After a rudimentary but systematic period of study, he understood just how expensive and rare the resources he used were, and he also realized more acutely how worthless his own life had been.
Even if you sold off a hundred thousand, or even a million, of the Underhive people, you still wouldn’t be able to buy a single gene-enhancing agent.
At the same time, he realized that the powerful figure he had previously regarded hadn’t lied; this was indeed just ordinary, arduous work.
On the scale of the galaxy, the powerful figure he had seen was nothing more than an ant, no, more like dust.
But this also caused him an extreme, tearing pain.
If the powerful figure he saw was dust, then what were he, an Underhiver, and the countless others in the Underhive?
Before his studies, he thought gang members were powerful figures, and gang leaders were gods.
But now, he thought he could crush them with a few words.
This made him even more confused.
If he could do such a thing, then what about the great angels…
no, it should be the Astartes?
And the even greater leaders of the Astral Claws Chapter?
Why didn’t they wipe out these gangs instead of watching their descendants suffer?
Did they enjoy it?
What about the previous construction projects?
Old John couldn’t understand.
His instructors hadn’t taught him this, and he dared not discuss this blasphemous question with anyone, keeping it bottled up inside.
Then he learned that those who performed well could not only remain in the training camp but also have the opportunity to be selected as Astartes reserves, with the chance to become a great Astartes.
This gave him a goal.
Perhaps, just perhaps becoming an Astartes would allow him to ask other Astartes, even the Chapter Master, and find the answer to this question?
Supported by this belief, Old John didn’t, like most of his colleagues, collapse into bed after training and study each day, sleeping a full eight hours.
Instead, he compressed his sleep time, training as much as possible and seeking more knowledge from the instructors.
At first, the instructors didn’t take it seriously, just going through the motions.
This process lasted a month, and after Old John consistently ranked at the top in physical fitness, tactics, and exam scores, the instructors’ impression of him improved significantly.
They knew that such a formidable individual would likely remain with them, becoming their colleague, so they paid a little more attention to give him extra training.
Much of the knowledge the instructors imparted wasn’t directly related to the exam requirements, but for Old John, a true Underhiver, even some of the instructors’ common knowledge was new to him.
He also learned that there were aircraft that could fly, Titan machines tens of meters tall, and various Astartes Chapters…
But this knowledge didn’t answer his questions.
However, he was certain of one thing: the Astartes were indeed evaluating them and considering selecting recruits for the reserve force.
This motivated him to train and study even harder, hoping to become an Astartes and answer his questions.
His efforts paid off.
His excellent grades secured his place in the training camp as an auxiliary instructor.
At the recruits’ graduation ceremony, Old John stood among the first ten men to receive an Astartes’ commendation.
As the ceremony reached the awards ceremony, Old John and the others went up on stage, gazing at the seemingly endless square formation of two million people below.
Although his questions remained unanswered, the scene still stirred his emotions.
This was a peak moment he had never experienced before, even though every day since he began his labor service had been an unprecedented peak.
The Astartes, clad in ceremonial power armour and adorned with numerous decorations, held the medal box and awarded the “Outstanding Auxiliary Army Representative” medal to each of the ten outstanding auxiliary soldiers.
This was a medal specially designed by Huron; its prestige couldn’t compare to the Imperial medals, but it was sufficient as an honor for the auxiliary army.
The sense of ceremony was still very important.
Although Huron had eliminated or changed many abstract rituals, he hadn’t altered things like the armour-presenting ceremony for Astartes recruits.
On the contrary, he tried his best to attend the ceremony to encourage the new recruits.
After awarding a medal, the Astartes would offer a few words of praise.
When it was Old John’s turn, he awarded the medals while praising him, “Excellent performance, soldier.
Keep it up, I look forward to the day you become a brother in arms.”
These ten men were essentially destined to become Astartes, for their unwavering will over the past two months had earned the approval of everyone in the Chapter.
“Yes, sir!” Old John saluted with the Aquila, his face showing excitement as he looked at the tall and magnificent Astartes.
After the medal presentation, the Astartes looked at the phalanx below and encouraged them, “Today is your graduation day, as the first auxiliary troops of the Chapter formed by Chapter Master Huron.
I hope that you will fulfill your duties in your future posts and live up to the Chapter Master’s expectations.”
He paused slightly, then shouted loudly, “For Chapter Master Huron!
For the Astral Claws Chapter!
For the Emperor!”
“For Chapter Master Huron!
For the Astral Claws Chapter!
For the Emperor!” The phalanx below roared with a thunderous shout.
After the graduation ceremony, most of the two million men were assigned to oversee the construction of starch factories, freeing up the conscripted Chapter serfs.
Then, the organization and term “Chapter serf” were completely abolished, and they were incorporated into various new organizations.
These included army, air force, and space force instructors in the Chapter auxiliary forces, and technical personnel who followed Techmarines in developing technologies…
The second batch of four million men, selected in advance, immediately entered training camps to begin training.
With the previous two million auxiliary troops involved in infrastructure projects, overall efficiency improved significantly.
These men were literate, articulate, and knowledgeable, so personal terminals no longer required meticulous guidance; providing general steps and reference answers was sufficient.
Managing several hundred men was also relatively easy for the auxiliary troops, greatly improving the level of detail in management.
During this process, the auxiliary troops also accumulated management experience in practice, preparing for taking on more responsibilities later.
In the training camp, Old John looked at the newly arrived auxiliary army recruits and felt a pang of emotion, never expecting to become an instructor so quickly.
As a regular instructor, Old John not only taught the recruits but also continued his studies, aiming to become an officer and an Astartes.
Of the first batch of auxiliary troops, approximately ten thousand remained in service.
These were the cream of the crop, exceptionally talented in every aspect.
Like Old John, they continued their training while instructing new recruits.
They received one dose of gene enhancer weekly until their physical enhancement reached its limit.
Then, based on their performance in instruction and advanced training, they were divided into the Astartes Reserve or elite boarding forces.