Dragonborn Saga

Chapter 685: Clockwork Battle Arena

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< Loading registered Factotum construction schematics! >

< Selected Schematics: Combat Factotum series 11, weaponization: Energy Blade, Reflective Shield. Combat Factotum series 13, weaponization: Arquebus. Siege Factotum series 8, weaponization: Energy Cannons. >

"Input Command: produce three patches every wave. Each patch consists of 20 Factotum. 2 from Series 8, 8 series 13, and 10 from series 11."

< Confirmation Required! >

"Confirm."

< Assembly Line status… Integrity, 100%. Energy Supply, optimal. Required Material, missing… Please load the raw material at the scavenging station. >

"Alright, everyone! Start loading the junk! Today we turn this garbage pile into an army of fearless soldiers."

Jon, Glymet, Laaneth, Swims-at-Night, Kota, Ram, and the Tarnished Bosmer that decided to hang out with them, started to move the junk from the large piles that surrounded the Pavilion of Artifice and load it into the scavenging point.

The Assembly Line which Jon retrieved from the Pneumatic Forge consisted of many machines.

The first of which is the angry and smoking Jumbo Scavenger, a beast of industry that can disassemble any intake into its raw forms. It can turn machines into scraps of metal and wires, turn wood into blanks and sawdust, and it can even turn people and animals into dust.

The second machine was the Quisquiliarum Exactor, a very smart machine that can recognize and organize the disassembled materials and send them to various production lines.

After the metal and the other materials needed for the Factotum production were sent towards their respective supply lines, the Fornax Arma is the machine that was made to produce the Factotums and arm them. There were three Fornax Arma machines that Jon was able to scavenge and once he tried to mend them, he understood that they had the ability to 3D Print various weapons and war machines.

In the end, he linked all these machines to a central command unit, which he fortified in layers and layers of magical defense; this unit has become the Nexus Terminal, the link binding together his forces.

"One last thing, I want large Energy Cannons remodeled for defensive purposes. Do you have any models registered?" Jon asked the Nexus machine that is organizing his assembly line.

< Searching Database… >

< 3 Results Found… >

< APRC-1, HAMG-22, EC-AP >

"Anti-Personnel Rotating Cannon? Heavy Artillery Machine-Gun? Energy Cannon - Anti-Personnel? Let's go with the Heavy Artillery Machine Gun."

< Confirmation Required! >

"Confirm and make 9 of them. Mark priority as Top."

Aside from the army Jon wanted, now started working on defenses for his assembly line too. The first defensive choke points were all around the Vale of Tears area where the energy was being drawn from. Jon placed three HAMG-22s in that area by installing them on high platforms and setting them to auto-fire at non-registered Fabricants, i.e. Mecinar's Abominations, as well as confirmed hostile entities.

Jon started constructing three turrets near the assembly line and the Vale of Tears. The whole thing started to slowly turn into a military encampment.

With the first patch of Factotums ready, Jon sent them ahead on three routes heading towards the Brass Fortress to scout ahead. After them, he sent a few Factotums to construct defenses on the three routes leading to the Brass Fortress.

The southern route would lead to the Brass Fortress via its front gate. Practically, this is the most defended point there is. The northern route would lead to the Sanctuary of Verification, a place where many faulty Factotums used to reside in the past and currently is a landfill. The central route would lead to the Mechanical Foundation, one of the largest and deepest facilities in Clockwork City.

And just like how Jon constructed defenses on these three routes, Mecinar seemed to have done the same and started hoarding a new response force of Abominations to deal with Jon's Factotums.

"It seemed that we met in the middle of all three routes. I managed to establish 3 defense points on each route that are weaponized with turrets. Mecinar seemed to have done the same." Jon said and started taking out a few bracelet-like items, "At first, I wanted the Factotums to fight and do the work for us but it seemed that we won't be able to keep waiting. I want the five of you to head out there and assist the Factotums to destroy Mecinar's defenses."

Jon put the items on their wrists while he kept giving instructions.

"These bracelets will connect you with me, if you are injured or in danger, I can send you help or teleport you back here to the base. It can also tell you where you are and keep you connected with the others. Make sure to keep them on."

"Any weapon I can use?" Swims asked.

"Blades, Hammers, Guns, Cannons, this is a steampunk world, literally anything goes." Jon replied, "But if you use the bracelet to teleport back to the Pavilion of Artifice, you'd find some good stuff lying around, arm yourself, and hurry back to the fight."

"And after we destroy those defenses?" Laaneth asked.

"There should be the facilities where Mecinar deploys his forces from. Make sure you obliterate all that you see when you get past these defenses." Jon said.

"BATTAAAAAALE!" Kota's persona changed into Dragon and roared to the sky.

"Extreme Prejudice Mode activated." Ram started rotating the barrels of his minigun with his eye sockets beaming red.

"I'm glad you two are excited." Jon said, "One last thing, Mecinar probably has gathered some elite troops to destroy our defenses as well. I want you to intercept and kill them."

"Then it shall be." Glymet held his sword and got ready to lead the other, "Jonradson, which point do you recommend we should focus attacking on?"

"For starters, the top lane… I mean the northern route. At least you and another two should be there while two of you guard and scout the other routes. If you are outnumbered by enemy elites, don't fight for victory but simply stall until reinforcements arrive and hide behind defenses. Once we gauge their ability, we may go to one of the other two lanes… routes… or keep pushing if it proves to be easier."

"You heard him, let's go smash some machines." Glymet headed off and was followed by the other four champions of this fight, Laaneth, Swims-at-Night, Kota, and Ram.

"Hey, I'll join too…"

Witnessing this inspiring scene, the Tarnished Bosmer held a spear and ran behind them to join the fight but Jon had him by the nape of his shirt.

"You keep feeding the scavenger machine."

"Y- Y- Yes, sir." And the Bosmer ran back to work.

Jon had a scary look on his face as he watched the five walk out of the Pavilion of Artifice.

"I don't like this." He murmured to himself, "This is way too familiar for some horrible reason."

And he returned to work as well to prepare for his battle against Mecinar.

***

As Glymet and others reached the Vale of Tears where the assembly line was readying a new wave of Factotums, a notification arrived on their bracelets.

< The First Factotum wave has been annihilated. >

"Alright, here's how things shall go. Laaneth, you take the Southern Route. Ram, you take the middle route. Hold defensive positions and watch where the enemy may hide. Kota and Swims, you two follow me." Glymet said.

"Aye, aye, captain." Swims replied.

"Good luck, everyone." Laaneth added.

"Luck is overrated! 77% chance… we are doomed." Ram said, headed towards the middle route, and vroomed straight ahead with his centipede wheels mode.

"Isn't he becoming more talkative?" Laaneth asked while looking at Ram.

"He saved my life but he's kinda annoying, to be honest." Swims agreed.

"Slandering a man behind his back, are we?"

"Sorry, Glym. I'm heading off." Laaneth cast a hovering spell and swooshed towards the Southern Route.

"Let's head off, boys." And Glymet took the two lizard boys (Kota and Swims) towards the Northern Route.

As they passed the first, second, and third defense lines, the five adventurers were at the frontline when they all started to feel their enemies approaching.

In the southern route where Laaneth was, she spotted an irregularly large pale-colored Factotum coming her way from the enemy's direction. Its power seemed a league beyond what Laaneth can contend with.

"Hey, I am seeing an elite enemy. Large Factotum, his energy is no joke." Laaneth reported via the bracelet she had.

"A hostile of similar description detected!" Even from Ram's side, a similar report came.

"I hear you." Jon received the reports, "We should get the northern team to spare some of its members and join…"

"This is the Northern Team." Swims' voice interrupted Jon's, "We're seeing something big."

"Define big." Jon asked.

"Flying with two wings, has four limbs, looks like a dragon but smaller, and all mechanical." Swims replied.

"A Titan." Jon realized, "A Clockwork Titan."

Just like the Daedric Titan Xikil, which is an imitation of a Dragon, these Clockwork Titans are almost the same thing.

"We can deal with it but we need time, tell the other two to hold on." Glymet spoke to the others.

"Fine. Laaneth and Ram, when you two face your opponents, drain out their ground troops with yours, and make sure not to get hit too. Once your troops get destroyed, retreat to the first defense point and fight them under the cover of the turret. You may sustain some damage but you'll hit them hard with the turret's help."

"I hear you!"

Laaneth aimed her staff forward and with a wave of frost, she started assaulting the pale large Factotum she spotted. As she took it by surprise from cover, her location was exposed and the Factotum locked on her.

She was still hovering to not be hindered by terrain as she moved around and kept kiting around the Factotum while shooting him with multiple Ice Spikes in an attempt to freeze its limbs.

Her plan was almost successful but its power started to ignite with the sound of an engine raging within it and the Factotum broke the frost on its limbs by simply moving them. From its back, two mechanical compartments moved and the Factotum took out a sword and an axe.

"You shall be purged!" The Factotum spoke.

"It is… conscious!" Laaneth realized what she was up against at this point.

This wasn't a mindless Factotum like the ones Jon was putting together. This is a living one, a Factotum from the time of Sotha Sil. In truth, Factotums weren't just the servants and soldiers of Sotha Sil but also his creation, his people.

They weren't mindless machines like those of the Dwarves. Much like Ram, they had life within them.

The Factotum crouched to the ground in a squat position and with a shockwave, it jumped high up with its weapons aiming for Laaneth.

Seeing this brutish machine coming at her, Laaneth was overwhelmed for a moment but in a split second, she activated an artifact on her body and immediately blinked from her place.

Just like that, the Factotum landed where Laaneth was and seeing her not where he landed, he turned around where he sensed her Magicka from. She was still hovering not too far from him but this time, she had a grin on her face.

"You may be a subordinate of an Arch Wizard but I am a Master Wizard, you know."

With her saying that, the area around the Factotum started to glow and in a moment, the Pale Factotum could see an array of Trap Runes flashing red around it. A series of Fire Runes went…

*BOOM*

This explosion consumed almost all of the Abominations Soldiers sent by Mecinar and half the Factotums sent by Jon with the enemy Pale Factotum in its center.

Just as the explosion dust settled, a silhouette started to walk from the dust and smoke caused by the explosion. The Pale Factotum was still there and didn't suffer a scratch from Laaneth's trap.

"I'll carve your inside out like how I did with them fat Nords!" The Factotum screamed and charged at Laaneth once again.

She kept evading and dodging, Laaneth found a spot to teleport to and with the time she acquired, she gathered enough Magicka and released her ancestral power, the Ancestral Wrath.

A wave of flame wreathed her surroundings and from it, she drew an enormous amount of power before channeling it into a beam towards the Pale Factotum. Even her eyes radiated like the fire she cast.

The Factotum blocked with its hand but at the expense of its short blade and started getting pushed back slowly but surely.

Laaneth was confident she could take him on.

Meanwhile, Ram was facing a large White Factotum that used a staff and cast magic.

"ALMSIVI, where are your voices? We need you now more than ever!" The Factotum spoke in a tone filled with sadness.

"Unable to answer!" Ram replied.

"Then who will save us? Who will lift us from the depth of Oblivion?"

"Unable… to answer!"

"Seht promised! He promised he would let us rest. Now I don't feel him. I feel nothing but strange… unbearable… hate! Where is Seht? Answer me!"

"Unable… to… answer."

"Then perish!"

The two mechanical constructs were slowly getting agitated by one another. The Factotum seemed to have been wronged by Sotha Sil and is going through something personal but it started raising its staff and called a great barrage of arcane bolts towards Ram.

Ram moved away around all the attacks and when he got the chance, he started spraying the enemy with his gatling gun.

The White Factotum was dodging and teleporting skillfully and closed on Ram many times but Ram utilized his ground and would retreat to the cover of his team's turret before returning to the Factotum with stronger and fiercer firepower.

Seeing that Ram was using a set of centipede tracks to move around and maintain a good grip on the ground, the White Factotum figured out that by destroying the ground, it would make Ram a sitting duck.

A Lightning spell came from the Factotum's staff and its target was the ground. Just like how a farmer plows the earth, the spell started to turn the ground upside down and close on Ram from all directions in order to devastate him with strong lightning strikes.

Ram was speeding and shooting and as he was feeling cornered, he tried to maneuver past the spell range yet the White Factotum didn't give him the chance to. Once he was in the eye of the storm, Ram's body started to change.

"Jet Thrusters infusion."

Without getting himself cornered, Ram had to ditch the ground and hover with his Jet Thruster which he could transform his lower part into. He even shot a couple of explosive attacks to divert attention and escape from the spell effective range before changing his weapon from a gatling gun to…

"Railgun infusion!"

And with a charging sound, the railgun was ready and aimed at the White Factotum.

As for the third front, Glymet was fending off the flame attacks of the Clockwork Titan while Kota (Dragon) was holding on to one of the Titan's wings and biting into it while Swims-at-Night was held by the Titan's hands.

"You are not wanted! None of us are wanted! Seht has forsaken us!" Said the Clockwork Titan as it was fighting with agony and despair.

The Factotums and all the Clockwork Constructs may be mechanical constructs but the suffering they are displaying is real. Something wasn't right.

Glymet fought and fought and despite the difficulty they were up against, the three of them were pushing back the enemy. Just when they were confident enough to take it down, another one of those Elite Enemies showed up.

Glymet noticed it first but it was a fast Abomination that moved on a single wheel rather than legs and was very quiet and stealthy. Its aim was Glymet but the latter was able to evade the rush attacks.

This abomination had more than two arms, almost six arms were stitched to its back aside from its natural two arms and all of them had blades on their end. This grotesque thing turned on its wheel very nimbly and with a zombified head, it stared at Glymet and launched itself towards him again.

Glymet immediately evaded and picked a broken spear from the ground before throwing it into the wheel of that Abomination thing. The spear jammed the wheel and the Abomination was stopped and fell immediately on its face. Glymet didn't waste the chance and with his flaming blade, Goldbrand, he wiped the abomination off existence.

Just as he did so, Swims-at-Night was thrown by the Daedric Titan who felt the pressure elevated when Glymet was busy dealing with the Abomination, and in the same motion, it rammed Kota into a wall and put him down.

Glymet immediately jumped to the rescue and instructed the two to retreat using their bracelets. They would go back to the Pavilion of Artifice, arm themselves with new weapons and potions, and come back to the fight in full energy.

Meanwhile in the Vale of Tears, Jon was still thinking of the rotten feeling that crossed his chest a while ago. At that time, Glymet had just defeated the Abomination Elite and went ahead to face the Clockwork Titan on his own when a notification message reached Jon from the assembly line control unit.

< First Blood! >

< An Enemy has been slain! >

Jon's eyes widened as he was struck with realization.

"This rotten feeling! I knew it!"

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