The Core's force moved silently toward the Ironwall Empire's Central Manufacturing Base. Naiad, the Admiral of the Tidal Corps, was the spear tip. Using the advanced knowledge gained from Gimlak, he led the three hundred Lizardman warriors in a silent, subterranean assault, burrowing through the earth using controlled, high-pressure water displacement.
The Central Manufacturing Base was an immense, fortified complex—a sprawling network of workshops, foundries, and barracks, all centered around the Mass Production Synthesis Reactor, the heart that created the Empire's synthetic fuel.
The Subterranean Breach
Shade, the Shadow Sentry, had already infiltrated the base and established a full tactical link with the Core's [Strategic Command Matrix]. The Matrix provided a moving heat map of all internal defenses, patrol routes, and, most importantly, the exact location of the Reactor Core.
"Naiad, the reactor core is directly beneath the main chimney stack. Its pressure is monitored hourly. Breach the sub-level in five minutes. Grave, prepare the surface assault. Ranga, secure the extraction route."
At the planned time, the earth beneath the main assembly floor cracked. A torrent of mud and stone-shards erupted as Naiad breached the surface, followed by three hundred heavily scaled Lizardmen, their movements fluid and fast even on dry land. The surprise was absolute.
The Human technicians and guards on the assembly floor panicked, scattering from the sudden monstrous eruption.
Securing the Reactor
The breach immediately initiated the base's automated defenses—sentry towers locked onto the monster force, and reinforced shutters slammed down on the windows.
The Goblin Legionaries, led by Grave in his intimidating Crimson Warplate, charged the main perimeter gate. They were met by the first line of Human defense: a squad of ten soldiers clad in Tier 2 armor.
The Orc Warlord didn't hesitate. He activated his amplified [Battle Commander's Roar], the crimson Aura washing over the Human defenders. They staggered, their coordination shattered. Before they could recover, the Legionaries raised their Aether Rifles.
Zzzzzzzt!
Violet bolts of pure Aether energy struck the Human line. The energy bypassed the crude impact resistance of the armor, burning through the internal systems and circuits. The soldiers collapsed, their defenses useless against the Core's advanced, energy-based weaponry. The Legionaries, utilizing their new discipline, advanced without breaking formation.
Meanwhile, Naiad used the chaos to secure the primary objective. He led a small detachment directly into the reactor chamber, dispatching the armed engineers with ease.
The reactor was a colossal machine of pipes, pressure valves, and shimmering green chemical vats—the ultimate source of the Empire's power. Naiad, knowing the Core's intent, stabilized the machine, preventing the engineers from initiating a self-destruct sequence.
The Assimilation of Industry
With the surrounding complex in flames and the ground troops fully engaged, the Core directed Ranga, the Sentinel, to approach the immense reactor. Ranga, clad in his black Obsidian Sentinel Plate, reached out his armored hand and initiated the [Symbiotic Assimilation] protocol.
"Core, the complexity is beyond anything we've touched. I need all available power for stability," Ranga mentally transmitted.
I dedicated the remainder of my power—a monumental 2,000 AP—into the absorption process.
— AETHER CORE POWER DRAIN: 2,000 AP —
TARGET: Mass Production Synthesis Reactor (High-Tier Technology)
INITIATING: FULL BLUEPRINT ASSIMILATION…
APPLYING: [Hydraulic Pressure System] + [Aether Conversion Efficiency].
ASSIMILATION COMPLETE!
AETHER CORE STATUS UPDATE:
AETHER POWER: 100 / 10,000 (Critical. Massive power drain.)
NEW UNIQUE ASSET CREATED: Mass Production Synthesis Reactor Blueprint (Integrated).
NEW UNIQUE SKILL ACQUIRED: [Aether-Catalytic Synthesis] (Tier 4: Allows the Core to convert common, low-value resources (stone, organic waste, mud) into high-value strategic materials (Synthetic Fuel, high-purity metal) using Aether as the catalyst.)
The assimilation was a dizzying rush of complex chemical formulas, thermodynamic equations, and industrial schematics. The Core now possessed the power to turn its worthless surroundings into the very resources that the Ironwall Empire relied on for survival. Logistics were no longer a weakness; they were an overwhelming strength.
The Retreat
With the blueprint secured, the Core issued the final command. "The objective is complete. Grave, signal retreat. Naiad, destabilize the structure, but leave the reactor chassis intact for our future retrieval. We leave nothing for the Empire to rebuild."
Naiad used his [Tidal Command] to rupture the main coolant lines and flood the structural supports. The base was now doomed to a slow, internal collapse.
The Core's forces retreated through the tunnels dug by the Tidal Corps, leaving behind a smoking ruin and an entire army's worth of destroyed equipment. The Imperial regional presence had been utterly dismantled, not by brute strength, but by strategic assimilation.
The Aether Core returned to the Obsidian Heart Fortress with the knowledge to build a truly self-sufficient, unstoppable nation.
The Aether Core has achieved total regional victory and, more importantly, gained the Tier 4 skill [Aether-Catalytic Synthesis].