Bear School Astartes

Chapter 400: 400. Original Casting

The long and profound steel corridor finally came to an end.

The majestic and scarred figure wore only a loincloth, yet the exposed body would make any mortal sculpture ashamed.

The chiseled muscles showcased incredible vitality and intimidation, intertwining to form a noble dignity.

The silver-white hair was cut short, but even this hairstyle couldn’t affect the exquisiteness of the face.

If not for the deliberately left, fierce scar crossing the entire face, the owner of this body would undoubtedly be a man as beautiful as a masterpiece oil painting.

At the end of the steel corridor was a huge gate, resembling a hangar inside a spaceship.

But the owner of the memory knew well, inside wasn’t a waiting interstellar fighter. Instead, it was an access port to a large database.

And here, the only one qualified to access this database was one person.

A skull that appeared to be equipped with anti-gravity devices floated in front of the memory’s owner.

The skull had undergone many modifications, its eyes emitting a red light that scanned the entire body of the memory’s owner.

Subsequently, as if having completed identity verification, it drifted away on its own, hovering above the candlelight beside the gate.

And the gate before them opened with a rumbling ’boom’ after the skull settled into position.

Lann wanted to see who the owner of the memory was about to meet.

However, the man humbly lowered his head the moment the gate opened.

This increased the young viewer’s anticipation.

Because he could clearly feel the owner of the memory was self-confident and proud, yet at this moment, he was sincerely humble.

Walking forward with head lowered, Lann could catch through the peripheral of memory’s view that it was a vast circular room.

The intricate decorative style remained as always, but retained a researcher’s orderliness.

Glowing columnar cultivation chambers were neatly arrayed along the walls.

The memory’s owner took a few steps forward, stepping onto a circular platform, and then half-kneeling directly.

”Master.”

Despite the robust body, the act of kneeling was as light and swift as a cat.

This precision control of the body was akin to art.

But before Lann could marvel, a massive, enormous shadow crept slowly across the floor in the lowered field of view.

The dome inside the room was very high, outfitted with stained glass, allowing light to pass through and evoke a sense of sanctity, as if being in a cathedral.

But under this holy lighting, the ’thing’ casting the enormous shadow spoke from on high.

”Lift your head, Neville. Today, you will face me directly, from start to finish.”

The voice sounded as if it came from an old, antiquated audio device.

But even though the voice was so loud, not clear, and condescending, the owner of the memory still fully obeyed.

The ’Warrior’ named Neville raised his head, and then... Lann saw a ’monster’!

It was a nightmare-like amalgamation clad in a heavy red robe.

Its massive body seemed to have undergone countless repairs and replacements, to the extent that the evidently oversized red robe couldn’t conceal its monstrously gigantic body.

Numerous mechanical legs poked out slightly from the hem of the red robe, making it resemble a creature with an enormous bloated worm-like lower half and an upper half barely maintaining human form.

The accumulation of mechanics was so colossal that Neville’s body still needed to strain to look up before it.

This reminded Lann of the faux mountain sculpture a renowned alumni gifted to his high school alma mater back in his hometown world.

As a high school student then, he stood before the multimillion-dollar faux mountain just like Neville now stood before this ’thing’.

”You’re the least dull of this batch, of course, I mean in the field of biochemistry. You could even assist me.”

The enormous figure said so.

Lann sensed a swell of pride surfacing almost immediately within Neville’s consciousness, as if such a begrudging praise was already the highest honor.

”Your guidance!”

The Interstellar Warrior originally wanted to lower his head in salute, but he immediately recalled the previous command, thus not a single twitch occurred in the muscle bundles on his neck, let alone looking down.

”Clang- clang-” The massive figure tapped the ground with something hard to determine if a staff or a large axe, causing a loud clang.

”But this summoning of you is not because of your shallow knowledge.”

Beneath the red robe, the densely packed mechanical legs lightly shifted under electronic signals, emitting a gentle rustling against the red fabric.

”You’ve been performing surgeries independently for a while now, how is the progress?”

Neville still did not comprehend why he was summoned, but he nonetheless answered unreservedly.

”I’ve been independently conducting Primaris surgery for twenty Terran years, and so far, one hundred ninety-seven new recruits have become honored Primaris Marines on my surgical table.”

”Master, in terms of skill level alone, I am fully capable of being a Chapter’s Apothecary.”

Neville confidently introduced his knowledge level.

”If that’s the case...” The enormous silhouette said noncommittally from above.

Though the voice like a mechanical speaker lacked emotion, Lann felt that was exactly the tone.

”Then I shall uphold that supremely noble will and introduce myself to you.”

What?

Both Neville and Lann felt a wave of astonishment.

But before the emotion could reflect in the body, the next command ensued promptly.

”Stand up, Neville.”

The Interstellar Warrior’s instinct made the memory’s owner comply without thinking.

Amazement still echoed in his mind, but this did not impede him from standing at attention immediately.

The towering, rust-red hooded head leaned down from high above, drawing near Neville’s face.

Through the Marine’s eyes, Lann saw that beneath the hood was an almost completely mechanized head, with only a small uncertain amount of biomaterial skin remaining.

At the position of the right eye, a laser lens adjusted focus constantly as if to scrutinize Neville inside and out.

Lann could even smell the scent of machine oil.

Isn’t this Interstellar Warrior, or now called Primaris Space Marine, someone this guy trained?

Is he now going to introduce himself?

What’s going on?

And... ’that supremely noble will’?

In the Human Empire, only one can be addressed by that honorific...

If the Empire has not been overturned across ten thousand years, then surely it is that... ’Emperor’!

Perhaps because the command was executing that ’supremely noble will’, even the ancient speaker-like voice now exhibited utmost solemnity and dignity.

”I am Dominus Belisarius Kao. Devout follower of OmniSea, Great Sage of the Mechanical Divine Teachings.”

”Here, I greet you.”

Looking at the gargantuan form before him, attempting a semblance of a salute, Lann felt a tingle up his spine.

Neville was still puzzled, but as the memory viewer, Lann already had a hunch.

—This guy... is talking to me?!