While chaos happened outside, Erik and June moved through the outpost. They went quickly through halls and air vents, their small bodies unnoticed.
<There,> Erik said to his clone as they approached a heavily guarded room. <That must be the energy system for the barrier.>
The two insects slipped through a small gap in the door, entering a room where the hum of machinery could be heard 24/7.
Massive generators lined the walls. These advanced machines relied on the latest technology and were crucial for the facility's operations. Brain crystal-enhanced capacitors stored the immense amount of energy produced by the brain crystals.
This energy was then distributed to the shield grid, ensuring a continuous stream of energy into the barriers around the entire complex.
<It's impressive,> June said. <I wonder if we will be able to get this technology.>
Erik nodded.
<I'll make sure we will be able to.>
<Should we destroy it?><Not now. We need to time this perfectly. Too soon, and we risk the blackguards to find a solution to the situation. Too late, and we might lose our chance entirely.>
They perched on a control panel, watching as technicians scrambled to maintain power levels. They were pumping mana into the device, helping to supply the precious resource. It was the best thing they came up with to make up for losing those batteries.
Through a nearby window, they could see flashes of the battle raging outside.
<The Thunderwings are getting closer,> June said. <But the defences are still holding...> <Not for long,> Erik said.
Minutes passed, feeling like hours. The room shook with each impact on the shield, alarms blaring as power levels fluctuated wildly.
Suddenly, Erik sensed a shift in the battle's momentum. Of course, he sensed that since he was keeping an eye on the thoughts of the enemy soldiers. The blackguards were making things go under control. <Now!>
In an instant, Erik transformed back into his human form, startling the technicians. Before they could react, he made wind blades and decapitated the enemy.
Soon after, another devastating attack on the generators was unleashed. Electricity worked wonders here because it fried everything without the need for Erik to do something specific. Energy arced wildly as systems overloaded and exploded.
Alarms shrieked as the barrier's power plummeted. Erik turned to June, who had also resumed his human form. "It's done," Erik said. "Now we need to complete the plan."
His words were cut off by a deafening screech as the first Thunderwing breached the failing shield. The real battle was about to begin.
"Shield capacity down! Shield capacity down! It went to 55%... 50%... 43%!"
There had been a massive explosion somewhere within the city. "What was that?"
No one knew, but for sure, it did something. "Send the technicians to check!"
But then Vance watched in horror as a Thunderwing slammed into the waning energy barrier. Electricity arced across the shield's surface.
Relentless attacks kept hitting the barrier, causing it to shake and crack. The shield, which had been endured for a long time, now weakened as its energy faded away. With each hit, the barrier's glow dimmed, showing how much pressure it was under to withstand the attacks. "Sir, we have multiple breaches!"
Vance's heart sank. This was what he had feared. "All units, prepare for close-quarters combat. Activate all ground-based defences! Someone go check the batteries!"
The streets below erupted into chaos as Thunderwings poured through the gaps in the shield. Soldiers and hastily armed civilians used their brain crystal weapons to attack the approaching monsters. However, their skills were pitifully inadequate against the creatures. These were flying thaids, after all.
A Thunderwing swooped low, its talons raking across a squad of soldiers. Their screams were cut short as electricity coursed through their bodies.
Nearby, a Sentinel mech grappled with another Thaid.
Vance's comm cracked again. "Colonel! The eastern sector almost collapsed. We can't hold them!"
He gritted his teeth. "Fall back to secondary positions. We cannot lose the supply depot!" "Ye-" The barrier finally came down. There was nothing to protect them anymore. "Damn! These are just a thousand thaids! We are many more!"
As he issued orders, trying to stem the tide of the assault, Vance couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
That was further proved by the many reports that came in. The shield had failed faster than it should have, even with the power issues. And now, reports were coming in of unexplained equipment failures across the outpost.
A terrible suspicion formed in his mind. Could there be saboteurs within the city? But who? The citizens? And how? There were guards stationed everywhere.
Besides, they wouldn't want to commit suicide by helping the thaids, right? There was no reason for them to help the monsters breach the city, unless they wanted to die.
Erik and June moved through the chaos-filled streets amidst the panicked soldiers and civilians.
"Should we proceed with the next phase?" June asked.
"Not yet. Just go on with the power grids for now."
They made their way to the nearest energy substation, dodging falling debris and stray lightning bolts from the rampaging monsters. Erik short-circuited the main control panel while June overloaded the backup generators.
They continued their sabotage, methodically disabling power grids across the city. With each successful strike, more of the outpost's defences failed.
Anti-aircraft guns fell silent, mechs powered down, and communication networks crackled into static.
The sky darkened as more Thunderwings entered the city. After destroying their fifth power grid, Erik paused, surveying the surrounding destruction.
"I think it's time," Erik said.
June nodded in agreement.
"Alright. Let's move to the last phase," June said. "Signal the others. It's time to take control
of this outpost."
June took his communication device and reached out to Amber, who was still waiting outside.
"Are we ready?" she asked.
"Yes, we're ready," June said. "I'm going to tell the Chimaeric Demons to move into position. They've been waiting for our signal."
"Good. Make sure you, Mira, and Emily are in sync," June said. "We can't afford any mistakes
at this stage."
"All right."
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