The successful diplomatic standardization of the Imperial Court had secured Arion's political base. His Stage 8 Logistical Certainty power had convinced the terrified, efficiency-starved ministers that he was the only source of stability. However, the world outside the capital's walls was vast, chaotic, and governed by Stage 10+ figures who operated on the millennia-old rules of subjective spiritual power.
Arion needed a Tier 2 solution—an automaton capable of enforcing his Order on a continental scale, a unit that could stand toe-to-toe with the most powerful figures in the Mortal Realm. The Iron Standard Automaton was a perfect infantry unit, but it was fundamentally Stage 4. The capital's security was the Stage 8 Emperor; the Empire's stability required a Stage 10 enforcer.
Arion accessed the final, most complex blueprint of the Tier 2 module.
BLUEPRINT 201: STANDARDIIZED GOLEM (MODEL: THE ANCHOR)A self-regulating, autonomous Stage 10 construct designed for massive-scale Logistical Enforcement. The Golem operates on a core array of Absolute Quantifiable Truth, making it immune to subjective spiritual law manipulation (e.g., Stage 11 Chaos Domain).Primary Function: Continental Order Projection, Standardization of Provincial Resources, and Autonomous Combat against Stage 10+ threats.
The construction requirements were immense and specific, revealing why this was the highest Tier 2 unit and why Arion had dedicated the entire Capital Arc to securing the materials.
LOGISTICAL INPUT REQUIREMENTS:
Chassis Stabilization: 50,000 Units Purified Black-Iron (Standardized from the former Black-Iron Guild assets). —SECURED
Core Array Housing: 1,000 Units Refined Imperial Gold (Standardized from the seized Grand Merchant Guild treasury). —SECURED
Power Conduit: 50,000 Units Purified Low-Grade Spirit Jade (Fueling the Stage 6 Iron Standards). —SECURED
Aetheric Logic Circuit:1 Unit Grand Sky-Jade (A crystal formed from solidified chaotic lightning, known only to be refined by the Heavenly Sword Sect). —CRITICAL BOTTLENECK
The System was logically blocked. The final piece of the Standardized Golem required an external resource controlled by the very political entity Arion was maneuvering around: Lady Seraphina's Heavenly Sword Sect.
"The core logic circuit requires a material capable of containing and standardizing immense chaotic energy," Arion mused. "The Heavenly Sword Sect's methods are chaotic, but their materials are, ironically, perfectly engineered to contain that chaos. They are a non-standardized means to a standardized end. The logistics of this are… fascinating." The necessity of the Grand Sky-Jade meant that Arion could not simply create the Golem in secret and deploy it. He had to engage in a high-stakes trade with the Sect.
The Trial Deployment: The Anchor's Frame
Before engaging the Sect, Arion decided to test the Standardized Golem's theoretical capabilities using a purely simulated, partial deployment fueled only by the secured Black-Iron and Jade. He directed the System to begin the construction of the massive, incomplete frame in a heavily shielded, subterranean complex beneath the Imperial Palace.
The construction of the Golem was breathtakingly detailed, taking three days of intensive, non-stop resource consumption and automated crafting. The Golem stood eight meters tall, its body a fusion of perfectly layered, dark black-iron plates. There were no visible joints; every piece flowed into the next with mathematical precision. Its head was a smooth, featureless oval, containing the vacant space for the Grand Sky-Jade core.
Arion monitored the System Efficiency Rating during the build. Every nanosecond of the build was logged. The System reported a 99.999% construction efficiency—the margin of error was negligible.
Once the frame was stable, Arion tested its internal power system using a temporary, lower-grade core. The Golem activated, moving with a ponderous, but absolutely perfect grace. It moved without sound, without wasted energy.
Arion then fed the temporary core an immense quantity of purified jade, simulating a Stage 10 power output. He deployed a defensive unit of one hundred Iron Standards against it in the simulated environment.
The Iron Standards, moving in their flawless synchronized formation, struck the Golem's massive chest plate with a combined, devastating Stage 6 blast. The Golem didn't stop, didn't even slow down. The blasts simply dissipated against the Golem's perfectly engineered, standardized density.
The Golem responded with a single, massive, Stage 10 retaliatory strike—a pure, quantifiable Kinetic Wave. It was a shockwave that hit the Iron Standards not as an explosion, but as a perfectly calculated, overwhelming pressure. The Standards were thrown backward, their synchronization momentarily compromised by the sheer magnitude of the impact.
"Its purpose is to enforce the Order of Mass," Arion realized, watching the data. "It does not use chaotic magic; it uses absolute physics. Its defense is simply perfect density and standardized resistance."
The Governor's Desperate Attack and Kinetic Nullification
The temporary activation of the Golem frame—even if hidden—did not escape the notice of Governor Kael of the Western Confederacy, who had left subtle Qi sensor motes. Kael interpreted the pure energy signature as a sign that Arion was building an unstoppable, monolithic weapon.
Kael targeted a crucial, newly standardized asset: the Central Communication Tower, which housed the long-range sensor for the Standardized Reporting Unit. He infiltrated the tower's base using a highly refined, Stage 6 explosive charge designed to mimic a natural lightning strike.
TACTICAL ALERT: CENTRAL COMMUNICATION TOWER THREAT.Threat: Governor Kael (Stage 5) attempting demolition.Objective: Neutralize threat and protect asset (Standardized Reporting Unit Core).
Arion activated the near-complete Golem frame. "System. Utilize Golem frame for Kinetic Nullification Protocol. Target Governor Kael's Stage 6 Charge. Aim for a 99.9% energy counter-flow."
The Golem's immense size allowed it to act as a massive, immobile Stabilization Anchor. Its internal Stage 10 power distribution was channeled into the foundations of the Central Communication Tower.
Governor Kael activated the timer. The Stage 6 explosive charge began its ignition sequence. As the energy flared, the tower's foundation began to hum—the Golem's energy counter-flow. The Golem's stabilizing power met the chaotic energy of the charge. The charge was logistically suppressed. The Golem's power imposed such perfect, uniform pressure on the charge's chaotic energy that the charge could not reach the critical threshold for detonation. The energy simply flattened out, neutralized by the irresistible pressure of Absolute Order.
Kael watched, his face horrified, as his perfect Stage 6 explosive charge fizzled into a puff of harmless smoke. He fled the capital immediately, realizing the Hwa Empire had moved into an entirely new dimension of power. The Western Confederacy was neutralized as a regional threat.
The Grand Sky-Jade Bottleneck and The Envoy's Departure
The successful test confirmed the Golem's overwhelming power, but the Aetheric Logic Circuit—the Grand Sky-Jade—remained the bottleneck. Without it, the Golem could not be truly autonomous, and its Stage 10 power would remain tethered to the Imperial Palace's limited power grid.
"The Grand Sky-Jade is the key to continental enforcement," Arion stated, reviewing the Sect's geological control zones. "Lady Seraphina's Sect holds the key. I must approach the negotiation as a Logistical Trade, offering the ultimate stability of my Empire in exchange for their ultimate refinement of material."
The neutralization of Kael confirmed that Arion had secured his flanks. The only remaining hurdle to continental standardization was the physical acquisition of the Jade. Arion knew that the only way to get the Grand Sky-Jade was to leave the safety of the capital and enter the chaotic domain of the Sect. He needed to be prepared to demonstrate his Logistical Certainty in a realm that prized spiritual chaos.
He summoned Commander Joon and General Taeyong.
"Prepare the Imperial Envoy for a journey to the Heavenly Sword Sect," Arion commanded. "The Golem requires its core. We will go to the source of chaos and offer the ultimate Order." The great Logistical March was about to begin.