The group retreated, fighting their way back to the Wagon-Fortress as the Rust Pirates pressed their advantage. The air was thick with the sounds of clashing weapons, shouted commands, and the occasional explosion. Aelin’s arrows flew with deadly precision, each shot buying them precious seconds, while Borin’s hammer crushed anyone foolish enough to get too close. The Steam Sentinels, though damaged, provided cover, their piston-powered fists slamming into pirates with mechanical efficiency.

  “Fall back!” Victor’s voice echoed through the comm system, calm but urgent. “Get inside the fortress!”

  Pip was the last to reach the door, her eyes darting to the motionless MDU as she stepped inside. “I’ll fix you,” she muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with determination. “I promise.”

  Once inside, Pip immediately began rummaging through the supplies they had just loaded. Crates were flung open, their contents spilling onto the floor as she searched for what she needed.

  “What are you doing?” Borin asked, his voice gruff as he barred the door with his stocky frame. His hammer was still in hand, ready to swing at a moment’s notice.

  “Making a Manabomb,” Pip replied, her hands moving frantically as she assembled components. She pulled out a handful of mana crystals, a spool of copper wire, and a small, cylindrical device from her belt. “It’s risky, but if I can overload these mana crystals, the explosion should scatter the pirates long enough for us to regroup.”

  Borin raised an eyebrow. “A bomb? You sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Do you have a better one?” Pip shot back, her tone sharp but not unkind.

  Aelin stepped forward, her sharp eyes scanning the room. “Do it. We’re out of options.” She nocked an arrow and turned to face the door, her stance ready for whatever came next.

  Pip nodded, her fingers flying as she connected wires and adjusted crystals. The Manabomb began to take shape, a crude but effective device that pulsed faintly with unstable energy. “Victor, I need you to channel a surge of mana into this when I give the signal.”

  “I'll try,” Victor replied, his core pulsing with readiness. “Just say the word.”

  Outside, the pirates were closing in, their shouts growing louder as they prepared to breach the Wagon-Fortress. The sound of their footsteps echoed like thunder, and the door shuddered as they began to pound on it.

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  “They’re coming!” Borin shouted, his grip tightening on his hammer.

  “Almost there!” Pip said, her voice strained as she made the final adjustments. She held up the Manabomb, its surface glowing with an unstable light. “Victor, now!”

  Victor unleashed a surge of mana into the device, causing it to glow with an intense, blinding light. The air around it crackled with energy, and Pip quickly hurled it out the door just as the pirates reached the entrance.

  “Get down!” she shouted, diving behind a crate.

  The explosion was deafening, a blinding flash of light followed by a shockwave that knocked everyone off their feet. The force of the blast tore the door off its hinges, sending it flying into the rocky plain. The pirates outside were thrown back like ragdolls, their shouts of alarm drowned out by the roar of the explosion.

  Inside the Wagon-Fortress, the shockwave rippled through the walls, rattling the brass pipes and sending loose tools clattering to the floor. Victor’s core, still connected to the fortress’s systems, absorbed a portion of the blast’s energy to protect the group. The strain was immense.

  Victor’s core flared brightly as it channeled the excess energy, but the sheer force of the explosion was too much. Faint cracks began to spiderweb across the surface of his core, glowing with an ominous light as they spread. The hum of his systems grew erratic, flickering like a dying flame.

  “Victor!” Pip shouted, her voice filled with panic as she scrambled to her feet. She rushed to his core, her hands hovering over the cracks as if she could somehow fix them. “You’re damaged! Why didn’t you tell us you were absorbing the blast?”

  Victor’s core pulsed weakly, his voice strained but calm. “I… had to. The explosion would have breached the fortress. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  Aelin stepped forward, her sharp eyes scanning the cracks with concern. “You’re not just a tool, Victor. You’re one of us. You can’t keep sacrificing yourself like this.”

  Borin grunted, his gruff voice softening. “He’s right. We’re a team, Victor. That means we share the risks.”

  Victor’s core pulsed faintly, the light dimming as the cracks continued to spread. “I… understand. But sometimes, protecting what matters means taking the hit yourself.”

  The group fell silent, the weight of Victor’s words settling over them. Outside, the area around the Wagon-Fortress was eerily quiet, the pirates scattered and many of them fleeing in panic. The Manabomb had done its job, but the cost was clear.

  “That’s our cue,” Aelin said, already moving toward the door. “Let’s finish this.”

  The group charged out, taking advantage of the chaos. Aelin’s arrows found their marks with deadly precision, while Borin’s hammer crushed anyone who got too close. The Steam Sentinels, though damaged, provided cover as the group pushed the pirates back.

  But Hale was nowhere to be seen.

  “Where’s Hale?” Pip asked, her voice tinged with unease.

  Victor’s core pulsed with alarm. “He’s inside the Wagon-Fortress. He’s heading for the core chamber!”