Chapter 60: The Siege of Solmara

The tremors beneath their feet didn't stop. They intensified, rolling through the depths of Solmara like distant thunder. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling, and the once-dormant fortress groaned as if awakening from a long slumber.

Elias tightened his stance, his newly enhanced war armor humming softly, adjusting in real time to the shifting environment. He felt different—stronger, faster, more in sync with his technology than ever before. The Vanguard Core hadn't just empowered his armor; it had fused with it, making his combat systems an extension of his own mind.

Reinhardt lifted his hammer, his usual grin tempered by wariness. "I'm guessing that's not just an earthquake?"

Ivy had already pulled back an arrow, her sharp gaze scanning the crumbling corridors. "No. We woke something up."

Kierian's expression was grim. "The fortress was sealed for a reason. If the Primordial Lords marked Solmara as a threat, they would have left something behind to destroy it should it ever rise again."

Lira groaned, flicking a dagger between her fingers. "So you're saying we just triggered the apocalypse failsafe?"

Marco's scanner beeped frantically. "More like a massive inbound force. We've got multiple heat signatures moving fast, converging on our location!"

Cecilia cracked her knuckles. "Oh, so we're fighting immediately? Good. I was getting bored."

The first explosion rocked the chamber.

The main entrance burst open, chunks of metal and stone hurtling inward as something massive crashed through. A construct, but unlike the guardians they had faced before—this one was covered in blackened runes, its armor warped by eldritch corruption. Its optics gleamed a sickly violet, and the moment it locked onto them, the temperature in the room dropped.

Elias's visor adjusted instantly, scanning for weaknesses. His systems identified the corruption seeping through the metal—it wasn't just a construct. It was a vessel. Something infested.

Then it moved.

For something that size, it was too fast. One moment, it was at the doorway, the next—it was on top of them.

Elias barely had time to dodge as its massive arm swung down, shattering the ground where he had stood moments before. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the chamber, forcing everyone to scatter.

Reinhardt was already charging, his hammer glowing as he slammed it into the construct's knee joint, forcing it to stagger. "Elias! Got a plan, or are we just hitting it until it stops moving?"

Elias's gauntlet crackled as he recalibrated his weapon systems. "Combination of both. Marco, give me a breakdown!"

Marco had already pulled up schematics, eyes darting across his interface. "Corruption is rooted in the power core—if we overload it with a stronger energy source, we might be able to force a system purge!"

Lira dodged under a swinging claw, flipping over its arm and slicing along its plating. Her daggers barely scratched the surface. "And if that doesn't work?"

"Then we blow it up," Elias said, launching forward.

The moment his boots hit the ground, his new armor activated fully. His thrusters ignited, propelling him toward the construct at breakneck speed. The machine reacted instantly, swiping at him mid-air, but Elias was already adjusting. He twisted, mid-dash, and slammed his gauntleted fist into its head.

The impact sent a shockwave of kinetic energy through the corrupted metal. The construct reeled, its runes flickering erratically.

Kierian dashed in beside him, blade flashing with pure mana energy. He sliced through the construct's outer armor, exposing the core beneath. "Now!"

Marco threw something—a compact energy destabilizer—directly into the opening. It latched onto the exposed power core, flashing bright gold before releasing a surge of counter-energy.

The construct convulsed, its corrupted runes flickering violently before—

Boom.

The core detonated, taking half the construct with it. The explosion sent a shockwave of force outward, throwing Elias back. His suit compensated instantly, stabilizing mid-air before he landed, skidding backward.

Smoke filled the chamber. The wreckage of the corrupted construct lay in pieces, its once-glowing core now nothing but darkened shards.

Elias exhaled, heart pounding. His gauntlet's display showed power fluctuations, but his systems were still stable.

Ivy lowered her bow. "One down."

Lira turned toward the shattered entrance. "A lot more to go."

Beyond the doorway, in the now-ruined halls of Solmara, more figures emerged. Not just more corrupted constructs, but something worse—figures clad in dark robes, their faces hidden beneath shifting veils of shadow, moving with unnatural grace.

Marco's voice was sharp. "Hostile mana signatures confirmed. We have combat-class mages incoming."

Kierian's expression darkened. "They sent Inquisitors."

Elias flexed his fingers, feeling the pulse of the Core inside him.

"Then we stop them here."