Chapter 113: Warhammer: Lord of the Endless Monster Horde [113]
The armor worn by the Chaos Daemon Slayer, along with his weapons and even his massive claws, was collectively known as Slayer Armament.
Moreover, this set of equipment could be upgraded twice. After the final upgrade, the armor would cover 85% of the Chaos Daemon Slayer's body.
If the armor is removed, and then enhanced once for either height or weight, would it refresh the armor? Or perhaps I should upgrade the armor to its maximum level first, then use this method to refresh it?
Upgrading the armor to its maximum level wouldn't cost too much gold, and Rhodes decided to give it a try. After all, exploiting the system wasn't something new to him.
"Master, I think this golden special interdimensional metal is perfect for creating power armor. It's far superior to the common metals found on Earth," said Balt, nodding in agreement.
Zett and Salome also nodded in unison.
"This could work. I can upgrade the Chaos Daemon Slayer's armor, and every time it's upgraded, it should generate new armor," Rhodes said confidently.
"Then what are we waiting for, Master? Try it now! If it works, we'll have enough of this unique metal to create at least a dozen special power armors!" Zetto urged enthusiastically.
"Chaos Daemon Slayer, take off your armor. Let's run an experiment," Rhodes instructed.
"Yes, Master," the Chaos Daemon Slayer sighed reluctantly. He then enlarged his body, transforming into a 40-meter-tall red giant, and began dismantling his golden armor piece by piece—shoulder plates, chest plates, skirt armor, and weapons—all of it was carefully removed and placed on the ground.
In its initial state, the armor didn't provide much protection, so removing it didn't significantly affect the Daemon Slayer's combat power.
Once the Chaos Daemon Slayer had fully removed his armor, Rhodes immediately initiated the upgrade. Spending 5,000 system gold, a golden light enveloped the Chaos Daemon Slayer.
Soon, a flashier golden set of armor appeared on his body. Previously, the armor only covered 40% of his body, but now it covers about 60%. The mask, chest plate, shoulder plates, skirt armor, leg plates, and wrist guards had all grown larger and more imposing.
"Not bad, not bad. It's indeed possible to obtain a new set of armor. Chaos Daemon Slayer, take this one off as well," Rhodes ordered.
Without hesitation, the Chaos Daemon Slayer removed the newly equipped armor and placed it aside.
Rhodes then spent an additional 10,000 system gold for the final upgrade of the Slayer Armament. After another golden flash, a brand-new golden set of armor appeared on the Chaos Daemon Slayer.
This new armor radiated a dazzling golden glow and looked incredibly cool. It now covered almost the entire body, leaving only a few joint areas exposed. The Daemon Slayer's back even sported a red cape, and his mask had transformed into a golden helmet.
The Daemon Slayer's claws had upgraded into retractable ones that appeared sharper, while the weapon in his other hand had become a massive golden sword.
The upgrade wasn't too expensive, and Rhodes figured that the quality of the armor hadn't improved drastically—mainly, its defensive coverage had increased.
"What do you think? How does this new armament compare to your previous one?" Rhodes asked.
"Master! My new Slayer Armament and armor now cover much more of my body, providing enhanced defense. Additionally, my weapon has become a longsword, and I can feel that this new armor amplifies my holy psionic energy," the Chaos Daemon Slayer replied.
"Good! You can keep this set of armor on. Leave the two previous sets behind," Rhodes said, clearly satisfied.
"Two free sets of armor—what a steal! Together, these two sets must weigh over 10,000 tons. Incredible! So much material—how much power armor can this supply? Hundreds? Thousands?" Rhodes mused excitedly.
The Chaos Daemon Slayer nodded and reverted to his smaller form.
"These materials should be enough for you, right?" Rhodes asked, pointing to the massive pile of dismantled golden armor on the ground.
"More than enough, Master," the scientists replied. The sheer amount of material was astonishing—each set of armor didn't even consume a full ton of material, making this haul truly terrifying.
...
Over the next few days, the Chaos Daemon Slayer stayed in the lab, cooperating with the three mad scientists and using his holy psionic energy to aid in their research. The scientists collected all sorts of data during this time.
Balt also took some time to visit Commorragh City with two newly arrived colleagues. There, they purchased additional technological equipment from the Haemonculi.
In this most advanced city of the galaxy, one could find almost anything they desired. The two newcomers also acquired the scientific devices and materials they were seeking.
However, a new problem had arisen. To create a mechanical Ultra Warrior, Rhodes' current spaceship was a bit too small.
"Master! If you want to build an Ultra Warrior, you must either upgrade your spaceship or establish a proper laboratory on a planet," Salome said to Rhodes, looking a bit helpless.
There was no other choice. Creating such a colossal mechanical lifeform required a significant amount of space. This small spaceship was already being used to incubate a Zetton, leaving no room to construct a mechanical Ultra Warrior! The construction of such a massive project required an enormous area.
Even the largest Pedan starship mothership could barely meet the requirements, and even then, it could only house a single production line. At most, it could produce one mechanical Ultra Warrior at a time.
Salome could handle the design, but workers and engineers were also necessary. Simply drawing up blueprints wasn't enough—someone needed to assemble everything. The Space Marines under Rhodes' command were capable of helping, but their numbers were insufficient, and they weren't professional technicians.
"There's no rush for the mechanical Ultra Warrior! Focus on upgrading the Mobile Warrior Armor for now. We can discuss the mechanical Ultra Warrior project later. Right now, there aren't enough personnel available for you to proceed with its construction," Rhodes said.
Rhodes wasn't in a hurry to build a mechanical Ultra Warrior. Besides, the initial versions of the mechanical Ultra Brothers were only slightly stronger than King Joe.
"I understand, Master. I'll concentrate fully on researching your Ultra Mobile Armor," Salome replied with a slightly resigned nod.
"Good. By the way, do you have any suggestions or prototypes for improving the power armor for those Space Marines?" Rhodes asked.
The Space Marines' modification surgeries had already entered their final stages. All the superhuman organs had been successfully cultivated. Two alien collaborators—a Zettonian and a Baltan—had finalized all the surgical procedures, and everything was ready to proceed. The surgeries were scheduled to begin the next day.
The accompanying power armor needed to be completed quickly, and this task had been assigned to Salome.
"Please don't underestimate my expertise, Master. I've already completed the designs and built two prototypes of the new power armor. They're far superior to that so-called Terminator Armor, and they can seamlessly integrate with the warriors' black exoskeletons, meeting all usage requirements," Salome responded confidently.
To her, improving the crude power armor was no challenge at all. It had only taken her two days to complete the design.
As per Rhodes' request, she had used the Terminator Armor as a benchmark, but she felt this was an insult to her skills. If her creations couldn't surpass that ancient relic, where would her pride go? Her new power armor had to outperform that outdated piece in every way, whether in performance or defense capabilities.
Using the equipment and materials purchased over the past few days, she had already built two prototype suits. The material used was ceramic steel, which was readily available in Commorragh City.
Salome led Rhodes to her laboratory, where two fully assembled black power armor suits stood prominently. Each was about three meters tall, custom-designed for the Space Marines.
"Excellent. Tomorrow, we'll begin the Space Marines modification surgeries. After the surgeries, they'll need three days to recover. During these three days, how many new power armor suits can you produce?" Rhodes asked.
"Master, in three days, I should be able to set up a simplified production line. If I assemble them myself, I can produce about 10 suits of this new power armor per day," Salome said after a brief moment of thought.
She had no suitable subordinates, so she would have to do most of the work herself, with occasional help from two others.
"For simpler assembly tasks, you can have the Battle Sisters or the Space Marines assist you. There's no sensitive technology involved, so just let them handle the assembly," Rhodes suggested.
After all, there was no point in letting the Battle Sisters and Space Marines remain idle. They might as well lend a hand.
"That could work. I'll first assemble the production line. Once all the components are manufactured, I'll have them handle the assembly. That should save quite a bit of time," Salome nodded in agreement.