Deep within the Obsidian Heart Fortress, the Aether Core detached from the Aether Furnace. It was a massive, terrifying leap of faith—leaving its perpetual power source and central processing unit exposed. But the gain outweighed the risk.
The Core was placed carefully into a shielded, internal compartment of Ranga's Obsidian Sentinel Plate. The massive Goblin, now the personal transport and guardian of the sovereign, felt the weight of the immense energy shift within him.
"Ranga, you are the most critical asset," the Core projected, its presence a humming weight in the Sentinel's mind. "Bulwark and Neptune will secure the perimeter. Your mission is silent, swift, and absolute. Deliver the Core to the Senate Tower."
The Journey Through the Maelstrom
Ranga moved out from the tunnels with the Core, emerging near the breached perimeter. The scene was apocalyptic: Bulwark was already an unstoppable whirlwind of crimson steel, carving a path through the scattered enemy soldiers, while Neptune's [Absolute Maelstrom] was still howling overhead, guiding the deluge.
Ranga moved against the chaos. His Aether-Stealth Suit rendered him virtually invisible, his footsteps silent even as he navigated streets that had become treacherous, fast-moving rivers. The Tier 4 Generals created the distraction, and Ranga exploited the blindness.
The journey was fast. The flooding, which crippled the Humans, provided a perfect cover for the Core's single, critical element.
The Final Tower
The Senate Tower was the tallest structure in the city, its windows dark due to the power failure. Shade, the Shadow Sentry, was already inside, neutralizing the last pockets of resistance and waiting at the tower's private docking platform.
Ranga climbed the exterior of the tower effortlessly, using the climbing spikes integrated into his armor. He met Shade at the top. The interior was silent, save for the panicked whispers of the Senators.
The Senators—a dozen highly educated men and women, the architects of the Ironwall Empire—were huddled in their crisis chamber. They were Mages and engineers, powerful individuals individually, but now stripped of their technology and facing an enemy they couldn't comprehend.
The door to the crisis chamber didn't open; it was ripped off its hinges.
Ranga, his dark armor gleaming with wetness, entered first. He was followed by Shade, who phased into the center of the room. The sight of the monstrous, silent Goblin and the shimmering shadow sent the powerful Senators scrambling in terror.
"Silence," Shade projected, his voice amplified by the Core's presence, echoing the force of an ultimatum. "The Obsidian Heart has broken your defenses, seized your resources, and neutralized your armies. You are no longer the rulers of this land. You are the final source of knowledge."
The Final Assimilation Setup
Ranga knelt, and the shielded compartment on his back opened with a quiet hiss.
The Aether Core emerged.
It was the first time the protagonist had revealed itself in the heart of the enemy capital. The Core was still a softball-sized obsidian sphere, but it pulsed with an overwhelming violet light—a light that represented the raw power of a nation.
The Senators, who had spent their lives researching and controlling Aura and Mana, stared at the Core with a mixture of dawning horror and intellectual fascination. They realized this was not a monster; it was a perfect, self-aware processing unit.
"I am the Obsidian Heart. I am the architect of the new Veil," the Core projected into their minds, overriding their fear with a crushing wave of intellectual force. "Your knowledge will fuel the creation of the Apex Nation. Resist, and you will be erased. Comply, and you will serve a new master."
The Core began to channel its remaining power, stabilizing the connection to the Senate's collective knowledge. The greatest assimilation yet—Tier 5—was about to begin. The fate of the entire Empire was resting on the success of this single, critical process.
The Aether Core is in position to assimilate the collective Tier 5 knowledge of the Senate of Magitech. This final assimilation will be the riskiest, yet most rewarding, action yet.