Imperium of Man Terra Aeterna Season 01: Rise of Humanity's War Machin

"The initial mission is complete, and rewards are being distributed..."

Just as Reuel had predicted, moments after the Imperium of Man was officially established, the system spoke—calmly, but with weight.

Of course, no civilization could be truly founded without a sense of structured ritualism.

"Extracting technology tree..."

A visual illusion—like a spinning holographic door—twirled rapidly before him, evoking the sensation of standing between reality and data.

Reuel hoped the system would deliver a tech tree with a high ceiling—both in the realm of advanced science and mysticism.

Some technologies were just too primitive to matter, even if readily available. A stone rifle wasn't going to save this world.

beep-!

"Congratulations to the host. You have obtained the technology tree: 『Mobile Suit Gundam』"

"Please enhance scientific research capabilities as soon as possible. Lead civilization into total war. Mankind above all."

"WHAT?!"

"Gundam?!"

Reuel's spontaneous reaction was a whirlwind of confusion, amusement, and mild frustration.

He had hoped for technologies from Stellaris, Honkai Impact, Mass Effect, or the Nasuverse—something that would immediately boost the Imperial Navy and accelerate interstellar force development.

He was even anticipating a Colossus—the galaxy-scorching doomsday weapon from Stellaris.

Instead, what he got was... Gundam.

"Can I ask... which Gundam are we talking about? The one with Captain Olga?! Iron-Blooded Orphans?!"

Reuel's mouth twitched—a natural response to receiving something so off-mark from his expectations.

Whenever he heard the word "Gundam", his mind no longer conjured images of stylish mechs or flashy beam saber duels in lunar orbit.

Instead, it evoked tragic monologues and stoic declarations of pain and purpose, like:

"This road is so quiet."

"As long as we don't stop, this path will remain open."

"Don't stop!"

That sort of melodrama echoed in his head, accompanied by somber soundtracks, black limousines, and funeral flowers—residue from too many formative anime years.

Perhaps his DNA had already been corrupted by the dramatic legacy of classic Gundam.

"This technology tree encompasses the full content of the Mobile Suit Gundam series. With progressive research, you may master all scientific and engineering principles from the Gundam universe."

"The host possesses Adeptus Mechanicus. Implementation will not be difficult. The only question is whether Akashi from Azur Lane can comprehend the technical schematics."

The system answered without emotion, and then—

Bang!

A mountain of blueprints and encyclopedias dropped from the data storage matrix into the materialization zone.

Digital files converted into physical form. Each set duplicated.

Reuel pulled one of the encyclopedias—thicker than a grown man's arm and nearly half a person's height.

He calmly opened to the first page, where the very first mecha he'd ever seen in his life stared back at him.

"Zaku MS-05 – Mass Production Unit"

Front-end technology: None.

The unit was clad in basic alloy armor. As a mass-produced variant, it had standard combat effectiveness, but was low in cost.

Weapons system: 105mm machine gun.

True to its reputation, the Zaku was the infantry of the mecha world—versatile, durable, but never the star.

Beyond the specifications and introduction, the following pages showcased detailed engineering diagrams, R&D construction steps, and foundational knowledge on servo systems, miniature reactors, and anti-gravity cockpits.

Among the files, Reuel also found designs for the RGM-79 GM—the classic rival of the Zaku II—best known for its heroic talent of exploding early in nearly every Gundam series.

Reuel wasn't a physicist, but as someone who inherited the memory and intellect of the Emperor of Mankind, it didn't take long for him to grasp the underlying principles of these units.

With a quick scan, he realized the provided data was incredibly detailed—practically a step-by-step instruction manual ready for deployment by any competent production team, requiring only minimal technical interpretation.

Reuel pulled another book from the stack.

"Mass-Produced Machine Body – Zaku II"

Core Technology: Zaku MS-05 Type 05

This model is an enhanced version of its predecessor. Its primary weapon had been upgraded to a large-caliber machine gun, increasing both destructive power and mobility.

Weapon System:

120mm Machine Gun

However, without sufficient basic knowledge, most people wouldn't be able to understand the operating principles of this machine—especially when having to read it from blueprints and dense technical design documents.

Beyond the mass-produced Zaku units, he also found various hero-class Gundam models—names that once defined interstellar battles across different parallel worlds:

ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos

RX-78-2 Gundam

RX-0 Unicorn Gundam

XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero

ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam

ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom Gundam

System ∀-99 Turn A Gundam – better known as the Moonlight Butterfly Gundam

These models came from various alternate timelines:

Universal Century (UC)

Cosmic Era (CE) – Gundam SEED

Anno Domini (AD) – Gundam 00

Post Disaster (PD) – Iron-Blooded Orphans

Correct Century (CC)

After War (AW) – Gundam X

Future Century (FC) – G Gundam

Ad Stella (AS) – The Witch from Mercury

Each unit represented a distinctive identity and unique power in its own universe.

And this system… had just rewarded him with the entire Gundam World tech tree.

---

"Hissing…"

Reuel stared at the tech tree from top to bottom, his gaze unwavering.

Combined with the Imperium's advanced starfighters, the power of these Gundams would revolutionize their space warfare strategies. The imperial fleet, which once relied solely on massive battleships and psionic force, could now be equipped with high-tech mobile suits built for close-quarters and tactical combat.

However, one problem couldn't be ignored:

How do you train Gundam pilots?

Reuel knew: hero-class units like these weren't just expensive—they demanded combat skill of the highest level. It required humans with superhuman reflexes, sharp battle instincts, and extraordinary mental stability.

True, his system allowed him to summon humans from other factions in parallel universes—provided he had enough war points to redeem them.

But the problem was...

There weren't even any aliens yet. No enemies at all.

So how the hell was he supposed to earn war points?

The only clue was a single entry in the database:

"?????" – an unrecognized universe, marked with high threat levels and extreme reality fluctuations.

Suspicious as hell…

---

Reuel already possessed 40% of the Emperor of Mankind's power, in addition to a body fused with a Mind Cube. His fitness far surpassed that of ordinary humans—enough to go toe-to-toe with god-tier entities. But still…

"Without a shipgirl uniform, it feels like something's missing… Can I really become the shipgirls' father?"

Even though he wore armor inherited from the Dark Age of Technology—ancient Terra craftsmanship—and wielded weapons capable of piercing the outer layers of space itself…

Still, compared to the shipgirls, he felt like a lone monolith standing forgotten in the middle of a new era.

He knew—if the time came for battle, then he would go himself.

And that's why so many had dubbed him the Fifth Demon King.

Not because he was evil, but because his power had already surpassed the limits of human understanding—equal to, or even beyond, the Chaos Gods.

---

Humanity endured because of the Emperor of Mankind.

Without him, the Imperium would collapse. Mankind would perish.

In the Final Battle against Horus, he could've chosen to absorb the power of the Chaos Gods—becoming a warp entity, a god among gods.

But he refused.

Not because he couldn't. But because he knew:

If he became a god, humanity would once again drown in blind worship—losing all control over its own destiny.

He sat on the Golden Throne not for glory, but for sacrifice.

For more than 10,000 years, he held the fabric of reality together through his own suffering—holding back the tide of Chaos so that humanity could still stand.

But even in the silent agony of the golden throne, many believed:

If he truly willed it, he could become the fifth force in the Warp.

Surpass the four Chaos Gods.

Not just save humanity... but end everything, alone.

---

Now, the issue before him was clear.

A real man should pilot a Gundam… and tear aliens apart with his bare hands.

No sane being could ever resist that temptation.

"Commander?"

A soft voice broke his trance. Richelieu stepped closer, her expression puzzled but gentle.

"What are you looking at?"

"Call Akashi and Archmagos Belisarius Cawl."

Reuel gave the command word by word, firm and absolute.

"I want to pilot… a Gundam."

Reuel was very excited—this was the anime he watched as a kid.

---

Thirty minutes later.

Akashi, who had been casually fishing while humming, was forcefully carried by two shipgirls to the golden palace. Her tail whipped about wildly in silent protest.

Meanwhile, Archmagos Belisarius Cawl appeared flanked by two Tech-Priest Mechanicus, their approach accompanied by the humming of servo motors and the scent of ozone from ancient tech.

"Commander nya~~, are you finally giving me back my Rubik's Cube nya~~?"

"When are we going to another world to sell my Cat's Box nya~~?"

"Nyaaa~~! What the hell are you doing here, you rust-buckets nya~~?"

"Omnissiah, I have received Thy signal. Is this Thy sacred call?"

"Silence, heretek!"

"Nya~~ aren't you the one called a heretek by your own Martian buddies nya~~?"

The two immediately launched into another argument—one with techno-holy litanies, the other with the shrill mewling of a fuzzy creature.

But the quarrel came to a sudden halt as both felt the serious aura radiating from Reuel.

The cat-eared shipgirl blinked at Reuel and Richelieu in confusion. But when her gaze landed on the Tech-Priests, her expression turned feral, like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on.

---

"Put the matter of painting boxes aside. I want to ask you something."

Reuel pulled Akashi and Cawl closer, then unfolded a set of holographic blueprints.

"Do you understand the design of this Zaku?"

Akashi scratched her head, tilting it like a radar that had lost its signal.

"Eh...? This... big robot nya~~?"

"Is there a pilot seat inside? A combat machine directly controlled by a human nya~~?"

As a ship maintenance technician, Akashi had a solid technical foundation. She had also studied under the Tech-Priests of Mars. Though from a different universe, she could still grasp the basic concepts of the Zaku.

---

Meanwhile, Archmagos Dominus Belisarius Cawl hadn't moved since he first opened the sacred data-ark containing blueprints from an alternate world. To him, this wasn't just technology—it was revelation.

Minovsky Particle. AMBAC. Psycommu. Psycho-Frame. GN Drive. Trans-Am...

All of it was analyzed, cataloged, and re-tested across hundreds of sub-cogitators embedded in his skull. Processing litanies and devotional chants flowed together in a single stream of thought, somewhere between faith and algorithm. He wasn't just reading—he was worshipping while analyzing.

---

"The weapons system is simple nya~~," murmured Akashi.

"105mm machine gun, rocket launcher—everything can be produced in the port's armory nya~~."

"The metal isn't too complex. If we have enough ore and smelting capacity, it can be done nya~~."

"But... its thrust system is too weak. Might need a carrier-class engine or a power unit from an Imperial Navy warship nya~~."

Cawl finally spoke.

"This machine—Zaku—is a paradox. Full of potential, yet neglected.

Its structure has unused space. This... is an affront to the principle of Maximum Efficiency.

Do they not understand that unused space is an insult to the Machine Spirit?"

Akashi only nodded quietly.

"What about the more advanced models?"

Reuel turned the next page, revealing the blueprints of hero-class Gundams.

He wasn't particularly interested in mass-produced Zakus. It was hard to judge whether the unit could surpass the Imperial Navy's warships, but it might serve as a reasonable testing base for the Mechanicus.

The real value lay in the exceptional—the hero-class mechas.

---

Cawl froze.

"Oh, Omnissiah... the technology You have bestowed upon me is truly magnificent..."

"'Unicorn' unit: real-time neural-to-machine connection. No significant latency.

Human-machine integration efficiency: 98.6%. Psycho-frame... psionic resonator? Intriguing. Classify this as Magos-tier replication priority."

"GN Drive: quantum non-degrading energy, stable output. Not compliant with doctrine... but the potential is extraordinary.

Note: The Imperium has no equivalent. Begin reconstruction."

---

"Cawl." Reuel looked at him sharply.

"Can these machines be reproduced at a scale sufficient to strengthen the Imperium and the Astra Militarum?"

"By Your decree, we shall fabricate every unit in these blueprints.

Mass production will begin with standard tactical units. Estimated completion: 39 production cycles."

"Carry out my will. Prioritize mass units for the Astra Militarum. Use whatever resources are required."

---

Meanwhile, Akashi was still flipping through page after page of hero-class Gundam blueprints.

She lay on the floor before the holographic projection of Unicorn, staring at it like an apprentice facing their doctoral thesis.

"Kinda complicated..." she mumbled.

"I've never seen a spiral beam weapon, telekinetic frame, floating shield... and this—field generator?"

She was staring at RX-0 Unicorn.

Twenty meters tall, wielding a massive particle rifle and active shield.

This unit hailed from Mobile Suit Gundam UC, equipped with aerial maneuvering, the NT-D transformation system, and high-level psionic integration.

"Trouble understanding it?" Reuel asked.

"There are thousands of schematics just for this one unit. It'll take time to fully comprehend.

And the amount of ore needed... probably more than we currently have."

Akashi didn't say yes or no. She just let out a soft sigh.

This was alien-world technology. Not impossible, but definitely a pain in the ass.

"It's fine." Reuel gently patted Akashi's head.

"Excellent work."

"From today on, you are the Director of Scientific and Engineering Research for the Imperium of Man's shipgirls."

"Your job: research all technology from other worlds that I bring, and integrate it into the shipgirl systems."

"Start with a small goal: help me build RX-0 Unicorn Gundam... or Barbatos."

"nya~~ Huh?!"

A barrage of question marks exploded in Akashi's head.

"nya~~? nya~~? nya~~ nya~~?!"