The voices of his Essence Clones had always obeyed him like phantom limbs.
But now they whispered.
Argued.
Screamed.
"They've reinforced Sector West. No progress."
"Sanctum's beam tower melted four of the elite knights. Suggest—"
"Let me act alone. I can take the southern gate if you just shut up—"
"SHUT UP!" Valtross roared.
In the abyss of his mind, three figures fractured into glassy silhouettes, each echoing parts of his will.
He staggered in the waking world, blood leaking from his nose.
"They're pulling apart… me."
Arlen worked through the night, grease and mana ash streaked across his cheeks. The forge glowed with alternating light and flame.
Finally, he stepped back from the workbench.
"It's done."
The scroll hummed with heat as Iden unrolled it.
[Blueprint Unlocked: MAGLANCE-7: Piercing Mana-Infused Railgun]• Fires condensed mana-tipped spike at hypersonic speeds• Modular: Can be used by advanced skeleton units or mounted on towers• Secondary Function: Arc-pierce – overloads shields by discharging all stored energy
Requirements: Forgemaster Level 20+, Mana Reactor Link, Aether Steel
Iden smirked.
"We're not just defending anymore. We're declaring dominance."
The war council sat around Iden as he accessed the interface.
[Raid Points Available: 2,980 RP]
With a slow breath, he made the choices.
Upgrades Purchased:
• Emberfang Spire – Tier Upgrade: Burn Intensity +1, Gain Burst Fire (40 sec CD) – 600 RP• Forge District – New Wing: Advanced Weapon Enchanting Module – 450 RP• Missile Core Workshop – Auto-Calibration System, 3% launch-time reduction – 300 RP• Village Defense Node – Energy Redistribution Net (synergizes with walls and Emberfang) – 250 RP
New Building Unlocked:
[Blueprint Unlocked: ARCVAULT CHAMBER]
• Purpose: Stores mana in compressed orbs for deployment, either to weapons, towers, or energy-based devices• Feature: Overclock Mode – Can surge a tower or missile launcher to double output temporarily• Also used for mass-enchantment, upgrading troop weapons via stored mana
Cost: 1,200 RP
"Build it near the reactor," Iden said. "And integrate Kael's summoning fields into the reservoir grid."
Kael's eyes widened. "You're going to fuse skeletal upgrades with the power plant?"
"Exactly," Iden replied. "We're not preparing for war anymore. We're engineering it."
Valtross screamed into the void again, shards of essence flickering like dying stars behind his eyes.
One clone collapsed.
Two remained.
But even they twitched, their aura pulsing erratically.
"I am still whole," Valtross muttered."And when I am through—so shall this world be."
Behind him, the Rift Beacon howled louder.
And the Abyss… began to listen.