Chapter 97: The Infiltration Plan

The air inside the Vault was thick with tension as Elias and the others gathered around Marco's holographic display, analyzing every detail of the Academy's capital. The Genesis Core was their key to power, but it was also buried deep inside the most fortified location on the continent—a place where Elias was already considered the greatest threat to their control.

Reinhardt leaned over the map, his massive arms crossed. "I hate to be the one to say it, but this is looking suicidal."

Lira smirked. "Since when has that stopped us?"

Marco tapped his screen, pulling up schematics of the Academy's inner chambers. "The Genesis Core is stored inside the Arcane Power Vault—a facility that supplies energy to the entire capital. The walls are layered with reinforced spell-forged alloys, and the place is crawling with sentinels, high-level mages, and security constructs."

Ivy let out a slow breath. "So it's not just a heist. We're breaking into the most secure energy facility in the world."

Elias's HUD flickered as he ran calculations. The Academy wasn't just protecting the Core—they were using it to fuel their entire infrastructure. Without it, their strongest mages, their research labs, and their war machines would lose power.

Taking it wasn't just an upgrade for him.

It was a declaration of war.

Cecilia sat on a nearby crate, spinning a knife between her fingers. "Alright, let's talk entry points. No way they're just letting us waltz through the front door."

Marco nodded. "I found three possible infiltration routes, but none of them are easy." He expanded the map, highlighting three areas in red.

"Option one: The Main Entrance. It's heavily guarded, but it also has the highest energy output, meaning we could disrupt their power grids before they even know what's happening."

Reinhardt grinned. "Sounds like fun."

Marco rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, it also means we'd be fighting an entire garrison of elite forces head-on. So unless we're planning on taking on an army, this is probably the worst idea."

Elias nodded. "Next."

Marco shifted the display. "Option two: The Underground Tunnels. There's an old Vanguard-era passage running beneath the city, long since sealed. But if we can reactivate it, we could slip into the Vault without being detected."

Lira tilted her head. "What's the catch?"

Marco sighed. "The tunnels haven't been used in centuries, and according to records, there's something down there—the last teams that tried to explore it never came back."

Cecilia smirked. "Creepy death tunnels? Sounds like home."

Elias frowned. "And the last option?"

Marco hesitated, then pulled up a hidden section of the map. "Option three: We go through the sky."

Silence.

Ivy raised an eyebrow. "You want us to fly into the most guarded structure in the world?"

Marco grinned. "Not just fly. Drop in from orbit."

Reinhardt let out a laugh. "You're insane."

Marco shrugged. "High-risk, high-reward. The Academy's air defenses are built to detect approaching ships, but they don't expect freefall infiltration from orbit. If we can get our hands on Vanguard drop pods, we could land directly inside the Vault before they even realize what's happening."

Lira tapped her chin. "So our choices are: fight an army head-on, navigate a death tunnel, or skydiving into certain death."

Cecilia grinned. "I kind of like all of them."

Elias crossed his arms, weighing the options. None of them were ideal, but this wasn't about playing it safe.

"We take the tunnels," he said finally.

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Really? Not the dramatic orbital drop?"

Elias smirked. "I like to save the dramatic entrances for when they'll hurt the most."

Lira nodded. "Underground it is. How do we get in?"

Marco zoomed in on an old Vanguard outpost just outside the Academy's territory. "The tunnel's entrance is buried beneath this old Vanguard facility, sealed off years ago. If we can get inside and power up the ancient systems, we can reactivate the pathway and take the tunnels straight into the Academy."

Varian, who had been quietly studying the map, finally spoke. "Then we must move quickly. If the Academy senses our approach, they will fortify their defenses."

Elias clenched his fists. He wasn't just stealing a power core.

He was taking back a piece of history.

"Then let's move," he said. "We don't have time to waste."

The heist had begun.