The return to the Obsidian Heart Fortress was triumphant. The Ironwall Empire's regional presence was broken, but the victory was temporary. The Core understood that the true capital—the Senate of Magitech—would eventually respond with overwhelming force. To prepare, the Core had to become unassailable in resources and command.
Industrial Mastery: The Catalytic Core
The Core's first act was to implement the Tier 4 skill, [Aether-Catalytic Synthesis]. I directed Gimlak, the Artisan King, to repurpose the remaining infrastructure from the captured Aura Cannons into a new Synthesis Chamber adjacent to the Aether Furnace.
"Gimlak, your focus shifts from forging steel to forging power. We will no longer mine fuel or high-purity iron; we will create it from the dirt beneath our feet."
I spent the entirety of my recovered AP—over 2,000 AP—to integrate the Synthesis Reactor Blueprint directly into the Chamber, fusing the Aether Furnace's power with Gimlak's expertise.
— AETHER CORE POWER DRAIN: 2,000 AP —
TARGET: Synthesis Chamber
INITIATING: CATALYTIC SYNTHESIS INTEGRATION (Permanent)
SUCCESS! The Aether Synthesis Chamber is online. Resources are now limitless.
AETHER CORE STATUS UPDATE:
AETHER POWER: 100 / 10,000 (Stabilized.)
The Chamber began to hum, feeding low-grade earth and swamp runoff into its systems. Moments later, it began excreting two things: thick, highly stable Synthetic Fuel—far purer than the Empire's—and bars of flawless, high-purity Aether-Steel.
The Core had achieved Tier 4 Economic Status. Resources were no longer a limiting factor; the only limit was the speed of the Dwarves' production.
The Apex General: Grave's Evolution
With resources now infinite, I immediately turned to strengthening my chain of command. Grave, the Orc Warlord, had proven his absolute loyalty and his brute strength was perfectly balanced by the [Strategic Command Matrix] I now possessed. He needed a permanent power boost to Tier 4—the rank of a true general.
I summoned Grave and channeled a massive 4,000 AP (easily replenished by the new economy) into the Orc Warlord, focusing the power on three core concepts: leadership, resilience, and pure destructive force.
"Grave, you have proven your command. You are no longer just a Warlord. You are the immovable shield of the Core. Rise, Bulwark."
— AETHER CORE POWER DRAIN: 4,000 AP —
TARGET: Grave, the Orc Warlord
INITIATING: TIER 4 EVOLUTION: APEX GENERAL
EVOLUTION SUCCESSFUL!
BULWARK STATUS UPDATE:
RACE: Evolved to Orc Juggernaut General (Apex Commander)
AURA POWER: 3,500 (Massive permanent increase to Tier 4.)
UNIQUE SKILL: [Battle Commander's Roar] (Evolved to [The Juggernaut's Will] – Passive. All allied units within 500\text{m} gain 50\% defense and 25\% attack bonus. Active: Causes mass enemy demoralization.)
NEW UNIQUE SKILL ACQUIRED: [Unstoppable Momentum] (Passive. Gains stacking damage and speed for every unit defeated in combat.)
NEW ROLE: Bulwark, Apex General of the Core Legion.
The transformation was seismic. Grave's Crimson Warplate expanded, fusing permanently with his massive body. His skin turned a deep, near-black crimson, and two immense, curving tusks grew from his lower jaw, framing a face of sheer, unrelenting determination. He was a force of nature—a genuine Tier 4 general ready to command legions.
Bulwark knelt before the Core, his new power contained yet palpable. "My Lord, the Legion is yours. Give the order, and the surface world will crumble."
The Need for External Information
With the military and economic foundations complete, only one major strategic piece remained: the Verdant League (Elves). They possessed powerful, high-tier magic and controlled the rich surface forests adjacent to the Empire's core territory. Their silence during the destruction of Ironhold was suspicious.
"Bulwark, prepare the Legion. But first, Shade has a new mission. We will leverage our chaos to gain an advantage."
The Core sent Shade, the Shadow Sentry, on a high-priority mission to the border of the Verdant League territory, carrying the schematics of the Empire's Tier 3 Power Armor.
"Shade, deliver this data to the highest authority of the Elves. They hate the Ironwall Empire for outlawing pure magic. We will offer them the plans to dismantle their enemy's most advanced armor, not as a gift, but as a trade for their future non-interference and potential magical resources."
The Core was ready for the next stage: the full conquest of the surface, but first, a final, calculated diplomatic gambit to neutralize the only remaining unpredictable Tier 4 force in the region.
The Core now has a Tier 4 General, limitless resources, and a strategy for the full conquest of the Empire. The next chapter will detail the highly tense and potentially dangerous Elven Diplomacy.