia blinked in surprise when he heard Raphael say she had already designed the building he had just requested. He didn't question her actions; instead, he simply nodded in agreement.
He valued efficiency, and given Raphael's ability to perform tasks almost instantly, he understood why everything was progressing so quickly.
"Granted."
Kardia sighed as he granted permission, and an immense amount of information quickly rushed into his mind.
However, his mind had strengthened over time, so the influx of information did not overwhelm him.
As he analyzed the information, Kardia smiled.
"Damn... You even calculated the amount of materials I need to construct this building."
Kardia smiled as he processed the information, finding it easy to understand and act upon.
With a sudden snap of his fingers, he summoned at least five massive asteroids he had collected from an asteroid belt one light-year away, retrieved from the "Imaginary Space" dimension where they were stored.
Through his complete mastery over the laws of the universe and the Extra Skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," which allows him to transmute and dominate all forms of energy, matter, and antimatter—whether cosmic or spiritual—Kardia fused the five asteroids into one super asteroid.
With another thought, Kardia also began to force the "matter" that was inside the "gases" that roamed this certain area of this shitty planet, and forced them to solidify.
Once that was accomplished, he began altering the number of atoms, adjusting the movement and reactions of molecules.
From the ground up, he transmuted the asteroids into a powerful form of vibranium.
Not just any ordinary vibranium, but a more indestructible and purer version.
This special enhancement was initiated by Raphael, who had analyzed the composition of vibranium, identified its flaws, and made it even more powerful and useful.
When the materials were ready, the asteroids and the solidified gases had been transformed into pure vibranium—a metal never before seen in the Warhammer 40k universe and one that could not be replicated.
Only he and Raphael had the ability to create it.
They had applied a universal and spiritual law that ensured the composition of this metal could not be learned through any means. Even the Chaos Gods would be unable to produce it.
Although the Chaos Gods wielded more power than he did, the laws of the universe seemed to favor him over them.
The universe essentially allowed him to impose this new "rule" on the metal.
It was more like he enchanted the metal from the very composition.
This may sound unbelievable to some readers, but it was indeed possible—provided one possessed the ability to dominate the laws of the universe completely.
When a skill evolves from "manipulation" to "domination," it is not just a simple upgrade.
No, instead it represents the complete "domination" of whatever concept is involved.
To give a clear example.
A person with the Extra Skill "Flame and Fire Manipulation" cannot compete with someone who has the Extra Skill "Flame and Fire Domination."
The person who can "dominate" the concept of flames and fire has the ability and power to literally deny access to the concept of flames and fire for the other person.
That is the difference.
This is why Kardia was excited when he gained the Extra Skill "Law Manipulation."
However, now that he had devoured the C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon, this already powerful skill evolved from simply manipulating laws to dominating all laws.
This is what excited Kardia a lot.
The reason it evolved was that the C'tan are literally the representation of the laws, and sometimes, as it is stated in the lore, they have transcended them.
So, for them to dominate the laws of the physical universe is not an exaggeration.
Kardia inherited that from the C'tan.
However, Raphael had "altered" this skill.
Kardia's manipulation of law is better than the C'tan in terms of range, not power.
Not because of actual range, like talking about distance, but range in terms of how it is used.
Kardia can use psychic energy and cosmic energy.
With this information, Raphael modified the skill, and this allows Kardia to dominate the laws of the physical world and the laws of the Immaterium.
Doesn't this mean he is invincible?
In one-to-one combat with anyone that is not the Emperor and the four Chaos Gods, yes.
Against the Chaos Gods and the Emperor? No.
The reason is that they have more power than him.
If he were on the same level of power, the Chaos Gods would be cooked. That's simple.
But because there is such a difference in power and dimensionality, Kardia knows it will take him a long time for him to even get near the power of the Chaos gods.
He is still developing. Developing fast, but still developing.
...
Kardia began to follow what Raphael had designed, and began to move the transmutated material, and later began to manipulate the vibranium to recreate what was now engraved in his memory.
After some time, Kardia finally got the building.
As soon as the building was created, Kardia examined it closely.
The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed—not because of the building itself, but because of its style.
"Wait… isn't this a bit similar to the buildings in Wakanda?"
Although the MCU had not showcased Wakanda in deep detail, it had portrayed structures that were designed with both technology and culture in mind.
What reminded Kardia of Wakanda was precisely this concept: high technology that harmonized with cultural elements, where culture did not "suffocate" technology.
It was a perfect blend of the two.
The building wasn't inspired by African culture; rather, it drew from some of Kardia's favorite cultures and architecture, including Greek, Roman, the Asgardian architecture of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the Christian and Indian cultures.
Kardia speculated that Raphael chose to incorporate Greek culture because his name, derived from the ancient Greek language, means "heart."
The Roman aesthetic likely stemmed from the fact that Greek culture heavily influenced Roman culture. In fact, Kardia believed Raphael went further, merging elements of Byzantine culture.
The Byzantine period was characterized by the blending of Greek and Roman identities, resulting in what is now known as Byzantine culture.
Additionally, the presence of Greek and Roman influences could be attributed to the "Romulus-Quirinus" and the "Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Ares, Athena, and Hephaestus" templates integrated into Kardia himself.
The Christian influence most likely originated from Kardia's background as a Christian in his previous life, along with the multiple Ultimate Skills related to "Angelic" figures.
The Indian culture came from the template of Arjuna, Karna, and Indra of the Fate universe. Their design was more "advanced" than ancient indian culture.
As for the Asgardian vibe from the MCU, it suited the design perfectly.
Somehow, Raphael managed to blend all of these cultures flawlessly, creating something that looked extremely cool.
While this base was meant to be "temporary," it looked like a base that had been recently built to replace the old one.
Kardia was extremely happy.
"Raphael, you did a great job. Keep this aesthetic going. From now on, this is the aesthetic we are going to follow, understood?"
[Thank you, Master. I am glad you liked it.]
[I Understand, Master.]
Raphael was thrilled to receive praise from Kardia, who felt genuinely impressed with the outcome.
Even the Emperor of Mankind, who has been observing Kardia from the Immaterium, was taken aback by the aesthetic of the building.
This led the Emperor to doubt his own design skills; clearly, Kardia surpassed him in this area.
Unbeknownst to Kardia, who was unaware of the Emperor's watchful gaze, he took his time admiring the building both inside and out and felt very satisfied with the results.
While the vibe evoked an ancient feel, it also appeared modern and futuristic; it reminded him of how he perceived Asgard in the MCU, particularly in the first Thor movie.
As Kardia entered the building, he began the second part of the process, which was to fill it up with the things that were meant to be there.
For the following hours, that is what Kardia did, and it was quite interesting.
Kardia first placed the research tools and machines that he was going to use for his multiple research projects, and later spent the time decorating the place.
After completing everything, Kardia was satisfied, and he felt ready to start experimenting.
However, just as he was about to proceed, he face-palmed; he had forgotten the power source needed to energize the entire laboratory.
With a thought, Kardia teleported to the basement of the building, where the area for the power source was designed to be placed.
But he faced a crucial question: what was he going to use as a power source?
Could he utilize the energy of the Immaterium?
After all, he could tap into his own energy.
He could technically find a way to... purify it?
Yet, that idea quickly faded from his mind. Kardia wasn't sure of his energy levels, nor did he trust psychic energy enough, so he decided to rely on the energy of the world instead.
But how could he power up an entire building filled with machines and large areas without a proper energy source?
That's when he remembered a highly useful technology that isn't often discussed: the Arc Reactor created by Howard Stark, Tony Stark's father, which Tony later perfected.
"Raphael, perfect the technology of the large Arc Reactor. Upload the information once you're done," Kardia instructed, as he began to think of other possibilities.
[Right away, Master.]
Kardia thought that this was going to take a moment; he closed his eyes, but the next second, he opened them when Raphael spoke.
In less than a second, Raphael had done the task
[Done, Master.]
However, while he heard that response from Raphael, he also began to contemplate another idea that struck him.
"Raphael, look into the Volatile Promethium from DC Comics. Create it and see if we can use it alongside this perfected Arc Reactor to develop something akin to a perpetual motion machine."
In the DC Comics universe, there exists a powerful and mysterious alloy called "Promethium," which comes in two types: Depleted Promethium and Volatile Promethium.
Promethium is an artificial alloy created and patented by Steve Dayton of Dayton Industries. Inspired by the myth of the ancient Greek Titan Prometheus, Mr. Dayton initiated Project: Promethium.
This project aimed to create indestructible vehicles to prevent road accidents, with grander aspirations of harnessing limitless energies from his invention for biological regeneration in the future.
He claimed that later versions could use the infinite energy capacity of Volatile Promethium to regrow damaged or destroyed organic tissue physically.
Promethium is also capable of channeling, amplifying, and sustaining near-limitless amounts of energy, making it a potential power source for countless gadgets or even for creating devastating weaponry.
[I found that Promethium is quite 'volatile,' Master.]
'No shit, Sherlock.' Kardia thought.
[However, I reprogrammed it, allowing us to retain its beneficial properties while removing the harmful ones entirely. I also eliminated the dangerous radiation that could cause mutations, Raphael reported.
[In fact, the capabilities of Promethium can also assist us in acquiring more psychic energy, Master,]Raphael added, pleased with her discovery.
"Oh... that's great!" Kardia responded enthusiastically.
"We can deal with my own strength later; right now, let's focus on this. Try to combine the Arc Reactor with the Promethium."
Kardia's intention was not to literally place Promethium inside the Arc Reactor since that would result in a dangerous energy overcharge, something he wanted to avoid.
However, when the information was uploaded, and the Arc Reactor was updated with Promethium, he was left speechless.
What he thought was impossible, Raphael had accomplished: the combination was exceptionally stable, and she kept the "Promethium" inside the reactor.
He hadn't even activated the Arc Reactor yet.
Still, based on the information from the new update, this could technically work perfectly.
"Damn... Scientists usually succeed and fail. Am I cursed for never failing?" Kardia murmured to himself in resignation, though he couldn't help but smile.
At least when he attempted something, he had a lower margin of error, which meant he wouldn't waste time on futile endeavors.
Well... He also kind of "dominates" the laws of the universe.
If your experiments don't work after literally being able to understand and dominate the laws of the universe, then you are fucking stupid.
"Thank you, Raphael," Kardia said, feeling grateful for his Ultimate skill and partnership.
[There's nothing to thank me for, Master. You were the one who came up with the idea. I just made it a reality for you,]Raphael replied sincerely.
"Yeah... yeah..." Kardia said, feeling a bit embarrassed but accepting the praise graciously.
He turned to look at the Arc Reactor in front of him.
Using his psychokinesis, Kardia began expertly connecting the Arc Reactor to the designated cables, mapping out where the energy would flow to power the entire building and all its facilities.
"I can't believe it—the Arc Reactor from Marvel and the Promethium from DC. Marvel and DC are going to save this galaxy," Kardia joked as he looked at the completed connections.
With his psychokinesis, he activated the machine. After a moment, he felt the Arc Reactor begin to generate energy.
"It seems the Arc Reactor initially waits to accumulate a certain level of energy before it starts pumping that energy through the Promethium to perfectly 'amplify' it," Kardia noted as he observed the process.
But how does this all work?
It's quite simple.
Just like Tony Stark's Arc Reactor, which uses a new element to create clean energy usable for virtually everything, this massive Arc Reactor operates on the same principle.
It generates a substantial amount of energy through its precisely engineered design, and then this produced energy is funneled into the Promethium.
The Promethium doesn't actually "create" energy.
According to the laws of physics, energy cannot be created.
While there are theoretical exceptions, that's a discussion for another time.
So, what exactly does Promethium do? It has the ability to "amplify" energy.
To illustrate, let's use a Dragon Ball Z analogy.
Imagine you create a Ki blast that has a power equivalent to a single unit of energy.
With Promethium, you can input that one unit of energy, and thanks to its amplifying properties, it can turn that single unit into ten units of power.
In theory, it seems like energy is being "created," but in reality, it's just amplification.
However, the amplified energy stays amplified, so in theory, you are indeed creating energy.
Still, because the laws of the universe say that energy cannot be created, except with the Immaterium, it cannot be called that way.
Now you understand?
"For how long can this 'Arc Reactor' work, Raphael?" Kardia asked, watching as the Arc Reactor began to produce enormous amounts of energy that powered up the entire building.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the energy output was excessive.
[I designed it to last at least ten million years, Master,] Raphael replied happily.
Kardia froze at Raphael's statement.
"Y-you said... w-what? Ten million years?" Kardia stammered, clearly taken aback.
He recalled that the Necrons had existed for sixty million years, and their technology had remained intact after all that time. For a newly created Arc Reactor powered by promethium to be designed for ten million years of operation was beyond his expectations.
"Is that ten million years at normal capacity, or ten million years at full production and full capacity?" Kardia inquired.
If the Arc Reactor could operate non-stop for ten million years at maximum capacity, Kardia would be left speechless.
[No, Master,] Raphael replied.
Kardia let out a sigh of relief.
At least his technology wasn't going to be "almighty."
Although it should be "almighty," after all, the Necrons, who had sealed literal gods of real space, were still around and thriving.
But then Raphael doused his hopes with a cold reality check.
[At maximum capacity, it could last for thirty million years,] Raphael added.
Kardia blinked in disbelief.
Wasn't the figure supposed to be lower? Why was it increasing?
"Why is the number not decreasing?" Kardia asked, puzzled.
[It's simple, Master,] Raphael explained.
[Right now, what you see in front of you is the lowest level of production for the Arc Reactor that I perfected. When you turned it on, you forgot to specify which mode of production you wanted it to run at.
[At its highest level of production, it can generate enough energy to power this building for thirty million years. Not only that, but that amount of energy could light up around five hundred planets and still have enough left to power at least ten more planets.]
At this revelation, Kardia stood completely frozen in place.
What on Earth had he and Raphael just created? Enough energy to power five hundred planets?
He could only imagine how Guilliman would react if he heard this: "Come on, man. Share some energy with us!"
Kardia felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
"Five hundred planets for thirty million years? Does this include machines and so on?" Kardia asked again.
[I—I actually don't know, Master,] Raphael replied, a bit embarrassed because she actually didn't know.
[I don't know what you will create in the future, Master.]
Well, that is an interesting response.
[Yet, if we do the calculation based on the current technology of that planet that we observed earlier, five hundred planets with that level of technology wouldn't even be able to drain, not even fifty percent of the energy that this Arc Reactor can generate at maximum capacity.]
[Mind you, this is a small 'Arc Reactor,' Master.]
[Although it is not the miniaturized version that Tony Stark uses in his armor suits. Still, this Arc Reactor is the size of the one in the first Iron Man movie, in that scene where Obadiah Stone is reprimanding the scientist for not being able to reproduce the "small" Arc Reactor, and you can see the giant "Arc Reactor" in the background.]
[That Arc Reactor was enough to power the entire Stark building; this one can do more than that, Master.] Raphael explained happily.
Kardia felt himself welling up with tears.
Tears of success.
Was he really going to suffer from success?
"So this means we can use as much energy as we want for my experiments?" Kardia asked, already knowing the answer.
Sometimes, you just need to ask the obvious question to be certain.
[Yes, Master,] Raphael confirmed.
[You can use as much energy as you want and need. This perfected Arc Reactor can handle the strain—and even more than that.]
"Good, good," Kardia said as he was turned away.
Kardia thinks that if he keeps looking at that Arc Reactor, he is going to cry on the spot.
....
The Emperor of Mankind was silent—extremely silent.
In reality, he was not just quiet; he was holding back an immense anger.
What had he just witnessed?
He had just seen a human, whom he was curious about, create a perpetual reactor of energy. Clean energy, no less.
Not even during the Golden Age of Humanity, a time when energy reactors were designed to last for forty thousand years, had humanity produced a true perpetual motion machine.
Of course, humanity had harnessed the unlimited energy of the warp for various purposes, but never—EVER—had they created a perpetual motion machine.
If one were to think about it, Kardia's creation wasn't a true perpetual motion machine. Still, it operated like one, so it could certainly be considered as such.
The Emperor felt like the meme where Druski was drinking wine, only later to throw the glass to the floor in anger.
No, the Emperor felt more like that meme where a person exclaimed, "I waited for three and a half years, and the WHITE MAN did it in just one week."
But instead of waiting for three years, he had waited since the Golden Age of Humanity to the present day. Yet, Kardia had managed to create something in less than two days that even the Emperor had never accomplished.
"I guess I'll keep watching him," the Emperor of Mankind murmured through gritted teeth as he continued to observe Kardia, who was equally surprised by his own creation.
"Yes... from what I've seen, he is quite funny. Yet, he possesses a brilliant mind. He must be a genius among geniuses."
The Emperor believed that Kardia was an unheard-of genius. Perhaps the reason Kardia was rapidly advancing in the Immaterium was due to his exceptional intelligence.
However, what the Emperor didn't know was that while Kardia was indeed extremely smart, there was someone even more intelligent than him: Raphael.
....
End of chapter 7.