"If you want to stop the storm, don't build a bigger wall—cut the wind at its root."
—Jag, briefing before the Harvester Raid
+8 Hours – Day 2 of the Ashen Vault Campaign
Fog still clung to the ridges when Jag gave the order.
Ashra led the strike team through the black ridges east of Stormwatch. Beside her marched Branwyn, two Shadowblades, and three lancer guards—each equipped with shock-laced polearms and null-rune cloaks.
[Operation Start: Harvester Line Sabotage]
Objective: Destroy 2 Mechanical Harvest Nodes before Wave 5
Bonus: Disable Signal Beacon for Reinforcement Reduction
Time Limit: 2 hours
Strategic Impact: Directly lowers enemy wave composition
Target: Node Theta – "The Maw"
A crater half a kilometer wide, filled with rotating drills, conveyor belts, and mining servitors pulling resources from beneath the earth. Dozens of Sawguards—quadrupedal melee defenders with buzzblade arms—patrolled the perimeter.
Ashra blinked behind the lead Sawguard, her blades shimmering with pulse venom.
[Skill Activated: Silent Fang]
Result: -112 HP, -86 HP
Target Neutralized – No Alert Triggered
Branwyn advanced through cover, signaling the lancers.
[Sync Strike: Impale + Hammer Shock]
Result: 3 Sawguards Destroyed
Alert Meter: 12%
Rialt's voice crackled through the relay.
"Maw is powered by three core pylons. You'll need to overload each within a 30-second window or the system resets."
Sabotage Phase:
Ashra took the east tower. Branwyn the west. Jag, temporarily joining from Tower C via Forsaken Projection, took the central node.
• Ashra: Sabotaged pylon with frost-rune dagger
• Branwyn: Hammered power conduit with runebreaker
• Jag: Overloaded center node via command seal
[Countdown: 30s → 0s]
[Node Theta Destroyed – Core Overload Successful]
[Enemy Reinforcement Path Severed – Wave 6 reduced by 20%]
Flames engulfed the site.
Ashra watched the sky above, scanning for counter-scouts.
None came.
But she felt the tension rising—something wasn't retreating. It was redirecting.
Target: Node Lambda – "The Spine"
A ridge-bound relay facility fortified by turrets and sensor orbs. Here, the machines weren't mining—they were sending orders.
[Threat Level: High – Signal Beacon Active]
Enemy Units:
– 2x Clockwork Captains (Commander Class)
– 8x Spineguards (Defensive Constructs)
– 1x Signal Beacon Core (Unmanned, Guarded by Static Field)
Jag issued the strategy:
"Branwyn draws the defenders. Ashra, get to the core. Strike fast, clean, no dramatics."
Ashra scoffed. "You wound me."
Engagement Phase:
Branwyn charged into the lower tier, activating Shieldquake
Result: Spineguards aggroed
Status: Branwyn holding 6 units solo
Shadowblades split and threw Arc-Bind traps
Result: Captains staggered, defense lines opened
Ashra blinked past rotating turrets.
[Skill: Night Veil]
• Immunity to detection 5s
• Critical chance +50%
She stabbed the Signal Core's main valve—
[Core HP: 1500 → 780 → 320 → 0]
Beacon destabilized
[Signal Beacon: DESTROYED]
Impact: Reinforcement Wave Command Cut
Enemy Confusion Likely in Next Assault
Extraction
With both sites destroyed, the strike team retreated north through ash-fog trenches. A few sawblades chased them, but turret fire from Tower A cleared the route.
Jag: "Phase three complete. We cut their legs out from under them."
Ashra whispered, "Then why do I feel like they're about to crawl with their teeth?"
System Summary – Sabotage Outcome
Harvester Node Theta: Destroyed
Signal Relay Node Lambda: Destroyed
Ashen Vault Campaign – Modifier Applied:
• Enemy Reinforcements Reduced
• Enemy Wave 5 loses 2 Elite Units
• Wave 6 loses Artillery Sync
Jag gained Strategic Trait: Saboteur Commander
— Grants +15% success rate to preemptive strikes
— Reduces cooldown of Tower Upgrades by 20%
Evening Briefing – Command Tent
The war table flickered with new projections. Rialt marked three disabled energy lines along the enemy's old attack grid.
"We forced them to re-route. That means slower waves, fewer drones."
Branwyn grunted. "But it'll make them angry."
Jag didn't flinch. "Good. Let them rush us while they're broken."
Ashra leaned back, boots on the bench.
"So what's next?"
Jag stared at the dark clouds gathering on the southern edge of the map.
"Now we wait... and when they march again—we hold."