Traveling through the Warp wasn't all that different from traversing realspace; it was just far more dangerous.
However, with a high-performance human starship and the guiding light of the Astronomican on Holy Terra, even the evils of the Warp could be kept at bay.
Besides, a final boss was riding on this ship, the Emperor of Mankind himself!
The Emperor's vessel could have been called the single safest ship in the entire Warp, with no exceptions.
What daemon would have been crazy enough to mess with that ride?
Security was maxed out.
Saiyans' combat power was off the charts; in terms of surviving in the universe, they were a cut above ordinary humans, but they weren't invincible.
Even they would have died if exposed to the vacuum of space for too long.
Even the legendary Super Saiyan Broly had ended up utterly dead after being blasted into the sun by the Son family!
The Frieza Clan, on the other hand, fared a little better.
King Cold had survived a planet exploding, and his brother Cooler even survived being blasted into the sun's surface.
But as for the Emperor of Mankind, anyone who tried blasting him into the sun would quickly learn what the immortal constitution of a "Perpetual" stands for.
In the Warhammer world, the abilities of the Perpetuals were seriously bugged.
Even if their bodies were broken down to the molecular level, they could still resurrect. This kind of immortality was even more overpowered than Majin Buu!
Saiyans might have had crazy offensive power, but compared to these monsters, their defense was kind of glass cannon.
"Come on, Axis, I need to draw some of your blood and run a few tests on your body," the Emperor said as he came over to Axis.
Normally, the Emperor wouldn't personally oversee the modifications for a new Custodian.
Back when Terra wasn't yet unified, he had used his own knowledge and potent psychic abilities to recruit a whole team of bio-alchemists.
The techniques mastered by those alchemists, combined with some bio-tech he had acquired from the Men of Gold during the Dark Age of Technology, became the template for the modern Custodian Guard.
Every Custodian's surgery was uniquely tailored, but for Axis, the Emperor planned to personally design a special package.
"Alright!" Axis nodded, following the Emperor into a secret laboratory.
There, the Emperor picked up a small syringe, drew some blood from Axis, and began running various analyses.
Axis sat off to the side, curiously watching the Emperor run all sorts of tests on him.
Based on bloodwork, physical exam, and even a cranial scan, the Emperor was certain: Axis was, without a doubt, human.
His cells were compatible with human cells, there was no reproductive isolation.
But the deeper the Emperor probed Axis's genes, the more stunned he became.
The potential of this kid was off the charts!
It was as if his very existence was meant for battle, a person born and bred to fight, with the warrior's genes written into their DNA.
Within his cells, Axis had a small cluster of extremely rare golden cells, packed with a strange and ancient energy.
The power contained in these was, without a doubt, astonishing.
It was like an ancient, primordial force in his DNA, but there were only a tiny handful of such cells in Axis's body!
If the power of these special cells could be fully activated, Axis's strength would instantly increase dozens of times.
But unfortunately, there were so few of these special energy cells, and they couldn't divide normally.
Relying on these cells alone to transform would have been incredibly difficult.
According to the Emperor's calculations, Axis would need at least several hundred times more of these special cells to reach a certain critical threshold and trigger a true qualitative change.
When customizing his genetic enhancements, it might be possible to work on these special cells, find a way to stimulate them, make them multiply.
Techniques for cellular reinforcement and cultivation could be used to increase the number of these cells in the child's body.
What's more, he had another unknown gene in his body, somewhat similar to Earth's great apes, also a type of primate, but this gene was even more ferocious.
The Emperor had once used his psychic powers to observe the history of Fenris, and had witnessed Axis's transformation into a giant ape and his battle with Russ.
So he knew about the power of this great ape transformation.
A tenfold power increase was truly terrifying.
If the Emperor hadn't given Russ some help with remote psychic support at the time, Russ really wouldn't have been able to beat this kid's giant ape form.
This great ape power seemed able to resonate with those special cells inside Axis. If combined, the two might produce even more savage strength.
However, whether it was the power of the great ape or the special golden cells, both would likely affect Axis's rationality, driving him into a berserk, mindless state of battle.
So Axis's brain would also need to be strengthened, and a specialized Magnificat should be installed to help him better control his transformations.
The Emperor decided to use the same kind found in the Primarchs.
This implant could also help resist the corrosive energies of the Warp. It was definitely a must-have.
The transformations powered by these special golden cells, as well as the giant ape form, both consumed tremendous amounts of energy.
That explained why this kid's appetite was so monstrous. Every cell in his body craved energy. His food intake really needed to be calculated according to his great ape state.
That's why it would be necessary to install a life energy furnace in his body, something every Custodian Guard had.
With a life energy furnace, a Custodian could fight tirelessly for months, with an endless supply of power.
Just a few hours of rest would restore full strength. It also accelerated regeneration and wound healing, providing ample bio-energy.
[tl/n: just like Belisarian Furnace (The Revitaliser) but something custodians have]
On top of that, every cell in Axis's body contained some kind of unknown energy. This was most likely the white energy that Axis had mastered.
This mysterious white energy wasn't as versatile as psychic power, but it was much safer. At least it wouldn't turn the user into a Warp portal, letting Chaos daemons pour through.
Moreover, this white energy was incredibly destructive.
The Emperor had witnessed its power firsthand in his previous battle with Axis.
But aside from its destructive capabilities, the Emperor felt this power wasn't entirely savage; in fact, it seemed more like a form of life energy.
"Axis, can you tell me more about your 'ki'?" the Emperor asked as he continued examining Axis's body.
"Sure. 'Ki' is…kind of a life energy generated by every cell in my body. As for the exact principle, I'm not really sure," Axis answered vaguely.
"Alright! Can you show me your ki again? Gather it in your palm, let me observe it," the Emperor said.
Axis nodded, then concentrated a white orb of ki about the size of an apple in his palm.