Chapter 9 - Infiltrate the Dawn Fortress

Alex's Aerial Gate ripped open above Dawn Fortress, a monolithic bastion of golden spires piercing storm clouds. Imperial banners snapped in gales, 10k troops drilling below while Valeria's divine spear silhouette paced battlements. Eclipse Storm Abyss Sovereign glided silently, obsidian wings muffling thunder; Pyra and Lira clung to its scales, auras synced for the raid.No siege—too many scraps to harvest inside, Alex thought. His Abyss Inferno Lance pulsed, SSS core mapping weak points: vault under throne room, guarded by A-rank automata.[Infiltration Quest: Steal Imperial Vault Core. Fail State: SSS Lockdown.]They dove into shadow. Eclipse's Storm Breath cloaked descent in fog; Lira's Void Thunder Bind silenced patrols. Pyra melted a grate—team slipped into ducts. "Your scent drives me wild in tight spaces," Pyra whispered, brushing Alex. Lira rolled eyes but smirked. Loyalty: 70%.Vault antechamber: Four automata whirred—crystal cores powering laser grids. Alex phased first, lance draining one's core. [Automata Essence: Mech Fusion Unlocked.] Eclipse devoured scrap plating: [Chain Evo: Cyber Abyss Sovereign (SSS Rank). Trait: Tech Hack (Control Machines).]Alarms flickered but died—hacked. Pyra flamed locks; Lira bound guards. Deeper: throne vault. Valeria waited, spear aglow. "Predicted your rats. Emperor's pet project ends."She thrust—divine pierce grazed Alex's phase. Counter: Apocalypse Dome drained her guards to husks. Pyra phoenix-blazed flanks; Lira chained arms. Eclipse hacked an automata swarm—turned on her.Valeria shattered chains, aura exploding. "SSS pretender!" Spear clashed lance; essence war raged. Alex siphoned divine sparks: [Divine Affinity 30%. Skill: God Pierce (Lv.1).]She faltered, wounded. "Take the core... but Emperor awakens." Vault door cracked—Imperial Vault Core pulsed, dragon-sized crystal of pure evolution mana.Alex claimed it: [SSS Fusion Material x3! Self-Evo Possible: God Sovereign Path.]Escape gates flared amid chaos. Fortress quaked—Valeria's scream echoed. Sect allies rioted outside, tipping scales.Back at Void Manor, core fused. Alex's form shifted—draconic horns, ethereal wings. [God Sovereign Unlocked. Army Cap: 1k.]But system warned: [Emperor Arc Trigger: World Rank Threat. Sect Wars Escalate.]Pyra knelt, eyes devoted. "Command us, my Sovereign." Empire rose.