The atmosphere inside [Channel: Zero] was electric. The successful acquisition of the enemy's two most secret locations had sent a surge of triumphant confidence through the core members of Project Zero. They had a war map, and for the first time, they felt they had the power to choose the next battlefield.
Su Liying, in her official capacity as Chief Analyst, presented the overview of the two new targets, her report a masterpiece of concise, critical intelligence.
Crystalline_Mind: "Team, our two new primary targets have been designated. First, we have what their internal logs refer to as 'The Forge'. This is the Rift Mechanics laboratory located deep within the Sichuan mountain range. Based on our analysis, this is the heart of their technological power. It's where they research, replicate, and attempt to control Rift stabilization. The technology used in their failed 'Gatecrasher' expedition originated here. This is a high-priority strategic target."
She brought up a second file, this one showing a deep-sea layout. Crystalline_Mind: "Second, we have 'Poseidon's Gate'. This is their deep-sea Abyssal Biology station, located in a trench in the South China Sea. This is the source of their monstrous 'Project Chimera' research. They capture live Abyssal specimens here for dissection and genetic harvesting. This is a high-priority scientific and ethical target."
The two targets lay before them like pieces on a chessboard. Two enemy kings. But they only had the resources to checkmate one at a time. The debate began immediately.
Hephaestus, the pragmatist, was blunt. Hephaestus: "Hit The Forge. It's simple logic. They can have all the monster parts they want, but if they can't open a stable door to the Abyss, their entire project is useless. Destroy their ability to build gates, and you've won half the war."
Lin Mei's response was fueled by a cold, righteous fury. Nomad-Lead: "I disagree. The Forge creates machines. Poseidon's Gate is where they torture and butcher human beings for Project Chimera. That is the greater, more immediate evil. We need to burn that place to the ground and stop the source of their monstrous experiments."
General Jiang Wei saw the larger strategic picture. Old-Man-Jiang: "Both are critical targets. And that is the problem. Hitting one will undoubtedly cause the other to go into a complete, impenetrable lockdown. We will only get one clean, surprise shot. We must choose wisely. One blow to cripple them for years to come."
The council was at an impasse, torn between strategic logic and moral imperative.
The next day at the academy, the silent game between Qin Mo and Su Liying continued, but it had changed. The tension of her suspicion was gone, replaced by a new, unspoken understanding. A partnership.
He watched her. He knew, with his analytical mind, that his commanders were deadlocked. He knew they needed a nudge, a guiding hand. But Oracle could not simply issue a command; that would make them dependent. He had to teach them how to think, to lead them to the correct conclusion themselves. And his Chief Analyst was the perfect instrument for that lesson.
In the library, Su Liying was researching deep-sea pressure vessel engineering, trying to find a potential weakness in the "Poseidon's Gate" facility. It was her way of trying to solve the strategic dilemma on her own.
Qin Mo rose from his own table. As he walked past her secluded carrel on his way to return a book, his movements were fluid and natural. No one would have noticed the slight, almost imperceptible flick of his wrist as he passed a nearby, empty table. A single, thick textbook slid from a pile and came to rest on top, its cover facing outwards.
The book's title was Advanced Geothermal Engineering and Tectonic Energy Taps.
He kept walking without a backward glance.
Su Liying, hearing the soft thud, looked up. Her eyes saw the book. Her brilliant mind, already primed by her own research, made the connection in a nanosecond. Geothermal engineering... the dam... the Sichuan facility...
It was a message. A clue, delivered with impossible subtlety. He wasn't telling her the answer. He was pointing her towards the correct path of inquiry. He was teaching her.
A profound sense of awe washed over her. He wasn't just her commander in the digital world. He was her secret mentor in the real one. She now understood the strategic reasoning. The Biology station was where they built their swords. But the Rift lab, powered by a geothermal tap... that was the forge itself. A wise general does not break the enemy's swords; he destroys the forge that makes them.
That evening, the debate in [Channel: Zero] was still ongoing.
It was then that Crystalline_Mind came online, her presence radiating a new, unshakeable confidence. She presented her final, decisive analysis, not as an opinion, but as a statement of strategic fact.
Crystalline_Mind: "I have reached a conclusion. Captain, you are right that Poseidon's Gate is the source of their greatest evil. But Hephaestus is right that The Forge is their most critical asset."
She laid out her logic, unknowingly echoing the silent lesson she had just been taught. Crystalline_Mind: "Poseidon's Gate is where they build their weapons. But The Forge is where they build their doorways. A weapon is useless if you cannot bring it to the battlefield. The ability to manipulate and stabilize Rifts is the foundation of all their ambitions." Crystalline_Mind: "Furthermore, as my team discovered, The Forge is powered by a massive, direct geothermal tap. That tap doesn't just power the Rift Stabilizer; it powers their entire regional communications network and data centers. Crippling it would have a cascading, catastrophic effect on all of their other operations."
Her final recommendation was delivered with the cold finality of a judge's sentence. Crystalline_Mind: "Conclusion: The Rift Mechanics lab, 'The Forge,' must be our primary target. We must neutralize their ability to control reality itself. All other threats are secondary."
Her logic was flawless, undeniable. The Inner Circle was in unanimous agreement. Old-Man-Jiang: "An impeccable analysis, Chief. Absolutely impeccable. Your recommendation is the correct strategic path."
Oracle came online. He had observed the entire process in silence. He had seen his commanders debate. He had seen his Chief Analyst struggle with the problem. He had provided a single, subtle clue. And he had watched as she, with her own brilliant mind, had used that clue to arrive at the optimal solution.
He had not just given them an order. He had guided them to choose the right path themselves. This was how he forged his true weapons—his commanders.
Oracle: The Chief Analyst's recommendation is correct. The Forge is the target.
A new bounty, shimmering with the ominous crimson of the OMEGA tag, appeared on the Alliance's main board, replacing the completed mission list.
[PRIORITY-OMEGA BOUNTY: OPERATION FORGEBREAKER]
[OBJECTIVE: Infiltrate the Prometheus Rift Mechanics facility in the Sichuan mountains. Plant the 'Janus' virus in their core research systems. Primary goal is long-term data theft and scientific sabotage.]
[SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: Locate and destroy all existing research and prototypes related to their Rift stabilization technology. Do NOT cause a full-scale facility collapse. The geothermal tap technology is a valuable asset that must be studied and potentially captured later.]
The new, daunting mission was on the board. They were about to launch a direct assault on the very heart of the enemy's power and technological supremacy. The team was energized, their purpose clear. But they all knew this would be their most difficult and dangerous operation yet.