As for the reactions from xenos and Chaos forces elsewhere in the galaxy, Adam was, naturally, completely unaware.
At this very moment, he was no longer within the borders of Ultramar.
In the blink of an eye, Adam had crossed thousands of star systems to arrive at the Imperium's original Forge World: Mars.
A distance spanning nearly half the galaxy was, in the face of the Necrons' near-magical technology, merely the width of a single door. The wormhole transit via the Eternity Gate left Adam unable to suppress a sincere exclamation: "—Simply divine."
He now stood in a magnificent hall steeped in the quintessential aesthetic of the Martian Adeptus Mechanicus.
The vaulted ceiling reached toward impossible heights, painted with a colossal star map shaped like interlocking gears. Massive bronze pipes crawled along the walls, occasionally emitting the low whine of steam vents or the hum of flowing energy, all etched with dense rows of binary prayers.
After adjusting to this solemn environment, Adam shook his head. He raised a hand, and a servo-skull immediately zipped over, unfolding into a holographic display screen.
Brief reports flashed across the hologram.
[Mobile Task Force Epsilon-11 "Nine-Tailed Fox" Action Brief]:
Systematic purge executed within the Sol System. Located and eradicated eight cults suspected of corruption by Chaos Gods, primarily Khorne worshippers.
[Mobile Task Force Stigma-9 "Evolved from Nature's Gears, Levers and Pulleys" Action Brief]:
Escort mission for the Prometheus Labs core research team completed. Teams have secretly embedded within Forge Worlds such as Lucius and Ryza. Through tech-sharing and resource exchange, Prometheus Labs' influence is expanding exponentially.
[Mobile Task Force Omega-1 "Laws' Left Hand" Action Brief]:
Cleanup of "inefficient and corrupt units" within the Imperial bureaucracy continues. Disposed of (including dismissal, trial, and execution) 23 Planetary Governor-level officials and 47 minor planetary nobles.
Through various means, administrative control has been secured over 16 vital planets. Preliminary assessments show local administrative efficiency increased by 1,500% to 50,000%.
[Mobile Task Force Omega-12 "Achilles' Heel" Action Brief]:
Vanguard squads have reached the fringes of the Maelstrom and the Cadia fortress worlds near the Eye of Terror. Establishing unofficial contact with local Astra Militarum, Navy, Adepta Sororitas, and Adeptus Astartes.
[Mobile Task Force Lambda-5 "White Rabbit" Action Brief]:
Secretly deploying Eternity Gates across a vast number of Imperial worlds—
The information stream paused.
Adam nodded slightly, a faint, imperceptible curve touching the corner of his mouth. "The results seem significant," he whispered to himself.
A large number of Custodians had left the Imperial Palace, scattering across the Imperium in the unprecedentedly flexible form of "Mobile Task Forces." In a short time, the fruits of their labor were becoming visible.
The tentacles of Chaos near the heart of the Imperium were being severed, the seeds of technology quietly sown, and the bloated bureaucratic machine injected with a much-needed stimulant. Even the edges of the most dangerous rifts were finally receiving genuine attention and reinforcement.
One might wonder: why were the Custodians so effective?
The answer lay in the unique ecological niche the Legio Custodes occupied in Imperial politics and power—an existence entirely distinct from the Adeptus Astartes.
If an Astartes were to kill a Planetary Governor without cause and seize political control, it would undoubtedly trigger outrage among other political factions. If the Chapter involved wasn't of the First Founding, the consequences would be unpredictable.
But if the Emperor's Custodians did it? No other department would dare voice an objection.
What? You're not convinced?
Does anyone truly believe an Imperial organization—the Inquisition, for instance—would dare fly a fleet directly over the Imperial Palace for a Custodian-flavored "Month of Shame"?
That joke is funny once; let's not make it twice. Adam waved his hand again, and the light on the servo-skull flickered out as it drifted silently to the side.
For Adam, coming up with the ideas was the main thing. If he were actually expected to handle administration and keep everything organized, he'd pass. He much preferred being the "hands-off boss," letting others wade through the ten-thousand-year-old cesspool that was the Imperium.
Work? What did that word even mean?
At that moment, Adam looked up. A figure strode quickly toward him.
Belisarius Cawl, Archmagos Dominus of Mars, nodded in greeting. "Apologies for keeping you waiting."
"I haven't been waiting long," Adam replied, looking around. "Where is this surprise you mentioned?"
Not long ago, Adam had used his surplus soul power to transform ten Archmagi hand-picked by Cawl into Level 2 Reality Benders. He had assumed the research teams led by these newly minted Reality Benders would need time to show progress. To his surprise, only a few weeks later, Cawl had requested this meeting on Mars, claiming breakthroughs and improvements in their research that required Adam's input.
Naturally interested, Adam had arrived immediately.
"Please, follow me." Cawl gestured forward.
Following Belisarius Cawl through a long corridor filled with data streams, Adam eventually stopped before a heavy metal vault door. It slid open soundlessly, revealing a vast research hall.
The hall was bustling with activity. Adam spotted the Necron Cryptek Szatun discussing data with a Tech-Priest, while Commissar Yarrick stood with hands behind his back, observing the central area.
However, the most eye-catching sights were the dozens of giant stasis pods lining the perimeter. Covered in frost, the pods held hulking figures suspended in pale blue life-support fluid—muscular giants over three meters tall who radiated an intimidating pressure even in slumber.
Primaris Space Marines. Adam recognized the creations instantly.
Cawl pointed toward the sleeping Astartes, his voice tinged with a carefully suppressed fervor.
"Times have changed. Due to your arrival and the emergence of so many new technologies, much of my design and science from ten thousand years ago has become obsolete. To prepare for the Great War to come, my colleagues and I have made some necessary... modifications."
"I shall demonstrate them to you one by one—both their equipment and their flesh."
"I look forward to it," Adam said with a smile.