Valerius knew he could not face Master Corvus directly. Corvus lived in a high tower in the clean, safe upper city. Valerius was trapped in the Undercity, a forgotten man. A direct attack was impossible. So, he would be a ghost. He would attack Corvus from the shadows, hitting the things his old master cared about. Corvus loved money and his reputation. Valerius decided his first target would be one of Corvus's factories.
Deep in the industrial part of the Undercity was a large, noisy building called the Corvus Foundry. This factory made the shiny brass parts for the Clockwork Sentinels. It was one of Corvus's most profitable businesses. A problem at the foundry would be a public problem. It would make Corvus look bad and cost him money. This was the perfect first step. For the next two days, Valerius watched the foundry. He hid in the shadows, learning its rhythms.
He saw workers with tired, dirty faces going in and out. He saw carts full of raw metal going in, and carts with finished robot parts coming out. He saw the Clockwork Sentinels that guarded the building, walking in perfect, repeating patterns. The whole factory was like a giant machine. A machine he could break.
He needed a plan. The foundry was large and had many guards. He could not just walk in. He needed to find a weak point. He spent hours watching, his new System-enhanced mind noticing small details. He saw a small maintenance hatch at the back of the building. It was in a dark corner, far from the main gates. Workers used it to clear out waste material from the main forge. The guards did not pay much attention to it. This was his way in.
His plan was simple. He would wait for the middle of the night, when there were fewer workers. He would sneak in through the hatch and find the heart of the factory: the main assembly line. This was where all the small parts were put together to make the arms and legs of the Sentinels. If he could corrupt that single machine, it would create chaos in the entire factory. All the parts it made would be bad. It would stop all production. The foundry would grind to a halt. It was a risky plan, but the thought of Corvus's angry face made him feel strong. He would not just cause a small problem; he would make the gears of his enemy's machine scream.