The silence in the Imperial Capital was more terrifying than any war drum. The Aura Deflection Matrix was down, the city plunged into darkness, and the fear was palpable. The Core Legion, waiting just outside the broken defense perimeter, felt the perfect tension.
"Neptune, commence the Elemental Catastrophe," the Core ordered. "Target the lower districts and the barracks housing the reserve forces. Drown their ground resistance before they can rally."
The Absolute Maelstrom
Neptune, the Elemental General, stood at the vanguard. He focused his immense Tier 4 Aura—now fused with Elven Mana—on the atmosphere above the city. He did not need a water source; he drew energy from the very air.
His new skill, [Absolute Maelstrom], activated.
The clouds above the Capital—which moments before were clear—coalesced into a massive, roiling hurricane. The wind became a physical force, tearing banners from flagpoles and throwing debris across the plaza. Then came the water.
It was not rain; it was a tidal wave descending from the sky, localized over the densely packed lower commercial and military districts. Massive, pressurized volumes of water slammed into the city, guided by Neptune's perfect control.
The lower barracks were instantly flooded and crushed. The streets became raging rivers, ripping organized defense units off their feet and neutralizing the threat of ground support before the main battle even began. Communication and movement within the city ground to a complete halt.
Bulwark's Charge
"Bulwark, the resistance is localized to the main gate. The field is broken. Annihilate the remaining resistance and clear a path to the Senate," the Core commanded.
Bulwark, the Orc Juggernaut General, roared a sound that tore through the howling winds of the maelstrom. It was the active use of his Tier 4 skill, [The Juggernaut's Will].
The effect was instantaneous and psychological. The remaining Imperial guards holding the main gate, already demoralized by the darkness, the flooding, and the collapse of their command, felt a crushing wave of despair. Their resolve shattered, and several dropped their weapons and fled.
Bulwark charged.
The Crimson Warplate hit the main gate—a massive steel structure that had withstood decades of external conflict—like a meteor. The gate buckled, screaming under the impact, and tore from its hinges.
Bulwark led the charge into the Capital, followed by fifty Goblin Legionaries, their Aether Rifles at the ready. The Orc General was an embodiment of unstoppable momentum. Every step he took enhanced the morale of the monster army and terrified the Human defenders.
The Decapitation Strategy
The battle was now a swift, brutal clean-up operation, not a siege.
The Goblin Legionaries swept through the main avenues, eliminating pockets of resistance with their superior Aether Rifles.
Neptune kept the central plaza flooded, ensuring the enemy could not organize a counter-charge.
Shade and Ranga were already en route to the Senate of Magitech, the final objective of the decapitation strike.
The Senate of Magitech, composed of the Empire's most powerful technocrats and former Mages, was located in the highest, most isolated tower. It was the brain of the Empire.
"Ranga, Shade. The Capital is ours. Proceed with the final objective. Secure the Senate. Do not kill them. Bring them before the Core. I need their strategic knowledge and their final, most important blueprints."
The Core knew that the Senators themselves, as the collective architects of the Empire's technology, represented the highest possible assimilation target. Their capture would yield Tier 5 knowledge—the final step before challenging the gods themselves.