The march from the Obsidian Heart Fortress to the Fungal Swamp was swift and efficient. Grave, the Orc Warlord, led the column of ten newly minted Goblin Legionaries, his massive form setting a relentless pace. Ranga, the Sentinel, marched just behind, his obsidian-like armor making him impervious to the rough terrain, carrying the Aether Core.
The Core, nestled in Ranga's tunic, used the journey to execute final calculations for the upcoming negotiation. The Lizardmen were tribal and proud; they would not submit to a weak leader or a species they considered prey (Goblins). Submission would require a clear display of Evolutionary Superiority.
I will not fight with brute force. I will fight with superior engineering, I decided.
Interception
As they approached the border of the Swamp, the air grew thick with humidity and the smell of decomposing flora. Shade, the Shadow Sentry, had already linked his [Remote Scrying Link] back to the Core, providing a real-time, high-resolution map of the territory.
"Ranga, stop. Three patrols are converging. Lizardmen scouts. They use passive camouflage," I projected.
The Lizardmen used natural camouflage, blending seamlessly with the swamp reeds and moss. They were excellent hunters.
The Core waited until the three scouts were within fifty meters, perfectly hidden, before making its move.
"Activate [Static Concealment Barrier] now."
The Core spent 5 AP to activate the new Tier 2 fusion skill. The 50-meter radius around the Core and its entire column shimmered, and the light instantly ceased to interact with them naturally. They didn't turn invisible, but rather, they turned unnoticeable. They became a natural blind spot in the world's Aura flow.
The three Lizardmen scouts, moving with silent, reptilian grace, suddenly halted. Their heads whipped around, their sharp yellow eyes scanning the exact spot where the Core's column had been.
"Gone," one hissed, his voice a low, wet rustle. "The earth swallowed them. This is not natural."
"No Aura signature at all," another confirmed, clearly disturbed. "A ghost formation. Report this to Zyth."
The Core observed their fear through Shade's scrying link, nodding internally. Fear was the language of respect in the Veil.
"Ranga, we proceed. Grave, keep the Legionaries disciplined. We will approach the central mound openly."
The Chieftain's Challenge
The Lizardman capital was a large, stable mound of dried earth and stone, surrounded by thick, muddy canals. Three hundred Lizardmen—tall, muscular, and carrying heavy, stone-tipped spears—watched as the small, strange column marched openly into their territory.
Chieftain Zyth stood at the center of the mound. He was immense, easily nine feet tall, with a thick, spiky crest and the hardened scales of a veteran warrior. His Aura Power of 950 was an almost physical presence, dominating the entire mound.
He glared at Grave, dismissing the Orc as a brute. He then looked at Ranga and the Core, his expression shifting to pure contempt.
"A Goblin carrying a shiny rock," Zyth roared, his voice echoing over the swamp. "You dare trespass into Zyth's territory? The penalty for a Goblin is death, and the rock will be used to sharpen our spears."
Ranga, the Sentinel, stood firm. "I am Ranga, Knight of the Core. This is the Obsidian Heart, the true Lord of the Veil. We are here to offer you power and protection against the Humans, but first, you must kneel."
Zyth lunged forward, not even bothering to unsheathe his spear. He moved with a devastating [Water Propulsion] speed that belied his size, covering the distance to Grave in an instant. This was not a challenge; it was an execution of unwelcome guests.
"I only kneel to true strength!" Zyth bellowed, aiming a crushing blow at Grave's head.
The Amplification
Grave, the Orc Warlord, raised his massive, notched axe to block. But before the axes could meet, the Core executed its final, most devastating power play.
I channeled 100 AP—all I would allow myself to risk—into the [Aura Amplification] skill, directing the surge solely into Grave.
"GRAVE! AMPLIFY!"
— AETHER CORE POWER DRAIN: 100 AP —
TARGET: Grave, the Orc Warlord
INITIATING: AURA AMPLIFICATION…
GRAVE'S AURA POWER: 650 \times 2.0 = 1,300 AP (Temporary)
The Orc Warlord instantly transformed. A massive, violent crimson aura exploded off his body, doubling his power to an astronomical 1,300 AP—a force far beyond even the veteran Chieftain Zyth.
The blow that Zyth delivered, expecting to shatter the Orc's defense, was instead blocked by a wall of amplified energy that buckled the ground. Grave didn't stagger; he pushed back.
"Your strength is primal, Chieftain," Grave growled, his voice deepened by the surge. "My Lord's strength is absolute!"
The Warlord swung his axe, not with technique, but with amplified, overwhelming force. Zyth, caught off guard by the power disparity, barely managed to dodge, the wind shear from the blow slicing the air where his head had been.
The entire Lizardman population gasped. Their Chieftain, the unshakeable warrior, had been pushed back by a mere Orc who was visibly channeling an external, impossibly powerful force.
Zyth stared at Grave, then at the glowing, insignificant crystal nestled in the Goblin's tunic. He understood instantly: this was not a battle of monsters; this was a confrontation with an Evolutionary Force.
Zyth dropped his spear. He knelt immediately, burying his spiky crest low to the swampy ground.
"Lord of the Veil," Zyth stated, his voice now respectful, "Your power is true. We are fools. We kneel. Command us."
The Tide is Named
The Core's projection was triumphant. "You are Chieftain Zyth no longer. You are Naiad. You will be the Admiral of the Swamp, the Commander of the Tidal Corps. I will grant you the power to command the waters themselves, and you will be shielded from Human steel."
I spent another 200 AP, channeling the accumulated [Iron Skin] and [Water Propulsion] blueprints into the massive Lizardman.
— AETHER CORE POWER DRAIN: 200 AP —
TARGET: Zyth, the Lizardman Chieftain
INITIATING NAMING CEREMONY…
EVOLUTION SUCCESSFUL!
NAIAD STATUS UPDATE:
RACE: Evolved to Lizardman Tidal Lord (Elite Aquatic General)
AURA POWER: 1,200 (Permanent base power increase.)
UNIQUE SKILL: [Water Propulsion] (Evolved to [Tidal Command] – Can manipulate localized bodies of water for travel and defense.)
NEW UNIQUE SKILL ACQUIRED: [Scale of Iron] (Passive. Near-absolute defense against non-Aura enhanced piercing weapons.)
NEW ROLE: Naiad, Admiral of the Tidal Corps.
Zyth—now Naiad—rose. He was slightly taller, his scales shimmering with an oily, tough quality, and the water in the canals around him gently obeyed his will, parting and swirling at his command. His loyalty was absolute.
I then performed a mass naming on the remaining 300 Lizardmen, spending a total of 1,500 AP, renaming them the Tidal Corps and giving them a focused water-breathing and endurance upgrade.
The Core now commanded:
Grave, the Warlord (Physical Defense)
Ranga, the Sentinel (Core's Guard)
Shade, the Sentry (Reconnaissance)
Naiad, the Admiral (Aquatic Mobility and Territory Defense)
300 Tidal Corps and 53 Goblin Legionaries.
The Obsidian Heart Nation was becoming a military force.
The Core now has a massive, powerful, and diverse army. The next phase must involve Territorial Expansion and Human Countermeasures.