Infinite Metaverse

Chapter 29: Iron Armor Little Treasure

Fully armored, Fu Qinghai sat inside the boarding torpedo and was busy inspecting his new weapon. Around him, crew members and servitors were making final preparations for launch.

The weapon in Fu Qinghai's hands was what Ogotai had referred to as his "new toy."

After modifying his bolter by replacing the standard curved magazine with a drum, Fu Qinghai had returned from Moradigan and immediately dove back into Magos Kurnos's lab to tinker further.

This time, the result was a combi-weapon. The principle was simple: it combined a small flamethrower with a bolter, similar to attaching an under-barrel grenade launcher to a rifle in his past life on Earth.

The complexity, however, lay in the fact that Imperial-standard combi-weapons were designed from the ground up with integrated firing mechanisms and attachment points. Fu Qinghai, on the other hand, had to modify a standard Agripinaa-pattern bolter, which required advanced technical skills and precision machining.

But this was no challenge for Fu Qinghai, who had the electronic backup of Tony Stark in his mind.

With a Tech-Priest by his side, this level of modification was as simple as a child's craft project for Fu Qinghai.

However, Fu Qinghai's mind was preoccupied with other matters.

Was Ogotai sending him alone to deal with the pirates as a test or as a form of protection?

Anything involving psykers was never straightforward. This wasn't dealing with a primitive planet; psykers demanded the full attention of every Space Marine. So, it could be seen as a test.

On the other hand, if the 'Shortsword' faced off against a Lunar-class cruiser of unknown allegiance, and if the cruiser turned out to be hostile, the 'Shortsword' would be reduced to space dust without even a chance for close-quarters combat.

From that perspective, it could also be seen as protecting Fu Qinghai.

Fu Qinghai thought even further ahead. If the cruiser belonged to the traitors, according to the official lore, the traitors' goal was Terra. They likely wouldn't bother with space pirates. In fact, the more pirates and xenos in the galaxy, the better for the traitors, as these distractions would tie up more loyalist forces, making it easier for the traitor main force to attack the Solar System.

Therefore, the Lunar-class cruiser was most likely loyalist.

The torpedo hatch closed, plunging Fu Qinghai into momentary darkness. He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on these thoughts. Focusing on the mission at hand was more important.

As his low-light vision adjusted, Fu Qinghai felt a tremendous thrust.

At the edge of the asteroid field, the 'Shortsword'-class frigate launched a boarding torpedo toward the two ships floating in space.

From a distance, the cargo ship appeared even larger and bulkier than the 'Shortsword'.

Facing a stationary target, the torpedo was unlikely to miss.

Sitting inside the torpedo, Fu Qinghai couldn't help but feel that the boarding torpedo's design completely ignored user experience. The cramped, dark space had no control panels or screens, and he couldn't see anything outside. The only indicator was a red light that would turn green when the torpedo hit its target, signaling that it was time to exit.

Then came a loud crash, followed by a massive jolt as the torpedo struck the cargo ship's hull. The small explosive charge at the torpedo's tip blew a hole in the ship's exterior, embedding the torpedo into its structure.

The red light turned green.

Fu Qinghai thought the indicator light was redundant.

The hatch above him began to slide open but got stuck halfway. Fu Qinghai punched the hatch with his fist and tore it open with a forceful pull.

Then, a towering, crimson-eyed Astartes in menacing armor emerged into the corridor.

Fu Qinghai glanced around. The dimly lit corridor was empty, its pale lights flickering. Air hissed as it escaped through the breach created by the torpedo, and distant doors were automatically sealing shut.

Ignoring the closing doors, Fu Qinghai began setting up the Teleport Homer. Whether or not he would summon the Terminator armor was another matter; setting up the Homer was the priority.

Once the Homer was in place and its indicator light lit up, Fu Qinghai gripped his weapon and advanced down the quiet corridor.

Even the most sluggish enemies would have been alerted by the torpedo's impact. Fu Qinghai's keen hearing picked up the sound of hurried footsteps in the distance.

Soon, a group of ragged individuals armed with various weapons came charging toward him.

The moment they saw Fu Qinghai, they let out a collective shout, turned on their heels, and fled back the way they came.

Fu Qinghai fired a few precise shots, reducing the pirates to chunks of meat.

He continued forward.

***

Meanwhile, in the cargo ship's control room, crew members were bound and gagged in a corner. A middle-aged man with a long, horse-like face slapped a richly dressed, obese merchant across the face, barking in Low Gothic, "Turn on the monitors!"

The fat merchant, trembling, scrambled to the control panel and began frantically operating it.

***

In the corridor, Fu Qinghai encountered the first person brave enough to face him.

A man wearing a black balaclava that revealed only his eyes, dressed in a tight-fitting black combat suit.

From his appearance alone, Fu Qinghai couldn't determine the man's origins.

A psyker? But based on Taral's training, Fu Qinghai didn't see any psyker amplifiers on him.

The man was also sizing up Fu Qinghai, the 2.7-meter-tall armored warrior, seemingly unsure how to approach him.

In the control room, after the fat merchant's frantic efforts, the dark screens lit up one by one. The people in the control room quickly spotted Fu Qinghai's figure on one of the monitors in the lower right corner.

The horse-faced man frowned slightly and asked in Japanese, "What is that? A clumsy armored man?"

A young man with dyed blond hair chimed in with a grin, "Am I the only one who thinks he looks like Iron Armor Little Treasure?" (T/N: It's a series of toy robots.)

Another added, "Yeah, like Cockroach!"

"No, like Scorpion Lailai!"

None of them took the bulky armored figure seriously. For a moment, the control room was filled with laughter.

Only the fat merchant was stunned. He stared at the monitor, murmuring a word the others didn't recognize.

"Astartes…"

*****

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