The gravity system seemed to be working perfectly, but Custodian Caesar felt a bit dazed.
Wait! what's up with that kid inside? He's looking as if he's completely unbothered! It was as if the tenfold gravity in there didn't exist at all and it felt no different from being outside the chamber.
This was unbelievable! Ten times gravity meant the body had to withstand more than ten times its normal weight.
To put it simply, if an ordinary person weighing 60kg went in, their body would be under 600kg of constant pressure.
And this wasn't the same as just lifting 600kg, every single cell would be bearing ten times its usual weight, meaning every part of the body would be under immense, relentless strain.
For an Astartes, entering a tenfold gravity environment without wearing their powered armor would make it nearly impossible to move.
Never mind how heavy that power armor looked, Astartes didn't even feel its weight. In fact, the armor boosted their defense, strength, and speed.
Because of its Black Carapace, the power armor felt like a second skin to them.
Even for the Custodes, entering tenfold gravity unarmored meant they'd only move at the speed of a normal human.
With the anti-gravity systems in their armor, sure, they could cancel out some of the force.
But to step in without any equipment, relying solely on one's own flesh, and to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary, that was the mark of a true monster.
Meanwhile, inside the gravity chamber, Axis was having the time of his life, doing push-ups, sit-ups, jogging around, throwing punches.
"This child can adapt to a tenfold gravity environment. His physical quality has already reached the level of a newly-recruited Custodian," the Emperor remarked, a look of genuine admiration on his face.
To be able to easily withstand ten times gravity, and this didn't even seem to be his limit, since the boy hadn't undergone any enhancements yet!
His body's potential was far beyond that of the old Thunder Warriors, already rivaling a Custodian recruit.
The excellence of his bloodline was astounding indeed.
"Emperor, I think that even if this child never underwent any of the Custodes' surgical modifications, his future accomplishments might not be much less than that of a Primarch's," Caesar said, watching Axis move freely under tenfold gravity.
"No, he needs to undergo gene surgery," the Emperor replied. "I've examined his blood. His heritage is indeed extraordinary, but without any genetic enhancement, his theoretical lifespan is only about 200 years. If he experiences high-intensity combat and training, it could be just 150 years, or even less.
"A century is of little use to the Imperium, so I must do everything I can to extend his lifespan," the Emperor said.
Caesar, standing nearby, nodded in agreement.
That much was certain, lifespan was the biggest problem facing this child's future.
If he couldn't break past the limits of his own mortality, then he would be nothing more than a fleeting miracle in the universe.
If he lived to an older age, there was also the terrifying risk that the corrupting power of Chaos might tempt him, pushing him to undergo the apotheosis and become a Daemon Prince, thus achieving immortality.
That was the true danger.
So it was absolutely necessary to extend this child's lifespan.
Among all existing gene-enhancement surgeries, the Custodes' procedures were the most advanced.
At the very least, they could ensure this child would live for several thousand years.
"We'll be arriving at Holy Terra in just over ten days. When the time comes, I'll personally arrange for his gene-enhancement surgery," the Emperor said.
If he could withstand ten times normal gravity, that meant this child's cellular strength was at least ten times that of a normal human!
Even the Primarchs, at his age, could only manage similar numbers.
The Custodes' gene surgeries were designed based on the template of ordinary humans.
Even the Primarchs, at the very start, had base gene strength only equivalent to a regular human, until their genes were fused with his, and with the genes of the Eldar.
Combined with techniques drawn from the Warp, and even fragments of minor Warp gods' souls, the Primarchs were a masterpieces.
Still, in the Emperor's eyes, the Primarchs weren't as flawless as he had hoped.
Perhaps this child could withstand even more intense gene optimization.
Back in the long-lost Dark Age of Technology, during humanity's golden era, the Emperor himself had been part of the Men of Gold.
He and Malcador had mastered countless gene-techniques now lost to the human race, all of which had been used in the creation of the Primarchs.
Ordinary humans could never survive such drastic genetic modification. But maybe this child could!
The Emperor had already decided to give Axis the same specialized Magnificat he had designed for the Primarchs.
And if so, why not give him more? The Primarchs' ultimate heart, hyper-bone reinforcement, special Catalepsean Node, everything except the fragments of Warp gods and his own personal genes.
Axis' body should be able to take it.
Over the next ten days, Axis spent almost all his time inside the gravity chamber, living, eating, training, even sleeping under ten times gravity.
The Emperor visited Axis once during this time, said some strange things to him, and told him to rest up for the coming days before departing.
To thank Caesar for serving as his training partner, Axis regularly used his Ki to baptize him each day.
The idea, of course, was to make his sandbag a bit more durable. In just half a month, the power of Ki had raised Caesar's combat rating by several dozen points.
From the original 1120, he was now up to 1160. It was a clear improvement.
All of this was observed by the Emperor, who quietly logged the data from Axis's Ki-enhancement.
Axis's own combat rating soared to around 900.
For a Saiyan, a tenfold gravity environment was a blessing!
After an entire month's voyage through the Warp, the Imperator Somnium finally reached the Solar System and the real heart of the Imperium: Holy Terra.
Holy Terra, also known as Earth, was now nothing like the Earth Axis once knew. To him, it was a completely foreign world.
The Emperor brought Axis down to the Imperial Palace, located on the Tibetan Plateau, and there, Axis met an old man wielding a staff.
This was none other than Malcador the Sigillite, the Emperor's closest friend and the second most powerful man in the Imperium, right after the Emperor himself.
After exchanging a few greetings, Malcador glanced curiously at Axis, then led everyone deeper into the palace.
"So this is the miraculous child you mentioned to me?" Malcador used psychic powers to speak privately with the Emperor as they walked.