The financial lockdown on the Council of Elders was absolute. Within hours, the powerful cabal was reduced to powerless old men, their political influence collapsing as quickly as their balance sheets.
Kellan, Lyra, and Seraphina watched the news feeds in the Apex Command lab. The speed of the victory was breathtaking, even to them.
"Their shame is complete, Kellan," Lyra observed, her golden eyes glinting. "The sub-optimal reliance on secrecy was their undoing. What is the Optimal Action for their physical assets and personnel?"
[Optimal Insight (Level 3) Activated! Target: Council of Elders' Remaining Assets. Assessment: High value in neglected R&D labs and disillusioned personnel.]
"We don't just take their money; we take their future," Kellan declared. "Seraphina, initiate an immediate, hostile takeover of all R\&D subsidiaries linked to the Council, particularly those dealing with next-generation energy shielding and dimensional physics. We need to absorb their expertise."
"I will handle the legal and financial acquisition, ensuring zero liability," Seraphina affirmed, her fingers already flying across her tablet.
Kellan focused on the personnel. The Council had employed brilliant scientists who were now jobless and deeply disillusioned.
[Optimal Action: Recruit key scientific personnel through a targeted psychological approach. Appeal to their need for 'True Purpose' beyond simple wealth.]
"Lyra, your job is more subtle," Kellan instructed. "The Council had a specific, high-risk security team—the 'Watchmen'—who were kept in the dark about the Council's illegal dealings. They are highly skilled but now feel betrayed. Use your Apex Champion status to offer them a choice: continue serving a flawed, sub-optimal purpose, or join the Apex Defense Directive."
Lyra smiled, sensing the psychological hunt. "Power speaks louder than money, Kellan. I will offer them purpose and control. A perfect incentive."
While Seraphina began the financial absorption and Lyra departed to meet the Watchmen, Kellan turned his attention to the true threat. The A.D.B.G. pulsed, signaling that the energy shield around Apex Command was stable.
But the Apex Core was not satisfied.
[System Warning: Inter-Dimensional Energy Signature Detected! Threat Level: Escalated. Manifestation is targeting newly acquired 'Sub-Optimal' R&D Lab (Former Council Asset).]
[Threat Type: Advanced Predator (Class 3) - Capable of rapid structural breakdown.]
[Optimal Action: Immediate Deployment. Utilize Apex Shard Dust for temporary environmental synthesis before the asset is destroyed.]
The Council's acquired lab was already under attack! The Sub-Optimal threats were drawn to the newly consolidated power and dimensionally sensitive equipment.
Kellan grabbed a small device—a modified drone designed to dispense the Apex Shard Dust—and ran toward the lift. He sent an urgent encrypted message to Lyra: "Mission abort. Immediate rendezvous at Old Town R&D Lab. New Dimensional Entity—need C3 support."
He knew he couldn't rely on the Watchmen yet. He had to defend his new acquisitions himself, using only his wits and the dust harvested from the first encounter. This was a necessary risk to prove the Apex's superiority to his new, potential recruits.
As Kellan sped toward the surface, the Apex Core sent a final, chilling message:
[Level 4 Host Requirement: Acquisition of 'Sub-Optimal' Sentient Assets is secondary. Primary focus must be on the 'Apex Champion's' emotional stability during threat exposure.]
The System was reminding him: Lyra's Level 4 optimization was still fresh. She was their greatest strength, and the greatest risk. He had to protect the asset while defending the asset.