The Mantle’s Silent Advance

Book 8 - Chapter 16: The Architects' Gambit Deepens – Expanding the Mantle's Influence

On Lumina Prime, the great crystalline spires resonated with the Collective's unified thought.

Observer-Prime's liquid starlight eyes scanned the latest telemetry from the edges of

the Human Galactic Authority's space. The human fleet movements, the subtle redirection

of resources, the tightening of their internal security (Chapter 192) – all were data points

of predictable inefficiency. "The 'HGA' entities continue their pattern of illogical resistance," Strategist-Delta

resonated within the Collective. "Their defensive posturing is energetically inefficient.

Their internal 'morale management' attempts are a drain on their collective processing. They have yet to