Shade, the Shadow Sentry, returned from his reconnaissance mission into the North-East Deep Veil, his report streamed directly into the Aether Core. The Dwarves were found.
The Deepstone Halls were not a cavern or a mine; they were an intricate, ancient labyrinth of reinforced tunnels carved from solid granite, protected by layers of runic wards. They were a civilization, not a settlement.
— RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: DEEPSTONE HALLS —
POPULATION: ~1,500 Dwarves. Highly concentrated.
LEADER: Master Smith Elder Grolak (Tier 4/Legendary Crafter. Aura Power: 1,800).
DEFENSE: Runic Barriers and mechanical traps. Impossible to breach physically.
WEAKNESS: None observed. Extreme intellectual pride regarding craft.
A Tier 4 master, the Core noted. Aura Power 1,800. My current commanders combined can barely overpower him. Subjugation is not an option. Negotiation is required.
I needed a symbol of my technological superiority.
"Ranga," I projected. "Retrieve the most intricate piece of metal from the Human drill, the central gear. Grave, load a section of high-purity obsidian onto a Goblin carrier. We will enter the Dwarven halls unarmed, but not without leverage."
The Gates of Granite
The Core's party—Ranga carrying the Core and the highly polished Human gear, Grave leading two Legionaries carrying the obsidian—approached the Deepstone Halls.
The entrance was a sheer wall of granite, inscribed with shimmering, complex runes that radiated pure Earth magic.
Before they could even knock, the runes flickered, and a deep, resonant voice echoed from within the stone. "State your business, surface trash. This land is under the protection of Elder Grolak and the Deepstone Clans. We do not tolerate monsters."
Ranga spoke, his obsidian voice clear and unwavering. "We are envoys of the Obsidian Heart, the new Lord of the Veil. We seek the greatest smiths in Aerthos to join the greatest industrial power in the Veil. We bring an offer you cannot refuse."
There was a long silence. Then, a grinding sound as ancient machinery moved. A massive, circular granite gate, thick enough to resist a siege, slid open, revealing ten Dwarven guards armed with gleaming, runic axes. Their Aura Power was low, but their armor was impeccable.
Standing in the center was a Dwarf broader than Grave, with a long, white, braided beard that nearly touched the floor and eyes that burned with the heat of a thousand forges. Elder Grolak. His massive Aura was contained but intimidating.
"Industrial power?" Grolak scoffed, his eyes scanning the Goblin, the Orc, and the small, glowing crystal. "A Goblin and an Orc speak of industry? Show me your 'offer,' or get to grinding my granite steps."
The Irrefutable Proof
Ranga stepped forward and placed the small, highly complex gear from the Human drill on the stone floor. It was a precise, mass-produced component, unremarkable to a Human, but instantly recognized by a master smith.
"This," Ranga stated, "is a product of the surface world. Crude, yet efficient. Made of impure metal and powered by steam. It is Tier 2 Engineering."
Grolak leaned down, his eyes narrowing as he studied the near-perfect tolerances of the gear. "Hmph. Adequate for a short lifespan, but soulless."
I decided it was time to introduce the future. I focused 50 AP and channeled the [Techno-Mage Crafting] skill directly into the raw obsidian on the Goblin's carrier.
— AETHER CORE POWER DRAIN: 50 AP —
TARGET: High-Purity Obsidian Slab
INITIATING: TECHNO-MAGE RE-FORGING (Rune Imprint)…
APPLYING: [Aether Conversion Efficiency] Blueprint.
SUCCESS! Creation of a Tier 3 Mana Conduit Block.
The slab of obsidian instantly changed. The black surface was replaced by a glowing network of intricate, glowing blue lines—perfect, geometric runes that were not carved, but fused into the molecular structure of the stone. It hummed with contained, clean energy.
Ranga placed this glowing block next to the Human gear.
"This," Ranga announced with quiet confidence, "is a Tier 3 Mana Conduit Block, running on pure Aether energy and regenerating at four times the normal rate. It powers the drill that can bore through a mountain in a single day. It is a product of the Obsidian Heart."
Elder Grolak did not scoff this time. He did not roar. He dropped his heavy hammer, which hit the granite floor with a dull thud. His eyes were no longer burning with anger but with the fierce, focused hunger of a true artist.
He knelt, not to me, but to the glowing block of perfectly engineered, Aether-infused stone.
"Those runes…" Grolak whispered, tracing a finger over the glowing lines. "They are mathematically perfect. They require no chanting, no dedication, only structure. This is… transcendental craft."
The Contract of Skill
Grolak slowly stood up, looking past Ranga directly at the Core. His Aura was completely neutralized by his intellectual shock.
"Lord of the Veil," Grolak stated, his voice now respectful. "You are not a brute, but an engineer beyond our wildest dreams. Your power is based on efficiency and structure. That is the language of the Deepstone Clans."
"We require one thing from you," I projected directly into Grolak's mind, cutting through the need for Ranga to speak. "Your loyalty, and your entire nation's dedicated skill. In exchange, I offer you unlimited Aether energy from my Furnace, the blueprints for Techno-Mage Crafting, and the ability to forge weapons that do not require Aura, but run on pure Aether—weapons that can cut down the Human Empire."
Grolak's eyes glazed over for a moment, processing the promise of unlimited, clean power and blueprints for next-level crafting. The temptation was overwhelming.
"The greatest forge master in the world does not become a mere servant, Core," Grolak challenged, trying to salvage his dignity.
"No, Master Grolak," I conceded. "You will not be a servant. You will be the Artisan King. You will be the only one authorized to use the [Techno-Mage Crafting] blueprint, provided your loyalty is absolute. You will be Gimlak, the Minister of Industry, and every weapon forged in your Halls will carry the Core's name."
Grolak bowed low, his pride conquered by the promise of true, eternal craftsmanship. "Gimlak… I accept this charge. The Deepstone Clans pledge their hammers to the Obsidian Heart. Show me the Furnace."
I smiled. The Dwarves, the most critical piece of the industrial puzzle, were mine.
— AETHER CORE POWER DRAIN: 300 AP —
TARGET: Elder Grolak, the Master Smith
INITIATING NAMING CEREMONY…
EVOLUTION SUCCESSFUL!
GIMLAK STATUS UPDATE:
RACE: Evolved to Dwarf Artisan King (Legendary Commander)
AURA POWER: 2,500 (Massive permanent increase.)
NEW UNIQUE SKILL ACQUIRED: [Runic Blueprint Imprinting] (Tier 3: Can instantly forge perfect runic circuits onto metal using focused Aura.)
NEW ROLE: Gimlak, Minister of Industry and Chief Artisan of the Core.
The Core now controlled Industry (Gimlak), War (Grave), Recon (Shade), and Aquatic Forces (Naiad). The nation was strategically complete.