Chapter 432: Iron Guard Force
Nexum Forge World, "Iron Guard" project main assembly line.
The rhythm of the assembly line was more urgent than ever before. The swinging of the mechanical arms carried a new, almost combat-like efficiency; the humming of servo motors and the hissing of plasma welding torches intertwined into a dense industrial symphony.
The final production blueprints, verified and fine-tuned by actual combat data, had been locked and distributed to all relevant production nodes.
The first batch of small-scale production officially commenced.
At the end of the assembly line, one "Iron Guard" unit after another, their paint not yet dry, was hoisted down by mechanical cantilever cranes and steadily placed on the conveyor belt, sent toward the final comprehensive testing area.
The seams of their armor gleamed with the matte finish of recent welding and polishing. Their joints were infused with fresh lubricant, and the protective covers over the weapon module interfaces remained unclosed, revealing the precise connection terminals beneath.
Tech-Priests shuttled among the newly assembled units like busy worker bees. Data probes connected to every testing port, as binary prayers and self-diagnostic commands intersected silently in the air.
Sensor readings, power output curves, the foundational response thresholds of the machine spirits... Massive amounts of data were collected in real-time, compared, and verified against standard parameters.
Any deviation beyond the allowable tolerance would immediately trigger an alarm, marking the problematic unit and removing it from the assembly line to be sent to the adjacent debugging area for precise calibration.
Project Director Magos Marcus Thorne stood on the observation corridor, his mechanical bionic eye sweeping over the orderly yet powerful production scene below.
Data streams surged within his processing core, confirming that both production efficiency and the yield rate had met the expected targets.
These "Iron Guards" would no longer be prototypes, but standard-issue equipment about to be deployed to the battlefield.
Among them, fifty neural-link models had been specially marked. They would enjoy a higher priority and stricter factory inspection standards.
During the cultivation process, their machine spirits had been imbued with an underlying logic that favored protection and stability, and their neural interfaces had undergone additional anti-interference reinforcements.
These were prepared for Ryo's Skitarii forces.
Death World base, the newly designated dedicated maintenance area for the Iron Guards.
The area was adjacent to the Skitarii camp and the stationing ground of Zofia's Knight squad, facilitating coordinated defense.
The thick alloy floor bore the weight of the first batch of twenty neural-link "Iron Guards" that had arrived.
Like silent steel giants, they stood quietly secured by the maintenance racks. Their armor had already been sprayed with the dark red base color representing Ryo's faction and the unique exploration sequence insignia.
Valerie and Jackie stood in the center of the maintenance area.
Both had changed into modified standard Skitarii combat suits, with neural interface cables hanging externally to connect with the Iron Guards' internal auxiliary systems.
Their expressions were serious as their gazes swept over the row of brand-new war machines before them.
As the pilots who had first come into contact with and adapted to the neural-link prototypes, their performance and accumulated experience in previous battles had led Ryo to directly appoint them as the practical combat instructors for the newly formed Iron Guard force.
Their mission was to train a group of soldiers—selected from the Skitarii and Maine's squad who possessed the corresponding potential—into qualified Iron Guard pilots.
"They have already finished learning the basic operational theory," Valerie said to Jackie. Her voice transmitted through the combat suit's communicator, carrying a hint of metallic texture. "Next is actual machine synchronization and tactical coordination."
Jackie nodded. He cracked his neck, emitting a faint clicking sound.
"These boys, no matter how good their theoretical scores are, won't know what they're truly capable of until they actually connect to this thing." He patted the cold ankle armor of an Iron Guard beside him. "Let's go. Let's show the rookies what it truly means to 'move'."
The first batch of ten trainees had already lined up in front of their assigned units.
They were elites selected from the Skitarii. Their torsos gleamed with a cold metallic luster, and various sensory enhancers and combat bionic eyes had replaced their original organs.
These battle-hardened veterans now stood solemnly beneath the steel behemoths. Their optical sensors focused on the mechs they were about to pilot. Their data streams were calm, yet it was difficult to completely suppress the subtle load fluctuations in their internal processors caused by the immense honor they felt.
Being chosen as the first batch of Iron Guard pilots meant being recognized as the top-tier military force under the Magos. It was a high honor bestowed by the Omnissiah and a new beginning to fulfill their mission.
"Remember the procedure!" Valerie's voice rang out clearly and coldly through the external speakers. "Before connecting, perform a final check of the vital signs monitoring system and confirm that the physical locks of the neural interface are in place."
"You may experience sensory shock during the initial synchronization phase. Maintain the stability of your logic cores and focus on basic commands. Let the machine spirit familiarize itself with your thought patterns, rather than you trying to forcefully control it!"
Under her supervision, the soldiers entered the Iron Guards' chest cockpits one by one via the lifting platforms with standard, efficient movements.
The muffled sounds of airtight doors closing followed one after another.
Jackie jumped onto another Iron Guard that was in standby mode and skillfully connected to the neural interface.
"Listen up, recruits," his voice directly entered the communication channels of all connected pilots. "Follow my movements and feel the flow of power. We'll start with the simplest standing stabilization and walking."
As he spoke, the massive body of his Iron Guard emitted a low hum of hydraulics and energy core acceleration. It smoothly stood up from its crouching standby state, its metallic feet making a heavy impact sound as they made contact with the ground.
Within the maintenance area, the other Iron Guards also began to move one after another. At first, they were somewhat stiff and hesitant, but under Valerie's continuous corrections and Jackie's guiding demonstrations, they gradually became coordinated.
The heavy sound of footsteps, the mechanical noise of joints operating, and the low hum of energy circuits echoed throughout the maintenance area.
Ryo's figure appeared on the observation platform high above the maintenance area.
His crimson optical lenses looked down at the training scene below, recording the movement parameters of every Iron Guard and the vital sign data of the pilots in real-time.
Valerie and Jackie's teaching method was direct and effective, focusing on practical combat application and crisis response. This aligned with the Iron Guard's design positioning and the needs of the Skitarii.
He saw one Iron Guard's joints lock up and overload during a turn, causing the mech to pause slightly, but the pilot quickly adjusted the power output based on system feedback and soon restored stability.
Valerie's precise instructional voice immediately rang out: "Power distribution requires anticipating the mech's inertia! Your logic core's processing speed needs to keep up! Repeat it once more!"
The seeds of the Iron Guard force had been sown. These loyal and resilient Skitarii elites were embracing this new duty and power with absolute focus.
Ryo needed them to form combat effectiveness as soon as possible to counter the threats the Death World might face, as well as to provide the heavy fire support required for future dimensional explorations.
He turned and left the observation platform.
The training would continue as planned until these pilots could control their new bodies as easily as their own limbs.
Meanwhile, the production lines of Nexum would continuously deliver more "Iron Guards" here.
(End of Chapter)