Tetsu grinned, dismissing both the intrusive notification and the aura suppression alike. The club arced upwards, its sinister intent aimed at his head, yet Tetsu’s movements mirrored the fluid grace of a snake as he deftly swirled around the lethal weapon, landing atop the Claytron’s head. With his tiny hands, Tetsu tried to cover the behemoth’s massive sockets on instincts, a gamble that they might house the golem’s vital eyes.

    Two cannonballs crafted from clay hurtled toward Tetsu. Taking this as his cue, he released his grip on the club-Claytron puppet and leaped on a spiky Claytron nearby.

    A sudden, similar spark crackled through the air, enveloping the Claytron beneath him and freezing it in place. Just in the nick of time, the cannonballs pierced the club-wielding Claytron, shattering it into fragments that were soon absorbed by its fellow Claytron’s.

    Intrigued, Tetsu scooped up some clay cubes, storing them away for later experiments. If they were okay with cannibalism, he had no qualms about procuring a few clay body parts in the name of science.

 

[Scattered forces]<

[Southwest quadrant of the Claytron.]<

 

    A towering Ten-meter Claytron stood connected with several smaller brethren via clay tendrils. Through this intricate network, they exchanged images and battlefield instructions, and despite the tedious process, they were the most stamina-based creatures around, able to afford the time.

    “A lone human disrupts our plans? Who is he, and why should we concern ourselves with a single individual?” The Prime Ele’mentor was bombarded with many questions.

    Undeterred by the futile questions, the Prime Ele’mentor remained focused on the overarching goal. A select cadre of elites got dispatched to address the human interference, while the rest spread out in a wider search for the coveted treasure.

 

>[Northwest quadrant of the Undead]<

 

    Liches converged in a pentagonal formation across eighteen locations, weaving an even grander labyrinthine design. Draugrs stood watch between two distinct formations, poised for immediate response and to protect the Liches while they superimposed various summoning arrays, forming ethereal coffins made of ancient symbols.

    Massive coffins ascended from beneath the ground, and swapped places with the ethereal coffins, giving the eerie impression that the planet itself was thrusting them through a narrow, elastic breach.

    As the coffins breached the surface, their doors flung wide, unleashing shimmering green flames.

    In perfect harmony, incantations resonated throughout the undead quadrant, and from within the coffins, skeletons, ghouls, zeeches, xomes, and zombies emerged. Once a predetermined number of undead had arisen, a Draugr assumed command of the group, establishing a perimeter around the encampment of the risen.

    Once the designated spots were filled, the foremost group departed from their territory and advanced to find the treasure.

 

>[Northeast Quadrant of Tech’Savy]<

 

    Gears, metal blocks, tools, and an array of other items erupted from a treasure chest, adorning the backs of the Krantz. These beings, purple in hue, boasted their bodies by incorporating cybernetic limbs, ears, and eyes, while some even had additional attachments installed; Such as an extra arm or tail to better help them complete their task.

    Their leader, Korvath Vaelos K, a fragment of their faction’s former deity and a level seven iron-fist ruler, bore an ethereal blue brain exposed to the world.

    “We won't be engaging any armies or individuals during this trail according to our lord’s foresight, so do not fret and move forward to complete your designated missions," a feminine voice resonated through the Krantz’s earpieces.

    In response, the army saluted Korvath, positioned within the palace, by executing a distinct salute by tapping their right shoulders twice with their left hands.

    Lieutenant Tarah bows before stepping onto the balcony, casting her gaze downward to survey their vast army.

    The Tech’Savy constructed a fortress which they carried here in pieces and assembled on-site. This fortress served multiple purposes, housing their equipment, doubling as a makeshift medical facility, and functioning as a mobile tank.

    Currently, only the king and Tarah occupied the castle, overseeing the army through an array of monitors linked to cameras positioned on the shoulders of the Cameramen.

    A monitor positioned on the balcony, equipped with speakers, broadcasts important messages to the entire army. Otherwise, Tarah managed the menial tasks by delegating them to the generals stationed between the troops.

    In a typical Krantz army, several lieutenants led numerous factions, each overseeing six to seven generals. However, because of time constraints and system limitations, Korvath could only mobilize a smaller force of ten thousand soldiers, comprising classes ranging from scavengers skilled in resource gathering to technicians trained for destruction. The remainder of the force was held back at their base, maintaining their stronghold, located deeper within the tutorial grounds.

    Tarah adjusts the dials on her neckband, relaying the latest updates to the general in her range. “Scavengers, advance,” she commands.

    In response, the general clicks and stomps his feet together. Observing the cue, scrawny teenagers with disproportionate feet and palms relative to their bodies, and unlike the typical Krantz physique, step forward. While the standard Krantz troops move towards a treasure chest the size of an elephant.

    A line formed from the treasure chest to five members surrounding a Scavenger, and a unique group of Krantz, equipped with cybernetic tendrils for arms, dove into the chest. Within seconds, their swift movements flung various parts out of the treasure box.

    On the periphery, other Krantz materialized unique spanners out of thin air. With impeccable coordination, they catch, adjust, and pass the components along. Each item undergoes subtle, meticulous modifications as it traverses down the line, guided by the precise movements of the members until the components reach the Scavenger unit.

    With practiced efficiency, the Scavengers equip the items, integrating them into their battle suits. Mechanical body parts were replaced, oversized backpacks added, and even larger shoes accompanied their final battle suits.

    The first group’s general enters an open cube and settles within, clicking a red button on his chest. In response, the Cube springs to life, creating a comfortable sofa for the general to recline upon.

    The technicians rush to complete the final adjustments as the cube elevates and produces afterimages of the general to accompany the Scavengers in their preparation.

    The afterimages bore no resemblance to the stout general; instead, they manifested as sleek, muscular figures devoid of mechanical parts or the Krantz’s conventional attire of grey robes.

    Clad only in boxers for modesty, they multiplied to lead and instruct the various scavenger units.

   Five teams, each comprised of five actual members and a holographic representation of the general, dashed into the forest, spreading farther apart to cover more ground.

    As they disappeared into the dense foliage, the blue streaks from their shoes turned transparent, blending into the chaos of the forest ahead.

    While the scavenger groups gathered materials from the shadows, the other elite units began constructing defenses and laying traps around the castle.

 

>[SouthEast quadrant of the Armament Ant]<

 

    “My queen, the human has linked our tunnels with the Claytrons,” Commander Ant conveyed the message to the queen through the creator link they shared. “We should have directed our entire army towards him. The single group deployed against him was manipulated into engaging the second army.”

    “War is inevitable,” the queen responded in his head.

    “We did gain valuable insights into our enemies sooner, that much is true,” a Strategist Ant chimed in. “Yet, if this was indeed the human’s plan... we should have eliminated that insignificant speck of dirt sooner. It has become impossible to corner him in just the five minutes we tried, and the longer we waste the farther he gets.

    “We have already clashed with the opposing army composed of clay golems,” the Commander snapped his mandibles in frustration. “Our attempts to retrieve the elites turned into an all-out war. Our conventional tactics prove ineffective against such adversaries. If this was premeditated, we must hunt him down now before he poses a greater threat to us later on.”

    “My instincts urge caution,” the Queen mused aloud with a thoughtful hum.

    “By diverting other groups into the tunnel and maneuvering through the opposing forces, we were left with no alternative but to engage,” the Strategist pointed out. “This wasn’t mere happenstance; it was a meticulously planned strategic maneuver.”

    “I understand your impatience, my children, but there’s something amiss in this human’s behavior.”

    ‘Is it possible that even my queen cannot anticipate his actions?’ An involuntary thought slipped from the Strategist’s mind, snatched by the queen before he could regain the composure to suppress such blasphemy.

    “That seems to be the case, but fret not…”

    The Queen clicked her mandibles for the first time in their exchange, a rare display of emotion during their conversation, and through their faint telepathic link, the ants grasped the imminent peril the human posed. They exchanged a silent glance of horror, concerned not only for their mission but also for the safety of their hive.

    “... For we will endure. A mere human cannot obstruct our path, regardless of his intentions or the duration of his scheming. We shall be the ones to prevail and claim victory.”

 

———<>|*|<>———

 

    “What the...! Is my luck trying to kill me?” Tetsu yelped, narrowly avoiding an ant with crab claws that plunged itself into a Claytron as if it were sculpted from clay.

    The golem absorbed the attack without flinching, the spencer lodged deeper into its chest. With a deliberate motion, the golem hardened its chest, ensnaring the ant within. Witnessing the scene made Tetsu grimace, but the golem bellowed in triumph and slammed its bare fist down, engulfing the ant’s upper body.

    The cursed golem housed a wood-chipping skill within its arm, tearing the ant into fragments while a discharge spout opened on its back, spraying out shredded ant parts like a fountain of death.

    “Don’t let yourself get hit, marked,” Tetsu declared, marking his target before redirecting the incoming fist toward another elite ant. “Sorry, but you both seem intent on killing me here, so all of this is fair game.” He sidestepped just in the nick of time, sensing an attack from below through the subtle vibrations under his feet empowered with earth affinity.

    Another ant gets shredded and sprayed while a Drill-ant surfaced, its front appendages replaced by meter-long menacing drills. Tetsu paves its path into the discharging back of the Claytron, and as expected, the drill bores into the golem, ending its life in one simple attack.

 

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