Then, the floor shook. A massive door at the far end of the arena ground open.
The human mind is a fragile thing, but a human mind uploaded into a sword-wielding robot is practically indestructible. Or so the galactic arena promoters want you to believe.
A door slid open and a fleet of slender, agile robots came sprinting out. They didn't have weapons; they had heavy, hydraulic legs designed to send opponents flying. Before I could raise my sword, one of them delivered a massive dropkick to my chest. File: Clone.Drone.in.the.Danger.Zone.v1.3.1.37....
The giant raised the hammer and brought it down. I dashed backward using my jetpack just as the weapon slammed into the floor, sending a shockwave that cracked the arena tiles. The hammer was stuck in the floor for a brief second.
Out stepped a machine three times my size. In its hands was a gravity hammer the size of a small car. One hit from that thing would not just kill me; it would delete my source code. Then, the floor shook
After surviving the first five waves of basic swordsmen and archers, I was granted access to the Upgrade Room. This was the only moment of peace in the Danger Zone. A blue tractor beam pulled me up into a pristine, white laboratory.
The arena smelled of ozone and hot oil. I blinked my optical sensors, adjusting to the bright, neon-soaked coliseum. My legs felt heavy, articulated hydraulic joints hissing with every tentative step I took. Or so the galactic arena promoters want you to believe
I was launched backward, flying straight toward a pit of lava. In a panic, I triggered my new jetpack. The thrusters roared to life, halting my momentum just inches above the molten rock. Using the vertical boost, I flew over the Kick Bot, flipped upside down, and brought my blade down on its head. Chapter 3: The Armor and the Giant