A Psyker's reincarnation

It had been thirty years since he came into this world and five years since the event that changed him on a fundamental level.

He had truly evolved into a superior being.

His thought processes and physical prowess were off the charts.

However, he had to constantly restrain himself from drawing too much attention to himself because he still wanted to be part of the Custodes organisation, which he believed could benefit him.

He knew that displaying skills and strength far beyond what was possible for an average Custodian would only attract unwanted attention, so he kept a low profile.

Despite his efforts to downplay his abilities and maintain a low profile, he was still the best prospect of his generation.

No more than ten of his generation of candidates had managed to survive all the trials. This was an abysmally low number, considering that there had been thousands of candidates when they first passed through the palace doors all those years ago.

They now had been reunited with canditates of previous generations being what they called an aspisrant. 

There, they began to learn all of the curriculum required of a Custodian, whether military or civil.

They kept on testing their physical capabilitites in every fashion and through every type of environement.

They had machines that could replicate special conditions, whether freezing cold, scorching hot, radioactive or toxic air, or any other possible environment.

The question was no longer whether they could resist, as their bodies were now so advanced that they could even withstand the void of space, but rather how well and for how long they could resist.

The gene crafting they underwent was an individual process, with the final result differing from recipient to recipient.

 Only the best would become Custodes.

Their physical capabilities were not the only criterion, nor were they the most important factor.

As they were a military unit, their military prowess was the defining factor in their future selection.

The way they had been taught the various skills required of a Custodian made him realise why this had not happened sooner.

When it came to theoretical teaching, he was provided with endless books on a wide range of topics, from civil to military knowledge.

This would have surprised him before his evolution, but now he understood just how vastly different he was and what he was capable of.

It would have taken any normal human years to read the books and decades to integrate and comprehend the knowledge inside, but it took him an hour.

He only had to flip through a book and every word and meaning would be etched into his memory forever.

 One moment he knew nothing; the next, he had an expert-level understanding of a wide variety of civil and military subjects.

He had also been given video recordings of military campaigns and operations, millennia's worth of content.

He was placed in a room with multiple screens on the walls, all playing different recordings of military operations at a speed impossible for a normal human brain to process.

This gave him visual knowledge and a lived experience of the theories he had learned from the books he had read.

When it came to practical learning, there was not much difference. 

They were able to learn anything they had been shown at first glance and excel at it.

The challenge was not in acquiring and implementing the military knowledge they had gained, but in the standard of their execution.

The Custodes set such high standards that it was not uncommon for aspirants members to fail to meet them for over ten years.

That was not the case for him. Even when he held back and displayed only a fraction of his abilities, he still ranked first not only among his generation, but among all the other candidates.

He could have concealed his abilities more effectively, but he chose not to.

Eager to test his strength on the battlefield, he lacked the patience to wait over a year for selection.

Therefore, he decided to make himself stand out so much that he would be assigned to an assault unit immediately.

Although rare, it was not unheard of for an aspirant to become a Custodian within a year. 

Those who succeeded in doing so became notable figures, if they did not die in battle beforehand.

Driven by his ambition to succeed, he resumed his training with a newfound determination.

He displayed controlled aggression in every test, knowing it was the characteristic sought out by the Custodes' assault team.

The katas he learnt and practised were all aggressive, focusing on dominating the opponent through an offensive mindset, whether for marksmanship or melee combat.

Even during strategic battle simulations, in which he was tasked with commanding troops on a simulated battlefield, he favoured an offensive approach.

Out of all the military disciplines he had been trained in, it was melee combat he liked the most, with dual long swords being his weapons of choice.

Although he excelled in the use of all weapons, not even standard Custodian spears gave him the sense of freedom and power that dual swords did.

When it came to his marksmanship he displayed such a superior control, accuracy and speed in exectution in every disctances and scenarios that he was alllowed to train in exlusivly melee combat should he choose to do so. 

While he was still required to train in the use of the guardian spear for a certain amount of time it soon became minimal when he displayed overwhelming mastery of it. 

He then dedicated his time to mastering the sword.

Whether it was a single-handed sword, a double-handed sword, a one-handed sword with a shield, or dual long swords, he trained relentlessly.

He explored the intricacies and depth of the different katas, adapting them to his body and style of fighting. He tried to improve with each practice, focusing and dedicating himself fully.

It was not long before he surpassed even his instructors — retired Custodes who had chosen to continue serving the Emperor by teaching the future generations rather than becoming his eyes.

They had spent centuries training and perfecting the katas, yet he defeated them all in combat.

He even started to train in combat against multiple oppenent with success.

He did not used his superior strenght and speed, limiting himself to the average physical capabilty he witness among his peer. 

He only ever overcame his opponents through his mastery of the sword. This was particularly evident when he fought multiple opponents with his dual long swords.

There was nothing more his instructors had to teach him, their centuries of training and insight already learned and improved on. 

Only training and self-study remained.