If the Quintessons hadn't accidentally discovered Cybertron, the Oracle Network's Great Stasis protocol would have been an incredibly effective solution.
Of course, to Skygnaw, it looked like a desperate measure chosen when no other tactical options remained.
After all, if a workforce of tools could constantly replenish a creator's energy to ensure a rapid recovery, who would willingly choose a slow, dark hibernation in the void?
The discovery of Vector Sigma and the Oracle Network was simply an unexpected bonus.
What truly pushed Skygnaw to the very brink of losing his composure was what the Matrix of Leadership was actively doing to his systems: it was evolving his physical chassis.
---
It was literal evolution, a direct ascension from a Commander-class warrior to a Leader-class titan.
A Leader-class warrior represented far more than a simple shift in life tier compared to a Commander; the ascension was deeply linked to the essence of Primus himself.
The Matrix of Leadership served as an independent, monumental energy source similar to the AllSpark, which explained why it could revive Optimus Prime just as a shard of the AllSpark had resurrected Megatron.
Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that the Matrix was a highly specialized weapon module, an implement designed to be wielded solely by the creator god.
After all, the Matrix could create and reshape life, guiding the evolution of a species; a trait remarkably similar to the Emberstone, the artifact held by Quintus Prime.
Combined with Alpha Trion's claim that both the Emberstone and the Matrix were forged naturally at the dawn of time, they were bound to share common properties.
---
Although the spark and armor of a Leader-class warrior didn't automatically grant an innate talent like the original Thirteen Primes, a warrior couldn't just achieve this tier by accident.
To rise into the Leader-class, a Cybertronian first required the explicit recognition or alignment of Primus himself.
This strict limitation was the precise reason why Cybertron's ancient golden age was crowded with dozens of Commander-class warriors, while true Leader-class titans remained exceedingly rare.
Beyond the immense expenditure of AllSpark energy required to forge a Leader, not every Commander could secure the biometric alignment of Primus.
This connection could be granted to a lifeform built directly by the creator god, passed down to a direct descendant of the Thirteen Primes, or unlocked through specialized calculations.
---
Given that even the mighty Primes were now extinct, to say nothing of their immediate lineages, Skygnaw realized the evolution he had triggered was a magnificent stroke of luck.
The Matrix of Leadership was ultimately a mechanical object, operating strictly under its original programming parameters.
Ever since arriving in this universe, Skygnaw had never considered himself a favored child of fortune, relying entirely on his own calculations and relentless efforts to carve out his path.
(Cough) Of course, a small bit of meta-knowledge and careful, proactive planning had certainly helped his prospects.
Now, by hunting down Ultra Magnus, he had inadvertently triggered a resonance loop with the Matrix, leaving him with the distinct feeling that a massive stroke of luck had finally dropped out of the heavens straight into his hands.
---
The most critical distinction between a Leader-class titan and a Commander-class warrior was the integration of a **Core Weapon**.
Distinct from external munitions and hardware modules, a Core Weapon packed exponentially greater destructive output and became a permanent extension of the physical chassis.
If it sustained heavy damage in battle, it required zero external repairs, automatically restoring its structural integrity by drawing directly from the spark's core energy.
The single drawback was that once a Core Weapon materialized, it was permanently locked and could never be modified.
Skygnaw chewed on the data, deducing that Megatron's fusion cannon and Optimus Prime's energon blades were their respective Core Weapons. He had witnessed the terrifying destructive power of both implements on multiple occasions.
---
As the crackling energy fields continued to encircle his frame, the initial rush of excitement faded, replaced by an absolute, profound calm.
Unlike his previous ascensions to the High-Warrior and Elite tiers, where the influx of raw AllSpark fuel tore through his systems like a raging storm, the evolution triggered by the Matrix was like a gentle spring rain: quiet, smooth, and seamless.
There was practically zero physical discomfort.
If he weren't actively monitoring the profound structural rewrites occurring across his armor plates, Skygnaw would have suspected that this entire sequence was nothing more than an elaborate simulation.
---
Even the most complex evolution eventually reaches its terminal phase.
After an unmeasured duration, just as Skygnaw's consciousness was beginning to slip into a heavy, processing-induced lull, the magnificent arcs of crackling energy snapping around his chassis suddenly vanished into nothingness.
The full pull of planetary gravity slammed back into his heavy frame.
*Thud.*
As his boots touched the floor, Skygnaw let out a silent breath of relief.
He was incredibly fortunate to be standing deep within the completely empty depths of the Well of All Sparks, and that his first action upon waking from Vector Sigma's trance had been to transmit a secure notification to Blackarachnia.
Otherwise, if an external variable had disrupted the Matrix during the hardware rewrite, the consequences would have been catastrophic. He had only just realized that the evolution process required absolute atmospheric stability, unable to tolerate even the slightest shift in local energy grids.
---
With a simple mental command, Skygnaw pulled up his refreshed status parameters:
* **Type:** Combat Decepticon
* **Armor:** Orion Living Alloy
* **Weapons:** Photon Cannon (Left Arm), Electromagnetic Pulse Cannon (Right Arm), Black Hell Blade (Waist Mount), Heat-Seeking Missile Launchers (Shoulder Mounts), Fusion Cannon (Chest Core)
* **Core Weapon:** Unassigned
* **Spark Status:** 100%
* **Chassis Classification:** Leader-Class Frame
* **Combat Classification:** Leader-Class Warrior
Staring at the updated data lines flashing across his visual field, Skygnaw's optics dilated slightly. After a long pause, he focused his gaze, sinking into a heavy silence.
---
"A Leader-class warrior, just like that? Entirely by accident?"
A trace of pure disbelief still lingered in his tone. He tightly clenched his servos, feeling the monumental, crushing reserves of power humming within his newly forged chassis.
Only now did he truly accept the reality; the Matrix of Leadership had successfully rewritten his code, elevating him into a true Leader-class titan.
Before departing for Cybertron, a distinct intuitive instinct had suggested that a trip to the home world would yield a significant advantage.
But he had never calculated that a chain of bizarre coincidences would allow him to secure a Leader-class evolution this rapidly and effortlessly.
---
Calming his thoughts, Skygnaw opened his chest compartment with a quiet hiss.
Within the glowing cluster of his lifeforce spark, faint traces of deep blue light were visibly swirling.
The Matrix of Leadership had completely dissolved, its data matrices thoroughly integrated into his living spark core. He had assumed the relic would automatically eject itself from his chassis once the evolution concluded, but it had permanently bound itself to his lifeforce instead.
Although he lacked historical logs detailing how the ancient Primes stored the Matrix, it was highly doubtful they carried it directly inside their primary sparks.
---
"Never mind. It is highly unlikely to be a negative variable," Skygnaw thought, shaking his head as he dismissed the line of inquiry. The Matrix had just elevated him into a galactic powerhouse; it held zero logical reason to sabotage his system.
After taking a few moments to calibrate his movements to the massive weight of his new Leader-class frame, Skygnaw reached into his armor and pulled out the thick, weathered tome.
He intended to use the *Covenant of Primus* to verify the fragmented historical logs he had witnessed inside Vector Sigma, while uncovering what had transpired on Cybertron after the ancient visions had cut to black.
*Flip.*
The heavy pages turned with a soft scrape. Standing out like an artifact from an alien era against the rusted metal of the Well, the *Covenant of Primus* opened its first page for the first time in millennia, exposing the ancient records of Cybertron's dawn.
---
Back at the Sonic Canyons, the great war was finally drawing to its absolute terminal phase.
"Shockwave! We will register this failure! Your faction will answer for this day!" Superion roared in pure, unyielding fury before his massive combined form fractured, separating back into individual Aerialbots who quickly pushed their thrusters to max output, fleeing the airspace.
Across the smoldering plains, the landscape was completely cluttered with the broken, smoking chassis of both Autobots and Decepticons, including a few mountain-sized titans left cooling in the dirt.
Looking across the zone, only a tiny handful of active Autobots remained standing. With the retreat of the Aerialbots, the Decepticons had secured the definitive victory.
---
Massive waves of Decepticon reinforcements deployed from Iacon began filtering onto the plains to salvage the field.
The Autobots had called for aid, and Shockwave naturally wasn't foolish enough to fight without backup. However, the immense distance between the capital and the Sonic Canyons meant the garrison had only arrived after the dust had completely settled.
Among the troops clearing the wrecks, the Driller was Corliss-level aggressive.
No one could truly calculate the absolute capacity of the mechanical beast's stomach; despite having consumed dozens of Autobot infantrymen throughout the clash, he still craved more. The giant worm burrowed up and down across the terrain, snapping his jaws to swallow several mangled Autobot frames whole.
---
If Shockwave hadn't issued an explicit parameter warning beforehand, the beast would have likely consumed the deactivated combiner components as well.
A few low-tier Decepticon infantrymen tried to salvage some premium scrap from the wrecks, but the Driller beat them to every single target. Faced with Shockwave's personal pet, the grunts had no choice but to back off. If anyone tried to stand in his way, they would simply be the next payload entering his mouth.
"Shockwave," Blackarachnia said, tracking down the logician. "Skygnaw just transmitted a secure baseline. Ultra Magnus has been terminated."
She had coordinated with Abominus to systematically break Defensor, leaving her own armor plates heavily scratched and dented from the fierce exchange.
In their final, desperate counter-attack, the Autobots had fought like cornered beasts; Menasor had been completely disassembled by Raiden, while both Abominus and Predaking had sustained severe structural damage.
---
"Excellent. The result aligns with my calculations," Shockwave nodded slowly. He didn't question why Skygnaw remained at the secondary site instead of returning immediately to the main grid. A High Commander holding an equal combat classification wasn't someone he could micro-manage or order around.
"Decepticons, withdraw!"
After harvesting every scrap of high-value military technology from the field, Shockwave climbed into the command bay of the single surviving Mastiff transport, raising his arm to give the signal.
This campaign had reduced the Autobots' active military strength to a ragged wing of Aerialbots and a half-destroyed squad of Wreckers; their network was thoroughly broken and no longer represented a tactical threat.
Although the Decepticons had taken a painful blow by losing the entire Stunticon squad, the cost fell well within Shockwave's calculated tolerances. He held absolute confidence that it would take a very short timeframe to completely sterilize the remaining resistance cells from the face of Cybertron.
---
Deep within the Well of All Sparks, at the absolute floor of the abyss.
The *Covenant of Primus*, penned by Alpha Trion to record the global history of their race, read less like a formal historical text and more like a deeply personal journal.
The vast majority of the text was rendered from Alpha Trion's subjective viewpoint, heavily colored by his personal philosophies.
Reading through the dense passages left Skygnaw silently amused, thinking to himself that no perfectly logical entity would ever choose to keep a private diary.
After parsing through nearly half of the massive volume, Skygnaw's optics finally locked onto a set of familiar, critical records:
...Prima has transmitted the baseline coordinates; their tactical campaign has collapsed into a complete failure. They are preparing to initiate the final protocol, the exact framework we calculated while dissecting the Matrix of Leadership; we never anticipated that those theoretical formulas would be deployed to anchor our survival in an era such as this...
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