Daniel, still in the command room of the research center at the weapon testing site, let out a sigh of relief. Envy had safely arrived at Oceanos, which was moored not far from the British Isles, and she was already receiving medical attention.
It would take some time before he received an update from the medical team aboard Oceanos. For now, he needed to focus on preparing for the inevitable aftermath of recent events.
"Prime," Daniel called out, addressing the AI.
[Yes, Master. How may I assist you?] Nexus Prime responded in its familiar tone.
"Increase weapons and munitions production. If you require anything specific, like your bastion, I'll materialize it for you," Daniel said solemnly, his voice heavy with determination.
—
Card: Prime Bastion
Picture: A towering structure resembling a massive church constructed from black steel and metal. Its colossal height rivals that of a skyscraper, emanating an aura of imposing dominance.
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Unique-Artifact Location
Description:
Tap: Generate 1 non-element mana.
Tap Pay 8: Prime Bastion becomes a 12/12 Artifact-Creature with, When attacking or defending, the player may delegate the damage to any available target. Prime Bastion is still a Location.
Flavor Text:
The Last Bastion of the Machine, housing the main processing core of Nexus Prime. It can transform into a walking titan, becoming a nightmare for the resistance whenever it desires.
—
The heated exchange escalated, voices growing louder as the room descended into chaos. Watching silently up until this point, Golden Scale and Henri Montmorency, the two Grand Councilors of the Hightower, and finally, they lost their patience.
"Enough!" Henri thundered, his voice cutting through the roaring and debating voice like a blade. Rising from his seat, he glared at the gathered officials. The room fell silent immediately.
"I called this meeting to discuss our course of action, not to start this.... childish shouting match! What are you? High schoolers?" Henri's sharp rebuke echoed in the chamber, and the chastened attendees lowered their heads. Slowly, Henri sat back down, his piercing gaze sweeping over the table.
At this point, the previously silent Golden Scale finally spoke.
"We'll rally the world against Daniel Emberweave and New Atlantis. The Qin Empire is already displeased with them. I believe that if someone leads the charge, those whose interests have been affected by his rise won't hesitate to seize this opportunity to knock him down—or even eliminate him entirely."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing, "Additionally, financial giants and energy conglomerates, the true powers behind many governments, will ensure their countries join our cause. We only need to conceal the fact that he possesses an orbital cannon. Spin this as an incident involving a long-range missile, fabricate a plausible story, and make it stick. Smear him with everything we can. Rile up those simpletons who love to hate others, feed them a sense of moral superiority, let them believe they're harbingers of justice. Demonize Daniel as much as possible."
A member of the pro-war faction raised a hesitant question. "But... will the masses actually believe what we tell them?"
Golden Scale snort. "Heh... you say that as if you've never done this before. What about all those smear campaigns you've done against your political opponents? Don't tell me you're sitting in this room purely because of your competence and the trust of the people?" His sharp retort silenced the pro-war member.
Golden Scale continued with a calm yet sinister tone. "Humans are unique creatures, they believe what they want to believe, even when it contradicts the facts. Don't worry too much. If it helps, we can use mild mind control spells to nudge public opinion, making them more inclined to accept whatever narrative we feed them."
This reassurance seemed to appease the pro-war faction, their initial unease dissipating. However, one member of the pro-peace faction, visibly unsettled, finally spoke up.
"Mi'lord, do you intend to start a third world war?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Golden Scale let out a dismissive chuckle. "This is merely us applying pressure on Daniel, we are just responding to the provocation he dared to make against us. As for what the common folk want, that's up to them. If they desire war, they'll start it. It has nothing to do with us."
"Besides," he added nonchalantly, "wars aren't so bad. Admit it, many of the technological advancements we enjoy today came from wartime innovation. And why worry about war? It's not as if it'll affect you or your family. The ones who will die are those fools sent to the battlefield, not us." Golden Scale spoke with a chilling indifference, as though he were stating an indisputable fact.
The pro-peace faction member fell silent, realizing this was as far as he could go in trying to halt the madness. If he pushed any further, it might be he and his family who would face the wrath of the Grand Councilor.
Noticing the silence, Golden Scale continued, his tone calm yet commanding. "To reassure you of our inevitable victory, I will mobilize all the resources of the Hightower. This includes even the treasures within Merlin's secret cache that we uncovered, as well as everything salvaged from Lady Envy's old Sanctum Sanctorum. All of it will be put to use."
Hearing this declaration, the pro-peace members could only nod reluctantly. This was far beyond their control. All they could do now was hope, for the sake of humanity, that this war would not be the end of it.