The Obsidian Heart Fortress hummed with organized purpose. The Core, its AP steadily climbing past the 3,000 mark, felt ready for its first surface action. War, the Core calculated, was simply an optimization problem involving resources and force.
Shade, the Shadow Sentry, provided the tactical solution. His [Remote Scrying Link] projected a detailed mental image of a small, isolated Human operation located just beyond the upper reaches of the Subterranean Veil.
— RECONNAISSANCE REPORT: IRON ORE OUTPOST —
LOCATION: Surface Strata, Foothills of the Spine of Aerthos.
DEFENSE: Low. Two patrol sentries (Human, Tier 1 Aura Power 150), one fortified supply shack.
ASSETS: High-purity iron ore deposit. One Hydraulic Mining Drill (Technological).
WEAKNESS: Proximity to a fast-flowing, shallow mountain river.
"Iron ore is crucial for the Humans' low-magic technology," I projected to my assembled commanders. "We will take that drill and secure that resource. Grave, Naiad, you will lead the assault."
The Core's Research: Elemental Amplification
Before deployment, I needed to test the synergistic potential of my most powerful skills. I called Naiad, the Tidal Lord, forward. His power over water was unique and highly specialized, and I suspected it could be catastrophically enhanced.
"Naiad, focus your [Tidal Command] on the small water pool at the chamber entrance. Use it for defense."
Naiad complied. The water formed a stable, shimmering shield. His base AP of 1,200 was impressive, but I was about to unleash the true potential of Aether-tech fusion.
I spent a substantial 150 AP, channeling the [Aura Amplification] skill directly into Naiad's unique water-manipulation center.
— AETHER CORE POWER DRAIN: 150 AP —
TARGET: Naiad, the Tidal Lord
INITIATING: AURA AMPLIFICATION (Elemental Focus)…
NAIAD'S AURA POWER: 1,200 \times 2.0 = 2,400 AP (Temporary)
The effect was instantaneous and terrifying. The small, defensive pool of water at the chamber entrance exploded outward. It didn't splash; it solidified. It became a massive, churning, pressurized wave of liquid steel, crashing silently against the walls and instantly reshaping itself into a perfectly sculpted wall of water that shimmered with an aggressive blue-green light.
Naiad gasped, his powerful body vibrating with the sheer force he was wielding. "My Lord… I feel the ocean itself! I could command a flash flood!"
"Excellent, Naiad. That power is yours for the striking. We call this [Hydrolic Overload]. Use it to destroy the mine's foundation, not its men. We need the Human technology intact."
The Surgical Strike
The Core remained at the Fortress with Ranga and the Legionaries, utilizing Shade's remote link as its eyes and ears. Grave and Naiad—my General and my Admiral—set out under the cover of the [Static Concealment Barrier], moving with terrifying, silent efficiency towards the surface.
The Core observed the Human outpost through Shade's mental stream. It was a crude setup: two small wooden shacks, a sputtering, steam-powered drill, and two bored Human sentries chatting idly by a campfire.
Amateur hour, I thought with cool contempt. They have grown too complacent on the surface.
The two commanders approached from the mountain river. Grave, the master of terrestrial strength, provided the diversion, while Naiad, the master of the liquid element, was the key weapon.
"Naiad. Target the river bank 50 meters upstream. Use [Hydrolic Overload] to build pressure, not speed. Grave, prepare to breach the supply shack."
Naiad slipped into the shallow river like a shadow. He spent 150 AP of his own (easily recoverable now) to initiate the technique. The river water upstream of the camp suddenly bulged—a massive, silent, liquid dam forming instantly under Naiad's control.
The Human sentries noticed nothing until the ground beneath the main drill began to liquefy, saturated by the controlled, immense water pressure.
"NOW, Grave."
Grave, his massive form suddenly materializing from the [Static Concealment Barrier] right next to the supply shack, didn't bother with the door. His Orc Warlord body was an unstoppable battering ram. He smashed through the thin wooden wall with a single, contemptuous shove.
The two Human sentries, terrified, finally noticed the destruction. One reached for his Aura pistol.
Grave simply roared—a sound that carried the force of his innate power—and the sentries instantly froze, paralyzed by shock and the sheer force of the Orc Warlord's Aura. The fight was over before it began.
Naiad released the controlled liquid dam. The river, having fulfilled its purpose of liquefying the ground, returned to its natural flow. The Iron Ore deposit was ours.
Assimilation of the Spoils
Grave tied up the two terrified sentries. They would be interrogated later for detailed Human tactical data. The true prize, however, was the Hydraulic Mining Drill.
I channeled my focus through Naiad's hand, touching the cold, complex metal of the drill.
— [SYMBIOTIC ASSIMILATION] PROTOCOL INITIATED —
TARGET: Ironwall Empire Hydraulic Mining Drill (Technology/Resource)
ATTEMPTING FULL BLUEPRINT ACQUISITION...
SUCCESS! The following advanced data modules have been assimilated:
[Hydraulic Pressure System] (Advanced Technological Blueprint)
[High-Speed Mining Mechanism] (Mechanical Blueprint)
[Standard Human Military Ration Formula] (Non-Combat Data)
AETHER CORE STATUS UPDATE:
AETHER POWER: 3,350 / 10,000 (Gained 150 residual AP from Human technology.)
NEW UNIQUE SKILL ACQUIRED: [Techno-Mage Crafting] (Tier 1: Allows the Core to imprint basic technical blueprints into natural materials.)
The assimilation was a rush of highly organized, complex data. The [Techno-Mage Crafting] skill was exactly what I needed—the ability to turn monster craft into industrial efficiency.
We need to bring the drill back. Ranga, send the Legionaries.
Grave and Naiad secured the site, and the Goblin Legionaries, using their surprising team strength, managed to drag the entire drill back down to the Obsidian Heart Fortress.
I now had the first piece of Human technology, the formula for stabilizing my new Goblin population's diet, and a crucial new skill for industrializing the monster nation.
The Humans had been struck, their supplies taken, and their methods absorbed. The Veil had fought back, not with monster claws, but with superior strategy.
The first strike was a success! The Core now has a functional army, a power source, and an economic asset (the drill).