With Bulwark and Neptune ready to command the main assault, the Core focused on the surgical phase of the attack. Gimlak, the Artisan King, had finished outfitting the two most crucial operatives: Ranga, the Sentinel, and Shade, the Shadow Sentry.
Gimlak did not use the heavy, powerful Aether-Steel for this gear. He used rare, light alloys harvested from the initial Human technology—metal that was highly conductive of Aether but almost magically invisible.
The Elite Infiltration Unit
Ranga's Stealth Suit: His Obsidian Sentinel Plate was coated in a thin layer of Aether-reactive alloy. The suit absorbed ambient light and noise, giving the massive Goblin an eerie, silent presence. His primary weapon was a pair of Aether Claws that could slice through reinforced steel.
Shade's Sensor Array: The Sentry's body was already non-physical, but Gimlak refined his Aether-Tracking Collar, turning it into a hyper-sensitive, multi-spectrum sensor array that could detect and map the Imperial Capital's defense grid in three dimensions.
"Your mission is critical," the Core projected to the two operatives. "The Imperial Capital is protected by the Aura Deflection Matrix—a series of high-tier defense wards that will neutralize Neptune's elemental magic and block Bulwark's physical charge. You will infiltrate the Defense Command Center and disable the primary array's main power conduit. Open the gate for the Legion."
Crossing the Wall
The Imperial Capital was ringed by a colossal wall of runic stone, reinforced by sputtering Aura Cannons and perpetually monitored by magitech watchtowers. It was designed to withstand a siege.
It could not withstand a ghost.
Shade phased through the outer wall effortlessly, mapping the patrol routes and the hidden sensor wires. He guided Ranga, who moved with a terrifying, silent discipline, hugging the shadows.
They located the entrance to the Defense Command Center—a heavily shielded, unassuming bunker built into the side of the main Imperial bank.
"Shade, three guards are rotating. Two are Tier 2, one is Tier 1. They are relying on the sensor field. Ranga, wait for the sync point."
The sensor field, designed to detect magical spikes or high-Aura signatures, completely ignored Ranga's passively absorbing Aether-Stealth Suit. At the moment the three guards were perfectly aligned, Ranga struck.
His Aether Claws generated no sound, only a violet flash as they sliced through the guards' armor and systems in three surgical movements. The guards collapsed without a gasp. The path was clear.
The Defense Command Center
The bunker was a maze of hardened steel, complex wiring, and heavily pressurized hallways. It reeked of stale air and synthetic solvents.
Shade's sensor array instantly mapped the core objective: the Main Power Conduit, a thick cable of shimmering copper that channeled raw power to the outer Aura Deflection Matrix.
The Core observed the obstacles through Shade: one final security gate, guarded by a prototype Automated Siege Sentinel—a massive, mechanical spider armed with four Aura Cannons.
"Ranga, direct force is inefficient. Target its joints. Shade, give him the exact schematics."
The Core instantly transmitted the weakest structural points of the Sentinel (assimilated from Valerius's memories) into Ranga's mind.
The Sentinel whirred, its multiple eyes locking onto the massive, silent Goblin. It fired a blinding volley of Aura bolts. Ranga activated his Aether Claws, which spun like energy shields, deflecting the bolts into the surrounding steel walls.
Ranga moved with the precision of a surgeon. He avoided the Sentinel's main cannons and, in one swift motion, sliced through the four hydraulic joints connecting its legs to the main chassis. The huge Sentinel collapsed with a deafening crash, inert.
Ranga was now standing before the massive Main Power Conduit.
Opening the Gate
"Final instruction, Ranga. Cut the conduit, but leave a signature. We must ensure the Empire knows who broke them."
Ranga raised both Aether Claws. He focused his immense internal Aura, now stabilized by the Aether-Stealth Suit, and sliced the massive copper conduit.
BOOM!
The power line ruptured. The lights across the Imperial Capital flickered violently and died. The Aura Deflection Matrix failed, the giant runic wards collapsing instantly, allowing raw Mana and ambient Aether to flow unimpeded.
On the wall of the Defense Command Center, Ranga plunged one claw into the steel, carving a massive, jagged, violet sigil: THE OBSIDIAN HEART.
The message was sent. The door was open. The main defense was shattered.
The Elite Infiltration Unit was a resounding success, setting the stage for the final assault.
The Core Legion is now poised outside the Capital walls, led by Bulwark and Neptune. The Empire's main defense array is offline.